No abstract

The present study was directed to evaluate the toxic effects of orally administered titanium dioxide naonparticles (TiO2) on liver of male albino rats and to evaluate the ameliorative effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Forty adult male albino rats were divided into 4 groups; control group, NAC group, TiO2 group and TiO2/ NAC group. Rats were administered either TiO2 (1200 mg kg −1 BW) or NAC (100 mg kg −1 BW) alone or together for 9 months. Blood was taken to evaluate serum changes in GPT, GOT and MDA levels. Liver tissues were examined for changes in MDA, GSH and changes in liver histopathology. Administration of TiO2 increased serum GPT, GOT and decreased MDA levels. Co-treatment of rats with NAC and TiO2 improved such significant changes induced by TiO2 alone. Moreover, significant time dependent increase in MDA and decrease in GSH levels in liver tissues were recorded. Liver histopathology showed vacuolar, hydropic degeneration and cell death of some hepatic cells. In conclusion, results confirmed the protective effect of NAC in amelioration of the biohazard effects induced by TiO2 in rats.

This study evaluates the 'effect of 50 Hz magnetic field' on the testicular gross morphology and histology, sperm morphology and meiotic chromosomes of adult Albino rats. The rats were divided into three groups; Control and two exposed groups to 0.15 mT and 20 mT. Thirty seven rats were included in each group. The exposure time lasted for 2 weeks, 3 days/week and 1/2 hour/day. After exposure, the rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation and handled for evaluation. One of the testes was examined for gross morphological and histopathological changes. The other one was handled for evaluation of meiotic chromosomal abnormalities in the spermatocytes. The sperms were extracted from the epididymis and vas deferens for morphological investigation. There were no observed gross morphological changes. The histopathological evaluation revealed a picture of maturation arrest at the level of the round spermatids with slight degenerative changes. These changes were more marked at the third group. The morphometric study showed reduction in the cellular surface area of the seminiferous tubules and an increase in the thickness of the basal lamina of seminiferous tubules, the 'number of the Leydig cells in the interstitial space' and the surface area of blood vessels. There was no effect on either the seminiferous tubular diameter, nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio of Leydig cells or the Sertoli cell number. The sperm morphological evaluation showed increase in the number of abnormal forms due to exposure. The chromosomal investigation showed also an increase in the chromosomal abnormalities after exposure.