Ionizing radiation is a major contributor to male infertility by destroying spermatogenesis. Therefore, the need for an effective radio-protective agent is evident. The objective of the present study was to investigate the potential radio-protective effect of ferulic acid (FA) on radiation-induced testicular damage. Mature male Sprague-Dawley rats were either exposed to a single-dose gamma radiation (5 Gy) and/or treated with FA (50 mg/kg), daily for 7 days before irradiation. Sirtuin1 (SIRT1), poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1), cytosolic calcium content, and the male reproductive functions (sperm head abnormality) as well as oxidative stress markers were assessed 7 days after irradiation. FA significantly maintained active spermatogenesis. Moreover, it reversed the oxidative stress effects of irradiation. The irradiated group showed marked elevation in both PARP1 expression and activity as well as in cytosolic calcium concentration, whereas SIRT1 activity and expression markedly decreased; in contrast, FA treatment prevented these alterations. Results of histopathological examination of testicular tissues indicated coincidence with those recorded by biochemical analyses. Our data show for the first time that FA had radio-protective effect against radiation-induced testicular damage. It improved spermatogenesis through increasing testicular SIRT1 and testosterone levels and decreasing oxidative stress, PARP1, and cytosolic calcium.

The objectives of the present study were to investigate strain identification of Echinococcus granulosus infecting camel and human in Qalyubia, Egypt. Therefore partial sequences were generated after gel purification of nested PCR amplified products of mitochondrial NADH 1gene of Echinococcus granulosus complex. Sequences were further examined by sequence analysis and subsequent phylogeny to compare these sequences to those from known strains of E.granulosus circulating globally and retrieved from GenBank. All isolates are homologous to the camel strain, E. canadensis (G6) genotype. Nucleotide mutations generate polymorphism at position of 275 nucleotide, where a thymine replaced a cytosine and at the levels of 385 and 386 nucleotides, where two cytosine substituted a guanine and a thymine respectively. KF815488 Egypt showed typical identity (99.5%) with JN637176 Sudan, HM853659 Iran, AF386533 France and AJ237637 Poland with 0.5% diversion.. Phylogenetic analysis showed a robust tree clustering all isolates with sequences belonging to the camel genotype (G6) variant with strong bootstrap values at relevant nodes and the evolutionary distance between groups is very short. There are two mutations in the sequences of amino acids at the position of 92, where an Alanine is changed to a Valine and at the position of 129, where a Valine is transformed to a Proline. Our record of a single genotype determined a strain which could be incriminated for camel and human infectivity and responsible for its persistence in the endemic areas. Such epidemiological data could guide the application of efficient control strategies of hydatidosis in Egypt.

No abstract

No abstract

Cisplatin (CP) and/ or radiation exposures cause oxidative stress, which induced liver toxicity. The present study was undertaken to explore if fish oil (FO) and /or selenium nano particles (SeNPs) can minimize CP-induced hepatotoxicity and other side effects. Rats were either treated with SeNPs (0.5 mg/kg) and /or FO (2 mg/Kg) for 12 days before treatment with CP (10 mg/Kg) and/ or exposure to γ-rays (0.7Gy).The results of the present study revealed that rats treated with CP and /or γ-radiation showed an increase in the level of IL6, renin and the expression of angiotensinogen , xanthine oxidase (XO) and NF-κB protein along with a decrease in (Nrf2) protein expression as well as, the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Fish oil and /or selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) treatment prior to CP and/ or radiation exposure normalized these parameters. Our findings suggest that FO together with SeNPs could be used as protective supplements against toxicity associated with ionizing radiation and CP due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties.