Ameliorative effect of combined melatonin and vitamin C on Cannabis sativa-induced reproductive hormonal toxicity

Background: Decline in fertility seen in Cannabis sativa (CS) consumers has been related to its influence on reproductive hormones but the mechanism(s) involved is not fully understood. Moreover, the possible beneficial or detrimental effect of melatonin and vitamin C on cannabis-associated effects on reproductive hormones is yet to be investigated and necessitated this study.Methods: Fifty-five (55) male albino rats (250-300g) were randomly divided in a blinded fashion into 5 oral treatment groups as follow: Group I (control, n=5) received 10% ethanol (1 ml/kg) for 30 days. Groups 2, 3, and 4 consisted of 15 rats each that were subdivided to receive CS (2 mg/kg) only, CS (2 mg/kg)+melatonin (4 mg/kg), and CS (2 mg/kg)+vitamin C (1.25 g/kg) respectively for 20-, 30-, or 40 days (n=5 rats each). Group V (n=5) received CS (2 mg/kg) + melatonin (4 mg/kg)+vitamin C (1.25 g/kg) for 30 days.Results: The CS reduced gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone but increased estradiol and prolactin. In addition, co-administration of CS with melatonin and vitamin C abolished the effect of cannabis on these parameters when combined but not when administered separately (except for prolactin and GnRH).Conclusion: Cannabis causes downregulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, endocrine disruption, and hyperprolactinemia. These effects (except hyperprolactinemia) could be reversed by melatonin and vitamin C only when combined but not when administered separately.Keywords: Cannabis sativa; Endocrine disruption; Hyperprolactinemia; Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis; Melatonin; Vitamin

Mifepristone Ameliorates Sleep Deprivation - Induced Oxidative Stress in the Testis of Rats

Sleep deprivation is becoming an everyday experience and has been associated with generation of chronic stress and low level of testosterone. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of mifepristone on testicular oxidative stress and serum inflammatory markers in sleep deprivation induced chronic stress in rats. Twenty five rats were divided into five groups (n=5) and designated as follows: Group 1: Control, Group 2: sleep deprived (SD), Group 3: sleep deprived and sleep recovery (SD+SR), Group 4: sleep deprived mifepristone treated (SD+MIF), Group 5: sleep deprived and recovery mifepristone treated (SD+SR+MIF). Rats were sleep deprived for five days, mifepristone 10mg/kg was given orally for mifepristone treated groups while recovery groups were allowed to recover for five days. At the end of the experiments cortisol, testosterone, interleukin 6 (IL-6) and c reactive protein (CRP) were analysed while testicular malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH) were also evaluated. Rats in SD group had significantly increased level of MDA and cortisol, IL-6 and CRP levels (p<0.05), while showing significantly reduced the levels of testosterone, GSH, and CAT (p<0.05). Treatment with mifepristone reversed the changes in the MDA, GSH, CAT, cortisol, testosterone levels (p<0.05), while only sleep deprived recovery (SD+SR) reversed changes in IL-6 and CRP. The present findings indicate that mifepristone possesses antioxidant properties which may ameliorate the imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and production of antioxidant enzymes in the testis. However, sleep recovery is important in reversing inflammatory changes due to sleep deprived induced chronic stress

Effects of photoperiod on testicular functions in male sprague-dawley rats

Variation in reproductive status in response to photoperiods has been observed in laboratory rats. We investigated the effects of photoperiod on testicular activity in Sprague-Dawley rats (Rattus norvigicus) maintained in experimental photoperiodic condition. Twenty four adult male rats weighing 170±10g were conditioned to different lighting conditions of Light/Dark (LD) Cycle for 6 weeks. Group 1, Control group (LD12:12, light on from 07:00hr to 19:00hr). Group 2, Short Photoperiod group (LD 8:16hr, light on from 09:00hr to 17:00hr). Group 3, Long Photoperiod group (LD 16:8hr, light on from 05:00hr to 21:00hr). A significant influence of different lighting conditions on the testicular parameters was observed. Short photoperiod showed a suppressing effect (

Atropine exposure in adolescence predispose to adult memory loss in Wistar rats

Some of the brain malfunctions in adulthoods have been linked to the developmental process in their childhood, especially in most adolescent who have been exposed to one form of drug abuse or another. This study investigated the effect of atropine exposure at adolescence on the memory and histology of the frontal cortex of Wistar rats and its effects on adult memory. 20 male adolescent Wistar rats were used for the study. The rats were divided into two groups of 10 rats each. The first group were administered with100 mg/kg body weight of atropine (Atr), and the other 10 rats were given 10 mL/kg body weight of normal saline (NS) for 7 days at adolescence. On 8th day, the rats were subjected to novel object recognition test (NOR) and ‘Y’ maze test to assess their memory function, 5 rats from each group were euthanized using ketamine and were perfused transcardially with 4% paraformaldehyde. Thereafter, the brains were removed and processed for histology using H&E and Giemsa stain. The remaining 5 rats from each group were reared till adult (65 days postpartum) without treatment denoted as Atr-I and NS-I respectively. The same memory tests and histology study were conducted on the rats at adulthood. Data were analysed using Student t test and P<0.05 was set as significant level. Atr and Atr-1showed decline in memory neither index from NOR compared with NS and NS-I respectively. Atr-I shows decline in Y maze compared to NS-I. The study concludes that atropine exposed rats show significant signs of neural cell death in the frontal cortex which progresses into adulthood as evidence from the histological findings

Serum testosterone concentration in chloroquinetreated rats: effects of ascorbic acid and alphatocopherol

The effects of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) were studied on serum testosterone concentration in chloroquine-treated rats. Thirty five (35) adult male rats weighing 160 - 200 g were divided into seven groups of five (5) rats each. Group I rats served as the control and received 2 ml/kg of normal saline while Group II rats were treated with chloroquine (20 mg/kg). Groups III, IV, V, VI and VII rats were treated with chloroquine (20 mg/kg) and either vitamin C (14.3 or 100 mg/kg) or vitamin E (9.3 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg) or the combination of both. The drugs were administered orally for thirty five (35) days and at the end of the treatment, serum testosterone concentrations were determined. Theresults showed that chloroquine did not cause a significant change in serum testosterone concentration. In addition, the administration of the vitamins with chloroquine also did not cause any significant change in serum testosterone concentration when compared with the control. The results suggest that long-term administration of chloroquine could have no effect on testosterone concentration and the vitamins also could not cause any significant change in testosterone concentration in the presence of chloroquine

Effects of Roasted Yam (Discorea rotundata Poir.) on Erythrocyte Osmotic Fragility and Other Haematologic Values in Male Albino Rats

The effects of roasted yam (Discorea rotundata Poir.) were studied on some hematologic parameters in male albino rats. Twenty four (24) adult male rats were divided into three groups of eight rats per group.Group I served as the control group, in which the rats were given normal rat chow. Group II rats served as the sham control and received normal rat chow mixed with 25% of finely ground yam, while group IIIserved as experimental group and received normal rat chow mixed with 25% of finely ground roasted yam. At the end of the experimental period (6 weeks), animals in all the groups were sacrificed and bloodsamples were taken for the determination of red blood cell (RBC) count, hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, and packed cell volume (PCV) and erythrocyte osmotic fragility. It was observed that roasted yamingestion reduced RBC count, PCV, and Hb concentration while it increased erythrocyte osmotic fragility rats (

Melatonin enhanced the restoration of biochemical profile in chlorambucil treated-rats: examination of after-withdrawal effects of the drug

Background: In the wake of global prevalence of different types of cancer, the widespread use of chemotherapy poses threat to the integrity of the reproductive system. Although chlorambucil (Chrm) has anti-calcinogenic action, its administration has been associated with reproductive damage. Similar to chlorambucil, melatonin has anti-cancerous effect. Moreover, the hormone is claimed to protect the reproductive tissues from the insult of different disruptors of their functionality and histoarchitecture. Therefore, the present study investigated the effects of post-administration of melatonin in Chrm treated rats, with an interest in examining the after-withdrawal effects of the drug.Methods: Forty rats of ten animals per group were used for the study which lasted for six weeks. The control group received normal saline (vehicle; 0.1 ml/day, p.o.) for six weeks, while group 2 was administered saline for three weeks and then Chrm during the subsequent three weeks. However, in groups 3 and 4, Chrm was administered during the first three weeks; thereafter, they were administered saline and melatonin respectively during the subsequent three weeks. Chrm and melatonin were administered at 0.2 and 10 mg/kg b.w./day (p.o.) respectively.Results: The administration of Chrm significantly decreased gonadotrophin releasing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, luteinising hormone, testosterone and antioxidant enzymes, but significantly elevated pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory markers compared to the control group. Moreover, it was accompanied with selected significant alterations of semen parameters and lipid indices. However, restoration of baseline status of testosterone, catalase, total antioxidant capacity, malondialdehyde, lactate dehydrogenase, uric acid, sperm count, and free fatty acid was simply enhanced by the withdrawal of the drug, while that of gonadotrophin releasing hormone, testosterone, semen parameters, superoxide dismutase, catalase, c-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and high density lipoprotein cholesterol was facilitated by the administration of melatonin.Conclusion: The restoration of biochemical profile after chlorambucil treatment could be enhanced by the administration of melatonin.Keywords: chlorambucil; melatonin; reproduction; toxicit

Hepatoprotective and antioxidant efficacy of aqueous stem bark extracts of Balanites aegyptiaca (Linn.) Del. against acetaminophen induced liver injury in rats

Tradffitffional use of varffious extracts of Balanffites aegyptffiaca ffin the management of many dffiseases has been prevffiously reported. Though oxffidatffive stress ffis known to contrffibute to the development of many of the dffisease condffitffions on whffich extracts of B. aegytffiaca have been found efffficacffious, effects of these extracts on free radffical-ffinduced lffipffid peroxffidatffion ffis not well understood. Thffis study ffinvestffigated the protectffive effects of stem bark extracts of B. aegyptffiaca on acetamffinophen-ffinduced lffipffid peroxffidatffion ffin rats. Phytochemffical analysffis of the plant extract used was conducted. Followffing a 10 day pre-treatment wffith extracts of B. aegyptffiaca, serum levels of thffiobarbffiturffic reactffive substances (TBARS), vffitamffin C, cholesterol/phospholffipffids, catalase (CAT) actffivffity as well as markers enzymes of hepatotoxfficffity were measured ffin rats admffinffistered wffith acetamffinophen (2 mg/kg body weffight). Results obtaffined ffindfficated preponderance of alkaloffids, flavonoffids, glycosffides, phenols, saponffins, and tannffins. Pre-treatment wffith extracts of B. aegyptffiaca protected agaffinst acetamffinophen-ffinduced elevatffion of TBARS and marker enzymes of hepatotoxfficffity as well as ffinhffibffited the depletffion of serum levels of vffitamffin C, CAT actffivffity and phospholffipffids ffin a dose-dependent manner. Serum levels of cholesterol were not affected by acetamffinophen ffintoxfficatffion or treatment wffith the plant extract. These results ffindfficated that therapeutffic actffions prevffiously lffinked wffith extracts of B. aegyptffiaca mffight be a consequence of ffits antffioxffidatffive and hepatoprotectffive effec

Effects of aqueous extract of Ocimum gratissimum on haematological parameters of Wistar rats

The effect of aqueous extract of Ocimum gratissimum on hematological parameters of Wister rats was studied. Twenty five rats with weight ranging between 100-160g were used. The rats were divided into five groups; with group one as the control group. Increasing doses (0.2, 0.4,0.8, 1.6g kg-1 body weight) of the extract were administered orally to the other four groups for a period of four weeks. Significant (P< 0.05) decreases in the level of hemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC) and other hematological parameters were observed

Orange peel extract corrected lipid dysmetabolism and pro-inflammation, but not deranged antioxidant and hormonal status in orchidectomised rats

Background: Testosterone is a metabolic hormone; therefore, its absence would affect food metabolism, and subsequently a wide array of associated endogenous processes, including oxidative and inflammatory events. Contrarily, orange peel is known to be rich in flavonoids, which have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, asides from their modulatory roles on lipolysis and lipogenesis. Hence, we investigated the effects of ethanolic extract of orange peel (EEOP) on antioxidant, inflammatory, and lipid and reproductive hormonal profiles in experimental animal. Methods: The rats were divided into four groups (N=10), which included: Control (Sham orchidectomised) (group 1); Orchidectomised (Orchid) (group 2); Orchidectomised + Low dose of orange peel (Orchid + LDOP) (group 3); and Orchidectomised + High dose of orange peel (Orchid + HDOP) (group 4). EEOP was administered at a low and high dose of 200 and 600 mg/kg BW, p.o. respectively; however, normal saline (vehicle) was administered at 1 ml/kg BW, p.o. to groups 1 and 2 throughout the four weeks duration of the experiment. Results: Castration was accompanied by dsylipidaemia, without alteration of oxidative, inflammatory, and reproductive hormonal status. Although EEOP reversed alterations in lipid metabolism back to the baseline, it neither showed significant effects on oxidative markers (SOD, catalase, total antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde) nor reproductive hormone (testosterone, FSH and LH) profile, even though it significantly reduced uric acid. The effects of EEOP were not dose-graded, except in the MDA result, which was significantly higher in group 3, relative to group 4. Conclusion: EEOP corrected lipid dysmetabolism and pro-inflammation, but not deranged antioxidant and hormonal status in a dose-independent manner in orchidectomised rats. Kewords: Orange peel extract, Oxidative stress, Inflammation, Lipid profile; Hormon