The Effect of Libyan Date Palm Pollen and Flax Seed on General and Specific Properties of ...

135 Pages·2016·12.15 MB·English

The Effect of Libyan Date Palm Pollen and Flax Seed on
General and Specific Properties of Testicular and Breast
Cancer Cells

By

Yasmein Omran Alshibani

A dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Magister Scientiae

Department of Medical Biosciences

Faculty of Natural Science

Supervisor: Prof. Thomas K. Monsees

May 2016
DECLARATION

I, Yasmein Omran Alshibani, hereby declare that “The effects of Libyan Date Palm
Pollen and Flax seed on General and Specific Properties of Testicular and Breast
Cancer Cell Lines” is my own work and has not been submitted for any degree or
examination in this or any other university. All the resources that I have used have been

indicated and fully acknowledged by complete references.

Full name........................................ Date.............................................

Signed.............................................

I
DEDICATION

This work is dedicated to my father OMRAN ALSHIBANI and my husband ESAM

ELMKAHIL. Thank you both for your endless support and care that you have provided.

II
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you ALLAH, the omnipotent, to give me the strength and ability to finish this

work.

Say: 'Lord, grant me an entrance of sincerity and an exit of sincerity, and give me from
yours a victorious power. '. Surat Al-Esra Aya (81) ‘Quran’.

My supervisor Professor T. K. Monsees: thank you for your guidance, patience,
encouragement and understanding for the different situations that I passed through.

Many thanks go to Professor David Fisher and Dr. Mervin Meyer for allowing me to work
in their laboratories.

Mr. Abdallah Elgenaidi: thank you sincerely for all of the things that you helped me
with.

To my mother and my mother in law: no words can explain what you have done and do
for me. Your kindness and love strengthen me in every step of my way and your Doaa
opened all the closed doors.

Many thanks for everyone that gave a hand during my study: Fathya Alshibani, Shireen
Mentor, Mustafa Dra, Fatima Alatraq, Habeeb and Nicole.

For my sisters, thank you for your insistence to finish my study and not to quit whatever
the obstacles.

III
PUBLICATIONS

Part of the thesis “Effect of Libyan Date Palm Pollen Extract on the Function of TM4

Sertoli Cell Line” was presented as a poster at UWC Science Faculty Research Open
Day (2015).

IV
KEY WORDS

Medicinal plants

Infertility

Date Palm Pollen (DPP)

Flax seed

TM4 Sertoli cells

MCF-7 Breast cancer cells

Cytotoxicity

E-SCREEN assay

Inhibin - B hormone

V
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

Abbreviation Full Name

ALA Alfa linoleic acid
ALCs Adult Leydig cells
AMH Antimullarian hormone
ABP Androgen binding protein
APH Atypical prostatic hyperplasia
ANOVA Analysis of variance
ALA Alfa linolenic acid
ATCC American Type Cell Culture
BTB Blood testis barrier
Bcl2 B-cell lymphoma 2
CO2 Carbon dioxide
CD-FBS Charcoal dextran stripped fetal bovine serum
cAMP Cyclic adenosine monophosphate
CYP19 Aromatase enzyme
CYP11A1 Cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme
CREM cAMP-responsive element modulator
DMEM Dulbecco’s Modified Eagles Medium
DMSO Dimethylsulphoxide
DPPH 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl
DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid
DHT Dihydrotestosterone
DPP Date palm pollen
ERE Estrogen receptor element
ER Estrogen receptor
EGF Epidermal growth factor
EDTA Ethyl Diamine Tetra Acetic acid
VI
EIA Enzyme immunoassay

FACS Fluorescence-activated cell sorting flowcytometer
FSH Follicular stimulat ing hormone
FGF Fibroblast growth  factor
Fig Figure
FBS Fetal bovine serum
GDNF Glial cell derived neurotrophic factor
GGT Gamma glutamyl transpeptidase enzyme
GPER G protein coupled estrogen receptors
GnRH Gonadotropin hormone-releasing hormone
HPLC High-performance liquid chromatography
HSD17B3 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type III
IGF-I Insulin – like growth factor I
JAMs Junctional adhesion molecules
LH Luteinizing hormone
MTT 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide
MTP Microtiter plate reader
mRNA Messenger ribonucleic acid
MAT Matairesinol
MCF-7 Human breast adenocarcinoma cell line
NGF Nerve growth factor
OD Optic density
PBS Phosphate Buffered Saline
PNA P-nitroanilide
PCR Polymerase chain reaction
R Ohmic resistance
SCF Stem cell factor
SD Standard deviation
SDG Secoisolariciresinol
StAR Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein
VII
TEER Transepithelial electrical resistance

TJs Tight junctions
TM4 Mouse Sertoli cell  line
TNFα Tumor necrosis fac tor-α
WHO World health organization
ZO-1 Zonula occludens1

VIII
TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION ................................................................................................................ I

DEDICATION .................................................................................................................. II

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................. III
PUBLICATIONS ............................................................................................................ IV
KEY WORDS ................................................................................................................... V
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................................................... VI
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................ IX
LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................... XIV
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................. XVI
Chapter I: Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1
1.1 An overview of the male reproductive system ......................................................... 1
1.2 Anatomy of the testes ............................................................................................... 2
1.3 Histology of the testes .............................................................................................. 3
1.3.1 Seminiferous Tubules ........................................................................................ 4
1.3.2 Spermatogenesis ................................................................................................ 5
1.3.3 Sertoli cells ........................................................................................................ 6
1.3.3.1 Structure of Sertoli cells ............................................................................ 6
1.3.3.2 Function of Sertoli cells ............................................................................. 8
1.3.4 Interstitial compartment ................................................................................... 13
1.3.4.1 Leydig cells .............................................................................................. 13
1.4 Hormonal control of testicular function ................................................................. 13
1.4.1 Gonadotropin hormone-releasing hormone (GnRH) ....................................... 13
1.4.2 Gonadotropins ................................................................................................. 14
IX