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
KA Hadi, AH Asma’a, IJONS, 2018 - Cited by 1
Due to the wide distribution through the Iranian Plateau, especially in its western parts adjacent to Iraq’s northeastern borders, the occurrence of Brandt’s Hedgehog
The Kurds' positions were characterized by insistence on their rights during the monarchy and choosing various solutions to obtain independence. After the revolution of July 14, 1958, the Kurds welcomed it, and the leaders of the Kurdistan Democratic Party sent a telegram to the Free Officers Organization congratulating them on the new era in order to build sound and correct relations between the two parties. However, the military conflict was renewed between the Iraqi government and the Kurds and continued even after the coup of February 8, 1963, and all the subsequent negotiating and peaceful attempts to resolve the Kurdish problem until 1966. It was a state of double contradiction for both parties that thwarted the peaceful attempts. The
... Show MoreThis research is concerned with documenting traditional clothes of girls and children in Makkah in the past 100 years and is a step towards preserving our heritage which is exposed to rapid changes. The researcher’s goal is to contribute to the Saudi’s folklore studies with a qualitative study of clothes and ceremonies used in the past. Sources of information were collected from human and material samples, ceremonies, clothes, techniques used to embellish them and from previous studies. The study concludes that aspects of civilization influenced clothes and resulted in a great deal of change. Children wore scale-down versions of adult clothing. Costumes were rich by their styles and adornment. The researcher emphasizes the importance
... Show MoreAbstract :H.pylori is an important cause of gastric duodenal disease, including gastric ulcers, Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT), and gastric carcinoma. biosensors are becoming the most extensively studied discipline because the easy, rapid, low-cost, highly sensitive, and highly selective biosensors contribute to advances in next-generation medicines such as individualized medicine and ultrasensitive point-of-care detection of markers for diseases. Five of ten patients diagnosed with H.pylori ranging in age from 15–85 participated in this research. who [gastritis, duodenitis, duodenal ulcer (DU), and peptic ulcer (PU)] Suspected H.pylori colonies w
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The study aims to identify the level of health services provided in private suites to government hospitals from the perspective of the recipi
... Show MoreObjective: This study aims to assess the efficacy of CT-guided true-cut biopsy as a less invasive and cost-effective diagnostic technique for peripherally placed lung lesions.