en Endocrine Physiology/Pharmacology Endocrine Physiology/Pharmacology Experimental research article Experimental research article <span style="font-size: 12px;"><p align="LEFT"></p></span> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Introduction: </b><font face="Arial,Arial"><font face="Arial,Arial">Sexual dysfunction and infertility are frequently associated with diabetes in men and experimental animals. Oxidative stress and alteration in testis are responsible for complication in diabetes. Saffron has antidiabetic and antioxidant properties that improves the functions of various organs. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of administration of saffron aqueous extract in testis tissues of diabetic rats. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Methods: </b><font face="Arial,Arial"><font face="Arial,Arial">The fasted rats were injected by a single intraperitoneal (ip) injection of a freshly prepared solution of streptozocin (STZ, 65mg/kg) in 0.1 M cold citrate buffer (pH=4.5). Three days after STZ administration, the animals with fasting blood glucose concentrations of over 250mg/dl were considered to be diabetic and were used in the experimental groups as follows: normal control (1), diabetic control (2), saffron control (3) and saffron treated (4). The treatment was started on the 7th day after STZ injection with ip injection of saffron (200mg/kg), five doses and weekly to groups (3 and 4). At the end of the experimental period, fasting blood glucose levels and the activity of ALT, AST, ALP, LDH, SOD, CAT, GPx and MDA content were determined in testis tissues. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Results: </b><font face="Arial,Arial"><font face="Arial,Arial">Results showed saffron administration decreased elevated biochemical enzymes levels in testis of diabetic rats. Also, saffron significantly increased CAT and GPx activities in testis of diabetic rats. MDA levels had no significant changes in all experimental groups. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Conclusion: </b><font face="Arial,Arial"><font face="Arial,Arial">The results demonstrated that saffron administration improved antioxidant enzymes function against oxidative stress. </font></font></span></font></font></span></font></font></span></font></font></span></span></p> Saffron aqueous extract, Diabetes mellitus, Testis, Biochemical and Antioxidant enzymes 28 37 http://ppj.phypha.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1008-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Mahmoud Hasanpour hasanpoor@shirazu.ac.ir 3200319475328460019140 3200319475328460019140 No Department of Basic Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran Mahboobeh Ashrafi mashrafi@shirazu.ac.ir 3200319475328460019141 3200319475328460019141 No Department of Basic Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran Hoda Erjaee hoda.erjaee@gmail.com 3200319475328460019142 3200319475328460019142 No Department of Basic Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran Saeed Nazifi nazifi@shirazu.ac.ir 3200319475328460019143 3200319475328460019143 Yes Department of Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran