ABSTRACT
Background: Studies have revealed the role of thyroxine during healing of gastric ulcers with information lacking on the mechanism involved hence the focus of this study.Materials and Methods: Adult male Wistar rats (150 200g) were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=5 per group): Normal control (NC), Sham ulcerated (SU), Thyroidectomised ulcerated untreated (ThU) and Thyroidectomised ulcerated + Levo-thyroxine (100µg/kg/day) (ThU + T4). Animals were stabilised for 35 days following thyroidectomy and treated accordingly to experimental groupings. Weekly body weight changes were recorded, gastric ulcer was induced by ischemia-reperfusion and gastric acid secretion evaluated. They were sacrificed 1 hour, 3 and 7 days post ulcer induction, blood samples collected for haematological indices through cardiac puncture and their stomachs prepared for gross and microscopic examinations to assess gastric healing. Gastric tissue protein, malondialdehyde (MDA), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), and Nitric oxide (NO) were assessed as biomarkers of healing. Data were analysed using one way ANOVA and Student's t test with p< 0.05 considered statistically significant.Results: Thyroxine treated rats showed significant weight loss compared with NC and ThU groups. Percentage healing rate was significantly increased in thyroxine treated group compared with ThU animals by 1 hour (42.45% and -42.81%), days 3 (35.14% and -59.36%), and 7 (64.29% and -115.7%).Hematological indices significantly increased in thyroxine treated group compared with other groups. Thyroxine treatment significantly reduced Neutrophil/Lymphocyte; Platelet/NO as well as lipid peroxidation index in this study.Superoxide dismutase, CAT and NO increased significantly in thyroxine treated rats compared with other groups.Conclusion: Thyroxine treatment facilitates the healing of ischeamic-reperfused gastric ulcers possibly by increasing NO activity which in turn causes increased vasodilatation and enhanced endogenous antioxidants at the ulcer sites
Subject(s)
Nigeria , Nitric Oxide , Stomach Ulcer , ThyroidectomyABSTRACT
Aims: The study was designed to investigate the testiculo protective effects of ethanolic roots extract of Pseudocedrela kotschyi on alloxan-induced testicular damage in diabetic rats. Study Design: Experimental diabetes using animal models. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Lagos State University, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, between January, 2013 and May, 2013. Methodology: Twenty male rats were divided into four groups: Group I consisted of nondiabetic rats that received only the vehicle; group II-IV was injected with a single dose of alloxan (ALX) of 150 mg kg-1 intraperitoneally; groups III and IV were given ethanolic roots extract of Pseudocedrela kotschyi orally, 3 days after the ALX administration, at daily doses of 250 and 500mg kg-1 respectively for a period of 30 days. After 4 weeks of treatments, all the rats were sacrificed. Results: Administration of 150 mg kg-1 of alloxan to male rats induced diabetes and significantly reduced the body and testicular weights, testosterone levels, sperm count and motility, significantly increased the glucose level and decreased the levels of antioxidant enzymatic and non-enzymatic markers such as glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and while the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) was significantly increased. By contrast, rats given the ethanolic roots extract of Pseudocedrela kotschyi had significantly increase (p<0.05) in body weight gain, whereas the glucose levels significantly improved (p<0.05) in treated diabetic male rats. In addition, this extract improved the reproductive system of the diabetic male rats by significantly increasing the testis and epididymis weights, testosterone levels, sperm count and motility, reduced testicular GSH, CAT, SOD, GPx and significantly decreasing MDA.The extract had no deleterious effects and testicular cytoprotection damaged by ALX. Conclusion: We concluded that the treatment with the ethanolic roots extract of Pseudocedrela kotschyi could reverse the adverse effects of ALX-diabetes on reproductive system of male rats which exhibits antihyperglycemic and fertility activities.