Protective effect of Livergol® on reproductive complications in a rat model of experimental cholestasis
- 1Department of Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
- 2Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
Abstract
Cholestasis, a multi-faceted liver complication arising from an imbalance in bile production and secretion, can lead to damage in extra-hepatic organs, including the reproductive system. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of Livergol®, a silymarin-based drug, in the reproductive complications induced by experimental cholestasis in mature male rats. Twenty adults male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 5), including group 1 (control) remained untreated, group 2 (sham) underwent laparotomy and bile duct manipulation without ligation, group 3 (cholestasis) underwent bile duct ligation (BDL) to induce experimental cholestasis, and group 4 (cholestasis + Livergol®) received oral Livergol® (300 mg kg-1) for 4 weeks post-BDL. After the study period, testicular histopathology was evaluated using Johnsen's score and the Cosentino criterion. Epididymal sperm parameters, including count, viability, and motility, were also assessed. The BDL-induced cholestasis caused significant testicular damage, evidenced by a decreased Johnsen's score and an increased Cosentino criterion. It also led to a significant reduction in sperm count, viability, and motility. Treatment with Livergol® significantly ameliorated these effects, leading to a higher Johnsen's score, a lower Cosentino criterion, and marked improvements in all evaluated sperm parameters compared to the untreated cholestatic group. Oral administration of Livergol® effectively attenuates testicular damage and improves spermatogenesis and sperm quality in rats with experimental cholestasis. These findings suggest Livergol® as a promising protective agent against cholestasis-induced reproductive toxicity, likely due to the anti-oxidant properties of its active component, silymarin.
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BibTeX
@article{shariatpanahi2026protective,
title = {{Protective effect of Livergol® on reproductive complications in a rat model of experimental cholestasis}},
author = {Sevin-Sadat Shariatpanahi and Rahim Mohammadi and Ali Shalizar-Jalali and Gholamreza Najafi},
journal = {Veterinary Research Forum},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.30466/vrf.2026.2078938.5005},
url = {https://doi.org/10.30466/vrf.2026.2078938.5005},
note = {CC BY-NC-SA 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Protective effect of Livergol® on reproductive complications in a rat model of experimental cholestasis
AU - Sevin-Sadat Shariatpanahi
AU - Rahim Mohammadi
AU - Ali Shalizar-Jalali
AU - Gholamreza Najafi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/15
JO - Veterinary Research Forum
DO - 10.30466/vrf.2026.2078938.5005
UR - https://doi.org/10.30466/vrf.2026.2078938.5005
AB - Cholestasis, a multi-faceted liver complication arising from an imbalance in bile production and secretion, can lead to damage in extra-hepatic organs, including the reproductive system. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of Livergol®, a silymarin-based drug, in the reproductive complications induced by experimental cholestasis in mature male rats. Twenty adults male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 5), including group 1 (control) remained untreated, group 2 (sham) underwent laparotomy and bile duct manipulation without ligation, group 3 (cholestasis) underwent bile duct ligation (BDL) to induce experimental cholestasis, and group 4 (cholestasis + Livergol®) received oral Livergol® (300 mg kg-1) for 4 weeks post-BDL. After the study period, testicular histopathology was evaluated using Johnsen's score and the Cosentino criterion. Epididymal sperm parameters, including count, viability, and motility, were also assessed. The BDL-induced cholestasis caused significant testicular damage, evidenced by a decreased Johnsen's score and an increased Cosentino criterion. It also led to a significant reduction in sperm count, viability, and motility. Treatment with Livergol® significantly ameliorated these effects, leading to a higher Johnsen's score, a lower Cosentino criterion, and marked improvements in all evaluated sperm parameters compared to the untreated cholestatic group. Oral administration of Livergol® effectively attenuates testicular damage and improves spermatogenesis and sperm quality in rats with experimental cholestasis. These findings suggest Livergol® as a promising protective agent against cholestasis-induced reproductive toxicity, likely due to the anti-oxidant properties of its active component, silymarin.
SN - 2008-8140
SN - 2322-3618
ER -