Effects of Diabetes on Sexual Behavior and Castrated Rats

Diabetes is a metabolic syndrome and a potentially life-threatening illness in which blood glucose levels are abnormally high. Recently, sexual impairment and infertility emerged out to be the most common complications in diabetes mellitus. Sexual impairment is an established risk factor in diabetes mellitus affecting about 75% of male diabetic population. In diabetes, along with poor metabolic status the over expression of enzyme arginase leads to decreased production of NO and erectile dysfunction. Inhibition of arginase enzyme can lead to improvement in diabetes induced sexual dysfunction. In the present investigation diabetes mellitus was induced in adult male rats by intra-peritoneal injection of single dose of alloxan monohydrate (ALX at 120 mg/kg body weight) in distilled water and after the animals were allowed to drink 5% glucose solution overnight to overcome the drug-induced hypoglycemia. These animals were tested for diabetes after 15 days and animals with blood glucose (fasting) range 300–450 mg/dl were selected. Diabetic animals were divided into three groups comprising six animals in each. The 50% methanolic extract of whole plant Tridax procumbens (TDX) a potent anti-diabetic plant was administered at a dose of 250 mg/kg b.wt. orally to the different groups of diabetic animals for a period of 30 days. Tridax procumbens (TDX) exhibited significant improvement in mating behavior and serum testosterone level as compared with diabetic control rats. Glibenclamide (GLB) showed no improvement in above parameters except restoration in fasting blood glucose. The enhanced sexual performance mediated by Tridax procumbens (TDX) may also be anticipated to have biological significance and provide a scientific rationale for the use of Tridax procumbens as a sexual performance enhancer in diabetics.