Cordycepin, an Active Constituent of Nutrient Powerhouse and Potential Medicinal Mushroom Cordyceps militaris Linn., Ameliorates Age-Related Testicular Dysfunction in Rats
by
Spandana Rajendra Kopalli 1,†, Kyu-Min Cha 2,†, Sang-Ho Lee 2, Seock-Yeon Hwang 3, Young-Joo Lee 1, Sushruta Koppula 2 and Si-Kwan Kim 2,*
Spandana Rajendra Kopalli 1,†, Kyu-Min Cha 2,†, Sang-Ho Lee 2, Seock-Yeon Hwang 3, Young-Joo Lee 1, Sushruta Koppula 2 and Si-Kwan Kim 2,*
1
Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Sejong University, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05006, Korea
2
Department of Integrated Biosciences, College of Biomedical & Health Science, Konkuk University, Chungju 27381, Korea
3
Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Science and Industry, Daejeon University, Daejeon 300-716, Korea
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally.
Nutrients 2019, 11(4), 906; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11040906
Received: 13 March 2019 / Revised: 12 April 2019 / Accepted: 19 April 2019 / Published: 23 April 2019
Age-related male sexual dysfunction covers a wide variety of issues, together with spermatogenic and testicular impairment. In the present work, the effects of cordycepin (COR), an active constituent of a nutrient powerhouse Cordyceps militaris Linn, on senile testicular dysfunction in rats was investigated. The sperm kinematics, antioxidant enzymes, spermatogenic factors, sex hormone receptors, histone deacetylating sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), and autophagy-related mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) expression in aged rat testes were evaluated. Sprague Dawley rats were divided into young control (2-month-old; YC), aged control (12-month-old; AC), and aged plus COR-treated groups (5 (COR-5), 10 (COR-10), and 20 (COR-20) mg/kg). The AC group showed reduced sperm kinematics and altered testicular histomorphology compared with the YC group (p < 0.05). However, compared with the AC group, the COR-treated group exhibited improved sperm motility, progressiveness, and average path/straight line velocity (p < 0.05–0.01). Alterations in spermatogenesis-related protein and mRNA expression were significantly ameliorated (p < 0.05) in the COR-20 group compared with the AC group. The altered histone deacetylating SIRT1 and autophagy-related mTORC1 molecular expression in aged rats were restored in the COR-20 group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the results suggest that COR holds immense nutritional potential and therapeutic value in ameliorating age-related male sexual dysfunctions.
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Keywords:
Cordycepin; antioxidant; sex hormone receptors; spermatogenesis; SIRT1; mTORC1
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Kopalli, S.R.; Cha, K.-M.; Lee, S.-H.; Hwang, S.-Y.; Lee, Y.-J.; Koppula, S.; Kim, S.-K. Cordycepin, an Active Constituent of Nutrient Powerhouse and Potential Medicinal Mushroom Cordyceps militaris Linn., Ameliorates Age-Related Testicular Dysfunction in Rats. Nutrients 2019, 11, 906.
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