The present study was designed to assess the possible causes of the mass mortalities of Nile Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus at El-Behera Governorate, Egypt, in relationship to environmental and microbiotic factors. Water samples were collected from fish farms at different locations and from Lake Edku to analyze water temperature, water pH, salinity, biological oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, total ammonia nitrogen, and un-ionized ammonia. A number of moribund and freshly dead fish were sampled and submitted to our laboratory for microbiological, molecular, and histopathological examination. Water analysis of the fish farms revealed noticeable increases in the previously mentioned physicochemical parameters. Clinical examinations of moribund fish showed severe gill rot and massive external and internal hemorrhages. Ordinary and molecular laboratory findings confirmed the presence of Branchiomyces sp. in gill tissue and mixed bacterial fish pathogens (Streptococcus agalactiae, Vibrio alginolyticus, V. parahaemolyticus, Pseudomonas anguilliseptica, and P. aeruginosa) in visceral organs. The histopathological and transmission electron microscopic examinations revealed severe necrosis of gill filaments and blockage of branchial blood vessels and lamellar capillaries with Branchiomyces sp. hyphae and spores mixed with different shapes of bacteria. Severe inflammations were detected in liver, kidney, heart, and brain tissues. Ultimately, we can conclude that the syndrome of mass fish kills in this area is a consequence of ecological damage to the aquatic environment, which is mainly related to natural and anthropogenic factors, as well as to the presence of infectious agents. Received September 30, 2015; accepted April 12, 2016 Published online August 2, 2016

This study aimed to evaluate the antihypertensive efficacy of a new combination therapy ofHibiscus sabdariffaandOlea europaeaextracts (2 : 1; Roselle‐Olive), using N(G)‐nitro‐L‐arginine‐methyl ester‐ (L‐NAME‐) induced hypertensive model. Rats received L‐NAME (50 mg/kg/day, orally) for 4 weeks. Concurrent treatment with Roselle‐Olive (500, 250, and 125 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks) resulted in a dose‐dependent decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, reversed the L‐NAME‐induced suppression in serum nitric oxide (NO), and improved liver and kidney markers, lipid profile, and oxidative status. Furthermore, Roselle‐Olive significantly lowered the elevated angiotensin‐converting enzyme activity (ACE) and showed a marked genoprotective effect against oxidative DNA damage in hypertensive rats. Roselle‐Olive ameliorated kidney and heart lesions and reduced aortic media thickness. Real‐time PCR and immunohistochemistry showed an enhanced endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene and protein expression in both heart and kidney of Roselle‐Olive‐treated rats. To conclude, our data revealed that Roselle‐Olive is an effective combination in whichH. sabdariffaandO. europaeasynergistically act to control hypertension. These effects are likely to be mediated by antioxidant and genoprotective actions, ACE inhibition, and eNOS upregulation by Roselle‐Olive constituents. These findings provide evidences that Roselle‐Olive combination affords efficient antihypertensive effect with a broad end‐organ protective influence.

AIM: This study aims to elucidate the possible ameliorative effect of silymarin on scopolamine-induced dementia using the object recognition test (ORT) in rats.METHODS: The study was extended to demonstrate the role of cholinergic activity, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, brain neurotransmitters and histopathological changes in the anti-amnestic effect of silymarin in demented rats. Wistar rats were pre-treated with silymarin (200, 400, 800 mg/kg) or donepezil (10 mg/kg) orally for 14 consecutive days. Dementia was induced after the last drug administration by a single intraperitoneal dose of scopolamine (16 mg/kg). Then behavioural, biochemical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical analyses were then performed.RESULTS: Rats pre-treated with silymarin counteracted scopolamine-induced non-spatial working memory impairment in the ORT and decreased acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, reduced malondialdehyde (MDA), elevated reduced glutathione (GSH), restored gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and dopamine (DA) contents in the cortical and hippocampal brain homogenates. Silymarin reversed scopolamine-induced histopathological changes. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that silymarin mitigated protein expression of the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) in the brain cortex and hippocampus. All these effects of silymarin were similar to that of the standard anti-amnestic drug, donepezil.CONCLUSION: This study reveals that the ameliorative effect of silymarin on scopolamine-induced dementia in rats using the ORT maybe in part mediated by, enhancement of cholinergic activity, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities as well as mitigation in brain neurotransmitters and histopathological changes.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) has emerged as a public healthcare problem. Sustained hyperglycemia has been linked with many complications including impaired male fertility Olive tree (Olea europaea L.) leaves have been extensively used in traditional remedies worldwide to control blood glucose level in DM. In this study, the beneficial role of olive leaves extract (OLE) was investigated to combat diabetes-induced adverse effect on testicular tissues. Thirty male Wistar rats were divided into 5 equal groups: normal control group, streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic group and diabetic groups which were given glibenclamide (GLB) or OLE at 250 and 500 mg/kg for 9 weeks to investigate the efficiency of olive leaves extract (OLE) in reducing the deleterious effect of diabetes on the reproductive system of male rats. Rats were checked for serum glucose, insulin, testosterone and gonadotropins. Also, testicular antioxidants, epididymal sperm characteristics and testicular histopathology were assessed. Expression of the testicular steroidogenic enzymes, cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450 scc) and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD) was examined. Moreover, androgen receptor and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) protein immunohistochemistry were assessed in testes. STZ-induced diabetes significantly increased serum glucose. However, STZ significantly decreased serum levels of insulin, testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Marked reductions in testicular antioxidants with elevated malondialdehyde (MDA) parallel with deterioration of the testicular histoarchitecture and epididymal sperm characteristics were recorded. Administration of GLB or OLE (250 and 500 mg/kg) resulted in a significant recovery of the above mentioned parameters in STZ-diabetic rats. Interestingly, OLE shows greater glycemic improvement and testicular protection than GLB with the highest percentage protection exhibited by the OLE high dose. Furthermore, OLE significantly induced testicular steroidogenesis in diabetic rat as evidenced by elevated P450 scc and 17β-HSD mRNA expression. The study proves that OLE possesses a potential protective role against diabetes-induced reproductive disorders, which may be due to its antioxidant activity and its ability to normalize testicular steroidogenesis.