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The study tested new oral plant‐based formulations (F) on rats with monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)‐induced osteoarthritis, measuring inflammation, antioxidant levels, paw size, stride, and analyzing knee joint images. Fifty‐six female Sprague Dawley rats were allocated into 8 groups: (1) Control, (2) MIA (OA induced with MIA), (3) MIA + F1 [curcuminoids+gingerols+acetyl‐11‐keto‐β boswellic acid (AKBA)], (4) MIA + F2 (curcuminoids+Withania glycosides+AKBA), (5) MIA + F3 (curcuminoids+total withanolides+AKBA), (6) MIA + F4 (curcuminoids, AKBA), (7) MIA + UCII (type II collagen), and (8) MIA + GCHON (Glucosamine Chondroitin). Treatments F1 to F4 reduced right joint diameter and improved stride length and paw area in OA rats. Despite improvements with treatments F1 to F4, there was no significant difference between these groups (p >.05). In OA animals, F1 to F4 treatments decreased MDA levels and increased antioxidant enzymes activities (p <.001). This was done by reducing levels of inflammatory markers and enzymes like IL‐1β, IL‐6, MMP‐8, TNF‐α, CRP, COMP, and LOX‐5, while increasing the anti‐inflammatory cytokine IL‐10. In conclusion, these plant‐based treatments significantly reduced osteoarthritis severity, slowed disease progression by reducing inflammation, and protected joints from damage, showing a protective effect in rats with induced osteoarthritis, likely due to their anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Premature ovarian failure (POF) rat models are essential for elucidating the hormonal and ovarian molecular mechanisms of human POF diseases and developing new therapeutic agents. This study aimed to compare the applicability of chronic immobilization stress (CIS) as a POF model with that of cisplatin and to examine the impact of AP39, a mitochondrial protective agent, on ovarian function in rats treated with cisplatin and CIS. Methods: Sixty Sprague--Dawley female rats were divided equally into six groups (10 per group): Control, Cisplatin, AP39, Cisplatin + AP39, CIS, and CIS + AP39. Ovarian dysfunction was induced with cisplatin (3 mg/kg) or CIS. Forced swim test, hormone concentrations, estrous cyclicity, histopathology, follicle counts, and molecular alterations in the ovary and mitochondria were analyzed. Results: In the CIS and cisplatin groups, mitochondrial biogenesis, egg quality, hormonal profile, estrous cycle, and folliculogenesis significantly declined. Nonetheless, most of the parameters with undesirable results did not normalize after AP39 administration. Conclusions: The cisplatin- and CIS-treated rats exhibited unshared deteriorated hormonal pathways and similarly disrupted gene expression patterns. Our current CIS model did not meet the human POF criteria, which include decreased estradiol levels, despite having advantages in terms of ease of modeling and reproducibility and demonstrating pathological changes similar to those observed in human POF. Therefore, rather than using this model as an POF model, using it as a representation of stress-induced ovarian dysfunction would be more appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fullerene C60 exhibits potent antioxidant anti-inflammatory activities as well as anticancer activities. In this study using 60 Wistar albino female rats (n = 60, 8 weeks old), they rats were divided into 4 groups, including 15 rats each. The groups were arranged as follows: (i) Control Group: Group fed with standard diet; (ii) C60 Group: C60 (1.7 mg/kg bw, oral gavage); (iii) DMBA (7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene) Group: DMBA (45 mg/kg bw, oral gavage); (iv) C60 and DMBA Group: C60 (1.7 mg/kg bw, oral gavage) and DMBA (45 mg/kg bw, oral gavage) group. DMBA increased the malondialdehyde levels in muscle tissue, while decreasing GSH and CAT levels; however, treatment with fullerene C60 reversed these effects. In addition, the oral administration of fullerene C60 increased caspase-3 and Nrf-2 protein expression and significantly decreased Bcl-2, NF-κB, TNF-α, COX-2 and p38α (MAPK) protein expression in C60 + DMBA compared to the DMBA group. Moreover, histopathological imaging revealed that the oral administration of fullerene C60 decreases inflammatory cells, edema formation, and hydropic degeneration in the muscles. Taken together, the results of the present study indicated that fullerene C60 nanoparticle provides effective protection by preventing muscle tissue damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to light-emitting diode (LED) light is a primary cause of retinal damage, resulting in vision loss. Several plant-derived substances, such as lutein and quercetagetin (QCG), show promise in supporting eye health. In this study, the impact of lutein/zeaxanthin (L/Z, Lutemax 2020) and QCG were evaluated individually and together in a rat model of LED-induced retinal damage. A total of 63 Wistar rats were allocated into nine groups (n = 7). For 28 days, the rats received L/Z (10 or 20 mg/kg BW), quercetin (QC, 20 mg/kg BW), QCG (10 or 20 mg/kg BW), or a mixture of different lutein and QCG dosages, after which they were exposed to LED light for 48 h. LED exposure led to a spike in serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and inflammatory cytokines, as well as an increase in retinal NF-κB, ICAM, GFAP, and MCP-1 levels (p < 0.0001 for all). It also reduced serum antioxidant enzyme activities and retinal Nrf2, HO-1, GAP43, NCAM, and outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness (p < 0.0001 for all). However, administering L/Z and QCG, particularly a 1:1 combination of L/Z and QCG at 20 mg/kg, effectively reversed these changes. The treatment suppressed NF-κB, ICAM, GFAP, and MCP-1 while enhancing Nrf2, HO-1, GAP43, and NCAM and preventing ONL thickness reduction in LED-induced retinal damage rats. In conclusion, while LED light exposure caused retinal damage, treatment with L/Z, QC, and QCG, particularly a combined L/Z and QCG regimen, exhibited protective effects on the retina. This is possibly due to the modulation of neuroplasticity markers and nuclear transcription factors in the rats' retinal cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fullerene C60 is known to have particularly strong antioxidant ability to protect against oxidative stress-induced dysfunctions and tissue damage. In this study, the preventive effects of C60 were investigated in rats that caused eye tissue damage with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA). 60 Wistar albino female rats were used in the study. Groups: (i) Control Group: Group fed with standard diet; (ii) C60 Group: Fullerene C60 (1.7 mg/kg bw, oral gavage) given group; (iii) DMBA Group: The group given DMBA (45 mg/kg bw, oral gavage); (iv) C60 + DMBA Group: Fulleren C60 (1.7 mg/kg bw, oral gavage) and DMBA (45 mg/kg bw, oral gavage) group. Each group included 15 female rats and the study continued for 16 weeks. The protein levels were determined by western blotting and the biochemistry parameters were determined with spectrophotometric assays in rat eye tissue homogenates. Compared to the DMBA given group in the eye tissue, a decrease was observed in MDA levels and IL-1α and COX-2 protein expression levels, and an increase in GSH level, CAT activity and caspase-3, HO-1, p53 and Beclin-1 expression levels in the C60 given groups. Our results show that fullerene C60 protects eye tissue from oxidative damage and reduces inflammation via trigging HO-1 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this investigation was to investigate the protective effects of fullerene C60 nanoparticle against pancreatic damage experimentally induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz [a] anthracene (DMBA) in female rats. Fullerene C60 nanoparticle was administered to rats 5 times a week by oral gavage (o.g) at 1.7 mg/kg bw 7 days after DMBA administration. 60 Wistar albino female rats divided to four groups; Groups: (1) Control group: Fed with standard diet; (2) Fullerene C60 group: Fullerene C60 (1.7 mg/kg bw); (3) DMBA group: DMBA (45 mg/kg bw); (4) Fullerene C60 + DMBA group: Fullerene C60 (1.7 mg/kg bw) and DMBA (45 mg/kg bw). Lipid peroxidation malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase activity (CAT) and glutathione (GSH) levels in pancreatic tissue were determined by spectrophotometer. Protein expression levels of p53, HO-1, p38-α (MAPK), Nrf-2, NF-κB and COX-2 in pancreatic tissue were determined by western blotting technique. In our findings, compared to the group given DMBA, MDA levels and p38-α, NF-κB and COX-2 levels decreased, CAT activity, GSH level, total protein density and p53, HO-1, Nrf-2 levels in the groups given fullerene C60 nanoparticle an increase in expression levels was observed. Our results showed that fullerene C60 nanoparticle may be more beneficial in preventing pancreatic damage. Graphical Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of fullerene C60 nanoparticles against 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced lung tissue damage in rats. 60 Wistar albino (8 weeks old) female rats were assigned into four groups: Control Group (C), Fullerene C60, DMBA, and Fullerene C60+DMBA. The rats in the DMBA and Fullerene C60+DMBA groups were administered DMBA (45 mg/kg bw, oral gavage). The rats in Fullerene C60, and Fullerene C60+DMBA groups were administered with Fullerene C60 (1.7 mg/kg bw, oral gavage). Expression levels of cytochrome-C, caspase-3, beclin-1, IL-1α, HO-1 and p53 proteins in lung tissue were determined by western blotting, lipid peroxidation malondialdehyde (MDA) analyzes, glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase activity (CAT) and total protein levels were determined by spectrophotometer. In addition, lung tissues were evaluated by histopathologically. Fullerene C60 reduced the increasing of MDA and IL-1α protein expression levels and attenuated histopathological changes in lung. Moreover, fullerene C60 enhanced the protein expression of cytochrome-C, caspase-3, beclin-1, HO-1, and p53, which were decreased in the DMBA group. Fullerene C60 has strong biological activity that it might be an effective approach for lung damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]