ABSTRACT
Background: Quercetin is a flavonoid with the ability to improve the growth of embryos in vitro, and actinomycin D is an inducer of apoptosis in embryonic cells
Objective: The aim was to evaluate the effect of quercetin on the number of viable and apoptotic cells, the zona pellucida [ZP] thickness and the hatching rate of preimplantation embryos exposed to actinomycin D in mice
Materials and Methods: Two-cell embryos were randomly divided into four groups [Control, Quercetin, actinomycin D, and Quercetin + actinomycin D group]. Blastocysts percentage, hatched blastocysts, and ZP thickness of blastocysts was measured. The number of blastomeres was counted by Hoechst and propidium iodide staining and the apoptotic cells number was counted by TUNEL assay
Results: The results showed that the use of quercetin significantly improved the growth of embryos compared to the control group [p=0.037]. Moreover, quercetin reduced the destructive effects of actinomycin D on the growth of embryos significantly [p=0.026]
Conclusion: quercetin may protect the embryos against actinomycin D so that increases the number of viable cells and decreases the number of apoptotic cells, which can help the expansion of the blastocysts, thinning of the ZP thickness and increasing the hatching rate in mouse embryos
ABSTRACT
Background: Despite the emerging evidence on beneficial effects of probiotics on the cardiovascular system, their impact on the management of ischemic heart diseases and its possible mechanism have not been elucidated
Methods: Four viable probiotics bacterial strains, including Bifidobacterium breve, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Lactobacillus acidophilus, at the concentrations of 2×106 colony-forming units/ml were orally administered to the rats daily for 14 days before the induction of infarct-like myocardial injury using isoproterenol. Subsequently, 24 h after myocardial injury, the right carotid artery and the left ventricle were catheterized for recording blood pressure and cardiac parameters. At the end of the experiment, the heart was removed for the evaluation of histopathological and biochemical parameters, as well as tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-alpha] assay
Results: The induction of acute myocardial injury resulted in significant [P
Conclusion: This study shows that viable probiotics have a cardioprotective effect on infarct-like myocardial injury through suppressing TNF-alpha and oxidative stress damage in a rat model. Probiotic supplements may be used as a new option for prophylaxis in patients at the risk of ischemic heart disease in future
ABSTRACT
Objective: The goal was to evaluate the effect of LC on some indicators of embryo development and blastocyst quality including zona pellucid [ZP] thickness, the hatching of blastocysts and their cell numbers
Materials and Methods: Mouse embryos were randomly divided into five groups and incubated with different concentrations of LC [I; 0, II; 0.5, III; 1, IV; 2 and V; 4 mg/ml] from 2-cell to hatched blastocyst
The percentage of blastocysts and hatched blastocysts was calculated. Blastocysts ZP thickness was measured and the number of blastocyst cells was counted using Hoechst and propidium iodide [PI] staining
Results: The results showed concentration of 0.5 mg/ml of LC had an antioxidant effect as in this group, the percentage of blastocysts and hatched blactocysts [p=0.01], the ZP thickness [p=0.00] and the number of blastocyst inner cell mass were significantly more favorable than the control group [p=0.03]; and concentration of 4 mg/ml of LC had a toxic effect on embryo development and blastocyst quality [p=0.00]
Conclusion: The results suggest that LC may increase the number of blastocyst cells, which probably helps to expand the blastocyst and thinning of the ZP thickness and, therefore, creating a successful hatching for implantation