Testosterone reduces spinal cord injury-induced effects on male reproduction by preventing CADM1 defect

Objective: This study evaluated the effects of exogenous testosterone molecule-1 [CADM1] pathological defect during early and chronic periods of spinal cord injury [SCI]

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, testosterone was administered immediately or after one week of SCI induction. Along with quantification of CADM1 gene expression and its immunoreactivity, we evaluated sperm parameters and serum testosterone level post-SCI

Results: Different grades of abnormalities in sperm parameters and testis architecture were observed along with significant reductions in the level of CADM1 expression and its immunoreactivity in the seminiferous tubules of both acute and chronic SCI groups. Exogenous testosterone, by compensating the serum testosterone level. reduced the percentage of apoptotic and both short head and abnormal sperm froms in the caudal epididymis. Importantly, the beneficial effects of immediate administration of testosterone were prominent. Increases in the level of CADM1 transcription and its immunoreactivity in the testis of SCI mice treated with testosterone were accompanied by improvement of sperm motility as well as testicular Johnsen's and Miller's criteria

Conclusion: Since immediate testosterone treatment improved the immunoreactivity and transcription level of CADM1, the observed beneficial effect of exogenouse testosterone can be attributed to its effect on CADM1 dynamics

Ameliorating effect of ginseng on epididymo-orchitis inducing alterations in sperm quality and spermatogenic cells apoptosis following infection by uropathogenic escherichia coli in rats

Objective: epididymo-orchitis [EO] potentially results in reduced fertility in up to 60% of affected patients. The anti-inflammatory effects of Korean red ginseng [KRG] and its ability to act as an immunoenhancer in parallel with the beneficial effects of this ancient herbal medicine on the reproductive systems of animals and humans led us to evaluate its protective effects against acute EO

Materials and Methods: this animal experimental study was conducted in the Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences [ZUMS], Zanjan, Iran during 2013-2015. We divided 50 Wistar rats into five following groups [n=10 per group]: i. Control-intact animals, ii. Vehicle-phosphate buffered saline [PBS] injection into the vas deferens, iii. KRG-an intraperitoneal [IP] injection of KRG, iv. EO-an injection of uropathogenic Escherichia coli [UPEC] strain M39 into the vas deferens, and v. EO/ KRG-injections of both UPEC strain M39 and KRG. The treatment lasted seven days. We then evaluated sperm parameters, number of germ cell layers, Johnson's criteria, germ cell apoptosis, body weight and relative sex organs weight

Results: acute EO increased the relative weight of prostate and seminal vesicles [P

Conclusion: consequently, KRG ameliorated the devastating effects of EO on the sperm retrieved from either epididymis or testicle in rats

Modulation of axonal sprouting along rostro-caudal axis of dorsal hippocampus and no neuronal survival in parahippocampal cortices by long-term post-lesion melatonin administration in lithium-pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy / 대한해부학회지

Feature outcome of hippocampus and extra-hippocampal cortices was evaluated in melatonin treated lithium-pilocarpine epileptic rats during early and chronic phases of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). After status epilepticus (SE) induction, 5 and 20 mg/kg melatonin were administered for 14 days or 60 days. All animals were killed 60 days post SE induction and the histological features of the rosrto-caudal axis of the dorsal hippocampus, piriform and entorhinal cortices were evaluated utilizing Nissl, Timm, and synapsin I immunoflorescent staining. Melatonin (20 mg/kg) effect on CA1 and CA3 neurons showed a region-specific pattern along the rostro-caudal axis of the dorsal hippocampus. The number of counted granular cells by melatonin (20 mg/kg) treatment increased along the rostro-caudal axis of the dorsal hippocampus in comparison to the untreated epileptic group. The density of Timm granules in the inner molecular layer of the dentate gyrus decreased significantly in all melatonin treated groups in comparison to the untreated epileptic animals. The increased density of synapsin I immunoreactivity in the outer molecular layer of the dentate gyrus of untreated epileptic rats showed a profound decrease following melatonin treatment. There was no neuronal protection in the piriform and entorhinal cortices whatever the melatonin treatment. Long-term melatonin administration as a co-adjuvant probably could reduce the post-lesion histological consequences of TLE in a region-specific pattern along the rostro-caudal axis of the dorsal hippocampus.

Effects of wi-Fi [2.45 GHz] exposure on apoptosis, sperm parameters and testicular histomorphometry in rats: a time course study

In today's world, 2.45-GHz radio-frequency radiation [RFR] from industrial, scientific, medical, military and domestic applications is the main part of indoor-outdoor electromagnetic field exposure. Long-term effects of 2.45-GHz Wi-Fi radiation on male reproductive system was not known completely. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the major cause of male infertility during short- and long-term exposure of Wi-Fi radiation. This is an animal experimental study, which was conducted in the Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, IRAN, from June to August 2014. Three-month-old male Wistar rats [n=27] were exposed to the 2.45 GHz radiation in a chamber with two Wi-Fi antennas on opposite walls. Animals were divided into the three following groups: I. control group [n=9] including healthy animals without any exposure to the antenna, II. 1-hour group [n=9] exposed to the 2.45 GHz Wi-Fi radiation for 1 hour per day during two months and III.7-hour group [n=9] exposed to the 2.45 GHz Wi-Fi radiation for 7 hours per day during 2 months. Sperm parameters, caspase-3 concentrations, histomorphometric changes of testis in addition to the apoptotic indexes were evaluated in the exposed and control animals. Both 1-hour and 7-hour groups showed a decrease in sperm parameters in a time dependent pattern. In parallel, the number of apoptosis-positive cells and caspase-3 activity increased in the seminiferous tubules of exposed rats. The seminal vesicle weight reduced significantly in both1-hour or 7-hour groups in comparison to the control group. Regarding to the progressive privilege of 2.45 GHz wireless networks in our environment, we concluded that there should be a major concern regarding the time-dependent exposure of whole-body to the higher frequencies of Wi-Fi networks existing in the vicinity of our living places