Physiological study on the influence of some plant oils in rats exposed to a sublethal concentration of diazinon

Effects of diazinon on the ovarian tissue of rats: a histochemical and ultrastructural study

Despite the negative environmental and biologic effects, organophosphates have currently been widely used. We aimed to examine the possible negative effects of diazinon, a type of organophosphate, on rat ovarian tissue. Wistar Albino rats were divided into four groups. No treatment was given to control, olive oil was applied to sham group. Experimental groups were injected intraperitoneally with 30 and 60 mg/kg/day diazinon, respectively. 24 h later, ovarian tissues were extracted, preparated, examined via light and electron microscope. In the experimental groups granulosa and corpus luteum showed degenerative changes. Dilatation of endoplasmic reticulum cisterns and morphological alterations of mitochondria in granulosa cells were detected utrastructurally. Also, accumulation of lipid droplets and autophagic vacuoles was observed in cells of corpus luteum. A statistically significant dose-dependent decrease in superoxide dismutase and catalase reactivity and a statistically significant increase in caspase-3 expression in cells of atretic follicles and corpus luteum were observed. Results show that exposure to a single dose of diazinon may disrupt antioxidant system, trigger atresia in follicles and negatively effect corpus luteum functions. It was concluded that studies applying possible antioxidant treatments should be carried out to reduce and prevent the negative effects of diazinon on the reproductive system.

Protective Effect of Black Seed and Lettuce Oils Against Paracetamol-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats

<b>Background and Objective:</b> The liver is one of the organs that play an essential role in the human body, including supporting metabolism, immune functions, digestive system, detoxification, storage of vitamins and other functions. This investigation aimed to study the protective effects of black seed and lettuce oil against hepatotoxicity as induced by paracetamol in experimental rats. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Twenty male Sprague-Dawley albino rats weighing 150±5 g were divided randomly into four groups (5 rats each) and distributed as follows; 1st group was controlled negative (C -ve group), 2nd group controlled positive (orally administered with 500 mg/kg b.wt., paracetamol), 3rd and 4th groups were orally administered with black seed oil and lettuce oil at a dose of 1 mL/kg b.wt., each) as a preventive dose. All rats were sacrificed and blood was collected for biochemical analysis and then statistically analyzed. <b>Results:</b> The rat administered with black seed and lettuce oils enhanced body weight gain, food intake and feed efficiency ratio. Moreover, exhibited a significant reduction in the liver enzymes AST, ALT, ALP and TBIL. Meanwhile, black seed and lettuce oils significantly improved kidney functions, lipid profiles and some immune biomarkers including creatine kinase (CK), Creatine Kinase-MB (CK-MB) and Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH). <b>Conclusion:</b> This study revealed that the oils of black seed (<i>Nigella sativa</i>) and lettuce (<i>Lactuca sativa</i>) have a protective role in improving body weight gain, food intake, feed efficiency ratio, liver enzymes, kidney functions, lipid profiles and some immune biomarkers against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in experimental rats.

Restorative effects of gallic acid against sub-chronic hepatic toxicity of co-exposure to zinc oxide nanoparticles and arsenic trioxide in male rats

Background and objectives

This study aimed to assess the effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZNPs) and/or arsenic trioxide (ATO) exposure on the liver of adult male Sprague Dawley rats. Moreover, the probable ameliorative impact of gallic acid (GA) against ZNPs and ATO-induced hepatotoxicity and the possible underlying mechanisms were evaluated.

Methods

Sixty male Sprague Dawley rats were distributed into six groups. The 1^st and 2^nd groups were orally given distilled water (1 ml/kg) and 20 mg GA/kg b. wt, respectively. The 3^rd and 4^th groups were orally given 100 mg ZNPs/kg b. wt and 8 mg ATO/kg b. wt, respectively. The 5^th group was co-administered ZNPs and ATO at the doses mentioned above. The last one was co-administered ZNPs, ATO, and GA at the earlier described doses. All tested compounds were orally given once a day for 60 successive days. Then, serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total, direct, indirect bilirubin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL, VLDL, and LDL were estimated. The hepatic content of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) was evaluated. Moreover, Bcl-2 and Bax's reactive proteins were immunohistochemically detected, and Zn and As residual patterns in hepatic tissues were assessed.

Results

ZNPs, ATO, and ZNPs+ATO-exposed rats showed significantly (P < 0.001) elevated serum AST (219%, 233%, and 333%), ALT (300%, 400%, and 475%), ALP (169%, 205%, and 294%), and total bilirubin (42%, 68%, and 109%) compared to the control ones. On the other hand, a significantly (P < 0.001) declined SOD (58%, 49%, and 43%) and GPx (70%, 63%, and 56%) but increased MDA (133%, 150%, and 224%) was recorded in the hepatic tissues of ZNPs, ATO, and ZNPs+ATO exposed rats, respectively, relative to the control rats. Moreover, the hepatic tissues of the ZNPs, ATO, and ZNPs+ATO exposed rats showed a significant (P < 0.001) decrease in Bcl-2 (28%, 33%, and 23%) but elevation in Bax (217%, 267%, and 236%) immunoreactivities compared to the control rats. These findings were consistent with the microscopic alterations in the hepatic architecture and accumulation of Zn and As. Furthermore, a notable hyperlipidemic condition was recorded following ZNPs and/or ATO exposure. On the contrary, GA notably reduced hepatic enzymes compared to ZNPs+ATO-exposed rats. Additionally, GA markedly improved ZNPs+ATO-afforded liver tissue damage and apoptotic events.

Conclusion

Overall, GA oral dosing significantly mitigated the negative effects of ZNPs and ATO on the liver by improving the antioxidant defense system and controlling apoptotic changes.

The diabetogenic effects of pesticides: Evidence based on epidemiological and toxicological studies

While the use of pesticides has improved grain productivity and controlled vector-borne diseases, the widespread use of pesticides has resulted in ubiquitous environmental residues that pose health risks to humans. A number of studies have linked pesticide exposure to diabetes and glucose dyshomeostasis. This article reviews the occurrence of pesticides in the environment and human exposure, the associations between pesticide exposures and diabetes based on epidemiological investigations, as well as the diabetogenic effects of pesticides based on the data from in vivo and in vitro studies. The potential mechanisms by which pesticides disrupt glucose homeostasis include induction of lipotoxicity, oxidative stress, inflammation, acetylcholine accumulation, and gut microbiota dysbiosis. The gaps between laboratory toxicology research and epidemiological studies lead to an urgent research need on the diabetogenic effects of herbicides and current-use insecticides, low-dose pesticide exposure research, the diabetogenic effects of pesticides in children, and assessment of toxicity and risks of combined exposure to multiple pesticides with other chemicals.

The significance of thymoquinone administration on liver toxicity of diazinon and cholinesterase activity; a recommendation for prophylaxis among individuals at risk

BACKGROUND

Diazinon (DZN), a widely used chemical herbicide for controlling agricultural pests, is an important organophosphorus pesticide and an environmental pollutant which induces toxic effects on living organisms during long-term exposure. Thymoquinone (TQ) is a phytochemical bioactive compound with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. We aimed to evaluate the protective effects of TQ against DZN-induced hepatotoxicity through alleviating oxidative stress and enhancing cholinesterase (ChE) enzyme activity.

METHODS

Rats were randomly divided into six groups (n = 8); a negative control group receiving corn oil; a group only receiving DZN (20 mg/kg/day); a group treated with TQ (10 mg/kg/day), and three treatment groups as TQ + DZN, receiving different doses of TQ (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg/day). All experimental animals were orally treated for 28 consecutive days. The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) were determined. In addition, ChE activity and histopathological changes were evaluated.

RESULTS

The results showed that DZN decreased GSH level (p < 0.01) and SOD activity (p < 0.01) in parallel to an increase in MDA level (p < 0.01) and increased the activity of AST, ALT, ALP, and LDH (p < 0.01) in comparison to the negative control group. Our findings demonstrated that TQ administration could diminish hepatotoxicity and reduce oxidative damage in DZN-treated rats, which could be linked to its antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties. It was also observed that TQ 10 mg/kg remarkably increased the activity of acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, and SOD enzymes, elevated GSH, decreased MDA, and reduced pathological alternations of the liver induced by DZN.

CONCLUSION

Thymoquinone 10 mg/kg increased the activity of plasma and blood cholinesterases and reduced DZN-induced alternations of the liver. Improvement of butyryl- and acetylcholinesterase activity suggests that maybe TQ supplement could be beneficial as pre-exposure prophylaxis among farm workers spraying pesticides.

The effect of diazinon on blood glucose homeostasis: a systematic and meta-analysis study

Though evidence exists on the association between diazinon (DZN), an organophosphate pesticide, with hyperglycemia, contrasting reports also exist. Herein, we performed a systematic and meta-analysis study to address this issue. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Ovid Medline, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science up to April 5, 2020, searching for animal studies (rodents and fish) that assessed the impact of DZN on blood glucose concentration. The risk of bias was assessed by the SYRCLE's RoB scale. Once each article's quality was assessed, a random-effects meta-regression was used to pool the data into a meta-analysis. Heterogeneity between the studies was evaluated with the I square and Q test. Random-effect meta-analysis of 19 studies (I² = 90.5%, p < 0.001) indicated low heterogeneity between the studies. DZN significantly increased blood glucose levels in the exposed versus control groups (95% CI: 2.46-4.94; Z = 5.86; p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis indicated that the effect of high-dose (3.40 (95% CI: 2.03-4.76)) DZN on changes in blood glucose was more pronounced than in the low dose (4.83 (95% CI: 1.56-8.11)). It was also ascertained that the blood glucose level was significantly higher in females (3.55 (95% CI: 2.21-4.89)) versus males (4.87 (95% CI: 0.20-9.55)) exposed to DZN. No publication bias was observed. Sensitivity analysis showed the robustness of the (standardized mean differences: 3.26-4.03). Our findings establish an association between DZN exposure and hyperglycemia in rodents and fish, which is both dose- and gender-dependent.

The association between diazinon exposure and dyslipidemia occurrence: a systematic and meta-analysis study

The effects of diazinon (DZN), an organophosphate pesticide, on lipid profiles have been extensively reported. However, controversy on this issue persists. Here, we performed a systematic and meta-analysis study to investigate the association between DZN exposure and dyslipidemia in rodents and fish species. This systematic review was prepared according to the PRISMA guidelines. Main databases, including Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, and Web of Science, were systematically searched through March 4, 2020. The risk of bias was evaluated with the SYRCLE's RoB tool. Once all articles were assessed for scientific quality, a random-effects model was applied to perform a pooled analysis. I² and Q test were used to assess the heterogeneity between articles, and Forest plots, indicating point and pooled estimates, were drawn. Twenty-eight articles were included; between them, 13 publications were selected for meta-analysis. Random-effects meta-analysis showed low heterogeneity between the articles. A pooled analysis indicated that DZN significantly increased total cholesterol levels (95% CI: 0.86-3.79; Z = 3.10; p = 0.002), triglyceride (95% CI: 0.38-3.22; Z = 2.48; p = 0.09), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (95% CI: 0.25-2.85; Z = 2.34; p = 0.7) in the DZN vs. control groups. In addition, DZN significantly decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (95% CI: - 2.92, - 0.42; Z = 2.62; p = 0.07) in the DZN vs. control groups. No publication bias was observed. Our findings suggest that DZN induces dyslipidemia in rodents and fish species in a dose-dependent manner.

Comparative Study on the Influence of Some Medicinal Plants on Diabetes Induced by Streptozotocin in Male Rats

Medicinal plants have played an important role in the treatment of many diseases. Medicinal plants are believed to be well appropriate with the human body and to produce less side influences than the pharmaceuticals. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has abundant and wide variety of medicinal plants whose therapeutic effects have not been adequately studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the hypoglycemic activities of the extracts of three plant species collected from Albaha region of Saudi Arabia including Olea oleaster (Oleaceae family) leaves (OLE), Juniperus procera (Cupressaceae family) leaves (JLE), and Opuntia ficus-indica (Cactaceae family) stems (OSE) on streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic male rats. The animals were distributed into eight groups. The first group was used as normal control. The second group was diabetic control. Diabetic rats of the third, fourth, and fifth groups were supplemented with OLE, JLE, and OSE, respectively. Normal rats of the sixth, seventh, and eighth groups were treated with OLE, JLE, and OSE, respectively. As expected, the mean of body weight was significantly decreased in rats of the second group. Significant increase in the value of serum glucose and decline of insulin value were observed in rats of the second group. Several alterations of lipid and protein profile and oxidative stress markers were noted in diabetic control rats. Severe histopathological alterations of pancreatic tissues were observed in untreated diabetic rats. The obtained results showed that OLE, JLE, and OSE attenuated the physiological and histopathological alterations. These new data indicate that the attenuation influences of OLE, JLE, and OSE attributed to their antioxidant properties confirmed by oxidative stress markers evaluation.