Publications by authors named "Ali Akbar Owji"

The pancreatic peptide, Amylin (AMY), reportedly affects nociception in rodents. Here, we investigated the potential effect of AMY on the tolerance to morphine and on the expression of BDNF at both levels of protein and RNA in the lumbar spinal cord of morphine tolerant rats. Animals in both groups of control and test received a single daily dose of intrathecal (i.

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Objectives: Systemic and intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of insulin possess analgesic effects. The raphe magnus nucleus (RMN) is part of the endogenous analgesia system. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of ICV injection of insulin on the levels of monoamines and their related metabolites in the RMN during the formalin test in non-diabetic and short-term diabetic rats.

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Background: The receptors of salmon calcitonin, located on certain areas of the brain such as the periaqueductal gray matter, are responsible for pain modulation.

Aims: The effects of intracerebroventricular injection of salmon calcitonin on the behavioral response to pain and on the levels of monoamines in the periaqueductal gray were explored using a biphasic animal model of pain.

Study Design: Animal experiment.

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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is one of the main causes of chronic liver disease and therefore is currently considered a major public health problem. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is an NAD-dependent deacetylase enzyme that contributes in the regulation of metabolic processes and protects against lipid accumulation in hepatocytes. Its expression is potentially regulated by microRNAs which attach to the 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) of their target mRNA.

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Background: Epigenetic mechanisms such as histone modifications may be involved in the structural and behavioral changes associated with addiction. We studied whether morphine-induced changes in mRNA levels of the catecholamine biosynthesis enzyme, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), are associated with histone modifications around the promoter of this gene in the locus coeruleus (LC) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) of rats.

Methods: Dependence was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injections of morphine for 11 days.

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Objectives: Calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) receptors are widely distributed in the central nervous system. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of CGRP on pain behavioral responses and on levels of monoamines in the periaqueductal gray area (PAG) during the formalin test in rats.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-four male rats were studied in four groups (n=6).

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Colorectal cancer (CRC), despite numerous therapeutic and screening attempts, still remains a major life-threatening malignancy. CRC etiology entails both genetic and environmental factors. Macroautophagy/autophagy and the unfolded protein response (UPR) are fundamental mechanisms involved in the regulation of cellular responses to environmental and genetic stresses.

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Background: The induction of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the hippocampus has shown to play a role in the beneficial effects of resveratrol (RSV) on the learning and memory. The BDNF gene has a complicated structure with eight 5' noncoding exons (I-IXa), each of which can splice to a common coding exon (IX) to form a functional transcript. Estrogens increase levels of BDNF transcripts in the hippocampus of rats.

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Stereological techniques could be considered in research on cartilage to obtain quantitative data. The present study aimed to explain application of the first- and second-order stereological methods on articular cartilage of mice and the methods applied on the mice exposed to cadmium (Cd). The distal femoral articular cartilage of BALB/c mice (control and Cd-treated) was removed.

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Amylin (AMY) is a member of calcitonin family of peptides. In this study, the effects of intrathecal (i.t) injection of AMY on the inflammatory pain and on the cAMP accumulation in the rat spinal cells were investigated.

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We aimed to compare the effects of oral ethanol (Eth) alone or combined with the phytoestrogen resveratrol (Rsv) on the expression of various brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) transcripts and the encoded protein pro-BDNF in the hippocampus of pregnant and embryonic rats. A low (0.25 g/kg body weight (BW)/day) dose of Eth produced an increase in the expression of BDNF exons I, III and IV and a decrease in that of the exon IX in embryos, but failed to affect BDNF transcript and pro-BDNF protein expression in adults.

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The p53 tumor suppressor protein is a principal mediator of growth arrest, senescence, and apoptosis in response to a broad array of cellular damage. p53 is a substrate for the ubiquitin-proteasome system, however, the ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s) involved in p53 ubiquitination have not been well studied. UBE2Q1 is a novel E2 ubiquitin conjugating enzyme gene.

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Background: The prevalence of abdominal obesity is on the rise worldwide. Previous studies have indicated the higher diagnostic value of body fat distribution pattern compared with general body in abdominal obesity assessments. Several non-pharmacological methods have been suggested for obesity management, of which acupuncture has gained a great deal of research interest with promising results.

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Background: Amylin and Salmon Calcitonin belong to the calcitonin family of peptides and have high affinity binding sites in the rat spinal cord. The aim of this study was to characterize receptors for Amylin and Salmon Calcitonin functionally in the spinal cord of rats. We assessed the expression of c-Fos in response to intraplantar formalin in the lumbar regions of the spinal cord in conscious rats.

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Ubiquitin - proteasome system (UPS), the major protein degradation pathway in the cells, typically degrades short - lived and damaged proteins and regulates growth and stress responses. This pathway is altered in various cancers, including Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). ALL begins with a change in bone marrow cells and is the most common type of leukemia in children under 15 years.

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Background: Activation of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in various malignancies, including colorectal cancer, is established. This pathway mediates the degradation of damaged proteins and regulates growth and stress response. The novel human gene, UBE2Q2, with a putative ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme activity, is reported to be overexpressed in some malignancies.

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Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the world. Ubiquitin-proteasome system has shown to be activated in colorectal and other malignancies. UBE2Q1 is a novel human gene that encodes a putative E2 ubiquitin conjugating enzyme.

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Objective(s): The dopamine level of the nucleus accumbens changes during some stereotyped behaviors. To study dopamine level of the nucleus accumbens in intra infralimbic apomorphine-induced climbing, microdialysis probes were implanted into the nucleus accumbens shell of male Sprague Dawley rats weighting 275-400 g.

Materials And Methods: The rats were divided into two groups (apomorphine and control) of least eleven rats in each group.

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Background: The prevalence of obesity, a major public health problem, is increasing in many countries, including Iran. Leptin, a peptide hormone that is released from adipocytes, is a major factor in appetite regulation. Levels of plasma leptin increase with increased body fat mass (BFM).

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Background: Vitamin E is the most important lipid-soluble antioxidant. Recently, it has been proposed as a gene regulator, and its gene modulation effects have been observed at different levels of gene expression and cell signaling. This study was performed to investigate the effects of vitamin E on the activity and expression of the most important endogenous antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase (SOD), in rat plasma.

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Background: Human leptin is a peptide hormone that is released from white adipocytes. The absence of leptin or its receptor leads to uncontrolled food intake, leading to obesity. In the present work, the effects of auricular acupressure combined with low-calorie diet on the leptin hormone level were investigated.

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Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a cancer of the white blood cells most commonly found in childhood with a peak incidence at 2-5 years of age. The ubiquitin degradation pathway facilitates degradation of damaged proteins and regulates the growth and stress response. This pathway is activated in various cancers, including ALL.

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Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a role in mediating molecular, cellular, and behavioral adaptations underlying drug addiction. Here, we examined the influence of withdrawal from repeated morphine treatment on the expression of BDNF mRNA in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and locus coeruleus (LC) of the rat brain. We also studied whether alternations in mRNA levels of BDNF in these tissues are associated with histone modifications around promoters II and III of the BDNF gene.

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The novel human gene, designated ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2Q family member 1 (UBE2Q1) maps to chromosome 1q21.3. The gene has an open reading frame corresponding to 422 amino acids and contains a RWD domain and an E2 ubiquitin conjugating enzyme domain.

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Resveratrol is a plant polyphenolic compound. Evidence indicates that resveratrol has beneficial effects against aging and neurodegenerative diseases. The goal of our study was in vivo examination of the effects of resveratrol on the abundance of mRNA encoding Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus of rat brain.

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