THE EFFECTS OF STARVATION INDUCE STRESS ON THE SPERM COUNT AND SPERM MOTILITY OF THE MALE ALBINO WISTER RAT

ABSTRACT

Starvation   is produced by dietary restriction which may result in severe metabolic impairment and small-intestine hypofunction in animal and human. It is a serious deficiency of energy intake for a long period and it may negatively influence gametogenesis and gonadal maturation. Starvation induces  a  wide  range  of  responses  that  alter gene  expression,  biochemical  activities, physiological and behavioral responses; as wells as  a  reduction  of  body  and  liver  weight  of  the animal. In hormonal impairment, nutrient and deficiencies interfere with spermatogenesis, is as a result of deficiency of ion and vitamin that act protecting the testis from oxidative damage and improve sperm quality, as well as are related with the differentiation of spermatogonia. It associated with metabolic changes that may be reflected in the circulating concentration of hormones such as testosterone and gonadotrophins which regulate spermatogenesis and testicular maturation. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of starvation induce stress on sperm count and sperm motility of the male albino Wister rat. To achieve this fifteen (15) adult male albino wister rats were used for this study, weighting 120g to 170g were bought from the animal holding of the Department of Anatomy, school of basic Medical science, University of Benin. It  was divided into three(3) groups, group  A served  as control group was given standard diet and water, Group B was given standard diet and water starved for 18hour and  group C starved for 9 hour and given  standard diet with water . The experiment of starvation induce stress lasted for 42 day after which the animals were sacrificed under chloroform anesthesia. Pelvic and scrotal incision were made to excise the epididymis and testes. Epididymis were minced for sperm collection and analysis. Data collected were analyzed using graph pad statistical software, version 8.1, and results analyzed were presented in mean+/-SEM, while the student t-test was used to compare the dependent and independent variables, where p values of p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. This study show that for the sperm count there was no significant difference in the sperm count of those starved for 18hours and 9hour when compared with control group (p<0.05) were considered statistically significant. For that of progressive motility there was an increase in those starved for 18hour when compare with control where (p<0.05) indicated statistical significance. The food measurement that was not considered is suspected to be responsible for increase in progressive motility as rats typically fed voraciously when given food and also could have eaten excess to compensate for the starved period. While in non-progressive motility there was no significant changes in the progressive motility of those starved for 18hours and 9hours when compared to the control group where p<0.05 indicated statistical significance. For the immotile sperm there was a significant decrease in those starved for 9hrs compared with control, though there were no significant change in those starved for 18hrs compared with control, where p value of p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.In conclusion, the result of this study indicate that starvation have no significant difference on sperm count and significant increase in  progressive motility, the food measurement that was not considered is suspected to be responsible for increase in progressive motility.