ABSTRACT
Introduction: Although, the effect of direct intra-articular injection of bone marrow stem cells [BMSCs] on the repair of articular cartilage and the effect of Elaeagnus angustifolia extract on pain relief in patients with osteoarthritis have been investigated, no studies has been conducted to compare the effects of these two therapeutic methods on the mechanical properties of articular cartilage. In the present stuy, the effect of these two methods on the mechanical strength of knee articular cartilage in a model of rat osteoarthritis has been studied
Methods: In the present research, 48 mature, male Wistar rats were used. Animals were randomly divided into 6 groups of 8 as follows: control group [healthy animals], saline with mono-iodoacetate [MIA], MIA with Elaeagnus angustifolia extract, MIA with BMSCs, and MIA with a combination of Elaeagnus angustifolia extract and BMSCs. Osteoarthritis was induced by injection of 50 and muL solution of MIA in rats of groups 3 to 6. About 500 mg/kg Elaeagnus angustifolia extract was injected intraperitoneally daily for 4 weeks and nonautologous mesenchymal stem cells were injected into the knee joint on the 14th day. Stress-relaxation test was conducted applying 0.1 mm displacement at the rate of 5 mm/min for 1000 seconds. Then, the maximum initial force, instantaneous stiffness,equilibrium force, and equilibrium stiffness were calculated
Results: Induction of osteoarthritis model decreased instantaneous stiffness, maximum initial force, and equilibrium stiffness as compared to the healthy group [P=0.05]. Using Elaeagnus angustifolia extract and bone marrow stem cells increased instantaneous stiffness and equilibrium stiffness compared to MIA group, although this increase was statistically significant only in the BMSCs group [P=0.04 and P=0.026, respectively]. In the BMSCs group, maximum initial force also significantly increased compared to MIA group [P=0.04]
Conclusion: Apparently direct injection of BMSCs into the knee joint with osteoarthritis is more effective in increasing mechanical strength of the cartilage and improving the performance of the weight-bearing joint compared to using Elaeagnus angustifolia extract
ABSTRACT
Aspirin is the drug of the century, and is a multifunctional drug and one of the most prescribed drugs in the world. Aspirin is a safe drug at low doses but also it has life-threatening side effects when administered at high doses. This study investigates the effects of aspirin on renal cortical and medullary tissue in rat embryos. In this study, 30 pregnant female rats were randomly divided into 6 groups. Control group with no intervention, sham group received 2 ml distilled water [as a solvent of aspirin] received from days 8 to 20 of pregnancy, and four experimental groups received different doses of 75, 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg of aspirin by gavage. Pregnant rats were sacrificed on the twenty days of pregnancy and the fetuses were removed. Weight of the fetuses and placenta and Crown-Rump length were measured. Fetal kidneys were fixed in formalin processed, sectioned and stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin. Thickness of renal cortical and medullary tissue by using a Motic hardware and software system were measured and recorded. A significance level of 0.05 was predetermined for all statistical analyses. No apparent fetal anomalies were observed in experimental groups. In addition, no significant differences were shown in the mean of fetal weight, placental weight, mean of Crown-Rump length in experimental groups 75, 200 and 300 mg/kg compared to control and sham groups. Mean fetal and placental weight in experimental group 100 significantly increased compared to control and sham groups. Mean ratio of renal cortex to renal medulla in experimental group 75, 100 and 300 were significantly decreased compared to control and sham groups [respectively P = 0.03, P = 0.013, P = 0.03]. It seems that maternal use of aspirin during pregnancy can not cause fetal abnormalities. However, it can cause some changes in renal cortical and medullary tissue of rat embryos
ABSTRACT
Inhalation of Sulfur mustard [HD] will cause lung epithelial inflammation and injury. There are different results from the prophylactic effects of amifostine [AM] on protection of lung epithelial tissue against HD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prophylactic effects of AM on protection of rat lung tissue exposed to HD. In this study twenty Albino Wistar adult male rats weighting 200 +/- 20 grams were used. Rats were divided randomly into 4 groups [5 rats in each group] as below: Normal saline group [NS], AM group, HD group [0.25% HD] and HD+AM group. Normal saline and HD solution were injected by intra tracheal catheter. Animals in AM and HD+AM groups received AM by intra peritoneal injection for 14 days daily. All rats were killed after 14 days; parts of the base of right lungs were removed, fixed and processed for histological evaluation by Toluidine blue, H and E staining and apoptotic cell death study by the TUNEL Apoptosis Detection Kit. In addition, glutathione level was measured in all specimens. No significant differences were revealed between Saline and AM groups in any of the aforementioned tests. Significant reduction of mast cells in lung tissue of the HD+AM group was shown when compared to the HD group. Lung tissue inflammation in the HD group was significantly more severe as compared to HD+AM group. In addition, amifostine in HD+AM group could prevent excess reduction of GSH level. The number of apoptotic cells in the HD group was significantly higher than the HD+AM group. Administration of amifostine before exposure to HD in rats prevents collection of mast cells, and excess reduction of GSH level in lung tissue; in addition it can partially reduce pulmonary edema and alveolar cell death apoptosis