Cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia (L.) D. Don) is a commonly used drug in traditional Chinese medicine; it is especially useful for improving the reproductive performance in males and females. Cinnamaldehyde is the main component of cinnamon, which has bactericidal and disinfectant properties, promotes gastrointestinal motility and regulates testosterone secretion in the male. The present study aimed to investigate the mechanisms by which cinnamaldehyde regulates testosterone secretion in male animals. For this purpose, four-month-old male mice (n=25) were randomly divided into five groups (n=5 each) and treated with PBS, DMSO and three doses of cinnamaldehyde (25, 50 and 75mg/kg) by gavage for 2 weeks. Histological (IHC), ELISA and molecular analyses (WB, RT-qPCR) were used to assess effects of cinnamaldehyde on murine liver, serum testosterone levels, and testicular enzymes associated with testosterone production. The mechanisms by which cinnamaldehyde affects testosterone secretion in testis Leydig cells were explored using ELISA, flow cytometry, WB, fluorescent quantitative PCR, and dual luciferase reporter systems. The results showed that cinnamaldehyde elevated murine body weight, serum testosterone, testicular interstitial cell density, and steroidogenic enzyme expression (StAR, CYP11A1, 3β-HSD) without altering hepatic tissue and testicular indices. Cinnamaldehyde treatment at 5×10^-5M increased the expression of steroid hormone synthase in Leydig cells, increased the proportion of cells in the S phase, significantly increased the promoter activity of the steroid hormone synthesis nuclear receptor steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1), and up-regulated the expression of the nuclear receptor SF-1. The present study showed that cinnamaldehyde can upregulate the expression of steroid hormone synthase by increasing the activity of the steroid hormone synthesis nuclear receptor promoter, which in turn increases the synthesis and secretion of testosterone from testicular interstitial cells.

To Cite This Article: Meng Q, Huang X, Cai C, Guo Y, Yang Y, Huang Z, Wang D, Mohsin M, Yin G and Wang L, 2025. The effect and mechanism of cinnamaldehyde on testosterone secretion in murine model. Pak Vet J, 45(2): 683-692. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2025.191