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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most important endocrine disorders affecting about 5-10% of women in reproductive age. Betaine is a bioactive peptide that has an anti-inflammatory activity. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of betaine on insulin resistance indices and inflammatory cytokines markers and histology alteration in rat ovary with experimental PCOS. This experimental study was performed on 48 female Wistar rats (170-200 g). PCOS was induced by administration of testosterone enanthate (1 mg/100g/day during 35 days). PCOS rats were treated with betaine (1% in drinking water) for 30 days. At the end of the experimental period, the insulin resistance markers (serum insulin and glucose concentrations the homeostasis model assessment of basal insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), serum estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4) and inflammatory cytokines were measured. The ovaries were also processed for histological study. PCOS induction resulted in insulin resistance, impaired E2, P4 production and elevation of tissue TNF-α, IL-1β levels. Moreover, a significant increase of ovarian cysts and atretic follicles and also a significant reduction in the early corpus luteum were observed in the ovarian tissue of the PCOS groups. Betaine treatment could reduce the inflammatory cytokines and improve steroid productions in PCOS rats. Betaine also restored normal Folliculogenesis by reducing atretic and cystic follicles. Our findings showed the beneficial effects of betaine in PCOS rats by improvement of folliculogenesis, suppression of inflammation in ovary.

This study was performed to evaluate the effects of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism on performance, blood and reproductive parameters in Japanese quail. 320 one-day-old quail chicks were used in a completely randomized design with 4 treatments and 4 replications. Treatments were included 1- untreated (control), 2- levothyroxine (70 μg / l), 3- propylthiouracil (15 mg / l) and 4- propylthiouracil first and then levothyroxine. Performance parameters were recorded weekly. On day 42 of rearing, one male and one female were selected from each replicate and blood samples were taken to evaluate blood parameters. On day 62 of rearing, the bird's eggs were collected and transferred to the incubator. Food conversion ratio, feed intake and weight gain were not affected by the treatments. In male blood serum, triglyceride concentration in all therapeutic treatments and alanine aminotransferase concentration in propylthiouracil-levothyroxine treatment significantly reduced (P≤0.05). In female birds, blood LDL concentration decreased in levothyroxine treatment compared to control and alanine aminotransferase increased in this treatment compared to other groups (P≤0.05). The highest serum alkaline phosphatase concentration of females was observed in propylthiouracil treatment (P≤0.05). Other blood biochemical parameters and fertility percentage were not affected by the treatments. The lowest percentage of total hatching and hatching of fertile eggs and the highest percentage of embryonic mortality were related to the treatment of propylthiouracil-levothyroxine (P≤0.05). In conclusion, induction of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism with drugs did not have a significant effect on most functional, reproductive and blood parameters in Japanese quail.

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of autolyzed yeast with enzyme supplementation and barley particle size on energy and protein efficiency ratio, immune system and ileal digestibility with 400 one-day-old Ross 308 broiler chickens from both sexes in completely randomized design with factorial arrangement 2×4 with 8 treatments, 5 replicates from 1 to 35 days of age. The experimental treatments included type of additive (without additive, enzyme, autolyzed yeast and autolyzed yeast with enzyme) and barley particle size (fine (2 mm) and coarse (8 mm)). Supplementation of autolyzed yeast and enzyme improved FCR compared to the treatment without additives (P>0.05). Autolyzed yeast with coarse barley particles increased the European efficiency factor, energy and protein efficiency ratio compared to other treatments (P>0.05). Supplementation of enzyme led to a decrease in abdominal fat percentage compared to other treatments (P<0.05). Autolyzed yeast with enzyme increased the length and dry matter percentage of the tibia compared to the treatment without additives (P<0.05). Addition of autolyzed yeast with enzyme improved the response immune system compared to other treatments (P<0.05). Supplementation of autolyzed yeast with enzyme improved the ileal digestibility compared to other treatments (P<0.05). Addition autolyzed yeast alone and with enzyme decreased litter pH compared to the treatment receiving enzyme alone and the treatment without additive (P<0.05). As summary, autolyzed yeast with enzyme can be used to improve the performance of broiler chickens fed diets containing barley.

With the aim of investigation, the effects of oak acorn (OA) (0 or 20 % of diet) and tannin-reducing feed additives (without additive, 10 g polyethylene glycol (PEG)/kg of diet and 0.25 % diet sodium bicarbonate) on performance and liver and kidney tissues of broiler chickens, a total of 480 Ross 308 broiler chicks (average body weight of 41 gram and same male to female ratio) were distributed among 6 experimental treatments (4 replicates of 20 birds) in a 2×3 factorial arrangement and reared for 42 days. The results indicated that application of OA had no significant effect of overall feed conversion ratio, but significantly decreased overall body weight gain. However, sodium bicarbonate improved overall body weight gain, compared to the diet without additive. Feeding birds with OA significantly increased relative weight of gizzard, ileum and caecum at 24 d of age and relative weight of caecum and duodenum at 42 d of age. On d 24, more sever cellular congestion was observed in liver tissue of OA fed birds, but on d 42, the number of liver fat vacuole was less in these birds. Feeding with OA increased diameter of renal corpuscle. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of 20% OA had no significant effects on feed conversion ratio and liver as well as kidney tissue of broilers, but because of significant reduction in overall body weight gain and production efficiency factor, this level is not recommended. However, inclusion of additives did not prevent this reduction.

Betaine has improving role in adipose tissue function and insulin activity. On the other hand, a highcalorie diet has complex effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of betaine on pituitary histomorphometry and oxidative index of rats fed with high-calorie diet.

24 wistar rats were divided into 4 groups of control, fed with standard food, obesity with 10 weeks of feeding with high-calorie diet and then intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (20 mg/kg), obesity/betaine with 10 weeks of feeding with high-calorie diet, intraperitoneal streptozotocin, and then oral betaine for 28 days, and betaine with oral betaine for 28 days. At the end of the study, the histomorphometric structure of the pituitary glands [using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)] and oxidative stress indices such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and malondialdehyde (MDA) [using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)]were evaluated.

Body weight, blood sugar, insulin level, and insulin resistance index increased significantly in the obese group compared to the control group. The number of acidophilic and basophilic cells in the peripheral and central parts of the posterior pituitary gland decreased in the obese group. Serum levels of SOD, GPX, and catalase showed a significant increase in the obese group compared to the control group and in obese/betaine group compared to the obese group. Serum MDA levels increased in the obese group compared to the control group, and decreased in the obese/betaine group in compared to the obese group.

It is seems that betaine consumption had beneficial and protective effects on the pituitary gland and antioxidant capacity in rat fed with high-calorie diet, by reducing insulin resistance, reducing oxidative stress, and improving the pituitary tissue structure.

Sesame seeds contain phytoestrogens and antioxidants that can affect the reproductive system. As the seminal vesicle is important in male reproductive activity, in the present study, effects of Sesame seeds consumption on histomorphometric structure of seminal vesicle in young adult rats were evaluated. 

In this study, 40 adult and young rats were divided into 4 groups. Each young and old control group, were divided into 2 groups (30 days and 60 days) and fed with pellet (28 grams) daily. The treatment group was divided into two groups (30 and 60 days old) and fed with 8.5 grams of Sesame seeds and 19.5 grams of pellet (30% and 70% of the diet) daily. At the end of study, rats were euthanased and seminal vesicle were collected. The tissue sections of samples were prepared using standard tissue sectioning (thickness of 5-6 μm) and stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin. Blood testosterone levels were measured too. 

Histomorphometric evaluation of seminal vesicle in young rats fed with sesame for 30 and 60 days showed that the thicknesses of the epithelial tissue, muscular and whole wall layer were significantly increased. In old rats fed for 30 and 60 days, the thickness of muscular layer and whole wall were significantly increased. Testosterone level was increased in young rats fed with Sesame. There were no significant effects in the structure of the seminal vesicle in older rats compared with young rats following sesame consumption.

Following age, a little tissue changes were seen in the seminal vesicle structure and it seems that Sesame can increasing the thickness of seminal epithelial tissue.

Article 6, Volume 13, Issue 2 - Issue Serial Number 55, Summer 2017, Page 48-57 XML PDF (477 K)
Document Type: Research Paper
DOI: 10.22055/ivj.2017.28887.1550
Abstract
Aloe vera has many applications in traditional medicine .In present study, the hypoglycemic effects of the Aloe vera and its protective effects on the adrenal gland on diabetic rats were studied. 50 mature male rats (2-3 months old) and weighing 200-250 were divided randomly into 5 groups (10 rats in each groups) as following: Group I (control), has not received any treatment. Group II (Diabetic) which received 65 mg/kg Streptozotocin (IP). and rats with blood glucose more than 250 mg/dL were considered as diabetic. Group III, diabetic rats which received the Aloe vera gel with dose of 400 mg/kg daily. Group IV, diabetic rats which received insulin in 10 units/rat. Group V,received Aloe vera gel only. On days 15 and 30 of experiment, blood glucose of all groups were measured. Animals were euthanized with ether. Then, tissues samples were collected from adrenal glands, and fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin solution. The sections were made using routine paraffin embedding method and stained by haematoxylin-eosin (H & E). Histomorphometrical parameters were evaluated using Digital Dino-Lite lens and Dino capture software 1. The results showed that thickness of fasciculata layer and the size of the spongiocyte were increased significantly in diabetic rat (P≤0. 05) but the thickness of fasciculata layer was decreased significantly in diabetic rats which received Aloe vera and insulin (P≤0. 05). The blood glucose was decreased significantly in diabetic rats. Conclusion, Aloe vera can be has beneficial and protective effects on adrenal glands in diabetic rats.

Aim: Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) has beneficial effects on neural stem cell function and neurodegenerative disease treatment. However limited data is available about the effects of LIF over-expression in neural stem cells on brain tissue changes. In this study transgenic rats (TR) with over expression of LIF under the control of nestin gene promoter were produced and histological changes of their hippocampus were studied.
Material and To produce transgenic rats, promoter regions of pIRES2-EGFP vector were replaced with 2nd intron nestin promoter and Hsp68 enhancer sequence, and injected into testes (10 μg) of 10 male rats. After mating with female rats, trangenesis confirmation was done using conventional PCR, real time PCR and fluorescent microscopy. Brain of mature transgenic and control rats (4 months of age) were obtained, sectioned and stained with H & E and then their hippocampus structure were studied.
LIF gene was significantly expressed in higher levels in hippocampus stem cells of TR comparing to control (P Over expression of LIF in neural stem cells resulted in elevation of oligodendrocytes in hippocampus of rat brain. Because oligodendrocytes destruction are importance in neurodegenerative diseases progression, it is possible that successful LIF transmission into the brain can be used in the future to restore the oligodendrocyte mass.

Since aloe vera plant has many medical benefits, the present study aimed to investigate the protective effects of Aloe vera gel on the pancreatic islets and beta cells. This experimental study consisted of 50 mature male rats aged 2-3 months and weighed 200-250 g, who were randomly divided into five groups (n=10). Group I (control) did not receive any treatments, and group II were diabetized via Streptozotocin (IP) in 65 mg/kg, whose blood sample was taken after one week. Rats with blood glucose more than 250 mg/dL were considered as diabetic. Group III diabetic rats received the Aloe vera gel daily with dosage of 400 mg/kg, and group IV diabetic rats received insulin in 10 units/rat. Group V involved healthy rats which received only Aloe vera gel. After the last Aloe vera gel administration, blood glucose and body weight of all groups were measured on 15th and 30th days. Animals were euthanized with ether. Then tissues samples were collected from pancreas gland and fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin solution. The 5-6 µ sections were made by paraffin embedding method and stained using haematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and Aldehyde fuchsin stains. Ultimately, the histomorphometrical parameters were evaluated. The mean number and size of pancreatic islets and beta cells of Langerhans islets decreased significantly in the diabetic group compared to the control group. The number of beta cells and diameter of langerhans islets increased significantly in the rats treated by Aloe vera gel in comparison to diabetic group at the end of 15th and 30th days. Applying Aloe vera gel seems to improve the renewal and restoration of langerhans islets and beta cells of pancreas gland in the diabetic rat.