ABSTRACT
Background: Doxorubicin [Dox] is an effective anthracycline anticancer drug, although it's clinical efficacy is restricted because of several acute and chronic side effects such as cardiotoxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the cardioprotective effects of quercetin on doxorubicin induced toxicity in male rats
Materials and methods: This experimental study was done on 30 Wistar rats, which divided into five groups [6 rats in each group]. One control group was treated with saline [1 mL/kg], while the second control group [quercetin vehicle] received DMSO [1 mL/kg] for 14 days. Experimental groups were orally treated with quercetin every day at a dosage of 20 mg/kg, doxorubicin [25 mg/kg, i.p.] on 12th, 13th and 14th days of the experiment, as well as, with the combination of doxorubicin and Quercetin in stated doses. The treatment period lasted for 14 days. Body weight and histological preparations of heart samples of treated animals were examined on 15th day
Results: Body weight animals treated with doxorubicin significantly decreased compared to other groups [p<0.05]. Quercetin was able to prevent weight loss caused by doxorubicin. Histopathological findings revealed that pretreatment by quercetin had protective efficacy against doxorubicin induced cardiotoxicity
Conclusion: According to pathological results, we confirmed that quercetin possess hepatoprotective effect against doxorubicin induced cardiotoxicity which may be through its antioxidant activity
ABSTRACT
Background: Sertoli cells play a pivotal role in creating microenvironments essential for spermatogonial stem cells [SSCs] self-renewal and commitment to differentiation. Maintenance of SSCs and or induction of in vitro spermiogenesis may provide a therapeutic strategy to treat male infertility
Objective: This study investigated the role of luekemia inhibitory factor [LIF] on the propagation of SSCs and both functions of Sertoli cells on the proliferation and differentiation of these cells
Materials and Methods: SSCs were sorted from the testes of adult male mice by magnetic activated cell sorting and thymus cell antigen 1 antibody. On the other hand, isolated Sertoli cells were enriched using lectin coated plates. SSCs were cultured on Sertoli cells for 7 days in the absence or presence of LIF. The effects of these conditions were evaluated by microscopy and expression of meiotic and post meiotic transcripts by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction
Results: Our data showed that SSCs co-cultured with Sertoli cells in the presence of LIF formed colonies on top of the Sertoli cells. These colonies had alkaline phosphatesase activity and expressed SSCs specific genes. SSCs were enjoyed limited development after the mere removal of LIF, and exhibiting expression of meiotic and postmeiotic transcript and loss of SSCs specific gene expression [p< 0.05]
Conclusion: Our findings represent co-culture of SSCs with Sertoli cells provides conditions that may allow efficient proliferation and differentiation of SSCs for male infertility treatment
ABSTRACT
Spermatogonial stem cells [SSCs] maintain spermatogenesis throughout life in the male. Maintenance of SSCs and induction of spermiogenesis in vitro may provide a therapeutic strategy to treat male infertility. This study investigated in vitro differentiation of mouse SSCs in presence or absence of Sertoli cells, hormones and vitamins. Spermatogonial populations were enriched from testes of 4-6 week old males by magnetic activated cell sorting and anti-Thy-1 antibody. Sertoli cells isolated from 6-8 week old testes were enriched using lectin-DSA-coated plates. Isolated SSCs were cultured in the presence of Leukemia inhibitory factor [LIF] for 7 days in gelatin-coated dishes, then dissociated and cultured for 7 days in media lacking LIF in the presence or absence of Sertoli cells, with or without FSH, testosterone and vitamins. After one week, the effects of Sertoli cells +/- supplementary media on SSC differentiation was evaluated by microscopy and expression of meiotic and postmeiotic transcripts using RT-PCR. SSC colonies had limited development after LIF removal alone, exhibiting low expression of meiotic [Scp3, Th2b] but not postmeiotic transcript, and loss of Stra8 and Dazl expression. SSCs co-cultured with Sertoli cells, hormones and vitamins developed spermatid-like cells expressing postmeiotic markers [TP1, TP2, Prm1] at levels over 2-fold higher than Sertoli cells or hormone/vitamins alone. Our present SSC-Sertoli co-culture provides conditions that may allow efficient in vitro differentiation of SSCs for the treatment of male infertility
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Environmental pollution with heavy metals such as mercury is a major health problem. Growing studies on the field have shown the deleterious effects of mercury on human and nonhuman nervous system, especially in infants, however the effects of prenatal exposure to mercuricchloride on cortical development are not yet well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of prenatal exposure to mercuric chloride on morphological characteristics of brain cortex. Methods: Mercuric chloride [2 mg/kg] or normal saline were injected [I.P.] to 36 Sprague dawley rats in the 8th, 9th or 10th day of gestation. The embryos were surgically removed in the 15th day of gestation, and brain cortices were studied by histological techniques. Results: Histological studies showed that embryos of mercuric chloride treated rats hadcortical neuronal disarrangement withdifferent orientations of nuclei, increased diameter of cortex, increased mitosis of cells, increased cell death, decreased cellular density and increased intracellular space. Conclusion: These findings suggest some micro structural abnormalities in cortical regions after prenatal exposure to mercuric chloride. These structural abnormalities may underliesome neurologic disturbances following mercury intoxication