Local Nigerian men use Auricularia polytricha (wood ear mushroom) growing in farm lands and dead woods to manage sexual dysfunction and this practice has been going on for ages without supporting evidence from scientific experiments. This study was to investigate the ameliorative effect of ethanolic extract of Auricularia polytricha on male sex hormones (FSH, LH, and testosterone), sperm parameters (sperm count, sperm motility, and morphology), and histopathological examination of testis using Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats as a model. The experiment included five groups of adult male Wistar rat, group A (normal control, treated with normal saline), group B (diabetic control treated with 65 mg/kg.bw of STZ), groups C, D, and E (treated with 250 mg/kg.bw, 500 mg/kg.bw, 1000 mg/kg.bw A. polytricha after inducing diabetics). At termination, homogenate was prepared for semen analysis using improved Neubauer’s hemocytometer, serum samples were used for hormonal assay with ELISA (enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay) kit and light microscope was used for histopathological examination. Results revealed significant (p 0.05) when compared to diabetic control. However, groups D and E recorded sperm count and sperm motility that were significantly (p < 0.05) increased when compared to the diabetic control (group B). Morphological defects in diabetic control rats were significantly (p < 0.05) higher when compared to normal control but there was no statistical significance in group C when compared to the diabetic control, meanwhile values of sperm morphological defects in groups D and E were significantly (p < 0.05) lower when compared to the diabetic control group. All gonadotropic hormones considered in this research were remarkably lower at p < 0.05 when compared to normal control. However, these values were significantly higher in groups D and E when compared to diabetic control. Structural alterations in cytoarchitecture of testes as a result of sustained hyperglycemia were reversed in a dose dependent manner following A. polytricha administration. Alterations in sperm parameters, gonadotropic hormones, and histology of testes caused by diabetes were regulated and reversed following administration of graded doses of A. polytricha. This reversal may be attributed to essential phytochemical and therapeutic constituents in A. polytricha which can be found useful in prevention and treatment of diabetes induced testicular dysfunction.

中文翻译：

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Auricularia polytricha 恢复链脲佐菌素诱导的糖尿病 Wistar 大鼠的生殖参数改变

当地的尼日利亚男子使用生长在农田和枯木中的 Auricularia polytricha（木耳蘑菇）来治疗性功能障碍，这种做法已经持续了很长时间，没有科学实验的支持证据。本研究旨在研究多毛木耳乙醇提取物对雄性激素（FSH、LH 和睾酮）、精子参数（精子计数、精子活力和形态）以及使用链脲佐菌素 (STZ) 进行睾丸组织病理学检查的改善作用-诱导的糖尿病大鼠作为模型。实验包括5组成年雄性Wistar大鼠，A组（正常对照组，生理盐水处理），B组（糖尿病对照组，65mg/kg.bw的STZ处理），C、D和E组（用生理盐水处理）。 250 mg/kg.bw、500 mg/kg.bw、1000 mg/kg.bw A. polytricha 诱导糖尿病后）。终止时，用改进的Neubauer血细胞计数器制备匀浆用于精液分析，血清样品用ELISA（酶联免疫吸附测定）试剂盒进行激素测定，光学显微镜用于组织病理学检查。与糖尿病对照相比，结果显示显着（p = 0.05）。然而，与糖尿病对照组（B 组）相比，D 组和 E 组记录的精子数量和精子活力显着增加（p < 0.05）。糖尿病对照组大鼠形态学缺陷明显高于正常对照组（p < 0.05），但C组与糖尿病对照组比较无统计学意义，同时D组和E组精子形态缺陷值显着升高（p < 0.05) 低于糖尿病对照组。与正常对照相比，本研究中考虑的所有促性腺激素均显着降低，p < 0.05。然而，与糖尿病对照组相比，D 组和 E 组的这些值显着更高。由于持续高血糖导致睾丸细胞结构的结构改变在 A. polytricha 给药后以剂量依赖性方式逆转。由糖尿病引起的精子参数、促性腺激素和睾丸组织学的改变在施用分级剂量的多毛曲霉后得到调节和逆转。这种逆转可能归因于 A. polytricha 中必需的植物化学和治疗成分，这些成分可用于预防和治疗糖尿病引起的睾丸功能障碍。