mohammadamin rajizadeh

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is the end stage of severe lung diseases, in which the lung parenchyma is replaced by fibrous scar tissue. The result is a remarkable reduction in pulmonary compliance, which may lead to respiratory failure and even death. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most prevalent form of PF, with no reasonable etiology. However, some factors are believed to be behind the etiology of PF, including prolonged administration of several medications (e.g., bleomycin and amiodarone), environmental contaminant exposure (e.g., gases, asbestos, and silica), and certain systemic diseases (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus). Despite significant developments in the diagnostic approach to PF in the last few years, efforts to find more effective treatments remain challenging. With their immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fibrotic properties, stem cells may provide a promising approach for treating a broad spectrum of fibrotic conditions. However, they may lose their biological functions after long-term in vitro culture or exposure to harsh in vivo situations. To overcome these limitations, numerous modification techniques, such as genetic modification, preconditioning, and optimization of cultivation methods for stem cell therapy, have been adopted. Herein, we summarize the previous investigations that have been designed to assess the effects of stem cell preconditioning or genetic modification on the regenerative capacity of stem cells in PF.

Asthma is a common chronic allergic disease that affects a significant percentage of the world’s population. Niosomes are nanoparticles consisting of non-ionic surfactants that can be used for drug delivery. This research was designed to investigate the impacts of inhalation of simple and niosomal forms of myrtenol against adverse consequences of asthma in rats. Asthma induction was performed via injection of ovalbumin, followed by its inhalation. Niosomes were created by a heating protocol, and their physicochemical features were evaluated. Forty-nine male Wistar rats were allotted into 7 groups (n=7 each): Control (CTL), vacant niosome (VN), Asthma, Asthma+VN, Asthma+SM (simple myrtenol), Asthma+NM (niosomal myrtenol), and Asthma+B (budesonide). Lung remodeling, serum immunoglobulin E (IgE), inflammatory  and cytokines, and antioxidant factors in the lung tissue and bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF), as well as), were evaluated. The results showed that myrtenol-loaded niosomes had appropriate encapsulation efficiency, kinetic release, size, and zeta potential. The thickness of the epithelial cell layer in the lungs, as well as cell infiltration, fibrosis, IgE, reactive oxygen species, interleukin (IL)-6, and tumor nuclear factor alpha (TNF-α) levels, decreased significantly. In contrast, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxide activity increased significantly in the serum and BALF of the treated groups. The niosomal form of myrtenol revealed a higher efficacy than simple myrtenol and was similar to budesonide in ameliorating asthma indices.  Inhalation of simple and niosomal forms of myrtenol improved the detrimental changes in the asthmatic lung. The niosomal form induced more prominent anti-asthmatic effects comparable to those of budesonide.

Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways. We assessed the anti-inflammatory and antioxidative impacts of quercetin, a plant derivative, on inflammatory and oxidative indices in lung tissue and serum of rats with asthma.
Asthma was induced by ovalbumin. Rats were divided into 4 groups: control, asthma+vehicle (Receieved normal saline), asthma+dexamethasone, and asthma+quercetin. After asthma induction, quercetin (50 mg/kg) and dexamethasone (2.5 mg/kg) were injected intraperitoneally once daily for 1 week. On day 50, lung histopathology indices; inflammatory factors; tissue gene expression, including GATA Binding Protein 3 (Gata-3), Tbx21 (T-bet), Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), Il10 (IL-10), Il1b (IL-1β), Il6 (IL-6), Acta2 (α-SMA), and Tnf (TNF-α); and oxidative stress indices (malondialdehyde [MDA], catalase [CAT], glutathione peroxidase [GPX], superoxide dismutase [SOD], and total antioxidant capacity [TAC]) in tissue and serum, were evaluated.
The results showed that quercetin reduced Gata3, Tnf, Tgfb1, Il1b, and Acta2 gene expression and increased Tbx21 gene expression following asthma. Quercetin also improved oxidative stress by decreasing MDA levels and increasing TAC, CAT, SOD, and GPX levels in serum and lung tissue. Furthermore, quercetin decreased IL6 and TNFα levels and increased IL10 levels in lung tissue after asthma was treated with quercetin.
Quercetin ameliorates oxidative stress and inflammation caused by asthma, especially at the tissue level. Therefore, quercetin can be considered a potent antiasthmatic agent.

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a serious neurological syndrome which is caused by acute and chronic liver diseases. In this study, the effect of gallic acid (GA) as an activator of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) on memory and anxiety-like behaviors in rats with HE caused by bile duct ligation (BDL) was investigated.

The rats were randomly divided into the following eight groups (n=7): sham; BDL; BDL+GA 20 mg/kg; BDL+GA 30 mg/kg; sham+dorsomorphin or compound C (CC) (as AMPK inhibitors); BDL+CC; BDL+GA 20 mg/kg+CC; and BDL+GA 30 mg/kg+CC. The rats received GA once daily by gavage for four weeks, and dorsomorphin 6.2 µg per rat was administered on a daily basis via bilateral intraventricular injection for four weeks. Behavioral tests including novel object recognition (NOR), open field and Morris water maze (MWM) were used to evaluate anxiety and memory in the rats.

Examining some parameters of NOR and MWM tests showed that memory performance was significantly reduced in the BDL versus the sham group, and in the BDL+CC versus the sham+CC group (p<0.05). GA intake improved memory in the GA-receiving groups compared with the BDL and BDL+CC groups (p<0.05). Examining some parameters of open field test showed that anxiety was significantly increased in the BDL versus the sham group, and the BDL+CC versus the sham+CC group (p<0.05). GA intake reduced anxiety in GA-receiving groups compared with the BDL+BDL+CC group (p<0.05).

GA was effective in improving cognitive and anxiety-like behaviors through activating AMPK.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a shape of interval training that provides ameliorated athletic capacity and has a good effect on health. Resveratrol is a natural polyphenol abundant in grapes and red wine and has been demonstrated to apply various useful health impacts on the body. This research aimed to evaluate the interactive effects of swimming HIIT and resveratrol consumption on SIRTs 3 & 4, NAD+/NADH, AMPK and SOD2 expression in aged rats.

In total, forty-five old male albino rats (Wistar) with the age of twenty months were allocated into 5 groups randomly. Control group (Ctrl), Swimming HIIT group (Ex: Exercise), Swimming HIIT with Resveratrol consumption group (R+Ex), Resveratrol consumption group (R) and solvent of resveratrol consumption group (vehicle). R+Ex group accomplished the exercise and consumed resveratrol (10 mg/kg/day, gavage) for 6 weeks.

HIIT & resveratrol significantly increased NAD+/NADH, SOD 2 and AMPK in the aged rats. HIIT increased SIRT3, but resveratrol reduced it. As for SIRT4, HIIT decreased it, while resveratrol positively affected it.

Resveratrol and HIIT, especially their combination, have anti-oxidant and anti-aging effects on the hippocampus of old rats.

Previous studies demonstrated that forced and voluntary exercise had ameliorative effects on behavioral tasks followed by Sleep Deprivation (SD) in intact female rats. The main goal of this research was evaluating the impact of voluntary exercise on cognitive functions while SD and ovariectomization is induced in female wistar rats.

The rats were anesthesized combining dosage of ketamine and xylazine. Then, both ovaries were eliminated and 3 weeks after surgery the animals entered the study. The exercise protocol took 4 weeks of voluntary exercise in a wheel which was connected to home cage. For inducing a 72 hours deprivation the multiple platforms was applied. The cognitive functions were studied by exploiting the Morris Water Maze (MWM) and Novel object recognition tests. Anxiety was evaluated by open field test and corticostrone measurement was carried out by ELISA method. One-way and two-way ANOVA and repeated measures were utilized for data analysis and P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

We observed significant spatial and recognition learning and memory impairments in OVX sleep-deprived rats compared to the control group and voluntary exercise alleviated the SD-induced learning and memory defects.

We concluded that voluntary exercise can improve cognitive impairments followed by SD in OVX female rats.

To investigate the effect of Myrtenol, the active ingredient of Myrtle, on the oxidant and anti-oxidant indices and cytokines in the allergic asthma. Allergic asthma was induced by ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization and inhalation in four groups of rats; Control, Asthma, Asthma+Dexamethasone and Asthma+Myrtenol. Myrtenol (50mg/kg) or Dexamethasone (2.5mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally for 7 consecutive days after OVA inhalation. At the end, histopathological parameters and interleukins (Interleukin-10 (IL10), Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) , interleukin-1β (IL-1β), Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNF-α)) and oxidative stress biomarkers, Malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in the lung and serum were measured by hematoxylin & eosin staining and ELISA method respectively. Myrtenol reduced the pathological changes in the lungs and airway endothelium (P<0.01), (P<0.5). The level of IL-1β (P < 0.05) and MDA in the serum and lung tissue (P < 0.01), (P < 0.05), and also the level of TNF-α (P < 0.05) in the lung tissue decreased in the Myrtenol group compared to the asthma group. Myrtenol increased the level of IL-10 ( P < 0.05) and the activity of GPX in the lung tissue and serum (P < 0.001). Myrtenol may improve asthma by increasing the ratio of antioxidants to oxidants and reducing the ratio of pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory interleukins in the lung. Myrtenol is presented as a potent herbal medicine ingredient for the treatment of asthma.

Neuroprotection is created following the inhibition of angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R). Therefore, the purpose of this research was examining AT1R blockage by candesartan in diffuse traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Male rats were assigned into sham, TBI, vehicle, and candesartan groups. Candesartan (0.3 mg/kg) or vehicle was administered IP, 30 min post-TBI. Brain water and Evans blue contents were determined, 24 and 5 hr after TBI, respectively. Intracranial pressure (ICP) and neurologic outcome were evaluated at -1, 1, 4 and 24 hr after TBI. Oxidant index [malondialdehyde (MDA)] was determined 24 hr after TBI.
Brain water and Evans blue contents, and MDA and ICP levels increased in TBI and vehicle groups in comparison with the sham group. Candesartan attenuated the TBI-induced brain water and Evans blue contents, and ICP and MDA enhancement. The neurologic score enhanced following candesartan administration, 24 hr after TBI.
The blockage of AT1R may be neuroprotective by decreasing ICP associated with the reduction of lipid peroxidation, brain edema, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, which led to the improvement of neurologic outcome.