Abstract

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is associated with histologic alterations of the testis. In the present study, we aimed to investigate both preventive and protective effects of garlic juice on testicular damage in male rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes. Materials and Methods: Forty male wistar rats were divided into 5 groups: 1) Group normal (N), 2) Group Normal+Garlic (N+G), 3) Diabetic (D) received STZ, 60mg/kg BW /i.p., 4) Group diabetic+garlic before (D+Gb) received garlic juice for 3 weeks before STZ injection and for 3 weeks after, and 5) Group diabetic+garlic after (D+Ga) three days after STZ injection, received garlic juice for 3 weeks. Garlic juice was given by gavage (1ml/100g BW). Testicular damage was examined using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results: Diabetic rats showed a significant reduction in seminiferous tubule diameter and the number of germ cells. Garlic significantly attenuated the diabetes-induced morphological changes and the decrease in germ cells. The diabetic group receiving garlic before STZ injection (D+Gb) showed more amelioration in complications than that receiving it after STZ injection. Conclusion: In this study, for the first time, we showed that administration of garlic juice could play both preventive and therapeutic roles in testicular damage in male diabetic rats.