ArticleJournal of assisted reproduction and genetics2015
Protective effects of metformin on reproductive function in obese male rats induced by high-fat diet.
Article in Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
39 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 116 citations in OpenAlex.
- The effect of obesity interventions on male fertility: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Human reproduction update · 2026Pooled it
- C-phycocyanin protects against obesity-associated type 2 diabetes-induced male fertility dysfunction via key enzyme regulation.Asian journal of andrology · 2026Article
- Article
- Nicotinamide mononucleotide treatment improves spermatogenesis in obese mice by reducing lysine acetylation of lactate dehydrogenase C.Communications biology · 2025Article
- Raw and boiled ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) inclusive diet improves fertility parameters in high cholesterol diet-induced obese rats.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2025Article
- Do Lifestyle Interventions Mitigate the Oxidative Damage and Inflammation Induced by Obesity in the Testis?Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Paternal Use of Metformin During the Sperm Development Period Preceding Conception and Risk for Major Congenital Malformations in Newborns.Annals of internal medicine · 2024Article
- The corrective role of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for the genes controlling hypothalamus-pituitary-testis-axis in male obesity-associated secondary hypogonadism.Open veterinary journal · 2024Article
- Stimulation of Autophagy by Dapagliflozin Mitigates Cadmium-Induced Testicular Dysfunction in Rats: The Role of AMPK/mTOR and SIRT1/Nrf2/HO-1 Pathways.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Metformin promotes female germline stem cell proliferation by upregulating Gata-binding protein 2 with histone β-hydroxybutyrylation.Stem cell research & therapy · 2023Article
- Topiramate Reprofiling for the Attenuation of Cadmium-Induced Testicular Impairment in Rats: Role of NLRP3 Inflammasome and AMPK/mTOR-Linked Autophagy.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Histomorphometric and oxidative evaluation of the offspring's testis from type 2 diabetic female rats treated with metformin and pentoxifylline.International journal of experimental pathology · 2022Review
- The role of AMPK-dependent pathways in cellular and molecular mechanisms of metformin: a new perspective for treatment and prevention of diseases.Inflammopharmacology · 2022Review
- Metabolic Syndrome and Male Fertility: Beyond Heart Consequences of a Complex Cardiometabolic Endocrinopathy.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Review
- Protective and therapeutic role of melatonin against tunicamycin-induced ER stress in testicular tissue of rats.Iranian journal of basic medical sciences · 2022Article
- The Effect of Metformin on Male Reproductive Function and Prostate: An Updated Review.The world journal of men's health · 2022Review
- The Effects of Separate and Combined Treatment of Male Rats with Type 2 Diabetes with Metformin and Orthosteric and Allosteric Agonists of Luteinizing Hormone Receptor on Steroidogenesis and Spermatogenesis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2021Article
- Effects of Metformin on Experimental Varicocele in Rats.Archives of Razi Institute · 2021Article
- Role of Glucose-Lowering Medications in Erectile Dysfunction.Journal of clinical medicine · 2021Review
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThe study aims to elucidate the changes in testicular spermatogenic function in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats and to evaluate the protective effects of metformin intervention.
methodsMale Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 18) were randomly divided into a control group (standard diet), an HFD group, and a metformin group (HFD + metformin at 100 mg/kg, once daily by oral gavage). After 8 weeks, rats were euthanized, and the weights of body and testes were measured. Testis and epididymis were dissected and hematoxylin-eosin-stained for histopathological examination and semen parameter analysis. Blood samples were collected for assessment of sex hormones and metabolic parameters (serum glucose, insulin, and leptin). Spermatogenic cell apoptosis was accessed by TUNEL.
resultsCompared with the control group, the final body weight and weight gain were significantly higher in HFD rats, while the testicle weight and coefficients were lower. In HFD rats, metformin treatment induced weight loss and increased testicle weight (P < 0.05). In HFD rats, obvious pathological changes in the testicular tissue were characterized by small, atrophic, and distorted seminiferous tubules and destroyed basement membrane. Metformin treatment protected against the HFD-induced decrease in the number of spermatogonia, Sertoli cells, and Leydig cells (P < 0.05); ameliorated the HFD-induced increases in serum glucose, insulin, leptin, and estrogen; and decreased serum testosterone (P < 0.05) and reduced the rate of testicular cell apoptosis in obese male rats. Finally, metformin significantly improved semen parameters (including concentration, viability, motility, and normal morphology) in HFD rats (P < 0.05).
conclusionsHFD-induced obesity in rats results in detrimental effects on spermatogenesis, semen quality, endogenous hormones, and testicular cell apoptosis. Metformin intervention improved the semen parameters, possibly due to its effects on weight loss, increased testicular weight, reduced testicular cell apoptosis, and resulted in restoration of hormonal homeostasis and correction of metabolic disorder.
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