Protective effect of royal jelly on reproductive system and fertility in male rats treated with methotrexate

Folic acid antagonist methotrexate plays an important role in the treatment of various malignancies and inflammatory diseases. Research has shown its destructive effect on spermatogenesis and fertility status by using laboratory animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of royal jelly on the reproductive system in male rats treated with methotrexate. In this study, ۲۶ male rats (۲۰۰-۱۵۰ gr) were divided into ۴ groups including control, receiving Normal Saline, methotrexate sole-treated, ۳ times a week at a dose level of ۰.۳ mg/kg and methotrexate + royal jelly: (۱۰۰ mg/kg) groups. The animals received the agents for ۴۲ days, orally. Following euthanization, the testicular and epidydimal tissues were dissected out weighted, and the sperm count was obtained. Observations showed that methotrexate, further to its effect on testicular/body weight, significantly (p<۰.۰۵) decreased the sperm count. However, the royal jelly-received animals exhibited the mentioned parameters significantly higher versus methotrexate-sole-treated groups. Thus, it could be concluded that royal jelly could be considered as an effective agent against methotrexate-induced detrimental

کلیدواژه ها:

Methotrexate ، royal jelly ، Infertility ، testis ، Male rats