ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Estrogens has traditionally been known as the female hormone, but this idea has been challenged in early 1990’s and an essential physiological role for estrogen in male fertility was identified. Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring non-steroidal plant chemicals that can act like the female hormone estrogen. The herbs ( anise alfalfa and vervain ) chosen in this study contain phytoestrogens. OBJECTIVE: Previous studies demonstrated controversy of the effects of phytoestrogens on the rat testes .Hence, the present investigation was undertaken to investigate the influence of typical dose of herbs containing phytoestrogen on the rat testis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four apparently normal mature male rats were divided into four groups of 6 animals each. The first "control" group received only 4ml of distilled water as a placebo. The second group received 40mg/kg of anise seed; the third group received 53.3 mg/kg of dried herb of vervain and the fourth group received 400 mg /kg of alfalfa seeds. All experimental groups received the doses through orogastric tube daily for fourteen days. Testicular histology was evaluated by light and enzyme histochemistry. Plasma FSH and testosterone concentrations were taken to support our results. RESULTS: Histological examination of anise, alfalfa and vervain – treated groups showed an increase in the height of germinal epithelia. There was marked lipoprotein lipase activity in the whole of the interstitial tissue which is more in amount in experimental groups than that in control group. Acid phosphatase granules were infiltered the seminiferous epithelia mildly in control group , moderately in anise and vervain groups and markedly in alfalfa group. The number of interstitial cells showing marked acid phosphatase activity was higher in all experimental groups than that in control group. Alkaline phosphatase exhibited intense activity in the boundary tissue of the seminiferous tubules in testes of control and experimental groups but it appeared thicker in the latter. CONCLUSION: The low dose and short duration of treatment used in our study made these phytoestrogen – containing herbs to have a stimulatory effect on leydig cell steroidogenesis. This study also demonstrated that aniseed being the most potent of the three herbs followed by alfalfa in stimulating testosterone synthesis. This is possibly attributed to the coumarin constituent of aniseed and alfalfa. KEY WORDS: phytoestrogen-containing herbs, testis, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, lipoprotein lipase
The products of composites material are very sesetive to many variables, such as manufacturing process, additive materials, …. etc. Filler or additive plays a major role to determine the formation of the properties and behavior of the composites. In this study, polyethylene terephthalate-based compounds were produced and characterized. The work is concerned to prepare samples of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) - zinc-ferrite (ZnFe2O4) with different addition ratio as zinc-ferrite (1, 2, 5, 10, 15 and 20) wt% obtained from mixing the solution with a hot pressing method applied under optimum conditions. The densities of the composites for all samples were calculated. Through the work the diffusion of zinc-ferrite i
... Show MoreThe compound chalcon originally is extracted form some plant and herbs, the studies of the antiviral activity of this compound were done in two cell line cultures the L2OB and RD, the compound relatively non toxic to both cell lines of the concentration of 32?g/ml or less ,the compound have significantly anti poliovirus activity in both L2OB cell line and RD cell line, we find that the concentration of 0.03 ?g/ml or more inhibit the 100TCDID50 of the poliovirus .The therapeutic index(TI)used in this study to evaluate the drug activity ,( TI is the ratio of dose of drug which is just toxic to the cells to the does which is just inhibit the viral multiplication, if this index more than one the margin of safety of drug is according great ) .In
... Show MoreThe effect of internal acoustic excitation on the leading-edge, separated boundary layers and the aerodynamic performance of NACA23015 cross section airfoil are examined as a function of excitation location with ranging frequency range (50-400) Hz of the introduced acoustic. Tests are separately conducted in two sections, open type wind tunnels at the Reynolds number of 3.3x105 for measurement at angle of attack (0, 3, 6, 9 &12) deg. and 3x104 for the visualization at angle of attack (12) deg. based on the airfoil chord. Results indicated that the excitation frequency and the excitation location are the key parameters to alter the flow properties and thus to improve the aerodynamic performance. The most effective excitation frequency
... Show MoreObjective: This research was carried out in rats in a special place of the laboratory of histopathological diseases in the period 6/9/2018 until 23/11/2018, this study to detect effect of the addition of the alcohol extract of ginger in the reduction of fat in liver tissue of rats. Method: Eight groups and replicates for each group. The groups were homogenous in weights and were placed in 13 cages. Each group consisted of 10 rat and at 5 fares each. In the first treatment, rat were fed on regular feeding without adding and feeding rats in the second treatment sessions add to it the alcoholic extract of ginger in Turkey 150 mg/kg. The third group is the same as the normal food after adding the alcohol extract of ginger at a concentration of
... Show MoreBackground: One of the drawbacks of vital teeth bleaching is color stability. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of tea and tomato sauce on the color stability of bleached enamel in association with the application of MI Paste Plus (CPP-ACPF). Materials and Methods: Sixty enamel samples were bleached with 10% carbamide peroxide for two weeks then divided into three groups (A, B and C) of 20 samples each. After bleaching, the samples of each group were subdivided into two subgroups (n=10). While subgroups A1, B1 and C1 were kept in distilled water, A2, B2, and C2 were treated with MI Paste Plus. Then, the samples were immersed in different solutions as follow: A1 and A2 in distilled water (control); B1 and B2 in black
... Show MorePerchloroethylene (PERC) is commonly used as a dry-cleaning solvent, it is attributed to many deleterious effects in the biological system. The study aimed to investigate the harmful effect associated with PERC exposure among dry-cleaning workers. The study was carried out on 58 adults in two groups. PERC-exposed group; include thirty-two male dry-cleaning workers using PERC as a dry-cleaning solvent and twenty-six healthy non-exposed subjects. History of PERC exposure, use of personal protection equipment (PPE), safety measurement of the exposed group was recorded. Blood sample was taken from each participant for measurement of hematological markers, liver and kidney function tests. The results showed that 28.1% of the workers were usin
... Show MoreThis study investigates the stomach morphology and histochemistry of Clarias gariepinus. Grossly, the stomach is a J-shaped organ with three distinct regions: cardiac, fundic, and pyloric. Histologically, its wall comprises four layers: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa, and serosa. The mucosa exhibits broad longitudinal folds lined by high columnar cells with basal oval nuclei. These cells contain apical mucosubstances that react positively with Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) stain and negatively with Alcian Blue (AB). Gastric pits result from mucosal invaginations. Glands are present in the fundic and cardiac regions but absent in the pyloric. Oxynticopeptic cells exclusively line the fundic glands. Enteroendocrine cells are distr
... Show MoreThis study investigates the stomach morphology and histochemistry of Clarias gariepinus. Grossly, the stomach is a J-shaped organ with three distinct regions: cardiac, fundic, and pyloric. Histologically, its wall comprises four layers: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa, and serosa. The mucosa exhibits broad longitudinal folds lined by high columnar cells with basal oval nuclei. These cells contain apical mucosubstances that react positively with Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) stain and negatively with Alcian Blue (AB). Gastric pits result from mucosal invaginations. Glands are present in the fundic and cardiac regions but absent in the pyloric. Oxynticopeptic cells exclusively line the fundic glands. Enteroendocrine cells are distr
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Cyclophosphamide (CP) is a cytotoxic alkylating agent it's used associated with different side effects including lung toxicity. Vitamin B2 and vitamin B12 have lung-protective effects. This study was designed to evaluate lung-protective effects of both vitamins against lung toxicity induced by cyclophosphamide. seventy healthy adult albino male and female rats divided into seven groups each group containing ten rats were used in the present study and treated for seven days. On day eight rats were sacrificed and serum was obtained for glutathione and total antioxidant capacity measurement and lung extracted for immunohistochemical study; both vitamins significantly (P<0.05) increased glutathione and total antioxidant capacity in compar
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