The impact of deoxynivalenol contaminated diet on performance, immune response, intestine morphology and jejunal gene expression in broiler chicken.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of deoxynivalenol (DON) contaminated diet on performance, immune system, gut morphology and jejunal gene expression in broiler chickens. Eighty-one-day old chicks were randomly allotted into two treatments with 4 replicates (10 birds in each replication). Experimental diets were the control diet (maize-soybean meal) and an experimentally contaminated diet with 10 mg/kg DON. The results indicated that DON-challenged birds had decreased (P < 0.05) average feed intake (AFI) during starter period as compared to control group. Also, average daily gain (ADG), AFI and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were not affected (P > 0.05) by inclusion of DON contaminated diet during the whole experimental period. Dietary addition of DON to the basal diet caused Fabricius bursa relative weight reduction, while increased the abdominal fat and serum triglyceride (TG) concentration (P < 0.05). Dietary DON feeding caused an enhancement (P < 0.05) in the blood aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma glutamytransferase (GGT) contents. Moreover, DON decreased the serum total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) concentrations. Inclusion of DON in diet reduced (P < 0.05) the white blood cell (WBC) count, lymphocyte number and antibody titer against Newcastle disease virus, but increased (P < 0.05) the blood heterophil count. The DON consumption also diminished (P < 0.05) the villus height, villus to crypt ratio, mucosa thickness and villus surface area in the duodenum. Mucin-2 expression was decreased (P < 0.05) by DON consumption, but toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) and claudin-5 (CLDN-5) expressions were not affected (P > 0.05) by dietary treatments. In conclusion, although DON could not influence the performance attributes in broiler chickens, it adversely affected the immune response, muc-2 gene expressions in the jejunum and gut morphology, enhanced the liver enzyme indices and lessened the blood protein contents.

Fennel induces cytotoxic effects against testicular germ cells in mice; evidences for suppressed pre-implantation embryo development.

Foeniculum vulgare (FVE; fennel) is an aromatic plant belonging to Umbelliferae family, which is widely used in traditional societies because of its different pharmaceutical properties. To uncover the fennel-derived essential oil (FVEO)-induced effects on male reproductive potential, 24 mature male albino mice were divided into, control, 0.37, 0.75, and 1.5 mg kg-1 FVEO-received groups. Following 35 days, the animals were euthanized and the testicular tissue and sperm samples were collected. The histological alterations, tubular differentiation (TDI), spermiogenesis (SPI) indices, apoptosis ratio, and RNA damage of germinal cells were analyzed. Moreover, the sperm count, motility, viability, chromatin condensation, and DNA fragmentation were assessed. Finally, the pre-implantation embryo development including; the percentage of zygote, 2-cell embryos and blastocysts were assessed. Observations showed that the FVEO, dose dependently, increased histological damages, resulted in germ cells dissociation, depletion, nuclear shrinkage and significantly (P < .05) decreased tubular differentiation and spermiogenesis ratios. Moreover, the FVEO-received animals (more significantly in 1.5 mg kg-1 -received group) exhibited decreased sperm count, viability, and motility and represented enhanced percentage of sperms with decondensed chromatin and DNA fragmentation. Finally, the animals in FVEO-received group showed diminished zygote formation and represented decreased pre-implantation embryo development compared to control animals. In conclusion, our data showed that, FVEO albeit at higher doses, is able to adversely affect cellular DNA and RNA contents, which in turn is able to negatively affect the sperm count and morphology. All these impairments are able to negatively affect the fertilization potential as well as pre-implantation embryo development.

Crataegus monogyna aqueous extract ameliorates cyclophosphamide-induced toxicity in rat testis: stereological evidences.

Cyclophosphamide (CP) is extensively used as an antineoplastic agent for the treatment of various cancers, as well as an immunosuppressive agent. However, despite its wide spectrum of clinical uses, CP is known to cause several adverse effects including reproductive toxicity. Crataegus monogyna is one of the oldest pharmaceutical plants that have been shown to be cytoprotective by scavenging free radicals. The present study was conducted to assess whether Crataegus monogyna fruits aqueous extract with anti-oxidant properties, could serve as a protective agent against reproductive toxicity during CP treatment in a rat model. Male Wistar rats were categorized into four groups. Two groups of rats were administered CP at a dose of 5 mg in 5 ml saline/kg/day for 28 days by oral gavages. One of these groups received Crataegus monogyna aqueous extract at a dose of 20 mg/kg/day orally four hours after cyclophosphamide administration. A vehicle treated control group and a Crataegus monogyna control group were also included. The CP-treated group showed significant decreases in the body, testes and epididymides weights as well as many histological alterations. Stereological parameters and spermatogenic activities (Sertoli cell, repopulation and miotic indices) were also significantly decreased by CP treatment. Notably, Crataegus coadministration caused a partial recovery in above-mentined parameters. These findings indicate that Crataegus monogyna may be partially protective against CP-induced testicular toxicity.