Oral administration of encapsulated catechin in chitosan-alginate nanoparticles improves cognitive function and neurodegeneration in an aluminum chloride-induced rat model of Alzheimer's disease.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of catechin-loaded Chitosan-Alginate nanoparticles (NPs) on cognitive function in an aluminum chloride (AlCl3)-induced rat model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The Catechin-loaded Chitosan-Alginate nanocarriers were synthesized through ionotropic gelation (IG) method. Physio-chemical characterization was conducted with the Zetasizer Nano system, the scanning electron microscope, and the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The experiments were performed over 21 days on six groups of male Wistar rats. The control group, AlCl3 treated group, Catechin group, nanocarrier group, treatment group 1 (AlCl3 + Catechin), and treatment group 2 (AlCl3 + nanocarrier). A behavioral study was done by the Morris water maze (MWM) test. In addition, the level of oxidative indices and acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity was determined by standard procedures at the end of the study. AlCl3 induced a significant increase in AChE activity, along with a significant decrease in the level of Catalase (CAT) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in the hippocampus. Moreover, the significant effect of AlCl3 was observed on the behavioral parameters of the MWM test. Both forms of Catechin markedly improved AChE activity, oxidative biomarkers, spatial memory, and learning. The present study indicated that the administration of Catechin-loaded Chitosan-Alginate NPs is a beneficial therapeutic option against behavioral and chemical alteration of AD in male Wistar rats.

The Relationship between VDR Gene Polymorphisms Bsm1 and Apa1 with Breast Cancer Risk.

Background In addition to its multifaceted physiological functions, vitamin D is recognized for its protective role against cancer. To manifest its effects, vitamin D engages with the vitamin D receptor ( VDR ) gene responsible for its encoding. Investigations have unveiled that polymorphisms within the VDR gene exert influence over the expression and/or functionality of the VDR protein. Notably, certain VDR gene polymorphisms have emerged as particularly pertinent in the context of tumorigenesis, including Fok1 (rs2228570), Bsm1 (rs1544410), Taq1 (rs771236), and Apa1 (rs7975232). This study aims to scrutinize the correlation between the Bsm1 and Apa1 polymorphisms and the susceptibility to breast cancer development. Materials and Methods In this study, 50 patients suffering from breast cancer with less than 6 months breast cancer diagnosis and 50 healthy control individuals have been chosen. Restriction fragment length polymorphism polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the genotype of polymorphisms. Results The results of the statistical analysis showed that among the studied polymorphisms, there was no correlation with the development of breast cancer. Conclusion Studies on various cancers have produced inconsistent results regarding vitamin D's role in the development and progression of cancer. Therefore, further research is necessary to determine vitamin D's role in cancer development and progression.

Long-term exposure to electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones can cause considerable changes in the balance of Bax/Bcl2 mRNA expression in the hippocampus of mice.

The aim of the present study was the investigation of the effects of mobile phones at different daily exposure times on the hippocampal expression of two apoptotic genes. Forty-eight male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into six groups with 8 animals in each group. Four experimental groups were respectively exposed to electromagnetic waves for 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 hours twice a day for 30 consecutive days. One experimental group was radiated for 4 hours once a day, while the control group did not receive any radiation during the experiment. The expression of both Bax and Bcl2 mRNAs was upregulated in the mice exposed for one and two hours. Whilst the highest expressions were observed in the two-hours radiation in the exposed group, the expression of both studied genes was downregulated in animals with longer exposure to radiation in a duration-dependent manner. The highest ratio of Bax/Bcl2 expression was observed in the mice that received radiation for four hours twice a day. These results revealed that mobile phone radiation can cause considerable changes in the balance of Bax/Bcl2 mRNA expression in laboratory mice hippocampus.

Comprehensive analysis of oxidative stress markers and antioxidants status in preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder in pregnant women, which can be the leading cause of maternal and neonatal death or premature birth. Although the cause of preeclampsia is still not clear, local or systemic oxidative stress may explain the pathological features associated with this complication. However, it is not clear whether oxidative stress is the cause or the result of preeclampsia. For this purpose, the present meta-analysis was intended to evaluate the oxidant and antioxidant status in women with preeclampsia. Relevant studies were identified after a preliminary investigation of research articles published up to September 2017. In the overall analysis, including 2953 cases and 3621 controls, a statistically significant reduction in total antioxidant capacity, nitric oxide, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, vitamin E and C was observed in preeclampsia women. On the other hand, a statistically significant increase in malondialdehyde, protein carbonyl, total peroxide, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and uric acid were observed in preeclampsia women. The increased products of oxidative stress, which were found in the present meta-analysis might be an underlying mechanism for endothelial dysfunction in preeclampsia. This meta-analysis provides a scientific support that primary reduction of antioxidant capacity and increased levels of oxidative stress products may induce a condition in which the pathways responsible for blood pressure homeostasis are disrupted. In conclusion, it is hypothesized when oxidative stress is established, a protective response is induced by increasing some antioxidants. Further studies are warranted to investigate the role of dietary supplementation and genetic variation in women with different ethnicity.