ABSTRACT
Background: Sulphites are widely used as a preservative and antioxidant additives in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Many types of biological and toxicological effects of sulphites in multiple organs of mammals have been shown in previous studies
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sodium metabisulfite [SMB] on testicular function and morphometric values of epididymis in adult male Wistar rats
Materials and Methods: A total of 32 rats were randomly divided into four groups. The experimental groups received SMB at doses of 10 mg/kg [S10], 100mg/kg [S 100], and 260 mg/kg [S260] while an equal volume of normal saline was administered to the control group via gavage. The rats were anaesthetized after 28 days and the left testis with the head of epididymis was excised following abdominal incision for histological observation using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Serum samples were collected for assay of testosterone level. The initial epididymis was analyzed for motility, morphology, and the number of sperms
Result: The results of this study showed that normal morphology, count, and motility of sperms and testosterone level were decreased in the SMB treated groups. In comparison with the control group, SMB resulted in a lower total number of spermatogonia, primary spermatocyte, spermatids, and Leydig cells
Conclusion: It is suggested that SMB decreases the sperm production and has the potential to affect the fertility adversely in male rats
ABSTRACT
Flavonoids play significant role in the treatment of many diseases. Green tea [Camellia Sinensis L.] is a common beverage all over the world with antioxidant and detoxification effects related to the presence of flavonoids and catchins. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of green tea on thioacetamide-induced hepatotoxicity. In this experimental study, 64 male Wistar rats were allocated to eight groups. The control group received a normal diet alone, sham group received normal saline, hepatotoxic group received thioacetamide [50 mg/kg thioacetamide for three days], other groups received a thioacetamide for three days and the alcoholic extract of bgreen tea, at minimum [50 mg/kg], moderate [100 mg/kg], and maximum [200 mg/kg] doses, glutathione [250 mg/kg], green tea [200 mg/kg] with glutathione [250 mg/kg] for 21 days [i.p.]. After that, blood samples were drawn and the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, Alkaline phosphatase, total protein and albumin, as liver injury indices, were measured. The decrease of aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activity in the receptors of different dosages of green tea and glutathione was significant compared with the group treated by thioacetamide. Also, a significant increase was observed in total protein and albumin of serum in green tea receptors compared with thioacetamide group. The study results show the protective effect of green tea on thioacetamide-induced hepatotoxicity which is likely caused by the antioxidant effect of polyphenol compounds controlling thioacetamide activity which in turn controls the cytochrome P450 activity and neutralization of free radicals
ABSTRACT
It is well known that the development of brain oxidative stress is one of the most serious complications of arterial hypertension that evokes brain tissue damage. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of atorvastatin treatment [20 mg/kg/day], as an antioxidant, to prevent the brain tissue oxidative stress in the hypertensive [HTN] rats. Experiments were performed in four groups of rats [n = 5 each group]: sham, sham-treated, HTN and HTN treated. Rats were made HTN by aortic constriction above the renal arteries. After 30 days, rats were slaughtered under deep anesthesia to remove brain hemispheres. After tissue homogenization, enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase [SOD] and catalase [CAT], as well as glutathione [GSH] content and malondialdehyde [MDA] level were determined by biochemical methods. In HTN rats, arterial blood pressure was increased about 40% and brain enzyme activities of SOD and CAT were significantly decreased compared with sham group. Induction of hypertension significantly decreased GSH content and increased MDA level of brain tissue. Treatment with atorvastatin enhanced the activity of SOD and prevented from GSH decrement during hypertension. Based on the findings of this study, treatment with atorvastatin might have saved the brain tissue of HTN rats from hypertension-induced oxidative stress