The present study conducted to evaluate the effects of soybean lecithin on growth indices, body composition, digestive enzymes activities and intestinal histomorphometry of Caspian salmon. Ninety fish (350g ± 10) were randomly divided into three treatments with three respective replicates. The first treatment (control group) was fed with commercial feed, while the second group received diet supplemented with 12% soybean oil, and the third one received feed supplemented with 6% soybean oil and 6% soybean lecithin for 90 days. Weight gain was indicative of the statistical superiority of treatment 3 over control group and treatment 2. In addition, FCR of treatment 3 was only significantly different from control group (p≤ 0. 05). There were significant differences regarding moisture content of treatments 2 and 3 in compare to control group (p≤ 0. 05), however, protein and lipid contents of treatments were not significantly different (p≤ 0. 05). Furthermore, energy contents of treatments 2 and 3 were significantly different (p≤ 0. 05). Digestive enzymes activities (protease, lipase and amylase) of treatment 3 significantly differed from treatment 2 and control group (p≤ 0. 05). Morphometric characteristics of intestine including epithelium thickness and external muscle thickness of treatments 2 and 3 were significantly different from those of control group (p≥ 0. 05). In conclusion, supplementing Caspian salmon diet with 6% soybean lecithin improved growth and some physiological parameters of the fish.

Methotrexate (MTX) is a chemotherapeutic agent that used for the treatment of a variety of tumors and inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was investigated the effect of growth hormone on histomorphometerical parameters of testis after methotrexate administration in rat. In this experimental study, the eighty male wistar rat were selected and randomly divided into eight groups; control (n=20) and test (n=60). One and two test groups were received 0.3 mg/kg GH (IP) for 14 and 28 consequence days, respectively. Three and four test groups were received 1mg/kg MTX (IP) per week for 14 and 28 consequence days, respectively. Five and six test groups were received 1mg/kg MTX (IP) with 0.3mg/kg GH (IP) (MTX+GH) for 14 and 28 consequence days, respectively. However the one and two control groups just received normal saline (IP) for 14 and 28 consequence days, respectively. In 14 and 28 day, ten rats from each group were sacrificed and the testis was sampled after passing of above times and section providing, and was stained by H& E technique. Then, histologically and histomorphometerically parameters include: diameter of seminiferous tubules, thickness of epithelium of seminiferous tubules, thickness of interstitial tissue, and thickness of testicular capsule, were studied. Results of this study showed that methotrexate had destructive effects on testis tissue and spermatogenesis in test group compared with control group. Also, results showed that in 28 day after methotrexate administration diameter of seminiferous tubules and thickness of epithelium of seminiferous tubules significantly decreased (p<0.05), but thickness of interstitial tissue and thickness of testicular capsule significantly increased (p<0.05) compared with control group. GH administration had non significant effect on testis Histomorphometery. In GH+MTX group, GH caused significantly (p<0.05) amelioration effects on testis Histomorphometery and spermatogenesis compared with MTX group. Although the effect of methotrexate on spermatogenesis and unfertilization in human needs to be more investigation.

Introduction: Osteoporosis is defined as a systemic skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue, resulting in increased risk of fracture. However, appropriate exercise for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis has not been determined. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of two progressive loading training program on the bone properties of Osteoporotic rat models.Materials & methods:  Among 30 male rats, 6 rats were separated as healthy group, Then Osteoporosis was induced in remaining rats by intraperitoneal injection of 20% ethanol solution (3g/kg/day) for four consecutive days for 3 weeks. 24 Osteoporotic rats were divided into 4 groups (n=6): baseline (As the baseline of the experimental groups), resistance training, endurance training and control. The two training groups completed 12 weeks of training program, 5 days a week according to protocol. The Endurance protocol includes running exercise on a treadmill for, 12 m/min, 10 to up 64 min/ day. The Resistance protocol consisted of 8 series of climbs on the 110-cm vertical ladder angled at 80º with weight tied to animal tail that was increased from the 50% of the body mass of the animal in the first series to 100% in the eighth series. At the end of the intervention, the animals were euthanized and the Bone mineral density (BMD) of the femur and the L4 +L5 were measured using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Microarchitectures of the proximal tibia metaphysis tissue were measured by using standard histomorphometric methods and with the motic software.Findings: The endurance (p=0.035) and resistance (p=0.001) groups had significantly increased femur BMD compared to controls. L4+L5 BMD in resistance training and control was significantly greater than endurance group (p=0.001,p= 0.001). only the resistance training had significantly increased the trabeculare percent (p=0.018) and cortical thickness (p=0.009) and had significantly decreased trabecular separation percent (p=0.02)compared to controls. A number of osteocyte in both endurance and resistance groups was significantly greater than that in control group (p=0.03, p=0.002).Discussion & Conclusions: Resistance training induces more effective favourable changes in bone mineral status and pathology as compared to endurance training in osteoporotic male rats.

Tissue fixation is a vital step in preparation of samples for histological studies and mistakes at this stage could lead to irreversible damage. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of three sample preparation-fixation methods on histomorphometic indices of small intestine of broilers. Thirty 10 day old broilers of Ross 308 strain were used in the study. Segments of small intestine were washed and prepared as opened or closed sections. The closed sections were fixed in 10% saline-formalin. The opened samples were cut at the mesenteric line and were fixed by 10% saline-formalin. In Clarke’ s fixation the ends of samples were sealed by string and Clarke’ s solution was injected into the lumen. Fixed samples were subjected to paraffin embedding and 5 µ m sections were cut using rotary microtome and sections were stained by Eosin-Hematoxylin and Alcian blue. In each section the villus height, villus thickness, crypt depth and goblets’ density were measured under light microscope and the villus surface index was also calculated. Data were subjected to ANOVA in a completely randomized design with three treatments and 30 observations. The results indicated that method of preparation-fixation had a significant effect on morphometric indices (p<0. 01). The closed-formalin’ s samples had the greatest villus height and crypt depth values in all three intestinal segments, while the lowest values were observed in closed-Clarke’ s method (p<0. 01). Closed-Clarke’ s samples had the thickest villus in all three parts of small intestine followed by closed-formalin’ s and opened-formalin’ s samples (p<0. 01). Villus surface area was highest in closed-formalin fixed samples (p<0. 01). Considering simplicity of the method, low cost, better mucosal protection and lack of severe tissue changes observed in closed-formalin’ s method, this method was considered as a method of choice in histomorphometric studies of poultry small intestinal mucosa.