Effect of visnagin on altered steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis, and testicular injury induced by the heavy metal lead

Background: Lead (Pb) is an environmental pollutant causing serious health problems, including impairment of reproduction. Visnagin (VIS) is a furanochromone with promising antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects; however, its protective efficacy against Pb toxicity has not been investigated. Objective: This study evaluated the protective effect of VIS on Pb reproductive toxicity, impaired steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis, oxidative stress and inflammation. Methods: Rats received VIS (30 or 60 mg/kg) and 50 mg/kg lead acetate for 3 weeks and blood and testes samples were collected. Results: Pb intoxication impaired the pituitary-testicular axis (PTA) manifested by the decreased serum levels of gonadotropins and testosterone. Pb decreased sperm count, motility and viability, increased sperm abnormalities, and downregulated the steroidogenesis markers StAR, CYP17A1, 3β-HSD and 17β-HSD in the testis of rats. VIS significantly increased serum gonadotropins and testosterone, alleviated sperm parameters and upregulated steroidogenesis. In addition, VIS decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines, testicular lipid peroxidation and DNA fragmentation, downregulated Bax, and enhanced antioxidants and Bcl-2. Conclusion: These results demonstrate the protective effect of VIS against Pb reproductive toxicity in rats. VIS improved serum gonadotropins and testosterone, enhanced steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis, and attenuated oxidative injury, inflammation and apoptosis. Therefore, VIS is a promising candidate for the protection against Pb-induced reproduction impairment.

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REPRODUCTIVE TOXICITY OF CHLORPYRIFOS, CYPERMETHRIN AND THEIR INTERACTION IN MALE ALBINO RATS

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal ◽

10.35943//mvmj.2018.19.1111 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 69-86

Author(s):

Asmaa ELnamaky ◽

Amal Halawa ◽

Mamdouh Abouelmaged

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Toxicity ◽

Prostatic Acid Phosphatase ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Reproductive Organs ◽

Male Rats ◽

Albino Rats ◽

Glutathione S Transferase ◽

Significant Drop ◽

Sperm Abnormalities ◽

Pituitary Glands

he present work was designed to investigate the reproductive toxicity induced by oral administration of chlorpyrifos (CPF), cypermethrin (CYP) and their combination in adult male albino rats. Forty mature male albino rats were separated into four groups (10 each), the first group was used as control, while second, third and fourth groups received orally 1/20 LD50 of CPF (10 mg/kg b.wt), 1/20 LD50 of CYP (17.22 mg/kg b.wt) and 1/40 LD50 of CPF plus 1/40 LD50 of CYP (5 mg/kg b.wt CPF plus 8.61 mg/kg b.wt CYP) respectively for 26 days. The results revealed that exposure to CPF and/or CYP induced a significant decrease in the reproductive organs weight. Moreover, a significant decrease in spermatic picture (sperm cell concentration and viability) was observed with high percent of sperm abnormalities. Serum levels of testosterone and pituitary gonadotropins (FSH and LH) have been declined significantly in all treated groups. Significant elevations were observed in malondialdehyde and nitric oxide concentrations, while antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and glutathione-S-transferase activities were decreased significantly as a result of induced oxidative stress. A significant drop in prostatic acid phosphatase activity was observed. Additionally, the results showed some histopathological alterations in the reproductive organs as well as neurological lesions in brain and pituitary glands. In conclusion, CPF and CYP induce deleterious effects on reproductive efficiency of male rats which reflect more obvious impacts when both combined

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The Potential Protective Effect and Possible Mechanism of Peptides from Oyster (Crassostrea hongkongensis) Hydrolysate on Triptolide-Induced Testis Injury in Male Mice

Marine Drugs ◽

10.3390/md19100566 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (10) ◽

pp. 566

Author(s):

Xueyan Zhang ◽

Zhilan Peng ◽

Huina Zheng ◽

Chaohua Zhang ◽

Haisheng Lin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Protective Effect ◽

Antioxidant Enzyme ◽

Sperm Count ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Regulatory Protein ◽

Underlying Mechanism ◽

Male Reproduction ◽

Injury Model ◽

Serum Hormone ◽

Testicular Injury

Peptides from oyster hydrolysate (OPs) have a variety of biological activities. However, its protective effect and exact mechanism on testicular injury remain poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of OPs on triptolide (TP)-induced testis damage and spermatogenesis dysfunction and investigate its underlying mechanism. In this work, the TP-induced testis injury model was created while OPs were gavaged in mice for 4 weeks. The results showed that OPs significantly improved the sperm count and motility of mice, and alleviated the seminiferous tubule injury. Further study showed that OPs decreased malonaldehyde (MDA) level and increased antioxidant enzyme (SOD and GPH-Px) activities, attenuating oxidative stress and thereby reducing the number of apoptotic cells in the testis. In addition, OPs improved the activities of enzymes (LDH, ALP and ACP) related to energy metabolism in the testis and restored the serum hormone level of mice to normal. Furthermore, OPs promoted the expression of Nrf2 protein, and then increased the expression of antioxidant enzyme regulatory protein (HO-1 and NQO1) in the testis. OPs inhibited JNK phosphorylation and Bcl-2/Bax-mediated apoptosis. In conclusion, OPs have a protective effect on testicular injury and spermatogenesis disorders caused by TP, suggesting the potential protection of OPs on male reproduction.

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A Novel Microspheres Formulation of Puerarin: Pharmacokinetics Study and In Vivo Pharmacodynamics Evaluations

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2016/4016963 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Xiao Song ◽

Xihui Bai ◽

Shiyu Liu ◽

Linjuan Dong ◽

Hui Deng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Protective Effect ◽

Myocardial Injury ◽

B Cell Lymphoma ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Intragastric Administration ◽

Pharmacokinetics And Pharmacodynamics ◽

Promising Candidate ◽

Oral Preparation ◽

Total Superoxide Dismutase

The aim of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of puerarin loaded carboxymethyl chitosan microspheres (Pue-CCMs). The differences in pharmacokinetics parameters of rats after intragastric administration of Pue-CCMs and puerarin were investigated using HPLC. To assess the protective effect of Pue-CCMs on myocardial injury in rats, serum levels of creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured, in addition to pathological examinations and immunohistochemical staining. Our present study has shown that the AUC0–t, Cmax, Tmax, MRT0–t of Pue-CCMs, and puerarin were 20.176 mg·h/L, 3.778 μg/mL, 1 h, 4.634 h and 9.474 mg·h/L, 2.618 μg/mL, 0.542 h, and 3.241 h, respectively. Pue-CCMs alleviated myocardial ischemic injury. Pretreatment with Pue-CCMs could significantly decrease CK, LDH, and MDA levels and increase T-SOD level in the serum. Pue-CCMs downregulated expression of the Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) and upregulated B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) expression. Compared with puerarin group, the Pue-CCMs group could improve the oral bioavailability of puerarin. The protective effect of Pue-CCMs against myocardial injury was significantly greater than puerarin at the same dose. In summary, Pue-CCMs should be a qualified and promising candidate as a new oral preparation of puerarin.

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The Protective Efficacy of Ethanolic Leaves Extract of Citronella Gras (Cymbopogon nardus) on Glucose Metabolism Alteration Induced By Mercury in Rats

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH ◽

10.25258/ijtpr.v9i03.9074 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (03) ◽

Author(s):

Fransisca Diana Alexandra ◽

Dian Mutiasari ◽

Trilianty Lestarisa ◽

Eko Suhartono

Keyword(s):

Glucose Metabolism ◽

Protective Effect ◽

Plant Extract ◽

Protective Efficacy ◽

Liver Weight ◽

Liver Glycogen ◽

Liver Cells ◽

Glycogen Level ◽

Group I ◽

Citronella Grass

The present study was undertaken to investigate the protective effect of ethanolic citronella grass (C. nardus) leaves extract against mercury (Hg) induced glucose metabolism alteration in rats. Four groups of rats were selected, with 6 rats for each group. Animals of group I was received a 1 ppm of Hg only. Animals of groups II, III, and IV received a combination of 1 ppm Hg and plant extract in different dose (1650, 2520, and 3360 mg/ml). The experiment lasted for 4 weeks. The various parameters studied included liver weight, liver glucose, glycogen, and malondialdehyde (MDA) level in all groups after treatment. The results of this present studies showed that the Hg-induced glucose metabolism alteration in rats which can be seen from the increase of liver glucose and the decreasing of liver glycogen levels. The results also showed that the Hginduced glucose metabolism alteration through its activities in the trigger the liver cells damage which can be seen from the decreasing of liver weight and the increase of liver MDA level. The ethanolic of C. nardus leaves extract shows a protective effect to maintain all parameters into a better a condition which can be seen from the significant increase in liver weight and liver glycogen level, and the significant decrease in liver glucose and MDA levels. The present study indicated that the ethanolic C. nardus leaves extract showed a potential protective effect on glucose metabolism alteration induced by Hg

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The Protective Effect of Metformin against Oxandrolone-Induced Infertility in Male Rats

Current Pharmaceutical Design ◽

10.2174/1381612826666201029101524 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 ◽

Author(s):

Abdulqader Fadhil Abed ◽

Yazun Bashir Jarrar ◽

Hamzeh J Al-Ameer ◽

Wajdy Al-Awaida ◽

Su-Jun Lee

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Male Infertility ◽

Protective Effect ◽

Histological Examination ◽

Sperm Count ◽

Serum Testosterone ◽

Male Rats ◽

P Value ◽

Protective Effects ◽

Rt Pcr

Background: Oxandrolone is a synthetic testosterone analogue that is widely used among bodybuilders and athletes. However, oxandrolone causes male infertility. Recently, it was found that metformin reduces the risk of infertility associated with diabetes mellitus. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of metformin against oxandrolone-induced infertility in male rats. Methods: Rats continuously received one of four treatments (n=7) over 14 days: control DMSO administration, oxandrolone administration, metformin administration, or co-administration of oxandrolone and metformin. Doses were equivalent to those used for human treatment. Subsequently, testicular and blood samples were collected for morphological, biochemical, and histological examination. In addition, gene expression of the testosterone synthesizing enzyme CYP11A1 was analyzed in the testes using RT-PCR. Results: Oxandrolone administration induced male infertility by significantly reducing relative weights of testes by 48%, sperm count by 82%, and serum testosterone levels by 96% (ANOVA, P value < 0.05). In addition, histological examination determined that oxandrolone caused spermatogenic arrest which was associated with 2-fold downregulation of testicular CYP11A1 gene expression. However, co-administration of metformin with oxandrolone significantly ameliorated toxicological alterations induced by oxandrolone exposure (ANOVA, P value < 0.05). Conclusion: Metformin administration protected against oxandrolone-induced infertility in male rats. Further clinical studies are needed to confirm the protective effect of metformin against oxandrolone-induced infertility among athletes.

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Suppression of Inflammation-Associated Kidney Damage Post-Transplant Using the New PrC-210 Free Radical Scavenger in Rats

Biomolecules ◽

10.3390/biom11071054 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 1054

Author(s):

Torsten R. Goesch ◽

Nancy A. Wilson ◽

Weifeng Zeng ◽

Bret M. Verhoven ◽

Weixiong Zhong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Protective Efficacy ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Rat Plasma ◽

Free Radical Scavenger ◽

Kidney Damage ◽

Brown Norway ◽

Radical Scavenger ◽

Organ Protection ◽

Antibody Mediated Rejection ◽

Allograft Kidney

Allograft kidney transplantation, which triggers host cellular- and antibody-mediated rejection of the kidney, is a major contributor to kidney damage during transplant. Here, we asked whether PrC-210 would suppress damage seen in allograft kidney transplant. Brown Norway (BN) rat kidneys were perfused in situ (UW Solution) with or without added 30 mM PrC-210, and then immediately transplanted into Lewis (LEW) rats. 20 h later, the transplanted BN kidneys and LEW rat plasma were analyzed. Kidney histology, and kidney/serum levels of several inflammation-associated cytokines, were measured to assess mismatch-related kidney pathology, and PrC-210 protective efficacy. Twenty hours after the allograft transplants: (i) significant histologic kidney tubule damage and mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltration were seen in allograft kidneys; (ii) kidney function metrics (creatinine and BUN) were significantly elevated; (iii) significant changes in key cytokines, i.e., TIMP-1, TNF-alpha and MIP-3A/CCL20, and kidney activated caspase levels were seen. In PrC-210-treated kidneys and recipient rats, (i) kidney histologic damage (Banff Scores) and mononuclear infiltration were reduced to untreated background levels; (ii) creatinine and BUN were significantly reduced; and (iii) activated caspase and cytokine changes were significantly reduced, some to background. In conclusion, the results suggest that PrC-210 could provide broadly applicable organ protection for many allograft transplantation conditions; it could protect transplanted kidneys during and after all stages of the transplantation process—from organ donation, through transportation, re-implantation and the post-operative inflammation—to minimize acute and chronic rejection.

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Dipterocarpus tuberculatus Roxb. Ethanol Extract Has Anti-Inflammatory and Hepatoprotective Effects In Vitro and In Vivo by Targeting the IRAK1/AP-1 Pathway

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules26092529 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (9) ◽

pp. 2529

Author(s):

Haeyeop Kim ◽

Woo Seok Yang ◽

Khin Myo Htwe ◽

Mi-Nam Lee ◽

Young-Dong Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ethanol Extract ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Hepatoprotective Activity ◽

Tnf Α ◽

Anti Inflammatory ◽

Related Proteins ◽

Pro Inflammatory Cytokines ◽

Inflammatory Effect

Dipterocarpus tuberculatus Roxb. has been used traditionally as a remedy for many diseases, especially inflammation. Therefore, we analyzed and explored the mechanism of the anti-inflammatory effect of a Dipterocarpus tuberculatus Roxb. ethanol extract (Dt-EE). Dt-EE clearly and dose-dependently inhibited the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW264.7 cells. Also, Dt-EE suppressed the activation of the MyD88/TRIF-mediated AP-1 pathway and the AP-1 pathway related proteins JNK2, MKK4/7, and TAK1, which occurred as a result of inhibiting the kinase activity of IRAK1 and IRAK4, the most upstream factors of the AP-1 pathway. Finally, Dt-EE displayed hepatoprotective activity in a mouse model of hepatitis induced with LPS/D-galactosamine (D-GalN) through decreasing the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and suppressing the activation of JNK and IRAK1. Therefore, our results strongly suggest that Dt-EE could be a candidate anti-inflammatory herbal medicine with IRAK1/AP-1 inhibitory and hepatoprotective properties.

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Ameliorative effect of Allium atroviolaceum on sperm quality in cyclophosphamide-treated mice

Future Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences ◽

10.1186/s43094-021-00234-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Alireza Hosseini ◽

Mehrdad Shahrani ◽

Shirin Asgharian ◽

Maryam Anjomshoa ◽

Ayoob Rostamzadeh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Side Effects ◽

Alkylating Agent ◽

Sperm Quality ◽

Sperm Count ◽

Reproductive Toxicity ◽

Herbal Drugs ◽

Sperm Viability ◽

Complementary Treatment ◽

Ameliorative Effect ◽

Alternative Drugs

Abstract Background Cyclophosphamide (CP) is an anti-neoplastic alkylating agent that is extensively used in different chemotherapy regimens. Adverse effects on the reproductive system, especially spermatogenesis, are one of the most important side effects of this drug. It is medically essential to use complementary and alternative drugs. Herbal drugs have long been used as a complementary treatment. Our purpose was to study the effect of hydroalcoholic Allium atroviolaceum L. extract on spermatogenesis in CP-treated mice. Results CP affected a significant decrease in sperm count, motility, viability, and morphology. Sperm count was significantly higher in the all extract groups than in the group of control (p<0.001) and CP group (p<0.001, p<0.01). Sperm motility was significantly greater in the extract (100 and 200mg/kg) groups than in the group of control (p<0.05 and <0.001). Sperm immotility and rotational movement were significantly higher in the CP group than in the CP+extract groups (p<0.001). The sperm viability was significantly greater in the CP+extract (200mg/kg) group than in the CP group (p<0.001). The number of headless sperm, sperm with initial tail, with coiled tail, and sperm with curved body, was significantly lower in the CP+extract (200mg/kg) group than in the CP group (p<0.001). Conclusion A. atroviolaceum extract treatment significantly improved CP-induced reproductive toxicity.

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