Adult Male Albino Rats (adult + male_albino_rat)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Sulphated Polysaccharides: New Insight in the Prevention of Cyclosporine A-Induced Glomerular Injury

BASIC AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY, Issue 1 2007
Anthony Josephine
Nephrotoxicity induced by cyclosporine A continues to be a major problem despite its potent immunosuppressive action. Adult male albino rats of Wistar strain were categorized into four groups. Two groups (II and IV) were administered cyclosporine A (25 mg/kg body weight, orally) for 21 days, in which Group IV rats were also treated simultaneously with sulphated polysaccharides (5 mg/kg body weight, subcutaneously) for the same period. A significant loss in body weight was noted in the cyclosporine A-induced rats. Renal damage was assessed in terms of decreased creatinine clearance and increased activity of lysosomal enzymes. The levels of glycoproteins were found to be decreased in the renal tissue, and a noticeable rise in glycosaminoglycanuria coupled with marked proteinuria was more prominent in the cyclosporine A-induced animals. Furthermore, the extent of kidney damage was assessed by histopathological findings. Toxic manifestations were also confirmed by transmission electron microscopic studies. These morphological abnormalities and other alterations in the renal tissue were significantly offset by sulphated polysaccharides supplementation. These findings underline that restoration of normal cells accredits sulphated polysaccharides, from Sargassum wightii, with nephroprotective role, against cyclosporine A-induced renal injury. [source]


Antihyperlipidemic activity of 3-hydroxymethyl xylitol, a novel antidiabetic compound isolated from Casearia esculenta (Roxb.) root, in streptozotocin-diabetic rats

JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR TOXICOLOGY, Issue 2 2010
Govindasamy Chandramohan
Abstract Casearia esculenta root (Roxb.) is widely used in traditional system of medicine to treat diabetes in India. An active compound, 3-hydroxymethyl xylitol (3-HMX), has been isolated, and its optimum dose has been determined in a short duration study and patented. In addition, the long-term effect of 3-HMX in type 2 diabetic rats on carbohydrate metabolism was investigated, and its antihyperglycemic effect was shown previously (Chandramohan et al., Eur J Pharmacol 2008;590:437,443). In this study we investigated the effect of 3-HMX on plasma and tissue lipid profiles in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in adult male albino rats of the Wistar strain, weighing 180,200 g, by administration of streptozotocin (40 mg/kg of body weight) intraperitoneally. The normal and diabetic rats were treated with 3-HMX (40 mg/kg BW/day) for 45 days. The levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids, and phospholipids were assayed in the plasma besides lipoprotein-cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C)) and tissues (liver, kidney, heart, and brain). Total cholesterol, triglyceride, free fatty acid, and phospholipid (LDL-C and VLDL-C in plasma only) levels increased in plasma and tissues significantly, whereas plasma HDL-C significantly decreased in diabetic rats. Treatment with 3-HMX or glibenclamide reversed the above-mentioned changes and improved toward normalcy. Histological study of liver also confirmed the biochemical findings. Thus administration of 3-HMX is able to reduce hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia related to the risk of diabetes mellitus. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 24:95,101, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20317 [source]


Corticosterone induces steroidogenic lesion in cultured adult rat leydig cells by reducing the expression of star protein and steroidogenic enzymes

JOURNAL OF CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 5 2008
Srinivasan Rengarajan
Abstract The present study was designed to investigate the dose-dependent direct effect of corticosterone on adult rat Leydig cell steroidogenesis in vitro. Leydig cells were isolated from the testis of normal adult male albino rats, purified on discontinuous Percoll gradient and plated in culture plates/flasks overnight at 34°C in a CO2 incubator under 95% air and 5% CO2 using DME/F12 medium containing 1% fetal bovine serum. After the attachment of cells, serum-containing medium was removed and cells were exposed to different doses (0, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 nM) of corticosterone using serum-free fresh medium for 24 h at 34°C. At the end of exposure period, cells were utilized for assessment of the activities and mRNA expression of steroidogenic enzymes (cytochrome P450 side chain cleavage enzyme, 3,-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, 17,-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, and cytochrome P450 aromatase) and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein gene expression. Testosterone and estradiol production were also quantified. Activities of cytochrome P450 side chain cleavage enzyme, 3,- and 17,-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases were declined significantly in a dose-dependent manner after corticosterone exposure, while their mRNA expression were significantly reduced at higher doses of corticosterone exposure. The activity and mRNA expression of cytochrome P450 aromatase registered a significant increase at 100 nM dose of corticosterone whereas at 200,800 nM doses both the activity as well as the mRNA levels was significantly reduced below the basal level. StAR protein gene expression was significantly inhibited by higher doses of corticosterone employed. At all doses employed, corticosterone significantly reduced the production of testosterone by Leydig cells, while estradiol level registered a significant increase at 50 and 100 nM doses but at higher doses, it registered a significant decrease when compared to basal level. It is concluded from the present in vitro study that the molecular mechanism by which corticosterone reduces the production of Leydig cell testosterone is by reducing the activities and mRNA expression of steroidogenic enzymes and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein. J. Cell. Biochem. 103: 1472,1487, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Long-term ofloxacin testicular toxicity: an experimental study

ANDROLOGIA, Issue 2 2010
M. A. EL-Harouny
Summary The aim of this study was to assess the long-term toxic effect of ofloxacin on the testes and epididymides of 72 adult male albino rats. The rats were divided into group A and group B. Group A, which received ofloxacin for 14 days, was subdivided into two subgroups; LD-14 received low dose 72 mg KBW,1 daily and HD-14 received high dose 216 mg KBW,1 daily. Group B, which received ofloxacin for 28 days, was subdivided into two subgroups; LD-28 received 72 mg KBW,1 and HD-28 received 216 mg KBW,1 daily. Two matched control groups were followed up for 14 and 28 days respectively. The animals were evaluated for body weight, testicular weight, relative testicular weight, serum testosterone (T), epididymal sperm analysis (sperm count, motility, morphology, curvilinear velocity, linear velocity and linearity index) and testicular histopathology. The adverse effects of ofloxacin were correlated with increased treatment duration and/or dose. It is concluded that long-term ofloxacin has a direct detrimental effect on the testicles of albino rats at the studied doses and durations. [source]


Effect of food restriction on ghrelin in adult male rats and its relation to male reproductive hormones

ANDROLOGIA, Issue 2 2010
H. M. Abou Heif
Summary Ghrelin is an endogenous ligand for growth hormone secretagogue (GHS) receptor (GHS-R). It has recently emerged as an orexigenic food intake controlling signal acting upon hypothalamic centres. To study the effect of food restriction on ghrelin level and its relation to male reproductive hormones, 32 adult male albino rats divided into two groups: Group I (8 rats as a control group) fed ad libitum for 21 days and 24 rats as Group II (food-restricted group) fed 30% of ad libitum intake of food consumed by the control group. Rats were weighed every 3 days. Group II rats were further subdivided into three subgroups: IIa, IIb and IIc that were killed at days 8, 16 and 21 from the start of food restriction respectively. Ghrelin level was assayed by ELISA technique in serum samples and tissue homogenates prepared from the stomach and hypothalamus. In addition, male reproductive hormones: testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were assayed in serum by chemiluminescence. Mean body weight of food restricted rats was observed to decrease during the period of the experiment. Food restriction produced a significant increase of serum ghrelin and a significant decrease of both gastric and hypothalamic ghrelin in group II when compared with group I. The changes in ghrelin level varied with the duration of food restriction. Significant inverse correlation was found between serum ghrelin and each of gastric and hypothalamic ghrelin in group II. A significant decrease of testosterone, FSH and LH were found in food restricted rats compared with controls. The decrease was significantly related to the duration of food restriction. Significant inverse correlation was detected between serum ghrelin and each of the male reproductive hormones in food restricted group II rats. Thus ghrelin could be one of the hormones responsible for the suppression of male reproductive axis in case of negative energy balance. [source]