Interest is growing in finding natural sources of effective antitumor agents that generate fewer side effects than conventional chemotherapeutic drugs. Avenanthramides (Avns) are such compounds; these phenolic molecules naturally occur in oats and have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative effects making them worthy of further research. The aim of this study is to characterise Avns' curative ability and antineoplastic activity on solid-form Ehrlich tumors. For the study, 75 female mice were randomly and equally allocated to five groups (group 1-control, group 2-DMSO, group 3-positive control receiving Avns, group 4-mice with Ehrlich solid tumor, and group 5-Ehrlich solid tumor treated with Avns). Mice with Ehrlich solid tumors exhibit increased tumor volume; elevated expression of AFP, ALT, AST, Bcl2, CEA, cholesterol, creatinine, urea, MDA, PCNA, potassium, triglycerides, TNF-α, and NF-κB; and a concomitant decline in catalase, GSH, P53, and SOD. In the mice with Ehrlich tumors who received Avns, there appeared to be improvement in NF-κB TNF-α, tumor markers (AFP and CEA), electrolytes, liver and kidney function enzymes, and lipid profiles; reduced MDA level; improved antioxidant parameters; normalised liver protein, P53, and PCNA; and reduced Bcl2 expression. Pathological examination of tumor lesions also indicated improvement. These results suggest that Avns exhibit antineoplastic activity and possess antioxidant properties that enhance the antioxidant defence system, thus reducing the oxidative stress caused by Ehrlich solid tumors.

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The mammalian suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) controls the circadian rhythm of many physiological and behavioral events by an orchestrated output of the electrical activity of SCN neurons. We examined the propagation of output signals from the SCN into the hypothalamus, especially into the region of the paraventricular nucleus, through multimicroelectrode recordings using acute and organotypic brain slices. Circadian rhythms in spontaneous firing rate with a period close to 24 hr were demonstrated in the SCN, in directly adjacent hypothalamic regions, and in the region of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, an important center for the integration of neuroendocrine, homeostatic, and autonomic functions. The activity rhythms recorded from structures outside of the SCN were in phase with the rhythms in the SCN. Cyclic information in the hypothalamus was lost after ablation of the SCN but could be restored by SCN grafts, indicating that a humoral factor is responsible for the restoration of circadian rhythmicity in the absence of neural connections. Periodic application of arginine-vasopressin (AVP) provided evidence that AVP can induce rhythmicity in the hypothalamus. These data indicate that the SCN uses a dual (neuronal and humoral) mechanism for communication with its targets in the brain.

The thyroid hormone has few serious effects on the testes except during the neonatal stage. There is little knowledge concerning the prolonged effect of thyroid hormone deficiency throughout the rat's life span and its effect on spermatogenesis. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is a nuclear matrix protein, which is essential for multiple cell cycle pathways. Here we used PCNA immunohistochemistry as a marker to differentiate between the testes of control and hypothyroid rats. About 20 rats were equally divided into 2 groups; the first group was the control group, while the second group was the experimental group in which rats were fed 0.05% 6-n-propyl thiouracil (PTU) in drinking water for 6 weeks. Immunohistochemistry, using an antibody against PCNA, showed at least 3 differences in the pattern of PCNA immunoreactivity (PCNA-ir). First, PCNA-ir was not detected in Sertoli and Leydig cells in the testes of control rats and detected in some of the hypothyroid rats. Second, in the control group more than 96% of spermatogonia were PCNA-positive cells; however, hypothyroidism caused the reduction to approximately 25% PCNA staining in spermatogonia. The third difference was in the abnormal distribution of spermatogonia seen in the hypothyroid rat testis, not in the control one. These results suggest that prepubertal hypothyroidism affects the proliferation of spermatogenic cells leading to impaired spermatogenesis and that PCNA index is a useful marker for assessing germ cell kinetics and spermatogenesis in prepubertal hypothyroidism.

Boldenone (BOL) is a derivative of the testosterone that has dual effects on humans, both directly and indirectly; directly as injection to build muscles and indirectly as through consuming meat of animals that where treated with BOL. However, the action of these steroids on different body organs structures is still unclear; therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the intramuscular injection of BOL undecylenate on the different organ structures. A total of 10 adult New Zealand rabbits were divided into two main groups, the first group was the control group, which includes animals that were injected intramuscularly with olive oil and the second group included animals that received two intramuscular injections of 5 mg/kg body weight BOL dissected after 6 weeks. Our results showed that intramuscular injection of rabbits with BOL showed hypertrophy in both skeletal and cardiac muscles, disturbances of the hepatocytes radially arranged cords with multifocal hepatocellular vacuolations in the liver, glomerulus mass reduction with multifocal glomerular injury in the kidney, disturbances of the cycle of spermatogenesis in the testes. In conclusion, using BOL, while preparing for a young bodybuilding contest, may cause an alteration in the histological structure of most of the body organs; these findings suggested that especially young people who misuse anablic androgenic steroids should be careful if they want to use such steroids to enhance their strength and endurance.

Amethopterin is used as a chemotherapeutic agent, and its antioxidant activity is used to treat many cancer types. This study aimed to study the ameliorating effect of L-carnitine against amethopterin-induced cardiac injury and oxidative stress in male rats. Sixty male albino rats were equally divided into six groups; the first and second groups were the control and L-carnitine groups, respectively, while the third group was treated with amethopterin rat group; the fourth and fifth groups were co-treated and post-treated with amethopterin rat with L-carnitine, respectively, and the sixth group was self-treated with amethopterin rat group. Cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), glutathione, and total protein levels in amethopterin group showed a significant decrease when compared with control group, while high-density lipoprotein (HDL), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase, and nitric oxide (NO) levels in amethopterin group showed a significant increase when compared with control group. Cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, GOT, MDA, and catalase levels in the self-treated group showed a significant increase when compared with amethopterin group, while glutathione, total protein, and NO levels in the self-treated group showed significant decrease when compared with amethopterin group. Many of abnormalities as moderate hydrophobic changes of myofibrillar structure with striations, myocardial atrophy, cytoplasmic vacuoles, edema, and leukocyte infiltration were detected in cardiac tissues in amethopterin rat group. A significant increase of the apoptotic protein p53 and CD68 immunoreactivity, despite a significant decrease in the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins after amethopterin injection when compared with control group, was observed. Treatment (co and post) with L-carnitine improved the biochemical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical alterations in the heart treated with amethopterin.

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Cancer is the major cause of death and many factors that lead to its occurrences, such as environmental pollution and pesticides and other factors. Ehrlich carcinoma development depends on many things associated with the environment, nutrition, personal habits, and family history. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential protective effects of vitamin B17 (VB17) against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) that induced kidney toxicity in female mice. The mice were divided into five groups (first group, control group; second group, VB17 group; third group, EAC group; fourth group, pretreated EAC with VB17; fifth group, cotreated EAC with VB17). Results showed the VB17 in pretreated (G4) and cotreated (G5) groups lead to an improvement in DNA damage and cytological examination, in addition significantly (P < .05) increase in Na+, red blood cell, hemoglobin, hematocrit value, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and MCH concentration, whereas significantly (P < .05) decrease in urea, creatinine, K+, platelets, and white blood cells while insignificant (P < .05) changes in mean corpuscular volume when compared to the EAC group. Many histopathological changes were observed in kidney sections in EAC as marked damage and degenerated, glomerular atrophy, the Malpighian corpuscles that lost their characteristic configuration. On the other hand, a moderate improvement and arrangement in the kidney histological structure in pretreated VB17 + EAC, while a mild enhancement and arrangement of the kidney structure in cotreated EAC + VB17. In addition, depletion in renal P53 and PCNA protein expression compared with the EAC group. It could be concluded that VB17 has a potential renal protective effect against EAC cells induced kidney injury.