[Apigenin affects semen parameters in male mice].

Objective: To explore the effect of apigenin on semen parameters in male mice.

Methods: Totally 100 healthy male mice of Kunming strain were randomly divided into 5 groups according to the body weight: negative control, solvent control, low-dose apigenin, median-dose apigenin and high-dose apigenin, the latter three groups given intragastric apigenin at a fixed time every day for 7 and 14 days. At 35 days after the first medication, all the mice were killed and detected for the sperm motion parameters by computer aided sperm analysis (CASA).

Results: There were no statistically significant differences in sperm motion parameters, density and motility between the negative control and the three apigenin groups after 7-day medication. At 14 days, the high-dose apigenin group showed remarkable decreases in average path velocity (VAP), straight line velocity (VSL), straightness (STR), wobbliness (WOB), the percentage of grade b sperm and sperm motility, and a significant increase in beat cross frequency (BCF) as compared with the negative control group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Apigenin affects sperm motility in male mice to a certain extent.