The protective effects of omega-3 fatty acids on rat testicular tissue

Objectives: In this study, the protective effect of omega-3 fatty acids on testicular tissue was aimed to investigate at biochemical levels.Materials and methods: Totally, 16 adult male Wistar rats were divided into two groups. Rats in Group I were used as control and only saline was given by intragastric gavage. Rats in Group II, 400 mg/kg dose ω-3 fatty acids were given daily by intragastric gavage. At the end of the six-week experimental period, all rats were killed by decapitation. The testicular tissue specimens taken from animals, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, malondialdehyde, enzyme activities were measured spectrophotometrically. In addition, blood testosterone levels were examined.Results: In our study, ω-3 fatty acids in rats were given a statistically significant increase in the levels of superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase a statistically significant decrease in malondialdehyde levels were determined when compared to control group. In addition, ω-3 fatty acids in rats given a statistically significant increase in blood testosterone levels were observed.Conclusion: We concluded that ω-3 fatty acid had favorable effects in rat testis tissue by preventing oxidative damage and increasing the level of testosterone

Ultrastructural Interrelationship between the Pineal Gland and the Testis in the Male Rat

The ultrastructural interrelationship between the pineal gland and testis was evaluated in the rat. Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups. Groups I and II were sham-orchidectomized and orchidectomized rats, respectively. Rats in group III were orchidectomized and daily injected with testosterone propionate (TP) for 1 month. Groups IV and V were sham-pinealectomized and pinealectomized, respectively. Group VI was pinealectomized and daily injected with melatonin for 2 months. All animals were anesthetized with ketamine for fixation by vascular perfusion. Pineal glands of groups I, II, and III and the testes of groups IV, V, and VI were removed and weighed. All specimens were examined by electron microscopy. Orchidectomy caused an increase of lipid droplets, cytoplasmic dense bodies, and lysosomes. Rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and mitochondria were extensive in the cytoplasm. TP administration to orchidectomized rats resulted in formation of less extensive lipid droplets and mitochondria. In pinealectomized rats, golgi complex, mitochondria, and enlarged smooth endoplasmic reticulum were extensive in the cytoplasm of Leydig cells. Formation of cytoplasmic secretory granules and osmiophilic bodies was observed. Testicular weight increased compared to group IV. Melatonin decreased testicular weight in comparison to group V and prevented ultrastructural changes. Pinealectomy and orchidectomy caused hyperactivity in Leydig cells and pinealocytes, respectively, which suggests a mutual relationship between the pineal gland and testis in the rat

Lung Tissue Damage in the Experimental Carbon Tetrachloride Toxicity and Protective Role of Melatonin Hormone: A light Microscopic and Biochemical Study

Bu çalışmada, akciğer dokusu üzerindeki karbon tetraklorür (CCl4) toksisitesine karşı melatonin hormonunun koruyucu etkisinin incelenmesi amaçlandı. 24 adet Wistar-Albino cinsi erkek sıçanlar üç eşit gruba ayrıldı. Grup Ideki sıçanlar kontrol olarak kullanıldı. Grup IIdeki hayvanlara gün aşırı olarak ve derialtı yolla CCl4 uygulandı. Grup IIIdeki sıçanlara ise CCl4 enjeksiyonu ile birlikte yine gün aşırı olarak ve derialtı yolla melatonin verildi. Dört haftalık deney süresi sonunda bütün sıçanlar dekapite edilerek akciğerleri çıkartıldı. Biyokimyasal incelemeler için, akciğer doku örneklerinin bir bölümünde süperoksit dismutaz (SOD), glutatyon peroksidaz (GSH-Px) enzim aktiviteleri ve malondialdehit (MDA) seviyeleri spektrofotometrik olarak belirlendi. Mikroskobik incelemeler için, doku örnekleri rutin histolojik prosedürlerden geçirilerek parafine gömüldü. CCl4 enjeksiyonu yapılan sıçanlara ait akciğer doku örneklerindeki SOD ve GSH-Px enzim aktivitelerinin kontrol grubuna göre istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir şekilde azaldığı, MDA düzeylerinin ise arttığı tespit edildi. Mikroskobik incelemede ise, CCl4 maruziyetinin akciğerde pulmoner interstisyumda hemorajiye, polimorf çekirdekli lökosit ve makrofaj infiltrasyonuna neden olduğu görüldü. CCl4 enjeksiyonu ile birlikte melatonin uygulanan hayvanlarda, SOD ve GSH-Px enzim aktivitelerinde bir artışın meydana geldiği, MDA değerlerinde ise anlamlı bir düşüşün olduğu gözlendi. Işık mikroskobik incelemelerde, CCl4 toksisitesinin neden olduğu histopatolojik değişikliklerin melatonin uygulamasıyla düzeldiği görüldü. CCl4 toksisitesinin akciğerlerde önemli ölçüde oksidatif doku hasarına yol açtığı ve bu hasarın melatonin uygulamasıyla önlenebildiği tespit edildi.In this study, it was aimed to investigate the protective effects of melatonin hormone against to carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced toxicity in lung tissue. Twenty-four male Wistar-Albino rats were randomly divided into three equal groups. Rats in group I were used as control. Rats in group II were injected subcutaneously every other day with CCl4. Rats in group III were injected subcutaneously every other day with CCl4 and melatonin. At the end of four weeks of experimental period, all animals were killed by decapitation and their lungs were removed. For biochemical examination, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) enzyme activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were determinated by a spectrophotometer in some of the lung tissue specimens. For light microscopic examination, tissue specimens were embedded in paraffin blocks following routine histological procedures. In lung tissue samples of rats treated with CCl4, SOD and GSH-Px enzyme activities were significantly lower and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly higher than the control group. Microscopically, interstitial pulmonary hemorrhage, leucocytes with polymorphic nuclei and macrophage infiltration were observed in the lung specimens of rats exposed to CCl4 alone.There is a statistically significant increase in SOD and GSH-Px enzyme activities, and a decrease in MDA levels in rats treated with CCl4 and melatonin. Histopathological changes caused by CCl4 toxicity were not observed in rats treated by melatonin. It is concluded that CCl4 creates oxidative damage in lung tissue and melatonin has protective effects against this CCl4 induced damag

Protective effects of melatonin against formaldehyde-induced oxidative damage and apoptosis in rat testes: An immunohistochemical and biochemical study

This study investigated the protective effects of melatonin against formaldehyde-induced oxidative damage and apoptosis in rat testes. A total of 21 male Wistar rats were divided into three groups. Group I was used as a control, Group II was injected every other day with formaldehyde for 1 month, whereas Group III was injected every other day with formaldehyde and melatonin for 1 month. At the end of the experimental period animals were sacrificed and the testes removed and dissected from the surrounding tissues for immunohistochemical evaluation. In addition, the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined. The levels of SOD and GSH-Px decreased significantly, whereas the level of MDA significantly increased in animals treated with formaldehyde compared with the controls. Apoptosis of spermatogenetic and Leydig cells of testicular tissues was observed. In contrast, rats with melatonin SOD and GSH-Px enzyme activity increased whereas MDA levels decreased with formaldehyde exposure along with apoptosis. In view of the present findings, it is suggested that melatonin treatment may prevent formaldehyde-induced oxidative damage and apoptosis in rat testes. Copyright © Informa Healthcare USA, Inc

Oxidative tissue damage in the prefrontal cortex of pinealectomized rats and protective effects of melatonin hormone

Amaç: Çalışmamızda, pinealektomili ve pinealektomi sonrası melatonin uygulanan sıçanlara ait prefrontal korteks doku örneklerinin biyokimyasal düzeyde incelenmesi amaçlandı. Gereç ve Yöntem: 21 adet Wistar-Albino cinsi erkek sıçanlar üç eşit gruba ayrıldı. Grup I’deki sıçanlar kontrol (sham-pinealektomi) olarak kullanıldı. Grup II’ye ait hayvanlara cerrahi olarak pinealektomi yapıldı. Grup III’deki sıçanlara ise pinealektomi sonrası günlük olarak, üç ay boyunca, melatonin hormonu (1 mg/kg/) intraperitoneal yoldan enjekte edildi. Deney süresi sonunda bütün sıçanlar dekapite edilerek öldürüldü ve prefrontal korteksleri çıkartıldı. Prefrontal korteks doku örneklerinde süperoksit dismutaz (SOD), glutatyon peroksidaz (GSH-Px) enzim aktiviteleri ile malondialdehit (MDA) seviyeleri biyokimyasal olarak belirlendi. Bulgular: Pinealektomili sıçanlarda, prefrontal korteks SOD ve GSH-Px enzim değerlerinin kontrol grubuna göre anlamlı bir şekilde azaldığı, MDA düzeylerinin ise yine istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir şekilde arttığı tespit edildi. Pinealektomi sonrası melatonin enjekte edilen sıçanlarda ise, doku SOD ve GSH-Px enzim aktivitelerinin yükseldiği, MDA seviyelerinin de azaldığı tespit edildi. Sonuç: Bu çalışma sonucunda, sıçanlarda pinealektomiye bağlı olarak prefrontal korteks’te meydana gelen oksidatif doku hasarının melatonin enjeksiyonu ile önlendiği tespit edildi.Aim: An attempt was made to investigate the tissue samples of prefrontal cortex from pinealectomized rats and melatonin applied rats following pinealectomy in biochemical basis. Materials and Methods: Twenty-one, male Wistar rats were divided equally into three groups. Rats in Group I were used as control (sham-pinealectomy). Rats in Group II were pinealectomized. Rats in Group III were injected daily with melatonin (1 mg/kg/) intraperitoneally for 3 months following pinealectomy. At the end of the experimental period, all rats were killed by decapitation and the prefrontal cortexes of rats were removed. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) enzyme activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were determined at biochemical levels in the prefrontal cortex specimens. Results: The levels of SOD and GSH-Px in the prefrontal cortex tissue were significantly decreased and MDA levels were significantly increased in pinealectomized rats compared with those of the controls. However, increased activities of SOD and GSH-Px enzymes and decreased levels of MDA were detected in the rats administered melatonin following pinealectomy. Conclusion: As a result of this study, pinealectomy-induced oxidative damage in the prefrontal cortex tissue in rats were prevented by administration of melatonin hormone

Effects of melatonin hormone on the thyroid follicular cells in rats: AgNOR staining and electron microscopic study

Bu çalışma, pinealektominin ve pinealektomi sonrası uygulanan melatoninin tiroid bezi üzerine etkisinin araştırılması amacıyla yapıldı. Bu amaçla 18 adet Wistar-Albino cinsi erkek sıçan kullanıldı. Hayvanlar üç gruba ayrıldı. Grup l ve Grup II sırasıyla kontrol (Sham-pinealektomi) ve pinealektomili sıçanlar olarak düzenlendi. Grup lll'deki sıçanlara da pinealektomi sonrası günlük olarak ve bir ay süresince melatonin enjeksiyonu yapıldı. Deney süresi sonunda hayvanlar vasküler perfüzyonla öldürüldü. Daha sonra sıçanlardan alınan tiroid doku örneklerinden bir kısmı AgNOR tekniği ile boyandı ve ışık mikroskopta incelenerek tiroid hücre çekirdeklerindeki AgNOR sayıları belirlendi. Tiroid doku örneklerinin bir kısmında da elektron mikroskobik inceleme yapıldı. Çalışmamızda, pinealektomi sonrası tiroid epitel hücre çekirdeklerindeki AgNOR taneciklerinin sayısında artışla birlikte mitoz aktivasyon artışını gösteren bulgular gözlendi. Ayrıca hücre sitoplazmalarındaki lizozom ve salgı granüllerinde artış görüldü. Melatonin enjekte edilen grupta ise, hücre çekirdeklerindeki AgNOR taneciklerinin sayısında düşüş olduğu belirlendi. Bununla birlikte, pinealektomi sonrası tiroid epitel hücrelerinde gözlenen ve hücre aktivasyon artışını gösteren ultrastruktürel değişikliklerin melatonin uygulaması ile kaybolduğu tespit edildi. Sonuç olarak, pinealektomi sonrası tiroid epitel hücre proliferasyonunda ve hücre aktivasyonunda artış meydana geldiği, melatonin enjeksiyonu ile de bu artışın gerilediği görüldü.This study was undertaken to examine effects of pinealectomy and pinealectomy followed by melatonin administration on thyroid gland. For this purpose 18 male Wistar rats were used. Animals were divided into three groups. Group I and II were designated as sham-pinealectomized (control) and pinealectomized, respectively. The rats in Group III were pinealectomized and daily injected with melatonin for 1 month. At the end of the experiment, all animals were killed by vascular perfusion. The thyroid glands of rats were removed, then some of the thyroid tissue specimens were stained with AgNOR technique and examined by light microscopy. AgNOR numbers in nuclei of thyroid follicular cells were counted. Some of the tissue specimens were examined by electron microscopy. In our study, some findings proving the increase of mitoz activation along with the increase in the number of AgNOR granules in cell nuclei of thyroid epithet were observed after pinealectomy. Furthermore,lizozomes and secretory granules in the cytoplasm of thyroid follicular cells were increased. In the melatonin injected group, the number of AgNOR granules in cell nuclei were decreased. Additionally, ultrastructural changes, which indicate the increase of cell activation and is visible in thyroid epithet cells after pinealectomy were disappeared following injection of melatonin. In conclusion, it was observed that there has been an increase in thyroid epithet cell proliferation and in cell activation after pinealectomy and this increase has been reversed by melatonin injection

Effects of Formaldehyde Inhalation on Zinc, Copper and Iron Concentrations in Liver and Kidney of Male Rats

In the present study, adult Wistar albino male rats were exposed to formaldehyde at different periods (subacute and subchronic) and concentrations (5.0 and 10.0 ppm) in order to figure out the changes in the concentration of Zn, Cu and Fe. It was observed that the formaldehyde inhalation caused gradual decline of body weights in the experimental groups when compared with control groups. It was found that subacute (4-week) or subchronic (13-week) exposure to formaldehyde for rats may cause growth retardation. After inhalation procedure, concentration of copper, zinc and iron were determined in liver and kidney tissues of rats using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. In addition, concentrations of Cu, Zn and Fe changed by the effect of formaldehyde in subacute and subchronic groups

Effect of formaldehyde inhalation on Hsp70 in seminiferous tubules of rat testes: An immunohistochemical study

One parameter which might provide an insight into the underlying mechanism of the effect of formaldehyde (FA) inhalation on testicular tissue, is the assessment of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), which increases promptly in cells exposed to stress caused by chemical toxicity. Thus, following subchronic exposure at cytotoxic concentrations, we studied the immunohistochemical effect of FA inhalation on changes in Hsp70 content in testicular tissue. We used 18 albino Wistar rats divided into three groups, exposed to 0 (control), 5 and 10 ppm FA gas for a total of 91 days, 8 h/day, five days a week. Serum testosterone levels were determined using a chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay. Testicular tissues were stained with Hematoxylin-Eosine and Hsp70 immunohistochemically performed. Diameters of seminiferous tubules and serum testosterone levels in animals inhaling FA were significantly decreased. In seminiferous epithelium stained for Hsp70, compared to those in the control group, the spermatogenetic cells in the experimental groups demonstrated an obvious increase in immunoreaction spermatides in the adluminal region and especially in the cytoplasm of spermatocytes. Immunoreaction of Hsp70 was detected in the spermatogonias of animals exposed to FA inhalation as opposed to those of the control group. Compared to the control, there was a significant increase in the immunoreactions observed not only in the cytoplasm of primary spermatocytes, but also spermatides in the adluminal region of the seminiferous tubules. In conclusion, FA gas may damage spermatogenetic cells and increase Hsp70 synthesis. © 2005, Sage Publications. All rights reserved