Neuroscience Journal of Shefaye Khatam
Year:2014 | Volume:2 | Issue:1|Papers Count:13

Introduction: Adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) have the potency to differentiate into the neuron and glial cells. One of the ways to make a large number of neural stem/progenitor cells (NS/PCs) from ADSCs is the usage of neurosphere cultivation. In this procedure, ADSCs proliferate under certain conditions continuously and make multipotent undifferentiated colonies named neurosphere that can differentiate to NS/PCs.Materials and Methods: in the current study, adipose stem cells isolated from rat inguinal and pararenal regions. Then these cells differentiated to the NS/PCs using indirect differentiation method (neurosphere culture). Adipose derived stem cells, neurosphere and NS/PCs were evaluated using immunocytochemistry and RT-PCR techniques.Results: the results indicated ADSCs were immunoreactive to CD90, CD29, CD49d, CD44, CD105 and CD99 without any immunoreactivity for CD106 and CD31. In addition, these cells expressed the genes of Nanog, Oct4 and Sox2. Both of Neurosphere and NS/PCs were immunoreactive to Nestin, NF-68 and NF-200 and also were able to express Nanog, Sox2, NeuroD1, Oct4, Musashi1 and Nestin genes. However, these cells were unable to express MBP gene.Conclusion: It seems that indirect differentiation is effective for differentiate ADSCs into NS/PCs

Introduction: Spreading depression (SD) is known by transient loss of spontaneous and evoked neuronal activity and changes in ionic, metabolic and hemodynamic characteristics of the brain. It has been shown that repetitive SD produced memory deficits in juvenile rats. Furthermore, the role of Ca2+ channels on induction and propagation of SD was investigated by several scientists. The aim of the present study was to study the role of a Ca2+ channel-blocker, nifedipine, on memory deficits induced by repetitive SD.Materials and Methods: Wistar rats (60-80gr) were divided into 5 groups and nifedipine (1 mg/kg) was administrated weekly for 4 weeks in SD group. SD was also induced weekly for four weeks by KCl (2 M). Retrieval of spatial memory was evaluated by T-maze memory test.Results: The T-maze test demonstrated that memory was impaired in SD group. The memory retrieval significantly improved by application of nifedipine.Conclusion: This study suggests the possible role of calcium channels in memory impairments following repetitive SD.

Introduction: Several reports have shown the various medicinal effects of grape (Vitis vinifera) seed and skin extracts, such as antioxidant, hypotensive and vasodilatory effects. It has been recently shown the relaxatory effect of grape leaf hydroalcoholic extract on rat ileum, uterus, aorta, trachea and vas deferens as well as on frog isolated heart. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Vitis vinifera leaf hydroalcoholic extract (VLHE) on contractility of urinary bladder smooth muscle in male rats and to study the mechanism (s) of its action.Materials and Methods: The extract of dried grape leaf was prepared by macerated method using 70% ethanol for 72h in room temperature. The solvent was then evaporated. Urinary bladder was removed from male adult wistar rats after induction of deep anaesthetize by di-ethyle-ether. Tissues were then suspended in the organ bath containing physiologic solution (37oC, pH 7.4) bubbled with oxygen. Contractions were recorded isometrically under 1g resting tension.Results: VLHE at 1, 2, 4 and 8 mg/ml significantly reduced the urinary bladder contractions evoked by KCl (60 mM P<0.05) and (0.5, 1, 2 and 4 mg/ml) also reduced the contractions evoked by Acetylcholine (5 mM) dose dependently (P<0.05). In calcium free physiologic solution, KCl-induced (120 mM P<0.05) contractions were occurred only after adding calcium (0.312, 0.625, 1.25, 2.5 and 5 mM) to the organ bath solution. VLHE (2 mg/ml) also reduced different concentration of calcium-induced contraction in the presence of KCl (P<0.05). The VLHE- induced urinary bladder relaxation was unaffected by propranolol (1 mM for 20 mins) while the presence of tetraethylamonium (10 mM for 20 mins) could strongly reduce the relaxatory effect of VLHE.Conclusion: The data suggest that VLHE induces spasmolytic effect in rat urinary bladder, possibly via blocking voltage dependent calcium channels and activation of calcium-activated potassium channels.

Introduction: Lemon herbena (Lippia citriodora) is a member of Verbenaceae family. This plant is endemic to South America and can growth in other areas, such as Iran. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the chemical composition of the two production plants in the greenhouse and field of a lemon.Materials and Methods: Plants were cultivated in a Sarayan Ferdowsi area (south of Khorasan). Fourth kg of leaves was collected. Then, essential oil was extracted from fresh leaves using water and steam distillation. Finally, we treated PC12 cells with the essential oil that obtained from Lippia citriodora. The cell viability was evaluated by the MTT (3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay.Results: Our results from GC-MS (Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry) method showed that greenhouse and field samples contained 0.68% and 0.62% (w/w), respectively. In addition, the data showed that the essential oil decreased oxidative stress-induced PC12 cell death.Conclusion: The results suggest that Lippia citriodora could be a potential candidate for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia among older people, gradually destroys memory and learning skills, and eventually the ability to carry out all tasks. In most people with AD, symptoms first appear after age 60.Materials and Methods: The experiments were carried out in adult (6-7 months old) male Wistar rats (230-270 g) in 3 groups of control, sham and Streptozocin (STZ). Animals in sham and STZ groups received normal saline and STZ intraventricular injections for two days, respectively. To assess spatial memory 8, 18, 30, 45, 70, 90 days after STZ injection, passive avoidance test was performed.Results: The mean retention latency decreased in STZ groups compared to control and sham groups. According to our findings, the most serious short-term and long-term memory loss was observed 90 days after STZ injection. The long-term memory destroyed earlier than short-term memory in STZ treatment rats.Conclusion: STZ injection in rats was resulted in significant time-dependent damages of cognitive abilities.

Introduction: There are some reports on the antiepileptic effects of genus Ferula in the traditional Persian medicine. Due to the side effects of common antiepileptic drugs, effective compounds with fewer side effects are needed. The present study examined the anticonvulsive effects of the methanol extract of Ferula in seizures induced by maximum electroshock (MES) and pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) in mice.Materials and Methods: Thirty minutes before the induction of seizures, sixty mice were divided into six groups group I: solvent (10 mg/kg control group), group II: ethosuximide (150 mg/kg as positive control group for PTZ), group III: phenytoin (25 mg/kg as positive control group for MES) and the fourth, fifth, and sixth groups: the methanol extract of Ferula (100, 250, 500 mg/kg).Results: The methanol extract of Ferula did not inhibit the occurrence of seizures induced by PTZ and MES, but significantly increased the latency time in the PTZ model.Conclusion: It seems that the methanol extract of Ferula has different effects in various models of seizures and further investigation is needed.

Introduction: Schizophrenia begins typically in young adulthood (before 25 years old) and about 1% of people are affected during their lifetime. The antipsychotic drugs have several side effects. This study was aimed to investigate the Mozart’s music effect, as a non-invasive treatment, on the schizophrenia.Materials and Methods: Rats aged 21-25 days were divided into four groups: control, music-treated, social isolated (SI) and SI + music-treatment groups. Animals in the control group, without music exposure and music-treated rats, with music exposure, were housed socially. Animals in the SI group, without music exposure, and SI + music-treatment were housed individually for 6 weeks. Music (Mozart’s piano sonata, KV361) was played 24 hours before and during behavioral tests. Social contraction test for each rat was performed. The positive and negative behaviors were scored.Results: The mean number of negative behaviors, such as pursuit, attack, biting and offensive behaviors, in SI and SI + music-treatment increased compared to control and music-treated groups. In addition, biting, up right offensive and treating in SI + music-treatment significantly decreased compared to SI group. In addition, the positive behaviors (walking) in SI + music-treatment group significantly increased compared to SI group.Conclusion: These data suggest the potential of music therapy effects of that listening to music maybe improve the pathological effects of social isolation.

Introduction: Spreading depression (SD) is a bio-electrical wave in the central nervous system which propagates through the gray matter and cause several effects, such as neural depolarization and ionic disturbances. This phenomenon plays a role in many neurological disorders, like epilepsy, migraine with aura, brain injury and cerebrovascular disease. The SD excitatory effect of glutamate receptors on the brain seems to be correlated with neural injuries. The aim of our study was to evaluate the role of glutamate AMPA sub receptors on spatial memory impairment induced by SD.Materials and Methods: DNQX, an AMPA antagonist, was administrated (1 mg/kg) intraperitoneally after SD induction (induced by application of 2 M KCl) in juvenile wistar rats (60-80 gr). Retrieval of spatial memory was evaluated by T-maze memory test.Results: Repetitive weekly induction of SD caused memory impairment after four weeks. Blockade of AMPA receptors with DNQX did not affect the memory impairment caused by SD.Conclusion: Our data indicate glutamate AMPA subreceptors are not involved in SD-induced memory deficits in juvenile rats.

Introduction: Awake neurosurgery permits the continuous assessment of neurological functions during the brain surgery. In patients in which the tumor is located adjacent to or in an eloquent brain region, such as the language or motor cortex, an awake craniotomy is indicated that allows for intraoperative brain mapping by direct cortical stimulation.Case Description: Three patients (2 male veterans and 1 female aged 20-49 years) suffering from intractable epilepsy and brain tumor in frontal and parietal were undergone awake neurosurgery in Khatam Hospital, Tehran, Iran. The resection of the lesions was performed under local anesthesia and continuous neurological examination. Intraoperative brain stimulation was performed to localizing the sensitive regions close to brain tumors.Results: Complete (2 patients) and partial resection (1 patient) of brain tumors were performed during surgeries. There were no nuerological deficits or psychological sequelae after the tumor resection. Two months after surgeries, two patients did not experience any seizure attack. The number of seizures in the third patient significantly reduced.Conclusion: Awake neurosurgery is a safe procedure that assists in performing minimally invasive resection of lesions in eloquent and non-eloquent brain regions.

Introduction: Brain damage is often irreversible due to poor brain's self-repairing ability. New treatment strategies focused on stem cell therapy and 3-dimension matrix for brain tissue injury. The extracellular matrix (ECM) of animal tissues is a complex mixture of macromolecules that play an essential instructional role in the development of tissues and organs. Therefore, tissue engineering approaches rely on the need to present the correct cues to cells and to guide them to maintain tissue-specific functions. Recent research efforts on ECM have showed various sequences and motifs, which play key roles in improvement of the brain function after injury.Conclusion: Small motif from ECM molecules can mimic some of the biological functions of their large molecules. Peptides sequences and motifs laminin can be linked to various biomaterials scaffolds and provide the cells with mechanical support. This may ensure appropriate cell growth that aids the formation of the correct tissue structure.

Introduction: One of the major issues in consumer behavior is to understand consumer decision making process which always attracts scholars, marketers and managers. After disappointment from traditional methods, new emerging and combined methods have been developed, such as neuromaketing approaches. The combination of neuro and marketing implies the merging of two branches of science (neuroscience and marketing). Neuromarketing is a new field of marketing research that studies consumers’ cognitive and affective responses to marketing stimuli. Researchers use technologies, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging electroencephalogram and eye-tracking methods, to measure changes in the brain activity to improve our understanding on how consumers make the decisions and what part of their brain is involved in this decision. Despite the perceived advantages of neuromarketing, some marketing scholars are reluctant to apply these neuroscience methods and there is still uncertainty about neuromarketing.Conclusion: The purpose of this review is to delineate a clear and comprehensive picture of neuromarketing as well as to address functional and empirical aspects of neuromarketing tools. A better understanding of neuromarketing may increase our knowledge in its fundamental implications with marketing and management.

Introduction: Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common age-related neurodegenerative disease characterized by extracellular amyloid-b (Ab) plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles containing hyper-phosphorylated tau. As an important molecule in the pathogenesis of AD, Ab interferes with multiple aspects of mitochondrial function, including energy metabolism failure, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and permeability transition pore formation. Recent studies have demonstrated that Ab progressively accumulates within mitochondrial matrix and provides a direct link to mitochondrial toxicity. Convincing evidence demonstrates mitochondria as a crucial organel in ROS generation and links oxidative stress to the development of neuronal dysfunction and death, which suggests a key pathogenic role for oxidative stress in AD. In this review, we focus on changes in mitochondrial defects and oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of AD. Interaction of AD with Ab exaggerates Ab-mediated mitochondrial and neuronal perturbation, leading to impaired synaptic function and memory.Conclusion: Blockade of ROS generation may be a potential therapeutic strategy for treatment of AD.

Introduction: In spite of several decades of research, the technology of neuronal stimulation only in recent years has become the focus of the treatment of different neurological disorders. The potential use of stimulation of the neuronal tissues ranges from the spinal cord to different brain regions as well as to the implantations of cochlear system and bionic eyes. Electrical high-frequency deep brain stimulation (DBS) was developed as an alternative option to treat a few neurological disorders. However, with advancing in surgical procedures, technologies and safeties, the applications of DBS are expanding not only for therapeutic purposes but also for research. Although the exact mechanisms of actions are not fully understood, the outcome of the ongoing research and clinical trials are promising. DBS has been used to treat the essential tremor since 1997, Parkinson’s disease (PD) since 2002 and dystonia since 2003. It has also been used to treat various psychological disorders, including major depression.Conclusion: Although the therapeutic effect of DBS in PD is well established, in other diseases, such as epilepsy, the outcome is still unclear and ambiguous. This article is a review of the efficacy of DBS in PD, epilepsy as well as in obsessive compulsive disorder.