Résumé:
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of ascorbic acid (AA) (200 mg/Kg/b.w.) supplementation on the expression of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in the epididymis of male rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus, as well as molecular docking between the AFP protein and vitamin C. For this, ten male rabbits were divided into two groups: control (T) and supplemented by vitamin C. The epididymis was dissected in order to conduct a histological study using haematoxylin eosin staining and Masson trichrome, immunohistochemistry by alpha-epididymis fetoprotein a protein expressed as molecular marker of cell proliferation (AFP), as well as molecular docking between the alpha-fetoprotein protein and vitamin C. Histological results revealed no structural changes in epididymis epithelium in AA-supplemented rabbits compared to control group. Regarding immunohistochemical examination by AFP, microscopic observation revealed negative immunolabeling in the control groups and supplemented with vitamin C. Docking was performed by the analysis software Auto Dock Vina. The molecular receptors were downloaded from the Protein Data Bank (PDB), and the vitamin C ligand was designed by MarvinSketch software and recorded as a 3D file. Our bioinformatic and molecular docking results reveal that the AFP gene in rabbits is located on chromosome 15 and indicate that is located on chromosome 15 in humans and demonstrates the types of mutation in the human AFP gene as nonsense substitution, AFP is primarily expressed during fetal development in both humans and rabbits, AFP levels are normally low but can increase in certain conditions such as pregnancy and certain liver diseases, including tumorigenesis and cancer development. There are several possible conformations for binding between vitamin C and alpha-fetoprotein, some of which are more beneficial and more stable than others. The first mode is the best mode with the most stable binding, indicating an affinity of -7.5 kcal/mols. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that alpha foetoprotein can associate ascorbic acid witch at a dose of 200mg/Kg b.w. has a beneficial effect on the tissular structure of the epididymis in male rabbit.
Keywords:
