INTRODUCTION: The Internet has drastically affected human behavior, and it has positive and negative effects; however, its excessive usage exposes users to internet addiction. The diagnosis of ...students' mental dysfunction is vital to monitor their academic progress and success by preventing this technology through proper handling of the usage addiction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive-analytical study selected 447 students (232 females and 215 males) of the first and second semesters enrolled at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2018 by using Cochrane's sample size formula and stratified random sampling. The study applied Young's Internet Addiction Test and Goldberg General Health Questionnaire 28 for data collection. The study screened the data received and analyzed valid data set through the t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient by incorporating SPSS Statistics software version 23.0. RESULTS: The results of the current study specified that the total mean score of the students for internet addiction and mental health was 3.81 ± 0.88 and 2.56 ± 0.33, correspondingly. The results revealed that internet addiction positively correlated with depression and mental health, which indicated a negative relationship (P > 0.001). The multiple regression analysis results showed students' five significant vulnerability predictors toward internet addiction, such as the critical reason for using the Internet, faculty, depression, the central place for using the Internet, and somatic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings specified that students' excessive internet usage leads to anxiety, depression, and adverse mental health, which affect their academic performance. Monitoring and controlling students' internet addiction through informative sessions on how to use the Internet adequately is useful.
Diabetes can increase the generation of free radicals and can be harmfully effective in spermatogenesis. Crocin is a carotenoid and is accountable for the red color of saffron. Crocin has shown ...numerous pharmacological actions such as antioxidant roles and radical scavenging. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of crocin on sperm parameters and the diameter of seminiferous tubules in diabetic rats.
In this experimental study, diabetic rats were induced by Streptozotocin (STZ) (60 mg/kg). Sixty-four rats were equally divided into the following eight groups; (1) normal control group, (2-4) crocin groups, receiving various doses of crocin (12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg), (5) diabetic control group, and (6-8) diabetic groups, receiving STZ plus crocin (12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg) injected intraperitoneally once a day for 28 consecutive days. The sperm count, motility, morphology, viability, spermatogenesis index (SI), and the diameter of seminiferous tubules were examined and compared.
The results demonstrated that count, motility, viability, normal sperm morphology, SI, and the diameter of seminiferous tubules decreased significantly in the diabetic control group compared to the normal control group (
< 0.05). However, in the diabetic groups, count, motility, normal morphology, viability, SI, and the diameter of seminiferous tubules enhanced significantly in total doses compared to those of the diabetic control group (
< 0.05).
It seems that, as a strong antioxidant, crocin could compensate for the toxicity induced through STZ and raise the quality of some sperm parameters.
Morphine is the most common analgesic drug that is widely used in post-operative interventions. This drug causes free radical accumulation leading to spermatogenesis failure. Antioxidant agents like
...Sumach
(
Rhus coriaria
) neutralize cellular free radicals. In this study, the properties of antioxidative, modulative of inflammatory cytokines, and apoptotic genes following
Sumach
extract administration on morphine-induced fertility destruction in male Wistar rats was evaluated. Sixty-four animals were grouped (n = 8) including; 1: control, 2: morphine, 3–5:
Sumach
(200, 400, 800 mg/kg), and 6–8: morphine +
Sumach
. Hydroalcoholic extract of Sumach seeds was prepared. Treatments with
Sumach
extract were applied orally and intraperitoneally daily for 8 weeks. The
P53
,
Bcl2
and
caspase-3
genes expression were measured by real-time PCR. Cytokines involved in inflammation were evaluated by ELISA. Sperm parameters, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), testosterone, and germinal layer height (GLH) were assessed. All parameters (investigated in this study) in Morphine group reduced significantly than the control group (
P
˂ 0.01) (except P53 and caspase-3 genes expression and inflammatory cytokine which were improved). All factors in
Sumach
and
Sumach
+ Morphine groups were significantly enhanced compared to the Morphine group (
P
˂ 0.01) (except P53 and caspase-3 genes expression and inflammatory cytokine which were declined). Morphine disrupted the physiological function of male fertility system. Besides, all doses of
Sumach
showed no therapeutic changes compared to the control group.
Sumach
with anti-infertility features compensates the toxic effect of Morphine administration.
An in vitro spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) culture can serve as an effective technique to study spermatogenesis and treatment for male infertility. In this research, we compared the effect of a ...three-dimensional alginate hydrogel with Sertoli cells in a 3D culture and co-cultured Sertoli cells. After harvest of SSCs from neonatal mice testes, the SSCs were divided into two groups: SSCs on a 3D alginate hydrogel with Sertoli cells and a co-culture of SSCs with Sertoli cells for 1 month. The samples were evaluated by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) tracing, haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining after transplantation into an azoospermic testis mouse. The 3D group showed rapid cell proliferation and numerous colonies compared with the co-culture group. Molecular assessment showed significantly increased integrin alpha-6, integrin beta-1, Nanog, Plzf, Thy-1, Oct4 and Bcl2 expression levels in the 3D group and decreased expression levels of P53, Fas, and Bax. BrdU tracing, and H&E and PAS staining results indicated that the hydrogel alginate improved spermatogenesis after transplantation in vivo. This finding suggested that cultivation of SSCs on alginate hydrogel with Sertoli cells in a 3D culture can lead to efficient proliferation and maintenance of SSC stemness and enhance the efficiency of SSC transplantation.
Background and purpose: Cisplatin is a chemotherapeutic drug used to treat cancer, however, causes kidney toxicity. Harmine is a plant-derived alkaloid with a wide range of therapeutic applications. ...The effects of harmine on the renal side effects of cisplatin in mice were studied in this study.
Experimental approach: Forty-eight male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into eight groups (n = 6). They were treated with saline, cisplatin (5.5 mg/kg), harmine (5, 10, and 15 mg/kg/day), cisplatin + harmine (5, 10, and 15 mg/kg/day), respectively. All administrations were done daily and intraperitoneally for 4 days. The criteria related to histology, oxidation, anti-oxidation, inflammation, and apoptosis of renal tissue were evaluated.
Findings / Results: There was a significant decrease in total antioxidant capacity of renal tissue, renal corpuscles diameter, and IL-10 expression level in the cisplatin group than in the control group, while the values of these parameters were significantly similar to the control group in the moderate or high doses of harmine + cisplatin groups. There were significant increases in serum urea and creatinine levels, bowman space, the amounts of malondialdehyde, apoptosis rate, and TNF-α, NF-κB, IL-1β, and caspase-3 gene expressions in kidney tissue of the cisplatin group compared to the control group, while these criteria did not differ in the moderate or high doses of harmine + cisplatin groups.
Conclusion and implications: Harmine protected the kidneys against cisplatin-induced damage. Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic harmine properties were involved in this healing effect.
Background: Alcohol consumption is capable of producing free radicals and inducing disturbance in body antioxidant. Falcaria vulgaris (F. vulgaris) is a vegetable and it has beneficial antioxidant ...effects. Materials and Methods: Forty-eight Wistar rats were divided randomly into eight groups (n = 6): control normal (saline) and ethanol (5g EtOH/kg body weight/24h) control groups, F. vulgaris groups (50, 100, and 150mg/kg), and F. vulgaris + ethanol treated groups (50, 100, and 150mg/kg). Treatments were administered intraperitoneally and through gavage daily for 12 weeks. Parameters related to the function and the histology of the kidneys were evaluated and statistically analyzed from kidney and blood serum samples with respect to the groups. Results: Ethanol administration increased significantly Bowman's space, qualitative histopathology indices, kidney malondialdehyde (MDA) level, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and nitrite oxide levels and decreased significantly total antioxidant capacity (TAC) level and diameter and number of renal corpuscles compared to that in the control normal group (P < 0.001). The F. vulgaris and F. vulgaris + ethanol treatments in a dose-dependent manner reduced significantly Bowman's space, qualitative histopathology indices, kidney MDA level, BUN, creatinine, and nitrite oxide levels and increased significantly TAC level and diameter and number of renal corpuscles compared to that in the ethanol normal group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: It seems that F. vulgaris administration in a dose-dependent manner improved kidney injury induced by ethanol in rats.
Background: The nicotine content of cigarettes plays a key role in the pathogenesis of kidney disease. Harmine is a harmal-derived alkaloid with antioxidant properties. This study was designed to ...evaluate the effects of harmine against nicotine-induced damage to the kidneys of mice. Methods: In this study, 64 male mice were randomly assigned to eight groups: saline and nicotine-treated groups (2.5 mg/kg), harmine groups (5, 10, and 15 mg/kg), and nicotine (2.5 mg/kg) + harmine-treated groups (5, 10, and 15 mg/kg). Treatments were administered intraperitoneally daily for 28 days. The weights of the mice and their kidneys, kidney index, glomeruli characteristics, thiobarbituric acid reactive species, antioxidant capacity, kidney function indicators, and serum nitrite oxide levels were investigated. Results: Nicotine administration significantly improved kidney malondialdehyde (MDA) level, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and nitrite oxide levels and decreased glomeruli number and tissue ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) level compared to the saline group (P < 0.05). The harmine and harmine + nicotine treatments at all doses significantly reduced BUN, kidney MDA level, creatinine, glomerular diameter, and nitrite oxide levels and increased the glomeruli number and tissue FRAP level compared to the nicotine group (P < 0.05).Conclusions: It seems that harmine administration improved kidney injury induced by nicotine in mice.
Background: Tribulus terrestris has antioxidant and free-radical-scavenging properties. Malathion is the most common organophosphate, which is capable to produce free radicals and induce disturbance ...on some of male reproductive parameters. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of T. terrestris extract against damage induced by Malathion to the reproductive parameter of male rats. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 48 male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to eight groups: first group, sham group (normal saline); second group, Malathion (250 mg/kg) group; third to fifth groups, T. terrestris groups (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg body weight, respectively); and sixth to eight groups, Malathion + T. terrestris groups (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg). Tribulus terrestris extract (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg body weight, respectively) administrated orally, and daily for 8 weeks. The sperm parameters, testis malondialdehyde (MDA), serum total antioxidant capacity, serum testosterone level, and the height of germinal layer were evaluated and analyzed statistically. Results: All the values of male reproductive parameters reduced significantly in the Malathion group as compared to the sham group (P < 0.01) except MDA level, which increased significantly. The T. terrestris and T. terrestris + Malathion treatments in all doses increased the whole parameters significantly as compared to the Malathion group (P < 0.01) except MDA level, which decreased significantly. No significant changes were observed in all T. terrestris groups as compared to the sham group (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Tribulus terrestris extract administration attenuates the toxic effects of Malathion on some of the male reproductive parameters.
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