Ameliorative effect of curcumin on hepatotoxicity induced by chloroquine phosphate.

India is one of the most endemic areas, where malaria predominates and its control has become a formidable task. Chloroquine phosphate (CQ) on account of its rapid action on blood schizontocide of all the malarial parasite strains has become the most widely prescribed drug for prophylaxis and treatment of malaria. Toxicity of CQ is most commonly encountered at therapeutic and higher doses of treatment. Thus, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the protective effect of Curcumin, a herbal antioxidant obtained from Curcuma longa, on hepatic biochemical and histopathological status of CQ induced male mice. Swiss albino male mice were administered oral doses of CQ (100mg/kg body wt., 200mg/kg body wt. and 300mg/kg body wt.) and CQ+curcumin (300mg/kg body wt.+80mg/kg body wt.) for 45 days. A withdrawal of high dose treatment for 45 days was also studied. Administration of CQ brought about a significant decrease in Protein content with a decline in SDH, ATPase and ALKase activities, whereas ACPase activity was found to be significantly increased following CQ treatment. Antioxidant enzyme SOD registered a significant reduction as opposed to TBARS which was found to be elevated in a significant manner in the CQ treated groups as compared to control. Gravimetric indices (body weight and organ weight) declined significantly following CQ treatment. Administration of curcumin exhibited significant reversal of CQ induced toxicity in hepatic tissue. Protein content, SDH, ATPase, ALKase, ACPase, SOD, TBARS, body weight and organ weight were found to be comparable to that of control group after curcumin administration. Thus, obtained results led us to conclude the curative potential of curcumin against CQ induced hepatotoxicity.

A modified method for the differential staining of spermatozoa using alcoholic acidic silver nitrate.

Differential silver staining patterns have been demonstrated in mammalian spermatozoa, using an aqueous silver nitrate reagent. In the present study, mouse, rabbit, and human spermatozoa were stained using a modification of the earlier method. In the modified method, an alcoholic acidic silver nitrate stain, with subsequent differentiation in alcoholic ammonia, was used. This method enhanced the intensity of staining of the head, mid-piece, and tail. In particular, marked differentiation of the acrosomal, subacrosomal, and postacrosomal regions was obtained, which facilitated determination of acrosomal integrity. Moreover, background interference was reduced, yielding better clarity of the stained smears. The staining was carried out in the cold. This modified technique offers an advantage in the assessment of sperm morphological anomalies and membrane and acrosomal integrity, and is a simple, reliable, and useful method for the evaluation of sperm function.

A triple-X female with long arm deletion of one of the X-chromosomes associated with primary amenorrhoea: 47,XX, +del(X) (q27.3).

A 25-year-old phenotypic female with primary amenorrhoea was referred for chromosomal analysis. Earlier she had undergone hormonal therapy but showed no response. The secondary sex characters were of female type, with poor breast development. Laparoscopic findings revealed the presence of a very small uterus; the right ovary was found to be undeveloped and the left was absent. Cytogenetic study revealed a case of triple-X with deletion of the terminal region of the long arm of one of the X chromosomes [Xq27.3]. Among the 100 buccal mucosa cells analysed, 30 cells showed double Barr bodies. Hormonal studies using RIA technique revealed normal levels of prolactin (9.1 ng/ml), a high level of FSH and LH (135 and 61 mIU/ml) and low levels of estradiol and progesterone (12 pg/ml and 0.20 ng/ml respectively). To our knowledge, this may be the first report of a triple X with deletion of the X chromosome associated with primary amenorrhoea.

Analysis of the functional and nuclear integrity of human spermatozoa.

The analysis of semen quality and sperm function has added a new dimension to the evaluation of male infertility. In the present investigation, some recent techniques were used to assess the nuclear, membrane, and acrosomal integrity of spermatozoa from semen of 15 subfertile males with low sperm count and motility. In the infertile semen, the live-to-dead ratio and percentage of spermatozoa showing swelling in hypoosmotic solution was lower than normal but correlated positively with the motility of spermatozoa (r = .85). Staining the spermatozoa with silver nitrate, using a modified technique developed in our laboratory, revealed a higher percentage of morphologically abnormal spermatozoa, in particular, with loss of acrosomal integrity in the subfertile males. Moreover, the percentage of green-fluorescing "fertile" spermatozoa, with intact double-stranded DNA (acridine orange fluorescence), was lower than normal, which correlated with the reduction in sperm nuclear DNA content. A low correlation was obtained between motility and the percentage abnormal spermatozoa (r = .44) and motility and percent green sperm (r = -.28), suggesting that both tests evaluate sperm functional properties independent of motility. The new parameters, assessed with recent techniques, indicate poor sperm fertilizability, which may therefore contribute to the low fertility of the cases studied.

Effect of lead on human semen.

Semen qualities were studied in workers with an average age of 30 years and occupationally exposed to lead in a printing press. Another sample with the same average age but not exposed to lead were taken as control subjects. The average lead content in blood and seminal plasma of the exposed group were 42.5 mcg/100 ml and 14.80 mcg/100 ml, respectively. Their sperm counts and percentage of motile sperm were significantly affected. Significantly higher percentages of abnormal spermatozoa were also observed in these semen samples. The levels of seminal acid phosphatase, succinic dehydrogenase, and fructose in them were also significantly found to be low compared with those from the unexposed subjects. Cytochemical study of sperm head DNA in the exposed groups showed a low surface reaction.