Attenuation of reproductive dysfunction in diabetic male rats with timber cultured Antrodia cinnamomea ethanol extract

Diabetes mellitus together with the oxidative stress affects the process of spermatogenesis and leads to male infertility. Antrodia cinnamomea (AC) is a mushroom found unique in Taiwan and commonly used for the treatment of several types of cancers and inflammatory disorders. This study was aimed to investigate the anti-oxidative and the ameliorative effects of Antrodia cinnamomea ethanol extract (ACEE) on reproduction dysfunction in male diabetic rats. The diabetic condition was induced by administrating the combination of streptozotocin (STZ) (65 mg/kg) and nicotinamide (NA) (230 mg/kg). Three different doses of ACEE were tested (385, 770, 1540 mg/kg) for 5 weeks. The results indicated that the ACEE improved STZ-NA induced hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance. In addition to this, ACEE reduced the degree of lipid peroxidation, recovered the abnormal structure of the seminiferous tubules, and improved sperm parameters. Moreover, the DNA damages and mitochondrial membrane potential were improved in sperm. Our study confirmed that the ACEE has anti-inflammatory and ameliorative effects to prevent diabetes-induced male reproductive dysfunction.