@article{Yama_Duru_Oremosu_Noronha_2011, title={Testicular oxidative stress in Sprague-Dawley rats treated with bitter melon (<i>Momordica charantia</i>): the effect of antioxidant supplementation}, volume={10}, url={https://www.banglajol.info/index.php/BJMS/article/view/7805}, DOI={10.3329/bjms.v10i2.7805}, abstractNote={&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Objective&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;: &lt;/strong&gt;An important mediator of testicular injury is oxidative stress; the implicating pathway has been pointed at a free radical mechanism by researchers. This article, investigates the effect of bitter melon &lt;em&gt;(Momordica charantia) &lt;/em&gt;(MC) seed extract and antioxidant supplementation in the testes of Sprague-Dawley (S-D) rat.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Methodology&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;: &lt;/strong&gt;Ninety male S-D rats, weighing between 110- 214 g, were assigned randomly into six main Groups A to F. Group A was administered 50 mg/100 g of MC extract orally, between 6 to 16 weeks. Group B were pre-treated with ascorbic acid (AA) 0.01mg/kg, three days/week, &amp;alpha;-tocopherol (AT) 20 mg/kg, five days/week and both test solutions (TS) i.e. AA and AT; 0.01 and 20 mg/kg, three and five days/week for 8 weeks. This was followed by administration of the extract at dose and duration as in A. Group C received the extract for 8 weeks and afterwards post-treated for another 8 weeks with AA, AT and both TS (as above). Group D in addition to the extract administration were treated with AA, AT and both TS in dose and duration similar to B above. Group E had AA, AT and both TS alone for 8 weeks. Group F served as the control subjects. The animals testicular tissues were processed for malondialdehyde (MDA) and AA concentrations. Serum testosterone (TT) assay was done from left ventricular blood.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Results&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;: &lt;/strong&gt;The extract administered for 6, 8 and 16 weeks produced significantly (&lt;em&gt;p &lt;/em&gt;&amp;lt; 0.05) increased testicular MDA (1.74 &amp;plusmn; 1.15, 1.84 &amp;plusmn; 0.38 and 2.38 &amp;plusmn; 0.40) compared to control (0.38 &amp;plusmn; 0.02, 0.38 &amp;plusmn; 0.03 and 0.35 &amp;plusmn; 0.02) and decreased AA (0.01&amp;plusmn; 0.02, 0.01&amp;plusmn; 0.01 and 0.00&amp;plusmn; 0.01) compared to control (0.15 &amp;plusmn; 0.02, 0.12 &amp;plusmn; 0.02 and 0.13 &amp;plusmn; 0.02). There was also an associated significant decrease (&lt;em&gt;p &lt;/em&gt;&amp;lt; 0.05) in peripheral TT levels compared to control. The extract produced responses that showed no prophylactic rather modulatory effect with TS.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Conclusion&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;: &lt;/strong&gt;These findings suggest that the extract resulted in changes in the testicular oxidative status. This may play a role in testicular dysfunction that may compromise fertility.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Key words: &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Momordica charantia; &lt;/em&gt;malondialdehyde; ascorbic acid; testosterone.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;DOI: &lt;a href=&quot;http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjms.v10i2.7805&quot;&gt;http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjms.v10i2.7805&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Bangladesh&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; Journal of Medical Science&lt;/em&gt; Vol.10 No.2 Apr&amp;rsquo;11 pp.104-111&lt;/p&gt;}, number={2}, journal={Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science}, author={Yama, OE and Duru, FIO and Oremosu, AA and Noronha, CC}, year={2011}, month={Jun.}, pages={104–111} }