Immunohistochemical study of leydig cells in the testicular interstitial tissue of rats treated with tribulus terrestris using P450scc

Tribulus terrestris has been commonly used in folk medicine to energize, vitalize and improve sexual function and physical performance in men and laboratory rats. To study the effect of Tribulus terrestris on the number of Leydig cells. Tribulus terrestris was given to mature male rats as an oral single herbal suspension in a dose of 2.0mg /1000gbody weight for 14 days to stimulate spermatogenesis. Formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections were performed for histological, immunohistochemical and morphometrical studies. Histological study revealed wider seminiferous tubules and increased spermatocytes population with an increased sperm density inside the lumen of the tubules. Morphometrically, the diameters of seminiferous tubules and thickness of the germinal epithelia were significantly increased in Tribulus terrestris treated rats than that of the control group. There was no significant difference between the number of Leydig cells in the control and experimental groups. The activity of Leydig cells, manifested by the increments in the diameters, thickness of germinal epithelia and the density of the sperms inside seminiferous tubules, was increased but their number remain unaffected in spite of using the aphrodisiac agent, Tribulus terrestris

Effects of herbs-containing phytoestrogens on rat testis: a histological, histochemical and biochemical study

Estrogens has traditionally been known as the female hormone, but this idea has been challenged in early 1990's and an essential physiological role for estrogen in male fertility was identified. Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring non-steroidal plant chemicals that can act like the female hormone estrogen. The herbs [anise alfalfa and vervain] chosen in this study contain phytoestrogens. Previous studies demonstrated controversy of the effects of phytoestrogens on the rat testes.Hence, the present investigation was undertaken to investigate the influence of typical dose of herbs containing phytoestrogen on the rat testis. Twenty-four apparently normal mature male rats were divided into four groups of 6 animals each. The first "control" group received only 4ml of distilled water as a placebo. The second group received 40mg/kg of anise seed; the third group received 53.3 mg/kg of dried herb of vervain and the fourth group received 400 mg /kg of alfalfa seeds. All experimental groups received the doses through oro-gastric tube daily for fourteen days. Testicular histology was evaluated by light and enzyme histochemistry. Plasma FSH and testosterone concentrations were taken to support our results. Histological examination of anise, alfalfa and vervain-treated groups showed an increase in the height of germinal epithelia. There was marked lipoprotein lipase activity in the whole of the interstitial tissue which is more in amount in experimental groups than that in control group. Acid phosphatase granules were infiltered the seminiferous epithelia mildly in control group, moderately in anise and vervain groups and markedly in alfalfa group. The number of interstitial cells showing marked acid phosphatase activity was higher in all experimental groups than that in control group. Alkaline phosphatase exhibited intense activity in the boundary tissue of the seminiferous tubules in testes of control and experimental groups but it appeared thicker in the latter. The low dose and short duration of treatment used in our study made these phytoestrogen-containing herbs to have a stimulatory effect on leydig cell steroidogenesis. This study also demonstrated that aniseed being the most potent of the three herbs followed by alfalfa in stimulating testosterone synthesis. This is possibly attributed to the coumarin constituent of aniseed and alfalfa

Herbal activation of mammary gland; a comparative morphometrical and biochemical analysis

Seventy five adult virgin female Norway rats [60 experimental and 15 controls] were used to evaluate the effect of seeds of three herbs [Fennel, Cumin and Garden cress] on their mammary glands. Experimental animals were fed with these herbs [each type of herb seeds was given to twenty experimental rats] for fourteen days. Rats were sacrificed and mammary gland sections were obtained, stained then morphometrically assessed. Serum prolactin level was performed too. Results revealed that Garden cress seeds are the strongest lactogenic agent among the three. Both Fennel and Cumin seeds were shown to be very weak galactagogues

Observations on the ultrastructure of a rat mammary gland treated with harmal and borage

It had been indentified by histological, histochemical and morphometrical studies that peganum harmala is a mammogenic herb and borage officinalis is a lactogenic one. To complete our investigation about these two herbs, we performed electron microscopical study. Rats were grouped according to their physiological status into three groups. Each group was subdivided into three subgroups: one control and two experimental. The two experimental groups were treated daily; the 1[st] one with an aqueous extract of peganum harmala seeds and the 2[nd] with an aqueous extract of borage officinalis flowers. After two weeks of treatment, mammary glands were employed for electron microscopical study. In virgin rats, the epithelial and myoepithelial cells were partially differentiated when harmal was given and completely differentiated when borage was given. In pregnant rats, harmal and borage optimize mammary parenchymal growth and induce lactation when these herbs were given. In lactating rats, these herbs exhibited a picture similar to control lactating group but the budding of lipid droplets and the swelling of secretary vesicles were markedly increased. Both harmal and borage stimulate the release of prolactin and induce galactogenesis during pregnancy and promote it during lactation

Garden cress seed could be a factual galactagogue

Trivial number of books, concerning traditional medicine, had mentioned a galactagogual role of Garden cress seeds. Others ignore that. This controversy, in addition to the steroid [family of sex hormones] contents of the seeds, directed us to evaluate the role of this herb in mammogenesis and lactogenesis. Twelve parameters were used to assess the effect of Garden cress seeds on the mammary gland of young adult virgin rats. These parameters comprise gross assessment, histological examination [routine/ haematoxylin and eosin stain and special stain/ PAS], enzymatic histochemical study [alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase and lipoprotein lipase cytochemical localization], biochemical estimations [hormonal assay of FSH, LH, prolactin, estrogen and progesterone] and morphometrical measurements. All parameters significantly exhibited a strong mammotrophic and lactogenic effects of Garden cress seeds on the non-primed mammary gland of adult virgin rat. Garden cress seeds are most probably a real galactagogue and might be useful in induction of lactation

Changes in alkaline phosphatase activity in rat mammary glands from virgin through pregnancy, lactation and post - lactation

The aim of this investigation is to study the rote of alkaline phosphatase in mammogenesis and lactogenesis. A total of fortyfemalealbino rats were used and divided according to their physiological states into four groups [ten rats each]. From each deeply ether anesthetized rat, the mammary gland was removed, fixed, quenched in liquid nitrogen and sectioned using SLEE cryostat. The sections were employed for routine haematoxylin and eosin stain and alkaline phosphatase demonstration using the calcium - cobalt method. The obvious finding in the mammary glands of pregnant rat was the presence of thick black rings indicating strong alkaline phosphatase activityaround the basal part of the secretory epithelium of the alveoli. In lactating mammary glands, the black rings were thin, discontinuous and limited to the basal part of the secretory epithelium. On the other hand, the mammary glands of virgin and post-lactating rats exhibited no such enzymatic activity around the basal part of secretory tubules and involuting alveoli respectively. The strong enzymatic activity observed around the secretory epithelium of alveoli in pregnant and lactating mammary glands indicating that the basement membrane and myoepithelial cells of the alveoli were very well recognized and developed in these groups than in virgin and post - lactating ones