ABSTRACT
Objective: Degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain stem is the main pathological aspect of Parkinson's disease [PD]. 17 beta-estradiol [E2] has neuroprotective effects on substantia nigra, however, the underlined mechanism is not well-known. In this study, we evaluated the neuroprotective effects of E2 in the ovariectomized 6-hydroxydopamine- [6-OHDA] rat model of PD
Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, all animals were ovariectomized to avoid any further bias in E2 levels and then these ovariectomized rats were randomly assigned into three experimental groups [10 rats in each group]: ovariectomized control group [OCG], ovariectomized degeneration group receiving 25 µg of 6-OHDA into the left corpus striatum [ODG], and ovariectomized E2 pretreatment group pretreated with 0.1 mgkg-1of 17 beta-estradiol for three days prior to the destruction of corpus striatum with 6-OHDA [OE2PTG]. The apomorphine behavioral test and Nissl staining were performed in all experimental groups. The expressions of Sequestosome-1 [P62], Unc- 51 like autophagy activating kinase [Ulk1], and microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3B [Lc3] genes were evaluated using reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR]
Results: E2 administration reduced the damages to the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra. The motor behavior, the number of rotations, and histological tests in the treatment group showed the cell survival improvement in comparison with the control groups indicating that E2 can inhibit the neurodegeneration. P62 and Lc3 were expressed in all experimental groups while Ulk1 was not expressed in ODG group. Moreover, Ulk1 was expressed after the treatment with E2 in OE2PTG group
Conclusion: E2 prevents neurodegeneration in dopaminergic neurons of the midbrain by over-expression of Ulk1 gene and augmenting the induction of autophagy
ABSTRACT
Spinal cord injury is a significant cause of motor dysfunctions. There is no definite cure for it, and most of the therapeutic modalities are only symptomatic treatment. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the effectiveness of stem cell therapy in the treatment of the spinal cord injuries in animal models was studied and evaluated. A systematic search through medical databases by using appropriate keywords was conducted. The relevant reports were reviewed in order to find out cases in which inclusion and exclusion criteria had been fulfilled. Finally, 89 articles have been considered, from which 28 had sufficient data for performing statistical analyses. The findings showed a significant improvement in motor functions after cell therapy. The outcome was strongly related to the number of transplanted cells, site of injury, chronicity of the injury, type of the damage, and the induction of immune-suppression. According to our data, improvements in functional recovery after stem cell therapy in the treatment of spinal cord injury in animal models was noticeable, but its outcome is strongly related to the site of injury, number of transplanted cells, and type of transplanted cells.
Subject(s)
Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy , Contusions , Models, Animal , Spinal Cord Injuries , Spinal Cord , Stem Cell Transplantation , Stem CellsABSTRACT
Background: Oligodendrocyte cell death is among the important features of spinal cord injury, which appears within 15 min and occurs intensely for 4 h after injury, in the rat spinal contusion model. Accordingly, the number of oligodendrocytes progressively reduced within 24 h after injury. Administration of oligodendrocyte-like cells [OLCs] into the lesion area is one of the approaches to counterbalance this condition
Methods: Bone marrow stromal cells were transdifferentiated into neurospheres and then into neural stem cells and later were differentiated into OLCs using triiodothyronine and transplanted into the spinal cord contusion rats. The postinjury functional recovery was explored and compared with the control group using Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan and narrow beam behavioral tests. At the end of 12th week, spinal cord segments T12-L1 were histomorphologically studied by immunohistochemistry
Results: Motor improvement was more obvious during 2nd to 4th weeks and got less prominent during 4th to 12th weeks. Histomorphometric findings indicated that cavity formation decreased in epicenter of transplantation area in experimental groups in comparison with the control groups
Conclusion: The findings obtained in the present study showed that OLC therapy is a potential approach in the treatment of spinal cord traumatic injuries
ABSTRACT
Background: Autophagy is a mechanism disassembling the damaged organelles from the cell. This study attempted to examine the expression of several autophagy-related genes in Parkinson's disease [PD] rat model
Methods: The male Wistar rats were divided into three groups as control, sham, and lesion. In the latter group, the PD rat model was induced by the injection of 6-hydroxydopamine in the striatum. The behavioral test was conducted one [baseline] and four weeks after the surgery through apomorphine hydrochloride. Then the RT-PCR technique was employed to evaluate the expressions of p62/SQSTM, autophagy-related genes [ATG]5, ATG12, ATG16L1, ATG10, as well as GAPDH and LC3
Results: By injecting apomorphine, the striatal lesion group showed a significant contralateral rotation at fourth week as compared to the baseline. The examination of p62, ATG5, ATG12, ATG16L1, and LC3 expressions using RT-PCR revealed that p62, ATG5, ATG12, LC3, and ATG16L1 were expressed in the substantia nigra of PD rat model, while ATG10 was not expressed
Conclusion: ATG10 expression is necessary for the initiation of autophagy. Thus, these results show that autophagy deregulation occurs in the initiation stages of the process in the rat model of PD
ABSTRACT
The brain and spinal cord have a limited capacity for self-repair under damaged conditions. One of the best options to overcome these limitations involves the use of phytochemicals as potential therapeutic agents. In this study, we have aimed to investigate the effects of di-[2-ethylhexyl] phthalate [DEHP] on hippocampus-derived neural stem cells [NSCs] proliferation to search phytochemical candidates for possible treatment of neurological diseases using endogenous capacity. In this experimental study, neonatal rat hippocampus-derived NSCs were cultured and treated with various concentrations of DEHP [0, 100, 200, 400 and 600 micro M] and Cirsium vulgare [C. vulgare] hydroethanolic extract [0, 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 micro g/ml] for 48 hours under in vitro conditions. Cell proliferation rates and quantitative Sox2 gene expression were evaluated using MTT assay and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR]. We observed the highest average growth rate in the 400 micro M DEHP and 800 micro g/ml C. vulgare extract treated groups. Sox2 expression in the DEHP-treated NSCs significantly increased compared to the control group. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry [GC/ MS] results demonstrated that the active ingredients that naturally occurred in the C. vulgare hydroethanolic extract were 2-ethyl-1-hexanamine, n-heptacosane, 1-cyclopentanecarboxylic acid, 1-heptadecanamine, 2,6-octadien-1-ol,2,6,10,14,18,22-tetracosahexaene, and DEHP. DEHP profoundly stimulated NSCs proliferation through Sox2 gene overexpression. These results provide and opportunity for further use of the C. vulgure phytochemicals for prevention and/or treatment of neurological diseases via phytochemical mediated-proliferation of endogenous adult NSCs
Subject(s)
Animals, Laboratory , SOXB1 Transcription Factors , Cell Proliferation , Hippocampus/cytology , Neural Stem Cells/drug effectsABSTRACT
Background: Quantum dots [QDs] are new types of fluorescent materials for biological labeling. QDs toxicity study is an essential requirement for future clinical applications. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate cytotoxic effects of CdSe: ZnS QDs on male reproductive system
Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, the different concentrations of CdSe: ZnS QDs [10, 20 and 40 mg/kg] were injected to 32 male mice [adult group] and 24 pregnant mice [embryo group] on day 8 of gestation. The histological changes of testis and epididymis were studied by a light microscopy, and the number of seminiferous tubules between two groups was compared. One-way analysis of variance [one-way Anova] using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences [SPSS, SPSS Inc., USA] version 16 were performed for statistical analysis
Results: In adult group, histological studies of testis tissues showed a high toxicity of CdSe: ZnS in 40 mg/kg dose followed by a decrease in lamina propria; destruction in interstitial tissue; deformation of seminiferous tubules; and a reduction in number of spermatogonia, sper-matocytes, and spermatids. However, there was an interesting result in fetal testis development, meaning there was no significant effect on morphology and structure of the seminiferous tubules and number of sperm stem cells. Also histological study of epididymis tissues in both groups [adult and embryo groups] showed no significant effect on morphology and structure of tubule and epithelial cells, but there was a considerable reduction in number of spermatozoa in the lumen of the epididymal duct in 40 mg/kg dose of adult group
Conclusion: The toxicity of QDs on testicular tissue of the mice embryo and adult are different before and after puberty. Due to lack of research in this field, this study can be an introduction to evaluate the toxicity of QDs on male reproduction system in different stages of development
ABSTRACT
Background and Aims: quantum dots [QDs], as colloidal nanocrystalline semiconductors, present QD wavelengths in terms of biomedical assays and imaging, though the high toxicity of their core demands to be taken into consideration. Investigating this subject is taken into account as an important concept concerning use of these nanoparticles in the medical applications
Materials and Methods: 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg doses of mentioned QDs were injected into some male mice. 10 days after CdSe/ZnS, and the serum sample of mice were measured in regard with FSH, LH and testosterone assays. The testis and body weight of various groups were determined
Results: within 10 days after injection of 40 mg/kg CdSe:ZnS, the serum LH concentration increased from 0.64 to 0.79 ng/ml and the serum testosterone concentration declined from 1.33 to 0.58 mIu/ml. Mean concentration of LH and testosterone CdSe:ZnS in 40 mg/kg dose showed high toxicity of CdSe:ZnS in 40 mg/kg dose. The FSH concentration did not reveal any significant differences compared to the control group. The body weight in all groups and the testicular weight in the treated mice with 10, 20 mg/kg CdSe QDs were similar to the control group. No significant changes were observed in regard with relative testis weights, whereas the testis weight decreased significantly from 0.093 to 0.055 gr [p< 0.01] in the mice receiving 40 mg/kg CdSe:ZnS
Conclusions: quantum dots were demonstrated to be capable of inducing detrimental effects on the reproductive systems of male mice. Since no study has been conducted in this realm, the present study can serve as an introduction to more studies regarding the effects of quantum dots toxicity on the development of male sexual system
ABSTRACT
Variations in arterial anatomy are less frequent, contrary to the venous system, and most of these variations affect visceral arteries. Variations in the brachial artery are the most frequently reported and so far a minimum of six different patterns have been described. The most common of these patterns is the superficial brachial artery, which lies superficially to the median nerve. Much less prevalent is the high origin of the radial artery [brachioradial artery] or the existence of a doubled brachial artery [accessory brachial artery]. The current study presents a pattern of brachial artery variation which was previously undescribed. During dissection of the right upper limb of a 50 year-old male embalmed cadaver, the bifurcation of the brachial artery in the proximal portion of the middle third of the arm was observed. In this case, the medial branch reaches the medial aspect of the arm, posterior to the median nerve. Afterwards, this medial branch redirects laterally and crosses the median nerve again, this time lying anterior to the nerve till it reaches the lateral aspect of the arm. At the elbow level, the medial branch originates from the radial artery. The lateral branch of the brachial artery remains lateral to the median nerve and continues as ulnar artery and originates from the interosseous artery. It was also observed that the left brachial artery was smaller in size, and bifurcated high in the arm into the superficial radial and ulnar arteries. It was also interesting to note that the common interosseous artery was originated from the left radial artery in the cubital fossa, which descended deep to pronator teres where it was divided into the anterior and posterior interosseous arteries. These variations are discussed comprehensively and compared with the previous reports. Also, it is asserted how clinically the findings are significant
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During the past few years, researchers and practitioners have developed novel techniques, using ansa cervicalis to innervate muscles of the larynx paralyzed due to surgical procedures carried out in the chest and neck areas. During routine dissection of a middle-age male cadaver, an unusual course of the superior root of the ansa cervicalis was observed. In this case, the superior root of the ansa cervicalis fused with the vagus and ran within the carotid sheath, and then joined the inferior root forming the ansa cervicalis in the anterior wall of the carotid sheath. The study of this case will add to our current knowledge of ansa cervicalis and thus aid prevention of injury to the nerve during various surgical procedures
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The use of methamphetamine has been significantly increased among youth in the last decade. Methamphetamine stimulates the central nervous system and affects on the body tissues and neurotransmitters like dopamine. In this study, the effect of methamphetamine as a medicine of amphetamine group is investigated on the pituitary-gonad axis and spermatogenesis. In this experimental study, 40 mature rats with 150 +/- 10 g weight are divided into in 4 groups including 10 rats in each group. Methamphetamine powder was weighted and it was solved in the normal saline to prepare a standard solution. Three experimental groups were injected in dosage 1, 3, 5 mg/kg using insulin syringe for 14 days, every day. Then, FSH, LH and testosterone concentrations were measured from the blood samples. The testis tissue was removed and after sectioning and staining by Hematoxylin-Eosin, was inspected by optical microscope for any changes. The average values of hormones and number of seminiferous cells were analyzed in SPSS-18 software using Duncan-test. Experimental results showed that by increasing the concentration of methamphetamine, the serum level of LH and testosterone increase. While the FSH concentration decrease by increasing the level of methamphetamine. Also, investigation on the testis tissue showed that spermatogenesis has decreased on it in comparison to control group. This is because of methamphetamine effect on the gonads. The hormonal results and microscopic observations, it can conclude that using methamphetamine may cause destructive effects on pituitary-gonad axis and spermatogenesis and as a result, it may decrease fertility
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The ability of composite restorations to prevent microleakage needs desirable bonding material for proper sealing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate class V composite restorations microleakage in premolars with/without electric current while applying variant dentin bonding in vitro. 120 non-carious human premolars were used for this study and standardized class v cavities were prepared. The tooth roots were cut by discs at a distance of 5 mm from CEJ and pulp tissue was removed. The teeth were divided into six groups of 20. In the first group, electric current was applied, Single bond [3M ESPE, St Paul, MN, USA] with a broom motion attached to the cathode and a sponge containing bonding was used as anode. The used current was 15microA and the Single bond in the second group was used without electricity. Then two bondings PQ1 [Ultradent, Germany] and Optibond solo plus [Kerr, USA] were used with and without electricity. After adhesive application and curing the bonding agents, cavities were restored by a composite [Valux Plus]. The root ends were sealed by wax and all teeth surfaces, except 1 mm around the restorations were covered with a nail varnish. The specimens were thermocycled for 1000 cycles and placed in fushin for 24 hours and were then sectioned vertically and examined under a stereomicroscope. Data were scored on a 0-4 scale based on microleakage at the gingival margins and analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-whitney test. Based on the results, the extent of microleakage in the groups of electric current was significantly less than the groups without using the electric current [P=0.05]. The lowest degree of microleakage was found in PQ1 group, and the greatest difference between the groups with and without electricity was also found in PQ1 group. Single bond and Optibond Solo Plus with electric current showed a lower degree of microleakge. The result showed that use of electric current during the application of dental adhesives could reduce the extent of microleakage