Neuroprotective Effects of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Bilateral Common Carotid Arteries Occlusion Model of Cerebral Ischemia in Rat

Cell therapy is the most advanced treatment of the cerebral ischemia, nowadays. Herein, we discuss the neuroprotective effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on rat hippocampal cells following intravenous injection of these cells in an ischemia-reperfusion model. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups: control, sham (surgery without blockage of common carotid arteries), ischemia (common carotid arteries were blocked for 30 min prior to reperfusion), vehicle (7 days after ischemia PBS was injected via the tail vein), and treatment (injections of BMSC into the tail veins 7 days after ischemia). We performed neuromuscular and vestibulomotor function tests to assess behavioral function and, finally, brains were subjected to hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), anti-Brdu immunohistochemistry, and TUNEL staining. The ischemia group had severe apoptosis. The group treated with BMSCs had a lower mortality rate and also had significant improvement in functional recovery (P<0.001). Ischemia-reperfusion for 30 min causes damage and extensive neuronal death in the hippocampus, especially in CA1 and CA3 regions, leading to several functional and neurological deficits. In conclusion, intravenous injection of BMSCs can significantly decrease the number of apoptotic neurons and significantly improve functional recovery, which may be a beneficial treatment method for ischemic injuries. © 2016 Bagher Pourheydar et al

Effect of transforming growth factor alpha of dentyte jyrus neurons and pyramidal cells of CA1 subfiled of hippocampus following ischemia-reperfusion in Rats

Background and Objective: Ischemia-reperfusion invoke cell death in hippocampus. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) of dentyte jyrus neurons and pyramidal cells of CA1 subfiled of hippocampus following ischemia-reperfusion in rat models. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was done on 40 male Wistar rats weighing 250-300gr. Animals were divided in four groups: control (n=7), sham (n=7), ischemia (n=14) and treatment (n=14). Sham group was just under surgical stress. In ischemia and treatment groups after induction of ischemia-reperfiusion by obstruction of carotid arteries blocked for 30 minutes, reperfusion PBS (phosphate buffer salin) and subsequently TGF-alpha (50 ng) were injected stereotaxicaly in lateral ventricle, respectively. In 12 and 72 days after treatment the brains were fixated by transcardial perfusion and stained by immunohistochemestry and nissle methods. Furthermore, morris water maze was used to evaluate the learning memory. Data were analyzed using SPSS-16 and ANOVA test. Results: Injection of TGF-alpha increased the cell number in hippocampus of treatment group compared to ischemic group. TGF-alpha increased expression of neuron in dentyte jyrus of treatment group in comparison with ischemic group (P<0.05). Also spatial memory improved in treatment group in comparison with ischemia group. Conclusion: TGF-alpha improves ischemia-induced neurodegenration and memory impairment

Attenuation of ecstasy-induced neurotoxicity by N-acetylcysteine

Exposure to 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) can lead to spatial memory impairments and hippocampal cell death. Numerous evidence indicates that the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) exerts protective effects in the brain. The present study evaluates the effects of NAC on MDMA�induced neurotoxicity. Methods: We intraperitoneally injected 28 adult male Sprague�Dawley rats (200�250 g) with either 0, 10 mg/kg of MDMA, or 10 mg/kg of MDMA plus 100 mg/kg of NAC. Spatial memory was assessed with a Morris Water Maze (MWM). At the end of the study, rats' brains were removed to study the structure and ultrastructure of CA1, and measure Bcl-2 and Bax expressions in the hippocampus. In the MWM, NAC treatment significantly attenuated the MDMA-induced increase in distance traveled (p < 0.05) and escape latency (p < 0.001). The decreased time spent in the target quadrant in MDMA-treated animals was attenuated by NAC (p < 0.01). NAC significantly protected against MDMA-induced apoptosis and the up- and down-regulation of Bax and Bcl-2, respectively. These data have suggested that NAC could protect against behavioral changes and apoptosis in the hippocampus following administration of MDMA. NAC might be useful for the treatment of neurotoxicity in MDMA users. © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York

Evaluation of presenting conserved foods

Food, it&apos;s production and preserving has been one of the most important problems in human life. Limitation of production due to climatic, geographic and papulational situations and conservation due to providance and prosecting for solution of one of the most fundamental human needs, has been discussed much. Difference between the lands, temperature, humidity and rainfall on one hand and texture and accumulation of papulation on the other hand, not only has limited the amount and kind of food production but also has improved the preserving methods as much as possible. Extra production in fertile lands and confirmed need for receiving food in deserts and dry areas, makes the need of exchanging and transfer of food inevitable because of economic and ethical matters and sanitation of food. Avoidance of being contaminated and resistance against decay seems very important and vital. So process of preserving and conserving of eaw or cooked food became a fundamental problem. In previous 200 years, many advanced methods have been designed for preserving food in which the role of conserving and packing in vital often. Because of industrial production, conserved food have a great influence on sanitation of people nutrition, and herefor the rate of diseases from consumption of contaminated food has been reduced in industrial countries and the tensancy of people to use conventional food has been decreased gradually. Because of high cost of industrial conserved food production some people produce conserved foods in the way which is not hygienic. That may have a high risk when ingested. In this article we discuss about unwarranted conserved foods productions

The protective effect of Borago Officinalis extract on amyloid β (25�35)-induced long term potentiation disruption in the dentate gyrus of male rats

Alzheimer�s disease (AD) begins with impairment in synaptic functions before developing into later neurodegeneration and neural loss. In the present study we have examined the protective effects of Borago Officinalis (borage) extract on amyloid β (Aβ)�Induced long term potentiation (LTP) disruption in hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG). Wistar male rats received intrahippocampal (IHP) injection of the Aβ (25�35) and borage extract throughout gestation (100 mg/kg). LTP in perforant path- DG synapses was assessed using electrophysiology method and field excitatory post- synaptic potential (fEPSP) slope and population spike (PS) amplitude were measured by 400 Hz tetanization. Finally, the total thiol content of hippocampus was measured using colorimetric reaction based on the Ellman�s method. The results showed that Aβ (25�35) significantly decreased fEPSP slope and SP amplitude comparing with the control and sham group, whereas borage extract administration increased these parameters compared to the Aβ group. Aβ induced a remarkable decrease in total thiol content of hippocampus and borage prevented the decrease of the hippocampal total sulfhydryl (SH) groups. This data suggest that Aβ (25�35) can effectively inhibit LTP in the granular cells of the DG in hippocampus, and borage supplementation reverse the synaptic plasticity in DG following Aβ treatment and that borage consumption may lead to an improvement of AD-induced cognitive dysfunction. © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York

Nicotine and modafinil combination protects against the neurotoxicity induced by 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine in hippocampal neurons of male rats

MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a common recreational drug of abuse which causes neurodegeneration. Nicotine and modafinil provide antioxidant and neuroprotective properties and may be beneficial in the management of MDMA-induced neurotoxicity. The purpose of this study was to characterize how acute and chronic administration of nicotine and/or modafinil exert protective effects against the MDMA-induced impaired cognitive performance, oxidative stress, and neuronal loss. Adult male rats were divided into three groups, namely control, MDMA and treatment (modafinil and/or nicotine). MDMA (10 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally during a three-week schedule (two times/day for two consecutive days/week). The treated-groups were classified based on the acute or chronic status of treatment. In the groups which underwent acute treatments, nicotine (0.5 mg/kg) and/or modafinil (100 mg/kg) were injected just prior to the MDMA administration (acute nicotine (NA), acute modafinil (MA), and acute nicotine and modafinil (NMA)). In the rats which received chronic treatments, nicotine (0.5 mg/kg) and/or modafinil (100 mg/kg) were injected every day during the three week-schedule administration of MDMA (chronic nicotine (NC), chronic modafinil (MC), and chronic nicotine and modafinil (NMC)). Learning and memory performance, as well as avoidance response, were assessed by Morris water maze and Shuttle box, respectively. Our findings indicate enhanced learning and memory and avoidance response in the NMC group. By TUNEL test and Cresyl Violet staining we evaluated neuronal loss and apoptosis in the hippocampal CA1 and found increased neuronal viability in the NMC group. On the other hand, chronic administration of modafinil and nicotine significantly down-regulated the caspase 3 and up-regulated both BDNF and TrkB levels in the MDMA-received rats. The serum levels of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were evaluated and we found that the alterations of serum levels of GPx and TAC were considerably prevented in the NMC group. The overall results indicate that nicotine and modafinil co-administration rescued brain from MDMA-induced neurotoxicity. We suggest that nicotine and modafinil combination therapy could be considered as a possible treatment to reduce the neurological disorders induced by MDMA. © 202

Study of bulk micromachining for 〈100〉 silicon

Anisotropic etching of silicon is achieved in the presence of ultra-violet exposure in a solution containing hydrofluoric/nitric/acetic acids (HNA). The HNA solution is typically used for polishing silicon and etching polysilicon due to its isotropic etching property. In the technique proposed in this paper which is called UV-HNA, the etching of silicon is enhanced in the direction determined by UV exposure. A mixture of HF/HNO3/CH3COOH with a relative composition of 1:15:5 seems suitable for revealing 〈111〉 planes with an etch rate of 10 μm/h at 35 °C. The bottom of the etched craters is hillock-free and etch rates as high as 60 μm/h can be achieved using higher concentration of HF acid in HNA solution. In the latter case the etching is more isotropic and mask undercut is observed. Also membranes with a depth of 400 μm are fabricated on n-type Si 〈100〉 with a thickness of 500 μm by means of standard 34 wt% solution of KOH at temperature of 60 °C. Problems encountered during the experiment, and their solutions are discussed and results of these experiments are reported

Combined effects of 3D bone marrow stem cell-seeded wet-electrospun poly lactic acid scaffolds on full-thickness skin wound healing

© 2017 Taylor & Francis. Tissue engineering has emerged as an alternative treatment to traditional grafts for skin wound healing. Three-dimensional nanofibers have been used extensively for this purpose due to their excellent biomedical-related properties. In this study, high porous 3D poly lactic acid nanofibrous scaffolds (PLA-S) were prepared by wet-electrospinning technique and seeded with rat bone-marrow stem cells (BMSCs) to characterize the biocompatibility and therapeutic efficacy of these fibers on the treating full-thickness dermal wounds. The results of in vitro andin vivo studies indicate that the 3D fibrous PLA-S can be a potential wound dressing for wound repair, particularly when seeded with BMSCs. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Hydrogels Based on Cellulose and its Derivatives: Applications, Synthesis, and Characteristics

Hydrogels are mainly structures formed from biopolymers and/or polyelectrolytes, and contain large amounts of trapped water. Smart cellulose-based superabsorbent hydrogels are the new generation of scaffold which fabricated directly from native cellulose (including bacterial cellulose) via cellulose dissolution. Cellulose has many hydroxyl groups and can be used to prepare hydrogels with fascinating structures and properties. Cellulose hydrogels based on its derivatives, including methyl cellulose (MC), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC), and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) can be fabricated by various methods. On the basis of the cross-linking method, the hydrogels can be divided into chemical and physical gels. Physical gels are formed by molecular self-assembly through ionic or hydrogen bonds, while chemical gels are formed by covalent bonds. Composite smart hydrogels are prepared using cellulose in conjunction with other polymers through blending, formation of polyelectrolyte complexes, and interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) technology. According to type of superabsorbent cellulose-based hydrogels fabrication methods, there are many various techniques to evaluate quality of them. Briefly, some of these means generally used to assess the hydrogel are described as following. The obtained gel membranes are characterized by infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermo gravimetric analysis, and mechanical tests in order to investigate the crosslinking occurrence and modifications of cellulose resulting from the synthetic process, morphology of the hydrogels, their thermal stability, and viscoelastic extensional properties, respectively. This review highlights the recent progress in smart cellulose-based superabsorbent hydrogel designs, fabrication approaches and characterization methods, leading to the development of cellulose based smart superabsorbent hydrogels