The critically endangered Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni), with an estimated population of less than 200 individuals left in isolated rainforest habitats in Malaysia, is in an intermediate population crash leading to extinction in the next decade. The population has decreased significantly by illegal poaching, environmental perturbation, roadkill, and being captured during human–wildlife conflicts. Forty-five or more individuals were extracted from the wild (four animals captured due to conflict, one death due to canine distemper, one roadkilled, and 39 poached) in the 12 years between 2008–2019. The Malayan tigers are the first wildlife species to test positive for COVID-19 and are subject to the Canine Distemper Virus. These anthropogenic disturbances (poaching and human–tiger conflict) and environmental perturbation (decreasing habitat coverage and quality) have long been identified as impending extinction factors. Roadkill and infectious diseases have emerged recently as new confounding factors threatening Malayan tiger extinction in the near future. Peninsular Malaysia has an existing Malayan tiger conservation management plan; however, to enhance the protection and conservation of Malayan tigers from potential extinction, the authority should reassess the existing legislation, regulation, and management plan and realign them to prevent further population decline, and to better enable preparedness and readiness for the ongoing pandemic and future threats.

Twenty‐four Sprague-Dawley male rats (7–9 weeks old, 200–250 g) were divided into Nicotine (N) (0.5 mg/100 g body weight (BW), Nicotine Control (NC) (saline, 0.1 mL/100 g BW), Habbatus sauda oil (HS) (6.0 μL/100 g BW), and Habbatus sauda Control (HSC) (corn oil, 0.1 mL/100 g BW) groups and treated for 100 days. Sperm parameters and seminiferous tubules measurements were evaluated. The N showed a significantly lower sperm motility (1.03 ± 0.05 × 10⁶ sperm/mL) and percentage of normal (82.61 ± 0.03%) and live (93.88 ± 0.01%) sperm, higher value for the seminiferous tubule (253.36 ± 1.83 μm) and lumen (100.15 ± 2.38 μm) diameters and spermatogonia (19.85 ± 0.39 μm) and spermatocytes (33.37 ± 0.59 μm) layers, and thinner spermatid‐sperm layer (22.14 ± 0.71 μm) than the NC (P < 0.05). The HS had significantly higher sperm motility (1.49 ± 0.04 × 10⁶ sperm/mL) and percentage of normal (90.61 ± 0.01%) and live (96.98 ± 0.01%) sperm, smaller lumen diameter (67.53 ± 2.34 μm) and thinner spermatogonia (17.67 ± 0.32 μm) and wider spermatid‐sperm (36.95 ± 0.79 μm) layers than the HSC (P < 0.05). This research confirmed that nicotine reduced sperm motility and morphology of normal and live sperms and also affected the testis histology, while Habbatus sauda oil increased sperm quality and gave better testis histological features.

Background: Previous studies have shown that morphine negatively effects male fertility while Phoenix dactylifera (dates) could cure male infertility by the exhibition of antagonist effects. This study was conducted to assess the possible ameliorating effects of dates on the histological features of morphine-induced male rat reproductive organs. Materials and Methods: Adult male Sprague Dawley rats age 7–9 weeks old, 200–250 g body weight (BW) were divided into six rats per each group: Group 1, force-fed with distilled water, 1 ml/kg BW for 35 days (control); Group 2, intramuscularly (IM) injected with morphine, 20 mg/kg BW for 7 days followed by force-fed with distilled water for 28 days; Group 3, force-fed with distilled water for 7 days followed by crude P. dactylifera extract, 200 mg/kg for 28 days; Group 4, injected (IM) with morphine, 20 mg/kg BW for 7 days followed by force-fed of crude P. dactylifera extract, 200 mg/kg for 28 days. Rats were sacrificed on day 36. The seminal vesicle (SV) and prostate gland (PG) were removed and fixed before histological processes. Results: In morphine-treated rats, the SV showed the absence of honeycomb-like appearance with flattened columnar cells while in the PG, eosinophilic secretion was noted to be absent from glandular lumina as compared to the control group. Administration of P. dactylifera extract in Group 4 showed improvement in histoarchitecture of the SV and PG with complex mucosal infoldings and glands luminal filled with secretion. Conclusion: P. dactylifera extract has a protective effect against the adverse effects of morphine on the male rat reproductive organs.

Thymoquinone (TQ), the main constituent of the volatile oil derived from Nigella sativa has shown pharmacological benefits against various diseases while nicotine is an active component in cigarette that is known to be detrimental. This study was conducted to assess the ameliorating effects of TQ on sperm count, membrane, mitochondria and testosterone of nicotine-treated rats. Rats were randomized into four groups: control, nicotine, TQ, and nicotine with TQ. Nicotine (5 mg/kg bwt/day) was subcutaneously injected for 30 days to induce damaging effects on sperm and testosterone level. Rats were force-fed with TQ (5 mg/kg bwt/day) for the following 30 days. Sperm count was reduced in the nicotine group (26.72 ± 1.64 106/mL) but showed a significantly higher number in the nicotine+TQ group (30.97 ± 0.88 106/mL; p<0.05). Results of sperm membrane integrity test and number of MitoTracker positive sperm also showed a significantly lower percentage in the nicotine group (47.34 ± 0.69 % and 75.68 ± 0.90 %, respectively) but a notable improvement in the nicotine+TQ group (52.58 ± 1.14 % and 79.08 ± 0.74 %, respectively). Testosterone concentration showed elevation in the nicotine+TQ group (7.61 ± 0.51 ng/mL) compared to the nicotine group (5.71 ± 0.15 ng/mL). TQ demonstrated ameliorative potential against the detrimental effects of nicotine towards sperm count, membrane, mitochondria and testosterone level.

Histamine widely involves in local immune responses, physiological function in the gut, and acting as a neurotransmitter in the brain. Scientist also found the importance of histamine in the reproductive systems. The present study aimed to determine the existence of histamine receptor subtypes; H1R, H2R, H3R, and H4R on mouse oocytes through immunofluorescence (IF) staining and reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). These further confirmed by the involvement of histamine receptor antagonists in in vitro fertilization (IVF). In IF staining, mouse oocytes were incubated with primary antibody against histamine receptor, followed by incubation with fluorescence conjugated secondary antibody. Then RT-PCR analysis was carried out for the undetected receptors during IF for confirmation. The RT-PCR used RNA extracted from mice COCs and cumulus free oocytes. In IVF, sperm was cultured in a group of treated histamine receptor antagonists oocytes. This investigation revealed the existance of H1R, H2R, and H3R on mouse oocytes in IF and RT-PCR analyses. The treatment of IVF with histamine receptor antagonists (H1R: pyrilamine; H2R: cimetidine; H3R: thioperamide) led to a significant reduction quantity of 2-cell embryos (4.61 +/- 2.44%; 5.83 +/- 4.65%; 3.83 +/- 1.82%, respectively) as compared with the control group (22.50 +/- 6.44%). Therefore, according to the results of this study, the presence of H1R, H2R, and H3R on mouse oocytes possibly will suggest the involvement of histamine in fertilization. (c) 2022 Urmia University. All rights reserved.