The protective effect of fluted pumpkin seeds against atrazine-induced testicular injury

Eyelash serums: A comprehensive review

BACKGROUND

Eyelash serums, both prescription and over-the-counter, are gaining popularity for enhancing the appearance of eyelashes through various biologically active molecules. Categorized into prostaglandin analogs and non-prostaglandin analogs, these serums claim increased strength, length, luster, and thickness. Current United States law also requires no efficacy or safety assessments by the Food and Drug Administration before approving products for consumer use, potentially posing health risks for patients seeking over-the-counter eyelash enhancements.

AIMS

Our aims include exploring proposed benefits and adverse effects associated with eyelash serums, while providing evidence-based clinical recommendations on their use. We aim to contribute valuable insights to the understanding of eyelash serums and their respective safety considerations.

METHODS

The authors conducted a comprehensive electronic search across databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central, and Google Scholar to evaluate eyelash serum ingredients. Articles were evaluated by two independent researchers for relevance, and the ingredients discussed were analyzed and given clinical recommendations for eyelash serums based off the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine.

RESULTS

Results highlight bimatoprost's efficacy, supported by numerous studies evaluating safety and adverse effects. Other prostaglandin ingredients show potential benefits, but further studies are encouraged to enhance the understanding of respective safety profiles. While non-prostaglandins ingredients show promising data, more studies are needed due to a lack of formal evidence in eyelash serum use.

CONCLUSION

As the cosmeceutical market for eyelash serums is growing, dermatologists need to be knowledgeable about evidence-based information regarding prescription and over-the-counter eyelash serum products before making recommendations to patients.

Influence of triazines and lipopolysaccharide coexposure on inflammatory response and histopathological changes in the testis and liver of BalB/c mice

Background

Triazines are environmental active chemicals that have been reported to alter the inflammatory status of the gonads. We tested the anti-inflammatory effect of the triazines (atrazine; ATZ, simazine; SMZ and cyanazine; CYZ) on the testis and compared it with the more classical liver model that has substantial populations of resident macrophages comparable to the testis.

Methods

BalB/c mice were treated with 25 mg/kg ATZ, SMZ and CYZ for 30 days and injected with lipopolysaccharide (0.5 mg/kg i.p.) 6 h before sacrifice. Myeloperoxidase activity and nitric oxide level in the testis and liver homogenates were determined by spectrophotometry whereas tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 concentrations were evaluated by immunoassay. Haematoxylin and eosin stained sections of the tissues were observed using a light microscope.

Results

Myeloperoxidase activity, nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-6 levels were decreased in the liver and testis of the triazines co-treated animals. SMZ has the most potent inhibitory effect and ATZ the least effect on inflammatory mediators in both tissues. Microscopic evaluation showed loss of inflammatory cells in the inter-tubular areas of the testis and few patchy masses of infiltrating inflammatory cells around the central vein of the liver.

Conclusion

Triazines inhibit the levels of inflammatory mediators in the testis and liver of mice. The anti-inflammatory effect of triazines in a lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation model was established in this study.

Testosterone restores TM3 and TM4 cell viability, reduces reactive oxygen species generation, and protects against atrazine-induced stereological changes in rat testes

In this study, we performed the stereological examination of rat testes and evaluated the protective effect of testosterone against atrazine (ATZ) toxicity in TM3 Leydig and TM4 Sertoli cells. Testosterone intake in rats increased the volumetric density of the seminiferous tubules; tubular diameter; germinal epithelial height; number of spermatogonia, primary and secondary spermatocytes, round spermatids, Sertoli cells, and Leydig cells; and Johnsen scores compared with the values after ATZ treatment (p < 0.05). Furthermore, testosterone increased the viability of TM3 cells and reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in TM4 cells compared to the ATZ-treated group. In conclusion, exogenous testosterone intake maintains testicular morphometry and spermatogenesis in rats, and minimizes cell death and ROS generation in testicular cell lines exposed to ATZ. However, TM4 cells are more responsive to testosterone-mediated regulation of ROS generation induced by ATZ than TM3 cells.

Atrazine: cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, apoptosis, testicular effects and chemopreventive Interventions

Atrazine (ATZ) is an environmental pollutant that interferes with several aspects of mammalian cellular processes including germ cell development, immunological, reproductive and neurological functions. At the level of human exposure, ATZ reduces sperm count and contribute to infertility in men. ATZ also induces morphological changes similar to apoptosis and initiates mitochondria-dependent cell death in several experimental models. When in vitro experimental models are exposed to ATZ, they are faced with increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), cytotoxicity and decreased growth rate at dosages that may vary with cell types. This results in differing cytotoxic responses that are influenced by the nature of target cells, assay types and concentrations of ATZ. However, oxidative stress could play salient role in the observed cellular and genetic toxicity and apoptosis-like effects which could be abrogated by antioxidant vitamins and flavonoids, including vitamin E, quercetin, kolaviron, myricetin and bioactive extractives with antioxidant effects. This review focuses on the differential responses of cell types to ATZ toxicity, testicular effects of ATZ in both in vitro and in vivo models and chemopreventive strategies, so as to highlight the current state of the art on the toxicological outcomes of ATZ exposure in several experimental model systems.

Atrazine Toxicity: The Possible Role of Natural Products for Effective Treatment

There are various herbicides which were used in the agriculture industry. Atrazine (ATZ) is a chlorinated triazine herbicide that consists of a ring structure, known as the triazine ring, along with a chlorine atom and five nitrogen atoms. ATZ is a water-soluble herbicide, which makes it capable of easily infiltrating into majority of the aquatic ecosystems. There are reports of toxic effects of ATZ on different systems of the body but, unfortunately, majority of these scientific reports were documented in animals. The herbicide was reported to enter the body through various routes. The toxicity of the herbicide can cause deleterious effects on the respiratory, reproductive, endocrine, central nervous system, gastrointestinal, and urinary systems of the human body. Alarmingly, few studies in industrial workers showed ATZ exposure leading to cancer. We embarked on the present review to discuss the mechanism of action of ATZ toxicity for which there is no specific antidote or drug. Evidence-based published literature on the effective use of natural products such as lycopene, curcumin, Panax ginseng, Spirulina platensis, Fucoidans, vitamin C, soyabeans, quercetin, L-carnitine, Telfairia occidentalis, vitamin E, Garcinia kola, melatonin, selenium, Isatis indigotica, polyphenols, Acacia nilotica, and Zingiber officinale were discussed in detail. In the absence of any particular allopathic drug, the present review may open the doors for future drug design involving the natural products and their active compounds.

Intake of Fluted Pumpkin Seeds Rebalances Oxidative Stress Parameters in the Aged Rat’s Testes

The effect of fluted pumpkin seeds (FPS) consumption on the antioxidant status of the testes of aged Wistar rats was evaluated in this study. Sixty (50 aged, 6 months old, and 10 young, 2 months old) rats were divided into six groups of 10 per each group. Testosterone (15 mg kg-1 body weight, once weekly for 40 days) was injected intraperitoneally and used as positive control. FPS intake (50, 100, and 200 mg kg-1 body weight) or vehicle control (corn oil) were administered orally, twice weekly for 40 days and compared with the untreated aged and young control rats. Changes in antioxidant status in the testis of the aged rats was reflected as increased superoxide dismutase and catalase activities and glutathione and decreased lipid peroxidation levels which were attenuated more efficiently by the lowest dose FPS (50 mg kg-1 body weight). Additionally, nitrite concentration that was found to be diminished in the aged rats was raised to the young control values after intake of the FPS (50 mg kg-1 body weight). As expected, testosterone injection increased endogenous testosterone concentration and also remained higher in the untreated aged animals than in young control and treated aged rats. In conclusion, compromised antioxidant defense system of the testes that is associated with ageing could be reversed to the status of the young control by the intake of FPS.

Dietary myricetin assuages atrazine-mediated hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis dysfunction in rats

Atrazine (ATZ) exposure is associated with reproductive dysfunction in both animals and humans. Myricetin, a flavonoid compound, is well documented for its numerous pharmacological activities. However, the impact of myricetin on the atrazine-mediated dysfunctional hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis is not known. This study investigated the role of myricetin on the atrazine-induced alterations in the male reproductive axis in rats orally gavaged with ATZ alone (50 mg/kg) or co-treated with ATZ + myricetin (MYR) at 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg for 30 consecutive days. Myricetin assuaged ATZ-induced reductions in intra-testicular testosterone, serum follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and testosterone, coupled with decreases in alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities. Also, MYR treatment improved epididymal sperm count and motility and decreased sperm defects in ATZ-treated rats. Testicular sperm number, daily sperm production, and sperm viability remained unchanged in all treatment groups. Administration of MYR abated ATZ-mediated depletion in antioxidant status, an increase in myeloperoxidase activity, nitric oxide, hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde levels, and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, as well as the histological lesions in the hypothalamus, epididymis, and testes of treated animals. All in all, MYR mitigated atrazine-mediated functional changes in the reproductive axis via anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms in atrazine-exposed rats. Dietary intake of MYR could be a worthy chemoprotective approach against reproductive dysfunction related to ATZ exposure.

Fluted pumpkin seeds protect the spermatogenesis score index and testicular histology of caffeine treated rats

The present study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of fluted pumpkin seeds (FPS) against caffeine (CAFF) induced testicular toxicity in rats. Thirty young healthy male Wistar rats (196 ± 12 g) were randomly organized into five sets of six animals per each group: control, caffeine (CAFF; 50 mg kg-1 bw) and FPS co-treatment groups (CAFF + 50 mg FPS, CAFF + 100 mg FPS and CAFF + 200 mg FPS kg-1  bw). CAFF and FPS were administered daily and twice per week respectively by oral gavage for 40 days. CAFF treatment decreased testicular lactate dehydrogenase enzyme activity level, which was attenuated on co-administration with FPS at 50 and 100 mg kg-1  bw. Furthermore, CAFF decreased seminiferous epithelia thickness and spermatogenesis score index and increased the number of tubules with abnormal histological features, which were attenuated on co-administration with FPS at 50 mg kg-1  bw much more than at the higher doses (p < 0.05). CAFF did not affect malondialdehyde and glutathione concentrations and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the testes whereas FPS co-treatment at the higher doses elevated glutathione level and GSH-Px activity and did not affect spermatogenesis score index at the highest dose (200 mg kg-1  bw). Testicular malondialdehyde concentrations remained unaffected in all FPS co-treatment groups. Overall, FPS is able to minimize the CAFF-induced testicular injury at lower than at the higher tested doses.

Evaluation of the toxicological effects of atrazine-metolachlor in male rats: in vivo and in silico studies

The types and mechanisms of atrazine-metolachlor toxicity, an herbicide composed of atrazine (ATR) and metolachlor (MET), need to be further investigated. This study evaluated the toxic actions of ATR-MET by in vivo and in silico methods. Here, varying doses of ATR-MET were orally administered to rats once daily for twenty-one days using normal saline as control. Molecular docking was used to characterize the binding of ATR and MET with androgen receptor (AR) to predict their potential endocrine-disrupting effects, using testosterone as benchmark. ATR-MET-induced-testicular toxicity (reduced sperm motility, count, and daily sperm production and increased live/dead ratio) was accompanied with testicular oxidative stress (diminished level of reduced glutathione, activities of glutathione-S-transferase, superoxide dismutase and catalase and increased level of malondialdehyde). Furthermore, ATR-MET induced cardiovascular toxicity (increased levels of plasma total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides) with concomitant induction of renal toxicity (increased plasma creatinine and urea levels), and hepatotoxicity (increased plasma bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase). Binding energy and amino acid interactions from in silico study revealed that MET possessed endocrine-disrupting capacity. In conclusion, exposure to atrazine-metolachlor could promote cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, as well as reproductive impairment in experimental male albino rats.

Curcumin improves the protective effects of quercetin against atrazine-induced testicular injury in adult Wistar rats

This study evaluated the beneficial protective effect of cotreatment of curcumin (CUR) and quercetin (QUE) on atrazine (ATZ)-induced testicular toxicity in rats. ATZ challenge diminished luteinizing hormone, follicular stimulating hormone, testosterone and myeloperoxidase enzyme activity, but these effects were attenuated on co-treatment with CUR and QUE. Also, co-treatment of CUR + QUE was better than separate administration of QUE at diminishing malondialdehyde and glutathione and improving tumour necrosis factor-α concentration, germ cell numbers (spermatogonia, spermatocytes and round spermatids) and epididymal sperm quality. Histologically, smaller sized tubules with degenerated epithelia and few germ cells were seen in the seminiferous tubules of the ATZ group whereas CUR + QUE pretreatment improved the histo-morphologic features of the tubules compared to the ATZ group and was also better than separate administration of QUE. We conclude that CUR can improve the protective effects of QUE against ATZ-induced testicular injury by enhancing the levels of reproductive hormones, recovering testicular biochemical parameters and improving the histological features of the testes.

Pumpkin seed oil vs. minoxidil 5% topical foam for the treatment of female pattern hair loss: A randomized comparative trial

BACKGROUND

Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) is an annual climber plant, and its seeds have considerable amount of oil with nutritional and medicinal importance.

AIM

The present study aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of pumpkin seed oil (PSO) in the treatment of female pattern hair loss (FPHL) and compare its effects with minoxidil 5% foam.

METHODS

Patients with FPHL were randomly assigned to pumpkin seed oil (n = 30; group A) or minoxidil 5% foam (n = 30; group B) for a period of 3 months. Patients were evaluated clinically and dermoscopically at baseline, at one and half months, and at the end of the 3-month study.

RESULTS

Among group A (pumpkin seed oil) candidates, a significant decrease was observed in hair shaft diversity before and after treatment (30.5 ± 6.2%, 24.0 ± 4.02, P < .001, respectively) as well as in the vellus hairs (22.5 ± 4.9, 15.8 ± 2.2, P < .001, respectively). Upright regrowing hairs significantly increased from (0.13 ± 0.5) before treatment to (0.9 ± 1.0) after treatment (P < .001). In group B (minoxidil applying) candidates, a significant decrease was observed in hair shaft diversity before and after treatment (31.5 ± 6.3%, 21.3 ± 2.2, P < .001, respectively) as well as in the vellus hairs (24.7 ± 6.4, 19.5 ± 5.4, P = .02, respectively). Conclusion Findings of the present trial provide evidence of a promising potential role of PSO in treating FPHL.