possible effect of green tea [catechin] on perinephric fat adipocytes of adult male albino rat after induction of obesity: a histological study

Green tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, and its antioxidant properties have been widely explored. Its active ingredients [polyphenols are believed to be responsible for most of green tea's roles in promoting good health Obesity and its associated metabolic disorders are an increasingly prevalent conditior in different societies. The aim of this research is to study the effect of diet-induced obesity on the histological structure of adipocytes and to evaluate the possible protective role of green tea. Forty adult male rats were divided into three groups. Group I rats [control group, n = 10] were given a balanced diet for 6 weeks. Group II rats [n = 10] were given a high-energy fatty diet for 6 weeks and served as the affected group. Group III rats [green tea group, n = 20] were divided into two subgroups. Subgroup IIIa rats [lowúdose group, n = 10] were given a high-energy fatty diet for 6 weeks and a low dose of green tea extract [325 mg/kg/day] by an oral tube for the last 4 weeks. Subgroup IIIb rats [high-dose group, n = 10] were given a high-energy fatty diet for 6 weeks and a high dose of green tea extract [500 mg/kg/day] by an oral tube for the last 4 weeks. After 6 weeks, the animals were weighed, killed, and specimens from perinephric fat were prepared for light microscopic [sudan III and osmic acid stains] and electron microscopic [transmission and scanning electron microscopic] studies. The mean area of unilocular fat cells [micrometer square] was measured and statistically studied. There was a significant increase in body weight and in marked adipocyte morphological and cytological changes [size of adipocytes, saturated fatty acids within fat cells, and increased mitochondrial content] in groups II and IIIa compared with the control group. Such effects were ameliorated by concomitant administration of high-dose green tea extract in group IIIb. It could be concluded that high-dose green tea extract is effective in lowering the increased body weight due to a high-energy fatty diet. Hence, it is advised to consider a high dose of green tea extract effective against diet-induced obesity through its effect on size and structure of adipocyte

Possible protective effect of gum arabic on experimentally induced gastric ulcer in adult male albino rats: a histological and immunohistochemical study

Peptic ulcer is a serious disease with a high incidence of occurrence in our community. Gum arabic [GA] is an edible, dried, gummy exudate from the stems and branches of Acacia senegal. It has been claimed to act as an antioxidant. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of GA on stress-induced peptic ulcer in rats. In this study, 30 adult male rats were divided equally into three groups: the control group [group I], the stress ulcer group [group II], and the GA group [group III]; the GA group received GA 7.5 g/kg/day through an orogastric tube for 10 days. After 10 days, the rats were fasted for 24 h. Cold immobilization stress was induced in groups II and III. The animals of all groups were then anesthetized with diethyl ether, and their stomachs were isolated immediately, opened from the greater curvature, and washed with saline. Ulcer severity, ulcer score, and ulcer index were determined. Stomach specimens were fixed in 10% neutral-buffered formalin for histological, hematoxylin and eosin, histochemical, Periodic Acid Schiff's [PAS], and Masson's trichrome stainings and for immunohistochemical detection of proliferating cell nuclear antigen [PCNA]. Pretreatment with GA significantly decreased the gastric lesions. Both ulcer severity and score were significantly decreased [32.8% and 39.58%, respectively] compared with the stress-untreated group. Ulcer index was significantly decreased [49%] compared with the stress group [P< 0.05]. The stress group showed atrophic gastric mucosa with loss of glandular tissue [hematoxylin and eosin], positive PAS reaction in the mucus neck cells, many collagen fibers between the atrophic glands, and moderate PCNA reaction in the glandular cells. In the GA group, there was nearly normal gastric mucosa with a small area of atrophied surface epithelium, PAS-positive reaction in surface and neck mucus cells, some collagen fibers between the near normal gastric glands, and mild PCNA reaction in the gland cells. It can be concluded that GA exerts a protective effect against stress-induced gastric mucosal lesions in rats