19 results on '"Houshmand F"'
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2. Neuronal differentiation of green fluorescent protein expressing P19 embryonal carcinoma cells by deprenyl, an antiparkinson drug.
- Author
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Bakhshalizadeh, S. H., Esmaeili, F., Shirzad, H., Houshmand, F., Ebrahimi-Hafshejani, M., and Ghasemi, S.
- Abstract
Background and aims: P19 cells are a line of pluripotent embryonal carcinoma stem cells, that are able to grow continuously in serum-supplemented media and can be induced to differentiate into all three lineages, mesoderm, endoderm and ectoderm. The sequence of foreign DNA can be introduced into these cells using of standard methods of transfection, through which to examine the cell function and differentiation. This study aimed to induce neuronal phenotype in P19 cells transfected with green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene, using an antiparkinson drug, deprenyl. Methods: In this laboratory descriptive study, calcium phosphate precipitation method was used to introduce pML8 plasmid, encoding GFP and puromycin resistance gene, into these cells. The cells were cultured using MEM-A medium, supplemented with 15% fetal bovine serum. Here 10
8 M concentrations of deprenyl was used to induce embryoid body differentiation to neuronal lineage. Cresyl violet staining was used to evaluate the morphology of differentiated P19 cells. In addition, immunofluorescence techniques was used to evaluate neuron specific proteins, synaptophysin and β-III tubulin. Results: In addition to production of stable transfected P19 cells, neuronal differentiation of these cells was carried out by the effect of deprenyl induction. GFP-positive neurons derived from embryonic carcinoma cells expressed neuron specific markers. Conclusions: GFP-positive differentiated cells can be used in transplantation studies and basic researches in association with cell therapy and neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2014
3. The Efficacy and Safety of Intrathecal Autologous Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Pilot Study.
- Author
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Shamsaei G, Houshmand F, Ahmadzadeh Deylami A, Valizadeh A, Rafie S, and Moradi M
- Abstract
Purpose: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an uncommon and aggressive neurodegenerative disorder that influences the lower and upper motor neurons. There are low eligible drugs for ALS treatment; in this regard, supplemental and replacement treatments are essential. There are relative studies in the field of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) therapy in ALS, but the different methods, differently used medium, and difference in follow-up periods affect the outcome treatment. Methods: The current survey is a single-center, phase I clinical trial to evaluating the efficacy and safety of autologous bone marrow (BM)-derived MSCs through intrathecal administration in ALS patients. MNCs were isolated from BM specimens and cultured. The clinical outcome was evaluated based Revised Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating (ALSFRS-R) Scale. Results: Each patient received 15±3×10
6 cells through subarachnoid space. No adverse events (AEs) were detected. Just one patient experienced a mild headache after injection. Following injection, no new intradural cerebrospinal pathology transplant-related was observed. None of the patients' pathologic disruptions following transplantation were detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The additional analyses have shown the average rate of ALSFRS-R score and forced vital capacity (FVC) reduction have decreased during 10 months following MSCs transplantation versus the pretreatment period, from -5.4±2.3 to -2±3.08 ALSFRS-R points/period ( P =0.014) and -12.6±5.22% to -4.8±14.72%/period ( P <0.001), respectively. Conclusion: These results have shown that autologous MSCs transplantation reduces the disease's progression and has favorable safety. Trial Registration: This study performed as a phase I clinical trial (code IRCT20200828048551N1)., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. All procedure performs in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or compare ethical strand., (©2023 The Authors.)- Published
- 2023
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4. Correction to: Exciton effect in new generation of carbon nanotubes: graphdiyne nanotubes.
- Author
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Houshmand F, Friedman R, Jalili S, and Schofield J
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- 2023
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5. A Comparative Study of the Registry System effect on Patients Satisfaction Rate in Two Emergency Department Settings.
- Author
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Delice O, Shams Vahdati S, Arslan S, Alireza A, Hosseinifar H, Houshmand F, Habtemariam S, and Rezabakhsh A
- Abstract
Objective: To assess the patient's satisfaction rate during two distinct registry procedures in the emergency department., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in educational hospitals with a high volume of patient's admission in Tabriz-Iran and Erzurum-Turkey. In this study, we used a Press Ganey questionnaire as a data collection tool that was filled out with patients or their companions before discharging or referred to other areas (wards). Finally, data were analyzed by using SPSS software version 16., Results: The included patients were from three-admission time courses includes morning, evening, and night shifts. The present study results indicated that the total satisfaction score was two scores higher than the classic one ( p <0.001) in the model registry system. Furthermore, the findings of the current study interestingly showed a correlation between satisfaction rate and education level as well as patient's location. Thus, patients with moderate education levels had a higher satisfaction rate in urban regions when compared with rural regions and higher/lower education levels ( p =0.03)., Conclusion: Patients' satisfaction rate with multiple variables can be improved by designing an appropriate registry procedure., Competing Interests: None declared.
- Published
- 2021
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6. Metformin accelerates myelin recovery and ameliorates behavioral deficits in the animal model of multiple sclerosis via adjustment of AMPK/Nrf2/mTOR signaling and maintenance of endogenous oligodendrogenesis during brain self-repairing period.
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Sanadgol N, Barati M, Houshmand F, Hassani S, Clarner T, Shahlaei M, and Golab F
- Subjects
- AMP-Activated Protein Kinases metabolism, Animals, Apoptosis drug effects, Corpus Callosum drug effects, Male, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Molecular Docking Simulation, Myelin Sheath pathology, NF-E2-Related Factor 2 metabolism, Oligodendroglia metabolism, Oxidants metabolism, TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases metabolism, Metformin pharmacology, Motor Activity drug effects, Multiple Sclerosis drug therapy, Myelin Sheath drug effects, Myelin Sheath metabolism, Oligodendroglia drug effects, Signal Transduction drug effects
- Abstract
Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a devastating autoimmune disorder characterized by oligodendrocytes (OLGs) loss and demyelination. In this study, we have examined the effects of metformin (MET) on the oligodendrogenesis, redox signaling, apoptosis, and glial responses during a self-repairing period (1-week) in the animal model of MS., Methods: For induction of demyelination, C57BL/6 J mice were fed a 0.2% cuprizone (CPZ) for 5 weeks. Thereafter, CPZ was removed for 1-week and molecular and behavioral changes were monitored in the presence or absence of MET (50 mg/kg body weight/day)., Results: MET remarkably increased the localization of precursor OLGs (NG2
+ /O4+ cells) and subsequently the renewal of mature OLGs (MOG+ cells) in the corpus callosum via AMPK/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. Moreover, we observed a significant elevation in the antioxidant responses, especially in mature OLGs (MOG+ /nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2+ ) cells) after MET intervention. MET also reduced brain apoptosis markers and lessened motor dysfunction in the open-field test. While MET was unable to decrease active astrogliosis (GFAP mRNA), it reduced microgliosis by down-regulation of Mac-3 mRNA a marker of pro-inflammatory microglia/macrophages. Molecular modeling studies, likewise, confirmed that MET exerts its effects via direct interaction with AMPK., Conclusions: Altogether, our study reveals that MET effectively induces lesion reduction and elevated molecular processes that support myelin recovery via direct activation of AMPK and indirect regulation of AMPK/Nrf2/mTOR pathway in OLGs. These findings facilitate the development of new therapeutic strategies based on AMPK activation for MS in the near future.- Published
- 2020
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7. Metformin-induced AMPK activation stimulates remyelination through induction of neurotrophic factors, downregulation of NogoA and recruitment of Olig2+ precursor cells in the cuprizone murine model of multiple sclerosis.
- Author
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Houshmand F, Barati M, Golab F, Ramezani-Sefidar S, Tanbakooie S, Tabatabaei M, Amiri M, and Sanadgol N
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- AMP-Activated Protein Kinases metabolism, Animals, Disease Models, Animal, Down-Regulation, Enzyme Activation drug effects, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic drug effects, Male, Metformin pharmacology, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Multiple Sclerosis chemically induced, Multiple Sclerosis enzymology, Multiple Sclerosis genetics, Nerve Growth Factors metabolism, Oligodendrocyte Transcription Factor 2 metabolism, AMP-Activated Protein Kinases genetics, Cuprizone adverse effects, Metformin administration & dosage, Multiple Sclerosis drug therapy, Nerve Growth Factors genetics, Oligodendrocyte Transcription Factor 2 genetics
- Abstract
Purpose: Oligodendrocytes (OLGs) damage and myelin distraction is considered as a critical step in many neurological disorders especially multiple sclerosis (MS). Cuprizone (cup) animal model of MS targets OLGs degeneration and frequently used to the mechanistic understanding of de- and remyelination. The aim of this study was exploring the effects of metformin on the OLGs regeneration, myelin repair and profile of neurotrophic factors in the mice brain after cup-induced acute demyelination., Methods: Mice (C57BL/6 J) were fed with chow containing 0.2% cup for 5 weeks to induce specific OLGs degeneration and acute demyelination. Next, the cup was withdrawn to allow one-week recovery (spontaneous remyelination). At the end of this period, mature OLGs markers, myelin-associated neurite outgrowth inhibitor protein A (NogoA), premature specific OLGs transcription factor (Olig2), anti-apoptosis marker (survivin), neurotrophic factors, and AMPK activation were monitored in the presence or absence of metformin (50 mg/kg body weight/day) in the corpus callosum (CC)., Results: Our finding indicated that consumption of metformin during the recovery period potentially induced an active form of AMPK (p-AMPK) and promoted repopulation of mature OLGs (MOG
+ cells, MBP+ cells) in CC through up-regulation of BDNF, CNTF, and NGF as well as down-regulation of NogoA and recruitment of Olig2+ precursor cells., Conclusions: This study for the first time reveals that metformin-induced AMPK, a master regulator of energy homeostasis, activation following toxic demyelination could potentially accelerate regeneration and supports spontaneous demyelination. These findings suggest the development of new therapeutic strategies based on AMPK activation for MS in the near future. Graphical abstract An overview of the possible molecular mechanisms of action of metformin-mediated remyelinationa.- Published
- 2019
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8. A novel diagnostic approach for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia using fine-needle aspiration, electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy and rapid on-site evaluation.
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Houshmand F, Aly FZ, and Bowling MR
- Abstract
Cavitary lung lesions are common in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infections. Both atypical infections and thoracic malignancies can manifest as a cavitary pulmonary lesion. Standard bronchoscopy is commonly used to evaluate these abnormalities but is limited in its ability to fully assess for cancer and infection. Bronchoalveolar lavage samples are likely to aid in the diagnosis of infection but are less useful in the evaluation of malignancy. In addition, many of these pulmonary lesions are located in the periphery of the lung and are not accessible for tissue sampling by standard bronchoscopy. We present a unique presentation of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia and discuss the utility of electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy in the evaluation of immunocompromised patients with peripheral cavitary lung lesion., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2019 Annals of Thoracic Medicine.)
- Published
- 2019
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9. Effect of different doses of oxytocin on cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias induced by ischemia.
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Houshmand F, Faghihi M, Imani A, and Kheiri S
- Abstract
The onset of acute myocardial ischemia (MI) is accompanied by a rapid increase in electrical instability and often fatal ventricular arrhythmias. This study investigated that whether oxytocin (OT) can modulate ischemia-induced arrhythmias and considered relationships between the severity of arrhythmia and the electrocardiogram parameters during ischemia. OT (0.0001-1 μg) was administrated intraperitoneally 30 min before ischemia. To examine receptor involved, a selective OT-receptor antagonist, atosiban (ATO), was infused 10 min before OT. OT caused a significant and biphasic dose-dependent reduction in ectopic heart activity and arrhythmia score. OT doses that reduced ventricular arrhythmia elicited significant increase in QT interval. OT attenuated the electrophysiological changes associated with MI and there was significant direct relationship between QRS duration and arrhythmia score. ATO treatment reduced beneficial effects of OT on arrhythmogenesis. Nevertheless, ATO failed to alter OT effects on premature ventricular contractions. We assume that the ability of OT to modulate the electrical activity of the heart may play an important role in the antiarrhythmic actions of OT., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.
- Published
- 2017
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10. The randomized clinical trial of coenzyme Q10 for the prevention of periprocedural myocardial injury following elective percutaneous coronary intervention.
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Aslanabadi N, Safaie N, Asgharzadeh Y, Houshmand F, Ghaffari S, Garjani A, Dousti S, Hamishehkar H, and Entezari-Maleki T
- Subjects
- Aged, Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary instrumentation, Anti-Inflammatory Agents adverse effects, Biomarkers blood, C-Reactive Protein metabolism, Creatine Kinase, MB Form blood, Female, Heart Diseases blood, Heart Diseases etiology, Humans, Iran, Male, Middle Aged, Pilot Projects, Prospective Studies, Single-Blind Method, Stents, Time Factors, Treatment Outcome, Troponin I blood, Ubiquinone adverse effects, Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary adverse effects, Anti-Inflammatory Agents administration & dosage, Heart Diseases prevention & control, Ubiquinone administration & dosage
- Abstract
Introduction: Periprocedural myocardial injury (PMI) following elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is an important therapeutic concern with remaining some mortality and morbidity. To the best of our knowledge, there is no published study that investigates the potential benefit of CoQ10 in preventing PMI following elective PCI., Methods: In a randomized, clinical trial, 100 patients who scheduled for elective PCI were allocated in to the intervention (n=50) and control group (n=50). The intervention received a 300 mg loading dose CoQ10 12 hours before procedure. The level of CK-MB and troponin-I was measured before procedure, and 8 and 24 hours after. Furthermore, hs-CRP was measured at baseline and 24 hours after. All patients were assessed for the incidence of major adverse cardiac effects (MACEs) after 1 month., Results: The CK-MB elevation (above the upper limit normal) was occurred in 22% (n=11) of CoQ10 and 20% (n=10) of control (P=.806). The elevation of troponin-I was documented in 8% (n=4) of both groups. No significant change in the level of cardiac biomarkers was noted. However, the significant reduction in hs-CRP level was occurred in CoQ10 group (P=.032)., Conclusion: The results showed that pretreatment with 300 mg CoQ10 12 hours before procedure could not reduce PMI following elective PCI, however, significantly decreased hs-CRP., (© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
- Published
- 2016
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11. Differentiation of P19 embryonal carcinoma stem cells into insulin-producing cells promoted by pancreas-conditioned medium.
- Author
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Mansouri A, Esmaeili F, Nejatpour A, Houshmand F, Shabani L, and Ebrahimie E
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- Animals, Antigens, Differentiation biosynthesis, Biomarkers, Tumor biosynthesis, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic, Mice, Mice, Inbred BALB C, Cell Differentiation, Embryonal Carcinoma Stem Cells metabolism, Insulin-Secreting Cells metabolism
- Abstract
The ability of embryonal carcinoma )EC (stem cells to generate insulin-producing cells (IPCs) is still unknown. We examined the trophic effects of pancreas-conditioned medium (PCM) on in vitro production of IPCs. Initially, P19 EC cells were characterized by the expression of stem cell markers, Oct3/4, Sox-2 and Nanog. To direct differentiation, P19-derived embryoid bodies (EBs) were induced by selection of nestin-positive cells and treatment with different concentrations of PCM. Morphological studies documented the presence of islet-like cell IPCs clusters. The differentiated cells were immunoreactive for β cell-specific proteins, including insulin, proinsulin, C-peptide and insulin receptor-β. The expression of genes related to pancreatic β cell development and function (PDX-1, INS1, INS2, EP300 and CREB1) was confirmed by qPCR. During differentiation, the expression of EP300 and CREB1 increased by 2.5 and 3.1 times, respectively. In contrast, a sharp decrease in the expression of Oct3/4, Sox-2 and Nanog by 4, 1.5 and 1.5 times, respectively, was observed. The differentiated cells were functionally active, synthesizing and secreting insulin in a glucose-regulated manner. Network prediction highlighted crosstalk between PDX-1 transcription factor and INS2 ligand in IPC generation and revealed positive regulatory effects of EP300, CREB1, PPARA, EGR, KIT, GLP1R, and PKT2 on activation of PDX-1 and INS2. This is the first report of the induction of IPC differentiation from EC cells by using neonate mouse PCM. Since P19 EC cells are widely available, easily cultured without feeders and do not require special growth conditions, they would provide a valuable tool for studying pancreatic β cell differentiation and development. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., (Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)
- Published
- 2016
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12. Role of atrial natriuretic Peptide in oxytocin induced cardioprotection.
- Author
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Houshmand F, Faghihi M, and Zahediasl S
- Subjects
- Animals, Enzyme Inhibitors pharmacology, Hormone Antagonists pharmacology, Lipid Peroxidation drug effects, Male, Myocardial Infarction metabolism, Myocardial Reperfusion Injury metabolism, NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester pharmacology, Oxytocics pharmacology, Peptides, Cyclic pharmacology, Rats, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Vasotocin analogs & derivatives, Vasotocin pharmacology, Atrial Natriuretic Factor metabolism, Cardiotonic Agents pharmacology, Myocardial Infarction prevention & control, Myocardial Reperfusion Injury prevention & control, Oxytocin pharmacology
- Abstract
Background: The purpose of this study was to determine whether endogenous atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) contributes to the protective effect of neurohypophysial hormone oxytocin (OT) in heart preconditioning., Methods: Sprague-Dawley male rats were subjected to 25 min regional ischaemia and 120 min reperfusion and were divided into eight groups. Oxytocin or an equivalent volume of saline was administrated intraperitoneally, 30 min before ischaemia. The OT receptor antagonist (atosiban), ANP receptor antagonist (anantin) and nitric oxide synthase inhibitor (L-NAME) were injected 10 min before OT. In other groups, atosiban, anantin and L-NAME were only administered 40 min prior to ischaemia., Results: Compared with the ischaemia/reperfusion group (I/R), alterations in infarct size, biochemical parameters [LDH (lactate dehydrogenase), CK-MB (creatine kinase-MB), MDA (malondialdehyde) plasma levels] and severity of ventricular arrhythmia due to I/R injury were attenuated and VF was abolished by OT treatment. These OT effects were eliminated by OT and ANP receptor blockers and nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, but anantin did not reverse the effect of OT in lipid peroxidation., Conclusions: These findings demonstrate an important contributory role of ANP in the OT induced protection in myocardial ischaemia reperfusion. OT also reduced lipid peroxidation with a NO-dependent mechanism., (Copyright © 2014 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2015
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13. Efficient and simple production of insulin-producing cells from embryonal carcinoma stem cells using mouse neonate pancreas extract, as a natural inducer.
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Ebrahimie M, Esmaeili F, Cheraghi S, Houshmand F, Shabani L, and Ebrahimie E
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- Animals, Animals, Newborn, Biomarkers metabolism, Cell Differentiation drug effects, Cell Differentiation genetics, Cell Line, Tumor, Cell Shape drug effects, Female, Gene Expression Regulation drug effects, Gene Regulatory Networks drug effects, Insulin metabolism, Insulin Secretion, Insulin-Secreting Cells drug effects, Mice, Inbred BALB C, Neoplastic Stem Cells drug effects, Neoplastic Stem Cells metabolism, Pluripotent Stem Cells drug effects, Pluripotent Stem Cells metabolism, Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction, Signal Transduction drug effects, Signal Transduction genetics, Staining and Labeling, Transcription Factors genetics, Transcription Factors metabolism, Cell Culture Techniques methods, Embryonal Carcinoma Stem Cells pathology, Insulin-Secreting Cells metabolism, Neoplastic Stem Cells pathology, Tissue Extracts pharmacology
- Abstract
An attractive approach to replace the destroyed insulin-producing cells (IPCs) is the generation of functional β cells from stem cells. Embryonal carcinoma (EC) stem cells are pluripotent cells which can differentiate into all cell types. The present study was carried out to establish a simple nonselective inductive culture system for generation of IPCs from P19 EC cells by 1-2 weeks old mouse pancreas extract (MPE). Since, mouse pancreatic islets undergo further remodeling and maturation for 2-3 weeks after birth, we hypothesized that the mouse neonatal MPE contains essential factors to induce in vitro differentiation of pancreatic lineages. Pluripotency of P19 cells were first confirmed by expression analysis of stem cell markers, Oct3/4, Sox-2 and Nanog. In order to induce differentiation, the cells were cultured in a medium supplemented by different concentrations of MPE (50, 100, 200 and 300 µg/ml). The results showed that P19 cells could differentiate into IPCs and form dithizone-positive cell clusters. The generated P19-derived IPCs were immunoreactive to proinsulin, insulin and insulin receptor beta. The expression of pancreatic β cell genes including, PDX-1, INS1 and INS2 were also confirmed. The peak response at the 100 µg/ml MPE used for investigation of EP300 and CREB1 gene expression. When stimulated with glucose, these cells synthesized and secreted insulin. Network analysis of the key transcription factors (PDX-1, EP300, CREB1) during the generation of IPCs resulted in introduction of novel regulatory candidates such as MIR17, and VEZF1 transcription factors, as well as MORN1, DKFZp761P0212, and WAC proteins. Altogether, we demonstrated the possibility of generating IPCs from undifferentiated EC cells, with the characteristics of pancreatic β cells. The derivation of pancreatic cells from EC cells which are ES cell siblings would provide a valuable experimental tool in study of pancreatic development and function as well as rapid production of IPCs for transplantation.
- Published
- 2014
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14. Graphene drape minimizes the pinning and hysteresis of water drops on nanotextured rough surfaces.
- Author
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Singh E, Thomas AV, Mukherjee R, Mi X, Houshmand F, Peles Y, Shi Y, and Koratkar N
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- Adsorption, Hardness, Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions, Materials Testing, Particle Size, Surface Properties, Graphite chemistry, Membranes, Artificial, Nanostructures chemistry, Nanostructures ultrastructure, Water chemistry
- Abstract
Previous studies of the interaction of water with graphene-coated surfaces have been limited to flat (smooth) surfaces. Here we created a rough surface by nanopatterning and then draped the surface with a single-layer graphene sheet. We found that the ultrasheer graphene drape prevents the penetration of water into the textured surface thereby drastically reducing the contact angle hysteresis (which is a measure of frictional energy dissipation) and preventing the liquid contact line from getting pinned to the substrate. This has important technological implications since the main obstacle to the motion of liquid drops on rough surfaces is contact angle hysteresis and contact line pinning. Graphene drapes could therefore enable enhanced droplet mobility which is required in a wide range of applications in micro and nanofluidics. Compared to polymer coatings that could fill the cavities between the nano/micropores or significantly alter the roughness profile of the substrate, graphene provides the thinnest (i.e., most sheer) and most conformal drape that is imaginable. Despite its extreme thinness, the graphene drape is mechanically robust, chemically stable, and offers high flexibility and resilience which can enable it to reliably drape arbitrarily complex surface topologies. Graphene drapes may therefore provide a hitherto unavailable ability to tailor the dynamic wettability of surfaces for a variety of applications.
- Published
- 2013
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15. Superhydrophobic graphene foams.
- Author
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Singh E, Chen Z, Houshmand F, Ren W, Peles Y, Cheng HM, and Koratkar N
- Abstract
The static and dynamic wetting properties of a 3D graphene foam network are reported. The foam is synthesized using template-directed chemical vapor deposition and contains pores several hundred micrometers in dimension while the walls of the foam comprise few-layer graphene sheets that are coated with Teflon. Water contact angle measurements reveal that the foam is superhydrophobic with an advancing contact angle of ∼163 degrees while the receding contact angle is ∼143 degrees. The extremely water repellent nature of the foam is also confirmed when impacting water droplets are able to completely rebound from the surface. Such superhydrophobic graphene foams show potential in a variety of applications ranging from anti-sticking and self-cleaning to anti-corrosion and low-friction coatings., (Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)
- Published
- 2013
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16. Role of central oxytocin in stress-induced cardioprotection in ischemic-reperfused heart model.
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Moghimian M, Faghihi M, Karimian SM, Imani A, Houshmand F, and Azizi Y
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- Animals, Brain metabolism, Disease Models, Animal, In Vitro Techniques, Injections, Intraventricular, Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial, Male, Oxytocin physiology, Rats, Rats, Wistar, Receptors, Oxytocin metabolism, Stress, Psychological metabolism, Cardiotonic Agents administration & dosage, Myocardial Reperfusion Injury prevention & control, Oxytocin administration & dosage, Oxytocin metabolism, Stress, Physiological physiology, Stress, Psychological physiopathology
- Abstract
Background and Purpose: There is growing evidence that stress contributes to cardiovascular disease and triggers the release of oxytocin. Moreover previous studies confirmed oxytocin mimics the protection associated with ischemic preconditioning. The present study was aimed to assess the possible cardioprotective effects of the centrally released oxytocin in response to stress and intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of exogenous oxytocin in ischemic-reperfused isolated rat heart., Methods and Subjects: Rats were divided in two main groups and all of them were subjected to i.c.v. infusion of vehicle or drugs: unstressed rats [control: vehicle, oxytocin (OT; 100 ng/5 μl), atosiban (ATO; 4.3 μg/5 μl) as oxytocin antagonist, ATO+OT] and stressed rats [St: stress, OT+St, ATO+St]. After anesthesia, hearts were isolated and subjected to 30 min regional ischemia and 60 min reperfusion (IR). Acute stress protocol included swimming for 10 min before anesthesia. Myocardial function, infarct size, coronary flow, ventricular arrhythmia, and biochemical parameters such as creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase were measured. Ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias were counted during the occlusion period., Results: The plasma levels of oxytocin and corticosterone were significantly elevated by stress. Unexpectedly hearts of stressed rats showed a marked depression of IR injury compared to control group. I.c.v. infusion of oxytocin mimicked the cardioprotective effects of stress, yet did not elevate plasma oxytocin level. The protective effects of both stress and i.c.v. oxytocin were blocked by i.c.v. oxytocin antagonist., Conclusions: These findings suggest that i.c.v. infusion of exogenous oxytocin and centrally released endogenous oxytocin in response to stress could play a role in induction of a preconditioning effect in ischemic-reperfused rat heart via brain receptors., (Copyright © 2012 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2013
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17. Effects of selegiline, a monoamine oxidase B inhibitor, on differentiation of P19 embryonal carcinoma stem cells, into neuron-like cells.
- Author
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Bakhshalizadeh S, Esmaeili F, Houshmand F, Shirzad H, and Saedi M
- Subjects
- Animals, Cell Differentiation drug effects, Cell Line, Cell Survival, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Embryonal Carcinoma Stem Cells metabolism, Mice, Monoamine Oxidase drug effects, Monoamine Oxidase metabolism, Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors pharmacology, Embryonal Carcinoma Stem Cells cytology, Embryonal Carcinoma Stem Cells drug effects, Neurons metabolism, Selegiline pharmacology, Synaptophysin metabolism, Tubulin metabolism
- Abstract
Selegiline, the irreversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B), is currently used to treat Parkinson's disease. However, the mechanism of action of selegiline is complex and cannot be explained solely by its MAO-B inhibitory action. It stimulates gene expression, as well as expression of a number of mRNAs or proteins in nerve and glial cells. Direct neuroprotective and anti-apoptotic actions of selegiline have previously been observed in vitro. Previous studies showed that selegiline can induce neuronal phenotype in cultured bone marrow stem cells and embryonic stem cells. Embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells are developmentally pluripotene cells which can be differentiated into all cell types under the appropriate conditions. The present study was carried out to examine the effects of selegiline on undifferentiated P19 EC cells. The results showed that selegiline treatment had a dramatic effect on neuronal morphology. It induced the differentiation of EC cells into neuron-like cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The peak response was in a dose of selegiline significantly lower than required for MAO-B inhibition. The differentiated cells were immunoreactive for neuron-specific proteins, synaptophysin, and β-III tubulin. Stem cell therapy has been considered as an ideal option for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Generation of neurons from stem cells could serve as a source for potential cell therapy. This study suggests the potential use of combined selegiline and stem cell therapy to improve deficits in neurodegenerative diseases.
- Published
- 2011
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18. Oxytocin protects rat heart against ischemia-reperfusion injury via pathway involving mitochondrial ATP-dependent potassium channel.
- Author
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Alizadeh AM, Faghihi M, Sadeghipour HR, Mohammadghasemi F, Imani A, Houshmand F, and Khori V
- Subjects
- Animals, Rats, Myocardial Reperfusion Injury prevention & control, Oxytocin pharmacology, Potassium Channels metabolism, Signal Transduction
- Abstract
Cardiac preconditioning represents the most potent and consistently reproducible method of rescuing heart tissue from undergoing irreversible ischemic damage. One of the major goals of the current cardiovascular research is to identify a reliable cardioprotective intervention that can salvage ischemic myocardium. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the oxytocin (OT)-induced cardioprotection and the signaling pathway involved with mitochondrial ATP-dependent potassium (mitoKATP) channel in the anesthetized rat heart. Animals were divided into six groups (n=6): (1) IR; hearts were subjected to 25 min ischemia and 120 min reperfusion, (2) OT; oxytocin was administered (0.03 microg/kg i.p.) 25 min prior to ischemia, (3) ATO+OT; atosiban (ATO) was used as an OT-selective receptor antagonist (1.5 microg/kg i.p.) 10 min prior to OT administration, (4) ATO; atosiban was used 35 min prior to ischemia, (5) 5HD+OT; 5-hydroxydecanoic acid (5HD) was used as a specific inhibitor of mitoKATP channel (10mg/kg i.v.) 10 min prior to OT administration, (6) 5HD; 5HD was used 35min prior to ischemia. Then infarct size, ventricular arrhythmia and creatine kinase-MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) plasma level were measured. Hemodynamic parameters were recorded throughout the experiment. OT administration significantly decreased infarct size, CK-MB plasma level, severity and incidence of ventricular arrhythmia as compared to IR group. Administration of atosiban and 5HD abolished the cardiopreconditioning effect of OT. This study demonstrates that cardioprotective effects of OT are mediated through opening the mitoKATP channels., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2010
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19. Biphasic protective effect of oxytocin on cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury in anaesthetized rats.
- Author
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Houshmand F, Faghihi M, and Zahediasl S
- Subjects
- Animals, Creatine Kinase, MB Form blood, L-Lactate Dehydrogenase blood, Male, Rats, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Cardiotonic Agents pharmacology, Heart drug effects, Myocardial Reperfusion Injury prevention & control, Oxytocin pharmacology
- Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is well known for its role in reproduction. However, evidence has emerged suggesting a role in cardiovascular system. The aim of this study was to investigate the cardioprotective effect of oxytocin on ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in an in vivo rat. Myocardial ischemia, was surgically induced by means of left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion for 25 min followed by reperfusion for 120 min. Infarct size was evaluated using the staining agent 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride. Creatine kinase-MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in plasma were analyzed to assess the degree of cardiac injury. Intraperitoneal administration of OT 0.001, 0.01 and 0.1 microg significantly reduced infarct size, LDH and CK-MB levels as compared to control (I/R) group and it had a biphasic effect on the reduction of ischemia/reperfusion injury. This biphasic effect was revealed as a U-shaped curve in which efficacy was optimal between very low and very high doses. Furthermore there were no significant differences in mean arterial pressure or heart rate between the OT treatment groups and control group during I/R. Blockade of specific OT receptors by atosiban (10(-6)M) abolished or attenuated the effect of OT preconditioning. The result of this study shows that OT possess a dose-dependent cardioprotective effect against ischemia/reperfusion injury and so study of OT preconditioning may provide a new target site for therapeutic exploitation.
- Published
- 2009
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