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1. Effects of Intraperitoneal Administration of ATRA on the Testis of Elastase Induced Emphysematous Rats
Swati Uniyal, Nimisha Sharma, Sudhir Kotnala, Amit Tyagi, Jai Prakash Muyal 1
2. Toxicological Effect of Khat (Catha edulis) in Male Reproductive System
Adhanom Gebreslassie Berhe 13
3. Levels of Some Essential and Non-Essential Metals in Selected Cereals Marketed at Holeta City, Ethiopia
Mulatu Yohannes, Tarekegn Berhanu 19
4. Practices and Health Related Toxic Symptoms of Pesticide Use among Farm Workers
Manpreet Kaur, Jyoti, Rajwant Kaur 25
5. Study of Road Traffic Accident (RTA) Fatalites Coming for Autopsy in FAAMCH, Barpeta, Assam
Manoj Kumar Singha, Pradip Kumar Thakuria, Parthapratim Das, Arpan Mazumder 30
ContentsResearch & Reviews: A Journal of Toxicology

RRJoT (2016) 1-12 © STM Journals 2016. All Rights Reserved Page 1
Volume 6, Issue 3
www.stmjournals.com
Effects of Intraperitoneal Administration of ATRA on the
Testis of Elastase Induced Emphysematous Rats
Swati Uniyal1
, Nimisha Sharma1
, Sudhir Kotnala1
, Amit Tyagi2
, Jai Prakash Muyal1,*
1
School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
2
Nuclear Medicine Department, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied sciences, Defence Research
Development Organization, New Delhi, India
Abstract
Emphysema is the pathological manifestation primarily associated with lungs. However, there
are evidences of extra-pulmonary manifestations related to emphysema. The inflammation
developed during emphysema triggers the release of several inflammatory mediators, which
affects the proximal as well as distal organs. The present study was designed to determine the
effect of inflammatory spillage on testicular tissue of male Sprague dawley rats; moreover, the
main focus was to assess the potential role of ATRA as an anti-inflammatory and immuno-
modulatory molecule. Three experimental groups (i.e., control, SS; emphysema, ES; and
therapy, EA) were prepared. Subsequently, the testis from each rat was collected for elastase
activity assay, histopathology, catalase activity assay, protein expression of TNF-α and mRNA
expression of genes associated with male fertility. The endogenous elastase activity in testis
was significantly high in ES group as compared to SS group, while in EA group the activity
was reduced significantly. Testis histopathology photomicrographs clearly shows degenerated
leydig cell population in ES group, while, the population was regenerated in EA group. The
catalase activity was reduced while protein expression of TNF-α was significantly increased
in ES group, whereas, in response to ATRA the catalase activity was increased and protein
expression of TNF-α was significantly decreased. The male fertility genes were significantly
downregulated in ES group, while, significantly upregulated in EA group. ATRA
supplementation has proven to be beneficial in reducing the inflammation along with
maintaining the normal testis architecture as well as the male fertility genes.
Keywords: ATRA, Systemic Inflammation, Testis, Male fertility
INTRODUCTION
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder
(COPD) is a broad category of disease
associated with lungs. COPD is characterised
by alveolar destruction, poor airflow and
chronic inflammation of airway. These
characteristics are attributable to a mixture of
small airway diseases, chronic bronchitis and
emphysema. COPD is fourth leading cause of
death worldwide, thus having high mortality
and morbidity rate [1]. In emphysema alveoli
burst to form large air spaces which trap the
inhaled air inside the broken alveoli due to
collapsed walls. This causes shortness of
breath in emphysematous patients [2).]. The
major causes of emphysema are tobacco
smoking, outdoor, occupational and indoor air
pollution (burning of wood and other biomass
fuel) [3]. Past studies show higher prevalence
of COPD in males but now it’s almost equal in
men and women, probably due to changing
patterns in tobacco smoking [4–8]. According
to a review carried out in 28 countries between
1990–2004, stated that COPD exists more
commonly in smokers and ex smokers than in
non smokers, in men than in women and in
age group above 40 [9].
Smoking affects the female as well as male
reproductive health. In females, smoking
during pregnancy may cause foetal growth
retardation, neonatal deaths, pregnancy
complications, premature delivery and
possible effects on lactation and long-term
effects on surviving children, decreased
fertility in women, increases the frequency of
menstrual abnormalities and decreases the age
of spontaneous menopause [10, 11]. Smoking
in men may cause changes in chromosome or
DNA damage which affects male fertility,

Volume 6, Issue 3
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Toxicological Effect of Khat (Catha edulis) in Male
Reproductive System
Adhanom Gebreslassie Berhe*
Department of Anatomy and Histology, Institute of Bio-Medical Sciences,
College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia
Abstract
In this project paper, databases such as Pubmed, Medline, Hinary and Google search, were
systematically searched for literature on the different aspects of Catha edulis (Khat) to
synthesize, review, and present various research publications on the toxicology to document
the effect of khat consumption on the histology and function of male reproductive system. The
euphoric effects have been demonstrated to arise from the main constituent, (-)-S cathinone.
Detailed studies on the effects of khat on reproduction are lacking. However, the limited
available data reveal that chewing of khat has a negative impact on human reproductive
health. The effect of khat increased, as exposure of khat and time of exposure increased.
Several studies revealed that experimental animals treated with the higher dose of khat show
histopathological alterations in both, the seminiferous tubules and interstitial tissues with
decreased semen quality, sperm concentration, level of testosterone and exhibited sign of
pyknosis in some nuclei of spermatogonia, degeneration of primary spermatocytes and
hypoplasia of interstitial tissue, many seminiferous tubules were severely damaged. In chronic
chewers, sperm count, sperm volume and sperm motility were decreased; in addition to this,
deformed spermatozoa have been found in daily khat users, with different patterns including
head and flagella malformations in complete spermatozoa, flagellate heads, headless flagella,
and multiple heads and flagella.
Keywords: Khat, flagella cathinone, Catha edulis, impotence, testosterone, spermatogenesis,
libido
INTRODUCTION
Khat is an evergreen tree grown in Middle
East Somalia, East Africa, Arabian Peninsula
and Ethiopia. The habit of khat chewing has
prevailed for centuries among populations in
the horn of Africa and the Arabian peninsula
including the Yemen [1]. Fresh leaves of khat
contain the alkaloids of the phenyl propyl
amine type, of which the two psychoactive
constituents are, the stimulants cathinone (S-(-
)-α-aminopropiophenone) and cathine (S, S-
(+)-norpseudoephedrine) [2]. Khat was
considered by the World Health Organization
(WHO) in 1964 as a material that can cause
psychological addiction [3]. Chewing of khat
leaves was found to be more common among
adult men than women [4] and was found to be
common among children as well [5]. The
effect of khat leaves on the central nervous
system is considered as the most important
effect causing euphoria, increased alertness,
logorrhoea, hyperactivity, anxiety, and
aggressiveness and may be followed by
insomnia [1]. Long-term chronic users may
develop personality disorders and mental
deterioration [6]. In addition to psychological
disorder, various studies also revealed that
khat produces toxicological effect to
reproductive structures in human beings and
experimental animals [5]. Chronic chewing of
khat may cause spermatorrhoea and may lead
to decreased sexual functioning and impotence
[4]. Long term and regular consumption of
khat may lead to progressive and diminished
sex performance and this suggests that chronic
consumption of may be the cause of sexual
impotence [7]. Therefore, there is a need to
understand the impact of khat consumption on
the reproductive organs of humans and
develop intervention strategies to control the
abuse. Accordingly, there is a limited
documentation on the effect of khat
consumption on various reproductive
parameters. Here, we review different

Volume 6, Issue 3
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Levels of Some Essential and Non-Essential Metals in
Selected Cereals Marketed at Holeta City, Ethiopia
Mulatu Yohannes1,
*, Tarekegn Berhanu2
1
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural and Computation Science, Ambo University,
Ambo, Ethiopia
2
Consultant, Strengthening of Agricultural Pesticide Residues Analysis System Project, JICA-MoA,
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Abstract
Cereals are the most commonly and widely used sources of food in Ethiopia; hence
determining the nutrient contents has a vital importance for the health of consumers. In the
present study, the concentration of metals (Na, K, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, Ni, Cd, Co, Pb, and Ag)
were determined in three cereal types (maize, sorghum and barely) using FAAS and flame
photometry. The optimized wet digestion involving both, concentrated HNO3 and HClO4 was
employed for the decomposition of each cereal samples. The accuracy of an optimized
procedure was confirmed by spiking some cereal samples and evaluating their recoveries.
Satisfactory linearity of standard curves was obtained with elemental correlation coefficients
over 0.9999. Metals were detected in all cereal types except Ag in all three cereal samples and
Cd in maize and sorghum, which are below the method detection limit. The general pattern of
concentration of metals in three cereal samples follow the decreasing order of
K>Na>Fe>Co>Zn>Mn>Ni>Cu>Pb. However, the concentration of Mn in sorghum and Ni
in both, barely and sorghum are out of this trend. The result of this study indicates that all
types of cereals contain considerable concentration of metals and the results are comparable
with literature values. Hence, the cereals could be considered as essential sources of dietary
minerals and possible means of entrance for nutrients to food chain.
Keywords: Cereals, metals, flame photometry, flame atomic absorption spectroscopy
INTRODUCTION
For the health and wellbeing of human beings,
consumption of diets adequate in both, quality
and quantity with good nutritional value is
prerequisite. In Ethiopia, cereals are the most
common and wider sources of food and by far
the largest group in terms of their share in area
cultivated, output and consumption. They are
bases for the well balanced and healthy diet
because they are rich in carbohydrate [1]. In
the Ethiopian agricultural systems, cereals are
the most extensively grown crops in terms of
the magnitude of the area under crops and
volumes of crop production. Cereals
contribute about 80% of the country’s crops
area and 77% of the crop production [2].
In the cereal category, teff, maize, sorghum,
wheat and barley are the main food crops in
the country. Oromia region contributes to the
country about 46 and 51% of country’s total
area and production of cereals, respectively
[3]. Essential and non-essential metals are
persistent, which can be available naturally
and anthropogenic activities via degradation
[4]. Humans can be exposed to those metals
through various ways in food chain such as
excessive uptake by plants that lead to higher
accumulation in several tissues, which can
cause phytotoxic effect [5]. Some of these
metals such as Cd, Pb, Cr are also harmful to
human beings and others such as Ni, Cu, Zn
are essential minerals that are required for the
maintenance of normal structure, function and
proliferation of cells [6].
Furthermore, besides their importance for
various activities, they are potentially harmful
if consumed in excessive amount than required
by the human body [7, 8]. Various
investigations have shown that
industrialization, mining and transportation

Volume 6, Issue 3
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Practices and Health Related Toxic Symptoms of Pesticide
Use among Farm Workers
Manpreet Kaur*, Jyoti, Rajwant Kaur
Department of Nursing Science, SGRD College of Nursing, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical
Sciences and Research, Vallah, Amritsar, Punjab, India
Abstract
The present study was conducted among farm workers at Amritsar, Punjab with the objectives
to assess the practices related to purchase, storage and usage before and after spraying of
pesticides and to assess the health related toxic symptoms of pesticide use. Data was collected
from 100 farm workers selected by purposive sampling with the help of self-structured tool.
The study revealed varied and inappropriate practices related to purchase, storage and usage
of pesticides. The study also signified that majority of the farm workers (90.9%) reported skin
rash/itching/burning, more than forty percent farm workers reported burning of eyes and one
fourth farm workers reported lacrimation. Findings also reveal that there was significant
association of health related toxic symptoms with family monthly income at (p<0.05).
Keywords: Pesticide, farm workers, toxicity
INTRODUCTION
Farming is a main occupation in Punjab. The
unbridled use of pesticides in agriculture
sector poses a serious environmental
degradation problem besides, being intimately
associated with public and workers’ health
hazard. Although the use of pesticides helps to
considerably control diseases, hence reduce
crop losses and result in better yield of the
crops. Pesticides pose significant occupational
health and environmental risks throughout the
world (WHO 1990). It is widely recognized
that agriculture workers are the largest
occupational group at risk of adverse health
effects. Although most agriculture workers
may be facing pesticide hazards, spray men are
usually the most highly exposed group because
of inadequate clothing, drift of spray droplets,
leaks and other defects in the spray equipment,
or other reasons [1].
The Malwa region of Punjab, India, is facing
an unprecedented crisis of environmental
health linked to indiscriminate, excessive, and
unsafe use of pesticides, fertilizers, and poor
groundwater quality. The region has been
described as India's “cancer capital” due to
abnormally high number of cancer cases,
which have increased 3-fold in the last
10 years. Studies of this region have also
highlighted a sharp increase in many other
pesticide-related diseases, such as mental
retardation and reproductive disorders. The
most affected individuals are the agricultural
workers who are directly exposed to pesticides
[2].
Elements of unsafe use of pesticides that have
been identified by past research include
erroneous beliefs of farmers about pesticide
toxicity, lack of attention to safety precautions,
environmental hazards, and information about
first aid and antidotes given by the label, the
use of faulty spraying equipment or lack of
proper maintenance of spraying equipment,
and lack of the use of protective gear and
appropriate clothing during handling of
pesticides [3–7].
Farming populations exposed to pesticides
suffer from several health problems, primarily
neurological abnormalities, respiratory
ailments and reproductive, endocrinological,
and dermal problems [8]. From the above
mentioned facts, it is very clear that
inappropriate use of pesticides is very harmful
for farm workers. The farm workers should be
made aware of using pesticides in agriculture
and safely to avoid these adverse effects on
health.

Volume 6, Issue 3
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Study of Road Traffic Accident (RTA) Fatalites Coming
for Autopsy in FAAMCH, Barpeta, Assam
Manoj Kumar Singha1,
*, Pradip Kumar Thakuria2
, Parthapratim Das1
, Arpan Mazumder2
1
Department of Forensic Medicine, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College, Barpeta, Assam, India
2
Department of Forensic Medicine, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati, Assam, India
Abstract
Analysis of fatal road traffic accident cases in medico-legal autopsies, present study was
conducted in the department of forensic medicine, FAAMC, Barpeta Assam from 1st January
2015 to 31st December 2015. The study was undertaken upon 210 victims of road traffic
accident cases, who died due to various injuries, and were autopsied at Fakhruddin Ali
Ahmed Medical College. Most of the accidents occurred in the afternoon hours and there was
male dominance. Most affected age group was 21–30 years and two wheeler occupants were
most commonly involved. Head injury is the most common causes of death.
Keywords: Road traffic accident, injury, two wheelers, death
INTRODUCTION
Accident is not often due to ignorance, but is
due to carelessness, thoughtlessness and at
times over confidence. Road traffic accidents
were associated with numerous problems.
Globally, road traffic accident is the leading
case of unnatural deaths in the world as well as
India. Over population, increased number of
vehicles on road, poor road conditions and
disregard to traffic rules and regulations are
some of the major cause of increased fatalities
in India.
Careless driving by young people and under
influence of alcohol is the most common
factor of RTA. So, the present study around
the Barpeta district is a small attempt to
understand the magnitude of problem.
According to the National Crime Records
Bureau, 51 cases of road accidents took place
every one hour during 2014, wherein 16
persons were killed [1]. During 2014, a total of
450898 cases of road accidents were reported
which rendered 477731 persons injured and
141526 deaths. Maximum fatalities, 26.4%
victims of road accidents were riders of two
wheelers.
MATERIAL AND METHOD
The present study was conducted in the
department of Forensic Medicine FAAMC
Barpeta. It includes the retrospective study and
analysis of 210 cases of RTA fatalities brought
for autopsy from different police station of
Barpeta district Assam, over a period of one
year from 1st January’15 to 31st
December’15. The epidemiological data such
as age, sex, time of accident, type of victim,
type of vehicular occupants etc. were noted at
the autopsy examination with related history
as well.
Observations
Total number of post mortem cases during the
study period was 537, out of which numbers of
road traffic accident fatalities cases were 210
(39.1) (Table 1). The decomposed bodies were
excluded from the study.
Table 1: Post Mortem Case Study.
Total Males Females
210 176 34
In this study, total male fatalities in RTA were
176(83.8%) and female were 34(16.2%) and
male female ratio is 5.18:1. The maximum
number of road traffic accident fatalities was
recorded in the age group of 21–30 years
68(32.4%). Numbers of RTA fatalities in
extreme age group 0–10 were three and 61–70
were two (Table 2).

Research & Reviews: A Journal of Toxicology vol 6 issue 3

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Research & Reviews: A Journal of Toxicology vol 6 issue 3