Administration of Bajakah (Spatholobus littoralis Hassk) Stem Ethanol Extract Increased the Number of Leydig Cells and Testosterone Levels in Male Wistar Rats (Rattus Norvegicus) with Excessive Swimming Activity

Background: Swimming activity has been shown to be associated with increased ROS production. ROS can cause aging because it triggers damage to cells, tissues, organs and then leads to death. Research has found that excessive swimming activity leads to apoptosis of Leydig cells and lowers testosterone levels. Bajakah (Spatholobus littoralis Hassk) stem contains flavonoids, polyphenols, tannins, steroids and antioxidants; hence, it can be used to prevent aging caused by excessive swimming. The purpose of this study was to prove that the administration of Bajakah stem ethanol extract increases the number of Leydig cells and testosterone levels in male Wistar rats with excessive swimming activity. Methods: This study was experimental research using a randomized posttest-only control group design. Subjects were 40 male Wistar rats, 3-4 months old, weighing 200 grams and healthy. The control group (20 rats) were given excessive swimming activity and 2 ml aquadest as a placebo, while the treatment group (20 rats) were given excessive swimming activity and Bajakah stem ethanol extract with a dose of 9 mg/200g BW of rats. After 21 days of treatment, testosterone levels were measured using the ELISA (KIT Bioassay Technology Laboratory) method and the number of Leydig cells was examined using the histopathological method with Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining. Data analysis was performed using Independent T-test for the number of Leydig cells and the Mann-Whitney test for the testosterone levels. Results: The mean number of Leydig cells after 21 days of treatment in the control group was 14.6±3.17 cells/field of view, whereas in the treatment group was 38.4±7.50 cells/field of view (p less than0.001). Testosterone level in the control group was 3.56 nmol/mL with a minimum value of 3.40 nmol/mL and a maximum value of 3.68 nmol/mL. In the treatment group, the median testosterone level was 6.31 nmol/mL with a minimum value of 4.81 nmol/mL and a maximum value of 6.54 nmol/mL (p less than0.001).