Testicular heat shock protein effects of Methanolic and Phenolic extracts of N. sativa seed in chronic heat-stressed male Wistar rats

Abstract

In order to evaluate the efficacy of crude methanolic and phenolic extracts of Nigella sativa seed in modulating protective role response in mammals under chronic heat stress. Forty nine mature male Wister rats (weighted: 250 ± 10 g, aged: 8 weeks) has been randomly divided into 7 equal groups. Four groups were reared under normal room temperature (20±1ºC) which included negative control (Nc) was reared without any treatment, positive control (C) was drenched with drinking water, treated group (M) was drenched with metanolic extract of N. sativa (1 g/ kg bw), and treated group (P) was drenched with phenolic extract of N. sativa (0.3 g/ kg bw). Other three groups has been reared under high room temperature (35 ± 1 cº) which included heated positive control (Hc) was drenched drinking water, heated treated group (Hm) was drenched with methanolic extract of N. sativa (1 g/ kg bw), and heated treated group (Hp) was drenched with phenolic extract of N. sativa (0.3 g/ kg bw). The experiment extended for 18 days.
Twenty four hours after the last day of experiment, male rats has been sacrificed and body organs testis was removed and weighted .Testis samples (100 mg) were quickly obtained and putted in liquid nitrogen for heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) gene expression analysis using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Revealed insignificant differences in testes weights among the experimental groups. RT-PCR results showed that level of mRNA expression of HSP70 gene in testis tissues in treatment groups methanolic extract (M, Hm) (1g/ kg, BW, daily) and phenolic compound (P, Hp, 0.3g/ kg, BW, daily) of Nigella sativa seed was significantly higher than that of non-treated groups (Nc, C, and Hc). We have suggested that crude methanolic extract and phenolic compounds obtained from Nigella sativa seed have an efficient role in modulating protective role response of mammals under chronic heat stress in mature male Wistar rats.