[ effect of shoots of allium sativum L., ferula assa-foetida aqueous extract and low frequency electromagnetic field on angiogenesis in chick chorioallantoic membrane [in vivo]]

Background: Inhibition of angiogenesis is one of the goals of cancer treatment. In traditional medicine, Allium sativum L. and Ferula assa-foetida are consider as the important medicinal plants. The effect of electromagnetic field [EMF] on different aspects of cell growth has been confirmed

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of shoots of Allium sativum L., Ferula assa-foetida extract and low frequency EMF on angiogenesis

Methods: 100 fertilized eggs were randomly divided into 10 groups: control [treated with distilled water], sham one [normal saline], sham two [EMF off], experimental one [shoot of Allium sativum L. extract], experimental two [shoot of Ferula assa-foetida], experimental three [combination of Allium sativum L. and Ferula assa-foetida], experimental four [EMF with intensity of 100 gauss], experimental five [Allium sativum L. + EMF], experimental six [Ferula assafoetida + EMF], experimental seven [combination of Allium sativum L. and Ferula assa-foetida + EMF]. Extract was injected on the 8th day of incubation and samples were exposed to EMF on 10th day. On 12th day, Chorioalantoic membrane was photographed and the length and numbers of vessels were measured

Results: There was a significant decrease in mean number and length of vessels in experimental groups one, two, four, five and six compared with the control group. The most significant decrease was created in group three, especially in group seven [P<0.05]. In addition, extract of Ferula assa-foetida has anti-angiogenesis effect more than Allium sativum L

Conclusion: Allium sativum L. and Ferula assa-foetida have inhibitory effects on angiogenesis and these effects amplifying by EMF

[Characteristics of hepatocyte rough endoplasmic reticulum single cationic channel in streptozocin-induced diabetic rats]

The role of ion channels and particularly cationic channels in the pathogenesis of various diseases are being considered carefully. The diabetes mellitus is a common disease which is initiated by ion channel disturbances. This study was done to determine the characteristics of hepatocyte rough endoplasmic reticulum single cationic channel in Streptozocin-induced diabetic rats. This experimental study was done on 10 male adult Wistar rats and animals were randomly allocaied into diabetic and control groups. Diabetes induced by STZ [65 mg/kg/bw] intraperitounally. Rough endoplasmic reticulum vesicles were extracted following rat liver excision, homogenization and ultracentrifuging. The bilayer membrane formation was prepared by painting phosphatidylcholine on 250 micro M aperture in between Cis and Trans sides. The RER vesicles incorporation was performed through gentle and delicate touch of membrane using a dentistry needle. The Pclamp9 software was used for ion channel activity characteristic analysis. The cationic channel current amplitude did not change significantly in voltages more than+3o mV but their open probability [Po] decreased in diabetic group [P<0.05]. More severe changes in channel activity were seen in potentials less than the reverse potential. In addition to significant increase of channel Po [P<0.05], also, the channel unitary currents were significantly decreased [P<0.05]. The mean current amplitude and channel open probability in voltage+40 mV were 17 +/- 2.14 pA and 0.68 +/- 0.01 in control group respectively, whereas, the values of these parameters reached to 18.5 +/- 2.5 and 0.26 +/- 0.03, respectively. In voltage-10 mV, the values of mean current amplitude and Po were-22.3 +/- 2.14 pA and<0.1 in control group, respectively but the values changed to-13.1 +/- 0.08 and 0.62 +/- 0.03 in diabetic group. It seems that RER cationic channel is involved in metabolic changes which cause by diabetes mellitus and this disease can cause probably a channel gating kinetic and behavior change by inducing metabolic stresses

[Investigation on the levels of IGF-I receptor and IGF-I binding protein I in the brain of insulin resistant rats]

There is limited knowledge available on the metabolism of glucose in the brain, an insulin insensitive organ. Insulin receptors hybridize with insulin like growth factor receptor [IGF-I] to transducer the signals in different areas of the brain. In this article we aimed at investigating whether the expression of IGF-I receptor and IGF-I binding proteins [IGFBP1] is changed in the brain of the diabetic animal model. To induce insulin resistance, adult wistar rats were fed with fructose in their drinking water [10%]. The expression of IGF-I receptor and its binding protein were examined immunohistochemically. Our findings demonstrated that the expression of IGF-I receptor and IGF-I binding protein were not changed in different areas of the brain in insulin resistant rats, compared to those in the control rats. The unchanged expression levels of IGF-I and its binding protein I not imply the lack of involvement of the IGF-I signal transduction pathway in the insulin resistant brain, further investigations are to clarify the issue

Level of the brain IGF-I protein expression in the insulin resistant animal model

In insulin resistance animal models, insulin uptake from periphery to the brain is impaired. While insulin is not involved in glucose transfer to the neurons, it is required for neuron survival and function through binding to its receptor. Furthermore, an insulin homologue called insulin like growth factor [IGF-I] is abundantly expressed in mature rats, acts in parallel with the insulin in brain, binds to the insulin receptor and its serum levels reduced in insulin resistance. In this study, we sought to investigate whether the expression of brain IGF-I is altered in the insulin resistant animal model. Wistar rats were fed with 10% fructose in their drinking water up to 4 months and induced with the insulin resistance. The rats were killed, perfused with 4% PFA, and their brains were sectioned and studied for the immunoreactivity of the IGF-I. Results showed that there is an increased intensity of IGF-I in most brain areas. Altogether, despite the low levels or lack of insulin in brain of the insulin resistant animal model, increased expression of the brain suggests a compensatory mechanism to maintain the insulin function

Immunohistochemical analysis and role of secreted frizzled-related protein-4 in polycystic ovary-induced rat

The role of Wnt signaling and its antagonist; secreted Frizzled Related Protein type 4 [sFPR4] was reported in rodent ovarian follicular development. This study examines immunolocalization of sFRP4 in ovaries of polycystic ovary [PCO] rat model and evaluates its role in follicular growth arrest and its premature differentiation. PCO was induced with daily administration of testosterone propionate [TP] for 1 to 4 weeks while normal control rats were injected only with vehicle. The ovaries underwent histological examination, immunohistochemical analysis of sFRP4 and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein [StAR] and apoptosis analysis. Four-week TP treatment significantly increased the primordial follicles, and significantly decreased the preantral and antral follicles compared to one week TP treatment. TP-treated animals had concomittantly, significant increase of sFPR4 immunoexpression in primordial, primary and preantral follicles as compared to one week TP-treated animals and control groups. Furthermore, sFRP4 immunostaining strongly co-localized in apoptotic granulosa cells. Interestingly, increased sFRP4 immunostaining was associated with increased StAR immunoexpression in follicular theca layer and stroma in four weeks TP-treated rats compared to one week TP-treated rats and control groups. Our data showed a highly significant association between sFRP4 expression and apoptosis in ovaries of four week TP-treated animals. Moreover, co-localization of StAR and sFRP4 could suggest that sFRP4 may play a role in premature differentiation of follicles

[In vitro cell cycle synchronization of sheep granulosa cells]

To investigate the effect of different methods of synchronization on sheep granulosa cell cycle. Granulosa cells were aspirated from ovarian follicles and plated in a DMEM medium containing 15% FBS. Upon 70-80% confluency, the medium of the primary-cultured as well as the passaged-5 cells were replaced with the medium containing either 0.5% FBS for 24, 48 and 72 h or 0.5 mg mimosine for 24 h. In the last group the cells were cultured in a base medium for further 4 days. In the present investigation, for each culture system, the cells were examined in terms of their cell cycle stage using flow cytometry. Moreover, the cultures were investigated with respect to their apoptotic as well as the proliferating cell contents by using Brdu labeling and TUNEL staining. At primary as well as passaged-5 cultures subjected to serum starvation for 24 h, the frequency of GO/G1, proliferating as well as apoptotic cells were similar to those of control group. At culture with 48 and 72h serum starvation, the percentage of G0/G1 cells tended to increase significantly to 83% and 85% at primary culture and 89% and 90% at passage-5 culture respectively. Moreover, treating the cultures with mimosine caused the G0/G1 cell to increase. The percentages of apoptotic cells in cultures with either serum starvation [for 24 and 48 h] or with mimosine did not increase compared to those of control cultures. According to our results, 72 h after serum starvation, frequency of the apoptotic cells appeared to increase significantly

Evaluation of antifertility effect of the seed oil constituents of Iranian species of melia azadarach L. in male rats

Convenient and effective contraceptive methods have been the subject of extensive and versatile research project, during the past 50 years. In this respect, the use of active herbal constituents is one of the topics of research and investigation. In this study the antifertility activity of seed oil extract of Iranian species of Melia azadarach L. in northern district of country, on male rats, during 2 consecutive steps have been evaluated. The seed oil extract have been prepared according to conventional methods, and were administered orally in 50 and 100 mg/kg daily doses for 60 days. In the first step, the inhibition of fertility indices were assessed with the help of, sperm viability, sperm motility, ESR [Epididymal sperm reserves], DSP [Daily sperm production], GSI [Gonado stomatic index], fertility indices, and serum testosterone content. In the subsequent stage, 3 months after the 60[th] day of compounds administration, the reversibility of the a formentioned indices are determined again. In the first step, a significant reduction in fertility indices to control especially in higher dose were observed. During the next stage, the significant increase in fertility indices are the indication of reasonable recovery and reversibility of extract activity. In summery, the result of this study of this study showed that its activity is reversible