Intrathecal administration of naringenin improves motor dysfunction and neuropathic pain following compression spinal cord injury in rats: relevance to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities

Background@#Spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the most debilitating disorders throughout the world, causing persistent sensory-motor dysfunction, with no effective treatment. Oxidative stress and inflammatory responses play key roles in the secondary phase of SCI. Naringenin (NAR) is a natural flavonoid with known antiinflammatory and antioxidative properties. This study aims at evaluating the effects of intrathecal NAR administration on sensory-motor disability after SCI. @*Methods@#Animals underwent a severe compression injury using an aneurysm clip. About 30 minutes after surgery, NAR was injected intrathecally at the doses of 5, 10, and 15 mM in 20 µL volumes. For the assessment of neuropathic pain and locomotor function, acetone drop, hot plate, inclined plane, and Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan tests were carried out weekly till day 28 post-SCI. Effects of NAR on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 activity was appraised by gelatin zymography. Also, histopathological analyses and serum levels of glutathione (GSH), catalase and nitrite were measured in different groups. @*Results@#NAR reduced neuropathic pain, improved locomotor function, and also attenuated SCI-induced weight loss weekly till day 28 post-SCI. Zymography analysis showed that NAR suppressed MMP-9 activity, whereas it increased that of MMP-2, indicating its anti-neuroinflammatory effects. Also, intrathecal NAR modified oxidative stress related markers GSH, catalase, and nitrite levels. Besides, the neuroprotective effect of NAR was corroborated through increased survival of sensory and motor neurons after SCI. @*Conclusions@#These results suggest intrathecal NAR as a promising candidate for medical therapeutics for SCI-induced sensory and motor dysfunction.

Mercury exposure of gold mining workers in the northwest of Iran

Mercury exposure is a health concern in the occupational settings like gold mining and chloralkali industries and blood and urine levels of mercury are used as exposure indicators. In this study, blood and urine concentrations of mercury were determined using hydride generation atomic absorption spectrophotometery [HGAAS] in sixteen gold miners with neuropsychiatric symptoms. The patients treated with two chelating agents, dimercaprol and D-penicillamine. The mean serum mercury levels before and after chelation therapy were 208.14 Micro g/L[-1] and 10.50 Micro g/L[-1], respectively. The mean urinary mercury levels before and after chelation therapy were 134.70 Micro g/L[-1] and 17.23 Micro g/L[-1], respectively. The results of this study showed that there are significant differences between concentration of blood and urine mercury before and after intervention [p<0.005]. There were no significant differences between in the biochemistry parameters of patients before and after treatment. This study indicated that the gold miners in the northwest of Iran had been exposed to high levels of mercury vapors [Hg[0]]

Synthesis and in-vitro gytotoxicity assessment of N-[5-[benzylthio]-l,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl]-2-]4-[trifluoromethyl] phenyl] acetamide with potential anticancer activity

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world. Despite advances in the diagnosis and treatment, overall survival of patients still remains poor. Hence, there is an urgent need for development of new anticancer agents. Considering promising biological activity of 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives, in the present study, synthesis and cytotoxicity assessment of new derivatives of this ring was done. All synthesized compounds were characterized by NMR, IR and MS spectroscopic methods. Obtained data from MTT assay showed that all compounds 3a-31 had better anticancer activity against MDA [breast cancer] compared to PC3[prostate cancer] and U87 [Glioblastoma]. Compound 3 g with /w-OCH[3] moiety on the phenyl ring was the most potent one in this series with IC[50] = 9 microM against MDA breast cell line in comparison with imatinib [IC[50] = 20 microM] as reference drug

High performance liquid chromatography coupled with pre-column derivatization for determination of oxidized glutathione level in rats exposed to paraquat

Glutathione [GSH] is one of the most important antioxidants that plays an essential role in detoxification of reactive oxygen species [ROS] which oxidizes to glutathione disulfide [GSSG]. Paraquat [PQ], awidely used herbicide, causes pulmonary injury with the productionof ROS. Excessive ROS accumulation as a consequence of PQ exposure are frequently targeted by GSH thereby oxidative stress leads to depletion of cellular GSH by transforming of GSH to glutathione disulfide [GSSG]. A precise method of measuring of GSSG concentration in plasma as indicator of oxidative stress is needed. Some analytical techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography [HPLC], gas chromatography and capillary electrophoresis have been used for determination of GSSG concentration. In the present study, a new HPLC method with fluorescence detection based on derivatization of the amine group of glutathione with 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate [FMOC-C1] was developed. Male Wistar albino rats exposed to different doses of PQ [20-60 mg/kg] and control group were used and after protein precipitation, their plasma was subjected to derivatization with FMOC in the presence of borate buffer. The derivatized samples were injected to HPLC system with CIS column, mobile phase consisting of methanol and phosphate buffer, lambda[em]= 315 nm, lambda[ex]= 260 nm. Among all experimental groups, the rats which received 60 mg/kg PQ, showed a significant increase in the amount of oxidized glutathione [GSSG] compared to the control group. In this study, the applied derivatization and HPLC method made it possible to measure small amounts of glutathione in plasma using a precise and sensitive technique

[Comparison of anti-oxidant enzymes activity and levels of zinc and selenium in sperm and seminal plasma between fertile and idiopathic infertile men]

Reactive oxygen species [ROS]-induced lipidperoxidation can lead to dysfunction of sperm and thereby, infertility may be occurred. So, always there is a balance between amount of ROS and anti-oxidant molecules in semen. Anti-oxidant enzymes of sperm; superoxide dismutase [SOD], glutathione peroxidase [GPX], catalse and zinc and selenium can protect it from destructive effects of ROS. Hence, the present study was designed to compare the activities of these enzymes and trace elements between fertile and idiopathic infertile men. Semen specimens were collected from 30 infertile men with proven infertility by an urologist, and 30 fertile men as control donors, with age range between 20-40 years old. Semen analysis was conducted by CASA method. Atomic absorption method was used for measuring of zinc and selenium concentration. Activity assays of SOD and GPX were performed by Randox Kits. Aebi method also was applied for evaluation of catalase activity. There was no difference between the activities of enzymes in fertile men and infertile ones. Also, it wasn't seen any difference in the selenium and zinc levels of seminal plasma. There was no relationship between evaluated items with sperm parameters. Only, in asthenoteratospermic individuals negative correlations were found between GPX and sperm motility, selenium and sperm morphology. Also, in these individuals, there was a positive correlation between SOD and catalse activity. Measuring activities of SOD, GPx, and catalase and the contents of zinc and selenium of seminal plasma do not appear to be suitable tools for determining the fertility potential of sperm

Vasal irrigation with sterile water and saline solution for acceleration of postvasectomy azoospermia

Vasectomy is the safest and most reliable method of all the contraception methods, but azoospermia is not achieved immediately by this method. We decided to determine whether irrigation of the vas deferens with sterile water or hypertonic saline solution irrigation during vasectomy would reduce the time needed to obtain azoospermia. A total of 126 fertile men presented for vasectomy were divided in 3 groups. No-scalpel vasectomy was done for all of the participants and irrigation of the vas deferens was carried out during the procedure in 2 groups with either sterile water or hypertonic saline solution [9 g/L sodium chloride solution]. Forty-two participants underwent vasectomy without irrigation. Semen analysis was performed at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks after vasectomy. Azoospermia was achieved in all of the men with sterile water after 12 weeks, while at the end of the study [16 weeks] it was achieved in 37 [88.1%] of those with saline solution and in 11 [26.2%] of those without irrigation. There were significant differences in the rates of azoospermia between the participant with sterile water and saline solution at 8 weeks [38.1% versus zero; P < .001], 12 weeks [100% versus 30.9%; P < .001], and 16 weeks [100% versus 88.1%; P = .02]. No pregnancy developed during the follow-up and no complication was reported. Vasal irrigation with sterile water and hypertonic saline solution during vasectomy were effective in removing sperm from the distal vas and increasing the rate at which men achieved azoospermia. Sterile water was a promising option with no complications