Neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) is one of the most important causes of neurological disorders in children. Various studies suggest that maternal exercise during pregnancy has a beneficial impact on ...the health status of offspring infants. In this study, the effect of maternal treadmill exercise during pregnancy on neurological and molecular changes induced by HI in newborn rats was investigated.
In this experiment, 24 pregnant female rats were divided into two groups; the first group was subjected to treadmill exercise for six weeks. The treadmill exercise program was initiated by running for 17 min at 5-10 m/min at 0 inclination in the first week, followed by running for 21 min at 5-25 m/min at 5° inclination in the second week, running for 25 min at 5-30 m/min at 10° inclination in the third and fourth weeks, running for 25 min at 5-15 m/min at 10° inclination in the fifth and sixth weeks. The second group was left untreated and did not perform the exercise. Newborn rats were assigned to four groups; (1) control, (2) control+exercise, (3) HI, and (4) HI+exercise. HI was developed in the offspring on the 8th postnatal day. One week following the induction of HI, the Garcia test was carried out. The histological morphology of neonates was assessed, and the expression levels of caspase-1 and NLRP3 were evaluated.
The data showed that maternal exercise during pregnancy significantly improved neural cell death (
<0.001) and the Garcia score (
<0.05), while it attenuated the expression levels of caspase-1 (
<0.001) and NLRP3 (
<0.05) genes in newborn rats induced by HI.
These results demonstrated that maternal treadmill exercise during pregnancy could reverse the neurological deficits, as well as the expression levels of caspase-1 and NLRP3 genes, which occur in neonatal hypoxia-ischemia.
Collagen, a naturally occurring fibrous protein, is a potential resource of biological materials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine because it is structurally biocompatible, has low ...immunogenicity, is biodegradable, and is biomimetic. Numerous studies have documented in the literature how Collagen nanofibers exhibit limited cell adhesion, poor viscosity, and no interior fibril structure. The biomedical industry is using Poly Glycerol Sebacate prepolymer(PGSp), a biodegradable and biocompatible polyester with high adhesion and very viscous appearance, more often. Here, unique electrospun Collagen/PGSp/ZnO/NPs blend nanofibers for skin tissue application were developed and described with varied PGSp percent. Additionally, when ternary blends of Collagen, PGSp, and Zink Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are used, the antibacterial properties of the scaffolds are improved. The bead-free electrospun nanofibers were produced by raising the PGSp concentration to 30%w/w. SEM, EDS, tensile, MTT, FTIR, SDS-page, swelling test, contact-angle, antimicrobial, biodegradation, XRD, and cell attachment procedures were used to characterize the crosslinked nanofibers. The ternary blend nanofibers with a weight ratio of Collagen/PGSp 30%/ZnONPs 1% had higher stress/strain strength (0.25 mm/mm), porosity (563), cell survival, and degradation time. Moreover, after applying for wound healing in diabetic rats, Collagen/PGSp 30%/could be show improving wound healing significantly compared to other groups.
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Background and purpose: Daunorubicin is an effective drug in chemotherapy, but its clinical use is limited due to serious side effects. Royal jelly as a natural compound obtained from bees can be ...helpful in preventing the damage caused by daunorubicin. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of royal jelly on the number of apoptotic cells and the expression of genes involved in apoptosis in mice treated with daunorubicin. Materials and methods: In this experimental study, 77 Balb/c mice were randomly divided into seven groups (n= 11 per group): sham, control, royal jelly (50 and 100 mg/kg), daunorubicin (2 mg/kg), and royal jelly (50 and 100 mg/kg) + daunorubicin. The mice received saline (0.09%), IP daunorubicin, and royal jelly orally for eight weeks. To estimate the number of apoptotic cells and the expression of genes related to apoptosis in testis, we used ELISA test and Real-time PCR assay, respectively. Data analysis was done applying One-way Analysis of Variance and Tukey's test in SPSS. Results: Daunorubicin caused significant increase in the number of apoptotic cells, and expression levels of p53, Bax, caspase 3, caspase 8, and caspase 9 (P<0.01) and a significant decrease in the bcl-2 gene expression (P<0.01). In treatment groups, these changes were moderated by royal jelly. Conclusion: Royal jelly administration, by reducing the number of apoptotic cells and affecting the expression of genes involved in apoptosis, improves the damage caused by daunorubicin on the testicular tissue of mice.
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been shown to have promising capacity for stem cell therapy and tissue engineering applications. Therefore, it is essential to compare the ability of ...these cells with the commonly used mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) for bone tissue engineering in vitro.
In this experimental study, the biological behavior and osteo- genic capacity of the iPSCs were compared with MSCs isolated from human adipose tissue (AT-MSCs) using 3-(4,5-di-methylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, Alizarin red staining, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity measurements, calcium content assay and common osteogenic-related genes. Data were reported as the mean ± SD. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the results. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
There was a significant difference between the rate of proliferation of the two types of stem cells; iPSCs showed increased proliferation compared to AT-MSCs. During osteogenic differentiation, ALP activity and mineralization were demonstrated to be significantly higher in iPSCs. Although AT-MSCs expressed higher levels of Runx2, iPSCs expressed higher levels of osteonection and osteocalcin during differentiation.
iPSCs showed a higher capacity for osteogenic differentiation and hold promising potential for bone tissue engineering and cell therapy applications.
Background. The purpose of present study was to assess the impact of maternal treadmill exercise during pregnancy on inflammation, oxidative stress, expression of Bax and Bcl-2 genes, and ...brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level in neonatal rat brain after the hypoxia-ischemia injury. Material and Methods. A total of 24 female Wistar rats were utilized in this research. Two groups are randomly considered for rats: (1) not exercised through pregnancy and (2) exercised during pregnancy. Offsprings were divided into four groups including after delivery: (1) sham, (2) sham/exercise (sham/EX), (3) HI, and (4) HI+exercise. HI was induced in pups at postnatal day 8. Neurobehavioral tests were done seven days after HI induction. Then, the brain tissue was taken from the skull to estimate Bcl-2 and Bax gene expressions, BDNF, cerebral edema, infarct volume, inflammatory factors, oxidative stress, and neurological function. Results. The BDNF level in the HI+exercise group was considerably higher than the HI, sham, and sham/EX groups. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP), and the whole oxidant capacity (TOC) levels in the HI group were significantly higher than the sham and sham/EX groups. TNF-α, CRP, and TOC levels in the HI+exercise group were significantly lower than the HI group. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) level in the HI+exercise group was significantly higher than the HI group. Infarct volume and edema percent in the HI+exercise group were significantly lower than the HI group. Neurological function in the HI+exercise group was significantly better than the HI group. Bax expression in the HI+exercise group was significantly lower than the HI group. Bcl-2 expression in the HI+exercise group was significantly higher than the HI group. In the sham group, BDNF, TNF-α, CRP, TAC, TOC, edema levels, and neurological function had no significant difference with the sham/EX group. Conclusion. It appears that the maternal treadmill exercise during pregnancy exerts a supportive impact against neonatal HI brain injury through increasing antioxidant capacity, Bcl-2 expression, and BDNF levels and decreasing inflammation that is resulted in the lower infarct volume and sensorimotor dysfunction.
Introduction: In the present study, the effects of prenatal stress on spatial learning and memory deficit and its relationship with hippocampal insulin resistance were examined in male and female ...offspring. Methods: Female NMRI mice were mated with males overnight, and the 0-day of pregnancy was detected (Gestational day 0-GD0). The pregnant mice were then randomly divided into stress and control groups. The stress group received stress from the GD0 to GD10. On post natal day 30 (PND30), the offspring were divided into 4 subgroups, namely: male-control, female-control, male-stress, and female-stress. Barnes maze method was used for spatial learning evaluation. Plasma cortisol and insulin levels were measured at the beginning of the experiments. At the end of the experiments, the animals’ brains were removed, and their hippocampus was extracted. The hippocampus was homogenized, and its insulin and insulin-receptor contents were evaluated. Results: The stressed animals needed more time for reaching to target hole. In addition, they spend more distance to find the target hole, which was more pronounced in the male offspring. Both plasma and hippocampal insulin content were reduced in the stressed groups. Moreover, the hippocampal insulin receptors protein was reduced in the stressed animals. There was a positive relationship between plasma and hippocampal content and memory deficit in the stressed groups. Conclusion: These results indicated that prenatal stress could induce spatial learning and memory deficit in offspring, which is associated with plasma and hippocampal insulin and receptor content reduction (hippocampal insulin resistance) in these animals.
To evaluate the expression of MIF, CD74, and COX-2 in normal, ectopic, and eutopic endometrium during the menstrual cycle and to assess MIF level in peripheral blood.
The expressions of MIF, CD74, ...and COX-2 in normal, ectopic, and eutopic endometrium were evaluated with the use of real-time polymerase chain reaction. MIF protein in peripheral blood samples was checked with the use of ELISA.
Reproductive biomedicine research center.
Sixteen normal women and 20 women with endometriosis.
Ectopic biopsies were obtained with the use of laparoscopic procedure, and eutopic and control biopsies were obtained with the use of Pipelle. Peripheral blood samples were collected before laparoscopy.
The expression of MIF, CD74, and COX-2 in normal, ectopic and eutopic endometrium during the menstrual cycle and the expression level of MIF in peripheral blood samples.
Relative mRNA expression of MIF, CD74, and COX-2 were significantly higher in ectopic endometrium than in eutopic and control endometrium. Also, there were significant differences in expression of these genes in normal, ectopic, and eutopic endometrium during the menstrual cycle. Moreover, women with endometriosis had significantly higher circulating levels of MIF compared with control subjects.
Dynamic expression of MIF, CD74, and COX-2 during the menstrual cycle could play an essential role in reproduction, inflammation, and endometrium reconstruction. A higher expression of these genes in ectopic endometrium can be considered as a molecular biomarker for endometriosis development and pathophysiology. Also, a high level of MIF in blood serum can act as a biomarker in the diagnosis of endometriosis.
Background and objectives: Doxorubicin, an effective anticancer agent, might impair the function of testicular tissue and lead to infertility. Royal jelly can heal male infertility because of its ...antioxidant activities. This study aimed to evaluate the histologic, genetic and biochemical repair potential of royal jelly on doxorubicin-induced male reproductive system side effects during eight chemotherapy cycles in mice. Methods: In this study, 77 male Balb/c mice (11 mice in each group) were divided to: no medication as sham group, normal saline (0.09%), royal jelly (50, 100 mg/kg), doxorubicin (2 mg/kg), and royal jelly+doxorubicin groups, receiving treatment once a week for six weeks. Histological and biochemical factors of male reproductive system were evaluated. Results: There was a significant reduction in testicular weight, spermatozoa parameters, diameter of seminiferous tubules, and total antioxidant capacity levels in the doxorubicin group compared to the control group (p<0.05), whereas these parameters in the royal jelly (50, 100 mg/kg)+doxorubicin groups were significantly increased compared to the doxorubicin group (p<0.05). Malondialdehyde, apoptotic index, and its regulatory genes were significantly higher in the doxorubicin group, while these parameters were decreased in the royal jelly (50, 100 mg/kg)+doxorubicin groups in comparison with the doxorubicin group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Royal jelly protects male reproductive system damage induced by doxorubicin administration in mice. This protection was observed in both histological and biochemical respects. This beneficial effect of royal jelly can be attributed to its antioxidant properties.
Background and purpose: In the present study, we tried for the first time to examine whether cinnamaldehyde (CA), with herbal nature, can be co-administrated with doxorubicin (DOX, as an anticancer ...drug) toward U87MG glioblastoma cells to potentiate its cytotoxic effect and overcome or reduce its side effects.
Experimental approach: The cytotoxic effect of DOX and CA, either individually or in combination, were evaluated on U87MG cells using the MTT method. The mechanism of action was studied by investigating the mode of cell death using caspase-3 and 9 activations, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) as well as sub G1 analysis. The expression of apoptosis- related genes (Bcl-2 and Bax) was also examined.
Findings / Results: Cellular toxicity assay revealed that CA and DOX can potentially reduce the viability of U87MG cells with IC50 at 11.6 and 5 μg/mL, respectively. Exposure with the combination of CA and DOX significantly increased cytotoxic effect of DOX on U87MG cells. The results of SUBG1, MMP, and also caspase-3 and -9 activity assays, in association with the results corresponding to the Bax and Bcl-2 gene expressions, altogether revealed that CA can induce apoptosis on U87MG cells. Moreover, apoptogenic effects of DOX were found to be potentiated by CA.
Conclusion and implications: The results of this study revealed the promising cytotoxic and apoptogenic role of CA on U87MG cells. Additionally, our findings demonstrated that CA is able to enhance the apoptosis induced by DOX on human glioblastoma cells. Collectively, these data suggested that co-exposure of CA and DOX could be effective for treatment of glioblastoma, but further in vivo and clinical studies are still needed to prove these results.
Introduction: The involvement of secreted frizzled-related protein5 (SFRP5) and adiponectin, two important adipokines produced by adipocytes, in cardiovascular diseases demand further assessment. ...Therefore, in this study the relation of the adipokines and atherosclerosis was evaluated in Rat. Materials and methods: For the study, thirty male Wistar rats were divided into 2 groups (each group contain 15 rats): Control group, received a normal diet and the high cholesterol diet (HCD) group which received an additional 2% cholesterol and 0.5% cholic acid for 15 weeks. At the end of treatment, HCD-induced atheroma plaques were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining of aortic tissue sections. Furthermore, serum levels of SFRP5 and adiponectin in the two groups of rats were measured by immunoassay and their relationships with the development of atherosclerotic plaques in the experimental group were analyzed. Results: The serum level of SFRP5 and adiponectin was significantly decreased in HCD rats compared with the control group (P<0.05). There was also an inverse relation between the serum level of the two adipokines and atherosclerotic plaque formation (P<0.05). Conclusion: Serum levels of SFRP5 and adiponectin are decreased in rats fed with high cholesterol diet, highlighting the involvement of the two adipokines in atherosclerosis.
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