Evaluation puramatrix as a 3D microenvironment for neural differentiation of human breastmilk stem cells.

The extracellular matrix is recognized as an efficient and determining component in the growth, proliferation, and differentiation of cells due to its ability to perceive and respond to environmental signals. Applying three-dimensional scaffolds can create conditions similar to the extracellular matrix and provide an opportunity to investigate cell fate. In this study, we employed the PuraMatrix hydrogel scaffold as an advanced cell culture platform for the neural differentiation of stem cells derived from human breastmilk to design an opportune model for tissue engineering. Isolated stem cells from breastmilk were cultured and differentiated into neural-like cells on PuraMatrix peptide hydrogel and in the two-dimensional system. The compatibility of breastmilk-derived stem cells with PuraMatrix and cell viability was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and MTT assay, respectively. Induction of differentiation was achieved by exposing cells to the neurogenic medium. After 21 days of the initial differentiation process, the expression levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), microtubule-associated protein (MAP2), ß-tubulin III, and neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN) were analyzed using the immunostaining technique. The results illustrated a notable expression of MAP2, ß-tubulin-III, and NeuN in the three-dimensional cell culture in comparison to the two-dimensional system, indicating the beneficial effect of PuraMatrix scaffolds in the process of differentiating breastmilk-derived stem cells into neural-like cells. In view of the obtained results, the combination of breastmilk-derived stem cells and PuraMatrix hydrogel scaffold could be an advisable preference for neural tissue regeneration and cell therapy.

The Effect of the Saffron Intervention on NAFLD Status and Related Gene Expression in a Rat Model.

Background: According to the worldwide increasing prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the present study aimed to investigate the mechanism effects of saffron consumption on preventing NAFLD in a rat model. Methods: In an experimental study, 12 rats were randomly divided into 2 groups to be evaluated in the prevention phase for 7 weeks. In the prevention phase, the animals were randomly assigned to either fed HFHS + 250 mg/kg saffron (S) or fed with HFHS. Afterward, parts of the liver were excised for histopathologic examination. Plasma concentrations of ALT, AST, GGT, ALP, serum lipids, insulin concentrations, plasma glucose, hs-CRP, and TAC were measured. Moreover, Also, the gene expression of 6 target genes was evaluated, including FAS, ACC1, CPT1 ،PPARα ،DGAT2, and SREBP 1-c at the beginning and end of the study. Also, the differences among groups were evaluated by the Mann-Whitney test for non-normal data and the independent t test for normal data. Results: The prevention phase groups have a significant elevation in body weight ( P = 0.034) and food intake (P = 0.001) of the HFHS group versus HFHS + 250 mg/kg S group. Also, there was a significant difference between groups 1 and 2 for ALT (P = 0.011) and AST (P = 0.010), and TG (P = 0.040). The HFHS group had higher plasma levels of FBS (P = 0.001), insulin (P = 0.035), HOMA-IR (P = 0.032), and lower TAC (P = 0.041) versus the HFHS+ S group. Also, the difference between HFHS + 250 mg/kg S and HFHS for PPARα gene expression was significant (P = 0.030). Conclusion: The present study showed that consumption of saffron could prevent developing NAFLD in rats at least partially through modulation in gene expression of PPARα.

Comparative phenotypic characterization of human colostrum and breast milk-derived stem cells.

There is a diverse population of stem cells in human breast milk that can be employed for therapeutic purposes as a reservoir of cells. The current study mainly aimed to determine the nature markers expressing on stem cells. For this aim, the expression of embryonic stem cell markers, as well as the expression of endothelial, mesenchymal, neural, and hematopoietic markers were evaluated by the flow cytometry analysis in fresh colostrum, breast milk, and cultured colostrum samples. The results showed that the embryonic (OCT4, SOX2, HLA-DR), hematopoietic (CD33, CD45, CD117), neural (CD133, Nestin), and mesenchymal (CD44, SCA1) stem cell markers present in colostrum had higher expression in comparison with their counterpart markers in fresh breast milk. The expression markers of stem cells in colostrum following a 2-week culture period were significantly increased compared with their counterpart markers in colostrum before the culture process. In the culture of breastmilk, cells were not observed adherent cells and colonies. Our findings form flow cytometry and cell culture suggest that the lactation stage could be one of the factors influencing the stem cell population and, consequently, the cultivation of breastmilk cells. The present study indicates that colostrum is a tremendous source of stem cells that could be applied in cell-based research.

Evaluation of Bcl-2 Family Gene Expression in Hippocampus of 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine Treated Rats.

OBJECTIVE: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is an illicit, recreational drug that causes cellular death and neurotoxicity. This study evaluates the effects of different doses of MDMA on the expression of apoptosis-related proteins and genes in the hippocampus of adult rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this expremental study,a total of 20 male Sprague Dawley rats (200-250 g ) were treated with MDMA (0, 5, 10, 20 mg/kg i.p. twice daily) for 7 days. Seven days after the last administration of MDMA, the rats were killed. Bax and Bcl-2 genes in addition to protein expressions were detected by western blot and reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Results were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and p≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Our results showed that MDMA caused dose dependent up-regulation of Bax and down-regulation of Bcl-2 in the hippocampus. There was a significant alteration in bcl-2 and bax genes density. CONCLUSION: Changes in apoptosis-related proteins and respective genes relating to Bax and Bcl-2 might be involved in the molecular mechanism of MDMA-induced apoptosis.