Repro‐protective role of royal jelly in phenylhydrazine‐induced hemolytic anemia in male mice: Histopathological, embryological, and biochemical evidence

To estimate the repro‐protective effect of royal jelly (RJ) on phenylhydrazine (PHZ)‐induced anemia's detrimental effects, 24 mature mice were divided into control group (0.10 mL normal saline; intra‐peritoneally), RJ group (100 mg/kg/day; orally), experimental anemia (EA) group that received only PHZ (6 mg/100 g/48 h; intra‐peritoneally), and RJ + EA (according to the previous prescription) group. After 35 days, testicular histoarchitecture, RNA damage in germinal cells, sperm characteristics, testicular total anti‐oxidant capacity and malondialdehyde as well as serum testosterone levels, pre‐implantation embryo development and cyclin D1 and c‐myc mRNA levels at two‐cell, morula and blastocyst stages were analyzed. Spermatogenesis indices were ameliorated following RJ co‐administration. Moreover, RJ co‐treatment reduced germinal cells RNA damage, improved sperm characteristics, boosted pre‐implantation embryo development and restored androgenesis, and oxidant/anti‐oxidant status. Co‐administration of RJ also decreased mRNA levels of cyclin D1 and up‐regulated those of c‐myc in two‐cell embryos, morulas and blastocysts. The findings suggest that RJ can play a repro‐protective role in PHZ‐induced anemia in mice through anti‐oxidant defense system reinforcement and androgenesis restoration as well as cyclin D1 and c‐myc expressions regulation.