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
Eriobotrya japonica Lindl., named as loquat, is a subtropical fruit tree of the family Rosaceae which is well known medical plant originated in Japan and China. Loquat portions, like leaves, peels and fruits have been shown to possess various health usefulnesses. In Chinese classical medicine, it is vastly utilized in many illnesses, like gastroenteric disorders, diabetes mellitus, pulmonary inflammatory diseases and chronic bronchitis. Loquat plant contain many active constituents, such as flavonoids, carotenoids, vitamins, polyphenolic compounds, other that have many biological effects like anti-tumor, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, antioxidant, antiviral, antitussive, hepatoprotective and hypoli
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Samples of the ovary and uterus of local breed cats used to investigate the histological, histometrical and hormonal features. The paraffin embedding technique was used for processing of tissue that stained by hematoxyline and eosin stain, and massons trichrom stain. Ovary of at proestrus or oestrus phases composed of outer cortex that covered by cuboidal germinal epithelium and inner medulla. Tunica albuginea composed of a thin layer of characterized by fusiform stromal cells. The cortex content groups of Oogonial cells, numerous primordial follicles, little primary, secondary and tertiary follicles in addition for 1-2 follicular cysts and mature corpus letium. In pregnant cat the thickness of ovarian cortex was significantly incre
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Background: Manuka honey (MH) is a mono-floral honey derived from the Manuka tree (Leptospermum scoparium). MH is a highly recognized for its non-peroxide antibacterial activities, which are mostly related to its unique methylglyoxal content (MGO) in MH. The beneficial phytochemicals in MH is directly related to their favorable health effects, which include wound healing, anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Aims: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of MH on pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-8 and TNF-α) in patients with gingivitis and compare it with chlorhexidine (CHX) and distilled water (DW). Materials and Methods: This study was a randomized, double blinded, and parallel clinical trial. Forty-fiv
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to study the discribrion and the pollution in the environment in the south of baghdad samples of waste water from industrail units using the mercury in its process also
This paper aims to study the effects of the long term solar activity on the critical frequencies of ionospheric F1 layer over Baghdad city, during the solar cycle 22, within (1988- 1995). It is found that the critical frequency of this layer is closely related to the sunspots number during the years of the solar cycle 22, at a middle latitude region of the world. The study discussed the effect of sunspot numbers and solar events on the electron densities of F1 layer, which is the most important ionospheric parameter.
The adrenal gland is a vital endocrine gland that secretes many important hormones in the daily life of birds. It is located in the Iraqi Pterocles alchata bird on both sides of the aorta in the front and side of the cranial lobe of the kidney at the caudal end of the lungs, triangular shape with a creamy yellow color. The statistical analysis showed no significant differences between the weight and length of the right and left glands. Histologically the gland of the sandgrouse bird capsule contains autonomic nodes consisting of nerve cells and the average thickness of the capsule is 42.69±1.81μm, the parenchyma of the gland is divided into two areas; the cortex and medulla in addition to the blood sinuses. The cortex area is divided into
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The present work was aimed to form the baseline data of normal morphological and histological structure features of liver in migratory starling (Sturnus vulgaris). Anatomically, the starling liver bird was dark red -brown in colour and located in the cranial third of the abdominal cavity and consisted of undivided lobes (left and right). The liver right lobe was larger than the left. Histological examination revealed that the liver parenchyma was covered by a connective tissue capsule which appears to be thicker in the rim of liver lobes than other area in the liver lobe. Liver parenchyma was arranged in an unlimited hepatic lobules, which composed of polygonal hepatocytes organized as irregular, radial interconnecting cords or laminae of o
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