[Histomorphologic and histomorphomethric studies of rat ovaries after IP injection of nicotine]

Smoking is a considerable problem in modern populations. Nicotine, as an important noxious material in cigarette, has dangerous effects on different body tissues such as genital system. In this study the noxious effect of nicotine was investigated in rat ovarian follicles by histomorphometry technique. Three groups of mature female rats including control, low-dose nicotine [0.2mg/kg.BW], and high-dose nicotine [0.4mg/kg.BW] were planned. Nicotine was injected through intraperitoneal route for 21 consecutive days. Then, the rats were euthanized by carbon dioxide and immediately their ovaries were removed and fixed in formal saline solution. The specimens were processed through routine paraffin embedding method, serially sectioned by microtome, stained with hematoxylin-Eosin technique and investigated by light microscope. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's multiple comparison tests. p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results of this study demonstrated that distribution of ovarian follicles in animals receiving either low or high doses of nicotine decreased significantly, whereas distribution of atretic follicles notably increased as compared with the control group. Based on the results of this study, on a dose-related pattern, nicotine could decrease the population of the healthy ovarian follicles, whereas increased the population of the atretic ovarian follicles. This indicates reduction of fertility in affected animals

effects of pyridaben pesticide on the DNA integrity of sperms and early in vitro embryonic development in mice

Pyridaben, a pyridazinone derivative, is a new acaricide and insecticide for control of mites and some insects such as white flies, aphids and thrips. This study was designed to elucidate how pyridaben can affect the sperms' morphological parameters, its DNA integrity, and to estimate the effect of various quantities of pyridaben on in vitro fertilization rate. In this study, 80 adult male Balb/C strain mice were used. Animals were divided into control and two test groups. Control group received distilled water. The test group was divided into two subgroups, viz, high dose [212 mg/kg/day] and low dose [53 mg/kg/day] and they received the pyridaben, orally for duration of 45 days. The spermatozoa were obtained from caudae epididymides on day 45 in all groups. Sperm viability, protamin compression [nuclear maturity], DNA double-strand breaks, and in vitro fertilizing [IVF] ability were examined. The pyridaben treatment provoked a significant decrease in sperm population and viability in epididymides. The data obtained from this experiment revealed that, the pyridaben brings about negative impact on the sperm maturation and DNA integrity in a time-dependent manner, which consequently caused a significant [p<0.05] reduction in IVF capability. Embryo developing arrest was significantly [p<0.05] higher in treated than the control group. Theses results confirmed that, the pyridaben is able to induce DNA damage and chromatin abnormalities in spermatozoa which were evident by low IVF rate

Decapeptyl ameliorates cyclophosphamide-induced reproductive toxicity in male Balb/C mice: histomorphometric, stereologic and hormonal evidences

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone [GnRH] is a reproductive key hormone. The GnRH analogues are widely used in in vitro fertilization and treatment of sex hormone-depended cancers induced by the materials used in chemotherapeutic agents. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of cyclophosphamide and decapeptyl [analogues of GnRH] on histomorphometry and stereology of testicular tissue as well as gonadotropic and gonadal hormones indices in mice. For this study, 24 adult male Balb/C strain mice were divided in four groups; first, cyclophosphamide [65 mg/kg/body weight [BW]], second, decapeptyl [0.05 mg/kg/BW], third, decapeptyl at first, and after 10 days of cyclophosphamide injection, and control group was received same volume of sterile saline. In order to evaluate the tissue changes in testes of the mice, sections were prepared and stained with Hematoxylin-Eosine, Periodic Acid Schief's [PAS] and Oil-Red-O staining techniques. The cyclophosphamide causes histomorphologic changes in the testicular tissue; whereas such changes by decapeptyl were comparatively mild. The morphometric results revealed significant reduction in diameters of seminiferous tubules [p=0.02], and the stereological results confirmed significant differences in spermatogenesis [SI] as well as rate of tubal differentiation [TDI] indices between experimental and control groups [p=0.001]. In addition, the morphometric findings proved that, there are significant decrease [p=0.001] in thicknesses of epithelia and stereologic result revealed reduction in number of cell layers in both decapeptyl and chemotherapy groups, but the decrements of these parameters were significant [p=0.02] in later group. In groups that had received cyclophosphamide, and decapeptyl alone, the LH and testosterone levels were decreased significantly [p=0.03], whereas in those that had received decapeptyl along with cyclophosphamide, the LH and FSH levels showed a decline but the level of testosterone increased. These results demonstrated that, analogue of GnRH i. e., decapeptyl protect morphologic, morphometric, and stereologic alterations of the testes tissue, as well as gonadotropic and gonadal hormonal changes preceding cyclophosphamide treatment in male mice

Crataegus monogyna aqueous extract ameliorates cyclophosphamide-induced toxicity in rat testis: stereological evidences

Cyclophosphamide [CP] is extensively used as an antineoplastic agent for the treatment of various cancers, as well as an immunosuppressive agent. However, despite its wide spectrum of clinical uses, CP is known to cause several adverse effects including reproductive toxicity. Crataegus monogyna is one of the oldest pharmaceutical plants that have been shown to be cytoprotective by scavenging free radicals. The present study was conducted to assess whether Crataegus monogyna fruits aqueous extract with anti-oxidant properties, could serve as a protective agent against reproductive toxicity during CP treatment in a rat model. Male Wistar rats were categorized into four groups. Two groups of rats were administered CP at a dose of 5 mg in 5 ml saline/kg/day for 28 days by oral gavages. One of these groups received Crataegus monogyna aqueous extract at a dose of 20 mg/kg/day orally four hours after cyclophosphamide administration. A vehicle treated control group and a Crataegus monogyna control group were also included. The CP-treated group showed significant decreases in the body, testes and epididymides weights as well as many histological alterations. Stereological parameters and spermatogenic activities [Sertoli cell, repopulation and miotic indices] were also significantly decreased by CP treatment. Notably, Crataegus coadministration caused a partial recovery in above-mentined parameters. These findings indicate that Crataegus monogyna may be partially protective against CP-induced testicular toxicity

[ ultrastructural study of oocyte and zona pellucida in ovarian follicles of untreated and and metformin-treated diabetic rats subsequent to induction of experimental diabetes]

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder affecting the whole body systems including the female reproductive organs. Moreover, diabetes is an important cause of infertility. Metformin is commonly used to control hyperglycemia in patients with diabetes. This study was done to evaluate the ultrastructural changes of ovarian follicles in diabetic rats and their response to metformin. Thirty-six adult Sprague-Dawley female rats [170-210 g] were studied in three groups [Control, diabetic and metformin-treated rats]. In the second and third groups, diabetes was induced by injection of streptozotocin [45 mg/kg]. The rats in the third group were later treated by metformin monohydrochloride [100 mg/kg]. At the end of the experiment, rats were sacrificed and their right ovaries were observed under transmission electron microscope. Quantitative data were analyzed by student t-test in SAS software. In comparison with the control group, significant decreases in zona pellucida thickness and the mean number of microvilli were observed [respectively, P<0.01 and P<0.001] in diabetic rats. Significant decreases in zona pellucida thickness were also observed in metformin-treated rats [P<0.05] but changes in the number of microvilli were non-significant. The number of organelles in oocyte cytoplasm was higher and they were natural or natural-looking in metformin-treated rats versus the diabetic ones. Reduction in the number of mitochondria and their ballooning cristae were of the most noticeable changes in diabetic rats. Diabetes decreases the number of microvilli and oocyte organelles and diminishes zona pellucida thickness leading to structural changes in the organelles but metformin could improve the aforesaid conditions