The stereological, immunohistological, and gene expression studies in an infected ischemic wound in diabetic rats treated by human adipose-derived stem cells and photobiomodulation.

We investigated the impacts of photobiomodulation (PBM) and human allogeneic adipose-derived stem cells (ha-ADS) together and or alone applications on the stereological parameters, immunohistochemical characterizing of M1 and M2 macrophages, and mRNA levels of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) on inflammation (day 4) and proliferation phases (day 8) of repairing tissues in an infected delayed healing and ischemic wound model (IDHIWM) in type 1 diabetic (DM1) rats. DM1 was created in 48 rats and an IDHIWM was made in all of them, and they were distributed into 4 groups. Group1 = control rats with no treatment. Group2 = rats received (10 × 100000 ha-ADS). Group3 = rats exposed to PBM (890 nm, 80 Hz, 3.46 J/cm2). Group4 = rats received both PBM and ha-ADS. On day 8, there were significantly higher neutrophils in the control group than in other groups (p < 0.01). There were substantially higher macrophages in the PBM + ha-ADS group than in other groups on days 4 and 8 (p < 0.001). Granulation tissue volume, on both days 4 and 8, was meaningfully greater in all treatment groups than in the control group (all, p = 0.000). Results of M1 and M2 macrophage counts of repairing tissue in the entire treatment groups were considered preferable to those in the control group (p < 0.05). Regarding stereological and macrophage phenotyping, the results of the PBM + ha-ADS group were better than the ha-ADS and PBM groups. Results of the tested gene expression of repairing tissue on inflammation and proliferation steps in PBM and PBM + ha-ADS groups were meaningfully better than the control and ha-ADS groups (p < 0.05). We showed that PBM, ha-ADS, and PBM plus ha-ADS, hastened the proliferation step of healing in an IDHIWM in rats with DM1 by regulation of the inflammatory reaction, macrophage phenotyping, and augmented granulation tissue formation. In addition PBM and PBM plus ha-ADS protocols hastened and increased mRNA levels of HIF-1α, bFGF, SDF-1α, and VEGF-A. Totally, in terms of stereological and immuno-histological tests, and also gene expression HIF-1α and VEGF-A, the results of PBM + ha-ADS were superior (additive) to PBM, and ha-ADS alone treatments.

Possible role of antioxidative capacity of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate treatment in morphological and neurobehavioral recovery after sciatic nerve crush injury.

OBJECTIVE This study examined the capacity of the major polyphenolic green tea extract (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) to suppress oxidative stress and stimulate the recovery and prompt the regeneration of sciatic nerve after crush injury. METHODS Adult male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to one of 4 groups: 1) Naïve, 2) Sham (sham injury, surgical control group), 3) Crush (sciatic nerve crush injury treated with saline), and 4) Crush+EGCG (sciatic nerve crush injury treated with intraperitoneally administered EGCG, 50 mg/kg). All animals were tested for motor and sensory neurobehavioral parameters throughout the study. Sciatic nerve and spinal cord tissues were harvested and processed for morphometric and stereological analysis. For the biochemical assays, the time points were Day 1, Day 7, Day 14, and Day 28 after nerve injury. RESULTS After sciatic nerve crush injury, the EGCG-treated animals (Crush+EGCG group) showed significantly better recovery of foot position and toe spread and 50% greater improvement in motor recovery than the saline-treated animals (Crush group). The Crush+EGCG group displayed an early hopping response at the beginning of the 3rd week postinjury. Animals in the Crush+EGCG group also showed a significant reduction in mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia latencies and significant improvement in recovery from nociception deficits in both heat withdrawal and tail flick withdrawal latencies compared with the Crush group. In both the Crush+EGCG and Crush groups, quantitative evaluation revealed significant morphological evidence of neuroregeneration according to the following parameters: mean cross-sectional area of axons, myelin thickness in the sciatic nerve (from Week 4 to Week 8), increase of myelin basic protein concentration and gene expression in both the injured sciatic nerve and spinal cord, and fiber diameter to axon diameter ratio and myelin thickness to axon diameter ratio at Week 2 after sciatic nerve injury. However, the axon area remained much smaller in both the Crush+EGCG and Crush groups compared with the Sham and Naïve groups. The number of axons per unit area was significantly decreased in the Crush+EGCG and Crush groups compared with controls. Sciatic nerve injury produced generalized oxidative stress manifested as a significant increase of isoprostanes in the urine and decrease of the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of the blood from Day 7 until Day 14. EGCG-treated rats showed significantly less increase of isoprostanes than saline-treated animals and also showed full recovery of TAC levels by Day 14 after nerve injury. In spinal cord tissue analysis, EGCG-treated animals showed induced glutathione reductase and suppressed induction of heme oxygenase 1 gene expression compared with nontreated animals. CONCLUSIONS EGCG treatment suppressed the crush-induced production of isoprostanes and stimulated the recovery of the TAC and was associated with remarkable alleviation of motor and sensory impairment and significant histomorphological evidence of neuronal regeneration following sciatic nerve crush injury in rats. The findings of this study suggest that EGCG can be used as an adjunctive therapeutic remedy for nerve injury. However, further investigations are needed to establish the antioxidative mechanism involved in the regenerative process after nerve injury. Only upregulation of glutathione reductase supports the idea that EGCG is acting indirectly via induction of enzymes or transcription factors.

Neuroprotective effects of Nigella sativa extract upon the hippocampus in PTU-induced hypothyroidism juvenile rats: A stereological study.

This study aimed to examine the neuroprotective effects of Nigella sativa (N. sativa) in the hippocampus of propylthiouracil (PTU)-induced hypothyroid rats during neonatal and juvenile growth. Twenty- five pregnant rats from early gestation (GD 0) were divided into five groups: (1) control (received drinking water), (2) PTU (received 0.005% PTU in drinking water), (3-5) PTU + NS 0.05%, PTU + NS 0.1%, PTU + NS 0.2% (along with PTU, received 0.05%, 0.1% and 0.2% W/V of N. sativa respectively) and treatment continued until postnatal day 60 (PN 60). The brains of male pups were removed for histological and stereological assessments. N. sativa extract significantly reduced the production of dark neurons and apoptotic cells in different areas of the hippocampus compared to the PTU group. Moreover, it significantly attenuated the effect of hypothyroidism on the volume reduction of the hippocampus. The results of the present study suggested that N. sativa extract has a potential ability to prevent the hippocampal neural damage after inducing hypothyroidism during neonatal and juvenile growth in rats.

Effect of Capparis spinosa extract on sutural ossification: A stereological study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of systemically administered Capparis spinosa extract (CSE) on expanded sutures in rats via three dimensionally morphometric method (stereological method). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two Wistar rats were used. Subjects were divided into four groups, each with eight rats. Orthopaedic expansion force was applied for 5 days to maxillary incisors by attaching springs. Control-1 and CSE-1 waited 1 week for consolidation, and Control-2 and CSE-2 waited 2 weeks for consolidation. After the consolidation period, the subjects were sacrificed. Stereological examination was performed to determine the volume and area of new bone, connective tissue, and capillaries. RESULTS: New bone area, new bone volume, connective tissue space, and connective tissue volume were statistically different in CSE-1 compared to Control-1. But there were no statistically difference between CSE-2 and Control_2. In terms of the volume of blood vessels and vascular area, there were no statistically significant differences when comparing Groups CSE-1 and Control-1 or CSE-2 and Control-2. CONCLUSION: Systemic use of CSE accelerated fastened osteoblastic activity in the early period.