Background:Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) is a common urological disorder in elderly men. Phytotherapy is frequently used to alleviate the symptoms of this condition.Objectives:The present study investigated the effect of Withania coagulans extract (WCE), which is known to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, and anti-cancer properties, on testosterone-induced BPH in rats.Materials and Methods:Forty Wistar rats were divided into five groups (each n = 8): the control group, the untreated BPH group, and three WCE-treated groups (WCE250, 500, and 1000). BPH was induced with 3 mg/kg subcutaneous injections of testosterone propionate for four weeks. WCE was concomitantly administrated by oral gavage. At the end of the induction schedule, the animals were sacrificed and their prostate glands were dissected, weighed, and fixed for histological examination (H&E and proliferating cell nuclear antigen [PCNA] staining). Half of each sample was prepared for measurement of malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels in the prostate.Results:The present study revealed that BPH caused elevation of MDA levels, suppression of TAC levels, and increased PCNA expression in the prostate gland. Interestingly, in a dose-dependent manner, WCE caused decreased MDA levels and increased TAC levels in the prostate gland, compared to the untreated BPH group. Histopathological examinations showed a reduction in PCNA expression in the prostate epithelium of the WCE animals.Conclusions:W. coagulans inhibits the development of BPH can be useful for the treatment of this condition.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related disease in which dopaminergic neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway are destroyed, resulting in movement and behavioral problems. Oxidative stress and the generation of reactive oxygen species play key roles in neurodegenerative diseases, such as PD. Rotenone (ROT) is a common pesticide that induces oxidative stress. Olive leaves extract (OLE) has antioxidant and neuroprotective effects. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of OLE on ROT-induced oxidative stress in the midbrain of a rat model of PD. Ninety-six Wistar rats were randomly divided into the following 6 groups (n = 16 rats/group): Control, Sham, ROT, and 3 ROT + OLE (75, 150, and 300 mg/kg/daily) groups. ROT (2.5 mg/kg/48 h) was injected subcutaneously, and vehicle or OLE was orally administered for 30 days. The animals were then sacrificed, and their brains were removed. Biochemical measures, including the levels of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA), and the number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons were determined, and behavioral (rotarod and hanging) tests were conducted. The balance and muscle strength of the OLE (150 and 300 mg/kg)-treated groups were significantly improved. Treatment with OLE prevented the increases in the levels of MDA, significantly improved the SOD, CAT, and GPx levels in the midbrain, and prevented the depletion of the TH-positive neurons. These findings suggested that OLE has neuroprotective properties and that it might be useful for preventing the death of dopaminergic neurons in patients with PD.
Background: Olive (Olea europaea), from the Oleaseae family, is a very popular plant for its biological and pharmacological characteristics. Olive tree derivatives possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihyperlipidemic, and cardioprotective effects.
This study describes a new accessible source of neuronal stem cells that can be used in Parkinson's disease cell transplant. The human olfactory bulb contains neural stem cells (NSCs) that are responsible for neurogenesis in the brain and the replacement of damaged cellular components throughout life. NSCs are capable of differentiating into neuronal and glial cells. We isolated NSCs from the olfactory bulb of brain-death donors and differentiated them into dopaminergic neurons. The olfactory bulb tissues obtained were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium/nutrient mixture F12, B27 supplemented with basic fibroblast growth factor, epidermal growth factor and leukemia inhibitory factor. The NSCs and proliferation markers were assessed. The multipotentiality of olfactory bulb NSCs was demonstrated by their capacity to differentiate into neurons, oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. To generate dopaminergic neurons, olfactory bulb NSCs were differentiated in neurobasal medium, supplemented with B27, and treated with sonic hedgehog, fibroblast growth factor 8 and glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor from the 7th to the 21st day, followed by detection of dopaminergic neuronal markers including tyrosine hydroxylase and aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase. The cells were expanded, established in continuous cell lines and differentiated into the two classical neuronal phenotypes. The percentage of co-positive cells (microtubule-associated protein 2 and tyrosine hydroxylase; aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase and tyrosine hydroxylase) in the treated cells was significantly higher than in the untreated cells. These results illustrate the existence of multipotent NSCs in the adult human olfactory bulb that are capable of differentiating toward putative dopaminergic neurons in the presence of trophic factors. Taken together, our data encourage further investigations of the possible use of olfactory bulb NSCs as a promising cell-based therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease.
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