Effects of hydroalcoholic extract of rosa damascena, urtica dioica root and their combination on memory, anxiety, depression level and muscle strength in pre-andropausic male rats

Mohsen Abedini esfahlani,1,* Sayed noureddin nematolahi-mahani,2 Tahereh haghpanah,3 Mohammad reza afarinesh,4

1. Department of anatomy, Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
2. Department of anatomy, Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
3. Department of anatomy, Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
4. Kerman Cognitive Research Center and Kerman Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction

Unlike women that experience sudden changes in sex hormones,in men it happen gradually which is known as ‘andropause’ or ‘male menopause’. this condition may occurre due to decrease in testosterone hormone level. andropuase have various signs including decrease of memory and muscular strength, depression and sexual dysfunction. commonly, testosterone therapy has been proposed for treatment of andropause, which might induce some side effects especially benign prostatic hypertrophy (bph). according to the previous studies showing the beneficial effects of urtica dioica root and rosa damascena extract on the male sex hormones, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of rosa damascena, urtica dioica root and their combination on the testosterone hormone level and andropause symptoms in pre-androposic male rats.

Methods

thirty-two 12-month old male rats were used as a middle-aged model. the treatment period was 50 days of rosa damascena (40 mg/kg) and urica dioica root (50 mg/kg) administration. the novel object recognition test, open field, wire grip and swimming retention tests were performed for cognition, anxiety, muscular strength, and depression at 1, 25 and 50 days of the start of experiments. after the end of behavioral tests, the animals were killed and blood samples were collected.

Results

no significant difference was observed in muscular strength in any of the groups receiving the extracts compared to the vehicle group. recognition on 25 day showed a significant increase in the rosa damascena and combination groups, while on 50 day all three treatments showed a significant increase compared with the vehicle group. grooming and rearing were significantly increased on 50 and 25 days respectively in the combination group. immotility in forced swimming test increased significantly in either of the treated animals on 50 day. the duration of climbing in this test showed a significant increase in the combination group on 25 and 50 days as compared with the vehicle group. swimming period was nearly identical in the treated groups with no significant difference with vehicle group. testosterone level showed a decrease in the rosa damascena group and a significant increase in the combination group as compared with the vehicle group.

Conclusion

the current study showed that the hydroalcoholic extract of rosa damascena, urtica dioica root and their combination could differently withstand andropausic changes in an aged animal model of andropause. change in the anti oxidant levels and gonodal-hypophysis-hypothalamus axis function might have improved the symptoms of andropause.

Keywords

Andropause, aging, testosterone,rosa damascena, urtica dioica