Toxic effects of lead exposure during gestation and lactation on testicular development in albino rat offspring: a hormonal and histopathological study

This study aims at exploring the effect of lead exposure during pregnancy and lactation on the rat testis, which was evaluated via light and electron microscopic examination of testicular tissue, besides estimation of serum follicle stimulating hormone [FSH], luteinizing hormone [LH] and testosterone [TT] levels. Dams were intoxicated with 10 mg/kg body weight [BW]/day lead acetate throughout the gestational period and lactation. Pups were sacrificed on postnatal [PN] days 1 and 21. The weights of the body and testes, as well as serum gonadotropins and TT concentrations were significantly reduced in pups from lead-intoxicated mothers compared with their controls. Light microscopic examination of testicular samples from lead-exposed pups revealed thin-walled seminiferous tubules with significant reduction in their size. In addition, multiple vacuoles were seen within the tubules and in the interstitium, and the interstitial spaces appeared enlarged with reduced number of Leydig cells. Apoptotic bodies were found among the basal parts of the spermatogenic epithelium. Examination of testicular tissue from the same group by electron microscopy revealed more cellular details confirming the toxic effects of lead. The altered seminiferous tubules showed multiple cytoplasmic vacuoles and precipitates along the nuclear membranes in Sertoli cells. Several seminiferous tubules showed apoptotic cells with heterochromatic nuclei and dense cytoplasm, whereas other tubules appeared ensheathed by single layers of myoid cells. Leydig cells revealed cytoplasmic vacuolations and irregular nuclei with chromatin masses. The results of this study indicate that lead intoxication affected the normal development of germinal cells and disrupted the testicular structure and endocrinal functions

Comparative study between two obidoxime regimens in acute organophosphate toxicity among some Egyptian patients

Organophosphorus [OP] poisoning is commonly encountered in agricultural communities probably due to the easy accessibility to the insecticide. In vitro studies in animals and on human erythrocytes have suggested beneficial effects of oximes on reactivating acetylcholine esterase [AChE] enzyme. This study was a single blinded randomized clinical trial to investigate the comparative effectiveness of the World Health Organization [WHO] obidoxime regimen with recommended dose - 250 mg IV shot loading dose then infusion of 750 mg every 24 hours [high-continuous dose regimen] versus the regimen of National Egyptian Center of Toxicology and Research [NECTR], Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University with recommended dose 250 mg in 150 ml saline, IV infusion over one hour and repeated every 6 hours over a period of 24 hours from the time of admission [low-interrupted dose regimen]. Twenty normal individuals were recruited as control [group I], with their AChE enzyme level determined to assess the normal level in the population. Fourty patients exposed to OP and treated with the WHO obidoxime regimen were classified as group II. Fourty patients exposed to OP and treated with the NECTR obidoxime regimen were classified as group III. There were significantly higher percent of patients in group III with respiratory depression than in the patients of group II [p<0.05]. There were no statistically significant differences between the patients of group II and the patients of group III regarding all other signs and symptoms of OP poisoning as well as AChE enzyme levels in the first 12 hours [p>0.05]. After 12 hours from admission, the AChE levels were progressively and significantly higher in the patients of group II than the patients of group III until discharge [p<0.05]. The severity of respiratory failure, as measured by the need for ventilation and the number of ventilated patients were significantly. higher in the patients of group III than in the patients of group II [p<0.05]. The outcomes, such as the occurrence of respiratory depression and the number of deaths, were reduced in the patients of group II. There was statistically significant difference between the patients of group II and the patients of group III regarding the time of recovery [p<0.05]. There were no deaths between the patients of group II but one patient died from group III. This indicates that the WHO regimen [high-continuous dose regimen] is more effective than the NECTR regimen [low-interrupted dose regimen] in reactivating AChE enzyme, reducing the duration of hospital stay and the mortality rate and increasing the early recovery rate. Regarding the collected results of the present work, we recommend the use of the WHO obidoxime regimen

Food additives and Hymenolepis nana infection: an experimental study

The effect of sodium benzoate [SB] on the pathogenesis of Hymenolepis nana [H. nana] and its neurological manifestations was studied in the present work. One hundred and thirty five mice were classified into three groups. GI: received SB alone, GII: received SB before and after infection with H. nana and GIII: infected with H. nana. All groups were subjected to parasitological, histopathological, immunohistochemical and biochemical assays. The results revealed a significant decrease in TL-4 serum level with a significant increase in gamma amino butyric acid [GABA] and decrease in zinc brain levels in GI, while GII showed non significant increase in IL-4 level that resulted in a highly significant increase in the mean number of cysticercoids and adult worms with delayed expulsion as compared to GIII. This was reflected on histopathological and immunohistochemical changes in the brain. Also, there was a highly significant increase in GABA and decrease in zinc brain levels in GII to the degree that induced behavioral changes. This emphasizes the possible synergistic effect of SB on the neurological manifestations of H. nana and could, in part, explain the increased incidence of behavioral changes in children exposed to high doses of SB and unfortunately have H. nana infection