دکتر زهره قطب الدین

MS is an autoimmune, inflammatory disease with demyelination and astrogliosis of the central nervous system that affects the brain and spinal cord. Its prevalence in women is three times that of men.

This study was conducted on 42 male and female rats with an approximate weight of 300-350 grams in Shahid Chamran Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahvaz. Material: The male sham group (received normal saline), the female sham group (received normal saline), the male MS group and the female MS group were divided. In order to inject ethidium bromide in the MS groups using a microinjector, rats were Ketamine (80 mg/kg) and xylazine (5 mg/kg) were anesthetized, 0.02% ethidium bromide and 20microliter normal saline were injected using a Hamilton syringe.

The results of this study showed that the inflammation and degeneration of nerve cells increased in the MS groups, and this inflammation and degeneration was more in males, and the level of MBP expression in the MS group was reduced compared to other groups, which compared The two genders of this reduction in expression were almost the same, and the amount of GFAP expression in the MS group was increased compared to the other groups, which was higher in the female gender when comparing the two genders.

MS causes a decrease in the amount of myelin basic protein and an increase in the astrogliosis factor, which leads to the destruction of the myelin sheath and astrocytes and causes sensory and motor disabilities in people with MS.

Hypoxia is one of the most common clinical stresses that occur during pregnancy, which has adverse effects on fetal development. Fish oil, with its antioxidant properties, prevents fetal disorders during pregnancy. This study was conducted to determine the effects of fish oil on apparent congenital abnormalities and fetal dimensions caused by hypoxia during gestation in rats.

In this experimental study, 36 female pregnant Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups of control, hypoxia, fish oil 0.5 ml, fish oil 1 ml, hypoxia+fish oil 0.5 ml, and hypoxia + fish oil 1 ml. Fish oil was administered by gavage, and the hypoxia model was established between 6 and 15 days of gestation by 3 hours of daily exposure to 10% oxygen and 90% nitrogen. On the 20th day of pregnancy, the embryos were removed from the uterus. First, the number of obtained embryos from each group was counted. Then, in terms of apparent abnormalities, the number of live fetuses and fetal resorption was evaluated. Finally, the length and weight of the fetuses were measured.

The frequency of embryos with apparent abnormalities in the hypoxia and control groups was 18.18% and nil, respectively. The frequency of fetal resorptions in the hypoxia and control groups was 27.27% and 1.92%, respectively. Moreover, fetal weight and length were significantly reduced in the hypoxia group compared with the control group (P<0.05). However, the average weight and length of fetuses in the hypoxia groups receiving fish oil showed a significant increase compared to the hypoxia group (P<0.05).

Hypoxia during pregnancy in rats reduces fetal body dimensions and increases fetal abnormalities. However, fish oil can reduce the harmful effects of hypoxia on apparent congenital abnormalities and fetal body dimensions during pregnancy.

Hypoxia during pregnancy impairs fetal brain development. Fish oil acts as a reducer of oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in improving memory. This study aimed to determine the effect of fish oil on the histomorphometric changes of the offsprings’ cerebrum and cerebellum caused by the hypoxia model during pregnancy rats.

In this experimental study, 36 pregnant female Wistar rats were divided into six groups (n=6), including control, hypoxia, fish oil (1 mg/kg/day; orally), fish oil (0.5 mg/kg/day; orally), hypoxia + fish oil (1 mg/kg/day; orally), and hypoxia + fish oil (0.5 mg/kg/day; orally). The treatment period ranged from the sixth to the 15th day of pregnancy. On day 30 after birth, the rats were euthanized, and after removing the brain and measuring its weight, it was fixed in 10% formalin buffer. Histomorphometric changes of cerebrum and cerebellum were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey’s post hoc tests.

Hypoxia decreased the weight, volume, length, width, and thickness of the brain, and also increased the number of damaged neurons, the body size of Purkinje cells, and the percentage of damaged Purkinje cells (p<0.05).  And administration of fish oil to hypoxic rats improved the mentioned parameters (p<0.05).

According to the present study results, hypoxia during pregnancy can have destructive effects on offsprings’ brains, and administration of fish oil can to some extent prevent the detrimental effects of hypoxia on offsprings’ brains.

Increased oxidative stress following maternal hypoxia is an important mechanism for postpartum motor response impairment. Because of the fact that the use of supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids has a protective role for the nervous system, in this study, the protective mechanism of fish oil during pregnancy stress by the hypoxia model on the motor coordination of male rat offspring was investigated.

In this experimental study, pregnant female rat (Wistar) were randomly divided into five experimental groups: control (without treatment), sham (saline recipient), hypoxia (%10 O2, %90 N2, 6 to 15 days of pregnancy), fish oil (1 ml), and hypoxia group treated with fish oil. To study the protective mechanism of fish oil, serum sampling of mothers and offspring was done to measure oxidative stress indicators. Motor activity and balance were examined in the 30-day-old offspring by open field and rotarod tests. Data were statistically assessed by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey post-hoc test.

While fish oil treatment increased motor activity in the fish oil/hypoxia group compared to the hypoxia group and decreased oxidative stress (P<0.05), motor and oxidative stress parameters decreased and increased in hypoxia group compared to the sham group, respectively.

According to the results, fish oil treatment during chronic maternal hypoxia can improved motor activity and balance by reducing oxidative stress caused by hypoxia.

One of the possible mechanisms to the nervous system growth restriction and behavioral impairment following hypoxia, is oxidative stress. According to the antioxidant effect of fish oil, the present study was designed to investigate the effect of fish oil treatment during chronic hypoxia in pregnancy on memory, brain morphometric changes and oxidative stress in adult rat offspring.

In this study female pregnant rat (Wistar) were used; they were randomly divided into 5 experimental groups: control, sham, hypoxia, fish oil and hypoxia groups treated with fish oil. Hypoxia with 10% oxygen and 90% nitrogen intensity was applied. Fetal brain morphometry was examined on the 15th and 20th day of pregnancy and the 30-day-old offspring. Passive avoidance memory and oxidative stress parameters were examined in the 30-day-old rat offspring.

The brain weight average in the 15 and 20 day-old fetuses and 30-day-old offspring of the hypoxia group was significantly lower than the sham group (P<0.05). Memory results evaluation indicated that the avoidance memory was significantly decreased in hypoxia group compared to the sham group (P<0.05). Oxidative stress also increased significantly in the 30-day-old offspring of the hypoxia group compared to the sham group and fish oil treatment prevented the reduction of these parameters (P<0.05).

According to these results, Fish oil treatment during chronic hypoxia in pregnancy can be attenuate fetal brain restriction, oxidative stress and memory impairment following hypoxia.

Background and Objectives:

 Nowadays, the application of Low Frequency Stimulations (LFS) has been considered as an alternative treatment in drug-resistant epileptic patients. So, the aim of this study was to determine the co-administration effects of LFS and carbamazepine (CBZ) during epileptogenesis in dorsal hippocampus using electrical Kindling method on seizure scales in adult male rats.

In this experimental study, 56 adult male wistar rats were randomly divided into 8 equal groups including: Kindled (KND), KLFS, MCK, CBZ20K, CBZ40K, CBZ20KLFS, CBZ40KLFS, and MCKLFS. Animals in the Kindled group received daily stimulation of kindling. In the KLFS group, LFS were applied daily after the termination of kindling stimulation. In the MCK group, before induction of kindling stimulation, the amount of 0.2 ml of %0.5 methyl cellulose was injected, and CBZ20K and CBZ40K groups received CBZ20 and 40mg / kg. In the CBZ20KLFS, CBZ40KLFS, and MCKLFS groups in addition to receiving drug or solvent, LFS was applied at the end of kindling stimulation. Animal behavioral seizure scales (seizure severity, afterdischarge duration and seizure duration) were recorded. Finally, data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test.

The results showed that the combination therapy of LFS and the effective and ineffective amounts of CBZ significantly reduced the seizure scales in CBZ20KLFS and CBZ40KLFS groups compared with the other experimental groups (p=0.035).

It seems that combination therapy of CBZ and LFS is an appropriate method to reduce seizure scales during kindling in rats.