RESUMO
Dehydro Epi Androstrone [DHEA] is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenals that serves as a precursor for many steroids hormones. The aim of the work is to study the effects of DHEA on liver, ovary, breast and skin of senile female albino rats and the role of vitamin E, as a protective agent. In the present study, two hundred senile female albino rats were used. They were divided equally into 5 groups, 40 rats each. The first three groups were control group receiving distilled water, com oil and vitamin E, respectively. The last two groups were received maximum therapeutic dose of DHEA and combined DHEA and vitamin E. Twenty rats from each group were sacrificed after 4 months of daily administration of drugs and after 2 months follow up without any drugs [6 months]. Specimens, obtained from liver, ovary, breast and skin, were subjected to histopathological examination and AgNORs histochemical stain where the number of nuclear dots were estimated by computerized Analysis system 200 [CAS 200]. When DHEA was stopped for 2 months, a regression was defected in liver toxic capillaritis [congestion and inflammation], and in glandular hyperplasia of breast tissue, but no regression in hepatocelluar carcinoma and polycystic ovaries. Vitamin E protected the liver against DHEA induced liver toxic capillaritis, glandular hyperplasia of breast tissue but didn't protect against hepatocellular carcinoma or DHEA induced polycystic ovaries. DHEA had real benefit effects on the skin of senile rats which was augmented by co-administration of vitamin E. So the present study recommended the use of DHEA cautiously in people with existing liver disease or family history of breast carcinoma, and the use of vitamin E to women taken DHEA for protection from proliferative changes of breast tissue and for better improvement of senile skin. Also, the present study recommended the use of AGNORs stain as a sensitive indicator for early proliferative changes occur in liver and breast tissues
RESUMO
Aconitine is considered a highly toxic substance, it is rapidly absorbed and metabolized and hence the importance of the presence of a sensitive, simple and non expensive method for its detection and quantification in biological samples. The old methods of aconitine detection reported lack both sensitivity and selectivity. Highly sensitive and sophisticated techniques were recently reported for the detection and characterization of aconitine in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicines. Although these recent techniques are very sensitive and specific, they are highly expensive, complicated and not available everywhere in most laboratories even in the developed countries. In the present study, a simple and sensitive photometric method was improved and made suitable for the detection and quantification of aconitine in biological samples. This study is conducted on two groups of male and female adult albino rats. Each group consists of 25 animals and divided equally into 5 subgroups. Each rat in the two groups were given sublethal doses of [1.4 mg] aconitine intragastrically. The developed photomeric method was in the assessment of the toxicokinetic parameters of aconitine [AUC, Kcl ,T[1/2],TBC and Vd] in liver, heart, stomach and urine of male and female albino rats after 1, 2, 5, 8 and 10 hours using the spectrophtometer. Sex difference was observed. The results of the present study revealed that the toxicokinetic parameters [AUC and T[1/2]] of aconitine were more significantly faster in male than female rats, however Kcl, TBC and V d were significantly lower in male rats. The detection of aconitine level was significantly increased in the liver, heart and urine of male rats compared to female rats throughout the period of the study except after 10 hours in urine and 5 hours in the heart a significant decrease was detected by the proposed method in comparison to a previous [control] method. In conclusion, the developed method of aconitine analysis is very sensitive and non expensive. It depends on the formation of molecular charge transfer [CT] molecule between the cobalt - aconitine chelate as an electron donor and chloroform [CHCL3] as an acceptor. Sex difference must be also put into consideration during the detection and assessment of aconitine toxicokinetic