Subacute toxicity of anilofos, a new organophosphorus herbicide in male rats: effect on lipid peroxidation and ATPase activity.

Effects of anilofos on lipid peroxidation--an index of oxidative stress, ATPase activity--an integral part of active transport mechanisms for cations, GSH level and GST activity were evaluated in blood (erythrocyte/plasma), brain and liver of male rats after daily oral exposure to 50, 100 or 200 mg/kg for 28 days. None of the doses increased lipid peroxidation. The lowest dose, rather, produced marginally significant decrease in peroxidation in liver. Different doses of anilofos decreased GSH content and activities of GST and ATPases. Inhibition of total ATPase (34-44%) and Na+-K+-ATPase (45-52%) activities was maximum in liver, while that of Mg2+-ATPase (46-56%) was more in erythrocyte. Results indicate that anilofos may not cause oxidative damage to cell membrane in repeatedly exposed animals and may cause neuronal/cellular dysfunction by affecting ionic transport across cell membrane.

Cigarette smoking and spermatozoa II. effect of ascorbic acid supplementation on spermatozoa of cigarette smokers [histochemical study]

The thirty heavy smoking men investigated in the first portion of our work were randomly divided into two subgroups [each contained 15 men]. Each participant from the first subgroup of smokers took one 1000-mg tablet of ascorbic acid [AA] daily for 4 weeks. For the same period, the members of the second subgroup took placebo tablets, serving as negative controls. Also, another fifteen of the non-smokers participated as a separate group and each took one 1000-mg tablet of AA daily for 4 weeks, serving as positive controls. The histochemical differences between sperms of cigarette smokers and non-smokers in the first portion of this work were surveyed. Serum and seminal plasma ascorbic acid levels were measured. Statistically significant increases in the histochemical reactions and ascorbic acid levels in the treated subgroup were observed weekly. After the 4 weeks of supplementation, no significant difference was detected between the treated subgroup and non-smokers. However, no significant changes were observed in the non-smokers or the placebo subgroup indicating that increased ascorbic acid bioavailability was associated with the pronounced improvement in sperm activity. These useful effects of AA supplementation may be due to its reductive properties nullifying the possible iniurious effects of the reactive oxidants of nicotine or nicotine melabolites

Aluminum cation feed toxicity to male mice

Alumnum phosphide is used in fumigation, where phosphin is liberated and AL [OH][3] is formed as a secondary residue which may contaminate wheat or flour. The toxic effect of Al residue of 0.2 gm/kg/b.wt. in administered wheat [173-183 gm/mice] was investigated. Acetyl cholinesterase [AChE] wa not significantly affected. Both acid and alkaline phosphatases [APas and AlPase] were slightly stimulated. On the other hand, adenosine triphosphatae [ATPase] activity and levels of the Neurotransmitters amino acids gamma-amino butric acid [GABA] and glutamic acid were significantly inibited suggesting that these biochemical targets may be the main site of action of Al toxicity