Erdal Karaöz

Nephrotoxicity in rats induced by chlorpryfos-ethyl and ameliorating effects of antioxidantsy

Nephrotoxicity induced by chlorpyrifos-ethyl (CE) and ameliorating effects of melatonin and vitamin E plus vitamin C were evaluated in rats exposed to CE. Experimental groups were as follows: control (C), CE treated (CE), vitamin E plus vitamin C treated (Vit), melatonin treated (Mel), vitamin E plus vitamin C plus CE treated (Vit+CE), and melatonin plus CE treated (Mel+CE). The rats in the CE, Vit+CE and Mel+CE groups were administered orally with CE in two equal doses of 41 mg/kg body weight (0.25 LD50). Melatonin and vitamins E and C were administrated intramuscularly at the doses of 10, 150 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. The levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) and antioxidant potential (AOP), and the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were studied in the homogenates of kidney tissue. There were no significant differences in the activities of SOD and CAT between the experimental groups. The level of TBARS increased significantly (P<0.05) while AOP decreased significantly (P<0.05) in the CE group compared with the C group. GSH-Px activity was significantly (P<0.05) lower in the CE group and higher in the melatonin group than the control group. Histopathological changes were found in the kidney tissue of rats treated with CE. These were infiltration in mononuclear cells at perivascular and peritubular areas, hydropic degenerations in tubule epithelium and glomerular sclerosis. The severity of the lesions was reduced by administration of vitamins and melatonin. These results suggest that CE increases lipid peroxidation and decreases AOP by increasing oxidative stress, and that high doses of melatonin and a combination of vitamin E plus vitamin C considerably reduce the toxic effect of CE on kidney tissue of rats.

Protective role of melatonin and a combination of vitamin C and vitamin E on lung toxicity induced by chlorpyrifos-ethyl in rats.

The ameliorating effects of melatonin and vitamin C plus vitamin E were examined histologically and biochemically in lung tissues in rats exposed to chlorpyriphos-ethyl (CE). Experimental groups were as follows: Control group (C), CE treated group (CE), vitamin C plus vitamin E treated group (Vit), melatonin treated group (Mel), vitamin C plus vitamin E plus CE treated group (Vit + CE), and melatonin plus CE treated group (Mel + CE). Vitamin E and vitamin C were administered intramuscularly at the rates of 150 and 200 mg per kg body weight, respectively, in Vit and Vit + CE groups, once a day for 6 consecutive days. Melatonin was administered intramuscularly at the rate of 10 mg per kg body weight in Mel and Mel + CE groups, once a day for 6 consecutive days. At the end of the fifth day, the rats of CE, Vit + CE and Mel + CE groups were treated orally with CE dissolved in corn oil with two equal doses of 41 mg CE per kg body weight at zero and twenty-first hours. Tissue samples of lungs were taken by using appropriate techniques for biochemical and histological examinations under anesthesia at the twenty-fourth hours of CE administration, at the end of the sixth day of the experiment. In tissue homogenates, the level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), antioxidant potential (AOP), and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) were determined. TBARS was significantly high (p < 0.05) in CE group compared to control group, while TBARS was found to significantly decrease (p < 0.05) with Vit and Mel groups compared to control. On the other hand, TBARS was seen to significantly decrease (p < 0.05) in both groups of Vit + CE and Mel + CE compared to CE group. In comparison with CE group, SOD activity was significantly high (p < 0.05) with the groups of Vit, Mel, Vit + CE and Mel + CE. GSH-Px activity was found to significantly decrease (p < 0.05) with CE group, compared with both C and Vit groups. AOP was significantly lower (p < 0.01) in CE group than C group. Although there was an increased AOP with Vit + CE and Mel + CE groups compared to CE group, the increase in AOP was only seen to be significant (p < 0.05) in Mel + CE group. In comparison with C group, AOP significantly (p < 0.05) increased with Vit group. There was also a significant (p < 0.05) increase in AOP with Mel + CE group, compared with CE group. Additionally, AOP was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in Vit + CE group than Mel + CE group. Lungs were examined histologically at the end of sixth day. There were remarkable changes in the histomorphology of peribronchial and perivascular area in the lung of rats treated with CE. These were infiltration of mononuclear cells (such as lymphocytes, plasmocytes, macrophages), hyperplasia of type II pneumocyte, and thickened and increased connective tissue. Damage to the lung tissue such as increased inflammatory mononuclear cells in peribronchial and perivascular areas were more pronounced for the CE group than Vit + CE and Mel + CE groups in which these changes were higher than C, Vit and Mel groups. These results suggest that CE increases lipid peroxidation and decreases antioxidant enzymes activities and AOP due to increasing oxidative stress induced by CE, and high doses of vitamin C plus vitamin E and melatonin considerably reduce CE toxicity in lung tissues of rats.

Investigation of biochemical and histopathological effects of Mentha piperita L. and Mentha spicata L. on kidney tissue in rats

Peppermint plants have been used as a herbal medicine for many conditions, including loss of appetite, common cold, bronchitis, sinusitis, fever, nausea, vomiting and indigestion. This study is aimed at investigating the biochemical and histological effects of Mentha piperita L., growing in the Yenisar Bademli town of Isparta City, and Mentha spicata L., growing on the Anamas high plateau of Isparta City, on rat kidney tissue. Forty-eight male Wistar albino rats weighing 200 / 250 g were used for this study. Animals were divided into four experimental groups, each with 12 rats, as follows: control group (group I); 20 g/L M. piperita tea (group II); 20 g/L M. spicata tea (group III); 40 g/L M. spicata tea (group IV). The control group rats were given commercial drinking water (Hayat DANONESA water). The tea for the other groups was prepared daily and provided at all times to the rats during 30 days as drinking water. Plasma urea and creatinine levels were determined, and the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) and the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were studied in the homogenates of kidney tissue. The levels of plasma urea and creatinine were increased significantly (P B-0.0033) in groups III and IV when compared with group I. The activities of SOD and GSHPx were decreased significantly (P B-0.0033) in group IV when compared with group I. The activities of CAT were decreased significantly in groups III and IV (P B-0.033,P B-0.0033, respectively) when compared with group I. TBARS levels were increased significantly (P B-0.0033) in groups III and IV when compared with group I. In groups II, III and IV, hydropic degeneration of tubular epithelial cells, the epithelial cells with picnotic nuclei and eosinophilic cytoplasm, tubular dilatation and enlargements in Bowman capsules were observed histologically. However, in group II histopathological changes were more slight than in groups III and IV. In group IV, in addition to these changes, extremely hydropic degeneration of tubular epithelial cells, some atrophic tubules and glomerules, and focal mononuclear cell infiltrations in the kidney tissues of the rats were observed. In conclusion, the results indicate that M. piperita does not show nephrotoxicity but M. spicata presents markedly nephrotoxic changes in rats.

Effect of Diclofenac Sodium Administration during Pregnancy in the Postnatal Period

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the possible postnatal effects on the liver, kidney and testicular tissues of the offspring of rats given diclofenac sodium (DS) during pregnancy. Methods: At the beginning of the experiment, 80 rats (20 males and 60 females) were raised together for mating purposes. At the end, 50 pregnant rats were obtained and used as the experimental subjects. All pregnant rats were divided into 2 groups, each with 25 rats. The rats of the control group received physiological serum, 1 cm3/kg live weight per day, and the rats of the treatment group were injected with DS, 1 mg/kg live weight per day from the 5th to the 20th day of pregnancy. Four weeks after birth, tissue samples were obtained under anesthesia by perfusion fixation from a total of 40 offspring, 20 (10 males, 10 females) from the control group and 20 (10 males 10 females) from the DS group. Paraffin sections were dyed with hematoxylin eosin and examined under light microscopy. Results: The gestation period was significantly prolonged with DS-treated rats (p < 0.001). A moderate significant enlargement in the periportal area (p < 0.05), sinusoidal dilatation (p < 0.001), bile duct proliferation (p < 0.001), pyknosis in the nucleus of hepatocytes, and vacuolar degeneration in parenchymal cells (p < 0.001) were observed in DS-treated rats. Morphological changes in the liver were found to be similar both in female and male rats. Under light microscopy a similar morphological structure was observed in the kidney and testicular tissues of both the DS-treated and control rats. Conclusion: Significant morphological changes were observed in the livers of the offspring whose parents had been treated with DS. No significant differences were observed in liver morphology between the female and male offspring. There were no significant effects of DS on the morphology of the kidney and testis in all offspring.

Investigation on the Histopathological Effects of Thyroidectomy on the Seminiferous Tubules of Immature and Adult Rats

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the histopathological effects of thyroidectomy on both immature and adult rat testes. Materials and Methods: Male albino Wistar rats, 4 weeks old and weighing between 45 and 55 g, were used for this study. The experimental groups were as follows: 2-week control group (group I); 2-week thyroidectomy group (group II); 4-week control group (group III); 4-week thyroidectomy group (group IV); 6-week control group (group V), and 6-week thyroidectomy group (group VI). The control groups included both sham-operated and untreated rats. In groups II, IV and VI, total thyroidectomy was performed under ether anesthesia in all rats at 4 weeks of age. The rats were killed in the 2nd, 4th and 6th weeks, respectively, following the thyroidectomy. The testes of each animal were evaluated histologically. Results: In group II, spermatogenesis progressed to meiosis but round spermatids were found to be decreased and pachytene spermatocytes were observed to be increased when compared to group I. Giant pachytene spermatocytes were seen. There were also many degenerated cells of intermediate origin in the seminiferous epithelium. In groups IV and VI, spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes were normal in appearance, but there was widespread degeneration of the other spermatogenic cells. In addition, some closed lumina covered by degenerated and dead cells were observed. In group II, the mean outer diameter, luminal diameter and area occupied by seminiferous epithelium decreased by 19.74, 32.18, and 28.12%, respectively. In group IV, these data decreased by 23.9, 16.52, and 48.5%, respectively, and in group VI, by 21.10, 19.76 and 40.29%, respectively, when compared with the control groups. These data were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Thyroid hormones could have a marked influence on the seminiferous tubules of both immature and adult rats, and their permanent lack results in a depression in seminiferous tubule growth as shown by the reduced outer and luminal diameters and area occupied by the seminiferous epithelium, which could give rise to degenerative changes in the spermatogenic cells of thyroidectomized rats. In addition, all these changes could also result from both the inability of Sertoli cells to support spermatogenic cells and the diminished levels of GH and FSH.