Abstract

Protective Effect of Ajwa Fruit Extract on Nicotine Induced Oviduct Morphometric Changes in Adult Albino Rats

Nicotine alters oviduct histology and Ajwa date (Phoenix dactylifera) contains antioxidant that prevents nicotine-induced toxicity in the oviduct of adult albino rats. Objectives: To evaluate the protective effect of Ajwa date against oviduct toxicity induced by nicotine in adult albino rats. Material and Methods: This experimental study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy, Shaikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore. Adult female albino rats of average weight 250 g were randomly divided into three groups A (control group), B, and C (experimental groups), each containing 10 female albino rats. 1 ml/kg distilled water was given to the rats of the control (A) group by gastric intubation, experimental group B was given nicotine injection intraperitoneally (0.1 mg/kg body weight) for 28 days. The rats of experimental group C were given 0.1 mg/kg body weight nicotine intraperitoneally plus 1000 mg/kg body weight Ajwa fruit extract by gastric intubation for 28 days. Rats were sacrificed on the 30th day of the experiment. Fallopian tubes were carefully dissected out and fixed in 10% formalin for routine histological examination. Result: Mean oviduct wall thickness of ampulla and isthmus of nicotine treated group B (58 ± 12.5 μm, 102.4 ± 19.9 μm respectively) was significantly lower (p<0.002, p<0.001 respectively) as compared to those of control group A (84 ± 15.4 μm, 133.9 ± 9.6 μm respectively) and those of nicotine plus Ajwa date treated group C (75.9 ± 16.9 μm, 121.4 ± 12 μm respectively) while no significant difference was observed between group A and C. Mean epithelial height of ampulla and isthmus of nicotine treated group B (15.4 ± 3.5 μm, 16.3 ± 3.1 μm respectively) was significantly lower as compared to the height of epithelium in control group A (23.1 ± 1.49 μm, 24.4 ± 3. 8 μm, respectively) and nicotine plus Ajwa treated group C (20.8 ± 3.4 μm, 20.7 ± 2.5 μm, respectively). The difference in the mean of epithelial height between three groups of ampulla and isthmus was significant (p<0.001*). The number of mucosal folds in ampulla and isthmus of group B (8.3 ± 2.8, 5.6 ± 1.8, respectively) was much less than group A (15.0 ± 3.6, 8.7 ± 2.4) and group C (13.7 ± 3.7, 7.1 ± 1.6). The difference in the mean of the number of mucosal folds among the three groups was significant (p<0.001*). Conclusion: Nicotine-induced toxic effect on the oviduct can be reduced by an antioxidant activity following administration of Ajwa date.

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