The effect of intrathecal delivery of bone marrow stromal cells on hippocampal neurons in rat model of Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVES: Intracerebral injection of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) is being investigated as a therapeutic tool to prevent Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our aim was to investigate the effects of BMSCs by intrathecal injection in AD rat model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BMSCs were obtained from the bone marrow of Wistar rat and transplanted into AD rat model via intrathecal injection. The rat model had received an injection of β amyloid into the hippocampus for histological and immunohistochemical studies. RESULTS: Histological examination of the brains in transplanted rats compared to controls demonstrated the migration of BrdU-labeled BMSCs from the site of delivery, confirmed the differentiation of BMSCs transplanted cells into the cholinergic neurons, and increased number of healthy and decreased number of dark neurons. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that BMSCs intratechal administration could be a promising method for treatment of Alzheimer's disease in rat model

Down-Regulation of Lipocalin 2 Expression in Mouse Testis after Exposure to Electromagnetic Field

Background: The effects of electromagnetic field (EMF) onreproductive system have been of critical concern for a longtime. It has been shown that the EMF can adversely affect testicularcells and tissue and decrease male fertility. The mostimportant determinants of male fertility are sperm developmentand motility, which are affected by changes in several factorsincluding lipocalin 2 proteins. In the present study, we investigatedthe effects of exposure to EMF on testis tissue and expressionof lipocalin 2 gene.Methods: Male BALB/c mice (8 weeks old) were exposed to 3mT EMF for 8 weeks, 4 hours/day. Control group (10 mice)did not receive EMF exposure. After the experimental period,the mice were sacrificed, and their testis tissues were examinedby using light microscopy after hematoxylin-eosin staining.Additionally, total RNA and proteins were extracted from testistissue and used to study the lipocalin 2 expression by realtime RT-PCR and Western blot analysis.Results: The histological changes observed in the testes of experimentalgroup included increased number of spermatocytesand Leydig cells, and increased thickness of basement membranecompared with the control group. The mRNA and proteinstudies showed that expression of lipocalin 2 gene wasdown regulated in testes of the mice exposed to EMF.Conclusion: Our study showed that EMF down regulates theexpression of lipocalin 2, a cytoprotective molecule, in testis tissue.This down regulation can be one of the mechanisms that contributeto the decreased fertility observed after exposure to EM