Central effects of camphor on GnRH and sexual hormones in male rat

Authors
Sima Shahabi 1 , 2
Seyed Gholam Ali Jorsaraei 3
Ali Akbar Moghadamnia 1 , 2
Ebrahim Zabihi 1 , 2
Seyed Mohsen Aghajanpour 1
Seyedeh Narges Mousavi Kani 1
Seyed Ahmad Hosseini 4
Mohsen Esmaili 4
Ali Asghar Yoonesi 4
Amin Zarghami 4
Farid Alinezhad 4
1 Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center (CMBRC), Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
2 Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
3 Fatemeh Zahra Fertility and Infertility Reproductive Health Research Center, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
4 Student Research Committee, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
Abstract
In Persian traditional medicine is believed that camphor (a crystalline ketone obtained from cinnamomum
camphora (is a suppressor of sexual behaviors. This study examined the central effects of camphor on sexual
hormones (LH, FSH and testosterone) and GnRH plasma levels in male rat.
Male Wistar rats weighing 250-260gr were selected and divided into control (no treatment), sham (ICV injection
of EtOH 10%) and treatment (ICV injection of camphor in three doses 4, 20, 40 µg/ 10µl in alcohol) groups. The
serum samples were used for assaying of GnRH, LH, FSH and testosterone.
There were no significant differences in the levels of hormones between the groups of study.
Despite the central administration of camphor in hypothalamus - pituitary - gonad (HPG) axis, no significant
differences were seen in sex hormone`s levels compared to the control. With this finding, it can be concluded
that camphor may not effectively handle the axis via central pathway. These data recommend further studies of
camphor on the HPG axis.
Keywords
Camphor
GnRH
Hypothalamus - Pituitary - Gonad (H-P-G) Axis