Iranian Journal of Veterinary Surgery

Iranian Journal of Veterinary Surgery

Metformin Improves BCL-2 Gene Expression, Testosterone, Platelet Indices, and Histopathology of Testis in Varicocele–Induced Rats

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Fatemeh Ghaderi 1
Hamid Reza Moslemi 1
Mahmood Ahmadi-Hamedani 1
Khatereh Kafshdouzan 2
1 Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran.
2 Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran.
10.30500/ivsa.2025.487506.1423
Abstract
The present study attempted to investigate the effects of metformin on B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) gene expression, testosterone, platelet indices, and the histopathology of testis in varicocele–induced rats. Twenty-four male adult Wistar rats, aged seven weeks, were selected and divided into four groups. Group I: Sham, II: VCL (varicocele–induced rats), III: MET, and IV: VCL-MET (varicocele–induced rats treated with metformin). Koksal surgical method was used to induce varicocele. One week later, the rats in the MET and VCL-MET groups received metformin (100 mg/kg), and the rats in the sham and VCL groups received normal saline orally for four weeks. Then, all rats were anesthetized, body weight was measured, and the left testis was isolated for BCL-2 gene expression. Also, their blood samples were collected to measure platelet indices and evaluate testosterone concentration. The most significant secondary weight loss relative to the initial body weight, lowest platelet count (PLT: 49.6 × 103 µl-1), highest plateletcrit level (PCT: 0.44 %), mean platelet volume (MPV: 6.0 fL), platelet distribution width (PDW: 18.15%), and the lowest BCL-2 gene expression was observed in the VCL group. The lowest MPV/PLT (0.008), and the highest testosterone level (3.21 ng/ml) were observed in the VCl-Met group. Spermatid cells are seen in the VCL-Met group, spermatocyte cells in the VCL group, and spermatozoa cells in the sham and Met groups. Metformin apparently improved testosterone levels and testicular histopathology by increasing BCL-2 gene expression. As an anti-inflammatory, it also mitigated the changes in platelet indices caused by experimental varicocele.
Keywords
Metformin
BCL-2
Platelet indices
Testosterone
Varicocele

Subjects

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Iranian Journal of Veterinary Surgery
Volume 20, Issue 2 - Serial Number 43
October 2025
Pages 122-129

  • Receive Date 06 November 2024
  • Revise Date 12 December 2024
  • Accept Date 07 January 2025
  • First Publish Date 07 January 2025