Protective role of Epimedium grandiflorum extract on epididymal tissue and sperm parameters in male rats treated with cisplatin

Given the widespread use of cisplatin and its side effects on health, it was necessary to search for an alternative medicine treatment that reduces the harmful effects of cisplatin. To determine the protective effect of the aqueous extract of Epimedium grandiflorum on cisplatin-induced damage in male rats. The experimental animals include 28 adult male mice were used and randomly divided into four groups of (7) animals each. The duration of the experiment was 57 days. They were treated as follows: negative control group (G1), positive control group (G2) was injected with 2 mg/kg of cisplatin subperitoneally, (G3) was given a daily oral dose of the aqueous extract of Epimedium grandiflorum leaves at a concentration of 350 mg/kg, (G4) received a daily dose of the aqueous extract followed by a weekly injection of cisplatin. Histological changes of the epididymis in group G2 showed little or no interstitial spaces between the epididymal tubules and spermatozoa in the lumen of the tubules, with epididymal tissue damage and some cellular degeneration. In groups G3 and G4, the epididymis showed normal structure with regularity of the epididymal tubules and increased sperm count. Sperm concentration and percentage of motile sperm were decreased, with an increase in the percentage of spermatozoa (non-motile and deformed heads and tails) in G2 compared to (G1, G3, G4) which showed the opposite, so it could be concluded from this study that using the aqueous extract of horny goat weed leaves has been shown to be effective in inhibiting cisplatin-induced damage to the epididymis tissue of male rats.