Thymoquinone (TQ) is a phytochemical compound found in the plant Nigella sativa. It has antioxidant and anti-cancer effects. This study investigated the effects of TQ on obesity and testicular structure of high-fat-diet (HFD) fed rats. Obese control (OC) and obese thymoquinone (OT) groups were fed a special diet containing 40% of total calories from fat. Non-obese control (NC) and non-thymoquinone (NT) groups were fed a standard diet for nine weeks. Then, intraperitoneal TQ injections were carried out to the OT and NT groups for six weeks and testes were removed. Catalase and myeloperoxidase activity were determined in rat testis tissue. Stereological, histopathological, and immunohistochemical changes were evaluated in the testes of the rats. In stereological studies, mean volumes of testis and seminiferous tubules, the number of spermatogenic cells and also Leydig cells in the OC group were reduced, but these values significantly increased in the OT group. Apoptotic cells were observed in the OC group in comparison to the OT group. The number of healthy sperms were reduced in the OC group, whereas the majority showed anomalies in the head, neck, and tail. The number of healthy sperm was increased and the anomalies significantly reduced by using TQ in both the NT, and especially the OT group. TQ like antioxidants may improve fertility by means of increasing the healthy sperm number and preventing sperm anomalies.

Oxidative stress is one of the main reasons of both menopause and diabetes. So, it plays crucial role in the pathogeneses of that condition and disease. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of menopause and diabetes upon the hippocampus using a rat model. Adult female Sprague Dawley rats (n = 24) were allocated randomly as follows; control (C group) ovariectomized (O group), diabetic (D group) and ovariectomy plus diabetic groups (DO group) (n = 6; in each group), respectively. For evaluating the results, tissue biochemistry and stereological analysis were made. Biochemistry results (lipid peroxidase (LPO); catalase (CAT); superoxide dismutase (SOD); total glutatyon (GSH); and myeloperoxidase (MPO) values) in Group C-DO were determined as 12.27, 21.88, 23.08 and 29.90 nmol/gr tissue; 59.3, 70.06, 69.7 and 78.1 mmol/min/mg tissue; 174.2, 156.4, 159.7 and 154.6 mmol/min/mg tissue; 3.63, 3.61, 4.21 and 3.97 nmol/mg tissue; and 5.05, 5.68, 5.58 and 6.19 µmol/min/mg tissue, respectively. Moreover, both menopause and diabetes led to change of lipid profiles. There were significant differences between the control and other groups (Group C and D-DO) (p < 0.01) and among experimental groups (p < 0.01) in terms of neuron number. When the volumes of the hippocampus were compared, there were no significant differences between the all groups (P > 0.05). At this point, we suggested that diabetes could aggravate deleterious effects of ovariectomy.

We studied with quantitative and microscopical methods the heart of rats divided into five age groups: embryos at the age of 11 days, fetuses at the age of 16 days and 20 days and also heart samples of 3-day-old pups and young adults (5 weeks of age) were used (n = 10 samples in each group). At the end of the study; heart samples were obtained from all animals. Stereological estimations were performed on heart volume, volume of heart lumen (ventricles and atria), volume of myocardium, numerical density of the myocyte nuclei and mean nuclear diameter of myocytes. Volumetric values and numerical data were estimated via Cavalieri method and physical dissector, respectively. In this study, histological examination was performed at light and electron microscopic levels. The numerical density of the myocyte nuclei increased from fetuses to young adults. Differences between embryos and fetuses, between fetuses and 3-day-old pups, and between 3-day-old pups and young adults were statistically significant. These results indicate that myogenesis continued in the rat myocardium during prenatal life and after birth.

Article HistoryReceived 25 / 12 / 2012 Accepted 28 / 06 / 2013The pancreas is an important organ, which contains two distinct populations of cells, the exocrine cells that secrete enzymes into the digestive tract, and the endocrine cells that secrete hormones into the bloodstream. We studied the pancreas of rats which divided into two groups referred to 20-days-old rat fetuses and three-days-old newborns via both with quantitative and microscopical methods. At the end of the study; pancreas samples were obtained from all animals. Stereological estimations were performed on total pancreas volume, Langerhans islet's volume and islet cell number. The histological structure of pancreases of these two groups was also evaluated at light and electron microscopical levels. According to our results; morphological differences between fetuses and newborns, were statistically significant. These results indicate that rat's pancreas development continues after the birth. Further studies needed to determine of that question which period of life pancreas development is complete.

Electromagnetic fields (EMF) inhibit the formation and differentiation of neural stem cells during embryonic development. There are several studies which have indicated that EMF emitted by mobile phones could affect body tissue, systems and their physiologic activities. Besides, studies are especially focused on the central nervous system (CNS) since the mobile phone is used in close vicinity to the brain. In this study, we investigated the effect of EMF on the cerebellum since it is known that the cerebellum has substantial connections with the brain cells that point a cognitive role of cerebellum, beside of the control of muscle movement, equilibrium and posture of body. For that reason, we aimed to study the effect of prenatal exposure to 900 MHz EMF on the Purkinje cells in the cerebellum of the 4-week old rats. Male and female Wistar albino rats weighing between 250-280g were used in this study. They were mated overnight and after two days, when a vaginal plug was found, the female rats were accepted as pregnant and the day was designated as gestational day (GD) 1. Pregnant rats were randomly divided into two groups (three pregnant rats each group), the control (Cont) and electromagnetic field (EMF) groups. The Cont group pregnant rats were kept under the standard laboratory conditions. The EMF group was exposed to an EMF of 900 MHz for 60 min/day from the first to the last day of the gestation period. After delivery, totally 11 pups were randomly selected for study, without regarding their sex. They were divided into the Cont group (n=5), and the EMF group (n=6). At the end of 4 weeks, offspring were anesthetized with urethane. Then, cerebellums were histologically processed and paraffin sections of the cerebellum were evaluated under the light microscope. In the offspring of the EMF group, Purkinje cells were degenerated appearance with nuclear swelling and irregular boundaries of the nuclei. Also some Purkinje cells had pycnotic nuclei and dark cytoplasm suggesting cell death in this group. In some areas of the Purkinje layer empty lines were detected in EMF group which occurred due to the dead cells. According to the results we found that prenatal exposure to 900 MHz EMF could not only cause to a decrease of the Purkinje cell number but also destroy the structure of it's in the newborn rat cerebellum.