Українська English

ISSN 2522-9028 (Print)
ISSN 2522-9036 (Online)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/fz

Fiziologichnyi Zhurnal

(English title: Physiological Journal)

is a scientific journal issued by the

Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Editor-in-chief: V.F. Sagach

The journal was founded in 1955 as
1955 – 1977 "Fiziolohichnyi zhurnal" (ISSN 0015 – 3311)
1978 – 1993 "Fiziologicheskii zhurnal" (ISSN 0201 – 8489)
1994 – 2016 "Fiziolohichnyi zhurnal" (ISSN 0201 – 8489)
2017 – "Fiziolohichnyi zhurnal" (ISSN 2522-9028)

Fiziol. Zh. 2026; 72(1): 16-24


Atrophy of the testes endocrine apparatus under cerebral hypoperfusion in rats and its correction

O.M. Grabovyi1, B.S. Uvaiev1, О.О. Grabovyi1, L.M. Yaremenko1

  1. Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/fz72.01.016


Abstract

Brain damage (stroke, trauma, hypoperfusion) is accompanied not only by neurological disorders but also by endocrine deficiency. It may manifest in different forms, ranging from barely noticeable to those that radically alter life, affecting the regulation of metabolism, sexual health, psychological well-being, and rehabilitation potential. To assess the atrophy of the endocrine apparatus of the testes under cerebral hypoperfusion in rats and the possibility of its pharmacological correction. Cerebral hypoperfusion in rats was modeled by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO). Atrophic changes in the testicular interstitium and the effects of clomiphene and metformin on their course were studied. Clomiphene, as an activator of the hypothalamic–pituitary–testicular axis, exhibited these properties also under severe chronic cerebral hypoperfusion in rats and prevented/restored the morphofunctional state of the endocrine apparatus of the testes. Metformin showed a tendency toward depression of the testicular endocrine apparatus in intact animals. At later stages of cerebral hypoperfusion in rats, it may have improved the condition of Leydig cells by compensating for progressively accumulating metabolic disturbances. Combined administration of clomiphene and metformin under cerebral hypoperfusion demonstrated lower effectiveness in restoring the morphofunctional state of the testicular endocrine apparatus compared to clomiphene alone. Considering the latter, it is necessary to correlate the results of testicular changes with the reduction of neurological symptoms that develop under cerebral hypoperfusion during the action of clomiphene and metformin, to conclude the expediency of correcting the observed alterations. Cerebral hypoperfusion leads to atrophic changes in the endocrine apparatus of the testes. By causing a decrease in testosterone production, this may reduce the effectiveness of compensatory and recovery processes. Clomiphene was shown to be a promising drug for correcting atrophic changes in the testicular endocrine apparatus under chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. In contrast, metformin demonstrated lower/negative effectiveness in this direction, and its combined administration was less effective than clomiphene alone.

Keywords: cerebral hypoperfusion; bilateral occlusion of common carotid arteries (BCCAO); testes; interstitium; Leydig cells; clomiphene; metformin

References

  1. Kimura S, Iwata M, Takase H, Lo EH, Arai K. Oxi-da tive stress and chronic cerebral hypoperfusion: An overview from preclinical rodent models. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2025;Mar;45(3):381-95. doi: 10.1177/0271678X241305899
  2. CrossRef PubMed PubMedCentral
  3. Hasan S, Uff C. Neuroendocrine dysfunction following traumatic brain injury: Current insights and emerging perspectives. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2025 May;39(3):102006. doi: 10.1016/j.beem.2025.102006
  4. CrossRef PubMed
  5. Soltani Z, Nazari M, Babaei M, Shakeri H, Jalali S, Hajali V, et al. Endocrine dysfunction post-traumatic brain injury: challenges and therapeutic approaches. Acta Neurol Belg. 2025;125:649-60. CrossRef s13760-025-02755-6
  6. CrossRef PubMed
  7. Huang S, Liu L, Tang X, Xie S, Li X, Kang X, Zhu S. Research progress on the role of hormones in ischemic stroke. Front Immunol. 2022;13:1062977. doi:10.3389/ fimmu.2022.1062977
  8. CrossRef PubMed PubMedCentral
  9. Fong H, Zheng J, Kurrasch D. The structural and functional complexity of the integrative hypothalamus. Science. 2023 Oct 27;382(6669):388-94. doi:10.1126/science. adh8488
  10. CrossRef
  11. Chang YT, Chen YL, Kang HY . Revealing the influences of sex hormones and sex differences in atrial fibrillation and vascular cognitive impairment. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Aug 16;22(16):8776. CrossRef
  12. CrossRef PubMed PubMedCentral
  13. Siddiqui AN, Siddiqui N, Khan RA, Kalam A, Jabir NR, Kamal MA, et al. Neuroprotective role of steroidal sex hormones: An Overview. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2016 May;22(5):342-50. CrossRef
  14. CrossRef PubMed PubMedCentral
  15. Abi-Ghanem C, Robison LS, Zuloaga KL. Androgens' effects on cerebrovascular function in health and disease. Biol Sex Differ. 2020;11(1):35. CrossRef 020-00309-4
  16. CrossRef PubMed PubMedCentral
  17. Ayala P, Uchida M, Akiyoshi K, Cheng J, Hashimoto J, Jia T, et al. Androgen receptor overexpression is neuroprotective in experimental stroke. Transl Stroke Res (2011) 2(3):346-57. CrossRef
  18. CrossRef PubMed
  19. Hohl A, Walz R. Male hypogonadism and traumatic brain injury. Testosterone: From basic to clinical aspects. - cham: Springer Int Publ, 2023:231-44. doi. org/10.1007/978-3-031-31501-5_10
  20. CrossRef.1007/978-3-031-31501-5_10
  21. Wu YC, Sung WW. Clomiphene citrate treatment as an alternative therapeutic approach for male hypogonadism: Mechanisms and clinical implications. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2024 Sep 18;17(9):1233. doi: 10.3390/ ph17091233
  22. CrossRef PubMed PubMedCentral
  23. Jordan VC. Antiestrogens and selective estrogen receptor modulators as multifunctional medicines. 1. Receptor interactions. J Med Chem. 2003 Mar 13;46(6):883-908. CrossRef
  24. CrossRef PubMed
  25. Huijben M, Lock MTWT, de Kemp VF, de Kort LMO, van Breda HMK. Clomiphene citrate for men with hypogonadism: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Andrology. 2022 Mar;10(3):451-69. CrossRef andr.13146
  26. CrossRef PubMed
  27. Câmara L. C. Overview of clomiphene citrate use in male hypogonadism and infertility. Asian J Med Health. 2024 22(12):232-40. CrossRef
  28. CrossRef
  29. Dutta S, Shah RB, Singhal S, Dutta SB, Bansal S, Sinha S, Haque M. Metformin: A review of potential mechanism and therapeutic utility beyond diabetes. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2023 Jun 26;17:1907-32. CrossRef S409373
  30. CrossRef PubMed PubMedCentral
  31. Li N, Zhou T, Fei E. Actions of metformin in the brain: A new perspective of metformin treatments in related neurological disorders. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Jul 27;23(15):8281. CrossRef
  32. CrossRef PubMed PubMedCentral
  33. DiBona VL, Shah MK, Krause KJ, Zhu W, V oglewede O.M. Grabovyi, B.S. Uvaiev, О.О. Grabovyi, L.M. Yaremenko 24 MM, Smith DM, Crockett DP, Zhang H. Metformin reduces neuroinflammation and improves cognitive functions after traumatic brain injury. Neurosci Res. 2021 Nov;172:99-109. CrossRef neures.2021.05.007
  34. CrossRef PubMed PubMedCentral
  35. Hannan SB, De Lazzari F, Gomez-Duran A, Navarro JA, Brea-Calvo G, Sanchez-Martinez A. Molecular and cellular pathways leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegeneration: lessons from in vivo models. Front Neurosci. 2025 Jan 29;19(2):1557013. doi:10.3389/ fnins.2025.1557013
  36. CrossRef PubMed PubMedCentral
  37. Shpakov AO. Improvement effect of metformin on female and male reproduction in endocrine pathologies and its mechanisms. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2021 Jan 8;14(1):42. CrossRef
  38. CrossRef PubMed PubMedCentral
  39. Li H, Zhang M, Ma J, Li W, Liu X, Li Y, et al. Zinc combined with metformin corrects zinc homeostasis and improves steroid synthesis and semen quality in male type 2 diabetic mice by activating PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2025 Sep;203(9):4659-70. doi. org/10.1007/s12011-025-04518-z
  40. CrossRef PubMed
  41. Nawazish F, Haider A, Tarique I. Shikonin mitigates diabetic testicular dysfunction by improving oxidative, apoptotic, and metabolic functions in rats. Tissue Cell. 2025 Aug;95:102879. CrossRef
  42. CrossRef PubMed
  43. Faure M, Bertoldo MJ, Khoueiry R, Bongrani A, Brion F, Giulivi C, et al. Metformin in reproductive biology. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2018 Nov 22;9:675. doi. org/10.3389/fendo.2018.00675
  44. CrossRef PubMed PubMedCentral
  45. Tavlo M, Skakkebæk NE, Mathiesen ER, Kristensen DM, Kjær KH, Andersson AM, Lindahl-Jacobsen R. Hypothesis: Metformin is a potential reproductive toxicant. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022 Oct 19;13:1000872. CrossRef
  46. CrossRef PubMed PubMedCentral

© National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, 2014-2026.