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Heat stress (HS) is considered a severe concern for rabbit buck's health, welfare and reproductive features. Thymoquinone (THQ) is a natural molecule with robust antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Thereafter, three months of feeding research was applied to assess the role of THQ-enriched diets in improving the health, semen attributes and testicular changes of stressed rabbit bucks. Forty rabbit bucks were used in this research, and animals were fed diets containing 0 (THQ0; serve as a heat stress group), 100 (THQ100), 200 (THQ200), and 400 (THQ400) mg/kg of THQ for three months continually during the summer season. Outcomes displayed that THQ significantly enhanced FBW (final body weight), DBWG (daily body weight gain), and FI (feed intake) but did not affect FCR (feed conversion ratio). Compared with the THQ0 group, dietary THQ addition significantly decreased creatinine, TB (total bilirubin), TG (triglycerides), and GGT (gamma-glutamyl transferase) levels. Bucks receiving 200 mg of THQ had higher TAC (total antioxidant capacity) and GSH (glutathione) than other groups. At the same time, MDA was significantly shrunk in THQ-treated groups relative to the THQ group. The levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) were significantly diminished (P <0.001), but nitric oxide and lysosome activity were significantly increased in bucks given diets containing THQ (200 and 400 mg/kg) as relative to the TH0 group. Libido score and reaction time were significantly improved by THQ dietary inclusion. Semen attributes, including volume, motility, concentration, and vitality, were significantly augmented in THQ100 and THQ200 groups. Histological screening of testicular tissues showed moderate to severe degenerative and necrotic changes in the testicular tissues of bucks exposed to HS. This was enhanced with the supplementation of THQ at different levels. Collectively, THQ (200 or 400 mg/kg diet) can improve health, semen attributes and restore testicular damage in rabbit bucks via boosting antioxidant and reducing inflammatory cytokines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thiram, being a dithiocarbamate fungicide, is frequently used to protect a variety of food crops (vegetables, ornamentals and fruits) and seeds and it may remain in various products of plants, water and in soil after applications. The current study was executed to record the toxic effects of thiram in male albino rats. A total of 15 adult male albino rats were obtained from local market and were placed in wire cages in three groups (A-C). Thiram was administered daily to all rats of group B (50 mg/kg bw) and C (75 mg/kg bw) for 21 days and different tissues (blood, testes and liver) were harvested for determination of hematological, reproductive and oxidative stress parameters. Results revealed significantly lower values of red blood cell counts and hemoglobin quantity while increased values of total white blood cell counts and neutrophil percentage. The different serum biomarkers including alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, urea, creatinine, triglyceride, glucose and cholesterol significantly escalated in thiram treated rats. Results showed significantly lower levels of antioxidant enzymes (peroxidase and catalase) while higher values of oxidative stress biomarkers such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and thiobarbituric acid substance (TBARS) in liver of treated albino rats. Histopathological investigations indicated different pathological lesions including degeneration and damage of spermatogonia, cellular debris in lumen of seminiferous tubules, necrosis of spermatids, decrease in frequency of seminiferous tubules with normal spermatozoa, arrest of process of spermatogenesis and inflammatory materials in testes of rats. This work shows that thiram causes disruption of normal functions of blood-biochemistry, antioxidant enzymes and reproductive tissues through induction of oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary chitosan supplementation on sexual behaviour responses, testicular development, and semen quality traits of New Zealand White (NZW) rabbit bucks. Twenty‐four 5‐week‐old rabbit bucks were used in this experiment. Animals were grouped into four equal experimental groups: the control group was fed only on a basal diet, whereas the other groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with three levels of chitosan at 0.2, 0.4, or 0.6 g/kg, respectively. Also, bucks that received chitosan at 0.2 and 0.4 g/kg had a significantly earlier time of sexual libido (p ≤.05) and had significantly higher ejaculate volume and sperm concentration than other groups (p ≤.001). Furthermore, basic and sexual behaviours were significantly improved in bucks fed chitosan at 0.2 and 0.4 g/kg compared with other groups. Therefore, it could be concluded that using chitosan at 0.2 and 0.4 g/kg enhanced sexual behaviour, improved semen quality, and reproductive efficiency in the NZW rabbit bucks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quercetin is one of the most used antioxidant flavonoids and largely exists in many fruits and vegetables because of its capability to scavenge the free reactive oxygen species (ROSs) by repressing lipid peroxy radical fusion, metal ion chelating through enzyme inhibition, and adopting the repair mechanisms. It also exhibits various biological actions, including antioxidative, anti‐inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. Furthermore, it contributes well to sustaining the endogenous cellular antioxidant defence system. The process of cryopreservation is associated with increased oxidative stress, and some steps are potential sources of ROSs, including the method of semen collection, handling, cryopreservation culture media, and thawing, which result in impaired sperm function. Several antioxidants have been proposed to counteract the harmful impact of ROS during semen cryopreservation. The antioxidant capability of quercetin has been verified in different animal species for providing valuable defence to sperm during the cryopreservation process. The beneficial properties of quercetin on various parameters of fresh and post‐thaw sperm in different species are clarified in this review. More in‐depth investigations are required to clarify quercetin's mechanism of action in different animal species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vitamin D deficiency in Saudi Arabia is alarmingly high and can affect all human ages. However, the characteristic hormonal and metabolic features, and the systemic Vitamin D levels, among Saudi women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) remain largely unknown. Aims: This retrospective study aimed to identify the hormonal, metabolic, and Vitamin D status variabilities among infertile Saudi women with PCOS versus those of non-PCOS fertile women as controls. Materials and Methods: The medical records of a total of 99 women (49 PCOS and 50 controls), with matched age and body mass index, were analyzed in this study. For each woman who met the study inclusion criteria, the analyzed parameters included the serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH) D), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), prolactin, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), androgen, total testosterone (TT), estradiol, progesterone, thyroid hormones, the fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and lipid profile concentrations. Results: Compared to the controls, women with PCOS had significantly lower levels of 25(OH) D, SHBG, FSH, and estradiol, but they had significantly higher levels of LH, androgen, TT, FPG, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. There were no differences between the two groups regarding the other parameters. Conclusions: The present findings highlight the prevalence of sex hormones, metabolic, and Vitamin D status disturbances among Saudi women with PCOS. Large-scale retrospective and prospective studies are therefore essential to realize these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Although the synthetic vitamin D analogue, Paricalcitol, and omega-3 Fatty acids (ω-3) alleviated diabetic nephropathy (DN), their combination was not previously explored., Objectives: This study measured the potential ameliorative effects of single and dual therapies of Paricalcitol and/or ω-3 against DN., Methods: Forty rats were assigned as follow: negative (NC) and positive (PC) controls, Paricalcitol, ω-3 and Paricalcitol + ω-3 groups. Diabetes was generated by high-fat/high-fructose diet and a single streptozotocin injection (40 mg/kg). DN was confirmed by raised fasting blood glucose (FBG), polyuria, proteinuria, and decreased urine creatinine levels. Paricalcitol intraperitoneal injections (0.25 µg/Kg/day; 5 times/week) and oral ω-3 (415 mg/kg/day; 5 times/week) started at week-9 and for eight weeks., Results: The PC group showed hyperglycaemia, dyslipidaemia, abnormal renal biochemical parameters, elevated caspase-3 expression, and increased apoptosis by TUNEL technique. The mRNAs and proteins of the pathogenic molecules (TGF-β1/iNOS) and markers of tissue damage (NGAL/KIM-1) augmented substantially in the PC renal tissues relative to the NC group. The oxidative stress (MDA/H 2 O 2 /protein carbonyl groups) and pro-inflammatory (IL1β/IL6/TNF-α) markers increased, whereas the anti-inflammatory (IL10) and anti-oxidative (GSH/GPx1/GR/SOD1/CAT) declined, in the PC renal tissues. The monotherapy groups were associated with ameliorated FBG, lipid profile and renal functions, and diminished TGF-β1/iNOS/NGAL/KIM-1/Caspase-3 alongside the apoptotic index than the PC group. The oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory markers decreased, whilst the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory molecules escalated, in the monotherapy groups than the PC group. Although the Paricalcitol renoprotective actions were better than ω-3, all the biomarkers were abnormal than the NC group. Alternatively, the Paricalcitol + ω-3 protocol exhibited the best improvements in metabolic control, renal functions, oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. However, FBG and tissue damage were persistently higher in the co-therapy group than controls., Conclusions: Both monotherapies showed modest efficacy against DN, whereas their combination displayed boosted renoprotection, possibly by enhancing renal anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Cairo University.)