International Journal of Molecular and Cellular Medicine
Volume:2 Issue: 6, Spring 2013

Cardiovascular disease has become the main factor of death and birth defects in the world. There are some therapeutic structures and drugs for curative and palliative therapy of the disease, but to the aim of accessing reliable therapy or to postpone onset of disease, especially for individuals with heritable coronary artery disease in their pedigree Genetic engineering technologies are making advances in the field by identifying oligonucleotides with higher potencies which can be easily targeted against almost any gene, particularly interfering RNA (RNAi). Recently, the focus of RNAi approaches has encompassed the use of synthetic sequences to mimic or silence endogenous microRNAs (miRNAs) that are abruptly dysregulated following cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we summarize the role of miRNAs in heart development and vascular system as two main factors of birth defects and adult morbidity and mortality and miRNAS as new therapeutic agents.

Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) has a pivot role in renal function and homeostasis. Analysis of GAG amount generally serves to determine GAG alteration due to diabetes mellitus. Critical Electrolyte Concentration (CEC) staining can be an efficacy method to study GAG amount changes. Based on an experimental study, 20 male rats were randomly divided equally into two experimental and control groups. Diabetes mellitus was induced by a single sub cutaneous injection (120 mg/kg) of alloxan monohydrate. After 8 weeks, diabetic kidneys were paraffin embedded and sectioned at 5μm on a microtome. Slides were prepared and studied after staining by Critical Electrolyte Concentration (CEC 1 -4). In this study, we succeeded to show a decrease of hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate concentration in diabetic kidney at 8 weeks diabetic rats which are earlier signs compared to those reported previously. In contrary, no significant changes in heparin sulfate and keratin sulfate have been seen. Diabetic nephropathy is a progressive disease and earlier diagnosis makes a better treatment design to reduce its development. CEC staining is able to determine degradation of hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate synthesis in diabetic kidney of rats in an earlier time.

Actinomycetes are interesting as a main producer of secondary metabolites and industrial antibiotics from marine environments. A total of 44 strains of actinomycetes were isolated from Caspian Sea sediments at a depth of 5-10 m. Preliminary screening was done using cross-streak method against 2 gram-positive and 4 gram-negative pathogen bacteria. The most potent strains MN2, MN3, MN38, MN39, MN40, MN41, and MN44 were used to extract the antibacterial substances. The antibacterial activities were performed using Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Potent actinomycetes were screened for hydrolytic exoenzymatic activities (amylase and protease). All of the 24 isolates were active against at least to one of the test organisms. The MN38 strain showed activity against Staphylococcus aureus (20.0±0.5mm), Bacillus subtilis (27.0±0.2 mm), and Escherichia coli (20.0±0.3 mm). The MN39 strain was also active against E. coli (23.0±0.4mm), B. subtilis (23.0±0.2mm), Klebsiella pneumonia (24±0.1mm), whereas, the MN3 strain showed activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (20.0±0.2mm). The results of this investigation revealed that the marine actinomycetes of Caspian Sea sediments were potent source of novel antibiotics and bioactive compounds.

Motor units (MUs) reflect the function of the central nervous motor system. Thus, the estimated MU number is a good option to investigate the functional movement disorder in the Parkinson’s disease (PD). The purpose of this study was to compare the estimated MUs number in the medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscle of the normal rats and those with the Parkinsonism. The MG muscle of two age-matched group (normal and Parkinsonism) of anesthetized male, adult (154-304 days old) Wistar rats were studied after the insertion of electromyography (EMG) needles. The insertion activity and the MU recruitment (MUR), the strengths of mechanical involuntary contractions and the evoked spike potentials, were recorded. The means initial and the maximal amplitudes of the motor unit potentials (MUPs) were calculated for the estimated MUs number. The spinal cord at the L4-L6 was removed for pathological study. The Parkinsonism MUPs trace showed irregular and low threshold discharge rate. The normal spikes trace, however, was different. Increased age was not associated with any increase in the MU number in the two groups. However, there was a significant correlation between the mentioned parameters and the insertion activity (r = -0.25, r = -0.177) and the MUR (r =0.86, r =0.248) in the normal and the Parkinsonism groups, respectively. There was a correlation between the ages and mean MUP amplitude in the normal and the Parkinsonism insertion activity (r =0.766, r =0.659) and the MUR (r =0.89, r = 0.4), respectively. Similarly, there was a correlation between the ages and maximal amplitudes in the normal and Parkinsonism groups (r =0.53, r =0.42; r =0.86, r =0.248), respectively, (p<0.001). In the Parkinsonism group, there was no significant correlation between the MUs number and the mean MUPs amplitudes in the insertion activity (r =0.074, p=0.088) and the MUR (r =0.226, p=0.762). The spinal cord in the Parkinsonism group showed degenerated nerve fibers and apoptosis in the degenerative nerve fibers and in the medium and large motor neurons with Lewy bodies and neurofibrillary tangles. The small ones, however, remained intact. The Parkinsonism MUPs, compared to normal ones, have lower threshold and recruit less MUs. The apoptotic medium and large motor neurons with lewy bodies contribute to the disuse of the relative MUs while small ones remain intact.

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. The motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease result from the death of dopamine-generating cells in the substantia nigra, a region of the midbrain; the cause of this cell death is unknown. Homocysteine (Hcy) is a non-protein amino acid. It is a homologue of the amino acid cysteine. The elevated levels of homocysteine in plasma have been associated with a number of disease states. Hcy (2 µmol / µl) was injected intracerebroventricular (i.c.v) in rats, five days later, the locomotor activity was measured with open field apparatus, Also apoptosis was investigated in substantia nigra cells by immunohistochemical analysis. Hcy could decrease locomotor activities significantly in rats as well as it could induce apoptosis in substantia nigra cells. These results suggest that Hcy is a neurotoxic metabolite and may induce cell death in some nuclei in the brain.

With regard to the importance of antioxidants in foods, cosmetics and pharmaceutics, there are several studies on natural resources for finding rich sources of antioxidants and their role in protecting the body against oxidative stress injuries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antioxidant stability of arbutin and the Pyrus boissieriana buhse Leaf extract and their effects on lipid oxidation in different conditions of temperature and time. Arbutin and the Pyrus boissieriana buhse Leaf extract were stored for 14 days in the different conditions of temperature including room, refrigerator and freezer. Total phenolic compounds were measured by the folin-ciocaltea method. Flavonoid compounds were evaluated by aluminum chloride method. Their total antioxidant activity was measured by FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) method and their protection effect on lipid oxidation was measured by TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactant substances) method. Also, the amount of sustainability for peroxide activities was measured by TMB (Tetra Methyl Benzedrine) method. Polyphenol formed 1.96 mg/g dry weight of Pyrus boissieriana buhse Leaf extract and the amount of flavonoid complex was 0.125 mg/g dry weight of Pyrus boissieriana buhse Leaf extract. The amount of FRAP was decreased by increasing temperature and time. The amount of lipid oxidation had increased in all samples with time (0-14). The stability of peroxide activities decreased in the different conditions of temperature and time. The results of this study show the existence of antioxidant activities with higher stability in storage time and the protective effect of arbutin and Pyrus boissieriana buhse Leaf extract on lipid oxidation. Therefore, using arbutin and Pyrus boissieriana buhse Leaf extract as a natural resource of antioxidant is suggested for substituting synthetic antioxidants.

Some plant extracts showed the ability to retard the diffusion of glucose across the dialysis tube. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Teucrium polium (T. polium) on glucose movement across the dialysis tube. The T. polium powder was dissolved in ethanol and distilled water. Then glucose was added to make a final concentration of 0.2 – 0.8 g/l glucose with aqueous or ethanolic extract of Teucrium Polium. Fifteen milliliter of each concentration (0.2 – 0.8 g/l) of glucose was dialyzed against 50 ml of distilled water at 20 ◦C in a dialysis tubing cellulose membrane (molecular weight cut off = 10000 Da) every 4 h for 24 hours under rotationally shaking. The released glucose was determined by glucose oxidase kit. Aqueous extract of T. polium did not show any significant effect on the glucose movement. But, ethanolic extract of T. polium was found to exhibit a significant stimulation on glucose movement from dialysis tube to the external medium. Our findings suggest the possible importance of other factors besides viscosity in determining the anti- diabetic behavior of T. polium.

Dear editor: We would like to present a modified method for cerebrospinal fluid collection in anesthetized rat. This method is easy and applicable in many laboratories interested by research on cellular and molecular effects of CSF on different pathways.