Khat (Catha edulis) lowers plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone secretion, but increases cortisol levels in male rabbits (original) (raw)
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Aims of the study: Controversy surrounds on the effect of khat, a widely chewed herb for its stimulant effect on sexuality. This study investigated the effect of fresh Catha edulis F. (Khat) extract, synthetic cathinone and vehicle on reproductive parameters, including sexual motivation and performance, serum testosterone and cortisol levels, epididymal sperm count, and histoarchitecture of testis in male rats. Objective: This study investigated the effect of fresh Catha edulis Forsk (Khat, Celastraceae) extract, synthetic cathinone and vehicle on reproductive parameters, including sexual motivation and performance, serum testosterone and cortisol levels, epididymal sperm count, and histoarchitecture of testis in male rats. Materials and methods: Rats were treated with either Tween 80 (3%, v/v) in water, khat extract (100 mg/kg, K100; 200 mg/kg, K200; and 300 mg/kg, K300 doses) or cathinone (5 mg/kg, CAT5) intragastrically for four weeks and subjected to a battery of behavioral tests. Three days following the last administration, blood was drawn for hormonal analysis and the animals were sacrificed for sperm count and morphologicpathology studies. Results: K100 significantly decreased mount latency (ML) (p < 0.05) and intromission latency (IL) (p < 0.01) compared to controls. K200 whilst significantly reduced IL (p < 0.01) and intromission frequency (IF) (p < 0.01), increased postejaculatory latency (PEL) (p < 0.01). K300 significantly reduced IF (p < 0.01) and ejaculatory latency (EL) (p < 0.01), but increased mount frequency (MF), IL, PEL, and ML (p < 0.01, in all cases). With CAT5, MF (p < 0.05) and IL (p < 0.01) were significantly greater but EL and IF were lower (p < 0.05, in both cases) than controls. Serum levels of testosterone were doubled in K100 (p < 0.01), but a significant decrease was recorded in both K200 (18%, p < 0.01) and K300 (50%, p < 0.01) rats. Whereas K100 did not have any effect on cortisol levels, K200 and K300 significantly increased by 83% (p < 0.05) and 164.5% (p < 0.01), respectively. CAT5 affected neither serum testosterone nor cortisol levels. Khat extract demonstrated a dose-dependent decline in epididymal sperm count: 50% with K100 (p < 0.05), 78% with K200 (p < 0.01) and 89% with K300 (p < 0.01). CAT5 did not, however, produce any significant change in sperm count. Khat extract and cathinone did not produce any discernible damage on testis. Conclusion: Mild dose of khat improves sexual motivation, without much effect on performance. With increasing dose, however, both motivation and performance are reduced. Although testosterone levels correlated well with motivation, there was dissociation with sperm count, indicating optimum level might be required for normal spermatogenesis.
Journal of ethnopharmacology, 2006
The potential effect of Khat (Catha edulis, Celastraceae) on fertility in humans has not been elucidated. In this study, we used the olive baboon (Papio anubis, Cercopithecidae) to determine the effects of oral administration of khat on circulating hormones. In order to establish baseline hormonal levels, five male baboons were bled once a week for 1 month. The same baboons were then fed with crude khat juice extract once a week over a period of 2 months, and the effects on serum levels of cortisol, testosterone and prolactin determined using enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and radioimmunoassay (RIA). Subsequently, sampling was repeated for a further 1 month to determine the residual effect of khat. The results showed that khat administration causes a significant increase in the mean levels of testosterone while prolactin and cortisol levels were reduced. These effects were also evident 1 month post treatment and indicate khat may exert a transient effect on male fertility by interfering w...
Anatomia, Histologia, Embryologia, 2020
The present study aimed at analysing the effect of Khat plant extract on rat testicular development. Thirty‐two weaned male albino rats (4 weeks old) were divided into four groups consisting of eight animals each. While control animals received normal saline, rats of groups I, II and III received 100, 200 and 300 mg Khat extract per kg body weight dissolved in distilled water by oral gavage daily for 8 weeks, respectively. Blood samples were collected in separate heparinized tubes by cardiac puncture from each rat and processed for measuring plasma levels of reproductive hormones LH, FSH, testosterone and prolactin. Five‐µm sections were stained with haematoxylin and eosin and examined by light microscope. Some sections were immunostained for protamine‐1 representing a biomarker for intact sperm differentiation. The present study clearly demonstrated that Khat extract has a pronounced effect on testicular maturation of developing albino rats at both the morphological and functional ...
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2007
Isolated mouse interstitial cells were incubated with different concentrations of khat (Catha edulis) extract (0.06 mg/ml, 0.6 mg/ml, 6 mg/ml, 30 mg/ml and 60 mg/ml) and cell viability as well as testosterone concentration measured at 30 min intervals over a 3 h incubation period. High concentrations of khat extract (30 mg/ml and 60 mg/ml) significantly inhibited testosterone production while low concentrations (0.06 mg/ml, 0.6 mg/ml and 6 mg/ml) significantly stimulated (P < 0.05) testosterone production by mouse interstitial cells. Similarly, at concentrations of 30 mg/ml and 60 mg/ml, there was a significant decrease in interstitial cell viability, whereas at 0.06 mg/ml, 0.6 mg/ml and 6 mg/ml there was no significant decrease. There was only a weak correlation (r = 0.39) between testosterone production and viable interstitial cells. We postulate that khat extract at high concentrations may cause reproductive function impairment in the user but at low concentrations, may enhance testosterone production with accompanying effects on reproductive functions in male mice.
The Reproductive and Thyroid Hormonal Profile of Khat (Catha edulis) Chewers
The effects of khat on the hormonal levels have been established; however, the effects on human beings are controversial. The aim of our study was to investigate the possible effects of khat on the levels of serum thyroid hormones, tes-tosterone, estradiol (E2), prolactin and cortisol in men. A total of 50 blood samples were collected from healthy males who referred to chew khat for more than 10 years and analyzed for the above hormones. The results were compared to the hormonal levels of 35 non khat chewers. Chewing khat causes significant increases in the testosterone (P < 0.03), prolactin (P < 0.05), E2 (P < 0.00005), FT3 (P < 0.04), and TSH (P < 0.05) levels. No significant differences were found in the serum level of FT4 between the two groups. The level of cortisol were significantly lower (P < 0.001) in the khat chewers group compared to the control group. This study suggests that khat chewing can cause reduction in the cortisol level, which may cause increases of testosterone, prolactin and E2. In addition, chewing khat increases the level of TSH and FT3 serum levels. Therefore, khat may contribute to the relevant disorders caused by abnormal levels of the studied hormones in the people who are chewing khat
The biological effects of khat (Catha edulis) on reproduction and fertility are inadequately investigated and controversial, hence we determined the effects of oral administration of high-dose khat on sperm parameters and male hormonal levels in olive baboons. In this study, 6 male baboons received a high dose of khat (500 g/week) during 1 month. Electroejaculation for sperm studies (concentration, motility and chromatin integrity) and plasma collection for hormonal analysis (testosterone, prolactin and cortisol) were done weekly during 1 month before and 1 month during khat administration as well as 2 weeks after the last dose of khat administration. Administration of khat extract induced a significant reduction in sperm motility (p = 0.008), sperm count (p = 0.041), sperm chromatin integrity (p = 0.0003), testosterone levels (p = 0.035) and prolactin levels (p = 0.0115), but not in cortisol levels and sperm volume (p > 0.05). The results suggest that high-dose khat decreases sperm quality and testosterone and hence may contribute to male infertility.Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.
High khat dose and long-term exposure impairs spermatogenesis: experimental study using rabbit model
Journal of Morphological Sciences, 2017
Introduction: This study investigated short- and long-term effects of khat (Catha edulis) on hypophyseal, epididymal and testicular morphology, body weight and temperature changes and haematological parameters of rabbits. Materials and Methods: Twenty five male New Zealand White rabbits, divided into five groups were used. First four groups were administered, via intra-gastric tube, 1.5, 4.5, 13.5 and 40.5 g/kg body weight respectively of khat extract thrice a week for 8 weeks while controls received normal saline. Short-term and long-term effects were evaluated for hypophyseal, epididymal and testicular morphology, body temperature as well as body weight changes, food consumption and haematological parameters. Data on haematological parameters, body weight changes, body temperature and food consumption was done using one-way ANOVA at 95% confidence interval using SPSS version 12.0. Results: There was vacuolation in spermatogonia and spermatocytes at high doses while epididymides an...
Effect of Catha edulis foresk (khat) extracts on male rat sexual behavior
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2007
Khat chewing is a widespread habit that has a deep-rooted socio-cultural tradition in East Africa and in the Middle East. Although a number of investigations have been carried out using cathinone, the psychoactive component of khat, these may not wholly reflect the behavioral effects observed after administering khat in a dosage similar to those used traditionally. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of sub-chronically administered khat extract with or without alcohol on sexual behavior in female rats. Adult albino female rats were administered either with khat extracts (100, 200, 400mg/Kg), amphetamine (1mg/Kg), ethanol (2, 10%), or a combination of khat and ethanol (2%+10%) by intra-gastric gavage orally for 15 days. Both (200, 400mg/Kg) doses of khat extract treated female rats demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in both receptivity and proceptivity behavior. Although low dose of the extract increased female sexual behavior, it was not statistically significant. Similar results were obtained when khat extract (200mg/Kg) followed after 30 minutes by ethanol (10%) was administered despite the inhibitory effect observed when each drug was administered alone. From the present study it can concluded that higher doses of the extract inhibit sexual behavior in female rats.
Effects of Khat Extract and Cathinone on Reproductive Parameters of Male Rats
2010
The major objective of this study was to explore the role of supplier relationship management in perceived organizational performance of Ambo Mineral Water S.co (AMWSC). This research was designed as a descriptive, cross-sectional design. Supplier segmentation has a positive and strong relationship with Organizational Performance as its r=0.898 with Sig. (2-tailed) of 0.000. Suppliers relationship management governance has a very strong and positive relationship with organizational performance (r=-0.096) with Sig. (2-tailed) of 0.000. Supplier performance management, it has weak and negative relationship with organizational performance r=-0.96 with Sig. (2-tailed) of 0.554 (insignificant which is greater than 0.005) and Supplier development and organizational performance has a very strong and positive relationship r=0.898 with Sig. (2tailed) of 0.000 The effect of supplier segmentation, SRM governess, supplier performance and supplier development on organization performance with AWMSC organization were 0.040, 0.000, 0.888 and 0.014 respectively. Therefore, AWMSC requires working hard to improve the supplier performance management to increase organization performance level.
Metabolic Brain Disease, 2014
This study reports acute and sub-chronic effects of cathinone on hormonal alterations in single-caged vervet monkeys. Fourteen adult vervet monkeys were used, 12 of which were treated and 2 controls. Pre-treatment phase of 1 month aimed at establishing baseline levels of hormones while treatment phase of 4 months considered the dose-and time-response effects of cathinone on serum cortisol and prolactin levels. Test animals were allocated four groups of three animals each and administered 0.8, 1.6, 3.2 and 6.4 mg/kg body weight of cathinone orally while controls were administered normal saline. Treatment was done at alternate days of each week. Serum prolactin and cortisol immunoassays were done. Hormonal data was analysed by repeated measures ANCOVA. Results indicate a dose [F (4, 8) =218, P < 0.001] and time [F (18, 142) =21.7, P <0.001] dependent effect of cathinone on cortisol levels with a significant dose by week interaction [F (71, 142) =4.86, P <0.001]. Similarly, there was a decrease in serum prolactin [F (4, 8) =267, P < 0.001] with escalating doses of cathinone with a significant dose x week interaction [F (59, 118) =13.03, P <0.001]. The findings demonstrate that at high doses and long-term exposure, cathinone causes hormonal alterations probably via changes in hypothalamo-hypophyseo-adrenocortical and gonadal axes integrity.