Cannabis sativa L. Mitigates Oxidative Stress and Cholinergic Dysfunction; and Modulates Carbohydrate Metabolic Perturbation in Oxidative Testicular Injury

The therapeutic potentials of Cannabis sativa L. on oxidative-induced testicular dysfunction were investigated in isolated testes of male albino rats. C. sativa leaves were subjected to sequential extraction to yield the hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), and ethanol extracts. Oxidative injury was induced by incubating testicular tissue homogenate with 0.1 mM FeSO₄ for 30 min at 37 °C. Treatment was done by incubating the tissues with C. sativa extracts and 0.1 mM FeSO₄ under same conditions. Induction of oxidative injury led to significant (p < 0.05) depleted levels of glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (E-NTPDase) activities, while elevating malondialdehyde and nitric oxide levels, acetylcholinesterase, ATPase, glucose 6-phosphatase, fructose 1,6-biphosphatase, and amylase activities. These levels and activities were significantly (p < 0.05) reversed following treatment with the extracts. The extracts also displayed cytotoxic effect against human DU-145 prostate cancer cells. These results indicate the protective potentials of C. sativa extracts against oxidative-mediated testicular injury as shown by their ability to attenuate testicular oxidative stress, and modulate cholinergic and purinergic activities, while suppressing testicular carbohydrate dysmetabolism.