Incidence of Linguatula serrata nymphs and pathological lesions of mesenteric lymph nodes in cattle from Urmia, Iran

This study was aimed to determine the infection rates of mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) with Lin-guatula serrata nymphs and their pathological lesions. From November 2012 to June 2013, the MLNs of 104 cattle were randomly sampled in Urmia slaughterhouse, northwestern Iran. They were examined macroscopically and histopathologically. The infected and non-infected lymph nodes were processed for histopathology. They were examined under light microscope and observations were recorded. The results indicated that out of 104 sampled cattle, 63 (60.57%) were infected. Macro-scopic examination revealed that the infected lymph nodes were swollen and dark, with rubbery con-sistency, some with subcapsular haemorrhages on cutting. The mean number of counted lymph node follicles in the nodes from healthy cattle at random microscopic levels was 18±2.8 (range 15–23), compared to 48.9±3.7 (range 44–57) in the infected nodes. Because L. serrata is a zoonotic parasite, preventive measures should be adopted to break the parasite’s cycle and minimise the risk of infection in both humans and other animals

Analysis of the effect of subcutaneous injection of omental-derived cells on the healing of third degree burns in rats: A preliminary study Effet de l�injection sous-cutanée de cellules épiploïques sur la cicatrisation de brûlures du troisième degré chez le rat: �tude préliminaire

Burn injury is considered a global health issue. Third degree burn wounds do not heal spontaneously and require skin grafts. Some factors could contribute to wound healing. In this study we assessed the effect of non-fatty omental cells in burn wound healing. Similar third degree burn wounds were induced on the back of 192 rats. Forty-eight of these rats were put in a control group that did not receive any treatment. The rest of the rats were put in 3 groups, each receiving a different treatment regime. Rats in group 2 had a daily application of silver sulfadiazine; group 3 rats were injected with omental cells, and group 4 rats were injected with phosphate buffer saline (PBS) once, followed by daily application of Vaseline to the burned region. Parameters such as open epidermis length, number of epidermal cell layers, granulation tissue thickness (GTT) and neutrophil density were evaluated in each group. The average open epidermis length in the omental cell group was less than in the other groups on days 10 and 20 (P<0.05). The thickness of epidermal cell layers in the group receiving cells was greater than in the other groups on all days. On the 20th day, there was a significant difference in GTT between the four groups (P<0.05). The injection of non-fatty omental cells has a positive effect on third degree burn wounds in rats. © 2018, Mediterranean Club for Burns and Fire Disasters. All rights reserved

The effect of ubiquinone on functional recovery and morphometric indices of sciatic nerve regeneration

Summary A common cause of peripheral nerve injury is trauma. The positive effect of antioxidants on the improvement of nerve regeneration has currently become a focus of attention. In this experiment, the effect of intraperitoneal administration of ubiquinone (CoQ 10 ) on an acute experimentally sciatic nerve crush was studied in a rat model. Forty-five male Wistar rats, weighing between 160-180 g were used. The rats were randomly divided into two experimental groups (n=20). Each group was further subdivided into four subgroups of five animals each. Functional studies confirmed the faster recovery of regenerated axons in the treatment group compared to the un-treated group (P&lt;0.05). Morphometric indices of the regenerated fibers showed the number and diameter of the myelinated fibers to be significantly higher in the treatment group than the un-treated group (P&lt;0.05). Intraperitoneal administration of CoQ 10 (10 mg/kg/day) in the early inflammatory stage of sciatic nerve crush was found to improve nerve regeneration

Therapeutic effects of all-trans retinoic acid on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and its role in T-helper lymphocyte responses

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated an essential role for IL-17 in the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Furthermore, it has been shown that FoxP3+Treg cells play an important role in the suppression of autoinflammatory reactions. Although, previous studies have determined the immunomodulatory potentials of all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), but these immunomodulations have been mostly justified by alteration in Th1/Th2 cytokines. The present study was carried out to investigate the therapeutic effects of ATRA on EAE and its effects on T-helper cells responses. Methods: EAE was induced by MOG35-55 peptide and complete Freund's adjuvant in female C57BL/6 mice. The mice were allocated to two therapeutic groups (n=7 per group). Treatment with ATRA (500 μg/mouse every other day) was initiated in treatment group on day 12 when they developed a disability score. EAE controls received vehicle alone with the same schedule. Signs of disease were recorded daily until day 33 when the mice were sacrificed. Splenocytes were tested for proliferation by MTT test, cytokine production by ELISA and FoxP3+Treg cell frequency by flowcytometry. Results: ATRA significantly reduced the clinical signs of established EAE. Aside from decreasing lymphocytic proliferation (P<0.05), ATRA significantly inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory IL-17 (P<0.005) as well as IFN-γ (P<0.0005) upon antigen-specific restimulation of splenocytes. FoxP3+Treg cell frequency and IL-10 levels were not altered significantly. However, IFN-γ to IL-10 and IL-17 to IL-10 ratios decreased significantly (P<0.0005). Conclusion: Parallel to reducing autoreactive lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine production in favor of pro-inflammatory cytokines, all-trans-retinoic acid ameliorated established experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Angiogenic effects of cell therapy within a biomaterial scaffold in a rat hind limb ischemia model

Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is a life- and limb-threatening condition affecting 1–10% of humans worldwide with peripheral arterial disease. Cellular therapies, such as bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been used for the treatment of CLI. However, little information is available regarding the angiogenic potency of MSCs and mast cells (MC) in angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of MCs and MSCs to induce angiogenesis in a rat model of ischemic hind limb injury on a background of a tissue engineered hydrogel scaffold. Thirty rats were randomly divided into six control and experimental groups as follows: (a) Control healthy (b) Ischemic positive control with right femoral artery transection, (c) ischemia with hydrogel scaffold, (d) ischemia with hydrogel plus MSC, (e) ischemia with hydrogel plus MC and (f) ischemia with hydrogel plus MSC and MCs. 106 of each cell type, isolated from bone marrow stroma, was injected into the transected artery used to induce hind limb ischemia. The other hind limb served as a non-ischemic control. After 14 days, capillary density, vascular diameter, histomorphometry and immunohistochemistry at the transected location and in gastrocnemius muscles were evaluated. Capillary density and number of blood vessels in the region of the femoral artery transection in animals receiving MSCs and MCs was increased compared to control groups (P < 0.05). Generally the effect of MCs and MSCs was similar although the combined MC/MSC therapy resulted in a reduced, rather than enhanced, effect. In the gastrocnemius muscle, immunohistochemical and histomorphometric observation showed a great ratio of capillaries to muscle fibers in all the cell-receiving groups (P < 0.05). The data indicates that the combination of hydrogel and cell therapy generates a greater angiogenic potential at the ischemic site than cell therapy or hydrogels alone