Search

Background: Prostatic carcinoma is emerging as the most common male malignancy in Nigeria and the second most common male cancer worldwide. Patients often present with locally advances stages, and common sites of metastasis are the spine, pelvis, chest, and long bones. Metastases to the testes and spermatic cords are reputed to be rare and may be indicative of a worse outcome, when they occur. We recently encountered a clinical case of bilateral testicular, epididymal and spermatic cords prostatic cancer metastases.Case Presentation: A 71-year-old Nigerian man, who presented at our hospital with 1-month-old complaints of inability to walk together with low back and bilateral thigh pains. This presentation had been preceded by a 5-month history of lower urinary tract symptoms. On examination, the prostate was hard and nodular as were the left testis and spermatic cord. On histological assessment of a needle biopsy, prostatic adenocarcinoma (Gleason score 5 + 5 = 10) was diagnosed. A subsequent therapeutic bilateral total orchidectomy specimen was found to contain metastatic prostatic carcinoma deposits, in the testes, epididymides, and spermatic cords. Although our patient is currently doing well postoperatively on zoledronic acid, ketoconazole, bicalutamide, and tamsulosin, he is being re-evaluated periodically for any feature of recurrence.Conclusion: Since it has implications for eventual outcome, every clinically suspicious therapeutic orchidectomy specimen should be subjected to a detailed histopathological examination in order to exclude secondaries from the primary prostatic malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The local use of medicinal plants in the management of reproductive abnormalities is a common practice in Africa. One prominent plant used in Nigeria for such purpose is Secamone afzelii. Aim and Objectives: To investigate the effects of Ethanol Extract of Secamone afzelii (EESA) on reproductive dysfunction induced by Aluminum Chloride (AlCl) in 3 male rats. Material and Methods: Thirty matured male Wistar rats equally divided into six groups were used for this study. Group I served as control, group II received AlCl (35 mg/kg bw), groups III and IV 3 received 35 mg/kg bw and 100 and 200 mg/kg EESA respectively. Groups V and VI received 100 and 200 mg/kg EEESA respectively. Doses were given once daily via oral route for 14 consecutive days. Results: The results revealed that, AlCl caused significant 3 decrease in final body weight, sex organs relative weight, sperm concentration, motility and viability, serum follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, testosterone concentration and Glutathione (GSH) activity, accompanied with significant increase in sperm abnormalities. AlCl also induced apparent 3 alteration in the histoarchitecture of the testis and epididymis. Treatment with EESA modulated the harmful effects of AlCl. This was proved by 3 improvement in the gross anatomical, hormonal and antioxidant activity of treated rats. There was a noticeable improvement in the histopathology of testicular and epididymal tissues. EESA significantly increased serum testosterone in a dose dependent manner. Conclusion: EESA is a possible ameliorative agent in AlCl -induced reproductive toxicity and 3 oxidative stress in male rat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Role of Auricularia polytricha on diabetes - induced male reproductive dysfunction is not well understood. Local Nigeria men use this macro fungi to manage sexual dysfunction without an appropriate scientific investigations. The objectives of this study was therefore to investigate the effect of A. polytricha on histomorphometric parameters and reticular fibre density in testes of diabetic rat. Thirty (30) adult male Wistar rats was grouped into six designated A to F with 5 rats in each group. Group A (Normal Control) were treated with normal saline, Group B (administered with 65mg/kg.bw of streptozotocin) served as diabetic control. Groups C, D, E and F where placed on 250mg/kg.bw, 500mg/kg.bw, 1000mg/kg.bw of A. polytricha and 68mg/kg.bw of streptozotocin (STZ) respectively after inducing diabetics. Histomorphometric Measurements (seminiferous tubular diameter and germinal epithelial height) were done using ocular micrometre. Reticulum stain kits were used to demonstrate for reticular fibre. Results revealed that diabetic control group had remarkable increase in density of reticular fibre when compared to normal control and had tubular diameter (167.22 + 0.10µm) that were significantly lower (p<0.05) when compared with normal control (310.81 + 0.45 µm). Germinal epithelial height in Group B was also significantly (p<0.05) lower when compared to normal control. Reticular fibre expression was decreased in Groups C, D, E, and F in a dose dependent manner. However, tubular diameter and epithelial height were significantly higher (p<0.05) in groups placed on graded doses of A. polytricha when compared to diabetic control. Thickening of testicular interstitium as a result of reticular fibres density, and decrease in tubular diameter and epithelial height induced by diabetes were regulated and reversed following administration of graded doses of A. polytricha. Reversal in the reticular fibres expression may be due to powerful antioxidant potentials of A. polytricha. This study illustrates that supplementation with A. polytricha may confer protection for diabetes-related infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was undertaken to investigate the effects of rainy and dry periods on the gross and histology of the testes of Oreochromis niloticus in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Twenty-four adult wild tilapia fish with average weight of 234.74±5.20 gm and 177.84±31.07 gm was used during rainy and dry periods, respectively. They measured a standard body length of 23.50±0.29 cm and 22.17±0.73 cm during rainy and dry periods, respectively. The fishes were sourced from Zaria dam and transported live in open plastic troughs containing clean water to the Gross Anatomy Laboratory in the Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. Each fish was euthanized using tricaine anaesthetic at 8 drops/litre of water. The testes were extracted, weighed and fixed in bouin's fluid for 24hours. Each testis was then dehydrated through series of ascending concentrations of ethanol, cleared in xylene, embedded in paraffin wax and sectioned at 5µm. Hematoxylin (H) & Eosin (E) were used for histological evaluation. Grossly, the testes of O. niloticus were whitish, non-lobulated and well developed during both rainy and dry periods. Each testis had a smooth lateral and medial edge. Seminal vesicles and Bulbourethral glands were absent. The average weight of both testes shows insignificant variation across both periods (0.458). The Gonado-somatic index value was insignificantly higher during rainy period (0.159) compare to dry period. Histologically, the lumen of seminiferous lobules was filled with spermatozoa during both rainy and dry periods. The tunica albuginea and interstitial connective tissues were thin across both periods. In conclusion, Gross and histological results which coincide with the values of Gonado-somatic index revealed that wild adult tilapia fish spawns during both rainy and dry periods in Zaria, Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Aqueous extract of unripe Musa paradisiaca fruit is commonly used for the treatment of ulcers in eastern Nigeria. This study aimed to assess the acute and subacute effects of an aqueous extract of unripe fruit on male and female fertility in rats., Methods: Aqueous extracts obtained by maceration were analyzed for acute and subacute toxicity and for the presence of phytochemical constituents using standard procedures. The extract (100, 500, and 1000 mg/kg) was administered daily to rats of both sexes for 28 d. Blood samples collected on days 0 and 28 were assessed for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA). Testes and ovaries were harvested for histopathological analysis. Sperm were also collected to determine the sperm count and motility., Results: Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of saponins, tannins, alkaloids, and resins. After an oral dose of up to 5000 mg/kg, there were no deaths in the acute toxicity test. The extract (500 mg/kg) significantly ( P  < .05) enhanced sperm count and motility relative to the untreated control; significantly ( P  < .05) reduced SOD, CAT, and glutathione levels, while significantly ( P  < .05) elevated LH, FSH, and MDA levels in male and female rats. Histological examination revealed significant structural damage to the ovaries., Conclusion: Unripe Musa paradisiaca fruit exhibited an adverse toxicological profile following prolonged administration and caused oxidative stress in rodents., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

The harmful effects of folkloric uses of Nigerian bonny light crude oil (BLCO) in ailments management may outweigh the expected beneficial effects. We investigated the levels of heavy metal concentrations in the tissues as well as the effect of BLCO on the antioxidant status of erythrocytes of rats after oral exposure to 0, 200 and 800 mg/kg BLCO for 7 days. Analysis of heavy metal concentrations in BLCO showed that Zn > Fe > Pb > Cu > Ni. The trend of accumulation of the metals in the tissues is blood—Fe > Pb >Zn whereas Cu and Ni levels were not affected; Liver—Ni > Zn > Fe > Cu > Pb and Testes—Ni > Cu > Pb > Zn > Fe. The order of concentration of the metals in the tissues is as follows: iron—blood > liver > testes; zinc—liver > blood > testes; lead—blood > liver > testes; copper—testes > liver > blood; nickel—liver > testes > blood. Activities of the antioxidant enzymes of erythrocytes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione S-transferase and glutathione peroxidase increased significantly in a dose-dependent manner with significant elevation in hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde levels, whereas glutathione level was not significantly decreased in BLCO-treated animals. Collectively, the results showed that BLCO induces oxidative damage to erythrocytes of rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The folkloric use of Nigerian Bonny-light crude oil (BLCO) in Niger Delta area of Nigeria is a common practice. There is increasing experimental evidence portending the adverse effects of BLCO an environmental toxicant on testicular function. We investigated the effects of single dose of BLCO (800 mg/kg body weight) on the activities of steroidogenic and antioxidant enzymes such as serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone, 3 β-hydroxy-steroid dehydrogenase (3 β-HSD), 17 β-hydroxy-steroid dehydrogenase (17 β-HSD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO), glutathione reduced (GSH) and steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein, in testes of rats. There was a sequential reduction in the concentration of steroid hormones and activities of steroidogenic enzymes with a concomitant decrease in levels of StAR protein, followed by a parallel increase in antioxidant enzyme activities and levels of LPO. These findings revealed inhibitory effects of BLCO on testicular steroidogenesis and the possible role of oxidative stress in testicular dysfunction observed in this study.

Testicular schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma mansoni is very rare and more so when associated with primary infertility. A 40 years old man from the Jos Plateau, North Central Nigeria presented with primary infertility after ten years of marriage. Sperm count revealed oligospermia and he also complained of inability to sustain erection. Testicular biopsy revealed several ova of Schistosoma mansoni in the connective tissue of the testes. Cases of infertility in endemic areas especially when there is no supply of potable water should raise suspicion of schistosomiasis among other pathologies and possible hormonal disturbances when the testes are involved.