EFFECT OF ALOE VERA AND CHLOROQUINE ON TESTES, SPERM MORPHOLOGY AND SERUM LEVELS OF REPRODUCTIVE HORMONES IN ALBINO RAT

Abstract

Many herbal plants have medicinal property and used throughout the world as safe source of medicine. Aloe vera is a succulent herb used for healing various ailments. Further it has an anti-androgenic property. Chloroquine is the most commonly used drug in the treatment of malaria worldwide as well as in the treatment of discoid lupus, extra intestinal amoebiasis and rheumatoid arthritis and can cause reduction in sperm motility, fertilizing ability of sperms. In the present study the effect of Aloe vera and chloroquine on testes of male albino rats have been investigated. In this study 18 male albino rats weighing between 180-240 gm and aged 3-4 months were randomly divided into 3 groups of 6 animals each. The group I served as control provided normal saline, group II and III are experimental, treated with 25 mg/kgbw of Aloe vera gel and 2mg/kg bw chloroquine respectively for 45 days daily orally. Histo¬pathological studies showed atrophic seminiferous tubules, germ cell debris, vacu¬olization of sertoli cells and interstitial cells, disrupted basement membrane, empty lumen and increased intercellular spaces filled with interstitial fluid. The sperm morphological abnormalities found to be increased while serum FSH, LH and testosterone level decreased in Aloe vera and chloroquine treated groups as compared to control. Thus it is concluded that Aloe vera and chloroquine cause toxic effect on the testes, sperm morphology and serum hormonal level of albino rats and may have antifertility potential.