Background: Carisoprodol is a generally prescribed skeletal muscle relaxant whose primary active metabolite is meprobamate, a substance with well-established abuse potential similar to that of benzodiazepines. A number of reports showed that carisoprodol has been abused for its anodyne and relaxant effects. Aim: The diversion and misuse of carisoprodol and its adverse health effects appeared to be dramatically increased over the last several years. This study aimed to detect the histological and histochemical changes in the cortex of renal tissue of pregnant rats and their fetuses after treatment with carisoprodol. Materials and Methods: Thirty pregnant female rats were randomly categorized into three groups (ten pregnant female rats in each group). The first was administered oral doses of distilled water and served as control. The other two groups were administered oral doses of carisoprodol (Somadril compound) in the distilled water equivalent to 10.8 and 21.6 mg/100g body weight/day respectively for 15 days from the 6 th day to the 20 th day of gestation. Results: Maternal and fetal renal cortex tissue of both treated groups showed lots of degenerative changes post-treatment with carisoprodol. The severity of these changes was more obvious in fetal cortex of renal tissue of both groups this was accompanied with numerous histochemical changes. Conclusion: Treatment of pregnant rats with carisoprodol led to numerous dystrophic changes in the maternal and fetal renal cortex tissue. These findings provide evidence to support current recommendations to avoid the use of carisoprodol in pregnant rats except if the potential benefit justifies the risk to the fetuses.

Aim of the work: the present work aimed to study the comparative histology of some fresh water fishes inhabiting the Nile River in Egypt. These fishes have different dial activities; Oreochromis niloticus is diurnal,while Clarias gariepinus, Bagrus bajad and Chrysichthys auratus are nocturnal. Results: the retinae of all studied fishes (O. niloticus,C. gariepinus, B. bajad and Ch. auratus) are composed of ten layers. These layers are the inner limiting membrane (ILM), nerve fiber layer (NFL), ganglion cell layer (GCL), inner plexiform layer (IPL), inner nuclear layer (INL), outer plexiform layer (OPL), outer nuclear layer (ONL), outer limiting membrane (OLM), photoreceptor layer (PL) and pigmented epithelial layer (PE). The histological structure showed three types of the photoreceptors (single and double cones as well as single rods) in Oreochromis niloticus. The pigment epithelium layer in C. gariepinus, B.bajad and Ch. auratus completely hides the photoreceptors. A considerable variation was recorded between the different studied fishes in the whole retinal thickness as well as their retinal layers. Conclusion: Whole retinal thickness in O. niloticus (diurnal activity) is large in comparison with that of the other three siluriform fishes (nocturnal activity).

This work aimed to study the biochemical, histopathological and histochemical changes in the testes of male albino rats post exposure to 4 Gy of gamma radiation and the possible radioprotective role of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA). Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) is a blue-green microalgal species which has antioxidant properties. The current experiment was carried out on 48 adult male albino rats (Rattus rattus). Rats were randomly and equally categorized into four groups: 1) Group C: control rats left without treatment; 2) Group R: rats were exposed to 4Gy of gamma-radiation as a single dose; 3) Group AFA: rats were terated orally with 94.5mg/kg body weight/ day AFA for 3 weeks and 4) Group AFA+R: rats were administrated AFA for a period of one week before and three weeks after irradiation. Results obtained in the present study showed that exposed rats showed a significant increase in MDA in the testes, but decreased testosterone level was detected versus the control. Many histopathological lesions were observed in the testes tissue such as disturbed spermatogenic layers with vacuolated spermatogenic cells, presence of polynucleated cells, absence of mature sperms, oedema in the interstitial spaces, congested testicular arteries with thickened, dilated and corrugated walls of them, they also contained hemolysed blood cells with highly reduced, atrophied and distorted Leydig cells in the interstitial spaces. Irradiated groups showed highly increased collagen fibres under the testicular capsule, basement membranes, Leydig cells and around the blood vessels with signs of fibrosis in the capsule and some seminiferous tubules. In addition, irradiated group induced a significant increase in amyloid βprotein, while a significant decrease in PAS+ve materials, total protein and total DNA content was detected. AFA administration ameliorated the damaging effects of testes of radiation exposed rats. Conclusion: according to the results obtained in the current study using Aphanizomenon flos-aquae as a natural agent showed a strong radioprotective role.

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Background:diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder in the endocrine system with a common biochemical manifestation, thus hyper-glycemia is a disturbed carbohydrate metabolism. This work aimed to evaluate the role of antidiabetic and hypoglycemic drug glibenclamide as a chemical agent and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae extract as a natural agent on lymphoid organs such as lymph nodes and spleen in the diabetic (type-2) white male albino rats. Material and methods -Fifty male albino rats were used and categorized into five groups; group 1: control (C), group 2:Alloxan induced diabetic rats (D) (150 mg/kg b .wt); group 3:diabetic rats treated with daonil (D+Do)(daonil 5 mg/kg b.wt/day); group 4:Aphanizomenon flos-aquae extract (AFA)(94.5mg/kg b.wt/day) and group 5:diabetic rats treated with Aphanizomenon flos -aquae extract(94.5mg/kg b.wt/day) (AFA+D). All groups were dissected after 30 days of treatment. Lymph nodes and spleen samples were taken for histological and histochemical studies. Blood samples were taken for measurement of serum glucose and serum insulin level. Results-Diabetic male rats showed very highly significant increase in the serum glucose level, while non significant increase was recorded in the other treated groups in comparison with the control group.Diabetic male rats showed highly significant decrease in the serum insulin level as compared to the control group. Conversely, treatment of diabetic rats with daonil showed a significant increase in the levels of serum insulin. On the other hand non significant increase in the serum insulin was observed in AFA or AFA+D groups in comparison with the control group. Many histopathological and histochemical changes were observed in the lymph nodes and spleen of the diabetic rats, but using AFA extract succeeded to minimize the drastic changes which were observed in the lymph nodes and spleen of the diabetic rats more than that observed with glibenclamide. Conclusionglibenclamide (daonil) as asynthetic drug and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae extract as a natural product ameliorated biochemical, histopathological and histochemical changes in the lymph nodes and splenic tissues of the diabetic rats.Aphanizomenon flos-aquae extract proved to be antidiabetic agent better than daonil drug and its antidiabetic action may be due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and hypoglycemic action.

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Objective: Lately, gum Arabic (GA) is traditionally used in Middle East countries to ameliorate renal function of patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). This action is controversial and it is still experimentally under evaluation. We aimed to shed more light on the potential effects of GA against γ-rays-induced nephrotoxicity in irradiated rats. Forty-eight male albino Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: control group(C), irradiated groups (R) 5Gy, gum Arabic groups (GA) 25 mg/kg orally administrated for 3 weeks, and GA+R groups, rats were treated orally with 25 mg /kg GA for one week before and three weeks after irradiation (GA+R). The experimental rats were sacrificed after 7 and 21 days of irradiation.Histochemical examination of kidney cortex tissue of R groups showed significantly decreased PAS-positive materials, total protein content, and total DNA content, but it significantly increased amyloid β-protein content relative to the control group. While treatment with GA before and after irradiation showed a nonsignificant change in PAS-positive materials and the content of total protein, total DNA, and amyloid βprotein throughout the examined kidney cortex. According to the results obtained in the current study using GA as a natural agent showed a strong cytoprotective effect against the histochemical changes due to its radioprotective effect.