[Long- term organ culture of fetal Balb/C mouse heart and effects of electromagnetic fields and L-Arginine on the heart development]

There are few studies on the heart development in vitro conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the maintenance time and development of heart in vitro conditions compared with in vivo, and evaluate the effects of electromagnetic field and L-Arginine on the heart development. In this experimental study, hearts of 11- day mice fetuses were excised and cultured in Medium 199, supplemented with 15% newborn calf serum in CO[2] incubator in grid milipore membrane system. The culture period was 3 days at 37°C in an incubator with 5% CO[2] and 95% air. The isolated hearts were divided into sham group which received L-Arginine with no exposure to EMF, control group, and three experimental groups, including El which received EMF [50 HZ/7.83 mT for 30 minutes], E2 which received L-Arginine [350 mg/1] and E3 which received EMF and L-Arginine. Morphological and histological studies showed significant changes in experimental groups as compared with control groups. Length and diameter of heart, internal diameter of atrium and ventricle, length of interatrium septum and diameter of interventricular septum decreased significantly in experimental groups [p<0.001]. Number of red blood cells and heart rate showed significant increase in experimental groups [p<0.001]. Our findings suggest that electromagnetic field and L-Arginine have negative and disruptive effect on the mouse embryo heart development and have positive effect on the number of red blood cells and heart rate

[ effect of adult mouse lung extracts growth factors in differentiation of umbilical cord stem cells into blood cells in vitro condition]

Stem cells [SCs] have great therapeutic indication due to their potency of self-renewal, multilineage differentiation, feasibility and safety for donors. In this study, adult mouse lung extracts containing hematopoietic growth factors were administered to umbilical cord, and evaluated the differentiation of umbilical cord stem cells into erythroid and myeloid lineages. In this basic and practical research, SCs were isolated from umbilical cord by enzyme digestion and cultured in appropriate culture medium. Subjects were divided into four groups: Experimental groups 1 and 2 [E1 and E2] which were exposed to 50% and 70% concentration of lung extract for 7 days, respectively, sham [Sh] group which did not exposed to lung extract and cultured for 7 days, and control group [C]. E1, E2 and Sh groups were incubated for 7 days. All groups were evaluated by alkaline phosphatase detection kit for stem cells. Then, blood cells count and hematopoietic growth factors were assessed. ANOVA was used for data analysis. There were significant changes in E2 groups as compared with Sh and C groups, so that E2 group cells were differentiated into erythroid and myeloid lineages. Growth factors in lung extract could have stimulatory effects on umbilical cord stem cell differentiation into blood cells

Surveying Acyclovir side effects on developing embryos of Balb/C mice strain

Acyclovir is a drug used to treat herpes virus infections including cold catch injuries, hot spots of genital organs, zona, AIDS, chicken pox and some other viral infections. The local cream of acyclovir is prepared in%5 packages, each gram containing 50mg of drug in a base of polyethylene glycol. Acyclovir cream [%5] in days 7, 8 and 9 of gestation was applied around their mouth [experimental group 1] and to the shared skin of other group [experimental group 2] twice a day in two hours intervals. Pregnant mice were sacrificed and dissected on day 15 of gestation and morphological and histological studies on the embryos and placenta were carried out. In the case of non-pregnant mice, the uteral born and ovaries were processed for histological investigations. Histological analyses showed significant decrease in embryogenesis and significant increase of abortion in experimental group 1 compared with control group. Significant increment was found in uterus diameter and thickness of endometrium when compared with control group. A pregnant woman should be very careful about applying acyclovir during the first trimester of pregnancy