Abstract
CONTEXT: Betel nut is consumed by millions of people for stress reduction and increased capacity to work. One of its components is arecoline which is useful for Alzheimer and schizophrenia; it also influences endocrine and gonadal functions. OBJECTIVE: Objective is to examine whether arecoline can influence pineal-testicular function in metabolic stress. DESIGN: Rats were deprived of food or water or treated them with arecoline, each separately for 5 days. SUBJECTS: Pineal and testis with sex accessories were studied. METHODS: Ultrastructural (pineal, testis, Leydig cells and prostate), hormonal (melatonin and testosterone) and other parameters (fructose and sialic acid) were examined. Pineal indoleamines were quantitated by fluorometric method; testosterone by ELISA, and carbohydrate fractions by spectrophotometric methods. RESULTS: Inanition/ water deprivation caused pineal stimulation ultrastructurally (with enlarged synaptic ribbons) and elevation of melatonin level, but reproductive dysfunction by ultrastructural degeneration of Leydig cells and prostate with fall of testosterone, fructose and sialic acid concentrations. Arecoline treatment showed reversed changes to those of metabolic stress, but arecoline treatment in metabolic stress showed same results as in metabolic stress. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that arecoline cannot alter the action of metabolic stress on pineal-testicular activity in rats.