ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Estrogens has traditionally been known as the female hormone, but this idea has been challenged in early 1990’s and an essential physiological role for estrogen in male fertility was identified. Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring non-steroidal plant chemicals that can act like the female hormone estrogen. The herbs ( anise alfalfa and vervain ) chosen in this study contain phytoestrogens. OBJECTIVE: Previous studies demonstrated controversy of the effects of phytoestrogens on the rat testes .Hence, the present investigation was undertaken to investigate the influence of typical dose of herbs containing phytoestrogen on the rat testis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four apparently normal mature male rats were divided into four groups of 6 animals each. The first "control" group received only 4ml of distilled water as a placebo. The second group received 40mg/kg of anise seed; the third group received 53.3 mg/kg of dried herb of vervain and the fourth group received 400 mg /kg of alfalfa seeds. All experimental groups received the doses through orogastric tube daily for fourteen days. Testicular histology was evaluated by light and enzyme histochemistry. Plasma FSH and testosterone concentrations were taken to support our results. RESULTS: Histological examination of anise, alfalfa and vervain – treated groups showed an increase in the height of germinal epithelia. There was marked lipoprotein lipase activity in the whole of the interstitial tissue which is more in amount in experimental groups than that in control group. Acid phosphatase granules were infiltered the seminiferous epithelia mildly in control group , moderately in anise and vervain groups and markedly in alfalfa group. The number of interstitial cells showing marked acid phosphatase activity was higher in all experimental groups than that in control group. Alkaline phosphatase exhibited intense activity in the boundary tissue of the seminiferous tubules in testes of control and experimental groups but it appeared thicker in the latter. CONCLUSION: The low dose and short duration of treatment used in our study made these phytoestrogen – containing herbs to have a stimulatory effect on leydig cell steroidogenesis. This study also demonstrated that aniseed being the most potent of the three herbs followed by alfalfa in stimulating testosterone synthesis. This is possibly attributed to the coumarin constituent of aniseed and alfalfa. KEY WORDS: phytoestrogen-containing herbs, testis, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, lipoprotein lipase
Folic acid modulates several disorders in humans, pregnancy mostly because of the mitochondria-rich placenta, is a condition that favors oxidative stress.Transitional metals, especially iron, which are particularly abundant in the placenta, are important in the production of free radicals. Adenosine deaminase (ADA), an enzyme essential for the differentiation of lymphoid cells, has been used for monitoring diseases with altered immunity. In the present study we investigated the effect of regular and irregular administered folic acid in the first and second trimester of pregnancy to be compared with non-pregnant women ,and also the effect of regular and irregular using of folic acid supplement on oxidative stress parameters an
... Show MoreSome types of the fungus Aspergillus were isolated from some hospitals in the city of Baghdad (Imam Ali Hospital and Sadr General Hospital). The samples were taken by Transport media at a rate of three replicates of each place isolated from samples from different places within the hospital (waste, baths, the sick beds, corridors and room floors) for the purpose of isolating and diagnosing the fungus on the Czapeck Dox Agar media. It was noticed that the spread rate of fungus Aspergillus was 70% compared to other species that have emerged during the isolation process of the Sabouraud's Dextrose Agar media. The species A.niger (56.25%) was considered the most common type of fungus visible during the isolation process of the Imam Ali Hospit
... Show MoreThe impact of smoking on human health is remarkable and can lead to death. This research was performed to test the effects of cigarette smoking on some parameters that are considered as signs of critical problems in human body. The study was carried out on fifty Iraqi male smokers in Baghdad city, who smoked at least 10 cigarettes per day for at least 15 years. The group includes 25 male smokers with an age range of 20 -55 years and 25 male non-smokers who were collected with the same range of age for statistical comparison. The results of the study revealed significant increases in blood parameters, including hemoglobin (Hb, 16.0917 (g/dl) , packed cell volume (PCV, 49.2%), red blood cells (RBC, 5.4763 X1012/L), white blood cell (WBC, 1
... Show MoreBackground: Pruritus often constitutes a major problem for patients with end stage renal disease. The pathophysiological mechanism of chronic kidney disease -associated pruritus is poorly defined.
Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of uremic pruritus in dialysis patients and their correlation with the laboratory and clinical parameters in some Iraqi patients with chronic renal disease.
Patients & methods: This analytic, descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed on 103 patients on haemodialysis. Blood urea, creatinine, calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase and parathyroid hormone were determined. Complete blood count was also performed.
Results: Of the 103 patients included in the study the, 79 patients (76.7%)
The purpose of this study was to examine the association of oral administration of Carbamazepine during pregnancy and the histological changes in the ovaries of mice. Timed-pregnant mice were divided into experimental and control groups. 60 mice in the experimental group received daily oral of 15 mg/kg of carbamazepine via intragastric tube on gestational days 0 to 18. 20 mice were used as control group. They received normal saline via the same route. Dams underwent laparotomy on pregnancy days 13, 15, and 18 and the ovaries were collected. Routine histological processing of the ovaries histology of paraffin sections stained with haemotoxylin and eosin, were conducted. The ovary under the effect of the drug, there was signs of degeneration
... Show MoreThe problem of divorce from the phenomena that characterized the nature of privacy,
although their impact beyond the individual to include the community as a whole, the parties
to the relationship affected by divorce caused them harm moral and material for a long time,
resulting imbalance in the personal relationship and family and social relations because of the
high divorce rates, particularly in Iraq high rates of 28690 thousand cases in 2004 to 59 515
thousand cases in 2011 and an increase of more than (100%) during the period above, and this
rise caused by aggravation of many of the problems led the reasons for social, economic and
incompatibility spouses, health and lack of reproduction, not spending The wife a
Morphological and histoarchitecture aspects on the cerebrum of (barn owl) were made
to find outthe cerebrum size, design and the description of cerebral region components at the
light microscopic level by using Haematoxylin – Eosin and periodic acid schift (PAS)
stain methods. The result of the morphological aspects revealed that the cerebrum was large
and an obtuse triangle in shape, its surface had a slight furrow. Sagittal sections revealed
the location, arrangement and size of pallial and subpallial cerebral divisions. The result of
the microscopic examinations indicated that the large and massive hyperpallium (wulst) was
thick,hypertrophied wired, and multilaminate structure reflect their wider ste
The trace elements in the medical herbs play an important role in the treatment of diseases. Well selected herbs samples of Iraqi herbs and collected from local markets. In this study, the concentrations of nine elements Na,K, Zn, Fe ,Co ,Cu ,Ni , Pb and Cd were determined in fourteen kinds herbs common belonging to Matricaria Chamomile Cinnamon,Pimpinella Anisum L., Zea Maize , Anethum Graveolens L., Jeft, Teucrium Polium L., Cagsia Italica,Echium Talicum L.,Ocimum Basilcum L., Galeopsis Sejetum,Nigella Sative L., Cyperus Rotundus L.,Lupinus Jaimehintoniana.The herbs samples were analysed by flameless except Na,K, in flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer in different medical herbs.The results indicated that the Na and K
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