Melatonin preserves ovarian tissues of rats exposed to chronic TCDD: An electron microscopic approach to effects of TCDD on ovarian cells

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 228-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Semir Gül ◽  
Mehmet Gül ◽  
Birgül Yigitcan

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo- p-dioxin (TCDD) is a toxic agent and has disruptive effects on reproductive tissues in females. TCDD disrupts the hormonal regulation of the body and decreases the production of melatonin. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of melatonin supplements against the toxic effects of TCDD on ovaries of female rats. TCDD caused a significant decrease in the average number of corpora lutea and follicles per tissue section (2.1 ± 0.7; 2.3 ± 0.8, respectively), whereas these numbers were maintained in the melatonin supplemented group (5.0 ± 0.8; 5.1 ± 0.8, respectively) and were similar to the control group (5.3 ± 1.0; 5.9 ± 0.9, respectively). Electron microscopic analysis showed that the disruption of ultrastructure components such as cell membrane and organelles due to TCDD exposure was inhibited by melatonin supplements. This study suggested that melatonin has a protective and a possible ameliorative effect over histopathological damage of rat ovaries exposed to TCDD.

1969 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 162-168
Author(s):  
Yasmeen Mahar ◽  
Alisha Qamar ◽  
lnayatullah ◽  
Sarwath Fatimee ◽  
Mohammad Fawad Saeeduddin ◽  
...  

Background:Use of dietary supplements to treat illnesses has increasedtremendously in recentyears.Adrenal gland is one ofthemost commonly damaged endocrine gland in the body, not only by chemical or radiation injuries, but also as a result of differenttypes of stress.Search is underway for use ofnatural foods for protection of adrenal gland from different types ofinsults.Objective: To determine the protective effects of L-arginine on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced adrenal gland injury in albino rats,andto compare its efficacy to insulin.Material and Methods: This prospective experimental study was done at BMSI, JPMC, Karachi. Forty male, healthy albino rats,90-120 days old were segregated into 4 groups. Group A was marked as control, group B was administered STZ, group C and Dwere treated with STZ along with insulin and L-arginine respectively. At the end of study period, i.e., 6 weeks, animals weresacrificed under ether anaesthesia. Tissue from the left adrenal gland was processed for frozen sectioning to observe fat content ofthe adrenal cortex by applying OilRed O stain.Results: Oil Red-0 stained frozen sections revealed closely aggregated fat globules in adrenal cortex of STZ treated group B ascompared to control. Moderate betterment was seen in group C and in group D Oil Red O stained frozen sections as compared toSTZ treated group B.Conclusion: The results ofthe study demonstrated adrenal cortex injury by STZ which ameliorated with concomitant use of insulinandL-arginine. The protection was more pronounced with L-arginine as comparedto insulin.Keywords:STZ, adrenal gland,insulin,L-arginine


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 1762-1777

Doxorubicin (DOX) is effective chemotherapy in several malignancies, but large-scale toxicities limit its clinical usefulness. Propolis has been reported to exhibit a broad spectrum of biological activities. We aim to assess the protective efficacy of propolis against DOX-induced multi-toxicity in female rats. Forty female rats were divided into four groups: control group; Group (P) were administrated oral propolis (100 mg/kg once daily for 28 days); Group (P+DOX) were injected with a single intraperitoneal dose of DOX (20 mg/kg i.p at 24th day after the propolis administration) and group (DOX) were injected with doxorubicin only. Estimation of cardiac, renal and hepatic injury markers, apoptosis and pro-inflammatory cytokines were done using sera. Also, liver and heart tissue samples were collected to determine GSH and MDA as oxidative stress markers. In addition to histopathological and immunohistochemical examination of Cytochrome-C and Connexin43 on lysed myocardium, liver, kidney and lung tissues. Doxorubicin toxicity caused marked deteriorations of measured parameters through the different mechanisms in different body organs. However, pre-treatment with propolis significantly ameliorated these alterations. Thus propolis can ameliorate the DOX-induced experimental multi-toxicity as cardiomyopathy, hepatotoxicity, nephritis and pneumonia. Thus, it could be a promising protective agent in DOX treatment protocols.


2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bahattin Avci ◽  
S. Sirri Bilge ◽  
Gokhan Arslan ◽  
Omer Alici ◽  
Ozge Darakci ◽  
...  

In this study, we aimed to study the possible preventive effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a dietary omega-3 fatty acid, on toxicity caused by chlorpyrifos (CPF). Six groups of Sprague Dawley rats (200–250 g) consisting of equal numbers of males and females (n = 8) were assigned to study. The rats were orally given for 5 days. The control group was administered pure olive oil, which was the vehicle for CPF. The CPF challenge groups were administered oral physiological saline, pure olive oil, or DHA (50, 100 and 400 mg/kg dosages) for 5 days. The animals were weighed on the sixth day and then administered CPF (279 mg/kg, subcutaneously). The rats were weighed again 24 h following CPF administration. The body temperatures and locomotor activities of the rats were also measured. Blood samples, brain and liver tissues were collected for biochemical, histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations. A comparison with the control group demonstrated that CPF administration increased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in blood, brain and liver, while it reduced catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) concentrations ( p < 0.05–0.001). Advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) increased only in the brain ( p < 0.001). DHA reduced these changes in MDA and AOPP values ( p < 0.05–0.001), while it increased CAT, SOD and GPx concentrations ( p < 0.05–0.001). Similarly, DHA prevented the decreases in body weight, body temperature and locomotor activities caused by CPF at 100 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg dosages ( p < 0.05–0.001). Similar to the physiological and biochemical changes, the histopathological damage scores, which increased with CPF ( p < 0.05–0.01), decreased at all three dosages of DHA ( p < 0.05–0.01). Our findings suggest that DHA, by supporting the antioxidant mechanism, reduces toxicity caused by CPF.


Reproduction ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 139 (3) ◽  
pp. 587-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samu Myllymaa ◽  
Arja Pasternack ◽  
David G Mottershead ◽  
Matti Poutanen ◽  
Minna M Pulkki ◽  
...  

Growth differentiation factor-9 (GDF9) and bone morphogenetic protein-15 (BMP15) are among the key regulators transmitting the signaling between the oocyte and the surrounding granulosa cells. Previously, it has been shown that a recombinant BMP type II receptor ectodomain–Fc fusion protein (BMPR2ecd–Fc) is able to inhibit the actions of GDF9 and BMP15 in vitro. Here, we have produced bioactive BMPR2ecd–Fc, which was injected i.p. into neonatal mice. Early folliculogenesis was first studied by injecting mice five times with various doses of BMPR2ecd–Fc during the postnatal days 4–12. Folliculogenesis was affected dose dependently, as evidenced by a decreased mitogenesis of granulosa cells of the growing follicles. Furthermore, we also noticed a decrease in the number of secondary and tertiary follicles as well as an increase in the oocyte size. Electron microscopic analysis revealed that the ultrastructure of the granulosa cells of the primary follicles was not affected by the BMPR2ecd–Fc treatment. A second study was conducted to investigate whether a longer treatment with 12 injections during postnatal days 4–28 would inhibit folliculogenesis. Similar effects were observed in the two studies on the early follicular developmental stages. However, in the long-term study, later stages of folliculogenesis were not blocked but rather increased numbers of antral follicles, preovulatory follicles, and corpora lutea were found. We conclude that BMPR2ecd–Fc is a potent modulator of ovarian folliculogenesis in vivo, and thus, is a valuable tool for studying the physiology and downstream effects of oocyte-derived growth factors in vivo.


1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 3823-3834 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Weiden ◽  
Y N Osheim ◽  
A L Beyer ◽  
L H Van der Ploeg

The genome of the protozoan Trypanosoma brucei contains a set of about 100 minichromosomes of about 50 to 150 kb in size. The small size of these chromosomes, their involvement in antigenic variation, and their mitotic stability make them ideal candidates for a structural analysis of protozoan chromosomes and their telomeres. We show that a subset of the minichromosomes is composed predominantly of simple-sequence DNA, with over 90% of the length of the minichromosome consisting of a tandem array of 177-bp repeats, indicating that these molecules have limited protein-coding capacity. Proceeding from the tip of the telomere to a chromosome internal position, a subset of the minichromosomes contained the GGGTTA telomere repeat, a 29-bp telomere-derived repeat, a region containing 74-bp G + C-rich direct repeats separated by approximately 155 bp of A + T-rich DNA that has a bent character, and 50 to 150 kb of the 177-bp repeat. Several of the minichromosome-derived telomeres did not encode protein-coding genes, indicating that the repertoire of telomeric variant cell surface glycoprotein genes is restricted to some telomeres only. The telomere organization in trypanosomes shares striking similarities to the organization of telomeres and subtelomeres in humans, yeasts, and plasmodia. An electron microscopic analysis of the minichromosomes showed that they are linear molecules without abnormal structures in the main body of the chromosome. The structure of replicating molecules indicated that minichromosomes probably have a single bidirectional origin of replication located in the body of the chromosome. We propose a model for the structure of the trypanosome minichromosomes.


Endocrinology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 155 (11) ◽  
pp. 4422-4432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Almey ◽  
Elizabeth Cannell ◽  
Kyla Bertram ◽  
Edward Filardo ◽  
Teresa A. Milner ◽  
...  

Abstract High plasma levels of estradiol (E2) are associated with use of a place memory system over a response memory system. We examined whether infusing estradiol into the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) or anterior cingulate cortex (AC) could affect memory system bias in female rats. We also examined the ultrastructural distribution of estrogen receptor (ER)-α, ERβ, and G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1) in the mPFC of female rats as a mechanism for the behavioral effects of E2 in the mPFC. Each rat was infused bilaterally with either E2 (0.13 μg) or vehicle into the mPFC or AC. The majority of E2 mPFC rats used place memory. In contrast, the majority of mPFC vehicle rats and AC E2 or vehicle rats used response memory. These data show that mPFC E2 rapidly biases females to use place memory. Electron microscopic analysis demonstrated that ERα, ERβ, and GPER1 are localized in the mPFC, almost exclusively at extranuclear sites. This is the first time that GPER1 has been localized to the mPFC of rats and the first time that ERα and ERβ have been described at extranuclear sites in the rat mPFC. The majority of receptors were observed on axons and axon terminals, suggesting that estrogens alter presynaptic transmission in the mPFC. This provides a mechanism via which ERs could rapidly alter transmission in the mPFC to alter PFC-dependent behaviors, such as memory system bias. The discrete nature of immunolabeling for these membrane-associated ERs may explain the discrepancy in previous light microscopy studies.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenqiang You ◽  
Junying Sun ◽  
Feng Xie ◽  
Zhiqin Chen ◽  
Sheng Zhang ◽  
...  

Fermented papaya extracts (FPEs) are obtained by fermentation of papaya by Aspergillus oryzae and yeasts. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of FPEs on mammary gland hyperplasia induced by estrogen and progestogen. Rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, including a control group, an FPE-alone group, a model group, and three FPE treatment groups (each receiving 30, 15, or 5 ml/kg FPEs). Severe mammary gland hyperplasia was induced upon estradiol benzoate and progestin administration. FPEs could improve the pathological features of the animal model and reduce estrogen levels in the serum. Analysis of oxidant indices revealed that FPEs could increase superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities, decrease malondialdehyde (MDA) level in the mammary glands and serum of the animal models, and decrease the proportion of cells positive for the oxidative DNA damage marker 8-oxo-dG in the mammary glands. Additionally, estradiol benzoate and progestin altered the levels of serum biochemical compounds such as aspartate transaminase (AST), total bilirubin (TBIL), and alanine transaminase (ALT), as well as hepatic oxidant indices such as SOD, GSH-Px, MDA, and 8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG). These indices reverted to normal levels upon oral administration of a high dose of FPEs. Taken together, our results indicate that FPEs can protect the mammary glands and other visceral organs from oxidative damage.


2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 711-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Gajęcka ◽  
B. Przybylska-Gornowicz

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the effect of 42-day ZEN intoxication on the presence of Ca2+ in selected ovarian cells from beagle bitches, using the potassium pyroantimonate (PPA) method. Samples were collected from 30 clinically healthy, pre-pubertal, genetically homogeneous animals. The bitches were divided into three groups of 10 animals each: experimental group I - 50 μg ZEN/kg BW (100% NOAEL) administered once daily per os; experimental group II - 75 μg ZEN/kg BW (150% NOAEL) administered once daily per os; control group - placebo containing no ZEN administered per os. An electron microscopic analysis revealed that cells died due to apoptosis, depending on the ZEN dose and the type of cells exposed to intoxication. Lower ZEN doses led to apoptosis-like changes in the cells. Cell death was a consequence of excess Ca2+ accumulation in the mitochondria, followed by cell dysfunction and a decrease in or the absence of mitochondrial metabolic activity in oocytes, follicle cells and interstitial cells in experimental bitches.


1991 ◽  
Vol 125 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annemarie Brüel ◽  
Hans Oxlund

Abstract The biomechanical and biochemical properties of aortas from female rats treated with biosynthetic human GH (b-hGH) for 80 days were investigated. b-hGH was administered at a dose of 5 mg·kg−1·d−1. Treatment with b-hGH increased the body weight by 75% and the diameter of the aorta by 14% compared with the control group. The concentration of collagen and the relative amount of collagen type I were increased, and the concentration of elastin was decreased. Aortas from the b-hGH-treated group showed increased extensibility in the regions corresponding to physiological load values (i.e. 100-200 mmHg), and increased stiffness in regions with higher load values. The increased extensibility at low load values corresponds well with the loss of elastin, and the increased stiffness at higher load values with the increase of collagen and relative increase of collagen type I. These alterations induced by the growth hormone treatment might influence the elasticity and recoiling properties of the aorta.


2011 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 1914-1923 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Wang ◽  
Xuelei Zhou ◽  
Dubao Yang ◽  
Zhenyong Wang

Lead acetate (300 mg/L) and/or cadmium chloride (50 mg/L) were administered as drinking water to Sprague-Dawley rats for 9 weeks to investigate the effects of concurrent exposure to lead and cadmium on the distribution patterns of five essential trace elements. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to determine the concentrations of zinc, copper, manganese, selenium and iron in the urine at different exposure times, as well as their levels in the renal cortex and serum at the end of treatment. Compared with the control group, exposure to lead and/or cadmium resulted in a significant increase in the urinary excretion of these five elements during the experiment, whereas significant decreased levels of these elements were found in kidney and serum. In conclusion, increased urinary loss of antioxidant trace elements due to lead and/or cadmium exposure induced the deficiency of antioxidants in the body, which could result in further oxidative damage. Moreover, there was an obvious synergistic effect of lead combined with cadmium on the distribution patterns of these essential trace elements, which may be related to the severity of co-exposure to these two metals.


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