Protective effect of treatment with black cumin oil on spatial cognitive functions of rats that suffered global cerebrovascular hypoperfusion

The fixed oil of black cumin seeds, Nigella sativa L. (NSO), has shown considerable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion has been linked to neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease (AD)and its subsequent cognitive impairment in which oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are the principal culprits. Cerebrovascular hypoperfusion was experimentally achieved by bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion (2VO) in rats. Morris water maze (MWM) test was employed to assess the effects of NSO on spatial cognitive function before and after 2VO intervention. Rats were divided into long-term memory (LTM) and short-term memory (STM) groups, each was further subdivided into 3 subgroups: sham control, untreated 2VO and NSO treated 2VO group. All subgroups were tested with MWM at the tenth postoperative week. Working memory test results for both sham control and NSO treated groups showed significantly lower escape latency time and total distance travelled than untreated 2VO group. Similarly, LTM and STM MWM tests for sham control and NSO treated groups revealed significantly better maze test performance as compared to untreated 2VO group. Sham control and NSO treated 2VO groups demonstrated superior probe memory test performance as compared to untreated 2VO group. The fixed oil of Nigella sativa seeds has demonstrated noticeable spatial cognitive preservation in rats challenged with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion which indicates a promising prospective neuroprotective effect

THE NIGELLA SATIVA (L.) SEEDS EXTRACT TREATMENT ON THE HIPPOCAMPAL GFAP IN 2VO-INDUCED CHRONIC NEUROINFLAMMATION

Neuroinflammation has been closely linked to neurodegeneration that leads to dysfunction of memory and learning where glial fibrillary acidic protein plays important role within hippocampus. In experimental neurodegeneration achieved by two-vessel occlusion (2VO) intervention, Nigella sativa (L.) seeds extract (NSSE) has shown to have anti-neuroinflammatory and antioxidant properties. Toxic free radicals formation and prevention of neuroinflammatory mediators are of two possible mechanisms. The current study aimed to investigate the anti-neuroinflammatory effect of Nigella sativa and the role of GFAP as a relevant biomarker of neuroinflammation. The relative normalized hippocampal GFAP mRNA expressions (∆∆Cq) of Nigella sativa (L.) seeds extract treatment (100mg/kg/day orally) was compared with that of healthy control (HC) and untreated 2VO groups (n=6) of rats. The brain hippocampal tissues were humanely collected at the end of 10th treatment week and preserved in Allprotect™ reagent at – 80°C. Total RNA was extracted and purified by phenol/chloroform method using kits, and reverse transcribed into cDNA and relatively quantified as per ∆∆Cq. The NSSE treatment showed significantly (P<0.001) different relative GFAP mRNA expression in the treated group as compared to that of untreated 2VO whilst it was insignificantly (P>0.5) different to that of HC. Prolonged or daily treatment with NSSE may possess moderate anti-neuroprotective activity within hippocampus.&nbsp

The Effect of Flaxseed Ethanolic Extract on the Structure of the Kidney and the Endocrine Pancreas in Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Rats

Background: The present investigation has been designed to study the possible protective effect of flaxseed extract on the structures of the endocrine pancreas and kidneys of streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats for 30 days. Methods: Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into five groups (n=8). Normal control group (NC); received distilled water orally, normal flaxseed group (NF); treated orally with (400 mg/kg) extract of flaxseed, diabetic control group (DC); treated with single intraperitoneal dose of STZ (60 mg/kg), diabetic flaxseed group (DF); diabetic rats treated with extract of flaxseed (400 mg/kg), diabetic glibenclamide group (DG); diabetic rats treated with (0.6 mg/kg) glibenclamide. Results: Histological observation of sections in pancreas in DC group revealed shrunken islets of Langerhans with degenerated and degranulated β-cells, vacuolations and congested capillaries while sections of kidneys showed shrinkage of some glomeruli and degeneration of others with wide urinary space and hydropic degeneration in some tubular epithelial cells, dilated tubules and cell debris scattered in tubular lumina. These pathological changes were ameliorated in the flaxseed extract and glibenclamide treated rats. Conclusions: It is concluded that flaxseed extract may represent a good alternative treatment for management of diabetes and its related complications such as diabetic nephropathy