ABSTRACT
Background: Oleuropein is a form of phenoliccompound which can be majorly found in the oliveleaves. Previous studies have shown several biologicalfunctions of oleuropein against different cancer cells.Aim and Objectives: This research was designed tostudy the pre-initiation effect of oleuropein on the earlyskin tumour development using a mouse model.Material and Methods: Female Institute of CancerResearch (ICR) mice (n=6 per group) were divided into2 groups (group 1 as a carcinogen control and group 2 asa vehicle control) and 1 treatment group (group 3: 10mg/kg of oleuropein). Results:After 10 weeks, Group 3showed delay in epidermal hyperplasia formation and asignificant reduction (p<0.05) in the epidermalthickness as compared to Group 1. Data were alsodisplayed a significant increase (p<0.05) in theapoptotic rate in Group 3 as compared to Group 1 and 2.For biochemical assays, the level of Malondialdehyde(MDA) was significantly (p<0.05) decreased whilst thelevels of Glutathione (GSH) and Superoxide Dismutase(SOD) were significantly (p<0.05) increased in Group 3as compared to Group 1. Conclusion: Our resultsindicate that pre-initiation treatment of oleuropein mayprevent skin tumour development through itsantioxidant and apoptotic activities.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Fenitrothion residue is found primarily in soil, water and food products and can lead to a variety of toxic effects on the immune, hepatobiliary and hematological systems. However, the effects of fenitrothion on the male reproductive system remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of fenitrothion on the sperm and testes of male Sprague-Dawley rats. METHODS: A 20 mg/kg dose of fenitrothion was administered orally by gavages for 28 consecutive days. Blood sample was obtained by cardiac puncture and dissection of the testes and cauda epididymis was performed to obtain sperm. The effects of fenitrothion on the body and organ weight, biochemical and oxidative stress, sperm characteristics, histology and ultrastructural changes in the testes were evaluated. RESULTS: Fenitrothion significantly decreased the body weight gain and weight of the epididymis compared with the control group. Fenitrothion also decreased plasma cholinesterase activity compared with the control group. Fenitrothion altered the sperm characteristics, such as sperm concentration, sperm viability and normal sperm morphology, compared with the control group. Oxidative stress markers, such as malondialdehyde, protein carbonyl, total glutathione and glutathione S-transferase, were significantly increased and superoxide dismutase activity was significantly decreased in the fenitrothion-treated group compared with the control group. The histopathological and ultrastructural examination of the testes of the fenitrothion-treated group revealed alterations corresponding with the biochemical changes compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: A 20 mg/kg dose of fenitrothion caused deleterious effects on the sperm and testes of Sprague-Dawley rats.