In search of subcortical and cortical morphologic alterations of a normal brain through aging: an investigation by computed tomography scan.

Morphologic changes in the brain through aging, as a physiologic process, may involve a wide range of variables including ventricular dilation, and sulcus widening. This study reports normal ranges of these changes as standard criteria. Normal brain computed tomography scans of 400 patients (200 males, 200 females) in every decade of life (20 groups each containing 20 participants) were investigated for subcortical/cortical atrophy (bicaudate width [BCW], third ventricle width [ThVW], maximum length of lateral ventricle at cella media [MLCM], bicaudate index [BCI], third ventricle index [ThVI], and cella media index 3 [CMI3], interhemispheric sulcus width [IHSW], right hemisphere sulci diameter [RHSD], and left hemisphere sulci diameter [LHSD]), ventricular symmetry. Distribution and correlation of all the variables were demonstrated with age and a multiple linear regression model was reported for age prediction. Among the various parameters of subcortical atrophy, BCW, ThVW, MLCM, and the corresponding indices of BCI, ThVI, and CMI3 demonstrated a significant correlation with age (R2≥0.62). All the cortical atrophy parameters including IHSW, RHSD, and LHSD demonstrated a significant correlation with age (R2≥0.63). This study is a thorough investigation of variables in a normal brain which can be affected by aging disclosing normal ranges of variables including major ventricular variables, derived ventricular indices, lateral ventricles asymmetry, cortical atrophy, in every decade of life introducing BW, ThVW, MLCM, BCI, ThVI, CMI3 as most significant ventricular parameters, and IHSW, RHSD, LHSD as significant cortical parameters associated with age.

The association between dietary inflammatory index and C-reactive protein in plasma and semen with semen quality: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Infertility affects couples worldwide, with male factors being responsible for half of all cases. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in plasma and semen with the quality of semen in infertile males. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 88 infertile men referring to Besat hospital, Tehran, Iran from December 2021-November 2022 were enrolled. A detailed questionnaire requesting information, and a 168-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire, were completed by participants. A food frequency questionnaire was used to calculate the DII. Additionally, semen and blood samples were collected from each participant for semen analysis and CRP-level assessment. Statistical analyses were performed to explore the association between DII and CRP levels with sperm quality. The correlation between DII and serum/semen CRP, besides assessing nutrients in each DII quartile group, was also explored. Results: A significant difference was observed between different DII quartiles considering sperm motility (p = 0.006) and morphology (p = 0.014). Post hoc study revealed a significant difference between the 1st and 2nd quartiles and the 1st and 4th quartiles of DII regarding sperm motility (p = 0.011, and 0.017 respectively) and a significant difference between the 1st and 2nd quartiles of DII considering sperm morphology (p = 0.009). A statistically significant inverse correlation was also observed between DII and sperm motility (p = 0.017). Carbohydrates and ß-carotenes were significantly different between the 4 DII quartiles (p = 0.043 and p = 0.026, respectively). Finally, no significant correlation was observed between DII and CRP levels in blood and semen (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The findings suggested a notable correlation between DII and semen quality; however, no significant association were observed between DII and CRP levels in blood and semen.

Hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and hepatoprotective effects of Alpinia officinarum on nicotinamide/streptozotocin induced type II diabetic rats.

OBJECTIVES: Alpinia officinarum Hance, commonly known as lesser galangal, is a member of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae) traditionally used for many decades to treat inflammation, pain, stomach ache and cold. In the present study, the antidiabetic and hypolipidemic potentials of the hydroalcoholic extract of A. officinarum (AO) were investigated in the nicotinamide/streptozotocin induced type II diabetic rats. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were divided into following six groups: Group I was normal control rats. Group II: normal diabetic control, Group III: Diabetic rats treated with glibenclamide (0.25 mg/kg), IV, V and VI: Diabetic rats treated with 100, 200 and 500 mg/kg AO hydroalcoholic extract by daily gavage for 28 days, respectively. At the end of treatment, biochemical analysis, histological study, phytochemical analysis and acute toxicity tests were carried out. RESULTS: The results show significant reduction in blood glucose, serum lipid profiles, and liver enzyme levels in diabetic rats compared with diabetic control in AO treated group. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that AO extract had significant (p<0.05) antidiabetic and anti-hyperlipidemia effects in addition to hepatoprotective effect in type II diabetic rats.

Effect of Alpinia officinarum extract on reproductive damages in streptozotocin induced diabetic male rats.

PURPOSE: Infertility is one of the systemic problems in diabetic men. The purpose of the present study is investigation of the effects of the Alpinia officinarum (AO) hydro-alcoholic extract on the reproductive system damages in diabetic male rats. METHODS: Twenty four male rats were randomly assigned into 4 groups (n = 6); i.e., control, diabetic control, and diabetic rats treated orally with AO extract (200 and 500 mg kg-1). A single dose (60 mg kg-1) of streptozotocin (STZ) was injected intraperitoneally (IP) to induce diabetes. After 8 weeks of treatment, blood samples, testis, and cauda epididymis were excised to evaluate specific hormonal changes, sperm parameters, and testis morphology. RESULTS: Diabetic control rats showed remarkably lower body and testicular weights, testicular volumes, and sperm parameters compared with the control group (p <0.05). Diabetic control rats also exhibited significantly decreased serum testosterone and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). Sperm parameters were considerably enhanced in diabetic animals gavaged with AO extract. Testosterone levels were significantly elevated by administrating 500 mg kg-1 AO extract to the diabetic control rats (p <0.05). The morphological assessment of testis of treatment group (500 mg kg-1) indicated remarkable differences (p <0.05) by increasing the seminiferous tubules diameter (STD) and thickness of the seminiferous epithelium (TSE) compared with diabetic control rats. CONCLUSION: As demonstrated by the results, AO extract ameliorated sperm damage and improved sperm morphology besides improving histological damage in the testis in diabetic rats. In addition, the dose of 500 mg kg-1 worked more efficiently than 200 mg kg-1.

Hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, and hypolipidemic effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Eryngium billardieri root on nicotinamide/streptozotocin-induced type II diabetic rats.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Erynginum billardieri has been used to control diabetes in traditional medicine. This research was performed to study the antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, and hypolipidemic effects of E. billardieri root extract (EBRE) on streptozotocin/nicotinamide-induced type 2 diabetic male rats. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Type two diabetic animals were treated by three different doses of EBRE (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg), orally administered for 4 weeks. Ultimately, after anesthesia, the glucose, insulin, lipid profiles, hepatic enzyme levels in the blood and liver, and pancreas tissues of the animals were analyzed. FINDINGS/RESULTS: Induction of diabetes caused a diminution in insulin level, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and significantly enhanced the level of other lipid profiles, glucose, and liver enzymes (P < 0.05). Administration of the EBRE to diabetic-male rats significantly reduced glucose level, lipid profiles, and liver enzymes, and increased the level of HDL to near normal. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: The results of the present study showed that E. billardieri had a positive effect on diminishing the lipid profiles, liver enzymes, and controlling diabetes. The most effective dose was found to be 100 mg/kg.

The effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Nigella Sativa seed on dehydroepiandrosterone-induced polycystic ovarian syndrome in rats: An experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders among women. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Nigella sativa (N. sativa) seed as a plant, the consumption of which has been recommended in Islam, on dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)-induced PCOS rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This experimental study was carried out on 36 Wistar female rats (3 wk, 60 ± 10 gr). Then rats were divided into 6 groups (n = 6/each): control; PCOS-induced (DHEA 60 mg/kg/sc); PCOS+ Metformine (30 mg/kg); and three experimental groups receiving DHEA + hydroalcoholic extract of N. sativa seeds in doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. Blood samples were taken for the evaluation of sexual hormones, oxidative stress, glucose, and insulin after 30 days of treatment. Ovarian tissue was used for histopathological study. RESULTS: The serum levels of luteinizing hormone, testosterone, glucose, insulin resistance, malondialdehyde, and insulin (p ≤ 0.001) and estrogen increased while the levels of progesterone (p = 0.01) and antioxidant enzymes in the PCOS group decreased (p ≤ 0.001). CONCLUSION: The administration of the N. sativa extract to the PCOS rats resulted in remarkable changes in the serumic factors relative to the PCOS group. In addition, the extract improved the structure of the ovarian tissue in the PCOS rat. The histopathological results which are in accordance with biochemical findings imply that N. sativa seed could be useful in the treatment of PCOS, the higher doses of the extract being more effective.

Analysis of Apoptosis in Cultured Human Vitrified Ovarian Tissue in the Presence of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor.

BACKGROUND: For improving the human ovarian tissue culture, this study was designed to assess the incidence of apoptosis in this tissue following vitrification and in vitro culture in the presence of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) as an anti-apoptotic factor. METHODS: After collecting the ovarian tissue samples they were divided into non-vitrified and vitrified groups and cultured for 14 days in the presence and absence of LIF then morphological, ultrastructural and steroidogenesis studies, TUNEL and caspase-3/7 assays, and apoptosis analysis by real time RT-PCR were done in all groups. The data were analyzed by independent t-tests and the real time RT-PCR results were compared by one-way ANOVA (p-values of <0.05 were considered significant). RESULTS: No significant difference was observed between non-vitrified and vitrified groups in normality rate of follicles, the levels of hormones, TUNEL positive cells and caspase-3/7 activity. But in all LIF-treated groups, the levels of 17-ß estradiol and progesterone were higher and TUNEL signals and caspase-3/7 activity were lower than non-LIF treated groups. The expression of Fas and FasL genes was higher in vitrified group in comparison with non-vitrified group but the expression of other genes was not significantly different. In LIF-treated groups, the expression of pro-apoptotic genes was significantly lower and the expression of anti-apoptotic genes was higher than non-LIF treated group. CONCLUSION: The vitrification of human ovarian tissue did not increase the incidence of apoptosis at the morphological and molecular levels during long term culture and LIF improves the survival and development of cultured follicles.

Assessment of vitrification outcome by xenotransplantation of ovarian cortex pieces in γ-irradiated mice: morphological and molecular analyses of apoptosis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was the investigation of caspase-3/7 activity and apoptosis related gene expression after vitrification and xenotransplantation of human ovarian fragments. METHODS: Ovarian specimens were obtained from normal female-to-male transsexual women during laparoscopic surgery and cut into small pieces and were considered as vitrified and non-vitrified groups. The morphological study, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, caspase-3/7 activity and apoptosis related gene expression analysis were done in both non-vitrified and vitrified groups in two steps (before transplantation of ovarian tissues and 30 days after transplantation). RESULT(S): In spite of high rate of normal follicles in both non-transplanted tissues these rates were significantly decreased in vitrified and non-vitrified grafted tissues, moreover grafted-vitrified tissue showed significantly less normal follicles than grafted-non-vitrified group (P < 0.05). The expression of some pro and anti-apoptotic genes in vitrified-warmed tissues were not changed compared to non-vitrified ones but the expression of Fas and caspase8 was increased and the expression of BRIC5 was decreased in this group (P < 0.05). In transplanted vitrified group the Bcl2, FasL and BRIC5 gene expression was high and caspase8 was low (P < 0.05). The expression of all genes in both grafted groups was more than non-grafted tissues except for caspase8 (P < 0.05). The TUNEL positive signals and caspase-3/7 activity were increased in both grafted groups compared to non-grafted groups and this enzyme activity in grafted-vitrified group was more than grafted-non-vitrified group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION(S): This study provides the first evidence on the significant effect of vitrification on follicular apoptosis of grafted human ovarian tissue at mRNA level. The signs of follicular survival or degeneration detected by morphological assessment and caspase-3/7 activity were closely correlated to the changes in expression of apoptosis-related genes.

Human ovarian tissue vitrification/warming has minor effect on the expression of apoptosis-related genes.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we evaluated the incidence of apoptosis at the ultrastructural levels and expression of some apoptosis-related genes in vitrified human ovarian tissue just after warming. METHODS: Human ovarian tissue biopsies from 23 women after caesarean section were transported to the laboratory within 2 hours, and then they were cut into small pieces. Some pieces were vitrified and warmed and the other samples were considered as control. Apoptosis was assessed by a transmission electron microscope and also by molecular analysis of pro-apoptotic (Fas, FasL, Bax, p53, caspase8, and caspase3) and antiapoptotic (Bcl-2 and BIRC5) genem RNA levels using real-time RT-PCR before and after vitrification. RESULTS: No sign of apoptosis was shown ultrastructurally in vitrified samples. The level of FasL, Bcl-2, Bax, p53, and caspase3 mRNA and Bax:Bcl-2 ratio were similar in non-vitrified and vitrified groups; however, the expression of Fas and caspase8 genes was higher and BIRC5 was lower in vitrified samples compared to non-vitrified group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The fine structure of human vitrified ovarian tissue was well preserved; moreover, vitrification was shown to affect the expression of some apoptosis-related genes. However, additional study is needed to confirm this observation.