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Objectives: To assess the impact of autogenous graft materials, including autogenous bone graft (ABG) and injectable platelet-rich fibrin (I-PRF) clots, on bone defect regeneration in ovariectomized osteoporotic rats., Methods: Wistar rats (6-8 weeks old) were ovariectomized, and surgery began after 8 weeks. A 5-mm defect was created bilaterally in the parietal bones of 16 rats, which were divided into 4 groups. Group A (blank) had untreated defects; group B had defects filled with 0.1 ml of I-PRF, group C had defects filled with 0.1 ml of ABG, and group D had defects filled with a combination of 0.1 ml each of I-PRF and ABG. Four weeks post-surgery, the rats were euthanized. Bone regeneration was evaluated through histopathologic analysis and microcomputed tomography (micro-CT)., Results: In ovariectomized rats treated with ABG or I-PRF, bone regeneration was enhanced, with increased periosteal activity, osteoblast count, and new bone volume, as determined histologically. The ABG+I-PRF group had the highest periosteal vascularity, but the difference compared to the ABG group was not statistically significant ( p >0.05). Osteoblast numbers were significantly higher in the ABG+I-PRF group than in the blank group ( p <0.05). Micro-CT showed the highest mean new bone volume ratio in the ABG+I-PRF group, followed by the ABG group., Conclusion: The combined use of ABG and I-PRF enhances bone formation in osteoporotic rats following ovariectomy., (Copyright: © Saudi Medical Journal.)

Background: Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is the most common preventable cause of morbidity. Despite rapid advances in medicine, effective pharmacological treatment against SCI has not yet been confirmed. This study aimed to investigate the possible anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and neuroprotective effects of safinamide after SCI in a rat model., Methods: A total of 40 male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into four groups. Group 1 underwent only laminectomy. Group 2 underwent SCI after laminectomy. In group 3, SCI was performed after laminectomy, and immediately afterward, intraperitoneal physiological saline solution was administered. In group 4, SCI was performed after laminectomy, and 90 mg/kg of safinamide was given intraperitoneally immediately afterward. Moderate spinal cord damage was induced at the level of thoracic vertebra nine (T9). Neuromotor function tests were performed and levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) were measured. In both serum and spinal cord tissue, immunohistochemistry and histopathology studies were also conducted., Results: TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels were found to be significantly increased in group 2 and group 3. In group 4, these levels were statistically significantly decreased. Group 4 also exhibited significant improvement in neuromotor function tests compared to the other groups. Histopathologically, it was found that group 4 showed significantly reduced inflammation and apoptosis compared to the other groups., Conclusion: This study revealed that safinamide has neuroprotective effects against SCI due to its anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and antioxidant activities., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.)

Background: Traumatic brain injury is still an important health problem worldwide. Traumatic brain injury not only causes direct mechanical damage to the brain but also induces biochemical changes that lead to secondary nerve cell loss. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of milrinone after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a rat model., Methods: Forty male Wistar albino rats, were used. Rats were divided into 4 groups: 1) sham, 2) TBI, 3) TBI + Ringers, and 4) TBI + Milrinone. In group 1 (sham), only craniotomy was performed. In group 2 (TBI), TBI was performed after craniotomy. In group 3 (TBI + Ringer), TBI was performed after craniotomy and intraperitoneal Ringers solution was given immediately afterward. Group 4 (TBI + Milrinone), TBI was performed after craniotomy, and milrinone was given 1.0 mg/kg milrinone intraperitoneally directly (0.5 mg/kg milrinone intraperitoneally again 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours after trauma). Tests were performed for neurological and neurobehavioral functions. Immunohistochemistry and histopathology studies were performed., Results: In group 4 compared with group 2 and group 3 groups, tests for neurological functions and neurobehavioral functions were significantly better. In the milrinone treatment used in group 4, plasma and brain tissue tumor necrosis factor, 8-OH 2-deoxyguanosine , and interleukin 6 levels were significantly decreased, and increased plasma and tissue IL-10 levels were detected. Histopathological spinal cord injury and apoptotic index increased in groups 2 and 3, while significantly decreasing in group 4., Conclusions: This study shows for the first time that the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties of milrinone may be neuroprotective after TBI., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ovarian cancer (OC) is clinically important because it is diagnosed late and has metastasis when it is diagnosed. Mortality risk increases 2.75 times in the presence of lymph node (LN) metastasis. During metastasis, many molecules including BMPs originated from stroma, and tumor cells participate through transcription factors and integrins for cytoskeleton regulation during cell migration. We hypothesized an inverse correlation between BMP2 and BMP7 along with changes in ZEB2, and integrin α5β1 in high-grade OCs in relation to LN metastasis. The BMP2 immunoreactivity was strong along with strong ZEB2 and weak integrins' immunoreactivity in samples with LN metastasis. Strong immunoreactivity of BMP7 was accompanied by strong immunoreactivity of integrins in the samples without LN metastasis. Study results showed BMP2's strong positive immunoreactivity and weak BMP7 immunoreactivity in tumor cells with a significantly weak inverse correlation. This inverse correlation should be considered as both BMPs have different effects in the window of cancer progression and invasion.

Granulosa cells are the cell population who have an increasing importance in the female genital system and reproduction. Thus, nowadays in vitro studies to address these cells are also gaining importance and attracts researcher's attention. The aim of our study is to develop a more feasible, low-cost granulosa cell isolation and culture method compared to methods defined so far. Granulosa cells were isolated from follicular fluids obtained from both healthy women donors (n = 19) and polycystic ovary syndrome (n = 15) applied to in vitro fertilization treatment process. Granulosa cells were isolated by using Lymphosep® separation fluid that was not used for this purpose before. The isolated cells were cultured in suitable culture dishes with a mixture of BIO-AMFTM-1 and DMEM/F12 in the first seeding and only complete DMEM/F12 in the following feeds. Complete medium contains only 5% fetal calf serum, 4% L-glutamine and 1% penicillin-streptomycin-amphotericin. The new methods we have developed in granulosa cell isolation and in vitro culture have been successful. Reduction in supplement types and amount; improved the proliferation rate of the granulosa cells in culture. Our new methods of isolation and cell culture for granulosa cells from healthy women, have been also successful in samples of polycystic ovarian patients. With these developed methods, granulosa cells, which belong to humans and have an important role in the ovary, could be isolated and subsequently be maintained to reproduce (proliferate) more easily and cheaper., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have a high capacity to differentiate into the neuronal cell lineage. Meanwhile, both Hippo signaling and melatonin are key regulators in neuronal differentiation of neuronal progenitor cells. Recently emerging evidences suggest the possible interaction between melatonin and Hippo signaling in different cell lines. But underlying mechanisms involved in the initiation or progression of neurogenic differentiation in DPSCs through this connection need to be explored. Therefore, the scope of this study is to investigate the effect of melatonin on Hippo signaling pathway through the expression of its downstream effector (YAP/p-YAP Y357 ) after the neuronal differentiation of DPSCs. In regard with this, DPSCs were incubated with growth and dopaminergic neuronal differentiation medium with or without melatonin (10 μM) for 21 days. The morphological changes were followed by phase contrast microscopy and differentiation of DPSCs was evaluated by immunofluorescence labelling with NeuN, GFAP, and tyrosine hydroxylase. Furthermore, we evaluated the presence of neural progenitor cells by nestin immunoreactivity. Hippo signaling pathway was investigated by evaluating the immunoreactivity of YAP and p-YAP Y357 . Our results were also supported by western-blot analysis and SOX2, PCNA and caspase-3 were also evaluated. The positive immunoreactivity for NeuN, tyrosine hydroxylase and negative immunoreactivity for GFAP showed the successful differentiation of DPSCs to neurons, not glial cells. Melatonin addition to dopaminergic media induced tyrosine hydroxylase and decreased significantly nestin expression. The expressions of PCNA and caspase-3 were also decreased significantly with melatonin addition into growth media. Melatonin treatment induced phosphorylation of YAP Y357 and reduced YAP expression. In conclusion, melatonin has potential to induce neuronal differentiation and reduce the proliferation of DPSCs by increasing phosphorylation of YAP Y357 and eliminating the activity of YAP, which indicates the active state of Hippo signaling pathway., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)