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The current study suggests that thymoquinone is able to improve the UUO-induced renal tissue damage. These favorable actions of thymoquinone on UUO model in rat are comparable with the well-known RAS inhibitors captopril and losartan.

Nanoscale titanium dioxide (TiO2), which is massively produced and widely used in living environment, seems to have a potential risk on human health. The central nervous system (CNS) is the potential susceptible target of nanoparticles, but the studies on this aspect are limited so far. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of exposure to TiO2 nanoparticles during lactation period on learning and memory of offspring. Lactating Wistar rats were exposed to TiO2 nanoparticles (100 mg/kg; gavage) for 21 days. The Morris water maze and passive avoidance tests showed that the exposure to TiO2 nanoparticles could significantly impair the memory and learning in the offspring. Therefore, the application of TiO2 nanoparticles and the effects of their exposure, especially during developmental period on human brain should be cautious.

BackgroundMaternal epileptic seizures during pregnancy can affect the hippocampal neurons in the offspring. The polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM), which is expressed in the developing central nervous system, may play important roles in neuronal migration, synaptogenesis, and axonal outgrowth. This study was designed to assess the effects of kindling either with or without maternal seizures on hippocampal PSA-NCAM expression in rat offspring.MethodsForty timed-pregnant Wistar rats were divided into four groups: A) Kind+/Seiz+, pregnant kindled (induced two weeks prior to pregnancy) rats that received repeated intraperitoneal (i.p.) pentylenetetrazol, PTZ injections on gestational days (GD) 14-19; B) Kind-/Seiz+, pregnant non-kindled rats that received PTZ injections on GD14-GD19; C) Kind+/Seiz-, pregnant kindled rats that did not receive any PTZ injections; and D) Kind-/Seiz-, the sham controls. Following birth, the pups were sacrificed on PD1 and PD14, and PSA-NCAM expression and localization in neonates’ hippocampi were analyzed by Western blots and immunohistochemistry.ResultsOur data show a significant down regulation of hippocampal PSA-NCAM expression in the offspring of Kind+/Seiz+ (p = 0.001) and Kind-/Seiz+ (p = 0.001) groups compared to the sham control group. The PSA-NCAM immunoreactivity was markedly decreased in all parts of the hippocampus, especially in the CA3 region, in Kind+/Seiz+ (p = 0.007) and Kind-/Seiz+ (p = 0.007) group’s newborns on both PD1 and 14.ConclusionOur findings demonstrate that maternal seizures but not kindling influence the expression of PSA-NCAM in the offspring’s hippocampi, which may be considered as a factor for learning/memory and cognitive impairments reported in children born to epileptic mothers.

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