Protective Role of Whole Wheat Against Stress-Induced Hormonal and Sperm Abnormalities in Male Rats

Abstract

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of whole wheat in reversing hormonal disturbances and sperm abnormalities induced by stress in male rats. Study Design: An experimental study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Physiology, Islamic International Medical College, Rawalpindi, in collaboration with the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, Pakistan, from April 2024 to April 2025. Methodology: Thirty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: Normal Control (NC), receiving no stress; Positive Control (PC), subjected to immobilisation and a standard diet for 10 weeks; and Whole Wheat (WW), exposed to stress for 10 weeks with 4 weeks on a standard diet followed by 6 weeks on whole wheat. Serum cortisol, follicle-stimulating hormones (FSH), and testosterone levels, along with sperm count, morphology, motility, and agglutination, were assessed at weeks 0, 4, and 10. Data were analysed using Pearson’s correlation, ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey, and the Chi-square test, as appropriate. Results: Compared to NC, PC rats showed significantly elevated cortisol and reduced FSH and testosterone levels (p <0.001). In contrast, WW rats exhibited decreased cortisol and increased FSH and testosterone compared to PC (p <0.001). Semen analysis revealed that PC had higher sperm agglutination (p = 0.02) and lower sperm count, motility, and morphology (all p <0.001) compared to NC. Conversely, WW showed significant improvement in all semen parameters relative to PC (p <0.05). Cortisol levels correlated positively with sperm agglutination but negatively with FSH, testosterone, sperm count, motility, and morphology. Conclusion: Whole wheat reduced stress-related hormonal imbalance and improved semen quality, suggesting protection against male reproductive damage.