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.

Effect of urtica dioica extract on histological and histometrical changes of testis of hamster after testosteron administration

Hyperactivity of testosterone is one cause of infertility and its incorrect use can produces reproductive disorders. Nettle [Urtica dioica] has antiandrogenic effect and may antagonized effect of testosterone. In present study structure of testes of golden hamster was evaluated after testosterone and extract. In this experimental and animal modeling study, twenty male mature hamsters were divided to 4 groups, group 1 was control, group 2 received testosterone at dose 3 mg/kg subcutaneously, group 3 received nettle extract dose 30 mg/kg orally and group 4 received testosterone and nettle for 30 days daily. The hamsters were euthanized and testes were removed and detected macroscopic parameters [weight, height, wide and volume] and fixed with formalin. The samples were sectioned and colored with H and E. The volume, weight, length and wide of testes was at least in testosterone group and statistically was lesser than control and testosterone -nettle group [p<0.05], but did not the height epithelium of seminifer tubules, compact of spermatogenic cells and number of serotolli cells in testosterone group was lesser than control group significantly [p<0.05]. The nettle extract decreased histological changes of testes by testosterone and improved its structure