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: Apigenin is a plant-derived compound belonging to the flavonoids category and bears protective effects on different cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of apigenin on the number of viable and apoptotic blastomeres, the zona pellucida [ZP] thickness and hatching rate of pre-implantation mouse embryos exposed to H2O2 and actinomycin D
Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 420 two-cell embryos were randomly divided into six groups: i. Control, ii. Apigenin, iii. H2O2, iv. Apigenin+H2O2, v. Actinomycin D, and vi. Apigenin+Actinomycin D. The percentage of blastocysts and hatched blastocysts was calculated. Blastocyst ZP thickness was also measured. In addition, viable blastomeres quantity was counted by Hoechst and propidium iodide staining and the number of apoptotic blastomeres was counted by TUNEL assay
Results: The results of viable and apoptotic blastomeres quantity, the ZP thickness, and the percentage of blastocysts and hatched blastocysts were significantly more favorable in the apigenin group, rather than the control group [P<0.05]. The results of the apigenin+H2O2 group were significantly more favorable than the H2O2 group [P<0.05]; and the results of apigenin+actinomycin D group were significantly more favorable than actinomycin D group [P<0.05]
Conclusion: The results suggest that apigenin may protect mouse embryos against H2O2 and actinomycin D. So that it increases the number of viable blastomeres and decreases the number of apoptotic blastomeres, which may cause expanding the blastocysts, thinning of the ZP thickness and increasing the rate of hatching in mouse embryos
ABSTRACT
Objective: Bone marrow and umbilical cord stromal cells are multipotential stem cells that have the ability to produce growth factors that play an important role in survival and generation of axons. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of the two different mesenchymal stem cells on peripheral nerve regeneration
Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, a 10 mm segment of the left sciatic nerve of male Wistar rats [250-300 g] was removed with a silicone tube interposed into this nerve gap. Bone marrow stromal cells [BMSCs] and human umbilical cord stromal cells [HUCSCs] were respectively obtained from rat and human. The cells were separately cultured and transplanted into the nerve gap. The sciatic nerve regeneration was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, and light and electron microscopy. Moreover, histomorphology of the gastrocnemius muscle was observed
Results: The nerve regeneration in the BMSCs and HUCSCs groups that had received the stem cells was significantly more favorable than the control group. In addition, the BMSCs group was significantly more favorable than the HUCSCs group [P<0.05]
Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that both homograft BMSCs and heterograft HUCSCs may have the potential to regenerate peripheral nerve injury and transplantation of BMSCs may be more effective than HUCSCs in rat
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
ABSTRACT
Stroke is the third leading cause of death. Hypothermia has been recognized as an effective method in reducing brain injury. In this study, we assessed the effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor [G-CSF] as a neuroprotective agent and mild hypothermia on mortality, behavioral function, infarct volume, and brain edema in Wistar rats. Forty male rats were used in five groups [eight rats in each group]: control, hypothermy, G-CSF, combination hypothermy + CSF, and sham. Rats were anesthetized by injection of chloral hydrate [400 mg/kg] intraperitoneally. Transient cerebral ischemia was induced by 60-min intraluminal occlusion of left middle cerebral artery. Hypothermia, initiated at the time of reperfusion and G-CSF was started one hour after reperfusion at a dose of 15 mg/kg subcutaneously. The motor behavior was measured using Garcia's index and animals were assigned for the assessments of infarction, brain swelling, and mortality rate. The mortality was 38.46% [control group] and reduced in other groups. Neurological deficit score of control group [40.31 +/- 1.56] was significantly lower than in treatment groups. The total cerebral infarct volume of treatment group was significantly lower than control group [43.96 +/- 44.05 mm[3]]. Treatment with hypothermy plus G-CSF [2.69 + 0.24%] could significantly reduce brain swelling volume than other treatment groups. Our major finding is that mild hypothermic treatment plus G-CSF significantly reduced mortality rate and edema and improved neurological function. The results suggest that the combination of hypothermia and G-CSF is more effectively than other treatment groups being used alone
ABSTRACT
Postnatal hypoxia is a main cause of neuronal damage in newborn. However, our understanding of the possible preventive or therapeutic methods to reduce the harmful effects of hypoxia is still primary. Pregnant rats were provided with running wheels during their pregnancy. On PND4 [postnatal day 4] to PND8, the rat pups were exposed to postnatal chronic hypoxia [11% O[2], 89% N[2]] in an air-tight plastic chamber for a period of six hours per day. The number of neurons and also angiogenesis in hippocampus were studied. Postnatal exposure to mild hypoxia decreased the number of the neurons in all studied regions of the hippocampus CA1, CA3 [cornu ammonis], DG [dentate gyrus] and SUB [cubiculum] in rat pups. In other words the number of the neurons in rat pups born from voluntary exercise group was not significantly less than control group in CA1, CA3 and DG regions. So maternal Voluntary exercise during pregnancy increases the blood vessel density in the DG region of the hippocampus of the rat pups. In this study for the first time we provide evidences that show the protective effect of maternal voluntary exercise during pregnancy on rat offspring against postnatal hypoxia. We revealed that maternal exercise during pregnancy increases the hippocampal neuron number and angiogenesis in offspring