Effect of malathion on pars distalis of the pituitary gland and the possible protective role of vitamin C in adult female albino rats: a histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural study

Malathion is one of the organophosphorus insecticides that are widely used in agriculture and have been reported to cause multiple organ damage. Vitamin C has been proposed as an antioxidant because it reduces oxidative stress. This work aimed to study the possible histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural changes of gonadotrophs and somatotrophs of the pars distalis of the anterior pituitary gland associated with chronic sublethal malathion administration and assess the possible beneficial role of vitamin C in ameliorating these possible changes. Forty adult female albino rats were divided into four groups. Group I served as the control group. Group II received vitamin C at a dose of 20 mg/100 g/day. Group III animals were treated with malathion at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day. Groups IV animals received vitamin C and then malathion after 2 h at the previous doses. The treatments were given orally to the rats for 2 months. The rats were then sacrificed and specimens from the anterior pituitary gland were taken for light and electron microscopic examination. Light microscopic examination of rats treated with malathion revealed that gonadotrophs exhibited vacuolated degranulated cytoplasm and pyknotic nuclei, whereas somatotrophs appeared shrunken with dense nuclei. Immunohistochemically, there was a decrease in the immunoreactivity of follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and growth hormone-secreting cells. Ultrastructurally, gonadotrophs and somatotrophs showed disintegration of cellular organelles and apoptosis of the nuclei. Coadministration of malathion with vitamin C showed a slight improvement in some gonadotrophs and somatotrophs that looked normal in both light microscopic and electron microscopic examination; however, still others were markedly affected, showing signs of degeneration and apoptosis. The results showed that malathion in chronic doses induces histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural changes in gonadotrophs and somatotrophs because of oxidative stress, and the use of vitamin C partially improves the malathion-induced toxicity

Histological, immunohistochemical and electron microscopic studies on the effect of melatonin on pituitary-testicular axis in aged male albino rat

Aging is a biological process affecting mammalian tissues and organs at different rates. The present work was done to study the effect of melatonin as anti-aging therapy on the structure of the testis and the pars distalis. A total number of 25 male albino rats were used. The animals were divided into three groups: group [I] served as a control adult group [6 months age], group [II] was the control aged group [20-months age] and group [III] was treated with melatonin. The specimens of the testis and pituitary glands were prepared for light and electron microscopy. Histological and immunohistochemical techniques were used to examine these organs. It was found that age-related changes occur in the histological immunohistochemistry and ultrastructure of the testis and pituitary gland. Also, treatment with melatonin as anti-oxidant and free radical scavenger caused improvement of these changes in the pituitary gland as well as the testis. The age-related changes that occurred in the testis included progressive involution and germ cells depletion in the seminiferous tubules which contained only Sertoli cells. Ultrastructural apoptotic changes of germ cells increased with aging and abnormal morphology of the resulting sperms were found. This might result in decapacitating sperm function increase in interstitial tissue. Leydig cells exhibited ultrastructural changes which might lead to a decrease in their activity and testosterone production. As regard the pituitary gland; different utrastructural changes occurred in the somatotrophs or GH cells. The ultrastructrual and immunohistochemical studies of gonadotrophs or LH/FSH cells showed marked deterioration with progression of age. Treatment with melatonin from the adult state improved the morphological and ultrastructural changes that occurred with aging

Vascular endothelial growth factor level in chronic liver diseases

Ninety individuals [76 males and 14 females] were classified into four groups. G1 [control group] included 20 healthy individuals, G2 [chronic hepatitis group] included 20 patients, G3 [liver cirrhosis group] included 30 patients and G4 included 20 patients with HCC. All groups were subjected to clinical examination, abdominal ultrasonography, complete blood picture, HCV antibodies, HRs Ag and function tests [total and direct bilirubin, total plasma proteins and albumin, prothrombin time and concentration and liver enzymes AST, ALT and ALP]. Patients of G3 and G4 were classified according to Child Pugh classification into A, B and C. Upper endoscopic examination was done for 36/50 patients with chronic hepatitis or HCC. Circulating VEGF levels were determined by ELISA. There was statistically higher significant levels of circulating VEGF in G1, G2 and G3 than in the controls. There was a statistically significant higher level of circulating VEGF in G4 than in G3 and G4 and a statistically negative significant correlation between VEGF levels and platelet count in G2. There were no significant correlation between VEGF and the grade of esophageal varices in G3 and G4 and no significant correlation between VEGF and upper GIT bleeding or spider naevi [vascular skin changes] in G2. A statistically significant correlation was found between VEGF and degree of hepatic dysfunction

Histological study on the effect of aging on the pineal gland of male albino rat

In the present study, it was found that the pineal gland of male albino rat consists of three types of cells; light pinealocytes, dark pinealocytes and neuroglial cells. The light cells are the dominant type of cells, their nuclei are large rounded and vesicular. They have slightly basophilic granular cytoplasm with one or two cellular processes. The dark cells are characterized by more basophilic cytoplasm. The neuroglial cells are smaller in size with deeply stained nuclei and the cytoplasm has numerous irregular large processes. In EM it was found that the light and dark cells have large nuclei with abundant euchromatin and prominent nucleoli. The cytoplasm of dark cells is more electron dense and both types contain abundant RER around the nucleus, large Golgi, many ribosomes, few lipid droplets and neurofilaments. There is a cell-to-cell contact at many sites. Both types of cells were considered active secretary cells. The neuroglial cells have irregular outlines and many branches that extend to surround the pinealocytes. The nucleus is large, dense and contains clumps of heterochromatin. With increasing age, there was an increase in the size of the cells. The pinealocyte nuclear membrane becomes deeply indented and the cytoplasm become more electron lucent and rarify from most of the all organoids except few mitochondria. The lipid contents increased. There was a deposition of many electron dense concretions both inter and intracellularly. The chemical nature of these concretions requires more histochemical studies. The neuroglial cells became very large in size and their cytoplasm became vacuolated. All the previous histological and ultras true tural changes of aged pineal gland of male albino rat represent a decline in the secretary activity of the gland

Coagulation defects in patients with compensated liver cirrhosis

The diversity of the clotting abnormalities in liver diseases proves the importance of normal liver for maintenance of normal haemostasis. This study was designed to estimate the plasma levels of the vitamin- K dependent coagulation factors II, VII, IX, X and the coagulant inhibitor protein C in patients with compensated liver cirrhosis. Thirty seven patients with Child's grade A liver cirrhosis, selected from the admittes of the Tropical Medicine Department, El-Minia University Hospital and 23 matched healthy controls were recruited in the study. Each patient and control was subjected to complete clinical history and examination, abdominal ultrasonography, complete blood picture, routine liver function tests and hepatitis markers [HBSAg and HCV Abies]. The plasma was separated for estimation of the prothrombin [PT], partial thromboplastin time [PTT]; coagulation factors and protein C assay [using Asserachrom protein C kits] .It was found that the mean plasma levels of factor II, X and protein C significantly decreased in patients with liver cirrhosis than controls. The mean plasma levels of factor VII and IX were less in patients than controls but the differences were not statistically significant. There was a significant negative correlation between the prothrombin time and factor II, X and protein C, while the correlations with the other factors tested were insignificant. No significant correlation was found between the PTT and all the tested coagulation factors and protein C. In addition, a significant positive correlation was found between the platelets count and factor II, VII, IX. It can be concluded that the coagulation factors II and X are significantly affected early in compensated liver cirrhosis. The levels of these factors correlated significantly with the convention coagulation screening test e.g PT. The decreased level of the anticoagulant protein C probably reflects decreased hepatic synthetic function rather than thrombotic tendency

serum melatonin level and cognitive dysfunction in patients with liver cirrhosis

The mechanism of hepatic encephalopathy are uncertain despite extensive studies. Recently, many studies have been done to find out the role of the melatonin hormone and its relation to many diseases especially liver cirrhosis. The present study was designed to detect the change in serum melatonin level in patients with liver cirrhosis and its correlation with the clinical status of the patients and their cognitive functions. Seventeen patients with liver cirrhosis and 12 matched healthy controls were recruited in the study. They were subjected to clinical examination; abdominal ultrasonography; routine liver function tests and a battery of neuropsychological tests and EEG. Three venous blood samples were taken at 8 pm, 4 am and 8 am, from all patients and controls, for serum melatonin assay using ELISA kits. It was found that at 8 pm the mean serum melatonin level is significantly lower in patients than in controls, while at 4 am and 8 am the mean levels were significantly higher in patients than in controls; being at the highest level at 4 am. There was a positive significant correlation between the mean serum levels of melatonin at different times and the Child's grading of the patients. On the other hand, the patients with liver cirrhosis showed significantly abnormal results of the psychometric tests than controls. EEG was found to be slower in patients than controls as indicated by significantly slower alpha mean frequency. There was a significant positive correlation between the change in the serum melatonin level at 4 am and 8 am and the result of Bender- Gestalt test [a test of visual motor coordination]; a negative correlation between the performance on digit- symbol test [a test of attention / concentration and executive motor functions] and the serum melatonin level at 4 am. It could be suggested that the change in the serum melatonin level in patients with liver cirrhosis may have a role in the pathogenesis of the changes in the cognitive functions occurring in hepatic encephalopathy. Hypothetically, this might prove later on to have a therapeutic implication in the management of these patients