Protective effect of Sildenafil on contralateral epididymal sperm concentration and motility following unilateral blunt testicular trauma in pre-pubertal male mice

Background and aims: Blunt testicular trauma adversely affects fertility in later periods. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of sildenafil on contralateral epididymal sperm count and motility following unilateral blunt testicular trauma in mice. Methods: In this randomized controlled experimental study, 24 pre-pubertal male mice were distributed into four groups of six mice each. In two groups of mice, the abdomen was opened and the right testis was placed on a sterile firm surface and 5 g sterile weight was dropped on to the testis from a height of 10 cm. One of these groups received sildenafil (0.1 mg/kg per day) intraperitoneally for 7 days starting from the day of induction of trauma. A control group and a sildenafil control group were also included. The left epididymal sperm characteristics of all animals were evaluated after 7 weeks. Results: Trauma caused a significant decrease in the sperm concentration and motility as compared to control mice (P<0.05). Sildenafil administration markedly ameliorated all changes in the above-mentioned parameters (P<0.05). Conclusion: Sildenafil administration could attenuate blunt testicular trauma-induced contralateral epididymal sperm impairment

Effect of Oral Administration of Silymarin on Healing Full-thickness Gastric Wound in Rats

Background and Objectives: Gastrotomy can be accompanied by serious postoperative complications. In this regard, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of oral administration of silymarin on the histopathological and biomechanical characteristics of the gastric wall after experimental gastrotomy in rats.   Methods: Full-thickness incision on the gastric wall and then suturing were conducted on 36 male Wistar rats. In the negative control group, 2 ml of normal saline was orally administered once a day (for 5 days). Moreover, omeprazole (3.6 mg/kg) and silymarin (50 mg/kg) in the positive control and treatment groups were administered in a similar manner, respectively. Euthanasia and sampling were performed on the 6th day. The data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis test.   Results: Histopathological findings demonstrated a significant increase in the maturation of fibroblasts, deposition and arrangement of collagen, angiogenesis, and formation of epithelial layer in the silymarin treatment group, compared to the two control groups. According to the results, the infiltration of inflammatory cells significantly reduced in the omeprazole and silymarin treatment groups in comparison to that reported for the negative control group. The levels of maximum strength, yield strength, stress, and energy absorption were higher in the silymarin-treated group, compared to those reported for other groups.   Conclusion: The obtained results of the present study showed that the oral administration of silymarin improved the tissue indicators of wound healing and its biomechanical features in the experimental model of the full-thickness gastric wound in rats. Based on the results, it is recommended to administer silymarin following gastrotomy

Comparative Study on Functional Effects of Allotransplantation of Bone Marrow Stromal Cells and Adipose Derived Stromal Vascular Fraction on Tendon Repair: A Biomechanical Study in Rabbits

Objective: Tendon never returns to its complete biological and mechanical properties after repair. Bone marrow and, recently, adipose tissue have been used as sources of mesenchymal stem cells which have been proven to enhance tendon healing. In the present study, we compared the effects of allotransplantation of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) and adipose derived stromal vascular fraction (SVF) on tendon mechanical properties after experimentally induced flexor tendon transection. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, we used 48 adult male New Zealand white rabbits. Twelve of rabbits were used as donors of bone marrow and adipose tissue, the rest were divided into control and treatment groups. The injury model was a unilateral complete transection of the deep digital flexor tendon. Immediately after suture repair, 4×106 cells of either fresh SVF from enzymatic digestion of adipose tissue or cultured BMSCs were intratendinously injected into tendon stumps in the treatment groups. Controls received phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Immobilization with a cast was continued for two weeks after surgery. Animals were sacrificed three and eight weeks after surgery and tendons underwent mechanical evaluations. The differences among the groups were analyzed using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) test followed by Tukey’s multiple comparisons test. Results: Stromal cell transplantation resulted in a significant increase in ultimate and yield loads, energy absorption, and stress of repairs compared to the controls. However, there were no statistically significant changes detected in terms of stiffness. In comparison, we observed no significant differences at the third week between SVF and BMSCs treated tendons in terms of all load related properties. However, at the eighth week SVF transplantation resulted in significantly increased energy absorption, stress and stiffness compared to BMSCs. Conclusion: The enhanced biomechanical properties of repairs in this study advocates the application of adipose derived SVF as an excellent source of multipotent cells instead of traditional BMSCs and may seem more encouraging in cell-based therapy for tendon injuries

Effects of flunixin meglumine on experimental tendon wound healing: A histopathological and mechanical study in rabbits

Tendons are frequently targets of injury in sports and work. Whether nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have beneficial effects on tendon healing is still a matter of debate. This study was conducted to evaluate effects of flunixin meglumine (FM) on tendon healing after experimentally induced acute trauma. Twenty eight adult male New Zealand White rabbits were subjected to complete transection of deep digital flexor tendons followed by suture placement. Treatment group received intramuscular injection of FM for three days, and controls received placebo. Subsequently, cast immobilization was continued for two weeks. Animals were sacrificed four weeks after surgery and tissue samples were taken. The histological evaluations revealed improved structural characteristics of neotendon formation including fibrillar linearity, fibrillar continuity and neovascularization in treatment group compared to those of controls (p 0.05). Mechanical evaluation revealed significant increase in load-related material properties including ultimate load, yield load, energy absorption and ultimate stress in treatment group compared to those of control group (p 0.05). The present study showed that intramuscular injection of FM resulted in improved structural and mechanical properties of tendon repairs and it could be an effective treatment for acute tendon injuries like severance and laceration

The suppressive effects of Simvastatin on fertility impairment induced by experimental unilateral testicular ischemia-reperfusion in mice

178 Background: The basic pathophysiologic phenomenon in testicular torsion, a common urologic emergency, is ischemia followed by reperfusion. In this study, we evaluated the effect(s) of simvastatin (SIM), a lipid lowering agent with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, on mouse epididymal sperm fertilizing potential and the subsequent in vitro embryo development in experimentally-induced unilateral testicular ischemia-reperfusion (IR). Methods: Adult male mice were divided into four groups (n = 6, each). Following anaesthesia, IR was induced by clamping the left testicular vessels with an atraumatic microvascular clamp for 30 minutes in the IR group. In IR+SIM group, in addition, the mice received SIM (20 mg/kg per day) orally for 3 days starting from the day of induction of the experimental IR. A vehicle-treated control group and a SIM-only treated group were also included. Ipsilateral and contralateral epididymal sperms fertilizing capacity was analyzed in four groups after 35 days. Results: Significant reduction in fertilization as well as blastulation rates were observed in the IR group. However, the SIM treatment considerably attenuated the IR-induced negative alterations in the above-mentioned parameters. Conclusion: These findings revealed the repro-protective effects of SIM on the murine model of IR through the inhibition of oxidative injuries and inflammatory reactions

Adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction improves tendon healing in rabbits

【Abstract】Objective: To evaluate the potential effects of uncultured adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction on tendon healing. Methods: Twenty five adult male New Zealand white rabbits weighing 2.5-3.0 kg were used. Five rabbits were used as donors of adipose tissue and the rest were divided into control and treatment groups. The injury model was completed by unilateral tenotomy through the middle one third of deep digital flexor tendon. Immediately after suture repair, either fresh stromal vascular fraction from enzymatic digestion of adipose tissue or placebo was intratendinously injected at tendon stumps in treatment and control groups, respectively. Immobilization with cast was continued for two weeks after surgery. Animals were sacrificed at eight weeks after surgery and tendons underwent histological, immunohistochemical, and mechanical evaluations. Statistical analyses of quantitative and qualitative data were assessed using one-way analysis of variance and Mann-Whitney U-test, respectively. Results: Histological evaluations demonstrated superior fibrillar linearity and continuity, and decreased vascularity in treatment group indicated improved organization and remodeling of neotendons. Immunohistochemistry de- monstrated a significant increase in collagen I expression in treatment group. Ultimate load and energy absorption capacity were both significantly increased in cell-treated repairs compared with controls. Conclusion: The present study shows that intratendinous injection of uncultured adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction results in improved structural and mechanical properties of tendon repairs and it could be an effective modality for treating tendon injury. Key words: Tendons; Adipose tissue; Stromal cells; Tendon injurie