Evaluation of androgenic activity of Zingiber officinale and Pentadiplandra brazzeana in male rats

Aim: Aqueous extracts of Zingiber officinale and Pentadiplandra brazzeana were tested for their possible androgenic activity in male Wistar rats. Methods: The aqueous extracts of the two plants were gavaged separately to 2 groups of rats at a similar dose of 600 mg.kg^1.day-1 for 8 days. At the end of the treatment, the animals were killed and the blood, testis, epididymis, seminal vesicles and prostate were collected for biochemical analysis. Results: The aqueous extract of Z. officinale significantly increased in the relative weight of the testis, the serum testosterone level, testicular cholesterol level and epididymal α-glucosidase activity. The aqueous extract of P. brazzeana significantly increased the weights of the testis, seminal vesicles and prostate. It also significantly increased the serum and testicular testosterone level. The fructose, α-glucosidase and cholesterol levels in P. brazzeanatreated rats were increased by 28%, 35% and 114%, respectively. Conclusion: The aqueous extracts of both P. brazzeana and Z. officinale have an androgenic activity, which seems to be more potent with P. brazzeana than with Z. officinale. (Asian J Androl 2002 Dec; 4: 299-301)

Bulbocavernosus muscle area measurement： a novel method to assess androgenic activity

Serum testosterone does not correlate with androgen tissue activity, and it is critical to optimize tools to evaluate such activity in males. Ultrasound measurement of bulbocavernosus muscle （BCM） was used to assess the relationship between the number of CAG repeats （CAGn） in the androgen receptor （AR） and the BCM size; the changes in the number of CAGn over age were also evaluated. Transperineal ultrasound measurement of the BCM was also performed. AR CAGn were determined by high performance liquid chromatography, and morning hormone levels were determined using immunoassays. Forty-eight men had CAG repeat analysis. Twenty-five were 〈30 years of age, mean 23.7 years （s.d, = 3.24） and 23 were 〉45 years of age, mean 53years （s.d. = 5.58）. The median CAGn was 21 （13-29）. BCM area was greater when the number of CAGn were 〈18 as compared to the number of CAGn 〉24 （P= 0.04）. There was a linear correlation between the number of CAGn and the BCM area R^2= 16% （P= 0.01）. In the 45 to 65-years-old group, a much stronger negative correlation （R^2 = 29%, P= 0.01） was noticed. In the 19 to 29-years-old group, no such correlation was found （R2 = 4%, P = 0.36）. In older men, the number of CAGn increased with age （R^2 = 32%, P= 0.01）. The number of CAGn in the AR correlates with the area of the BCM. Ultrasound assessment of the BCM is an effective surrogate to evaluate end-organ activity of androgens. The number of CAGn may increase with age.

Effects of triclosan on gonadal differentiation and development in the frog Pelophylax nigromaculatus

Previous studies have reported that triclosan（TCS） could possess an androgenic activity.We aimed to investigate the effects of TCS on gonadal differentiation and development in the frog Pelophylax nigromaculatus, a sensitive amphibian species to androgenic chemicals.P. nigromaculatus tadpoles at stage 24 were exposed to TCS（3, 30, and 300 nmol/L） to stage46 in a semi-static exposure system. At the end of exposure, gonadal morphology and histology, sex ratio and gonadal expression of sex-biased genes were examined in P. nigromaculatus. In each TCS treatment group, we found several individuals whose gonads exhibited morphological and/or histological abnormalities. Gonadal histological abnormalities were characterized by few oocytes and many somatic cells. Although the percentage of the individuals with abnormal gonads was low（7.8%） among all animals treated with TCS,statistical test revealed the sex ratios in the 3 and 300 nmol/L TCS treatment groups were significantly different from the solvent control. In the 30 nmol/L TCS treatment group,abnormal gonads were also observed, although the sex ratio was not changed compared with the solvent control, which was possibly due to the smaller sample size in this group. In all the TCS treatment groups, the sex ratios were not obviously male-biased, but the expression levels of some sex-biased genes were significantly altered by TCS. Altogether,our results suggest that TCS, even at environmentally relevant concentrations, could disrupt gonadal differentiation and development in P. nigromaculatus, but we are not sure whether the disrupting effects were associated with masculinization or feminization.