Investigating the effect of Cirsium vulgare hydroethanolic extract on neural stem cells proliferation
Volume 5, Issue 4, Winter 2015, Pages 385-391
https://doi.org/10.52547/JCT.5.4.385
A A, SM Kh, M S, F S, D N, R B
Abstract Aim: In vitro investigation of hydroethanolic extraction of Cirsium vulgare on growth rates of neonate rat neural stem cells. Material and Methods: Neural stem cells were isolated from hippocampus of neonatal rat brain. To determine optimal concentration of Cirsium vulgare extraction, isolated neural stem cells were treated with 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 µg/ml for 48 h and then cells proliferation rate were evaluated by MTT assay. In addition Sox2 mRNA expression in neural stem cells was evaluated using quantitative real-time PCR. Results: The results of this study showed that the Cirsium vulgare extract caused significant increase in cell proliferative activity and Sox2 mRNA expression when compared with the control group. Conclusion: with respect to the effect of Cirsium vulgare extract on the proliferation rate of neural stem cells, the use of hydroethanolic extraction of Cirsium vulgare can be used for clinical purposes to treat some of the neurodegenerative disorders such as ischemic stroke and spinal cord injury.
Study of microglia/macrophages activation using systemic administration of valproic acid as a histone deacetylase inhibitor
Volume 5, Issue 3, Autumn 2014, Pages 245-252
https://doi.org/10.52547/JCT.5.3.245
A A, T T, SM Kh
Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Valproic acid (VPA) as a histone deacetylase inhibitor on decrease of microglia /macrophage activaty and nervous tissue destruction after spinal cord injury of rat (SIC). Material and Methods: To SCI, contusion model was used. Ten contused rats were equally divided into two groups. Control group did not receive any injection and treatment group received valproic acid (400 mg/kg) intraperitoneally daily for two weeks. Rats were killed at 28 days post injury then damaged spinal cord was removed and examined for H4 acetylation, ED-1 and OX-42 positive cells using immunohistochemistry procedure. Also the cavity volume percentage in 4200 μm length of the spinal cord (central, rostral and caudal regions from the injury epicenter) was assessed for each sample. Results: Results showed increases of histone H4 acetylation and decreases of ED-1 (lysosomal marker) and OX-42 (microglia marker) positive cells. Also the percentage of cavity volume in valproic acid-treated group compared to control (untreated) showed significant decreases. Conclusion: Prescription of valproic acid in the early stages of SIC decreases microglia/macrophages activity, and neural tissue damage in a spinal cord injury model.