ABSTRACT
Background: The majority of male patients with spinal cord injury [SCI] suffer from infertility. Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors NOD-like receptors [NLRs] are a kind of receptors that corporate in the inflammasome complex. Recent studies have introduced the inflammasome as the responsible agent for secreting cytokines in semen. Reactive oxygen species [ROS] is one of the elements that trigger inflammasome activation. Genital infections in SCI can lead to ROS generation. We investigated the relation between lipid peroxidation and inflammasome complex activity in testicular tissue of SCI rats
Methods: Adult male rats [n=20], weighting 200- 250 g, were included and divided into four groups: three experimental groups, including SCI1, SCI3, and SCI7, i.e. the rats were subjected to SCI procedure and sacrificed after one, three, and seven days, respectively and a control group. We performed a moderate, midline spinal contusion injury at thoracic level 10. The animals were anesthetized, and testes were collected for measurement of gene expression by real-time PCR. Caudal parts of epididymis were collected for malondialdehyde [MDA] measurement
Results: No NLRP1a mRNA overexpression was seen in the testes of control and SCI groups. After seven days from SCI surgery, NLRP3 mRNA expression was significantly increased in SCI7 animals [p
Conclusion: NLRP3 overexpression occurs due to the increased ROS production in testis tissue of SCI rats
Subject(s)
Animals, Laboratory , Infertility , Lipid Peroxidation/genetics , NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein , Reactive Oxygen Species , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , Gene Expression , Testis , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate cardiovascular complications among patients who abuse amphetamines
Methods: This cross-sectional study took place between April 2014 and April 2015 among 3,870 patients referred to the Toxicology Emergency Department of Baharlou Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Those with clinical signs of drug abuse and positive urine screening tests were included in the study, while cases of chronic abuse were excluded. Cardiac complications were evaluated via electrocardiography [ECG] and transthoracic echocardiography
Results: A total of 230 patients [5.9%] had a history of acute amphetamine abuse and positive urine tests. Of these, 32 patients [13.9%] were <20 years old and 196 [85.2%] were male. In total, 119 [51.7%] used amphetamine and methamphetamine compounds while 111 [48.3%] used amphetamines with morphine or benzodiazepines. The most common ECG finding was sinus tachycardia [43.0%], followed by sinus tachycardia plus a prolonged QT interval [34.3%]. Mean creatine kinase-MB and troponin I levels were 35.9 +/- 4.3 U/mL and 0.6 +/- 0.2 ng/mL, respectively. A total of 60 patients [26.1%] were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. The majority [83.3%] of these patients had normal echocardiography results. The mean aortic root diameter [ARD] was 27.2 +/- 2.8 mm. Abnormalities related to the ARD were found in 10 patients [16.7%], three of whom subsequently died
Conclusion: According to these findings, cardiac complications were common among Iranian patients who abuse amphetamines, although the majority of patients had normal echocardiography and ECG findings
ABSTRACT
Background: Considering nitric oxide [NO] has an important role in many biologic processes of cells and tissues such as in the digestive system. In this system nitric oxide acts as a second messenger in pathological and physiological events in gastrointestinal region
We investigated the effects of L-NG-Nitro arginine Methyl Ester [L-NAME] as the NO formation inhibitor on parietal cells of stomach in pregnant rats
Methods: Twenty four female rats with eight weeks old and 200-250 g weight were prepared and used in this study
After matting of the female rats with the male rats, time of observing vaginal plaque considered as the zero day of pregnancy. Then the animals were divided into three groups of studying. Each group was containing eight rats. In this study, except the control group, the saline group received 2 ml/kg normal saline and experimental group received 20 ml/kg L-NAME interaperitoneally [IP], respectively on third, fourth, and fifth days of pregnancy for evaluation of its effects. On the 18th day of pregnancy, after anesthesia with ether, the animals were killed and dissected and the laparotomy was performed to separate the mother's stomach
Then, the stomach was fixed in 10% formalin and after tissue passage, the sections were stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin [HandE]
Then the changes of count and diameter in parietal cells were observed via light microscopy and Image Tools III
Results: This study after analysis showed the significant changes in parietal cells count [mean 61.3+/-4.32] and its diameters [mean 16.12+/-1.18 m] in L-NAME group in comparison to control and the sham groups in pregnant rats [P<0.05]
Conclusion: Results of this study showed L-NAME with effects on NO synthesis can reduce parietal cells count and increase its diameter in pregnant rats and has destructive effects on structure of stomach parietal cells in pregnancy rats