Protective role of flaxseed oil against lead acetate induced oxidative stress in testes of adult rats

Even though the toxic effects of lead compounds had been studied over many years, inconsistent results have been obtained about their oxidative stress in the testes of adult rats. Lead acetate (20 mg/kg) alters the histology of testes as well as enhances lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide production in both serum and testes with concomitant reduction in glutathione (GSH) and antioxidant enzymes as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Moreover, lead acetate induced DNA fragmentation in testes of rats. Treatment of rats with flaxseed oil (1000 mg/kg) resulted in marked improvement in all studied parameters. On the basis of the aforementioned results, it can be hypothesized that flaxseed oil is a promising natural product to protect against lead acetate induced oxidative stress and toxicity in rats.Key words: Lead, flaxseed oil, oxidative stress, testes, rat

Epithelial lining of the endometrium during the luteal phase in patients under controlled ovarian hyperstimulation

The endometrium is receptive for the embryo and presents an implantation window for a limited time. This study is aimed at highlighting an alternation in pinopod expression and to provide more analysisof the structural characteristics of epithelial lining of the endometrium during luteal phase in patients undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimmulation (COH). Twelve oocyte donors were used. Theyunderwent two endometrial biopsies 2-7 days after human chronic gonadotrophin (HCG) administration. Endometrial epithelial surface appearance was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. Microvillibecame more uniformly distributed as the luteal phase progressed. Also the central aspects of the cells appeared to protrude more into the endometrial lumen as the cycle progressed. Apical protrusions(pinopods) were noted to develop and regress during the midluteal phase after HCG administration. Pinopods began development in the region of the glandular orifices to become much denser at the glandular orifices than in regions further away from the glands. In conclusion, epithelial lining ofendometrium in stimulated cycle during the luteal phase progresses in an orderly manner. This advanced development may result in an alteration of the window of implantation between the developing endometrium and the developing blastocyst and affect pregnancy rates in women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimmulation

Ultrastructural and molecular characterization of Glugea serranus n. sp., a microsporidian infecting the blacktail comber, Serranus atricauda (Teleostei: Serranidae), in the Madeira Archipelago (Portugal)

A new microsporidian infecting the connective tis sue of the coelomic cavity of the blacktail comber Serranus atricauda, in the Madeira Archipelago (Portugal), is described on the basis of morphological, ultrastructural, and molecular features. The microsporidian formed large whitish xenomas adhering to the peritoneal visceral organs of the host. Each xenoma consisted of a single hypertrophic cell, in the cyto plasm of which mature spores proliferated within parasitophorous vacuoles surrounded by numerous collagen fibers. Mature spores were ellipsoidal and uninucleated, mea suring an average of 6.5 ± 0.5 μm in length and 3.4 ± 0.6 μm in width. The anchoring disk of the polar filament was subter minal, laterally shifted from the anterior pole of the spore. The isofilar polar filament coiled in 18–19 turns, forming two rows that surrounded the posterior vacuole. The latter occupied about one third of the spore length. The polaroplast surround ing the apical and uncoiled portion of the polar filament displayed two distinct regions: a lamellar region and an electron-dense globule. Molecular analysis of the rRNA genes, including the internal transcribed spacer region, and phylogenetic analysis using maximum likelihood and neigh bor joining demonstrated that this microsporidian parasite clustered with some Glugea species. Based on the differences found both at the morphological and molecular levels, to other members of the genus Glugea, the microsporidian infecting the blacktail comber is considered a new species, thus named Glugea serranus n. sp.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Choleoeimeria bunopusi sp. n. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) Infecting the Gall Bladder of the Tuberculated Gecko Bunopus tuberculatus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from Saudi Arabia

Choleoeimeria bunopusi sp. n. is described from the gall bladder of the tuberculated gecko Bunopus tuberculatus in Saudi Arabia. The prevalence of infection was 13.3% (2/15). Oocysts were ellipsoidal and measured 31 (30–33) × 21 (20–22) μm. Sporocysts were dizoic, elliptical in shape and measured 12 (11–13) × 7 (6–8) μm. The endogenous development was confined to the gall bladder epithelium. The hypertrophic parasitized biliary epithelium either remained in one layer or became stratified. Meronts, gamonts, and young oocysts were detected

Protective effect of berberine chloride on Plasmodium chabaudi-induced hepatic tissue injury in mice

AbstractThe present study aimed to investigate the protective role of berberine (BER) against Plasmodium chabaudi-induced infection in mice. Animals were divided into three groups. Group I served as a vehicle control. Group II and group III were infected with 1000 P. chabaudi infected erythrocytes. Group III was gavaged with 100μl of 10mg/kg berberine chloride for 10days. All mice were sacrificed at day 10 post-infection. The percentage of parasitemia was significantly reduced more than 30%, after treatment of mice with BER. Infection caused marked hepatic injuries as indicated by histopathological alterations as evidenced by the presence of hepatic lobular inflammatory cellular infiltrations, dilated sinusoids, vacuolated hepatocytes, increased number of Kupffer cells and the malaria pigment, hemozoin. These changes in livers led to the increased histological score. Also, infection induced a significant increase in liver alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase and a significant increase in the total leucocytic count. Moreover, mice became anemic as proved by the significant decrease in erythrocyte number and haemoglobin content. BER showed a significant protective potential by improving the above mentioned parameters. Based on these results, it is concluded that berberine could offer protection against hepatic tissue damage

Berberine-Induced Amelioration of the Pathological Changes in Nutrient's Homeostasis During Murine Intestinal Eimeria papillata Infection

Abstract.-The current work aimed to study the ameliorative effect of berberine on the induced pathological changes in nutrient's homeostasis in mice infected with Eimeria papillata. Mice were randomly divided into three groups. The first group represents the control non-infected animals. Second and third groups were orally infected with 1.5×10 3 sporulated E. papillata oocysts. The 3 rd group was treated with a daily dose (10 mg/kg) of berberine chloride solution for five successive days. All animals were sacrificed on day 5 p.i.. E. papillata infection induced a state of disturbance in nutrient homeostasis. Blood glucose levels and total proteins were elevated with concurrent decrease in level of carbohydrates and soluble proteins in jejunum of mice. Also, infection induced a hyperlipidemic status as shown from the increase in triglycerides, total lipids, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) with the mutual decrease in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and phospholipids. Also, E. papillata caused marked disturbance in blood metal ion concentrations. Both ferrous and selenium ion levels were decreased, while sodium and potassium ion concentrations were increased. Berberine treatment of infected mice with E. papillata showed a great enhancement in nutrient homeostatic status and also reduced blood glucose level and restored jejunal carbohydrate content. In addition, berberine exerted hypolipidemic effect on the increased fractions of carbohydrates and lipids. Finally, berberine showed a marked enhancement in the levels of altered blood metal ions by the infection. Palm pollen grains or their extracts could be used within food mixtures or water to correct the induced metabolic disturbance and growth depression associated with the intestinal coccidial infections

Taxonomic Descriptions of Two Marine Ciliates, Euplotes dammamensis n. sp. and Euplotes balteatus (Dujardin, 1841) Kahl, 1932 (Ciliophora, Spirotrichea, Euplotida), Collected from the Arabian Gulf, Saudi Arabia

The morphology, morphogenesis and infraciliature of two marine euplotid ciliates, Euplotes dammamensis n. sp. and Euplotes balteatus (Dujardin, 1841) Kahl, 1932, isolated from a sandy beach of the Arabian Gulf, Saudi Arabia, were investigated using observations in vivo and protargol-impregnation methods. Euplotes dammamensis n. sp. is characterized by a combination of features including its huge body size (100–170 × 80–120 μm), 10 conspicuous dorsal ridges, 10 normal-sized frontoventral and two marginal cirri, and 11 dorsal kineties. Euplotes balteatus is mainly characterized by 10 frontoventral, two caudal, and two left marginal cirri, 7–10 dorsal kineties and 5–7 prominent dorsal ridges as well as double-eurystomus silverline system. The small subunit rRNA (SSU-rRNA) gene sequences were determined for both species and phylogenetic analyses based on these data indicated that E. dammamensis is most closely related to E. parabalteatus Jiang et al., 2010, and E. balteatus clusters with E. plicatum Valbonesi et al., 1997, E. orientalis Jiang et al., 2010, and E. bisulcatus Kahl, 1932

Acaricidal activity of Foeniculum vulgare against Rhipicephalus annulatus is mainly dependent on its constituent from trans-anethone

Globally, the economic losses due to hard ticks infestation and the control of the associated diseases have been calculated at USD $13.9-18.7 billion per year. The economic impact is related to its direct damage to the skins, blood loss, anemia, severe immunological reactions and indirect losses that related to the effects of hemoparasites, cost of treatment for clinical cases and expenses incurred in the control of ticks. The current study evaluated the acaricidal activities of fennel Foeniculum vulgare essential oil and its main components; trans-anethole and fenchone; against R. annulatus. GC-MS analysis revealed that this oil contained 16 components representing 99.9% of the total identified compounds with E-anethole being the predominant component(64.29%), followed by fenchone (9.94%). The fennel oil and trans-anethole showed significant acaricidal activities. The LC50 of the fennel oil was attained at concentrations of 12.96% for adult ticks and 1.75% for tick larvae meanwhile the LC50 of trans-anethole was reached at concentrations of 2.36% for adult tick and 0.56% for tick larvae. On the contrary, fenchone showed no any significant adulticidal activities and its LC50 attained at a concentration of 9.11% for tick larvae. Regarding repellence activities, trans-anethole achieved 100% repellency at the concentration of 10% while fennel showed 86% repellency at the same concentration. Fenchone showed no repellency effect. Treatment of larvae with fennel, trans-anethole, and fenchone LC50 concentrations significantly inhibited the acetylcholinesterase activity. Meanwhile, glutathione s-transferase activity was significantly decreased in fennel treated larvae but no significant effect was found in the larvae of trans-anethole and fenchone groups. These results indicate that the acaricide effect of fennel oil may attributed to its high content of trans-anethole. This was supported by potent adulticidal, larvicidal, and repellency effects of trans-anethole against Rhipeciphalus annulatus tick and therefore it could be included in the list of acaricide of plant origin

Prevalence and antimicrobial sensitivity of Escherichia coli and Salmonella species in field cases of rabbit intestinal coccidiosis treated with prebiotic

This study aimed to investigate the effect of prebiotic treatment on E. coli and Salmonella species during natural intestinal coccidiosis in rabbits. The experiment was conducted on 45 selected farm rabbits of which 15 were coccidian free (Negative control; NC, group) and 30 were naturally coccidian infected. The infected animals were allocated into two equal groups including positive control (PC) and prebiotic treated (PT) that were orally treated with prebiotic for 8 successive days. Fecal oocyst count was assessed daily during the course of treatment. Meanwhile, the PC group had a significantly high oocyst count (21.67×103 ± 0.82 OPG), with a significant increase in the prevalence of E. coli and Salmonella (86.7 % and 46.7 %, respectively). Moreover, the NC group remained coccidian free and exhibited E. coli infection only with no detection of salmonella isolates. Findings of in-vitro susceptibility testing showed that E. coli isolates were highly resistant to most of the tested antimicrobials while Salmonella isolates showed variable degrees of resistance. In conclusion, the prebiotic treatment significantly reduced the prevalence of E. coli and Salmonella infections coexisted with intestinal coccidiosis in naturally infected rabbits