Post-stroke depression modulation and in vivo antioxidant activity of gallic acid and its synthetic derivatives in a murine model system

Gallic acid (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid, GA) is a plant secondary metabolite, which shows antioxidant activity and is commonly found in many plant-based foods and beverages. Recent evidence suggests that oxidative stress contributes to the development of many human chronic diseases, including cardiovascular and neurodegenerative pathologies, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and cancer. GA and its derivative, methyl-3-O-methyl gallate (M3OMG), possess physiological and pharmacological activities closely related to their antioxidant properties. This paper describes the antidepressive-like effects of intraperitoneal administration of GA and two synthetic analogues, M3OMG and P3OMG (propyl-3-O-methylgallate), in balb/c mice with post-stroke depression, a secondary form of depression that could be due to oxidative stress occurring during cerebral ischemia and the following reperfusion. Moreover, this study determined the in vivo antioxidant activity of these compounds through the evaluation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (Cat) activity, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels in mouse brain. GA and its synthetic analogues were found to be active (at doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg) in the modulation of depressive symptoms and the reduction of oxidative stress, restoring normal behavior and, at least in part, antioxidant endogenous defenses, with M3OMG being the most active of these compounds. SOD, TBARS, and GSH all showed strong correlation with behavioral parameters, suggesting that oxidative stress is tightly linked to the pathological processes involved in stroke and PSD. As a whole, the obtained results show that the administration of GA, M3OMG and P3OMG induce a reduction in depressive symptoms and oxidative stress

When Is Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing Reliable in Pregnancies with a Vanishing Twin? - A Systematic Review of Case Reports

Background: Fetal demise can complicate aneuploidy screening in a multi fetal pregnancy. The cell-free DNA (CF-DNA) from a non-viable conception may be discordant with the viable fetuses. The Aim of study was to review the waiting period, follow-on single fetal demise in a twin gestation before performing NIPT (Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing).Methods: In this review article we searched through online databases of CINAHL, Cochrane, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), PubMed, Medical Library, and Google Scholar for English literature between 2011 to 2020, with the following keywords: “NIPT”, “non-invasive prenatal screening testing”, “cell-free DNA”, “vanishing twin” and “co-twin demise”. We included the studies regarding the duration between the twin vanishing or reduction and NIPT false results.Results: 201 studies across the eight scientific websites were detected; 178 of which were excluded for duplication or being irrelevant. And 29 studies were fully read. 4 case series, finally, met the criteria for systematic review. The findings suggested that the NIPT screening test can be falsely-positive several weeks after vanishing twins although the live fetus is normal. Therefore, the time duration in which the placenta can release CF-DNA of the vanished twin is unknown. In addition, several weeks after reduction, the fetal CF-DNA increases and then decreases, thus CF-DNA analyzing in multifetal pregnancies with reduction can be challenging as well.Conclusion: In pregnancies with vanishing twin or reduction, evaluating NIPT results is more complex than single fetal pregnancy. According to the reviewed studies, after a fetal demise, the cytotrophoblast continues to release to the CF-DNA in the maternal circulation for a variable time, which may cause a false-positive result if the demised twin is aneuploidy

The Protective Effect of Dextran-Curcumin Conjugate on Memory Disorder in Animal Model of Global Cerebral Ischemia

Background and Objectives: Ischemic stroke is a major cause of mortality all over the world. Among impairments observed in ischemic survivors, there is considerable cognitive learning and memory impairment. The purpose of this study was to determine the protective effect of dextran-curcumin conjugate on memory impairment and cerebral infarct volume in the animal model of global cerebral ischemia. Methods: In this experimental study, 35 rats were divided into 5 groups. Pre-treatment and positive control groups were treated with curcumin and dextran-curcumin conjugate (15 mg/kg orally) for 30 days. The control and ischemia groups received distilled water. For induction of global cerebral ischemia model, right and left carotid arteries were clamped for 5 min by vascular clamps and then the vascular clamps were removed after 10 min, and in the following, the carotid arteries were clamped again for 5 min and finally the vascular clamps were removed and blood circulation was returned to both carotid arteries. Forty-eight hours after induction of the model, memory impairment was assessed by Novel Object Recognition Test. The cerebral infarct volume was measured by 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC). Results:  In this study, discrimination index showed a significant decrease (p ˂ 0.05) in the ischemic group and a significant increase (p ˂ 0.01) in the curcumin and dextran-curcumin pretreatment groups. Moreover, the cerebral infarct volume significantly decreased in dextran-curcumin group compared to the ischemic group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed that dextran-curcumin conjugate can improve cognition and memory disorders induced by global cerebral ischemia

The application of cold atmospheric plasma technology in the brain: The potential role of reactive species in neuroprotection effects of plasma

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) play crucial roles as signaling molecules in neurophysiology. While high levels of ROS and RNS can lead to neuronal damage, their low levels stimulate growth and development and suggest protective effects. Recently, notable advancements in the field of biomedical applications and treatments using cold atmospheric plasma technology were made. This innovative approach has demonstrated remarkable success in various areas, including cell growth and proliferation, differentiation, and protection against oxidative stress. These favorable outcomes are attributed to the activation of reactive species-based pathways through cold atmospheric plasma stimulation. It has been shown that cold atmospheric plasma can have dose and time-dependent protective effects on brain cells by interfering with cell survival and proliferation pathways through reactive species, and it can be a potential therapeutic strategy to protect neurons against central nervous system (CNS) damages. Hence, this review focuses on the regeneration and neuroprotection effects and mechanisms of cold atmospheric plasma in treating neurological injuries and presents the latest developments in the application of this technology in the CNS

Antidepressive-like effects and antioxidant activity of green tea and GABA green tea in a mouse model of post-stroke depression

Growing evidence suggests that oxidative stress plays a role in the development of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and some psychiatric disorders. Tea consumption exerts beneficial effects against damage induced by cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in ischemic stroke and depressive symptoms in depression. The aim of this study was to evaluate, in vivo, the protective activity of green tea (GT) and GABA green tea (GGT) against post-stroke depression (PSD), a common consequence of stroke

Improvement of antioxidant defences and mood status by oral GABA tea administration in a mouse model of post-stroke depression

Green GABA (GGABA) and Oolong GABA (OGABA) teas are relatively new varieties of tea, whose chemical composition and functional properties are largely under-studied, despite their promising health capacities. Post stroke depression (PSD) is a complication of stroke with high clinical relevance, yielding increasing mortality and morbidity rates, and a lower response to common therapies and rehabilitation. Methods: Two chemically characterized commercial samples of GGABA and OGABA were investigated for effects on mood following oral administration using a mouse model of PSD, through common validated tests including the Despair Swimming Test and Tail Suspension Test. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of GGABA and OGABA was evaluated by determining the levels of lipid peroxidation products and the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the mouse brain in vivo. Results: GGABA and OGABA attenuated depressed mood by influencing behavioral parameters linked to depression. GGABA was more active than OGABA in this study, and this effect may be likely due to a higher content of polyphenolic substances and amino acids in GGABA compared to OGABA. GGABA also exerted a greater antioxidant activity. Conclusions: Our data suggests that GABA tea is a promising candidate that can be used as an adjuvant in the management of PSD

Improvement of antioxidant defences and mood status by oral GABA tea administration in a mouse model of post-stroke depression

Green GABA (GGABA) and Oolong GABA (OGABA) teas are relatively new varieties of tea, whose chemical composition and functional properties are largely under-studied, despite their promising health capacities. Post stroke depression (PSD) is a complication of stroke with high clinical relevance, yielding increasing mortality and morbidity rates, and a lower response to common therapies and rehabilitation. Methods: Two chemically characterized commercial samples of GGABA and OGABA were investigated for effects on mood following oral administration using a mouse model of PSD, through common validated tests including the Despair Swimming Test and Tail Suspension Test. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of GGABA and OGABA was evaluated by determining the levels of lipid peroxidation products and the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the mouse brain in vivo. Results: GGABA and OGABA attenuated depressed mood by influencing behavioral parameters linked to depression. GGABA was more active than OGABA in this study, and this effect may be likely due to a higher content of polyphenolic substances and amino acids in GGABA compared to OGABA. GGABA also exerted a greater antioxidant activity. Conclusions: Our data suggests that GABA tea is a promising candidate that can be used as an adjuvant in the management of PSD

The antidepressive-like effect of water extract of Hypericum androsaemum L. red berries in a mouse model of post-stroke depression.

Introduction: Hypericum androsaemum L. grows spontaneously in the Mediterranean area. Besides its employment as ornamental plant, H. androsaemum has also been used in folk medicine to treat depression. To better understand the beneficial role of this plant in mood disorders, the effect of H. androsaemum red berries water extract (HAWE) was studied in a mouse model of post-stroke depression (PSD). Methods: HAWE was characterized by HPLC-DAD analysis. Behavioural tests were carried out using a mice model of PSD. Two doses of HAWE were administered intraperitoneally. After that, mice were sacrificed and brain tissue was collected, in order to evaluate the in vivo antioxidant activity by measuring CAT, GSH, and SOD activity. TARS levels, markers of lipids peroxidation, were evaluated on serum samples. Results: The HPLC-DAD analysis showed that HAWE contained significant amounts of shikimic acid (110.0 g/kg), chlorogenic acid (56.9 g/kg), catechin (5.8 g/kg) and hyperoside (2.7 g/kg). Behavioural tests showed that WE has an antidepressive-like effect, reducing significantly the depression symptoms at its highest dosage and restoring normal behaviour. Furthermore, the in vivo analysis revealed that WE improves the oxidative stress by increasing endogenous antioxidant defences in brain tissue and ameliorating TBARS levels. Conclusion: This research work demonstrated the in vivo protective effects of HAWE in PSD for the first time. The results from behavioural tests were correlated with: 1) the antioxidant capacity, measured evaluating the antioxidant enzymes activity and TBARS levels, and 2) the characterization in the bioactive constituents of HAWE. Further studies are needed to highlight the mechanism of action of HAWE [1]. References: 1. Nabavi S.M., Nabavi S.F., Sureda A., Caprioli G., Iannarellic R., Tsetegho Sokengd A.J., Braidye N., Khanjanif S., Hajizadeh A., Moghaddam A.H., Atanasov A., Daglia M., Maggi F. The water extract of tutsan (Hypericum androsaemum L.) red berries exerts antidepressive-like effects and in vivo antioxidant activity in a mouse model of post-stroke depression. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2018. 99: 290-298