protective effect of glycyrrhiza glabra [liquorice] on chronic toxicity with monochloroacetic acid [MCAA]: a histopathological and biochemical study in Albino rats

This study was done on 90 adult male albino rats divided into 2 main groups. One of them was given monochlorocaetic acid [MCAA] with different doses and the second was given also MCAA in the same doses beside liquorice extract 5 days/week for 12 weeks. This study showed a dose dependent decrease in body weight, activity and food consumption in group I. While group II showed a significant improvement in these variables beside decrease in the mortality rate. It was found that there was no significant pathological changes except in the heart which showed degenerative and inflammatory myopathic changes with concomitant increase in asparate aminotransferase [AST] and alkaline phosphatase [ALP]. Although there were no significant pathological changes in liver and kidney. There was a significant disturbance in their flunctions especially with higher doses of MCAA indicated by significant elevation of alanine aminotransferase [ALT], AST urea and creatinine serum levels. These effects may be partially attributed to the free radical production, which was significantly increased in this study, and partially due to heart failure. Administration of liquorice concomitantly with MCAA significantly improved cardiac, hepatic and renal performance. These changes were evidenced by decreased cardiac involvement and shift of enzymatic elevation to higher doses of the toxin in group II. This study offers an evidence for the protective effect of liquorice against MCAA [which is widely used as a herbicide and also in industry] through its free radical trapping activity and probably through other mechanisms needing further researches to be proved

Cigarette smoking and spermatozoa II. effect of ascorbic acid supplementation on spermatozoa of cigarette smokers [histochemical study]

The thirty heavy smoking men investigated in the first portion of our work were randomly divided into two subgroups [each contained 15 men]. Each participant from the first subgroup of smokers took one 1000-mg tablet of ascorbic acid [AA] daily for 4 weeks. For the same period, the members of the second subgroup took placebo tablets, serving as negative controls. Also, another fifteen of the non-smokers participated as a separate group and each took one 1000-mg tablet of AA daily for 4 weeks, serving as positive controls. The histochemical differences between sperms of cigarette smokers and non-smokers in the first portion of this work were surveyed. Serum and seminal plasma ascorbic acid levels were measured. Statistically significant increases in the histochemical reactions and ascorbic acid levels in the treated subgroup were observed weekly. After the 4 weeks of supplementation, no significant difference was detected between the treated subgroup and non-smokers. However, no significant changes were observed in the non-smokers or the placebo subgroup indicating that increased ascorbic acid bioavailability was associated with the pronounced improvement in sperm activity. These useful effects of AA supplementation may be due to its reductive properties nullifying the possible iniurious effects of the reactive oxidants of nicotine or nicotine melabolites

Effect of seminal plasma from cigarette smokers on sperm acrosin activity

Thirty semen specimens included in the study were taken from non-smokers and another thirty specimens from heavy smokers. Each specimen was divided into two portions. One portion was centrifuged and the pellet was resuspended in an equal volume of S.P. from the opposite participant group [i.e. spermatozoa from a non-smoker into S.P. of a smoker and vice versa]. The other portion remained without processing. Both portions were tested for sperm acrosin activity by gelatin substrate film technique. Scoring the diameters of the haloes around sperm heads did evaluation of the acrosin activity. Before processing, the haloes of the nonsmokers were larger than those of smokers indicating that their acrosin activity is higher. After processing, the haloes around the heads of spermatozoa in nonsmoker group specimens incubated in S.P. of smokers became smaller than before processing indicating that their acrosin activity became lower. On the other hand, haloes around the heads of spermatozoa in smoker group specimens incubated in S.P. of nonsmokers became larger than before processing.These effects of S.P. from both groups on acrosin activity have added to the detrimental effects of smokers S.P. on nonsmokers spermatozoa

Effect of ascorbic acid supplementation on sperm acrosin activity in cigarette smokers

Thirty heavy smoking men randomly divided into one of two subgroups [each contained 15 men]. Each participant from the first subgroup of smokers took 1000-mg AA tablets daily for 4 weeks. For the same period, the second subgroup took placebo tablets, serving as a negative control Another fifteen of the non-smokers participated also as a separate group and took 1000-mg tablets of AA/day, serving as a positive control. Semen analyses of all were normal. Acrosin activity of sperms by gelatin substrate film technique was surveyed. Serum and seminal plasma ascorbic acid levels were measured and expressed as mg/dL. Statistically significant increases in the acrosin activity and ascorbic acid levels in the treated subgroup were observed weekly. After the 4 weeks of supplementation, no significant difference was detected between the treated subgroup and nonsmokers. However, no significant weekly changes were observed in the nonsmokers or the placebo subgroup. The increases in AA levels and acrosin activity in the treated smokers indicate that increased ascorbic acid bioavailability was associated with the pronounced improvement in sperm acrosin activity. This useful effect of AA supplementation on acrosin activity may be due to its reductive properties nullifying the possible injurious effects of the reactive oxidants of nicotine or nicotine metabolites