Green coffee bean extract attenuates gentamicin induced acute nephrotoxicity in rats

Gentamicin induced acute nephrotoxicity (GIAN) is considered as one of the important causes of acute renal failure. In recent years’ great effort has been focused on the introduction of herbal medicine as a novel therapeutic agent for prevention of GIAN. Hence, the current study was designed to investigate the effect of green coffee bean extract (GCBE) on GIAN in rats. Results of the present study showed that rat groups that received oral GCBE for 7 days after induction of GIAN (by a daily intraperitoneal injection of gentamicin for 7days), reported a significant improvement in renal functions tests when compared to the GIAN model groups. Moreover, there was significant amelioration in renal oxidative stress markers (renal malondialdehyde, renal superoxide dismutase) and renal histopathological changes in the GCBE-treated groups when compared to GIAN model group. These results indicate that GCBE has a potential role in ameliorating renal damage involved in GIAN.

Paroxetine effects on morphine analgesic tolerance in rats

Objectives To alleviate different pain intensities, morphine administration has been extensively used. However, prolonged administration of morphine leads to a progressive decline of its analgesic effect which limits their overall utility. Morphine tolerance is considered as a challenging issue for the treatment of both acute and chronic pain. We conducted this study in rats to investigate the effect of paroxetine on morphine tolerance when used preemptively or after morphine tolerance had developed. Methods Male Wistar rats (weight 250–300 g, n=10) were used to evaluate the effects of paroxetine on tolerance to morphine. In order to induce tolerance, daily intraperitoneal injection of morphine (7 mg/kg) was done. After tolerance induction, a group of animals received intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg/kg paroxetine 30 min prior to each morphine dose. In another trial, to investigate the potential of paroxetine to prevent tolerance to morphine, animals were pretreated with 10 mg/kg paroxetine 30 min before morphine administration. In the control groups, 10 mL/kg of saline was injected. The behavioral test (tail-flick test) was done for all groups. Results Our data showed that paroxetine significantly reversed tolerance to morphine when used after tolerance induction (p<0.001). However, administration of paroxetine before occurrence of tolerance had no effect. Conclusions We conclude that paroxetine could decrease tolerance to morphine when used after the occurrence of morphine tolerance, while it was not able to prevent morphine tolerance when administered preemptively. Ethical committee number IRIB.SBMU.MSP.REC.1394.098.

STAT3/HIF-1α signaling activation mediates peritoneal fibrosis induced by high glucose

Background Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of mesothelial cells is a key step in the peritoneal fibrosis (PF). Recent evidence indicates that signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) might mediate the process of renal fibrosis, which could induce the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). Here, we investigated the effect of STAT3 activation on HIF-1α expression and the EMT of mesothelial cells, furthermore the role of pharmacological blockade of STAT3 in the process of PF during peritoneal dialysis (PD) treatment. Methods Firstly, we investigated the STAT3 signaling in human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs) from drained PD effluent. Secondly, we explored the effect of STAT3 signaling activation on the EMT and the expression of HIF-1α in human mesothelial cells (Met-5A) induced by high glucose. Finally, peritoneal fibrosis was induced by daily intraperitoneal injection with peritoneal dialysis fluid (PDF) so as to explore the role of pharmacological blockade of STAT3 in this process. Results Compared with the new PD patient, the level of phosphorylated STAT3 was up-regulated in peritoneal mesothelial cells from long-term PD patients. High glucose (60 mmol/L) induced over-expression of Collagen I, Fibronectin, α-SMA and reduced the expression of E-cadherin in Met-5A cells, which could be abrogated by STAT3 inhibitor S3I-201 pretreatment as well as by siRNA for STAT3. Furthermore, high glucose-mediated STAT3 activation in mesothelial cells induced the expression of HIF-1α and the profibrotic effect of STAT3 signaling was alleviated by siRNA for HIF-1α. Daily intraperitoneal injection of high-glucose based dialysis fluid (HG-PDF) induced peritoneal fibrosis in the mice, accompanied by the phosphorylation of STAT3. Immunostaining showed that phosphorylated STAT3 was expressed mostly in α-SMA positive cells in the peritoneal membrane induced by HG-PDF. Administration of S3I-201 prevented the progression of peritoneal fibrosis, angiogenesis, macrophage infiltration as well as the expression of HIF-1α in the peritoneal membrane induced by high glucose. Conclusions Taken together, these findings identified a novel mechanism linking STAT3/HIF-1α signaling to peritoneal fibrosis during long-term PD treatment. It provided the first evidence that pharmacological inhibition of STAT3 signaling attenuated high glucose-mediated mesothelial cells EMT as well as peritoneal fibrosis.

Methionine Partially Replaced by Methionyl-Methionine Dipeptide Improves Reproductive Performance over Methionine Alone in Methionine-Deficient Mice

Decreased protein breakdown in pregnant women results in lower concentration of methionine (Met) in plasma, causing pregnancy-related metabolic disturbance. Its dipeptide methionyl-methionine (Met-Met) may exert positive influence in fetal development. This study mainly investigated whether Met-Met can be used as part of free Met to promote reproductive outcomes in mice and the underlying mechanisms. Met-deficient pregnant mice were treated with Met alone or with Met-Met during pregnancy. Daily intraperitoneal injection of 35% dietary Met in pregnant mice was the best dose among the 15–45% doses. Embryo development and newborn birth weight were enhanced when 25% of the Met in the 35% Met group was replaced with Met-Met. Met-Met replacement had higher plasma insulin, glucose, and free amino acids (AA) concentrations. Besides, in the placenta, the AA transporter mRNA abundances and peptide transporters (PhT1 and PepT1) protein levels were higher in Met-Met treatment group. Moreover, Met-Met increased 4E-BP1, S6K1 and AKT/mTOR phosphorylation. These results suggest that Met-Met could be used as a partial source of Met to promote reproductive outcomes in Met-restricted pregnant mice, which might be mediated by promoting nutrient availability and activating AKT/mTOR-mediated signaling pathway.

Methylnaltrexone potentiates body weight and fat reduction with leptin

Objective: Leptin increases energy expenditure by enhancing systemic and brown adipose metabolism. In a neonatal rat model, retroperitoneal fat pad weight decreased significantly in leptin-treated animals, which reduced body weight. As opioids increase feeding, opioid antagonists may decrease food intake and body weight. However, interactions between leptin and the activity of peripheral opioids on body weight and fat accumulation have not been investigated. In this study, the authors evaluated the effects of naloxone (a nonselective opioid antagonist) and methylnaltrexone (a peripherally acting opioid antagonist) on the action of leptin in neonatal rats.Results: Compared with control, the weight gain of pups given a single daily intraperitoneal injection of leptin 0.5 mg/kg, leptin 0.5 mg/kg plus naloxone 0.3 mg/kg, or leptin 0.5 mg/kg plus methylnaltrexone 3.0 mg/kg for 8 consecutive days was significantly reduced (all p 0.01). Naloxone or methylnaltrexone significantly potentiated leptin’s effect on body weight (p 0.05 or p 0.01, respectively). After coadministration of leptin plus naloxone or leptin plus methylnaltrexone, weight reduction in the right retroperitoneal fat pads was also significant compared with the reduction after leptin alone (p 0.05 or p 0.01, respectively).Conclusions: The data suggest the existence of a peripheral opioid-related mechanism in leptinactive modulation of body weight.

Localized and Sustained Delivery of Erythropoietin from PLGA Microspheres Promotes Functional Recovery and Nerve Regeneration in Peripheral Nerve Injury

Erythropoietin (EPO) has been demonstrated to exert neuroprotective effects on peripheral nerve injury recovery. Though daily intraperitoneal injection of EPO during a long period of time was effective, it was a tedious procedure. In addition, only limited amount of EPO could reach the injury sites by general administration, and free EPO is easily degradedin vivo. In this study, we encapsulated EPO in poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres. Bothin vitroandin vivorelease assays showed that the EPO-PLGA microspheres allowed sustained release of EPO within a period of two weeks. After administration of such EPO-PLGA microspheres, the peripheral nerve injured rats had significantly better recovery compared with those which received daily intraperitoneal injection of EPO, empty PLGA microspheres, or saline treatments. This was supported by the functional, electrophysiological, and histological evaluations of the recovery done at week 8 postoperatively. We conclude that sustained delivery of EPO could be achieved by using EPO-PLGA microspheres, and such delivery method could further enhance the recovery function of EPO in nerve injury recovery.

The Profile of CD4+CD25+CD127low/- Regulator T Cell and the Associated Expression of Cytokines and Transcription Factors in Immune Thrombocytopenia Murine Model

Background Regulator T cell (Treg cell) may be associated with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Our previous study has showed that the profile of CD4+CD25+CD127low/-Treg cells presented significantly decreased in ITP patients and weakened immunosuppressive activity. This cellular defect about immune modulation may play important roles in the pathogenesis of ITP. The precise reason for these abnormalities remains being elucidated. To further investigate the role of Treg cells in ITP，we detected the profiles of Treg cells and the associated mRNA expression of cytokines and Transcription factors in CD4+CD25+ Treg cells in ITP murine model . Methods 1. The profiles of Treg cell in peripheral blood in ITP patients were examined with flow cytometry through intracellular cytokines analysis. Treg cells were identified as those that were CD4+CD25+CD127low/-. 2. ITP was induced by daily intraperitoneal injection of anti-platelet membrane CD41 antibody（MWReg30）into BALB/c murine and the controls were daily intraperitoneal injection of IgG antibodies. 3. The proportion of Treg cells in peripheral blood and spleen mononuclear cells were measured by FCM analysis. Treg cells were identified as those that were CD4+CD25+CD127low/- 4. The mRNA expression of Treg cells associated transcription factors (Foxp3, Smad7, STAT5 and Akt-1) and cytokines (IL-10, TGF-β) in CD4+CD25+ T cells which were enriched from spleen mononuclear cells were measured by real-time PCR. 5. Statistical analysis. All values were analyzed using SPSS version 18.0 software. We used the Kolmogorov-Smirnov goodness-of-fit model to assess the normality of the data. Because of the data did not show a normal distribution, the values were presented as median (range) and statistical significance was evaluated using a Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Spearman’s test was used for correlation analysis. Differences were considered significant at P <0.05. Results 1. We detected the expression of intracellular cytokines. In peripheral blood of ITP patients, the median of Treg cells was 3.9 % (3.1–6.3 %), respectively, significantly lower than the controls of which that was 6.0 % (5.3–7.85 %, p <0.05). 2. The percentage of CD4+CD25+CD127low/-Treg cells was significantly lower in both splenocyte and peripheral blood of ITP murine as compared with that in normal controls (p<0.05). 3. ITP murine had lower mRNA expression of IL-10, TGF-β and Foxp3 in splenocyte CD4+CD25+T cells (p<0.05). The expression of Smad7 mRNA was significantly higher than the controls. No significantly difference of the STAT5 and Akt-1 mRNA expression were observed between ITP murine and controls both in splenocyte and peripheral blood. Conclusions Our study data supported a low Treg polarization of the immune response in ITP murine model. The lower mRNA expressions of IL-10 and TGF-β indicated that the indirect immunosuppressive effect of Treg cells had impaired. The lower mRNA expressions of TGF-β and Foxp3 accelerated effects on the proliferation and differentiation of Treg cells, and the higher mRNA expression of Smad 7 inhibited the proliferation and differentiation of Treg cells. Results indicated that disorder proliferation and differentiation of Treg cells involved in the pathogenesis of ITP. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Scheduled feeding results in adipogenesis and increased acylated ghrelin

Ghrelin, known to stimulate adipogenesis, displays an endogenous secretory rhythmicity closely related to meal patterns. Therefore, a chronic imposed feeding schedule might induce modified ghrelin levels and consequently adiposity. Growing Wistar rats were schedule-fed by imposing a particular fixed feeding schedule of 3 meals/day without caloric restriction compared with total daily control intake. After 14 days, their body composition was measured by DEXA and compared with ad libitum-fed controls and to rats daily intraperitoneal injection with ghrelin. Feeding patterns, circadian activity, and pulsatile acylated ghrelin variations were monitored. After 14 days, rats on the imposed feeding schedule displayed, despite an equal daily calorie intake, a slower growth rate compared with ad libitum-fed controls. Moreover, schedule-fed rats exhibiting a feeding pattern with intermittent fasting periods had a higher fat/lean ratio compared with ad libitum-fed controls. Interestingly, ghrelin-treated rats also showed an increase in fat mass, but the fat/lean ratio was not significantly increased compared with controls. In the schedule-fed rats, spontaneous activity and acylated ghrelin levels were increased and associated with the scheduled meals, indicating anticipatory effects. Our results suggest that scheduled feeding, associated with intermittent fasting periods, even without nutrient/calorie restriction on a daily basis, results in adipogenesis. This repartitioning effect is associated with increased endogenous acylated ghrelin levels. This schedule-fed model points out the delicate role of meal frequency in adipogenesis and provides an investigative tool to clarify any effects of endogenous ghrelin without the need for ghrelin administration.

Hypothyroidism increases Fos immunoreactivity in cholinergic neurons of brain medullary dorsal vagal complex in rats

Hypo- or hyperthyroidism is associated with autonomic disorders. We studied Fos expression in the medullary dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV), nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS), and area postrema (AP) in four groups of rats with different thyroid states induced by a combination of drinking water and daily intraperitoneal injection for 1–4 wk: 1) tap water and vehicle; 2) 0.1% propylthiouracil (PTU) and vehicle; 3) PTU and thyroxine (T4; 2 μg/100 g); and 4) tap water and T4 (10 μg/100 g). The numbers of Fos immunoreactive (IR) positive neurons in the DMV, NTS, and AP were low in euthyroid rats but significantly higher in the 4-wk duration in hypothyroid rats, which were prevented by simultaneous T4 replacement. Hyperthyroidism had no effect on Fos expression in these areas. There were significant negative correlations between T4 levels and the numbers of Fos-IR-positive neurons in the DMV ( r = −0.6388, P < 0.008), NTS ( r = −0.6741, P < 0.003), and AP ( r = −0.5622, P < 0.004). Double staining showed that Fos immunoreactivity in the DMV of hypothyroid rats was mostly localized in choline acetyltransferase-containing neurons. Thyroid hormone receptors α1 and β2 were localized in the observed nuclei. These results indicate that thyroid hormone influences the DMV/NTS/AP neuronal activity, which may contribute to the vagal-related visceral disorders observed in hypothyroidism.