protective effect of silymarin on the suprarenal gland in chlorpyrifos intoxicated rats

Chlorpyrifos [CPF] is a widely used organophosphorous insecticide that induces toxic effects in man and animal through its inhibitory action on acetyl choline esterase enzyme. The present work aimed to evaluate the toxic effect of chlorpyrifos on the function and structure of the suprarenal gland and to investigate the possible protective effect of silymarin antioxidant against such toxicity. The study included twenty four adult male rats they were equally divided into four groups as follows: a control group [n=6] received the oral vehicle only [corn oil], a Silymarin group [n=6] received Silymarin in a dose of 6mg/kg b. w orally twice weekly for four weeks, the intoxicated group [n=6] received CPF 5mg/kg b. w, orally twice weekly for four weeks and the protection group [n=6] receivied silymarin orally 6mg/kg b. w. half an hour after chlorpyrifos, administration in a dose of 5mg/kg b. w. orally twice weekly for four weeks. By the end of the experiment, estimation of the following biochemical parameters was done: plasma choline esterase enzyme activity level, serum cholesterol, serum cortisol and serum testosterone. The suprarenal gland was examined by the light microscope using routine H and E stain and chromaffin stain reaction as well as by the Transmission Electron Microscope. The measured biochemical parameters showed significant variation in CPF group compared to the control. The chlorpyrifos intoxicated group revealed affection of the cells of the suprarenal cortex and medulla with variable degrees of degenerative changes. The protection group showed improvement of the levels of the biochemical parameters with partial restoration of the normal histological features of the suprarenal structure compared to the CPF intoxicated group. Accordingly, it was proved that silymarin is a reliable antioxidant that could protect against the toxic effect of chlorpyrifos on the suprarenal gland

effect of unleaded benzene on the pulmonary alveoli of albino rats: an ultra structural study

Benzene is a familiar and important commodity. It is a colorless, aromatic liquid that evaporates rapidly under ordinary atmospheric conditions. About Ninety-four percent of that total world product was produced by the petroleum and petrochemical industries, with the remainder produced by the steel industry as a byproduct of coking operations. Benzene is used in manufacturing a variety of products including motor fuels, solvents, detergents, pesticides, and other organic chemicals. The study evaluates the effect of chronic exposure to unleaded benzene on the lung alveoli. This study was carried out on thirty adult male albino rats divided equally into three groups. F Group I: included ten unexposed rats, to be considered as a control group. Group II: included ten rats exposed to 80 mg/m3 of unleaded benzene for 6 hours per day, 5 days a week for 6 months. Group III: rats were exposed to 200 mg/rn3 of unleaded benzene for 6 hours per day, 5 days a week for 6 months. The alveolar structure of rat lung for all groups was examined by transmission electron microscopy. The present work demonstrated that exposure to 80 mg/rn3 unleaded benzene for six months resulted in pulmonary congestion with cellular infiltration, some pneurnocytes type II showed atypical empty lamellar bodies. While rat lung of group III. showed changes in the lining epithelium of the alveoli. Some pneumocytes type II showed generative changes involving their mitochondria and atypical lamellar bodies. While few pneumocytes type 11 appeared shrunken with dark stained cytoplasm. There was marked thickening in the interalveolar septa with cellular infiltration and collagen deposition. It is recommended that frequent change of gas station workers can avoid such deleterious inhalation effects secondary to prolonged exposures, also, more research should be done to discontinue or lessen the addition of such oxygenates [as MTBE] to the commercially used benzene

Acute poisoning by cholinesterase inhibitor insecticides: Effect on myocardial, hepatic and pancreatic functions in humans

The aim of the present work was to study patients with cholinesterase inhibitor insecticides intoxication as regards clinical manifestations, myocardial, hepatic and pancreatic affection with their laboratory investigations. The study was carried out on fifty consecutive patients with acute intoxication by ChEII admitted to Alexandria Poison Center and critical medicine department at Alexandria Main university hospital, Alexandria, Egypt. A control group of fifteen healthy subjects were randomly chosen. They were clinically free, not exposed to ChEII and of the same age group and sex as the patients. All patients were examined as regards; history and circumstantial evidence. Clinical examination and electrocardiogram [ECG] were done to all patients on admission. Also, laboratory investigation and determination of serum cholinesterase enzyme activity, serum glucose, trypsin, AST and ALT activity were carried out

Study of skull sutures as a tool for identification

The aim of the present work was to study the possibility of using the patternsof skull vault sutures as a tool for a positive personal identification. Itwas carried out on 100 human Egyptian skulls. They were photographed andexamined to determine the different patterns of skull vault sutures [coronal,sagittal and lambdoid sutures]. A method of describing these patterns on theectocranial surface of the skull was adopted and based on dividing each sutureinto subdivisions and describing the pattern found in each one. Skullradiographs [lateral and posteroanterior views] of 150 adult Egyptianindividuals of both sexes were also included in the study to determine thedifferent patterns of skull vault sutures recorded incidentally in routinediagnostic skull radiographs. The results showed that the suture patterns ofskull vaults were highly individualistic. Thus, no two skulls can ever havean identical suture patterns. This is of an utmost medicolegal importance inidentification, if only the suture patterns were recorded during life throughX-ray radiography for comparison

Protective effect of deferoxamine on cadmium-induced liver and kidney toxicity in rats liver and kidney toxicity in rats

Cadmium [Cd] is an ubiquitous environmental pollutant whose incidence in human society has closely followed the process of industrialization. It is known that kidney and liver are target organs for cadmium, and the injurious effect of CdCI2 administration on them has been described by a number of investigators. However, there is no specific treatment for Cd toxicity available till now. In this study, we examined the possible protective action of deferoxamine [DF], [which is an iron chelator], on cadmium-induced toxicity in albino rats. The parameters used to evaluate the extent of damage were the histopathological status of both the liver and the lidney as will as the ultra-structural changes in the liver, serum ALT and AST levels were used to assess liver function. The results of the study revealed that the administration of a single dose of 50 mg/kg. DF did not cause any evident protective effect against Cd toxicity caused by repeated doses of CdCl2. However, when DF was given in repeated doses [3 doses], it caused an evident protective action, where the histological picture of the liver and kidney was nearly normal except for very little residual damage, and maintained a significantly lower levels of serum transaminases. These data suggested that, repeated high doses of deferoxamine could reduce the Cadmium-induced hepato-and nephrotoxicity

Determination of sex and individualization of human hair by PCR

Hair evidence is among the most common types of physical evidence and may be found in a wide variety of cases. Hairs may be of particular interest in cases knows to involve personal contract, such as sexual assault, pedestrian motor vehicle accidents, and homicides. In addition, hair may also be an important piece of associative evidence to prove or disprove an event. The most common request that is made the laboratory when hair is used as forensic evidence is to determine whether or not hair recovered at the crime scene compares to hair removed from a suspect. In most cases, such a comparison relates to hair obtained from the scalp or public area. Ultimately, the evidential value of the comparison will depend on the degree of probability with which the examiner can associate the questioned hair to a particular individual The aim of the present study is to indentify individuals through their DNA makeup extracted from their hair, through the utilization of the polymerase chain reaction [PCR] to amplify the small amount of DNA found in the human hair root or in follicular tissue adhering to a pulled hair. The study was conducted on 60 randomly selected healthy adult males and females. Freshly plucked hair and blood samples were obtained from the subjects For the DNA extracted from hair quantitation was performed using the QuantiBlot Human DNA Quantitaiton kit. DNA extracted from root samples only was subjected to sex detrmination using GernePRINTrm. Sex Identification System- Amelogenin. Amplification for the DQA1 and PM loci was done using the Amplitype combiendf DQAl and PM PCR amplification and typing kit. The AmpliFLP DIS80 PCR Amplification kit was used for the amplification and analkysis of alleles at the DIS80 locus

P C R amplification of D N A extracted from old human bones

The forensic analysis of DNA enables the identification of an individual based on molecular evidence left at the scene of the crime. The DNA polymorphisms are detected either by restriction fragment length polymorphisms [RFLPs] or by polymerase chain reaction [PCR], which allowed for detection of genetic markers in samples containing as little as 2 ng of DNA. Many studies have been conducted on the stability of DNA obtained from postmortem tissues and organs other than blood including bones and teeth. The aim of the present work was to verify the medicolegal importance of amplification of DNA extracted from human bones as a tool of identification of unidentifiable human remains. The present study was conducted on 35 bone specimens and 5 complete teeth. All specimens were at least 20 years old. DNA was extracted by the organic phenol-chloroform method. The quality and quantity of extracted DNA was assessed by running yield gels. The Quanti Blot Human Quantitation kit supplied by Perkin Elmer was used for quantitation of human DNA by hybridization of biotimiated oligonucleotide probe [D17Z1] to DNA samples immobilized to a Pall- Biodyne nylon membrane. DNA amplification was done using Perkin Elmer 480 DNA thermal cycler. Typing for the six loci [DQAI, LDLR, GYPA, HBGG, D7S8 and GC] was performed by hybridization of the amplified PCR products to the DNA probe strips. DNA was successfully extracted from 35 specimens [87.50%], and out of these samples 6 samples [17.14%] showed a significant amount of degraded DNA. DNA yields were higher in spongy bone than in compact bone. Out of 35 samples 32 [01.43%] were successfully amplified and typed for the six mentioned loci