Protective effects of aloe vera gel (aloe baberdensis Miller) on aluminum chloride-induced reproductive toxicity in male Wistar rats.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims at investigating the protective effects of aloe vera gel on aluminum chloride-induced testicular toxicity of adult Wistar rats. METHODS: Twenty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (A, B, C, and D) with five animals per group. Group A serves as the control group and received distilled water (1ml/Kg). Group B received distilled water (1ml/Kg) with 100mg/kg b.wt of aluminum chloride daily. Group C received 100mg/kg b.wt of aluminum chloride with 600mg/kg b.wt of Aloe vera gel daily. Group D received 100mg/kg b.wt of aluminum chloride with 5mg/kg b.wt of vitamin C daily. The animals were fed on standard laboratory animal diet and water ad libitum. Administration was via oral cannula for four weeks. The rats were slaughtered using cervical dislocation. The testes were harvested for seminal, biochemical and histological analysis. RESULTS: The results demonstrate that the administration of aloe vera gel (AVG) is capable of preventing testicular toxicity due to aluminum chloride. Aluminum chloride caused a significant change in the testes and seminal parameters of group B when compared to the control animals. The level of Nitric oxide (NO) increased and the level of Superoxide dismutase (SOD) decreased significantly in rats treated with aluminum chloride. CONCLUSIONS: The administration of aloe vera gel showed a preventive response in aluminum-induced testicular toxicity of rats as evidenced by histological and biochemical analysis.

Maternal exposure to Bonny Light Crude Oil Altered Reproductive indices in Male and Female offspring of Wistar rats.

In this study, the effects of maternal exposure to Bonny Light Crude Oil (BLCO) on reproductive functions of the offspring was investigated in Wistar rats. Ten pregnant rats were divided into two groups (n=5). Group 1 served as the control, it was administered 0.75ml/Kg bwt/day normal saline and Group 2 was administered 0.75ml/Kg bwt/day BLCO. Serum hormonal profile, sperm indices, estrous cycle length and pubertal timing were assessed as measures of reproductive function. Tissue Malondialdehyde, Catalase and SOD activities were assessed as indices of oxidative stress. Results obtained showed that BLCO significantly (p<0.05) reduced birth weight, anogenital distance (AGD) at birth, sperm count, motility and normal morphology, serum testosterone, testicular and epididymal SOD and catalase activities in the male offsprings. However, days of preputial separation, relative weight of testis and epididymis, testicular and epididymal MDA were significantly (p<0.05) raised by gestational exposure to BLCO. In the female offspring, birth weight, AGD at birth, relative weight of ovaries and uterus, SOD, catalase activities, serum LH were significantly reduced by BLCO exposure during gestation. Moreover, uterine and testicular MDA, serum estradiol and FSH were significantly increased by BLCO treatment during gestation. In conclusion, maternal exposure to BLCO during gestation may alter reproductive indices in the offspring and increased occurrence of oxidative stress in reproductive structures in male and female offspring of Wistar rats.

Histomorphometric evaluation of seminiferous tubules and stereological assessment of germ cells in testes following administration of aqueous leaf-extract of Lawsonia inermis on aluminium-induced oxidative stress in adult Wistar rats.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the 'Cytoprotective effect of Lawsonia inermis aqueous leaf-extract on aluminium-induced Oxidative stress in Histomorphometric of the Seminiferous tubule and Stereology of Germ Cells of adult male Wistar rats', assessing its effect on the Histomorphometry of the Seminiferous tubule and Stereology of Germ Cells. METHODS: Thirty-five adult male Wistar rats, weighing between 100-196g, and fifteen mice of the same weight range were used. Lawsonia inermis extracts and aluminum chloride (AlCl3) were administered for a period of three (3) weeks, with Five (5) rats per group. Group 1 (control), received rat pellets and distilled water. Group 2 received 60mg/kg/d aqueous extract. Group 3 received 0.5mg/kg/d of AlCl3. Group 4 received 0.5mg/kg/d of AlCl3 and 60mg/kg/d of aqueous extract orally. Group 5 received 0.5mg/kg/d of AlCl3 and 75mg/kg/d of aqueous extract orally. Group 6 received 0.5mg/kg/d of AlCl3 and 100mg/kg/d of aqueous extract orally. Group 7 received 0.5mg/k/d of AlCl3 and 5mg/Kg/d of ascorbic acid orally. Twenty-four hours after the last administration, the animals were weighed, sedated with chloroform and blood was collected. The testes were removed and weighed. RESULTS: There were statistically significant changes in the percentage of seminiferous tubular and seminiferous ductal diameter within the experimental animals in all the groups (p<0.05). Stereological findings revealed increase in spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes, round Spermatids and elongated spematids, spermatozoa, Sertoli cells population of the control rats while the rats given 0.5mg of aluminum chloride per kg of body weight had the lowest value (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In this study, we demonstrated the affected histomorphometry of the seminiferous tubule and stereology of germ cells in testes, where stress impacts were most felt and subsequently translated into drastic reproductive dysfunction and distortion of spermatogenesis.

Nitrite-induced testicular toxicity in rats: therapeutic potential of walnut oil.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of walnut oil on nitrite-induced testicular toxicity in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Available evidence suggests that walnut oil contains high levels of important unsaturated fatty acids including alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and omega-3; nitrite is a reproductive toxicant that causes the loss of germ cells in the seminiferous tubules and generates oxidative stress in the testes, thus reducing sperm counts and affecting sperm morphology. METHODS: This study included 24 male and 24 female adult SD rats. The male rats randomly assigned to Group A (controls) were given normal saline 2 ml/kg. The rats in Groups B, C, and D were given 50mg/kg body weight (bwt) of walnut oil, 0.08 mg/kg bwt of nitrite, and 0.08 mg/kg bwt of nitrite + 50 mg/kg of walnut oil respectively for 28 days via gastric gavage. Tested parameters included: testicular histology, sperm parameters, reproductive hormones, fertility, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione, and catalase (CAT). RESULTS: A severe decrease in spermatogenic cell series, hypocellularity, tubular atrophy, decreased sperm quality, and increased MDA levels were observed in the rats given nitrite only when compared to controls. Rats given 50 mg/kg of walnut oil had significant growth of seminiferous epithelium compared to controls. The rats given walnut oil and nitrite had significant growth of seminiferous epithelium, improved sperm quality, and had decreased MDA levels. CONCLUSION: Walnut oil attenuated the deleterious effects of nitrite to the testes, reduced oxidative stress, and promoted spermatogenesis.

Anti-hepatotoxic activities of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. in animal model of streptozotocin diabetes-induced liver damage.

BACKGROUND: Flavonoid-rich aqueous fraction of methanolic extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa calyx was evaluated for its anti-hepatotoxic activities in streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats. METHODS: Diabetes Mellitus was induced in Wistar rats by a single i.p injection of 80 mg/kg b.w. streptozotocin (STZ) dissolved in 0.1 M citrate buffer (pH 6.3). RESULTS: The ameliorative effects of the extract on STZ-diabetes induced liver damage was evident from the histopathological analysis and the biochemical parameters evaluated in the serum and liver homogenates. Reduced levels of glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) (3.76 ± 0.38 µM, 0.42 ± 0.04 U/L, 41.08 ± 3.04 U/ml, 0.82 ± 0.04 U/L respectively) in the liver of diabetic rats were restored to a near normal level in the Hibiscus sabdariffa-treated rats (6.87 ± 0.51 µM, 0.72 ± 0.06 U/L, 87.92 ± 5.26 U/ml, 1.37 ± 0.06 U/L respectively). Elevated levels of aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the serum of diabetic rats were also restored in Hibiscus sabdariffa -treated rats. Examination of stained liver sections revealed hepatic fibrosis and excessive glycogen deposition in the diabetic rats. These pathological changes were ameliorated in the extract-treated rats. CONCLUSION: The anti-hepatotoxic activity of Hibiscus sabdariffa extract in STZ diabetic rats could be partly related to its antioxidant activity and the presence of flavonnoids.

Evaluation of antioxidant potential of methanolic leaf extract of Anacardium Occidentale (Linn) on the testes of streptozotocin-induced diabetic wistar rats

Anacardium occidentale is a plant with reported anti-diabetic and antioxidant properties. The objective of this work was to determine the effects of Anacardium occidentale leaf extract (AOLE) on the activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and anti-oxidant enzymes (Glutathione peroxidase, GPx and superoxide dismutase, SOD) in the testicular homogenate of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Forty (40) wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) were randomly divided into four experimental groups. Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of Streptozotocin (70 mg/kg b.w.). Five days after the confirmation of hyperglycemia, Groups A and B were treated with 300 mg/kg b.w of the extract and 1 I.U/kg b.w. insulin respectively. Groups C and D served as hyperglycemic and normal controls respectively. Animals were sacrificed 16 days after treatment. Our study showed that AOLE ameliorated the level of TBARS and improved the activities of G-6-PDH, SOD and GPx in the testes of extract-treated rats (AU)

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Microanatomical effects of ethanolic extract of Cola nitida on the stomach mucosa of adult Wistar rats.

The study investigated the microanatomical effects of the extracts of Cola nitida on the stomach mucosa of adult male Wistar rats. Twenty adult male wistar rats were randomly divided into four equal groups of A, B, C and D (n = 5). Animals in experimental groups B, C and D were given 600 mg/kg body weight of crude extract of Cola nitida each by oral intubation for five, seven and nine consecutive days respectively, while group A (control) received equivalent volume of distilled water. Twenty four hrs after the last administration, the animals were sacrificed; tissues were harvested and fixed in 10% formol saline for histological analysis. The study revealed necrotized surface epithelium, degenerated gastric mucosa, and loss of glandular elements in the stomachs of experimental groups' vis-à-vis the control group. These observations were days-dependent; as those groups which received the extract for higher number of days were seen to be adversely affected. In conclusion, Cola nitida at 600 mg/kg body weight can cause gastric lesion in animals. This lesion may be pronounced if the administration continued for days. Cola nitida should, therefore, be taken with caution to avoid gastric complications.