The preventive and treatment effect of Urtica dioica on astrocyte density in the CA1 and CA3 subfields of hippocampus in STZ induced diabetic rats

Several animal model studies have shown that Diabetes mellitus can affect on the activity of hippocampus astrocytes, but these studies reported controversial findings. This study was done to evaluate the preventive and treatment effect of Urtica dioica (U. dioica) on astrocytes density in the CA1 and CA3 subfields of hippocampus of streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. Twenty-eight male albino Wistar rats were randomly allocated equally into control, diabetic, U. dioica treatment and U. dioica preventive groups. Hyperglycemia was induced by STZ (80 mg/kg/BW). One week after injection of the streptozotocin, animals in treatment group were received hydroalcoholic extract of U. dioica (100 mg/kg/BW /day) for 4 weeks by intraperitoneally. In preventive group, diabetic rats were received 100 mg/kg/BW/ daily hydroalcoholic extract of U. dioica for 5 days before STZ injection. Then, animals were sacrificed and coronal sections were taken from the right dorsal hippocampus, stained with PTAH. The area densities of the astrocytes were measured. The number of astrocytes in CA1 of controls, diabetic treatment and preventive groups was 19.00±5.5, 17.14±6.4, 21±8.1 and 16.48±3.2, respectively. The densities of astrocytes in CA3 of controls, diabetic, treatment and preventive groups were 25.45±7.60, 21.54±7.5, 23.75±5.6 and 19.89±3.8, respectively. The density of astrocytes in diabetic rats reduced in comparison with controls (P<0.05). In CA1 and CA3, in spite of preventive administration, treatment of diabetic rats with U. dioica significantly increased the astrocytes. This study showed that treatment with U. dioica extract can help compensate for the CA1 and CA3 subfields of hippocampus astrocytes in diabetic rats

Apoptosis in mouse fetal and neonatal oocytes during meiotic prophase one

Background The vast majority of oocytes formed in the fetal ovary do not survive beyond birth. Possible reasons for their loss include the elimination of non-viable genetic constitutions arising through meiosis, however, the precise relationship between meiotic stages and prenatal apoptosis of oocytes remains elusive. We studied oocytes in mouse fetal and neonatal ovaries, 14.5–21 days post coitum, to examine the relationship between oocyte development and programmed cell death during meiotic prophase I. Results Microspreads of fetal and neonatal ovarian cells underwent immunocytochemistry for meiosis- and apoptosis-related markers. COR-1 (meiosis-specific) highlighted axial elements of the synaptonemal complex and allowed definitive identification of the stages of meiotic prophase I. Labelling for cleaved poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP-1), an inactivated DNA repair protein, indicated apoptosis. The same oocytes were then labelled for DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) using TUNEL. 1960 oocytes produced analysable results. . Oocytes at all stages of meiotic prophase I stained for cleaved PARP-1 and/or TUNEL, or neither. Oocytes with fragmented (19.8%) or compressed (21.2%) axial elements showed slight but significant differences in staining for cleaved PARP-1 and TUNEL to those with intact elements. However, fragmentation of axial elements alone was not a good indicator of cell demise. Cleaved PARP-1 and TUNEL staining were not necessarily coincident, showing that TUNEL is not a reliable marker of apoptosis in oocytes. Conclusions Our data indicate that apoptosis can occur throughout meiotic prophase I in mouse fetal and early postnatal oocytes, with greatest incidence at the diplotene stage. Careful selection of appropriate markers for oocyte apoptosis is essential

The granule cell density of the dentate gyrus following administration of Urtica dioica extract to young diabetic rats

Urtica dioica L. Stinging nettle has long been known worldwide as a medicinal plant. To study the benefits of the nettle in diabetic encephalopathy, the granule cell density of the dentate gyrus of diabetic rats was studied following administration of Urtica dioica extract. A total of 24 male albino Wistar rats were allocated equally to normal, diabetic, preventive and treatment groups. Hyperglycaemia was induced by streptozotocin (80 mg/kg) in the animals of the diabetic and treatment groups. One week after injection of the streptozotocin the animals in the treatment group received a hydroalcoholic extract of Urtica dioica (100 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks intraperitoneally. The rats of the preventive group received hydroalcoholic extract of U. dioica (100 mg/kg/day) IP for the first 5 days and an injection of streptozotocin (80 mg/kg) on the 6th day. After 5 weeks of study all the rats were sacrificed and coronal sections were taken from the dorsal hippocampal formation of the right cerebral hemispheres and stained with cresyl violet. The area densities of the granule cells were measured and compared in the four groups. The density was lower in the diabetic rats compared with the controls (p > 0.05). The preventive group showed lower cell density than the controls (p > 0.05). The densities in the treated rats were higher than in the diabetic rats (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the control and treated rats showed similar densities (p > 0.05). It seems that U. dioica extract can help compensate for granule cell loss in the diabetic rat dentate gyrus, which can ameliorate cognitive impairment in diabetes. However, preventive use of the extract showed no significant benefit. Copyright © 2008 Via Medica

Study of embryotoxicity of mentha piperita l. during organogenesis in balb/c mice

Mentha piperita (Labiatae), commonly known as peppermint is a native Iranian herb which is used in folk medicine for various purposes. This study was carried out to reveal the teratogenic effect of Mentha piperita on mice fetuses. In this experimental study, pregnant Balb/c mice divided to four groups. Case group received 600 (treatment I) and 1200 (treatment II) mg/kg/day the hydroalcoholic extract of Mentha piperita during 6-15 of gestational days and one control group received normal saline during GD6-GD15 by gavages and other control group did not receive any matter during 6-15 of gestational days. Mice sacrificed at GD18 and embryos were collected. Macroscopic observation was done by stereomicroscope. 20 fetuses of each group were stained by Alizarin red-S and Alcian blue staining method. The Mean weight of fetuses decreased in treatment groups rather than control (P<0.05) but CRL there was no significant difference between treatments and controls groups. In the treatment I (600 mg/kg/day) and treatment II (1200 mg/kg/day), normal saline and control group, no gross congenital malformations were observed in fetuses. Treated fetuses also had no delayed bone ossification as determined by Alizarin red-S and Alcian blue staining method. This study showed that the hydroalcoholic extract of Mentha piperita (600 and 1200 mg/ kg/day) has no teratogenic effect in mice fetuses if used continuously during embryonic period

Epidemiological study of domestic accidents in urban and rural area of Shahrekord in 1999

در این‌ مطالعه‌ 1302 نفر از جمعیت‌ تحت‌ پوشش‌ مراکز بهداشتی‌-درمانی‌ شهری‌ و روستایی‌ شهرستان‌ شهرکرد که‌ به‌ علت‌ حوادث‌ و سوانح‌ خانگی‌ به‌ مراکز بهداشتی- درمانی‌ شهری‌ و روستایی‌ و اورژانس‌ بیمارستان‌ مراجعه‌ نموده‌اند، مورد بررسی‌ قرار گرفتند. در این‌ تحقیق‌ حوادث‌ و سوانح‌ خانگی‌ به‌ منظور شناسایی‌ گروه های‌ آسیب‌پذیر، شایع ترین‌ علت‌ حادثه‌، شایع ترین‌ نوع‌ حادثه‌ وضعیت‌ اپیدمیولژیک‌ و اتیولوژیک‌ حوادث‌ و سوانح‌ بر حسب‌ سن‌، جنس‌، علت‌ حادثه‌، نوع‌ حادثه‌ یا صدمه‌، عضو آسیب‌ دیده‌، منطقه‌ جغرافیایی‌، محل‌وقوع‌ حادثه‌، واحد خدمت‌ دهنده‌، نتیجه‌ حادثه‌ و ارتباط بین‌ عوامل‌ دموگرافیک‌ و علت‌ و نوع‌ حوادث‌ مورد مطالعه‌ قرار گرفته‌ است‌. در این‌ مطالعه‌ 610 نفر زن‌ و 692 نفر مرد مراجعه‌ کننده‌ به‌ مراکز مذکور با استفاده‌ از فرم‌ ثبت‌ اطلاعات‌ بررسی‌ شدند. نمونه‌گیری‌ به‌ روش‌ غیر احتمالی‌ آسان‌ صورت‌ گرفته‌ و کلیه‌ افرادحادثه‌ دیده‌ مراجعه‌ کننده‌ به‌ مراکز بهداشتی‌ ـ درمانی‌ مورد بررسی‌ قرار گرفتند. این‌ تحقیق‌ به‌ روش‌ گذشته‌ نگر مقطعی‌ توصیفی‌ و تحلیلی‌صورت‌ گرفت‌ .نتایج‌ بدست‌ آمده‌ از مطالعه‌ حاضر نشان‌ داد 36./ از کل‌ جمعیت‌ مناطق‌ شهری‌ و روستایی‌ شهرستان‌ شهرکرد دچار حادثه‌ گردیده‌اند،که‌ از این‌ تعداد 17./ مونث و 19./ مذکر بودند. شایع ترین‌ حادثه‌ خانگی‌ بر حسب‌ علت‌ حادثه‌ در گروه‌ مورد مطالعه‌ برخورد با اشیاء نوک‌ تیز با 1/41 درصد، مایعات‌ داغ‌ با 3/28 و زمین‌ خوردن‌ با 9/16 درصد گزارش‌ گردیده‌ است‌. شایع ترین‌ حادثه‌ خانگی‌ بر حسب‌ نوع‌ حادثه‌ در گروه‌ مورد مطالعه‌ بریدگی‌ با 7/49 درصد و سوختگی‌ با 86/32 درصد گزارش‌ شده‌ است‌ .همچنین‌ نتایج‌ نشان‌ داد ارتباط معنی‌ داری‌ بین‌ سن‌، جنس‌ و منطقه‌ جغرافیایی‌ با علت‌ حادثه‌ و نوع‌ حادثه‌ و عضو آسیب‌ دیده‌ وجود دارد و آسیب‌پذیرترین‌ گروه‌ سنی‌، گروه‌ سنی‌ 14ـ0 سال‌ و 24ـ15 سال‌ بوده‌اند. علاوه‌ بر این‌ نتایج‌ نشان‌ داد بین‌ جنس‌ و علت‌ حادثه‌ و جنس‌ و نوع‌ حادثه‌ ارتباط معنی‌ داری‌ وجود دارد بدین صورت‌ که‌ زنان‌ به جز در موارد تماس‌ با مایعات‌ داغ‌ کمتر از مردان‌ دچار آسیب‌ شده‌اند و سوختگی‌ به طور معنی‌داری‌ برای‌ زنان‌ بیشتر رخ‌ داده‌ است‌. بریدگی‌ و زخم‌ و له‌ شدن‌ و شکستگی‌ با جنس‌ مردان‌ ارتباط معنی‌ داری‌ دارد

Resistance of CA1 pyramidal cells to STZ-induced diabetes in young rats

The pyramidal cell density of CA1 hippocampal subfield following STZ-induced diabetes in young rats were studied. 12 male albino 6-week Wistar rats were allocated equally in groups of normal and diabetic. Hyperglycemia induced by Streptozotocin (80 mg/kg) in animals of diabetic group. After 5 weeks of study, all the rats were sacrificed and coronal sections were taken from dorsal hippocampal formation of the right cerebral hemispheres and stained with crysel violet. The area densities of the CA1 pyramidal cells were measured and compared among two groups. No significant difference between the densities of two experimental groups was found. The results can arise from the short period of diabetes and also the possible regenerative processes in developing brain of the young diabetic rats which compensated significant diabetes-induced neuronal loss

Effect of lead intoxication and D-penicillamine treatment on hematological indices in rats

Lead is one of the most important environmental pollution which is toxic to many organ systems. D-penicillamine (D-P) is a chelator drug which is used for treatment of lead toxicity for several years. This study was conducted in order to evaluate the efficacy of D-P in reducing the effects of lead on hematological indices. This study was done on 36 male adult, 6-8 weeks albino Wistar rats in Gorgan University of Medical Sciences. At first male adult rats were exposed to lead acetate in their drinking water. After 8 weeks, 6 rats were selected and blood samples were prepared to assess the effects of lead toxicity. The remained lead exposed rats were divided into recovery and treatment groups where distilled water and D-P was administered for them, respectively. After lead exposure, red blood cell count increased slightly, but hemoglobin and hematocrite were decreased. Also MCV and MCH were significantly decreased (P<0.05). RDW, PDW and MPV were significantly higher in lead exposed rats (P<0.05). After recovery period, most of parameters were close to normal while there were no significant differences between recovery and treatment groups. This study showed that hematologic effects of lead are reversible and D-P administration do not play an important role in subchronic lead intoxication