Lycium chinense Mill improves hypogonadism via anti-oxidative stress and anti-apoptotic effect in old aged rat model.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the pharmacological effects of goji berry (Lycium chinense P. Mill) in an animal model of late-onset hypogonadism (LOH).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty 18-month-old male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used as the LOH aged rat model. Rats were divided into five groups: a control group (n = 6), low concentration goji berry extract group (150 mg/kg/day) (n = 6), high concentration goji berry extract group (300 mg/kg/day) (n = 6), low concentration goji berry complex extract group (150 mg/kg/day) (n = 6), and high goji berry complex concentration extract group (300 mg/kg/day) (n = 6). After six weeks of treatment, sperm counts and motility, serum testosterone level, androgen receptor (AR) expression, oxidative stress marker, and apoptotic factors were examined.

RESULTS: Goji berry extracts increased testosterone level to 2.07 ± 0.06 pmol/L in the goji berry 150 mg/kg group, 2.39 ± 0.08 pmol/L in the goji berry 300 mg/kg group, 2.97 ± 0.03 pmol/L in the goji berry complex 150 mg/kg group, and 3.34 ± 0.04 pmol/L in the goji berry complex 300 mg/kg group compared to 1.86 ± 0.03 pmol/L in the control group, respectively (p < .05). AR expressions were increased in testis tissue significantly but were not significant in prostate tissue.

CONCLUSIONS: Goji berry might improve LOH by reversing testicular dysfunction via an anti-oxidative stress mechanism without inducing prostate disease.