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

Analytic height correlation function of rough surfaces derived from light scattering

We derive an analytic expression for the height correlation function of a rough surface based on the inverse wave scattering method of Kirchhoff theory. The expression directly relates the height correlation function to diffuse scattered intensity along a linear path at fixed polar angle. We test the solution by measuring the angular distribution of light scattered from rough silicon surfaces, and comparing extracted height correlation functions to those derived from atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results agree closely with AFM over a wider range of roughness parameters than previous formulations of the inverse scattering problem, while relying less on large-angle scatter data. Our expression thus provides an accurate analytical equation for the height correlation function of a wide range of surfaces based on measurements using a simple, fast experimental procedure.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, 1 tabl

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

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

Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist mediates toll-like receptor 3-induced inhibition of trophoblast adhesion to endometrial cells in vitro

STUDY QUESTION Is interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) involved in the toll-like receptor 3 (TLR 3)-induced inhibition of trophoblast cells' adhesion to endometrial cells in vitro? SUMMARY ANSWER IL-1RA mediates the TLR 3-induced inhibition of trophoblast cells' adhesion to endometrial cells in vitro. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY It is well documented that endometrial TLR 3 activation leads to impairment of trophoblast binding to endometrial cells in vitro. IL-1RA is known as an anti-implantation factor, as its injection significantly reduced implantation rates in mice by an effect on endometrial receptivity. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Poly I:C was used as a TLR3 specific ligand and endometrial cells were either treated or not with Poly I:C (treated versus control) in vitro. IL-1RA was applied to block IL-1 signal transduction. IL-1RA was knocked down by Accell Human IL1RN siRNA. Flagellin was used to stimulate TLR 5. SP600125 (JNK) was applied to inhibit the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway. BAY11 -7082 was used to inhibit the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway. The experiments were performed in three replicates on three separate days. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS An in vitro assay was developed using RL95-2 (an endometrial cell line) and JAr (a trophoblast cell line) cells. Initially, the production of IL-1RA in RL95-2 cells in response to TLR 3 activation was measured. To determine whether the TLR 3-induced inhibition of trophoblast binding was mediated through IL-1RA: (i) we evaluated the effect of IL-1RA on the attachment of trophoblast cells to endometrial cells; (ii) we knocked down TLR3-induced IL-1RA gene expression by IL-1RA Small interfering RNA (siRNA) and evaluated trophoblast attachment to endometrial cells. Finally, to clarify through which pathway TLR 3-induced inhibition of trophoblast binding occurs: (i) activation of NF-κB and MAPK was detected by transfecting the cells with secreted placental alkaline phosphatase reporter plasmids bearing promoter sequences for each transcription factor; (ii) the inhibitors for NF-κB and MAPK were used to block signaling; (iii) it was then investigated whether addition of these inhibitors could restore the TLR 3-induced impairment of trophoblast attachment to the endometrial cells. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Our results showed that addition of polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C) to RL95-2 cells significantly increased the production of IL-1RA (P < 0.05). Addition of human recombinant IL-1RA to RL95-2 cells remarkably decreased the adhesion rate of trophoblast cells to endometrial cells (P < 0.05). In addition, suppression of TLR3-induced IL-1RA gene expression in RL95-2 cells significantly restored trophoblast cells attachment to endometrial cells in the presence of Poly I:C (P < 0.05). Only TLR3 and not TLR5 induced MAPK activation (P < 0.05). TLR3 ligation did not affect NF-κB activation. Of NF-kB and MAPK inhibitors, only MAPK's inhibitor could achieve restoration of spheroid adhesion to endometrial cells (P < 0.05). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION This study has been only done in vitro. Future in vivo studies will confirm our data. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The findings of this study have a potential clinical application in introducing IL-1RA as one of the diagnostic infertility markers in the endometrium, which can affect the process of embryo adhesion at the time of implantation. Moreover, based on the novel data obtained in the current study, blocking and regulating the MAPK pathway by its inhibitors can be used as a new strategy to prevent and treat virus-induced infertility cases in ART techniques. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST This study was partially funded by a Marie Curie IIF-253948 grant to I.C. and was partially funded by the author's institutions. The authors have no conflict of interest to declare

Stochastic Analysis and Regeneration of Rough Surfaces

We investigate Markov property of rough surfaces. Using stochastic analysis we characterize the complexity of the surface roughness by means of a Fokker-Planck or Langevin equation. The obtained Langevin equation enables us to regenerate surfaces with similar statistical properties compared with the observed morphology by atomic force microscopy.Comment: 4 pages, 7 figure

Experimental Indicators of Accretion Processes in Active Galactic Nuclei

Bright Active Galactic Nuclei are powered by accretion of mass onto the super massive black holes at the centers of the host galaxies. For fainter objects star formation may significantly contribute to the luminosity. We summarize experimental indicators of the accretion processes in Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), i.e., observable activity indicators that allow us to conclude on the nature of accretion. The Galactic Center is the closest galactic nucleus that can be studied with unprecedented angular resolution and sensitivity. Therefore, here we also include the presentation of recent observational results on Sagittarius A* and the conditions for star formation in the central stellar cluster. We cover results across the electromagnetic spectrum and find that the Sagittarius A* (SgrA*) system is well ordered with respect to its geometrical orientation and its emission processes of which we assume to reflect the accretion process onto the super massive black hole.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures, conference proceeding: Accretion Processes in Cosmic Sources - APCS2016 - 5-10 September 2016, Saint Petersburg, Russi