Effect of aqueous ginger (Zingiber officinale) extract on sperm quality and haematology in lead acetate-treated male albino rats

Purpose: To evaluate the ameliorative effects of aqueous ginger extract on sperm quality and haematology in lead acetate-treated male albino rats.Methods: Twenty-four male albino rats used for this study were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 6). Group 1 was the normal control. Lead acetate (4 mg/kg) was given to group 2 for 6 weeks. Lead acetate (4 mg/kg) and ginger (300 mg/kg) were given to group 4 simultaneously for 6  weeks, while group 4 was given lead acetate (4 mg/kg) for 6 weeks, and then, ginger (300 mg/kg) for another 6 weeks. Haematological parameters, including packed cell volume (PCV), white blood cell (WBC) and red blood cell (RBC) counts, hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, and differential  leukocyte count were evaluated in blood obtained from the retrobulbal plexus of the rats.Results: Sperm motility and viability were markedly lower (p < 0.05) in group 2, in comparison to groups 1 and 3, while sperm motility and viability in group 3 were similar, but differed from group 1 (p < 0.05). The sperm motility and sperm viability of groups 4 and 2 were comparable.  Haematological profile showed a marked reduction in the RBC of rats in group 2, when compared to those in groups 1 and 3. The WBC of group 2 was significantly higher than those of groups 1, 3 and 4 (p < 0.05).Conclusion: The results indicate that aqueous ginger extract has the potential to protect sperm quality and haematology in lead acetate treated male rats. Keywords: Ginger, Lead acetate, Sperm quality, Haematolog

Izloženost štakora mononatrijevu l-glutamatu od prenatalne do odrasle dobi: učinci na razine testosterona, kolesterola, proteine i aktivnost enzima u serumu te na testise i zalihu spermija u epididimisu.

This study investigated the effects of exposure of male rats to monosodium l-glutamate (MSG) from prenatal life to adulthood on the serum levels of testosterone, cholesterol and proteins, serum enzymes, epididymal sperm reserves and testicular allometric weights. Forty-eight albino rats (40 females and 8 males) were used as starting animals for the study. Being a generational study, the 48 mature albino rats eventually gave birth to the 64 male offspring which were used to conclude the study. Initially, the 40 starting females were randomly assigned into four groups (A, B, C and D) of 10 female rats each, while the 8 males were assigned to the four groups (2 for each) for mating. Females of groups A, B, C and D received 0.0 %, 0.5 %, 1.0 % and 2.0 % of MSG respectively in their drinking water. The treatment with MSG for the starting females, which was on a daily basis, started four weeks prior to the introduction of the mating males, and lasted throughout the mating period, pregnancy and delivery, and ended three weeks post-partum. The mating males did not receive MSG as the starting females had access to drinking water containing MSG during the day, and to the mating males during the night. Outside this mating period, the starting females had access to MSG in drinking water for 24 hours daily until 3 weeks post-partum. At the point of weaning (3 weeks post-partum), 64 male offspring (16 each from each of the four groups) were randomly assigned into 16 sub-groups of 4 male offspring each. The 16 male offspring from group A were divided into four sub-groups (A1, A2, A3 and A4), those of B were divided into four sub-groups (B1, B2, B3 and B4), those of C were also divided into four sub-groups (C1, C2, C3 and C4) and those of D were divided into four sub-groups (D1, D2, D3 and D4), all of 4 offspring per sub-group. From that point of weaning, the A1, B1, C1 and D1 sub-groups started receiving 0.0 % of MSG, A2, B2, C2 and D2 sub-groups started receiving 0.5 % of MSG, A3, B3, C3 and D3 sub-groups started receiving 1.0 % of MSG, and A4, B4, C4 and D4 sub-groups started receiving 2.0 % of MSG, all in their drinking water, until adulthood at 16 weeks of age. At 16 weeks of age, the serum levels of testosterone, cholesterol and total protein, serum activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were assayed. Caudal epididymal sperm reserves and testicular allometric weights were also determined. The testes were dissected out for histomorphological studies. Results showed that only the sub-groups that were exposed to MSG from weaning age to adulthood (A2, A3 and A4) had mean testosterone levels that were significantly (P<0.05) lower than that of the untreated control (A1). The mean serum cholesterol levels of some of the treated sub-groups were significantly (P<0.05) lower than that of the untreated control. The mean caudal epididymal sperm reserves, testicular allometric weights, and serum ALT and AST activities of all the treatment sub-groups were significantly (P<0.05) lower than those of the untreated control (A1). The mean serum total protein levels of groups A3, A4, B1, B2, C1, C4, D1 and D2 were significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of the untreated control (A1). Although the mean serum total cholesterol levels of all the treatment sub-groups were lower than that of the untreated control (A1), it was only the values of sub-groups B2, C2, C3, C4, D1, D2, D3 and D4 that showed a significant (P<0.05) decrease. No obvious lesions were observed on the testes of any of the sub-groups. It was concluded that exposure of rats to MSG at the doses used for the study from prenatal life to adulthood led to a significant reduction in serum testosterone and cholesterol levels, mean testicular allometric weights, cauda epididymal sperm reserves, serum activities of ALT and AST, and an increase in serum total protein.Istraženi su učinci mononatrijeva l-glutamata (MNG) na razine testosterona, kolesterola, proteina i aktivnost enzima u serumu te na testise, zalihu spermija u epididimisu kao i alometrijske težine testisa u štakora od prenatalne do odrasle dobi. Istraživanje je započelo odabirom 40 albino štakorica i 8 štakora. S obzirom na to da je riječ o istraživanju učinka na potomcima, od navedenog broja ženki i mužjaka za istraživanje su uzeta 64 muška potomka. Na početku pokusa 40 ženki bilo je nasumce raspoređeno u četiri skupine (A, B, C i D). U svaku skupinu od 10 ženki dodana su i dva mužjaka za parenje. Štakoricama skupine A nije bio primijenjen MNG, onima skupine B bio je primijenjen u koncentraciji 0,5 %, skupini C od 1,0 % i skupini D u koncentraciji od 2,0 % u vodi za piće. Dnevna primjena MNG početnim skupinama ženki započela je četiri tjedna prije uvođenja mužjaka u njihove skupine te je trajala kroz razdoblje parenja, skotnosti i dok su se kotile, a završila je tri tjedna nakon što su se okotile. Mužjacima s kojima su se parile nije bio primijenjen MNG budući da su početne ženke imale pristup pitkoj vodi koja ga je sadržavala samo tijekom dana, a mužjaci tijekom noći. Izvan razdoblja parenja početne ženke imale su pristup pitkoj vodi s MNG tijekom 24 sata sve do trećeg tjedna nakon koćenja. U trenutku zalučenja (tri tjedna nakon koćenja), 64 muška potomka (po 16 iz svake od četiri skupine) bili su nasumce razvrstani u 16 podskupina, po četiri mužjaka u svakoj. Tako je 16 muških potomaka skupine A bilo podijeljeno u 4 podskupine (A1, A2, A3 i A4), skupine B u četiri (B1, B2, B3 i B4), skupine C u četiri (C1, C2, C3 i C4) te one skupine D također u četiri podskupine (D1, D2, D3 i D4) pa su se tako po četiri potomka nalazila u svakoj podskupini. Od trenutka odbijanja od sise podskupine A1, B1, C1 i D1 bile su kontrolne i nisu dobivale MNG. Podskupine A2, B2, C2 i D2 počele su dobivati 0,5 % MNG, podskupine A3, B3, C3 i D3 počele su dobivati 1,0 % MNG, a podskupine A4, B4, C4 i D4 2,0 % MNG u vodi za piće sve do odrasle dobi odnosno do dobi od 16 tjedana. U toj dobi svi su bili pretraženi na razine testosterona, kolesterola i ukupnih proteina u serumu te na aktivnost alanin-aminotransferaze (ALT) i aspartat-aminotransferaze (AST). Također su bile određene rezerve sperme u kaudalnom dijelu epididimisa kao i alometrijske težine testisa. Tkivo testisa bilo je uzeto i za histološku pretragu. Rezultati su pokazali da su samo štakori podskupina koje su bile izložene MNG od trenutka odbijanja od sise do odrasle dobi (A2, A3 i A4) imali srednje razine testosterona značajno manje (P<0,05) nego oni u kontrolnoj skupini (A1). Srednje razine kolesterola u nekih pokusnih podskupina bile su značajno niže (P<0,05) nego u onih kontrolne skupine. Srednje razine zaliha sperme u epididimisu, alometrijske težine testisa, te aktivnosti ALT i AST u svih pokusnih podskupina bile su značajno (P<0,05) niže nego u kontrolne skupine (A1). Srednje razine ukupnih serumskih proteina skupina A3, A4, B1, B2, C1, C4, D1 i D2 bile su značajno (P<0,05) više od onih u kontrolnoj skupini (A1). Iako su srednje vrijednosti razina kolesterola u serumu svih pokusnih podskupina bile niže nego u kontrola (A1), samo su vrijednosti u podskupinama B2, C2, C3, C4, D1, D2, D3 i D4 bile značajno smanjene (P<0,05). Oštećenja testisa nisu bila primijećene ni u jednoj podskupini. Zaključuje se da izloženost štakora primijenjenim dozama MNG-a od prenatalne do odrasle dobi dovodi do značajnog smanjenja razina testosterona i kolesterola u serumu, do samnjenja alometrijskih težina testisa, smanjenja zaliha sperme u epididimisu, aktivnosti ALT i AST u serumu te povećanja ukupnih serumskih proteina

Effects of monosodium-L-glutamate administration on serum levels of reproductive hormones and cholesterol, epididymal sperm reserves and testicular histomorphology of male albino rats

This study investigated the effects of administration of monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) on serum gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), luteinising hormone (LH), testosterone and total cholesterol (TC), cauda epididymal sperm reserves (CESR) and testicular histomorphology of adult male albino rats. Eighty-four rats, randomly assigned to 7 groups of 12 rats each, were used for the study. Varying low doses (0.25, 0.50 or 1.00 g/kg body weight) of MSG were administered orally or subcutaneously at 48-h intervals for six weeks. Serum GnRH, LH, testosterone and TC, and CESR were evaluated on days 14, 28 and 42 of MSG administration. Testicular histomorphology was evaluated on day 42. The results showed that the mean serum GnRH, LH and testosterone levels, and the CESR of all the treated groups were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those of the untreated control on days 14, 28 and 42 of MSG administration. The mean serum TC levels of all the treated groups were also significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those of the control group on days 14 and 28. No lesions were observed on sections of the testes. It was concluded that MSG administration for 14, 28 and 42 days led to significantly lower serum levels of GnRH, LH, testosterone and TC, and significantly lower CESR

Effects of Vitamin E Supplementation in Male Rats with Crude Oil-Induced Reproductive Toxicity

Crude oil intoxication is a major threat among people and animals living around the crude oil producing regions of the world, hence the search for ameliorating agents. Forty-four male Wistar rats assigned into three groups were used to investigate the effects of vitamin E supplementation on crude oil-induced reprotoxicity (reproductive toxicity) in male rats. Group A represented the unexposed control, whereas groups B and C were exposed orally to 0.15 and 0.3 ml of crude oil respectively every other day for 56 days. Both the low dose and high dose oral administration of crude oil caused a significant reduction in the serum testosterone level (STL) and cauda epididymal sperm reserve (CESR) of the exposed rats when compared to the control. Crude oil withdrawal and vitamin E supplementation significantly improved the cauda epididymal sperm reserve (CESR) in all the subgroups. The serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities of the control and low dose group were significantly lower than those of the high dose group. The high dose crude oil administration significantly decreased the mean serum total protein (STP) and sodium ions (Na+) concentration. The mean serum total cholesterol (STC) value of the low dose group was significantly higher than those of the control and high dose group. However, crude oil withdrawal and vitamin E supplementation did not significantly alter the mean serum total protein (STP) and mean serum total cholesterol (STC) values in all the subgroups. Vitamin E supplementation following low dose crude oil withdrawal enhanced the mean serum Chloride ions (Cl-)concentration. The present findings revealed that Nigerian Qua Iboe Brent crude oil induced serious reprotoxic effects in male rats which vitamin E administration within 28 days did not completely reverse

Effects of &lt;i&gt;Telfairia occidentalis&lt;/i&gt; (Hook F.) Methanol Leaf Extract on the Haematological Indices and Histomorphology of the Endometrium and Liver of Female Albino Rats

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of administration of Telfairia occidentalis (Hook f.) methanol leaf extract on some hematological indices and histomorphology of the uterus and liver of female albino rats. Acute toxicity study of the extract was performed with female rats, following standard procedure. They were randomly assigned into 3 groups. The first group (A) served as the untreated control and received distilled water, while the second group (B) and third (C) received 200 and 800 mg/kg mg/kg body weight of the methanol leaf extract of T. occidentalis respectively. Administration of the extract was done daily via the oral route for 21 days. Blood was collected for hematological evaluation at weekly intervals. Hematological parameters assessed were the packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell (RBC) count, hemoglobin concentration (HB) and total white blood cell (TWBC) count. At the end of the study period uterine and liver tissues were excised and prepared for histological examination. Results showed that there was a significant decrease (P &lt; 0.05) in the mean PCV, RBC and HB values of the treatment groups, but only at the end of the second week of administration of the extract. There was no significant difference (P &gt; 0.05) in the mean total WBC throughout the duration of the study. Histological examination of uterine and liver tissues of the different groups did not show any lesions. It was concluded that the T. occidentalis leaf methanolic extract does not adversely affect the reproductive functions of the uterus