Effects of crude ethanolic extract of Garcinia cambogia on the reproductive system of male wistar rats (

15 male rats were grouped and administered crude ethanolic extracts of Garcinia cambogia seeds to test the effects on the histology of the testis and sperm counts. Group A served as the control while Groups B and C received 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight of extracts, respectively. The administration was done orally once a day, six days a week for six weeks. The routine histological preparation at the end of administration revealed increase in the interstitial spaces, degeneration of the Ledgid cells anddistortion in the arrangement of the cells of spermatogenic series. The sperm counts revealed a significant increase in the experimental groups when compared statistically with the control (

Cyfluthrin-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

The hepatotoxic effect of continous administration of cyfluthrin was investigated in rats. Rats (Rattus norvegicus) were grouped into A (0 ppm) control, B (100 ppm) and C (200 ppm) with the indicatedamount of cyfluthrin administered orally for 15 weeks.The hepatotoxicity level was assessed by monitoring the changes in the organ to body; weight ratio, micronutrient level (iron, zinc, copper andselenium), the nutritional status (total carbohydrate, total glucose, total protein, total amino acids, total lipid and total cholesterol), the lipid peroxidation level (reduced glutathione and thiobarbiturate) and theantioxidant enzyme activities (glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, catalase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase). A dose-dependent decrease in the organ-to-body ratio was observed. Themicronutrient level in the test groups increase significantly. The total carbohydrate, total glucose, total amino acids and total protein show a significant decrease in the test groups. There is no significantdifference observed in the tissue cholesterol at both dosages under investigation. Lipid peroxidation was increased in the test groups as indicated by a significant increase in the thiobarbiturate level and asignificant decrease in the reduced glutathione level. All the antioxidant enzymes studied increased significantly. Cyfluthrin is potentially hepatotoxic under continuous administration in rats

&#946-Tocopherol (vitamin E) attenuates the testicular toxicity associated with experimental cryptorchidism in rats

Cryptorchidism is the most frequent anatomic anomaly observed in an endocrine gland. It is a wellidentified risk factor in infertility and testicular cancer. It is believed that increased generation of freeradicals and oxidants play an important role in the resulting testicular damage. The present study investigated the role of a-tocopherol (vitamin E) as an antioxidant in protecting the testis againstdamage in experimental cryptorchidism. Thirty six Sprague - Dawley rats weighing 250 – 280 g were divided into three groups; A, B and C, with Group A (intact rats) as control. All rats in Group B and Cwere rendered bilaterally cryptorchid by anchoring the upper pole of testis to the anterior abdominal wall. Group C rats in addition received vitamin E at 25 mg/kg body weight intramuscularly daily. Fifty sixdays after cryptorchidism induction, bilateral testicular weight, bilateral testicular volume, bilateral caudal epididymal sperm characteristics, bilateral testicular histology and serum hormone levels wereall tested. Most of the above parameters were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in Groups B and C compared to Group A. The testes of vitamin E treated cryptorchid rats had better functional and histologicalprofiles than those of the untreated cryptorchid rats. Experimental cryptorchidism did not affect the plasma testosterone levels. The results indicated that vitamin E moderated the deleterious effects ofexperimental cryptorchidism