Tehran University Medical Journal

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Background: The renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) is enhanced in renal failure. Paraventricular nucleus in hypothalamus is an important central site to regulate sympathetic activity. There are angiotensin II (Ang) II receptors in this nucleus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of angiotensin II in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) on renal ischemia-reperfusion injury and RSNA. Methods: This study was done at 2013 in Physiology department of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. One week before the induction of renal Ischemia-Reperfusion (IR) in Sprague-Dawley rats, a cannula was inserted into the right PVN for microinjection of different doses of Ang II (3, 30, and 300 ng). Then right nephrectomy was done. After one week recovery, renal IR injury was induced by clamping the left renal artery for 45 minute and then reperfusion for 3 or 24 hour. Ten minutes before the induction of renal ischemia-reperfusion, administration of different doses of angiotensin II were done in different groups. In all animals, left renal sympathetic activity was recorded before and during renal ischemia. After 3 or 24 hours reperfusion the blood, kidney and brain were collected to assay renal function and histology and oxidative stress indices Superoxide Dismutase, SOD and Malondialdehyde, MDA) in PVN. Results: Administration of different pharmacological doses of angiotensin II into PVN exaggerated the renal IR injury. Angiotensin II in different doses increased the plasma creatinine and BUN levels and renal histological markers in comparison to renal IR in-jury (P<0.05). Angiotensin II had detrimental effects on RSNA and oxidative stress in-dices Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD) and Malondialdehyde (MDA) in PVN as the dose was increased (P<0.05). Conclusion: These data showed that the PVN is a responsive site for central Ang II-induced damage in renal IR injury. We suggested the central effects of Ang II in the PVN on renal IR injury are mediated by oxidative stress in the PVN, and the peripheral effects by a sympathetic pathway.

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Background: Approximately 50% to 80% of women experience varying degrees of postpartum depression. Oxidative stress is involved in many diseases, including depression. Common production of lipid peroxidation by oxidative stress is malondialdehyde (MDA). The endocannabinoid system is a nervous regulator and convoy the impression that the circulatory levels of endocannabinoid is significantly reduced in depressed women. The major purpose of this paper was to evaluate activity of the major antioxidant and endocannabinoid index in postpartum depression. Methods: A total of 130 women were entered in a case-control study in 12 Bahman Health Center from April 2011 to August 2011. In 4th to 6th week after delivery, women were equally divided into 2 groups based on Edinburg questionnaire (normal and postpartum depressive women). Serum MDA, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and RBC catalase levels were determined to investigate the oxidative status. In addition, Mass spectrometry was applied for the analysis of serum anandamide (AEA) and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). Results: Based on Edinburg questionnaire, however, women age, husband age, husband marital number, gravidity, children number, salary and house size have no significant effect on postpartum depression, marital period was significantly increased postpartum depression (P< 0.05). In addition, women education, husband education, wanted or unwanted pregnancy from women, neonatal sex, satisfaction of neonatal sex from women and husbands, breast feeding and delivery have no significant effect on postpartum depression, and women Job (P< 0.001), husband job (P< 0.001), wanted or unwanted pregnancy from husbands (P< 0.05) were significantly changed postpartum depression. Serum MDA and RBC catalase levels were not significantly higher in depress compared with the normal group. TAC was significantly decreased in patients having postpartum depression (P< 0.05). Serum AEA and 2-AG levels were significantly lower in depress compared with the normal group (P< 0.01). Conclusion: Women’s Job, husband’s job, wanted or unwanted pregnancy from husbands and marital period are associated to postpartum depression. In postpartum depression, TAC, AEA and 2-AG are reduced. So it can be concluded that both antioxidant system and endocannabinoid concentration involved in the development of postpartum depression.

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Background: In the present study, we hypothesized that conditioned medium (CM) derived from mesenchymal stem cells attenuates the brain oxidative stress in sepsis induced by the cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model.
Methods: This study was performed in the Department of Physiology at Tehran University of Medical Sciences from August 2018 to April 2019. Conditioned medium was collected from mesenchymal stem cells isolated from rat's adipose tissues at the second culture passage. Male Wistar rats weighting (220-250 g) were randomly divided into three experimental groups (n=8 each): Sham, Sepsis and CM. Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture model in the Sepsis and CM groups. Animals in the CM group received the conditioned medium from 5×10⁵ mesenchymal stem cells (2 h after sepsis induction, i. p., 3-5 mL). The systolic blood pressure and O2 saturation were measured 24 h after the treatment. The plasma and brain tissue samples were taken for inflammatory and oxidative stress assessment, respectively.

Results: Septic rats showed a significantly lower systolic blood pressure and O2 saturation level. They also had a significant increase in the plasma inflammatory indices (tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α], interleukin-6 [IL-6]) and brain malondialdehyde (MDA) content as well as a significant reduction in the brain superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity compared to the Sham group. The CM group had significantly higher systolic blood pressure and O2 saturation level compared to the septic rats. The animals in the CM group showed a significant attenuation in the plasma inflammatory indices (TNF-α and IL-6) and brain MDA content while having a significantly higher brain SOD activity compared to the Sepsis group. Conclusion: Our findings showed that conditioned medium derived from mesenchymal stem cells has protective effects in preventing the inflammatory and oxidative stress status and may be suggested as a promising treatment in patients suffering from sepsis and septic shock.