Effect of ginger extract and/or fenofibrate on the associated infertility of experimentally induced obese Wistar Albino male rats.

This study explores the effects of oral administration of ginger and/or fenofibrate on infertility in experimentally induced obese male rats. Fifty male rats were divided into five (n = 10) groups as follows: the normal control (NC), high-fat diet control (HFDC), high-fat diet received 300 mg/kg/day ginger (HFDG), high-fat diet received 100 mg/kg/day fenofibrate (HFDF), and high-fat diet received 300 mg/kg/day ginger and 100 mg/kg/day fenofibrate (HFDGF). After 16 weeks, the rats were euthanized. Blood samples were collected to determine the serum levels of FSH, LH, testosterone, leptin, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), HDL, LDL, and VLDL. Also, semen samples were collected from one testis and the epididymis to evaluate sperm characteristics. The other testis was used for histological, immunohistochemical, and molecular investigation. The MDA, CAT, and SOD were determined. In the HFDC group, the serum levels of FSH, LH, testosterone, and HDL, as well as sperm characteristics and the testicular levels of CAT and SOD, were significantly decreased, whereas the serum levels of leptin, TC, TG, LDL, and VLDL, as well as testicular MDA and aromatase gene expression level, were significantly increased compared to the NC group. All HFDG, HFDF, and HFDGF groups had greater values of sperm characteristics, HDL, CAT, and SOD, and lower values of TC, TG, LDL, VLDL, MDA, and aromatase gene expression, as well as NF-ĸB p65 nuclear expression and caspase-3 expression compared with the HFDC group. In conclusion, oral administration of ginger and/or fenofibrate could alleviate the associated infertility in experimentally induced obese rats.