Effect of Lead Acetate on Basement Membrane of Seminiferous Tubules of Adult Rat Testis and Protective Effects of Ficus Carica: A Histological Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of lead acetate and Ficus carica on disruption of basement membrane in seminiferous tubules of adult rat testis. STUDY DESIGN: An experimental study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Anatomy, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi in collaboration with National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, from March to November 2017. METHODOLOGY: Thirty male adult Sprague Dawley rats were selected and divided into three groups, each with ten animals. All treatments were given once daily for a period of eight weeks. Control was labelled as group A. Group B was administered lead acetate at a dose of 30 mg/kg body weight. Group C was treated with lead acetate at a dose of 30 mg/kg body weight and Ficus carica at a dose of 80 mg/kg body weight. Animals were dissected 24 hours after the last dose. Testis were treated, fixed and stained for histological study. Disruption of basement membrane in seminiferous tubules was scored morphometrically on a scale of 0 (normal) to 3 (>70% tubules showing disruption) and statistically analysed. RESULTS: Significant number of seminiferous tubules showed disruption of basement membrane in group B (20%) as compared to group A (0%). Less severe disruption of membrane was seen in group C as compared to group B, which was statistically not significant (p=0.082). CONCLUSION: Lead acetate causes significant disruption of basement membrane in seminiferous tubules of testis of adult rats but subsequent administration of Ficus carica reduces the effects on short term.

Soyabean Oil Supplementation Effects on Perivascular Inflammation in Lungs Induced by Bisphenol A: A Histological Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of soyabean oil supplementation on perivascular inflammation in lungs of adult mice induced by Bisphenol A(BPA). STUDY DESIGN: An experimental study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Anatomy, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, in collaboration with the Animal House, National Institute of Health, Islamabad, from June to November 2016. METHODOLOGY: Thirty male and female BALB/c mice were divided into three groups, of 10 animals each. Group Aanimals served as control. Group B animals were given BPAat a dose of 50 mg/Kg body weight/day. Group C animals were given BPAand soyabean oil at doses of 50 mg/Kg body weight/day and 500 mg/day, respectively. All treatments were given once daily for a period of eight weeks. Animals were dissected 24 hours after receiving the last dose. Lung tissue specimen processing and H&E staining was carried out for routine histological study. Perivascular inflammation was morphometrically graded and statistically analysed using Chi-square test with p<0.05. RESULTS: Grade 2 inflammation was recorded in two (20%) animals and grade 3 perivascular inflammation in 80% specimens in Group B; whereas 20% specimens of Group C had grade 2 inflammation and eight (80%) showed grade 1 inflammation. None of the control animals showed any inflammation. All groups were significantly different at p<0.001. CONCLUSION: BPAproduced perivascular inflammation and con-commitant administration of soyabean oil diet protected against it in rodent.

Histological changes induced by tamoxifen versus tamoxifen plus 13-cis-retinoic acid on rabbit uterine glands.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of tamoxifen versus tamoxifen plus 13-cis-retinoic acid on the histology of uterine glands in rabbits. METHODS: The experimental, randomised, controlled trial was conducted at the Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, from March 2009 to June 2009 and comprised rabbits acquired from the National Institute of Health, Islamabad. The animals were randomly divided into three equal groups: group A had controls, group B was treated with tamoxifen, and group C with tamoxifen plus retinoic acid. The uterine weight and cross-sectional diameter of uterine horns were measured after sacrifice. The uteri were processed for paraffin embedding. The sections were then assessed for stratification of glandular epithelium, changes in the glandular shape and glandular epithelial height. SPSS 13 was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Tamoxifen administration resulted in variation of glandular shape and increase in glandular epithelial height in group B as compared to control group, p < 0.001 and 0.005 respectively. The adjuvant administration of 13-cis-retinoic acid showed a suppressive effect only on glandular epithelial height, when compared with Group B (p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The 13-cis-retinoic acid has no significant inhibitory effect on uterine glandular proliferation induced by tamoxifen after a short-term administration of three months.

Amelioration of lead induced changes in ovary of mice, by garlic extract.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of lead acetate and protective role of garlic extract on the histomorphology of the ovary in an animal model. METHODS: The experimental trial was conducted at the Department of Anatomy, Army Medical College Rawalpindi, in association with the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, from April to June 2013. It comprised 30 adult non-pregnant female mice (BALBc strain) weighing 25-27 gms. They were divided into three equal groups of 10 mice each. Group A, taken as control, was given normal diet. Group B was given lead acetate at a dose of 30 mg/kg/day. Group C was given lead acetate 30 mg/kg/day and garlic extract 500 mg/kg/day through oral gavage tube for two months. Animals were dissected a day after the last dose. Size, shape, colour and consistency of the ovary was observed. The right ovary was processed, embedded and stained for histological study. Primary follicles were counted and noted. SPSS 18 wsa used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The primary follicular count decreased significantly in Group B while it relatively increased in Group C. Morphology of the ovary was affected after exposure to lead acetate in Group B, while in Group C results were the same as in the Group A controls regarding gross architecture of the ovary. CONCLUSION: Lead alters the normal histology and affects the physiology of the ovary. It interferes with the development of growing follicles in the ovary. Lead, being a reproductive toxicant, can be a cause of infertility in exposed females.