Comparative study of artesunate, acts and their combinants on the hormonal parameters of the male guinea-pig

In this study, the effects of half, normal and double clinical doses of artesunate; artesunate/sulfadoxine/ pyrimethamine; artesunate/amodiaquine and their combinants (sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine and amodiaquine) on the basal serum levels of testosterone, FSH, LH and prolactin of the guinea-pig were investigated. The results of this study showed that the agents caused significant decreases (

Antioxidants, cadmium-induced toxicity, serum biochemical and the histological abnormalities of the kidney and testes of the male wistar rats

The effects of different doses of cadmium (CD) on some biochemical, hormonal and histopathological parameters of the liver, kidney and testes of the Wister rate were investigated. Cadmium (CD) in the dose range 0-40mg/kg while causing a time- and dose-dependent decrease of the basal serum levels of alkaline phosphatese (ALP) also caused a dose-dependent increase in the serum concentration of the acid andprostatic acid phosphatases. The value of the ALP changed from 148.7±1.0 IU/L in the control to 53.7±0.098 at 40mg/kg of cadmium. While the ACP and ACPT changed from 32.6±0.72 and 7 ±Units in the control to 54 and 17 units respectively at 40mg/kg of CD. Furthermore Cadmium also caused positively correlated dose- and time-dependent destruction of the histology of the liver, kidney and testes. These were characterized by vascular congestion, vacuolation, destruction of the seminal epithelial layers, focal necrosis of nucleus, Oedema of the seminal epithelia layers, focal necrosis of nucleus, oedema of the seminiferous tubules and reduction of spermatogenesis. CD also caused granular and eosinophilic cytoplasm, enlargement of sinusoids with kupffer cells, haemorrhage and apoptosis of cells. Finally pre-treatment with vitamin C (0.0015/kg), vitamin E (1.51/gm) and selenium (0.25mg) which on their own had little or no effects on the serum basal phosphatases, hormonal and histological stability caused a reversal of the cadmium-induced biochemical, hormonal and histological toxicities of the liver, kidney and testes. These results may be explained by the oxidational/antioxidational properties of these xeonobiotics and their mechanisms of actions.Key words: vitamin C, cadmium, kidney, testes, hormones, antioxidant

The comparative effects of methanol extract of Phyllanthus amarus leaves and Vitamin E on the Sperm parameters of Male guinea pigs

The effects of the methanol extracts of the leaves of Phyllanthus amarus on the sperm parameters of male Guinea pigs were investigated. The effects of Vitamin E on the sperm parameters were also investigated and compared to that of Phyllanthus amarus. The phytochemical screening of the leaves of Phyllanthus amarus was also carried out. The methanol extract of the Phyllanthus amarus leaf (50-200mg/kg) caused a decrease in the sperm count and motility, from 65.0\ub1 2.80 and 66.7\ub10.33 to 46.0\ub1 2.10 and 37.7\ub1 1.50 respectively. However, this effect was less pronounced at higher doses of Phyllanthus amarus (400 and 800mg/kg). At 400 and 800mg/kg, P. amarus caused a decrease in sperm motility and count from 65.0\ub12.50 and 66.7\ub1 1.5 to 52.7\ub1 0.50 and 56.7\ub1 0.80 : to 43.3\ub11.70 and 48.3\ub11.70 respectively . These effects were dose- dependent and comparable to the observed effects of Vitamin E (500IU) on sperm parameters of male guinea pigs. These were significant at P < 0.05 (ANOVA). In timedependent study, the observed effect of P. amarus (800mg/kg) and Vitamin E on the values of sperm count and motility at 28 day were almost the same. These values are 56.7\ub1 3.30 and 48.3\ub1 1.70 for vitamin E; 47.5\ub12.50 and 47.5\ub1 2.50 for P.amarus respectively for sperm motility and count. These effects were time- dependent and statistically significant at P < 0.05 (ANOVA). Finally, the phytochemical screening of the leaves of Phyllanthus amarus revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, saponins and cardiac glycosides. This shows that the leaves of P .amarus do not largely contribute direct to the claims on the use of the aerial part of this plant by traditional medicine practitioners to increase/improve libido in men but it may have some indirect beneficial effects on this claim (like antioxidant activity) that mimic Vitamin E in both action and mechanism of action. However, further studies need to be done to investigate the contribution of the seeds of this plant in the improvement of libido in men and to isolate and characterize the active principles in the extracts of this plant. @ JASE

The Phytochemical constituents and the effects of methanol extracts of Phyllanthus amarus leaves (kidney stone plant) on the hormonal parameters of Male guinea pigs

The effects of the methanolic extracts of the leaves of Phyllanthus amarus on the hormonal parameters of male Guinea pigs were investigated. The phytochemical screening of the leaves of Phyllanthus amarus was also carried out. The hormonal parameters investigated are testosterone, Leutinizing and Follicle stimulating hormone. The methanolic extract of the Phyllanthus amarus leaves (50-800mg/kg) caused a statistically significance increase ( P < 0.001, ANOVA) in the level of Testosterone of the male Guinea pigs, from 2.3 \ub1 0.06 to 3.9 \ub1 0.05, 4.3 \ub1 0.6 and 2.8 \ub1 0.6 after the 7, 14th and 21st day of the administration of the extracts respectively . The highest increase was obtained after 14th day of treatment (4.3 \ub1.05). These effects were very comparable to the effects of Vitamin E on the testosterone of male Guinea pigs, which were obtained to be 3.0 \ub1 0.01, 3.1 \ub1 0.16 and 2.4 \ub1 0.30 for 7, 14th and 21st day respectively. These effects were dose- and time- dependents. The optimum effects (4.3 \ub1.05) were obtained at 400mg/kg of Phyllanthus amarus. Furthermore, the methanol extracts of Phyllanthus amarus (800mg/kg) caused an insignificant change in the levels of Leutenizing (LH) and Follicle stimulating (FSH) hormones from 3.1\ub10.22 and 1.6\ub10.50 to 3.0 \ub10.08 and 1.5 \ub1 0.13 respectively. These effects were also comparable to the effects of Vitamin E on these hormones. Finally, the phytochemical screening of the leaves of Phyllanthus amarus revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, saponins and cardiac glycosides. This may support or justify the claims on the use of the aerial part of this plant by traditional medicine practitioners to increase/improve libido and reproductive function in men. Although further studies need to be done to investigate the contribution of the seeds of this plant in the improvement of libido in men; also to isolate and characterize the active principles in the leaf extracts. @ JASE

Effects of Vanadium Pentoxide on the Histological and Sperm Parameters of Male Guinea Pigs

The pharmacological effects of intraperitoneal administration of different doses of vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) on the histological and sperm parameters of male guinea pigs were investigated. Also investigated were the effects of oral pretreatment with different doses of vitamin E (a known protein kinase C inhibitor) on the V2O5 -induced responses of the testis and liver of male guinea pigs. In n = 5 experiments, vanadium pentoxide in the dose range of 4.5-12.5mg/kg caused destruction of the testicular and liver architecture. This was characterized by a reduction in spermatogonia, destruction of seminiferous tubules, necrosis of the testicular tissues, necrosis of liver cells, fatty cells infiltration and vacoulation. Oral administration/ pretreatment with vitamin E in the dose range of 500-2000I.U caused a reversal of the vanadium pentoxide \u2013induced histological damages of the testis and the liver cells. Furthermore, in n = 5 animals experiments, Vanadium pentoxide (4.5-12.5 mg/kg/) caused a statistically significant increase in the percentage basal cell death, from 5.0 to 75.0 \ub1 1.0%, reduction in sperm motility from 90.0 to 31.0 \ub1 3.9%, reduction in sperm count from 80.0 x106cells/ml to 25.0\ub1 4.0 x 106cells/ml and alteration in the spermatic cell morphology ( i.e. causing a change in the cellular structure of sperm cells and an increase in abnormal cells count) of the male guinea pigs. These inhibitory effects were significant at P < 0.05 (ANOVA). These effects were all dose- and time-dependent and may have a role in oxidative pathology of vanadium pentoxide

The Phytochemical screening and the effects of methanolic extract of Phyllanthus amarus leaf on the Biochemical parameters of Male guinea pigs.

The phytochemical screening and the effects of the methanolic extracts of the leaves of Phyllanthus amarus on some biochemical parameters of male Guinea pigs were investigated. Phytochemical investigations revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, saponins and cardiac glycosides. The methanol extract of Phyllanthus amarus leaves (50-800mg/kg) caused a statistically significant (P< 0.05 student\u2019s t-test) decrease in the levels of total cholesterol, AST, ALT, urea, uric acid, total protein, prostatic, alkaline, and acid phosphatases. The highest reduction effect was obtained with uric acid at 400mg/kg of P.amarus extract while the least effect was observed in total cholesterol. These effects were dose- and time- dependent. This shows that the leaves of P .amarus have hepatoprotective, nephroprotective and cardio protective properties. The study therefore, supports the claim on the use of the aerial part of this plant by traditional medicine practitioners as a hepatoprotective agent. Although further studies need to be done to investigate the contribution of the seeds of this plant as a hepatoproctective and nephroprotective agent and to isolate, identify and characterize the active principles in the leaf extracts of this plant

Antioxidant Activity of the Aqueous Crude Extract of Ocimum gratissimum LINN. Leaf on Basal and Cadmium-induced Serum Levels of Phosphatases in Male Guinea-pigs.

The antioxidant activity of the aqueous crude extract of Ocimum gratissimum Linn. leaf on the basal and traumatized (cadmium-induced) serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total acid phosphatase (ACPT) and prostatic acid phosphatase (ACPP) of the male guinea-pig (GP) were evaluated. Preliminary experimentation showed that the effects of the aqueous crude extract of O. gratissimum on basal serum phosphatases were slightly more in the oral than the intraperitoneal (i.p) route. Oral administration of 20mg of O. gratissimum caused a timedependent decrease in the basal serum levels of ACPT and ACPP without an effect on ALP values. The inhibitory effects compared to the control were maximum at 4 hours. Furthermore, O. gratissimum given orally, caused significant dose-dependent decreases (p<0.05) of the basal serum levels of ACPT and ACPP at p<0.05. Basal serum concentrations of ACPT and ACPP changed from 23.50\ub11.04 and 7.50\ub10.29 to 8.25\ub10.75 and 2.25\ub10.29 IU at 20mg, representing 65 and 70 % decreases respectively. In contrast, 0.25-8mg/kg of cadmium (Cd) given intraperitoneally, caused significant dose-dependent increases (p<0.05) in the phosphatase enzymes. However pretreatment with 5mg of the crude extract, which on its own had little effect on basal serum phosphatase levels, followed by i.p administration of Cd, caused a reversal of the Cd-induced dose-response curves on the various phosphatase levels to negative values. These results may be due to the oxidative and the antioxidative biochemical antagonistic properties of the agents used in these experiments. They may also be due to enzyme conformational changes and effects of eugenols and flavonoids in the crude extract of O. gratissimum

Comparative Testicular Histopathological Effects of Artemisinin Derivatives and Some ACTs in the Guinea-pig

Artesunate and dihydroartemisinin are artemisinin derivatives, which are effective antimalarial agents used in the treatment of malaria. Combination of artemisinins and other standard antimalarial drugs (ACTs) have resulted in better cure rates of Plasmodium infections. In this study, the histolopathological effects of half, normal and double clinical doses of artesunate, dihydroartemisinin, artesunate/amodiaquine, artesunate/sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine and artemether/lumefantrine on the testes of guinea-pigs were investigated. Mean testicular weight and circumference were both significantly (

The comparative effects of methanol extract of Phyllanthus amarus leaves and Vitamin E on the Sperm parameters of Male guinea pigs

The effects of the methanol extracts of the leaves of Phyllanthus amarus on the sperm parameters of male Guinea pigs were investigated. The effects of Vitamin E on the sperm parameters were also investigated and compared to that of Phyllanthus amarus. The phytochemical screening of the leaves of Phyllanthus amarus was also carried out. The methanol extract of the Phyllanthus amarus leaf (50-200mg/kg) caused a decrease in the sperm count and motility, from 65.0± 2.80 and 66.7±0.33 to 46.0± 2.10 and 37.7± 1.50 respectively. However, this effect was less pronounced at higher doses of Phyllanthus amarus (400 and 800mg/kg). At 400 and 800mg/kg, P. amarus caused a decrease in sperm motility and count from 65.0±2.50 and 66.7± 1.5 to 52.7± 0.50 and 56.7± 0.80 : to 43.3±1.70 and 48.3±1.70 respectively . These effects were dose- dependent and comparable to the observed effects of Vitamin E (500IU) on sperm parameters of male guinea pigs. These were significant at P < 0.05 (ANOVA). In timedependent study, the observed effect of P. amarus (800mg/kg) and Vitamin E on the values of sperm count and motility at 28 day were almost the same. These values are 56.7± 3.30 and 48.3± 1.70 for vitamin E; 47.5±2.50 and 47.5± 2.50 for P.amarus respectively for sperm motility and count. These effects were time- dependent and statistically significant at P < 0.05 (ANOVA). Finally, the phytochemical screening of the leaves of Phyllanthus amarus revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, saponins and cardiac glycosides. This shows that the leaves of P .amarus do not largely contribute direct to the claims on the use of the aerial part of this plant by traditional medicine practitioners to increase/improve libido in men but it may have some indirect beneficial effects on this claim (like antioxidant activity) that mimic Vitamin E in both action and mechanism of action. However, further studies need to be done to investigate the contribution of the seeds of this plant in the improvement of libido in men and to isolate and characterize the active principles in the extracts of this plant. @ JASE

Effects of halofantrine, sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine and sulfametopyrazine/pyrimethamine on the concentration of serum phosphatases in male guinea pigs

Background: New single and combined antimalarial therapies developed as a result of resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum raise new toxicological concerns and considerations. Aims: To establish and compare the dose- and time-dependent effects of three clinically used antimalarials agents on serum enzymes; alkaline phosphatase, prostatic phosphatases and acid phosphatase tartarate. Methods: Sixty male guinea pigs of average weight 500±5 gms were placed in twelve cages of five each. They were divided into four major groups, of three subsets each. The first group (control) received only water and food. The second, third and fourth groups of three cages of five animals each were given halofantrine hydrochloride (4.0-16.0 mg/kg), sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (12.5-50.0 mg/kg) and sulfametopyrazine/pyrimethamine (12.5-50.0mg/kg) respectively in increasing doses of half clinical, clinical and twice clinical doses. In the time-dependent experiment, the above stated protocol was repeated at different time intervals with a set of five animals each. Blood was taken at 24 hrs, 7 and 28 days respectively for biochemical analysis. Analysis of variance at 0.05 level of significance was used to test differences between groups. Results: There were dose-dependent increases in alkaline phosphatases from14.7+0.58 to 38+2.0 IU/l (P = 0.046), 16.5+2.12 IU/l to 31.3+1.53 IU/l (p < 0.05) and 14.5+2.1 to 23+1.0 IU/l (P = 0.001) for sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine, halofantrine hydrochloride and sulfametopyrazine/pyrimethamine respectively. The time-dependent results show a progressive increase in these values maximizing on the seventh day, with a reversal (decreases) on the twenty eight day. Conclusion: These agents produced dose- and time-dependent effects on serum phosphatases.   Keywords : Antimalarials, Serum phosphatases, Toxicit