This study determined the effects of scrotal insulation on testicular functions in bucks and evaluated the impact of exogenous gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) administration before scrotal insulation on sperm production and testicular vascular dynamics. Twelve bucks were randomly divided into three groups: scrotal-insulated animals without GnRH treatment (INS), scrotal-insulated animals treated previously with GnRH (GnRH + INS), and animals without insulation as controls (CON). Doppler ultrasonography was used to evaluate testicular vascular changes, and semen samples were collected to assess seminal parameters. Testicular samples were collected from slaughtered bucks at the end of the experiment for histological investigations and immunohistochemical analysis for caspase 3 (apoptotic marker), and a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF; hypoxic marker) evaluation. Sperm motility drastically decreased (33%) in the INS group on day 8 compared with those in the GnRH + INS and CON groups (58% and 85%, respectively). Testicular blood flow significantly decreased for 3 and 2 weeks in the INS and GnRH + INS groups, respectively. The pulsatility index (PI) reached pretreatment values at 5 and 4 weeks after insulation in the INS and GnRH + INS groups, respectively. The resistance index (RI) values increased in both insulated groups for the first 2 weeks and decreased to control values 4 weeks after insulation. However, the maximum velocity (VP) started to increase reaching pretreatment values by the 5th and 3rd weeks after insulation in the INS and GnRH + INS groups, respectively. Histological investigations showed a marked reduction in lipid inclusions in Sertoli cells in the GnRH + INS group compared with those in the INS group. The distributions of both caspase 3 and VEGF decreased in the GnRH + INS group compared with those in the INS group. This study showed that the administration of a single dose of GnRH delayed the negative effects of scrotal insulation on different seminal traits and revealed the pivotal role of GnRH in compensating testicular insulation in bucks.

Aims: Asthma affects a large number of people worldwide and is characterized by chronic allergic airway
inflammation. Anatabine is a natural alkaloid that is structurally similar to nicotine and found in the Solanaceae
family of plants, with anti-inflammatory properties. Consequently, this study aimed to evaluate the potential
therapeutic effect of anatabine against asthma.
Main methods: Ovalbumin was used to induce asthma in rats. Two asthmatic groups were treated with low and
high doses of anatabine.
Key findings: Asthmatic animals experienced increased total leukocyte count and inflammatory cytokines in
bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), bronchitis, and bronchopneumonia associated with mast cell infiltration.
Additionally, inducible nitric oxide synthase immunostaining was observed, with decreased pulmonary antioxidant capacity and enzymes and decreased Nrf2 and HO-1 gene expression while increased NFκB-P65 expression.
Interestingly, asthmatic animals treated with anatabine at both doses showed dose-dependently decreased inflammatory cells and cytokine levels within BALF reduced inflammation in the airways through decreased mast
cell infiltration within lung tissues and increased antioxidant enzymes and Nrf2 and Ho-1 expression levels.
Significance: Our results highlight the potential beneficial effect of anatabine against asthma through antiinflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms. Therefore, anatabine is a promising candidate for pulmonary
asthma treatment.
 

Abstract
In Sohag City, 400 samples were collected from different food markets of different
meat products from two companies with high and low prices (e.g., minced meat, kofta
sausage, beef burger, and luncheon meat) for determining food fraud. Light, fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to examine the samples.
“Special histochemical stains” permit the microscopic examination of different cell
types, structures, and/or microorganisms. Histological examination revealed variant
tissue types, besides skeletal muscles. Nuchal ligaments, bones, hyaline cartilages,
white fibrocartilages, large and medium arteries, cardiac muscles, tendons, and collagenous connective tissues comprised the capsule of a parenchymatous organ. Additionally, a crystal of food additives was recognized using light microscopy and SEM.
SEM allows the visualization of bacterial contamination. Using different microscopic
anatomy techniques is an efficient methodology for qualitative evaluations of various
meat products. No difference in quality was observed between low- and high-priced
meat products.
 

The current study investigated the morphological, histochemical, and immunohistochemical characteristics of alarm cells and their precursors in ruby-red-fin shark (rainbow shark), Epalzeorhynchos frenatum (Teleostei: Cyprinidae). Precursor alarm cells were shown to be small, cuboidal, pyramidal, or round in shape, with eosinophilic cytoplasm, resting on the basement membrane of the epidermis. The cells later elongated to become columnar in shape. Subsequently, they enlarged and became large oval-shaped cells. They then underwent shrinkage and vacuolation. The superficial alarm cells were collapsed. Alarm cells were found to have an affinity for different histochemical stains, including bromophenol blue, iron hematoxylin, Sudan black, Mallory triple trichrome, Crossman's trichrome, Safranin O, and Weigert's stains, as well as lipase and alkaline phosphatase. Endocrine properties of the alarm cells were …

Objective(s):

This study was designed to investigate the effect of berberine (BBR) on diclofenac sodium-induced testicular impairment in mice.

Materials and Methods:

Eighteen male mice were divided randomly and equally into three groups for three weeks. One group was kept as control, the second group was injected intraperitoneally with diclofenac sodium (DS) at a dose of 10 mg/kg BW daily during the second and third weeks. The third group received daily oral administration of BBR at a dose of 50 mg/kg BW throughout the whole period of the experiment in parallel with the injection of the above-mentioned dose of DS during the second and third weeks. Plasma testosterone as well as testicular lipid peroxides (LPO), nitric oxide (NO), glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) were evaluated. In paraffin-embedded testicular tissues, histological examination, immuno-expression of glutathione reductase (GR), and TUNEL assay were carried out.

Results:

Testosterone levels were within the normal range in all groups. BBR decreased testicular LPO and induced SOD and GSH without marked changes in CAT and NO. The histology of testis was improved and, regularity and integrity of seminiferous tubules basement membranes, and distribution and amount of peritubular collagen fibers were normalized. BBR treated group showed few positive GR immuno-expression in spermatogenic cells and negative GR immuno-expression in interstitial cells of Leydig along with a few apoptotic spermatogenic cells.

Conclusion:

BBR is effective in protecting against DS-induced testicular dysfunction by improving oxidant/anti-oxidant balance and blocking the apoptotic cascade.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with Spirulina platensis (SP) on the productive performance, carcass characteristics, behavior, blood serum metabolites, hematological indices, and economic efficiency of Fayoumi broiler chickens for a 56-day. In total, 120 one-day-old broiler chicks were randomly distributed among four dietary treatments with three replicates (n = 10/group) for 8 weeks. The dietary treatments were a control basal diet without SP and the same basal diets supplemented with 0.25, 0.5, or 1.0% SP. Birds fed 1% Spirulina-supplemented diets recorded significantly (p < 0.05) higher body weight, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio and less overall feed intake and feeding behavior than those in the control group. No significant changes (p > 0.05) were recorded in the dressing percentage or the relative weights of internal organs among the different experimental groups, except for the thymus. Diets containing 0.5 or 1.0% SP saw an increase (p < 0.05) in serum total protein and globulin and a reduction (p < 0.05) in serum cholesterol concentration. The lymphocyte percentage in birds fed SP diets was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than in birds fed the control diet. These results suggest that adding SP up to 1% to the broiler diets could positively affect some important blood biochemical parameters, enhance their immunity response, and improve their growth performance. However, from an economic point of view, supplementation with 0.25% of SP is recommended for Fayoumi broiler chickens

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dried distillers grain with solubles (DDGS) and red osier dogwood (ROD) extract on in vitro fermentation characteristics, nutrient disappearance and microbial profiles using the rumen simulated technique. The experiment was a completely randomized design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments and 4 replicates per treatment. A basal diet (10% barley silage, 87% dry-rolled barley grain and 3% vitamin and mineral supplement, dry matter [DM] basis) and a DDGS diet (as per basal with 25% wheat DDGS replacing an equal portion of barley grain) were supplemented with ROD extract at 0 and 1% (DM basis). The experimental period consisted of 10 d of adaptation and 7 d of data and sample collection. The substitution of wheat DDGS for barley grain did not affect gas production, disappearances of DM, organic matter and crude protein, total volatile fatty acid (VFA) production, and microbial protein production. However, replacing barley grain with wheat DDGS increased (P = 0.01) fermenter pH and molar proportion of branched-chain VFA, and tended (P = 0.06) to switch the fermentation pattern to more acetate production due to increased (P = 0.01) NDF disappearance, and tended (P = 0.08) to decrease CH4 production. In the basal barley diet, ROD extract tended to increase A:P ratio (P = 0.08) and to decrease starch disappearance (P = 0.06) with no effect on other variables. No effects of ROD in the DDGS diet were observed. Numbers of OTUs and Shannon diversity index of the microbial community did not differ among treatments. Taxonomic analysis revealed no effect of adding …