Sains Malaysiana 47(8)(2018): 1827–1833

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2018-4708-22

 

Androgen Receptor and Ultrastructural Features of Nigella sativa Oil and Nicotine-Treated Male Rat Reproductive Glands

(Ciri-ciri Struktur Ultra dan Reseptor Androgen bagi Kelenjar Pembiakan Tikus Jantan yang Dirawat Nikotin dan Minyak Nigella sativa)

 

LINA, S¹., ELIZA, H²., HASHIDA, N.H.^3*, IBRAHIM, S.F⁴. & OSMAN, K⁵.

 

¹Institute of Graduate Studies, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory, Malaysia

 

²Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory, Malaysia

 

³Center for Foundation Studies in Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory, Malaysia

 

⁴Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory, Malaysia

 

⁵Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory, Malaysia

 

Received: 27 January 2017/Accepted: 19 March 2018

 

ABSTRACT

 

Nicotine is claimed to increase free radicals, DNA damage and lipid peroxidation in male reproductive organs. Nigella sativa has been identified to ameliorate these adverse effects due to nicotine intake. This study was conducted to evaluate potential protective effects of N. sativa oil on the adverse effects of nicotine on androgen receptors (AR) and ultrastructural features of rat seminal vesicles and prostate glands. Twenty four Sprague Dawley male rats, 7-9 weeks of age and 200-250 g body weight (BW) were randomly divided into; Group 1 Saline (S), forced fed with 0.1 mL/100 g BW of 0.9% normal saline; Group 2 Nicotine (N), intramuscularly injected with 0.5 mg/100 g BW of nicotine; Group 3 N. sativa (NS), forced fed with 6.0 μL/100 g BW of N. sativa and Group 4 Nicotine-N. sativa (NNS), co-administered with 0.5 mg/100 g BW of nicotine and 6.0 μL/100 g BW of N. sativa. The seminal vesicles and prostate glands were extracted after 100 days of treatment. The seminal vesicle and prostate gland were processed for ultrastructural study and androgen receptor detection. The epithelial cells in prostate gland and seminal vesicle of the N group showed weaker brown staining intensity as compared to that of in the NS and NNS groups. This was consistent with the presence of some ultracellular changes observed in the prostate gland and seminal vesicle tissues of the N group. Findings from this study suggested that administration of  N. sativa results in ameliorating effects on both the prostate gland and seminal vesicle structures and functions of the nicotine-treated rats.

 

Keywords: Androgen receptor; nicotine; Nigella sativa; prostate gland; seminal vesicle

 

ABSTRAK

Nikotin didakwa meningkatkan radikal bebas, merosakkan DNA dan pengoksidaan lipid dalam organ pembiakan lelaki. Nigella sativa telah dikenal pasti untuk memperbaiki kesan buruk akibat pengambilan nikotin. Kajian ini telah dijalankan untuk menilai potensi kesan perlindungan minyak N. sativa pada kesan buruk nikotin kepada reseptor androgen (AR) dan ciri-ciri struktur ultra vesikel semen dan kelenjar prostat tikus. Dua puluh empat tikus jantan Sprague Dawley, berumur 7-9 minggu dan 200-250 g berat badan (BW) telah dibahagikan secara rawak kepada; Kumpulan 1 Salin (S), diberi makan secara paksaan dengan salin normal 0.9% 0.1 mL/100 g BW; Kumpulan 2 Nikotin (N), disuntik intraotot dengan nikotin 0.5 mg/100 g BW; Kumpulan 3 N. sativa (NS), diberi makan secara paksaan dengan N. sativa 6.0 uL/100 g BW dan Kumpulan 4 Nikotin-N. sativa (NNS), diberi bersama nikotin 0.5 mg/100 g BW dan N. sativa 6.0 uL/100 g BW. Vesikel semen dan kelenjar prostat telah diekstrak selepas 100 hari rawatan. Vesikel seminal dan kelenjar prostat telah diproses untuk kajian struktur ultra dan pengesanan reseptor androgen. Sel-sel epitelium dalam kelenjar prostat dan vesikel semen bagi kumpulan N menunjukkan keamatan pewarnaan coklat yang lemah berbanding dengan kumpulan NS dan NNS. Ini adalah konsisten dengan kehadiran beberapa perubahan sel ultra yang diperhatikan dalam kelenjar prostat dan tisu vesikel semen bagi kumpulan N. Penemuan daripada kajian ini mencadangkan bahawa pemberian N. sativa memberi kesan pemulihan kepada struktur dan fungsi kedua-dua kelenjar prostat dan vesikel semen tikus yang dirawat nikotin.

 

Kata kunci: Kelenjar prostat; Nigella sativa; nikotin; reseptor androgen; vesikel semen

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*Corresponding author; email: nhhpasum@um.edu.my