Iranian Journal of Veterinary Surgery

Iranian Journal of Veterinary Surgery

Effect of Alhagi camelorum on Varicocele-Associated Epididymal Sperms and in Vitro Fertilization Disorders in Mature Rats

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Peyman Montazemi 1
Ali Shalizar-Jalali 2
Gholamreza Najafi 2
Sima Jafari 1
Negar Mahdavi 1
1 PhD Candidate, Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
2 Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
10.30500/ivsa.2026.581100.1489
Abstract
Varicocele is known to be induced by abnormal dilation and tortuosity of the pampiniform plexus veins within the spermatic cord and is considered the most common surgically remediable etiology of male infertility. This study aimed to uncover the effects of Alhagi camelorum (AC) on epididymal sperms characteristics and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes in a rat model of varicocele. In this experimental study, 40 male rats were randomly categorized into five groups (n = 8), including control, varicocele, varicocele with high-dose AC (400 mg/kg), varicocele with medium-dose AC (100 mg/kg), and varicocele with low-dose AC (25 mg/kg). After a 60-day treatment period, malondialdehyde, total anti-oxidant capacity (TAC), sperm parameters, and IVF outcomes were determined. The varicocele group showed significant reductions in TAC, and sperm count, motility, and viability, as well as the number of zygotes, two-cell embryos, blastocysts, and hatched blastocysts, compared to the control group. The AC administration improved sperm traits, fertilization rate, and in vitro embryo development. These findings propound that AC can palliate the deleterious effects of varicocele on fertility in rats, likely due to its pharmacological properties, particularly anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.
Keywords
Alhagi camelorum
In vitro fertilization
Rat
Sperm
Varicocele
Subjects
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Iranian Journal of Veterinary Surgery

Articles in Press, Corrected Proof
Available Online from 15 June 2026

  • Receive Date 10 May 2026
  • Revise Date 12 June 2026
  • Accept Date 15 June 2026
  • First Publish Date 15 June 2026