title: Mitigating effects of Jambul against lead induced toxicity in epididymis and vas deferens of mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Precious fruits like jambul are neglected and wasted while environmental pollutants like lead intake remain overlooked.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the Jambul pulp extract on lead detrimental effects in pseudostratified epithelium and the stereocilia of mice epididymis and vas deferens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty young males mice (Mus musculus) were distributed randomly in 3 groups (n= 10) called control, Pb (Lead) and Pb-J (Lead-Jambul). The Pb and Pb-J were provided 50ppm Pb in drinking water ad libitum for 15 days and Pb free water for the next 5 days. The Pb-J group received 0.2ml jambul pulp extract on 12 hourly bases. Control group was not given any treatment. Organs (epididymis and vas deference) were recovered on 21(st) day after euthanasia. The organs were finally processed for histological and micrometric studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Marked histologic and micrometric changes in both organs were noted in Pb group. These include significant (P ≤ 0.05) decrease in cross sectional area of caput and cauda epididymis folding tubing along with evident alterations of their endothelial thickness. Prominent signs of apoptosis (vacuolations) in the corpus pseudostratified endothelium and the destruction of stereocilia of the epididymis and vas deferens in Pb compared to control group were observed. Evident signs of recovery, in both organs, such as proliferation and rearrangements in pseudostratified endothelium and the stereocilia along with convincing recovery in micrometric parameters were observed in Pb-J group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that epididymis and vas deferens are highly sensitive to Pb exposure while Jambul pulp extract has shown rich mitigating potentials against such histopathologies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Government Degree College, Kotmomin Sargodha, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Tahir
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.affiliation: University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Khawaja Raees
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: University of the Punjab Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Asmat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ullah
authors.affiliation: University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Samreen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Government College for Women Farooq Colony Sargodha, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Kausar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Raees
keywords: Apoptosis; Epididymis; Jambul; Stereocilia; Vas deferens