bijan akbarpour

Geranium has various antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial effects. Prescribing glutathione probably enhances the protective mechanisms of nephrons against oxidative stresses. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of geranium on acetaminophen-induced nephrotoxic rats.

In the present study, 70 mice were divided into seven groups. In five groups (T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5), different doses of geranium were given by gavage to the mice for seven days, then on the 8th day, a high dose of acetaminophen was administered intraperitoneally. Group T5 only received geranium extract. The control group received neither acetaminophen nor the extract while the last group received only a toxic dose of acetaminophen. Twenty-four hours after the last drug administration, blood samples were taken to check the levels of uric acid, blood nitrogen, and creatinine. The data were analyzed in SPSS version 25. To investigate the between-group factors’ effects, one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test was performed at the alpha level of < 0.05.

The differences between the levels of blood creatinine, urea, and uric acid were significant (P < .001) among the groups. The mean blood urea for groups T3 and T4 were similar, and they had a significant difference in comparison with the control group (P < .05). The mean creatinine levels were similar between T4, T5, and the control groups and were significantly different from the other groups (P < .05). Blood uric acid for groups T1 and T2 were similar to Group B and higher than the other groups (P < .05).

The results showed that by strengthening cell protection mechanisms against oxidative stress, geranium extract reduces the toxic effects of acetaminophen on mice’s kidney function and thus ameliorates the damage. As a result, the geranium extract has no adverse effects on kidney function.

Zataria multiflora Boiss is a thymelike plant from the Lamiaceae family. It has some properties such as: disinfectant, antioxidant, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antibacterial activities and decreases blood's pressure, glucose and lipid. This study was performed to investigate the effects of Zataria multiflora Boiss on pituitary – thyroid axis (TSH, T3 and  T4)  hormones in male wistar rats.

48 male wistar rats weighing 200±l0g were divided into six groups of eight: The experimental groups received 100,200,300 and 400 mg/kg/day of hydroalcoholic extract of Zataria multiflora Boiss for 28 days intraperitoneally. The sham group received only 0.2ml distilled water as solvent. Control group received nothing. 24h after the last administration, blood samples were collected and serum of samples was separated.Blood concentration of T3, T4 and TSH were measured by RIA.

TSH, T3 and T4 hormones concentrations showed increase in experimental groups compared with the control group. These increases were significant for both T3 and T4 in experimental groups 3 and 4 compared with control group and for TSH in experimental group 4 compared with control group.

According to the negative feedback mechanism, increased blood concentration of T3 and  T4 decreases TSH. Increased TSH level in this study may be due to effects of different chemical compounds of extract which waste  negative feedback of Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Thyroid Axis or induce resistance in Pituitary gland to not decrease TSH. Performing additional studies, Zataria multiflora extract can be used in hypothyroidism treatment.

Of the nine chemical compounds identified in the Carum Copticum extract, thymol, γ-terpinen, and parasaymn are considered as the main compounds utilized as antiemetic, anti-asthma, anti-nausea, and spasmodic, locally used in the treatment of rheumatic pains with therapeutic effects on skin diseases, mental disorders, and genitourinary diseases. The recent scientific studies have confirmed the antiseptic impact and decreasing effects of blood cholesterol in this plant. For the purpose of this study, 72 male Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups as control, sham, and experimental groups (1 to 4). While the control group received no treatment, sham group received 2/0 ml of distilled water and experimental groups (1 to 4) took daily 200, 400, 600 and 800 mg/kg aqueous extract of C. copticum as intraperitoneal injection, respectively. After a lapse of 16 and 32 days, rats blood samples were taken. The kidneys, belonging to rats died during blood sampling after day 16 and the rats remained alive after the day 32, were removed and their uric acid and renal histology were examined. The collected data then were analyzed using SPSS statistical software package. In this study, statistical tests such as one way ANOVA, and post hoc Duncan were carried out. P-value of less than 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant (p<0.05). The findings revealed that the use of aqueous extract of C. copticum in a low dose and short and long terms results in a body weight loss and with a moderate and high dose only in long term leads to a body weight loss. Regardless of the dose, the use of such extract in short and long terms increases the kidney function. In all groups, the kidney tissue in short and long terms was completely normal with no damage. As a conclusion, this study demonstrates that the use of C. copticum extract, with no adverse effect on renal tissue, causes an increase in kidney function, though the effects of these extracts will be somehow different in details in short and long terms.

Thymus vulgaris contains components that are chemically very different. Some of these components have properties as anticonvulsant, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-infection, anti-diabetics and act as a stimulant to central nervous system, stimulating the production of testosterone hydroxylase. The present study aimed at investigating the effect of intraperitoneal injection of hydroalcoholic extracts of Shirazi Thyme on plasma levels of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, LH and FSH in adult male Wistar rats, conducting histological studies on testis in this regard. In this study, 48 male Wistar rats, weighing about 190-210 gr were randomly divided into 6 groups (n=8). Control group received nothing. Sham group intraperitoneally received 2/0 distilled water daily. For 28 consecutive days, the experimental groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 intraperitoneally received Shirazi Thymus extract with daily doses of 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg/ kg of body weight. At the end of the day 28, blood samples were taken from the heart. The samples were then collected to measure the hormones LH, FSH, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. The results were assessed using the tests Anova, Tukey and Duncan. After blood sampling, the testes were removed and studied histologically. The mean body weight, testes weight, and plasma concentrations of FSH and dihydrotestosterone in different experimental groups did not reveal any significant differences compared to the control group. Moreover, the histological changes, with respect to the size, the interstitial space, and tubules structure, were not detected in the seminiferous tubules. In terms of size, density, cytoplasm and nucleus features, the histological changes in spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes, Sertoli cells and Leydig were not recognized in the experimental group compared to the control group. However, the mean plasma concentrations of LH and testosterone in the fourth experimental group taking 400 mg/kg/day showed a significant increase in comparison to the control group. The histological changes in the seminiferous tubules were significant in terms of their number, density of tubules, and spermatozoids density in all experimental groups compared to control group which was also much more detected in more cases while increasing the dose. The use of Shirazi thyme leads to an increase in testosterone, influencing LH concentration through its effect on sympathetic nerves and consequently increasing the number of receptors on Leydig cells. Through inducing P450 (cholesterol desmolase enzyme), Cineole existed in Shirazi Thymus vulgaris extract causes increasing the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone in the mitochondria which in turn triggers the increase of synthesis of steroids, including testosterone.

T. capsicum from medicinal herbs is considered as a rich source of thymol with healing properties. Enzymatic coagulation factors stem from the liver. In the present study, 48 adult Wistar male rats were selected and divided randiomly into six groups, including control,witness, and 4 experimental groups. Bleeding time (BT), clotting time (CT), prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (PTT) were measured by wounding on the ears, slide and coagulometric methods, using the Dade Behring kits and four-channel-coagulometer, respectively. The resulting values were then analyzed. The results of the measurement of prothrombin time (PT) showed no statistically significant differences in the groups at P≤ 0.05 level. But the measure of activated partial thromboplastin time (PTT) revealed a significant difference between experimental group 2 and the control group. The average time of clotting represented a significant statistical difference in all experimental groups compared to the control group. Moreover, there was statistically significant difference between the mean value of bleeding time of experimental groups 1, 3 and 4 in comparison to the control group (P≤0.05). Based on the findings, it is concluded that an aqueous extract of 400 mg/kg. BW C. capsicum can be used to enhance the speed of coagulation. Since different doses of aqueous extract of T. capsicum show different results on the bleeding time, this extract can be used at low doses to enhance platelet activation and for people who are prone to blood clotting and thus prone to different strokes; the high doses of this extract prevent the formation of unwanted blood clots.