Erythropoietin Protects against Retinal Damage in A Rat Model of Optic Neuropathy via Glial Suppression.

Objective: Traumatic optic neuropathy (TON) causes partial or complete blindness because death of irreplaceable retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Neuroprotective functions of erythropoietin (EPO) in the nervous system have been considered by many studies investigating effectiveness of this cytokine in various retinal disease models. It has been found that changes in retinal neurons under conditions of glial cells are effective in vision loss, therefore, the present study hypothesized that EPO neuroprotective effect could be mediated through glial cells in TON model.

The transcription factor TCFL5 responds to A-MYB to elaborate the male meiotic program in mice.

In Brief: The testis-specific transcription factor, TCFL5, expressed in pachytene spermatocytes regulates the meiotic gene expression program in collaboration with the transcription factor A-MYB.

Abstract: In male mice, the transcription factors STRA8 and MEISON initiate meiosis I. We report that STRA8/MEISON activates the transcription factors A-MYB and TCFL5, which together reprogram gene expression after spermatogonia enter into meiosis.

A-MYB/TCFL5 regulatory architecture ensures the production of pachytene piRNAs in placental mammals.

In male mice, the transcription factor A MYB initiates the transcription of pachytene piRNA genes during meiosis. Here, we report that A MYB activates the transcription factor Tcfl5 produced in pachytene spermatocytes. Subsequently, A MYB and TCFL5 reciprocally reinforce their own transcription to establish a positive feedback circuit that triggers pachytene piRNA production.

Carob extract induces spermatogenesis in an infertile mouse model via upregulation of Prm1, Plzf, Bcl-6b, Dazl, Ngn3, Stra8, and Smc1b.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Ethnopharmacological studies for drug discovery from natural compounds play an important role for developing current therapeutical platforms. Plants are a group of natural sources which have been served as the basis in the treatment of many diseases for centuries. In this regard, Ceratonia siliqua (carob) is one of the herbal medicine which is traditionally used for male infertility treatments.

Thymoquinone Improved Nonylphenol-Induced Memory Deficit and Neurotoxicity Through Its Antioxidant and Neuroprotective Effects.

Nonylphenol (NP), a well-known endocrine-disrupter chemical, has several harmful effects on the central nervous system including neuroendocrine disruption, cognitive impairment, and neurotoxicity. Thymoquinone (TQ) is a main bioactive compound in the black seeds of Nigella sativa that has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. Here, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of TQ against NP-induced memory deficit and neurotoxicity in rats.