Papers by Shabnam Movassaghi
Galen Medical Journal, Dec 14, 2022
Background: Some studies highlighted the role of Jujuboside A as a potent antioxidant on ischemic... more Background: Some studies highlighted the role of Jujuboside A as a potent antioxidant on ischemic neurons. However, the definitive effect of this substance on the change in the expression of the neuroprotective genes has not been clearly identified. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of Jujuboside A on the expression of proliferation-inducing genes and cell count enhancement in the hippocampus after the induction of transient global ischemia/reperfusion. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was performed on 24 male Wistar rats in four groups control, ischemia, vehicle, and Jujuboside A. Three days after induction of ischemia, the hippocampus of animals was removed and isolated from brain tissue. In order to investigate the results of the intervention, the expression of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), nerve growth factor (NGF), and Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) genes were determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: The results showed that NGF expression was significantly higher in the Jujuboside A group than in the ischemic group (P<0.05). Moreover, the expression of BDNF in the Jujuboside A group was increased compared to the ischemic group. However, the expression of NFκB in the Jujuboside A group was lower than that of the ischemic and control groups, but these changes were not significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: Jujuboside A can increase the expression of NGF by promoting a protective effect on the hippocampus after transient global ischemia/reperfusion.
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Jun 1, 2016
Original article Objective(s): 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) one of the methamphetami... more Original article Objective(s): 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) one of the methamphetamine derivatives that affect the reproductive system, has not been well understood. Many young people are consumers of drugs such as MDMA that can affect their reproductive capability. Apoptosis is the main mechanism for male infertility. Pentoxifylline (PTX) increases cAMP intracellularly and reduces tumor necrosis factor-α. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of PTX administration in MDMA-induced apoptosis in testes of male Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty male Wistar rats weighing 250-300 g were randomly divided into five groups: control group (without any intervention), group receiving 7.5 mg/kg MDMA three times every two hours for one day, first experimental group receiving 100 mg/kg PTX just at the time of third injection of MDMA, second experimental group receiving 100 mg/kg PTX a week before MDMA administration, and the vehicle group, which received MDMA+saline. Two weeks later, testes were removed and prepared for H&E staining, TUNEL and Western blot techniques. Results: There was a significant decrease of the score in the MDMA group compared with the control group. In first and second experimental groups, the quality of seminiferous epithelium was improved compared with the MDMA group. The number of TUNEL-positive cells/tubule increased in MDMA and vehicle groups, which is decreased by administration of PTX before MDMA. Expression of active caspase-3 significantly increased in MDMA group, which is significantly decreased by administration of PTX before MDMA. Conclusion: PTX can significantly reduce the severity of lesions in the testes following administration of MDMA.
Neurology Research International, Jul 29, 2019
Background. Stroke is a major worldwide problem that is leading to a high mortality rate in human... more Background. Stroke is a major worldwide problem that is leading to a high mortality rate in humans. Ischemia, as the most common type of stroke, is characterized by tissue damage that can occur due to insufficient blood flow to the brain even for a brief duration, leading to the release of inflammatory factors, cytokines, and free radicals. In this study, we investigated the effective dose and injection time of FK506 as an immunophilin ligand for providing a suitable effect on cells of CA2, CA3, and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Methods. In this in vivo study, a total of 48 male Wistar rats were divided into nine groups. The ischemia model was induced by the ligation of bilateral common carotid arteries. The doses of FK506 (3, 6, and 10 mg/kg) were administered intravenously (IV) at the beginning of reperfusion, followed by repeated injections (10 mg/kg) at 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours after ischemia, respectively. Brains were removed and prepared for Nissl staining and the TdT-mediated dUTP Nick End Labeling method. Results. Data showed that global ischemia did not decrease the number of viable pyramidal cells in CA2 and CA3 regions, but significant differences were observed in the number of viable granular cells and apoptotic bodies in the dentate gyrus between the control and ischemia groups. Repeated doses of 6 mg/kg of FK506 at an interval of 48 hours were deemed to be the suitable dose and best time of injection. Conclusions. It seems that FK506 can ameliorate the extent of apoptosis and may be a good candidate for the treatment of ischemia-induced brain damage.
PubMed, 2015
Background: It is well known that the hippocampus, the CA1 Pyramidal cells in particular, is sele... more Background: It is well known that the hippocampus, the CA1 Pyramidal cells in particular, is selectively vulnerable during global cerebral ischemia. Recently, it is observed that pentoxifylline has a neuroprotective effect. This study explored the pharmacological relationship between ischemiainduced cell death of the hippocampus and the efficacy of a vasodilator agent (pentoxifylline) in the prevention of delayed neuronal death. Methods: This experimental study was performed on 4 groups: control, ischemia, experimental (200mg/kg pentoxifylline injection one hour prior to and one hour following ischemia) and vehicle (normal saline). Transient global ischemia was induced by bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion. To investigate the apoptotic bodies and caspase-3 activities as a central role in the execution phase of apoptosis, the brains were prepared for the TUNEL technique. Results: Pentoxifylline administration limited apoptosis and caspase-3 activities in rats' hippocampi. Our data showed no significant difference between the number of apoptotic bodies in the CA1 region of the hippocampus in the control and pentoxifylline -treated groups (p= 0.994). The results of one- way ANOVA revealed that that ischemia significantly increased caspase-3 levels in the hippocampus (p< 0.05); however, the level of caspase-3 in pentoxifylline -treated rats was less than the ischemic group. Conclusion: These results suggest that the neuroprotective effect of pentoxifylline (200mg/kg) may be accompanied by a reduction in ischemic damage within the CA1 region of the hippocampus in rats subjected to transient global cerebral ischemia.
Stroke Research and Treatment, 2012
Transient global cerebral ischemia causes loss of pyramidal cells in CA1 region of hippocampus. I... more Transient global cerebral ischemia causes loss of pyramidal cells in CA1 region of hippocampus. In this study, we investigated the neurotrophic effect of the immunosuppressant agent FK506 in rat after global cerebral ischemia. Both common carotid arteries were occluded for 20 minutes followed by reperfusion. In experimental group 1, FK506 (6 mg/kg) was given as a single dose exactly at the time of reperfusion. In the second group, FK506 was administered at the beginning of reperfusion, followed by its administration intraperitoneally (IP) 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours after reperfusion. FK506 failed to show neurotrophic effects on CA1 region when applied as a single dose of 6 mg/kg. The cell number and size of the CA1 pyramidal cells were increased, also the number of cell death decreased in this region when FK506 was administrated 48 h after reperfusion. This work supports the possible use of FK506 in treatment of ischemic brain damage.
مجله علوم پزشکی, Jul 1, 2022
Background: Nitric Oxide (NO) is a very important signaling molecule which acts as a regulator of... more Background: Nitric Oxide (NO) is a very important signaling molecule which acts as a regulator of many physiological processes in many tissues including epithelial cell of gastrointestinal tract. In this study we investigated the effects of L-Arginine as a NO progenitor and L-NAME as a NO inhibitor on epithelial cell number and height of Jejunum in female rats. Materials and methods: 40 female rats were divided into 5 groups, containing 8 rats in each group. Except the control group, the other groups received normal saline (2 ml/kg), L-Arginine (200mg/kg), L-NAME (20mg/kg) and a mixture of two substances for L-Arginine & L-NAME group intraperitoneally for 3 days. 2 weeks later after anesthesia with ether, jejunum was expelled out and after tissue processing and staining with H&E method, the changes were assessed via light microscopy. Cell number and height were evaluated using Image Tools3 Microsoft. Statistical analysis was made by One-Way ANOVA followed by Tukey post hoc test to evaluate the statistical significance between different groups. A value of p< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There was a significant increase in the cell number and height of jejunal epithelium in L-Arginine group (P<0.05). Whereas no significant difference was observed between L-NAME, L-Arginine +L-NAME and control, Normal Saline groups. Conclusion: L-Arginine can result in proliferation of Jejunum epithelial cells whereas L-NAME has no effect on these cells.
Iranian biomedical journal, Oct 1, 2020
Background: Ischemic stroke, as a health problem caused by the reduced blood supply to the brain,... more Background: Ischemic stroke, as a health problem caused by the reduced blood supply to the brain, can lead to the neuronal death. The number of reliable therapies for stroke is limited. MSCs exhibit therapeutic achievement. A major limitation of MSC application in cell therapy is the short survival span. MSCs affect target tissues through the secretion of many paracrine agents including EVs. This study aimed to investigate the effect of HUCPVCsderived EVs on apoptosis, functional recovery, and neuroprotection. Methods: Ischemia was induced by MCAO in male Wistar rats. Animals were classified into sham, MCAO, MCAO + HUCPVC, and MCAO + EV groups. Treatments began at two hours after ischemia. Expressions of apoptotic-related proteins (BAX/BCl-2 and caspase-3 and-9), the amount of TUNEL-positive cells, neuronal density (MAP2), and dead neurons (Nissl staining) were assessed on day seven post MCAO. Results: Administration of EVs improved the sensorimotor function (p < 0.001) and reduced the apoptotic rate of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio (p < 0.001), as well as caspases and TUNEL-positive cells (p < 0.001) in comparison to the MCAO group. EV treatment also reduced the number of dead neurons and increased the number of MAP2 + cells in the IBZ (p < 0.001), as compared to the MCAO group. Conclusion: Our findings showed that HUCPVCs-derived EVs are more effective than their mother's cells in improving neural function, possibly via the regulation of apoptosis in the ischemic rats. The strategy of cell-free extracts is, thus, helpful in removing the predicaments surrounding cell therapy in targeting brain diseases.
Nutrition and food sciences research, Mar 1, 2021
Background and Objectives: Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a substance used in epoxy resin monomers and poly... more Background and Objectives: Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a substance used in epoxy resin monomers and polycarbonate plastics. This research focuses on the effect of Bisphenol A on histology alterations in prefrontal cortex (PFC) of rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty male rats were divided into 3 groups: A control group, a placebo group received distilled water intra peritoneal and the experiment group received 1.0µg/kg BPA intra peritoneal for 14 days. After 2 weeks, rat's brains were enucleated, sequenced in 10µm widths and HE stained for histological examinations. Neural and neuroglia cells were counted and rats' PFC volume was measured using stereological methods. Results: Our results showed statistically significant decreases in PFC volume and neural cell count in the experiment group in comparison to both placebo and control groups. Also, results showed statistically significant increases in glial cell count in the experiment group in comparison to other groups. Conclusions: This research showed that BPA has negative and pathological effects on neural cells and PFC in rats
Cells Tissues Organs, Jul 13, 2021
The aim of this research study is to evaluate the effect of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem ce... more The aim of this research study is to evaluate the effect of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells conditioned medium (hBMSCs-CM) on growth and maturation of mouse ovarian follicle, and embryonic development after vitrification. The hBMSCs were cultured, and the derived CM was collected, concentrated, and stored. 14-day-old mice ovaries were collected and randomly divided into vitrified and non-vitrified groups. Then their isolated preantral follicles were cultured for 12 days in α-MEM supplemented with different concentrations of CM (2.5, 5, and 7.5%). Finally, the growth and diameter of follicles, maturation of oocytes, hormone level, and embryo developmental rate were assessed. The results showed the antrum formation, oocyte maturation, and hormone secretion were significantly higher in the presence of 7.5% CM (p &lt; 0.001). In the vitrified group, the developmental rate of follicles was lower than the non-vitrified group, and the subgroup containing 7.5% CM showed better results than the 5%, and 2.5% CM subgroups. However, no changes in fertilization and embryonic development rates were observed. Supplementing follicle culture media with 7.5% CM could enhance follicle growth and oocyte maturation of follicles after vitrification.
Archives of Neuroscience, Jan 4, 2016
Background: Ischemic brain injury is among the most common causes of death and disability in huma... more Background: Ischemic brain injury is among the most common causes of death and disability in humans worldwide. Recent findings suggest that neural precursors in the adult mammalian brain can be a therapeutic target in ischemic brain injuries. Curcumin stimulates neurogenesis and reduces oxidative stress in the brain. Objectives: The present study compared the neuroprotective effects of different concentrations of curcumin in various regions of the brain in a rat model of transient global ischemia (TGI). Materials and Methods: Forty-eight adult male Wistar rats were randomly chosen as control, sham (animals only underwent TGI), treatment (100 and 300 mg/kg curcumin following TGI), and vehicle groups. The animals underwent global ischemia imposed by a 20 minute ligation of the bilateral common carotid arteries. Cell death and apoptosis in different areas of brain were evaluated after 3 or 4 weeks by Nissl staining and TUNEL assay respectively. Results: The number of dark neurons and apoptotic cells significantly increased after TGI. The number of TUNEL-positive cells after TGI was significantly higher in the temporal neocortex than in different regions within the hippocampus. Treatment with curcumin at a high dose reduced the numbers of dark neurons and apoptotic cells. Lower concentrations of curcumin showed a neuroprotective effect in the neocortex, whereas higher doses prevented cell death and apoptosis in the neocortex and in different regions of the hippocampus. Conclusions: Regional differences were evident with respect to the neuroprotective effects of curcumin in the temporal cortex and in the different parts of hippocampus following TGI. Further studies are needed to explore the mechanisms underlying these regional differences.
MEDICAL SCIENCES JOURNAL
Background: Cerebral ischemia/ reperfusion leads to programmed cell death or planned apoptosis. H... more Background: Cerebral ischemia/ reperfusion leads to programmed cell death or planned apoptosis. Hippocampus is a very sensitive tissue to cerebral ischemia. Propofol is an anesthesia that recently the use of this drug as a neuroprotective has been considered. In this study, the effect of propofol on CA2 and CA3 areas of the hippocampus following ischemia was investigated. Materials and methods: 24 Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups, including: control ischemia, experimental and vehicle. The experimental group received 40 mg/ kg of propofol and the vehicle group received 1 ml normal saline 1 hour before ischemia intraperitoneally. The ischemic model was performed by bilateral closure of the common carotid arteries for 20 minutes then reperfusion was done. 4 days later, all rats were sacrificed and the hippocampal tissue was examined by Nissl staining method. Data were analyzed using SPSS-25 statistical software by one-way ANOVA and TUKEY test. p<0.05 was considered as Significant. Results: Ischemia/ reperfusion for 20 minutes caused degeneration of pyramidal cells in CA2 and CA3 hippocampus and these neurons showed a significant decrease compared to the control group, but propofol injection inhibited the decrease in the number of viable cells in these two areas. Conclusion: Propofol can be used as an effective agent in preventing or reducing the complications of stroke alone or with other drugs.
Galen Medical Journal
Background: The brain is the most complex and vital organ of the human body. It requires 20-25 % ... more Background: The brain is the most complex and vital organ of the human body. It requires 20-25 % of the total oxygen supply. Because of the limited oxygen and glucose reserves, brain tissue is sensitive to ischemic injury. Indeed, the tolerance of brain tissue for ischemic injury is fragile. Currently, few therapeutic strategies could provide complete neuroprotection. Despite decades of intense research, the beneficial treatment of stroke remains limited. Hence, we aimed to investigate the effect of curcumin on the CA1 region of the hippocampus in a rat model of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Materials and Methods: In this experimental research, 24 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups (n=8 per group) as control, I/R, and I/R plus curcumin. All rats underwent bilateral common carotid artery ligation followed by reperfusion. In the treatment group, curcumin (300 mg/kg) was injected 30 minutes before ischemia. Morphological changes of the hippocampus were assess...
Galen Medical Journal
Background: Chlordiazepoxide is an anti-anxiety drug commonly used by young people and pregnant w... more Background: Chlordiazepoxide is an anti-anxiety drug commonly used by young people and pregnant women to reduce anxiety. The adverse effects of this drug on cholinergic nervous system function have been demonstrated. Therefore, in this study, the effect of chlordiazepoxide consumption during pregnancy was evaluated on the rats infant hippocampus. Materials and Methods: Nine pregnant Wistar rats were randomly divided (n=3 per group) into control, experimental (daily intraperitoneal injection of chlordiazepoxide at a dose of 10 mg/kg for 21 days), and vehicle (same amount of normal saline) groups. Two weeks after birth, the neonate brains were removed from the skull and prepared for Nissl and TUNEL stainings. The expressions of pro- and anti-apoptotic genes were evaluated. Results: The number of healthy neurons in different areas of the neonatal hippocampus in the experimental group was significantly reduced compared to control and vehicle groups, and the number of apoptotic bodies wa...
MEDICAL SCIENCES JOURNAL
Background: Nitric Oxide (NO) is a very important signaling molecule which acts as a regulator of... more Background: Nitric Oxide (NO) is a very important signaling molecule which acts as a regulator of many physiological processes in many tissues including epithelial cell of gastrointestinal tract. In this study we investigated the effects of L-Arginine as a NO progenitor and L-NAME as a NO inhibitor on epithelial cell number and height of Jejunum in female rats. Materials and methods: 40 female rats were divided into 5 groups, containing 8 rats in each group. Except the control group, the other groups received normal saline (2 ml/kg), L-Arginine (200mg/kg), L-NAME (20mg/kg) and a mixture of two substances for L-Arginine & L-NAME group intraperitoneally for 3 days. 2 weeks later after anesthesia with ether, jejunum was expelled out and after tissue processing and staining with H&E method, the changes were assessed via light microscopy. Cell number and height were evaluated using Image Tools3 Microsoft. Statistical analysis was made by One-Way ANOVA followed by Tukey post hoc test to evaluate the statistical significance between different groups. A value of p< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There was a significant increase in the cell number and height of jejunal epithelium in L-Arginine group (P<0.05). Whereas no significant difference was observed between L-NAME, L-Arginine +L-NAME and control, Normal Saline groups. Conclusion: L-Arginine can result in proliferation of Jejunum epithelial cells whereas L-NAME has no effect on these cells.
Objective(s) The brief interruption of cerebral blood flow causes permanent brain damage and beha... more Objective(s) The brief interruption of cerebral blood flow causes permanent brain damage and behavioral dysfunction. The hippocampus is highly vulnerable to ischemic insults, particularly the CA1 pyramidal cell layer. There is no effective pharmacological strategy for improving brain tissue damage induced by cerebral ischemia. Previous studies reported that pentoxifylline (PTX) has a neuroprotective effect on brain trauma. The possible neuroprotector effects of PTX on behavioral deficit were studied in male Wistar rats subjected to a model of transient global brain ischemia. Materials and Methods Animals (n = 32) were assigned to control, sham-operated, vehicle, and PTX- treated (200 mg/kg IP) groups. PTX administered at 1hr before and 3 hr after ischemia. Global cerebral ischemia was induced by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion, followed by reperfusion. Results Morris Water maze testing revealed that PTX administration in cerebral ischemia significantly improved hippocampal...
ijbms.mums.ac.ir Effect of Cyperus rotundus on ischemia-induced brain damage and memory dysfuncti... more ijbms.mums.ac.ir Effect of Cyperus rotundus on ischemia-induced brain damage and memory dysfunction in rats
Medical Journal of The Islamic Republic of Iran, Mar 14, 2015
It is well known that the hippocampus, the CA1 Pyramidal cells in particular, is selectively vuln... more It is well known that the hippocampus, the CA1 Pyramidal cells in particular, is selectively vulnerable during global cerebral ischemia. Recently, it is observed that pentoxifylline has a neuroprotective effect. This study explored the pharmacological relationship between ischemiainduced cell death of the hippocampus and the efficacy of a vasodilator agent (pentoxifylline) in the prevention of delayed neuronal death. This experimental study was performed on 4 groups: control, ischemia, experimental (200mg/kg pentoxifylline injection one hour prior to and one hour following ischemia) and vehicle (normal saline). Transient global ischemia was induced by bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion. To investigate the apoptotic bodies and caspase-3 activities as a central role in the execution phase of apoptosis, the brains were prepared for the TUNEL technique. Pentoxifylline administration limited apoptosis and caspase-3 activities in rats' hippocampi. Our data showed no significa...
Introduction T he 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) as know ecstasy, is one of the most po... more Introduction T he 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) as know ecstasy, is one of the most popular used drugs as a recreational drug by young people [1].There are increasing evidence of its toxicity, although MDMA has been considered as a safe drug. The MDMA can affect human organs such as brain, liver, kidney and heart. These effects seem to be dose-related and leading to apoptosis [2]. In the past few years, clinical documents have shown that the kidney is a target for MDMA toxicity. In this sense, Ecstasy is metabolized, and reactive metabolites are readily oxidized to the 5-Quinones and the reactive oxygen Abstract Background: Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a hallucinogenic drug of abuse which is the most popular drugs in the world and has been shown to induce apoptosis in kidney cells. As Pentoxifylline (PTX) increases cAMP and reduces tumor necrosis factor-α, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of PTX on kidney damage induced by acute administration ...
Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences, 2016
3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) one of the methamphetamine derivatives that affect the ... more 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) one of the methamphetamine derivatives that affect the reproductive system, has not been well understood. Many young people are consumers of drugs such as MDMA that can affect their reproductive capability. Apoptosis is the main mechanism for male infertility. Pentoxifylline (PTX) increases cAMP intracellularly and reduces tumor necrosis factor-α. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of PTX administration in MDMA-induced apoptosis in testes of male Wistar rats. Thirty male Wistar rats weighing 250-300 g were randomly divided into five groups: control group (without any intervention), group receiving 7.5 mg/kg MDMA three times every two hours for one day, first experimental group receiving 100 mg/kg PTX just at the time of third injection of MDMA, second experimental group receiving 100 mg/kg PTX a week before MDMA administration, and the vehicle group, which received MDMA+saline. Two weeks later, testes were removed and prep...
Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences, 2015
Objective(s): Global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury causes loss of pyramidal cells in CA1 r... more Objective(s): Global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury causes loss of pyramidal cells in CA1 region of hippocampus. In this study, we investigated the possible neuroprotective effects of the ethanol extract of Cyperus rotundus (EECR) on a model of global transient ischemia in rat, by evaluating the pathophysiology of the hippocampal tissue and spatial memory. Materials and Methods: Treatment group (EECR, 100 mg/kg/day) was gavaged from 4 days before, to 3 days after ischemia. Morris water maze test was performed 1 week after ischemia for 4 days. Brain tissue was prepared for Nissl staining. Results: Our data showed no statistical difference between the treatment and ischemia groups in water maze task. So, treatment of ischemia with EECR cannot improve spatial learning and memory. On the contrary EECR ameliorated the CA1 pyramidal cell loss due to transient global ischemia/reperfusion injury. Conclusion: These results suggest that EECR cannot reduce the ischemia-induced, cognitive...
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Papers by Shabnam Movassaghi