[Biomechanical evaluation of root extracts of Onosma dichroanthum boiss. on skin wound healing in rat]

Onosma dichroanthum Boiss. is one of the most important mountainous medicinal plants in Iran. This study was done to determine the biomechanical evaluation of root extract ointment of Onosma dichroanthum Boiss. on wound healing in rats. In this experimental study, 18 male adult Wistar rats were randomly allocated into control [I], vehicle [II] and treated group with ointment containing of extract 1% of root of Onosma dichroanthum Boiss, [III]. 20 mm vertical skin incision wound were made on rats back side. The assessment of the wound healing was carried out at day 14. At the end of study, rats were sacrificed, skin sample were extracted and evaluated by biomechanical method [maximum force, elastic stiffness, energy absorption]. There was no significant difference in biomechanical parameters among the treated, vehicle and control groups. Topical application of Onosma dichroanthum Boiss. root have no effect on healing of skin wound in animal model

Therapeutic potential of mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in carbon tetrachloride [CCI[4]]-lnduced liver fibrosis

To study the effect of allogenic bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells [BMMSCs] transplantation on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis in mice. Fifty five female NMRI mice were divided in 5 groups, and to induce liver fibrosis CCL[4] intraperitonealy was injected 1 ml/Kg twice a week for 8 weeks 10[6] allogenic BMMSCs were infused in cell therapy group via tail vain at the end of 4[th] weeks. Liver samples were taken and evaluated with histopathologic and immunofluorescence techniques to determine the amount of fibrosis, cell homing and identity of the cells. Mice serum albumin level was measured as well. In the cell therapy group the amount of liver fibrosis and mortality rate decreased significantly [2.24 +/- 0.51% vs 3.48 +/- 0.6%, PO.05 and 27.3% vs 45.5%], respectively but there was no significant difference between their serum albumin level. These results were in compliance with low proportion of transplanted cells capable of producing albumin [0.23 +/- 0.08% of liver cells]. Because most transplanted cells were found in periportal area; they did not produce albumin. Conclusion: It seems that the major role of BMMSCs to reduce CCL[4]-induced liver fibrosis does not occur by their differentiation into hepatocyte but rather through other interaction pathways with injured liver tissue

ultrastructural study of the impact of Morris water maze spatial learning on synaptic plasticity of rat hippocampal CA1 area

The learning procedure leads to biochemical, biophysical and ultrastructural changes in synapses of some specific areas in central nervous system, which is named synaptic plasticity. Material and Twelve male wistar rats were divided in two [case and control] groups. The cases were trained in Morris water maze. The animals underwent 8 training sessions per day, on 3 consecutive days, but the control group did not undergo this training. In the third day all rats were perfused with normal saline and Karnowsky fixator, under deep anesthesia. Then they were decapitated and their brains were enucleated. The CA1 area of dorsal hippocampal formation was punched about - 3.5 to - 4.5mm from Bregma, and the punched pieces were processed for TEM. In comparison with the control group, the case group showed increase in concave synapses, decrease in thickness of postsynaptic density [PSD], vasting of synaptic contact zone [SCZ], formation of perforated postsynaptic density and V- shaped synapses. The results of this study showed that spatial learning leads to a series of ultrastructural changes in synapses of CA1 area of dorsal hippocampal formation which results in enhancement of synaptic efficacy