Background & Objective: It is reported that acute forced swimming stress induces analgesia immediately, and chronic stress induces hyperalgesia. Whereas in response to nociceptive stimulation, small-diameter C-fibers of the excitatory system in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord are activated, therefore, in the present study, the effects of C-fiber lesion in stress and dexamethasone-induced analgesia and hyperalgesia in acute and chronic forms were investigated using Tail-Flick test. Methods: Adults Wistar male rats (180-200 g) were assigned into three groups (n=7): C-normal (intact C-fibers), sham (received capsaicin vehicle at neonate stage) and C-lesion (received capsaicin at neonate stage). Forced swim stress (10 min/day) in water (18±1 ºC) was considered as acute stress and repeated daily forced swim stress as chronic stress, also single-dose of dexamethasone (2 mg/kg, i.p.) was considered as acute dexamethasone and repeated for three days as chronic dexamethasone. Neonatal capsaicin treatment was used for C-fibers depletion. The nociceptive thermal threshold was assessed using Tail-Flick test. Results: In C-lesion group, thermal pain sensitivity was reduced (P<0.001). Acute stress in C-normal group, reduced pain (P<0.001) and in C-lesion group, it caused deeper antinociception in Tail-Flick (P<0.001). Chronic stress and acute-chronic dexamethasone in C-normal group, created hyperalgesia (P<0.001) and induced analgesia in C-lesion groups (P<0.01). Conclusion: It seems that presence of C-fiber is so important in thermal pain transmission in Tail-Flick test; therefore, C-fiber lesion, reduces pain sensitivity (analgesia), increases antinociception effects of acute stress, decreases hyperalgesia of chronic-stress and acute-chronic dexamethasone
Analgesia ; Hyperalgesia

Background: Crocin is considered to prevent oxidative stress-related diseases, such as ischemia and Alzheimer's. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the effects of crocin on motor behaviour and 6-OHDA-induced oxidative/nitrosative damage to the striatum in an experimental model of Parkinson's disease. Methods: Left medial forebrain bundle was lesioned by microinjection of 6-OHDA (16μg in 0.2% ascorbate-saline). Crocin (30 and 60 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally three days before surgery until six weeks. Rotational behaviour and biochemical analysis were used to evaluate the effect of crocin in a unilateral 6-OHDA-induced model of Parkinson's disease. Results: The contralateral rotations induced by apomorphine in 6-OHDA lesioned group were highly significant (P < 0.001) as compared to the sham group. Moreover, chronic administration of crocin at doses of 30 and 60 mg/kg over six weeks did not change the rotations. The TBARS and nitrite levels in the striatum were also significantly (P < 0.05) increased in lesioned group. Treatment with crocin at a dose of 60 mg/kg significantly decreased the nitrite levels (P < 0.05) in the striatum. Conclusion: Crocin at a dose of 60 mg/kg could be effective in preventing the nitrosative damage in the striatum. Further investigations using higher doses of crocin is suggested to get the full neuroprotective effects of crocin in Parkinson's disease.

Background: Exercise plays a significant role in learning and memory. The present study focuses on the hippocampal corticosterone (CORT), interleukin-1 beta­(IL-1β), glucose, and brainderived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in preventive, therapeutic, and protective exercises in stressful conditions. Methods: Forty male rats were randomly divided into four groups: the control group and the preventive, therapeutic, and protective exercise groups. The treadmill running was applied at a speed of 20-21m/min and a chronic stress of 6 hours/day for 21 days. Subsequently, the variables were measured in the hippocampus. Results: The findings revealed that the hippocampal CORT levels in the preventive exercise group had a significant enhancement compared to the control group. In the protective and particularly the therapeutic exercise groups, the hippocampal CORT levels declined. Furthermore, the hippocampal BDNF levels in the preventive and the therapeutic exercise groups indicated significantly decreased and increased, respectively, in comparison with the control group. In the preventive exercise group, however, the hippocampal glucose level turned out to be substantially higher than that in the control group. Conclusion: It appears that the therapeutic exercise group had the best exercise protocols for improving the hippocampal memory mediators in the stress conditions. By contrast, the preventive exercise group could not improve these mediators that had been altered by stress. It is suggested that exercise time, compared to stress, can be considered as a crucial factor in the responsiveness of memory mediators.

Background: Cognitive functions are impaired in patients with liver disease. Bile duct ligation causes cholestasis that impairs liver function. This study investigated the impact of cholestasis progression on the acquisition and retention times in the passive avoidance test and on the locomotor activity of rats. Methods: Cholestasis was induced in male Wistar rats by ligating the main bile duct. Locomotor activity, learning and memory were assessed by the passive avoidance learning test at day 7, day 14, and day 21 post-bile duct ligation. The serum levels of bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase were measured. Results: The results showed that acquisition time and locomotor activity were not affected at day 7 and day 14, but they were significantly (P < 0.05) impaired at day 21 post-bile duct ligation compared with the results for the control group. Additionally, memory was significantly impaired on day 7 (P < 0.01), day 14, and day 21 (P < 0.001) compared with the control groups. The levels of total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, indirect bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase were significantly higher at day 7, day 14, and day 21 post-bile duct ligation compared with the levels in the sham group. Conclusion: Based on these findings, both liver and memory function were affected in the early stage of cholestasis (7 days after bile duct ligation), while learning and locomotor activity were impaired at 21 days after bile duct ligation following the progression of cholestasis.
Cholestasis ; Learning ; Motor Activity ; Bile Ducts ; Rats

Immunotherapy is the standard of treatment for long-life relief of symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Vitamin D may affect the outcomes of treatment. This study evaluated the clinical efficacy of subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy in adult patients with allergic rhinitis based on the serum level of vitamin D. Patients with persistent allergic rhinitis and positivity for skin prick test were evaluated by Sino-nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) and Mini Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (MiniRQLQ) before subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy and during the maintenance phase to assess the relation of the serum level of vitamin D and the clinical efficacy of immunotherapy. After immunotherapy, the greatest reduction in SNOT-22 scores were reported in patients with vitamin D sufficiency (39.0 ± 9.2), followed by vitamin D suboptimal provision (35.1 ± 12.1), insufficiency (25.0 ± 7.5), and deficiency (18.3 ± 6.0) (P < 0.001). The MiniRQLQ reduction in patients with vitamin D sufficiency, suboptimal provision, insufficiency, or deficiency was 30.7 ± 8.7, 27.1 ± 8.7, 20.0 ± 8.6, or 17.4 ± 7.1, respectively (P < 0.001). Both of SNOT-22 and MiniRQLQ scores decreased significantly following immunotherapy in patients with different levels of vitamin D. However, these effects were more pronounced when the level of vitamin D was sufficient.
Adult ; Desensitization, Immunologic ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Quality of Life ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; Skin ; Treatment Outcome ; Vitamin D ; Vitamins

In this study a disperse dye immunoassay method was standardized and evaluated for detection of antibodies against Neospora caninum in cattle. Sera from 150 cattle with a recent history of abortion were collected and tested by commercial ELISA kit and a standardized in-house dye immunoassay system. The positivity rate for the sera used in this study was 34.6% for the disperse dye immunoassay (DDIA) compared to 32% obtained by ELISA kit. This study showed no significant difference between DDIA and ELISA. The results indicated that the DDIA provide an economic, simple, rapid and robust test for detection of N. caninum infection in cattle.
Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood ; Cattle ; Cattle Diseases/*diagnosis/parasitology ; Coccidiosis/diagnosis/parasitology/*veterinary ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine/*methods ; Female ; Immunoassay/methods ; Neospora/*immunology ; Staining and Labeling/methods ; Veterinary Medicine/*methods

Objective:To evaluate the capability of recombinant Leishmania LPG3 and its fragments in the activation of B cells.Methods:In the present study, human B cells were purified from peripheral blood of 10 adult healthy subjects using magnetic-activated cell sorting technique. Subsequently, purified B cells were treated with recombinant LPG3, and itsN-terminal and C-terminal fragments at different concentrations (2, 10 and 20 μg/mL). B cell activation was assessed through expression of CD69 molecule by flowcytometry and secretion of IL-6, TNF-αα and IL-10 cytokines via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay following treatment with recombinant antigens.Results:Our results showed that while the recombinant LPG-3 could significantly increase the production of IL-6 and TNF-α (P<0.05) in B cells, it had no effect on the secretion of IL-10 by B cells.Conclusions: Our study indicated that recombinant LPG-3 and especially itsN-terminal fragment could stimulate B cell response as an important immune response component against leishmaniasis. Thus, it seems that it can be considered as an effective adjuvant in vaccine developments against leishmaniasis.

Male infertility can be caused by genetic anomalies, endocrine disorders, inflammation, and exposure to toxic chemicals or gonadotoxic treatments. Therefore, several recent studies have concentrated on the preservation and restoration of fertility to enhance the quality of life for affected individuals. It is currently recommended to biobank the tissue extracted from testicular biopsies to provide a later source of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Another successful approach has been the in vitro production of haploid male germ cells. The capacity of SSCs to transform into sperm, as in testicular tissue transplantation, SSC therapy, and in vitro or ex vivo spermatogenesis, makes them ideal candidates for in vivo fertility restoration. The transplantation of SSCs or testicular tissue to regenerate spermatogenesis and create embryos has been achieved in nonhuman mammal species. Although the outcomes of human trials have yet to be released, this method may soon be approved for clinical use in humans. Furthermore, regenerative medicine techniques that develop tissue or cells on organic or synthetic scaffolds enriched with bioactive molecules have also gained traction. All of these methods are now in different stages of experimentation and clinical trials. However, thanks to rigorous studies on the safety and effectiveness of SSC-based reproductive treatments, some of these techniques may be clinically available in upcoming decades.

Male infertility can be caused by genetic anomalies, endocrine disorders, inflammation, and exposure to toxic chemicals or gonadotoxic treatments. Therefore, several recent studies have concentrated on the preservation and restoration of fertility to enhance the quality of life for affected individuals. It is currently recommended to biobank the tissue extracted from testicular biopsies to provide a later source of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Another successful approach has been the in vitro production of haploid male germ cells. The capacity of SSCs to transform into sperm, as in testicular tissue transplantation, SSC therapy, and in vitro or ex vivo spermatogenesis, makes them ideal candidates for in vivo fertility restoration. The transplantation of SSCs or testicular tissue to regenerate spermatogenesis and create embryos has been achieved in nonhuman mammal species. Although the outcomes of human trials have yet to be released, this method may soon be approved for clinical use in humans. Furthermore, regenerative medicine techniques that develop tissue or cells on organic or synthetic scaffolds enriched with bioactive molecules have also gained traction. All of these methods are now in different stages of experimentation and clinical trials. However, thanks to rigorous studies on the safety and effectiveness of SSC-based reproductive treatments, some of these techniques may be clinically available in upcoming decades.

Male infertility can be caused by genetic anomalies, endocrine disorders, inflammation, and exposure to toxic chemicals or gonadotoxic treatments. Therefore, several recent studies have concentrated on the preservation and restoration of fertility to enhance the quality of life for affected individuals. It is currently recommended to biobank the tissue extracted from testicular biopsies to provide a later source of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Another successful approach has been the in vitro production of haploid male germ cells. The capacity of SSCs to transform into sperm, as in testicular tissue transplantation, SSC therapy, and in vitro or ex vivo spermatogenesis, makes them ideal candidates for in vivo fertility restoration. The transplantation of SSCs or testicular tissue to regenerate spermatogenesis and create embryos has been achieved in nonhuman mammal species. Although the outcomes of human trials have yet to be released, this method may soon be approved for clinical use in humans. Furthermore, regenerative medicine techniques that develop tissue or cells on organic or synthetic scaffolds enriched with bioactive molecules have also gained traction. All of these methods are now in different stages of experimentation and clinical trials. However, thanks to rigorous studies on the safety and effectiveness of SSC-based reproductive treatments, some of these techniques may be clinically available in upcoming decades.