No abstract

Lead is an industrial pollutant that may exert specific toxic effect on mammals. The aim of study was to investigate the protective effect of vit. E and pumpkin seeds oil on male reproductive system of albino rat induced by lead toxicity , the studying toxic effect of lead on body weight , testis weight, Glutathione, Glutathione-s-transferase, lipid peroxide, testosterone, lead residue , sperm gram, Nrf2 gene expression and histopathological change in testes of rat. Sixty male albino rats randomly divided into 4 groups. Group I was given olive oil 3 times a week orally, group II was given 1.5 g/L lead acetate daily in drinking water, group III was given lead acetate plus 600 mg/kg/ bwt vit. E orally 3 times a week, while group IV was given lead acetate plus 288 mg/kg/bwt pumpkin seeds oil orally 3 time a week. The experiment was extended for 8 weeks. Our results revealed significant decrease in body weight, GSH, GST, testosterone hormone level and sperm viability, and significant increase in MDA, concentration of lead, sperm abnormality and expression of Nrf2 gene in group II without any significant changes in testis and epididymis weight. Moreover, the pathological changes in testes showed focal degeneration with loss of spermatogenic series in the seminiferous tubules. All above mentioned result were significantly improved in group III & IV. In conclusion, vitamin E and pumpkin seeds oil have a protective effect on the testicular damage induced by lead.

Tannins (TAs) are an anti-nutritional substance commonly used as a natural feed additive for livestock. However, our previous study described the dose-dependent adverse effects of TA on immune responses and growth in chickens. In this study, we evaluated the protective effects of a probiotic preparation (BT) consisting of three different bacteria ( Bacillus mesenteric, Clostridium butyricum, and Streptococcus faecalis ) against TA-induced immunosuppression in chickens. Forty chicks were divided into 4 groups as follows: the CON group (basal diet), BT group supplemented with 3 g BT/kg diet, tannic acid (TA) group supplemented with 30 g TA/kg diet, and BT+TA group supplemented with 3 g BT/kg diet + 30 g TA/kg diet. The feeding trial lasted for 35 days. Lymphocyte subset, macrophage phagocytosis, cytokine mRNA expression, and primary and secondary IgY immune responses were evaluated. BT supplementation significantly improved TA-induced reductions in final body weight, body weight gain, feed intake, and relative weights of lymphoid organs compared with the TA group. Furthermore, in the spleen and cecal tonsil (CT), the relative populations of CD4 + , CD8 + , and CD4 + CD8 + cells in the BT+TA group were significantly ameliorated compared with the TA group. Additionally, comparison with the TA group showed that the chickens in the BT+TA group had an improved relative population of B cells in the CT and that macrophage phagocytosis in the spleen was significantly increased. Chickens in the BT+TA group showed significant increases in IFN-γ and IL-4 mRNA expression in the spleen compared with the TA group. The primary and secondary IgY responses were significantly improved. These results revealed that supplementation with BT protects against TA-induced immunosuppression in chickens.