BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) has been introduced by since 1983 by Marshal and Warren to play the main role in the pathophysiology of gastritis and gastric ulcers. Almost half of the world population1 is infected by H. pylori. Current therapeutic regimen against H. pylori includes the use of a proton pump inhibitor plus two or more antibiotics. However, the efficacy of this regimen is decreasing mainly due to antibiotic resistance and side effects of medications. This fact has resulted in public interest in other therapeutic options and the role of probiotics merits special attention in this regard. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of honey-derived Lactobacillus rhamnosus on H. pylori-induced gastric inflammation and gastro-intestinal infection in C57BL/6 Mice. METHODS: The 24 C57BL/6 Mice were randomly divided into three groups of eight mice each. All the mice were fed with 1cc suspension containing 5*1010 CFU/ mL of ATCC43504 strains of H. pylori for 3 consecutive days, twice daily via polyethylene gavage tubes. At the end of 4th week, infection with H. pylori was confirmed with stool Ag (ELISA) and following sacrifice of one mouse from each group, histopathologic study confirmed gastritis. The groups were subjected to different therapies as stated, 1: without Bismuth (Bi), Omeprazole (Om) and L. rhamnosus prescription, 2: Bi, Om and Clarithromycin (Cl) and 3: Bi, Om plus 1cc of suspension of 109 CFU/mL of L. rhamnosus. After 2 weeks, the stool was analyzed for Ag and the mice were sacrificed for evaluation of histopathologic changes. RESULTS: Treatment with L. rhamnosus group provided Zero titer of stool Ag and was associated with improved gastric inflammation in all subjects, similar to the clarithromycin group. CONCLUSION: Honey-derived L. rhamnosus probiotics provides similar results as clarithromycin in terms of improvement of H. pylori infection and gastritis in C57BL/6 Mice model, without its cons of antibiotic resistance.

There are a number of procedures for regeneration of injured nerves; however, tissue engineering scaffolds seems to be a promising approach for recovery of the functionality of the injured nerves. Consequently, in this study, olibanum-collagen-gelatin scaffolds were fabricated by freeze-cast technology. For this purpose, the olibanum and collagen were extracted from natural sources. The effect of solidification gradient on microstructure and properties of scaffolds was investigated. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs showed the formation of lamellar-type microstructure in which the average pore size reduced with an increase in freezing rate. According to the results, the prepared scaffolds at lower freezing rate showed a slight reduction in mechanical strength while the swelling and biodegradation ratio were increased due to the presence of larger pores and unidirectional channels. The composition of scaffolds and oriented microstructure improved cellular interaction. In addition, scaffolds with lower freezing rate exhibited promising results in terms of adhesion, spreading, and proliferation. In brief, the synthesized scaffolds at lower solidification rate have the potential for more in vitro and in vivo analyses to regeneration of neural defects.

<b><i>Background and Aim:</i></b> <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> is one of the most common pathogenic bacteria in the human gut, and is also one of the most important factors that cause digestive disorders such as chronic inflammation, gastric ulcers, and even gastric cancer. Since the use of various antibiotics to treat <i>H. pylori</i> infection is associated with the development of resistance in this bacterium, the aim of this study was to determine the anti-<i>H. pylori</i> effects of <i>Lactobacillus acidophilus</i>, <i>L. plantarum</i>, and <i>L. rhamnosus</i> in the stomach tissue of C57BL/6 mice. <b><i>Materials and Methods:</i></b> In this experimental study, 70 mice in ten groups were evaluated from July to September 2017 in the microbiology laboratory of the School of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran. After induction of <i>H. pylori</i> infection in mice with the standard strain of <i>H. pylori</i> (ATCC 43504), the infected mice were treated with drug and <i>Lactobacillus</i> species in different groups. Then, the anti-<i>H. pylori</i> effects of lactobacilli were evaluated by stool antigen test and tissue staining. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Based on ELISA results and histological findings, a reduction of inflammation was observed. The group which was only exposed to <i>L. rhamnosus</i> and the one which was exposed to all three strains of <i>Lactobacillus</i> showed the highest antimicrobial effect on <i>H. pylori</i>. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> According to the results of this study, probiotic bacteria including <i>L. acidophilus</i>, <i>L. plantarum</i>, and <i>L. rhamnosus</i> could be useful in the reduction of <i>H. pylori</i> infection in the mouse model.

There is abundant evidence showing that repeated use of MDMA (3, 4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, ecstasy) has been associated with depression, anxiety and deficits in learning and memory, suggesting detrimental effects on hippocampus. Adenosine is an endogenous purine nucleoside that has a neuromodulatory role in the central nervous system. In the present study, we investigated the role of A2a adenosine receptors agonist (CGS) and antagonist (SCH) on the body temperature, learning deficits, and hippocampal cell death induced by MDMA administration. In this study, 63 adult, male, Sprague - Dawley rats were subjected to MDMA (10 and 20 mg/kg) followed by intraperitoneal CGS (0.03 mg/kg) or SCH (0.03 mg/kg) injection. The animals were tested for spatial learning in the Morris water maze (MWM) task performance, accompanied by a recording of body temperature, electron microscopy and stereological study. Our results showed that MDMA treatment increased body temperature significantly, and impaired the ability of rats to locate the hidden platform(P < 0.05). The number of hippocampal dark neurons also increased especially in CA1. These impairments were aggravated by co-administration of A2a antagonist (SCH) with MDMA. Furthermore, the administration of the A2a receptor agonist (CGS) provided partial protection against MWM deficits and hippocampal cell death(P < 0.05). This study provides for the first time evidence that, in contrast to A2a antagonist (SCH) effects, co-administration of A2a agonist (CGS) with MDMA can protect against MDMA hippocampal neurotoxic effects; providing a potential value in the prevention of learning deficits observed in MDMA users. However, the exact mechanism of these interactions requires further studies.

There is an abundance of evidence showing that repeated use of 3,4-methlylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ecstasy) is associated with brain dysfunction, memory disturbance, locomotor hyperactivity, and hyperthermia. MDMA is toxic to both the serotonergic neurons and dopaminergic system. Adenosine is an endogenous purine nucleoside with a neuromodulatory function in the central nervous system. Nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kB) plays a pivotal role in the initiation and perpetuation of an immune response by triggering the expression of major inflammatory mediators such as cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules. Here, we investigated the effects of the A2a adenosine receptor (A2a-R) agonist (CGS) and antagonist (SCH) on NF-kB expression after MDMA administration. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected to MDMA (10 mg/kg) followed by intraperitoneal injection of either CGS or SCH (0.03 mg/kg each) to animals. The hippocampi were then removed for western blot and RT- PCR analyses. MDMA significantly elevated NF-kB expression. Our results show that administration of CGS following MDMA significantly elevated the NF-kB expression both at mRNA and protein levels. By contrast, administration of the A2a-R antagonist SCH resulted in a decrease in the NF-kB levels. Taken together, these results indicate that, co-administration of A2a agonist (CGS) can protect against MDMA neurotoxic effects by increasing NF-kB expression levels; suggesting a potential application for protection against the neurotoxic effects observed in MDMA users.