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
The study was carried out by reinforcing the resin matrix material
which was (Epoxy- Ep828) by useing Kevlar fibers and glass fibers type (E-gl ass) both or them in the form of woven roving and poly propylene tlbcrs in the form chopped strand mats. wi th (30%) volume fraction. Some mechan i cal properties of the were prepared composite specimens U ltraviolet radiation were stuied after being subjected to different weathering conditi ons i ncluded. Compression and hardness testing were carried out using Briel! method so as to compare between composite behavior i n the environments previously mentioned .
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... Show MoreThirty swabes of medical implants were collected from Al-Yarmouk's hospital which were cultured on manitole agar to isolate Staphelococcus aureus . Only four samples gave positive results with this media. It was used ten types of antibiotics to test the sensitivity of this bacterium against them. All isolates of S. aureus were recorded as multidrug resistant and were considered as MRSA. One pledge alternative therapy is the utilize of certain pure bacterocin MIC (32.5 to 62.5 μg/ml) and it was compared with vancomycin (200-400 μg/ml) with average of (8 – 15) mm diameter of inhibition zones recpectively. The first reduction of biofilm formation ability has been proved in catheters when treatedby pure bacterocin. The test shows the highes
... Show MoreA reseach is carried out by using Alumina material type α-Al2O3 which has partical size 63μm doped with different percentage weight of MgO (0.1%,0.3%and0.5%) and by using dry press method to prepare the samples ,A force press 50KN used and sintering to 1500oC with soaking time of 6 hours. The physical properties were studied such as "Bulk density ,Porosity and water absorption "also the mechanical properties such as (hardness,compressive strength ), the result shows that the best ratio of maginsa(MgO) added to Alumina (Al2O3)is 0.5%and this worked to improve Physical and mechanical properties .
Two different composite materials were prepared by stir casting method of AA 6061 alloy as a matrix reinforced with two addition different ceramic materials Al2O3 and B4C of grain size 20 µm by 2.5, 5, 7.5 and10% in weight. The composite material with aluminum alloy as a matrix possesses a unique mechanical properties such as: high specific strength and hardness, low density, and high resistance to corrosion and friction wear. This composite is widely used in automotive parts space and marine applications.
Pin-on-disc technique was used to calculate the wear rate for each addition of Al2O3 and B4C particles. Rockwell hardness test and
... Show MoreIn this research the Cobalt Oxide (Co3O4) films are prepared by the method of chemical spray pyrolysis deposition at different thicknesses such that (250, 350, 450, and 550) ± 20 nm. The optical measurement shows that the Co3O4 films have a direct energy gap, and they in general increase with the increase of the thickness. The optical constants are investigated and calculated such as absorption coefficient, refractive index, extinction coefficient and the dielectric constants for the wavelengths in the range (300-900) nm. The electrical conductivity (σ) and the activation energies (Ea1, Ea2) have been investigated on (Co3O4) thin films as a function of thickness. The films
... Show MoreThe electrical properties of polycrystalline cadmium telluride thin films of different thickness (200,300,400)nm deposited by thermal evaporation onto glass substrates at room temperature and treated at different annealing temperature (373, 423, 473) K are reported. Conductivity measurements have been showed that the conductivity increases from 5.69X10-5 to 0.0011, 0.0001 (?.cm)-1 when the film thickness and annealing temperature increase respectively. This increasing in ?d.c due to increasing the carrier concentration which result from the excess free Te in these films.
The technique of plant tissue culture has been used to In vitro micropropagation of Spilanthes acmella (L.) Murr. It is an ornamental and medicinal plant not cultivated in Iraq. Seeds were sterilized and cultuared on full strength Murashige and Skoog medium(1962)(MS). Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), 6- furfuryl aminopurine (Kin.) growth regulators were used at the Initiation stage.The combination between IAA and Kin. was used in multiplication stage. IAA was used for rooting the shoots. Results showed that 1.5% sodium hypochlorite for 15 min was very effective for disinfecting and survival. Nodes exhibited relatively highest response as compared with apical meristems and leaflets culture. Supplying the culture medium with 1 mg/L.
... Show MoreThe press release plays an important role in understanding and recognizing the policy of governments by the public in managing the state, especially in times of crises, as it helps to clarify the position of the government and its decisions.In addition, it is considered as one of the most important tools of communication between the government and its public at the present time.
In light of the technical developments and adopting modern mechanisms in transferring of what is issued by the government, the press release has been edited and published electronically; and helps in the success of this transfer speed and knowledge of the reactions of the masses towards the implications,In a crisis like the Basrah crisis in particular, the Ira
The study aimed to determine the impact of energy for the north and south magnetic poles on the the growth of bacteria isolated from cases of tooth decay, 68 swabs were collected from surfaces of faulty tooth, the detected of Staphylococcus aureus
... Show MoreThe present study aims to reveal the extent of the influence of the acquired organizational immune through its dimensions (organizational vaccination, organizational learning, organizational memory, and benchmarking) in the application of knowledge management strategies in its two dimensions (codification strategy, personalization strategy) as well as clarifying that influential relationship between the study variables Because of its importance in reducing resistance to change by responding to the requirements of the environment. A set of main and sub-hypotheses emerged from the study, which was formulated in view of the hypothesis scheme of the study, and i
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