Modulation of S100 and smooth muscle actin-α immunoreactivity in the wall of aorta after vitamin D administration in rats with high fat diet.

High fat diet is a risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis. Hence, research studies are important to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of atherosclerosis pathogenesis. The current study was conducted to evaluate the role of vitamin D in modulation of aortic histopathological, immunohistochemical alterations and biochemical changes induced by high fat diet in male albino rats. Forty adult rats were divided into three major groups; group I (control), group II (High fat diet) and group III (High fat diet with vitamin D). At the end of the experiment, blood cholesterol and triglycerides were determined. Aortic arches specimens were collected for histopathological study and immunohistochemical staining. Aorta of high fat diet group showed intimal thickening with vacuolated endothelial cells. The tunica media showed areas of fibrosis and irregular vacuolated smooth muscle cells.  Many inflammatory cells were detected in the tunica adventitia. Significant reduction in area percentage of smooth muscle actin-α (SMA-α) immunoreactivity and increase in number of S100 positive dendritic cells (DCs) with significant increase in serum cholesterol and triglycerides were also detected. Concomitant vitamin D supplementation, with high fat diet, showed amelioration in histopathological aortic changes with significant increase in SMA-α immunoreactivity and decrease in S100 positive (DCs). However, serum cholesterol and triglyceride showed non-significant decrease after vitamin D supplementation. In conclusion, vitamin D administration ameliorates aortic wall histoopathological changes induced by high fat diet most probably through local modulation of S100 and SMA-α immunoreactivity. Hence, vitamin D could be suggested as a protective agent against aortic atherosclerotic changes.

Effect of swimming exercise on premenstrual syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effectiveness of performing swimming on the severity of symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized controlled trial that was conducted on 70 women diagnosed with PMS divided randomly into two equal groups: Group I included women who engaged into exercise and group II controls. Daily Symptoms Report was filled at the start and at end of the study. RESULTS: At the posttreatment evaluation, there was a highly significant difference between the study and control groups regarding anxiety (0 vs. 5), depression (3 vs. 12), tension (3 vs. 12), mood changes (0 vs. 7), feeling out of control (0 vs. 7), weak coordination (0 vs. 10), confusion (2 vs. 9), headache (3 vs. 15), tiredness (4 vs. 12), pains (5 vs. 11), tenderness of the breast (2 vs. 8), and cramps (6 vs. 17) (P < 0.001), but no such difference was found regarding irritability, insomnia, crying, swelling, or food craving. Regarding the percentage of symptoms changes, there was a highly significant difference between the study and control groups regarding anxiety (- 33.3 vs. 0), depression (- 79.29 vs. 15.56), tension (- 81.18 vs. - 6.79), mood changes (- 33.33 vs. 0), feeling out of control (- 91.67 vs. 0), weak coordination (- 100 vs. - 9.55), sleeplessness (- 71.43 vs. 0), confusion (- 84.17 vs. - 9.55), headache (- 77.78 vs. - 6.94), fatigue (- 65.69 vs. 0), pains (- 65.83 vs. - 8.93), breast tenderness (- 87.87 vs. 4.55), cramps (- 60.77 vs. 4.55), and swellings (- 55.05 vs. - 8.33), but no such difference was found regarding irritability, crying, or food craving. CONCLUSIONS: There is beneficial effect of swimming on most of the physical and psychological symptoms of PMS. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY NO: NCT03264612.

Nilotinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor exhibits protection against acute pancreatitis-induced lung and liver damage in rats.

This investigation explored the nilotinib action in the management of acute pancreatitis (AP) and AP-induced lung and liver injury. AP was induced in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats with L-arginine. Treatment with nilotinib with or without L-arginine was applied for 7 days. Marked deterioration in serum amylase, lipase, aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), nitric oxide (NO), total protein content, and transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-ß1) along with pancreatic, hepatic, and pulmonary tissue lipid peroxidation (MDA) after induction of AP while significant reduction in tissues superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) with marked edema, hemorrhage, and perivascular inflammation with acinar cell necrosis, along with elevated pancreatic percentage expression of TGF-ß1 and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), were observed in the AP group. Nilotinib markedly ameliorated biochemical and histopathologic changes during AP, thus preserving the pancreas, liver, and lung histologically through mechanism involving antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions.

Effect of tiron on remote organ injury in rats with severe acute pancreatitis induced by L-arginine.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an acute inflammatory disorder of the pancreas that can be complicated by involvement of other remote organs. Oxidative stress is known to have a crucial role in the development of pancreatic acinar damage and one of the main causes in multisystem organ failure in experimental AP. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of tiron on pancreas and remote organ damage in L-arginine (L-Arg) induced AP rat model. Thirty-two male rats were divided in random into four groups: control, tiron, L-Arg, and tiron with L-Arg. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were withdrawn for biochemical analysis. The pancreas, lung, kidney, and liver were collected for histopathological examination. Estimation of pancreatic water content was done. Analysis of pulmonary, hepatic, renal, and pancreatic lipid peroxide levels (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and reduced glutathione (GSH) were carried out. Finally, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and transforming growth factor ß1 (TGF-ß1) expression in pancreatic tissue was determined. Results indicated that treatment with tiron significantly decreased lipid peroxide levels and markedly increased both SOD activity and GSH level. Moreover, histopathological analysis further confirmed that administration of tiron relatively ameliorates pancreatic acinar cells and remote organ damage. Increased immunoreactivity of NF-κB and TGF-ß1 were reduced also by tiron treatment. These findings pointed out the protective role of the mitochondrial antioxidant, tiron against AP induced by L-Arg.

Light and electron microscopic study on the effect of antischizophrenic drugs on the structure of seminiferous tubules of adult male albino rats.

INTRODUCTION: Sexual dysfunction and infertility are symptoms which have been rarely studied in patients treated with antischizophrenic drugs, aripiprazole and olanzapine, for long period. This work aimed to investigate the effects of aripiprazole and olanzapine on the structure of seminiferous tubules of rats at both light microscopic and ultrastructural levels. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty adult male rats were divided into 3 groups (n = 20): control group (Group I) and two experimental ones (II and III). Rats in Group II received 2 mg/kg/day aripiprazole while rats in Group III received 0.5 mg/kg/day olanzapine for 14 weeks. Thereafter, testis were removed and processed for both light and electron microscopic study. Qualitative morphological analyses and histomorphometric measurements of seminiferous tubules were performed. RESULTS: Rats in Group II showed reduction of testicular weight, seminiferous tubules' diameter, epithelial height, spermatogenic count, spermatogenic index and spermatogenic score whereas Sertoli cells count was increased. Olanzapine-treated rats also showed epithelial desquamation, separation and apoptotic changes of germ cells. Sertoli cells showed vacuolization, dilatation of smooth endoplasmic reticulum and accumulation of lipid droplets. Abnormality in the shape and structure of late spermatids and presence of giant cells were also demonstrated. Aripiprazole induced less adverse histological changes in rat testis than olanzapine. CONCLUSIONS: Olanzapine followed by aripiprazole had adverse histological effects on the structure of the seminiferous tubules, which may affect spermatogenesis.