The Effect of Trifolium pratense L. (Red Clover) on Rat Testes

Trifolium pratense L. is a legume containing large amounts of phytoestrogen. It contains four important estrogenic isoflavones (biochanin A, formonentin, genistein, daidzein) and coumestans. The effect of Trifolium pratense L. on the testes of rats was investigated in terms of the following parameters: (a) testis weights, (b) volume densities of seminiferous tubule, seminiferous tubule epithelium, spermatogonium nucleus and Sertoli cell nucleus and (c) Sertoli cell number. For comparative purposes, the effect of the well characterized exogenous estrogen, 17-beta estradiol was also examined. Female Wistar rats (n = 80) and their male offspring (n = 54) were divided into 3 diet groups. The first group were given a basic diet with 7.5% Trifolium pretense L. added, the second group were given the basic diet with 0.5mg/kg dose of 17-beta estradiol added and the control group fed with the basic diet alone. The male offspring were sacrificed at postnatal days 18 and 90. Trifolium pretense L. in the diet was found to have a short term positive effect on pupertal spermatogenesis but a negative effect on it in the long term

The Effects of Genistein on the Cockerel Testis during Embryonic Development

There is no in vivo study on the effect of phytoestrogens on the development of testis in domestic fowl; therefore the aim of this study was to examine the effect of genistein on the cockerel testis during embryonic development. Genistein from soybean were injected into yolk via a small hole at the blunt end of the egg on day 4 of incubation. Cockerels were decapitated on post-hatching day 3 and paraffin sections of the testes were prepared. Nuclear volume density and absolute volume of Sertoli cells and germ cells, seminiferous tubule volume density and absolute volume were determined using the standard point counting method. Genistein did not cause any inhibitory effect on the embryonic development of cockerel testis. On the contrary it had a stimulatory effect on germ cell development

Comparison of Fixation Methods for Peripheral Nerve Fiber

Accurate fixation is a must for the assessment of myelinated nerve fiber morphology and transcardial perfusion and immersion methods are the most commonly used fixation techniques. In the present study we designed a new fixation technique for the histomorphometric and stereological evaluation of sciatic nerve fiber and referred it as instillation fixation. The method involved preliminary in situ fixation of the nerve sample without dissecting it from the animal body followed by a complete conventional fixation protocol. The objective of this study was to compare the three fixation techniques with each other for fixation artifacts. Eighteen female Wistar albino rats constituted the study material. The animals were allocated into three experimental groups corresponding to different fixation methods (immersion, instillation and transcardial perfusion, respectively). Quantitative assessments of nerve samples harvested from the animals of each group included the number of total myelinated axons, normal myelinated axons, alterations in myelin compaction, myelinated axons with irregular fiber shape, and with myelin loops and g ratio. Results revealed that normal nnyelinated axons were markedly lower in the immersion fixation group compared to those of instillation and transcardial perfusion. Moreover a significant decrease was noted with respect to alterations in myelin compaction in the instillation fixation group. In contrast, no significant difference was observed in myelin thickness and axon cross sectional area. In conclusion instillation fixation technique proved to be a valid and simple method for the assessment of peripheral nerve morphology for further analyses in a rat model

Prenatal exposure to a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug or saline solution impairs sciatic nerve morphology: a stereological and histological study

The toxic effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) during development has been widely investigated. While it has been shown that these drugs impair central nervous development and compromise the neural activity, the effects of these substances on the development of peripheral nerves are still not clarified. In the present Study, sciatic nerves withdrawn from three experimental groups of 4-week-old rats, prenatally exposed to either saline solution, or cliclofenac sodium, and controls not exposed to any substance, were evaluated in terms of axon number, cross-sectional area of axon and myelin sheet thickness as well as of the ultrastructure of nerve fibers. Comparisons of stereological estimations among these three groups showed that axon number and mean axon cross-sectional area, but not average myelin sheet thickness, were significantly decreased in rats that were exposed to both diclofenac sodium and also to the saline solution, in comparison of the control group. Electron microscope analysis revealed, in both treated groups, deterioration of myelin sheaths that was more pronounced in rats that were exposed to cliclofenac sodium. Altogether, these findings show that the prenatal administration of both diclofenac sodium and saline solution impairs peripheral nervous system development, thus suggesting that this potential teratogenic effect should be also taken into consideration in the clinical use of these substances in pregnant patients. (C) 2008 ISDN. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

The effect of prenatal exposure of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug on the optic nerve of female rats: a stereological, histological, and electron microscopic study

Amaç: non-steroidal anti-enflamatuar ilaçlar (NSAID) hem de yan etki olabilir prenatal dönemde anne ve fetus takip yönetim . Sırasında verilirse gebelik, diklofenak sodyum (DS ) , bir NSAID ,gebelik sırasında verilir de etkileyebilir merkezi sinir sistemi (MSS) veya ilgili yapıların geliştirilmesi . Yöntem: Gebe sıçanlarda serum fizyolojik ( SG ) ve diklofenak gruplar , saf kontrol ( PG ) ayrıldı ( DG ) . 1 mg / kg DS ve 1 ml / kg tuzlu su içinde bir günlük doz, DG ile intraperitoneal olarak enjekte edilmiştir dönemin bir 15 gün için 5. gebelik günden itibaren sırasıyla ve SG gruplar ,PG grubu hiçbir tedavi uygulanmadı. Spontan Doğumdan sonra , dişi yavruların tüm elde edilmiştir grupları . Doğum sonrası hayat ,hayvanlar ( her grup için n = 6 ) 20. hafta perfüze edildikten sonra ve doğru optik sinirler rezeke edildi . Bölüm stereolojik ve tabi tutuldu histolojik analizi. Bulgular: ile PG , SG ve DG gruplar arasında anlamlı bir fark ( P40.05 ) vardı miyelin kalınlığı , akson kesit alanı , akson sayısal yoğunluğu , toplam bölümüne saygı optik sinir ve akson sayısının alanı . Sonuç: histolojik ve stereolojik sonuçları DS veya serum fizyolojik ile bu tedavi endikasyonu ile kadın sıçan optik sinir gelişimi ve myelinizasyon üretilen istenmeyen etkiler biçimbilimsel sayg

Effects of Different Doses of Boric Acid Injected into Chicken Egg on Bursa of Fabricius and Spleen: A Histological and Stereological Study

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of different doses of boric acid injected into chicken eggs on bursa of Fabricius and spleen. The study material consisted of three treatment and one control group. On the fourth day of incubation, boric acid dissolved in 0.9% NaCl were injected into eggs at 1.000, 1.500 and 2.000 ppm doses and control group received only 0.9% NaCl injection. Chicks hatched were raised until ten weeks of age (n= 10). Bursa of Fabricius and spleen were evaluated by histological, immunohistochemical and stereological methods. Weight of bursa of Fabricius, relative weight of bursa of Fabricius (P<0.01), volume of bursa of Fabricius, cortical thickness, follicle area and area of follicular medulla significantly reduced (P<0.001) by injection of 1.500 ppm boric acid compared to control group. The number of white blood cells also decreased in 1.000 ppm and 1.500 ppm groups. An increase (P<0.001) was recorded in hemoglobin ratio in 2.000 ppm group when compared with the other treatment groups and control group. There was an increase in 1500 ppm group in terms of spleen weight (P<0.001), relative spleen weight (P<0.01) and plasma cell count (P<0.05) and likewise an increase was noted in 1.000 and 2.000 ppm groups with respect to follicle count and number of apoptotic cells in comparison to control group. In conclusion, low doses of boric acid induced the bursal involution and implicitly increased plasma cell count in the spleen