Human pluripotent stem cells: applications and challenges in neurological diseases.

The ability to generate human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) holds great promise for the understanding and the treatment of human neurological diseases in modern medicine. The hPSCs are considered for their in vitro use as research tools to provide relevant cellular model for human diseases, drug discovery, and toxicity assays and for their in vivo use in regenerative medicine applications. In this review, we highlight recent progress, promises, and challenges of hPSC applications in human neurological disease modeling and therapies.

Antioxidant activity and hepatoprotective potential of Hammada scoparia against ethanol-induced liver injury in rats.

The present work was aimed at studying the antioxidative activity and hepatoprotective effects of methanolic extract (ME) of Hammada scoparia leaves against ethanol-induced liver injury in male rats. The animals were treated daily with 35 % ethanol solution (4 g kg(-1) day(-1)) during 4 weeks. This treatment led to an increase in the lipid peroxidation, a decrease in antioxidative enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase) in liver, and a considerable increase in the serum levels of aspartate and alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phospahatase.

Hypoglycemic and antioxidant effects of leaf essential oil of Pelargonium graveolens L'Hér. in alloxan induced diabetic rats.

Background: Rose-scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L'Hér.), which is used in traditional Tunisian folk medicine for the treatment of hyperglycaemia, is widely known as one of the medicinal herbs with the highest antioxidant activity. The present paper is conducted to test the hypoglycemic and antioxidative activities of the leaf essential oil of P.

Ameliorating effects of curcumin and vitamin E on diazinon-induced oxidative damage in rat liver and erythrocytes.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of vitamin E and/or curcumin against diazinon (DZN) (an organophosphorus insecticide)-induced toxicity of blood, liver and erythrocyte markers of male Wistar rats. The exposure of rats to DZN for 21 days provoked significant changes in red blood cell counts and hemoglobin. Results showed that lipid peroxidation increased significantly in DZN-treated rats, as evidenced by high liver and erythrocyte thiobarbituric acid reactive substance levels.

Spirulina or dandelion-enriched diet of mothers alleviates lead-induced damages in brain and cerebellum of newborn rats.

This study was aimed at evaluating the toxic effects of a prenatal exposure to lead acetate on brain tissues of newborn rats, and potent protective effects of spirulina (Arthropira platensis) or dandelion (Taraxacum officinalis) added to rat diet. Female rats were given a normal diet (control) or a diet enriched with spirulina or dandelion. Additionally, lead acetate was administered to one half of these rats through drinking water from the 5th day of gestation, to day 14 postpartum.

Neuroprotective effects of chronic exposure of SH-SY5Y to low lithium concentration involve glycolysis stimulation, extracellular pyruvate accumulation and resistance to oxidative stress.

Recent studies suggest that lithium protects neurons from death induced by a wide array of neurotoxic insults, stimulates neurogenesis and could be used to prevent age-related neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, SH-SY5Y human neuronal cells were cultured in the absence (Con) or in the presence (Li+) of a low lithium concentration (0.5 mm Li2CO3, i.

Hypolipidemic effect of diet supplementation with bacterial levan in cholesterol-fed rats.

Levan polysaccharide, a type of fructan, has been shown to have industrial applications as a new industrial gum in the fields of cosmetics, foods like dietary fiber and pharmaceutical goods. The objective of this current study was to investigate the possible hypolipidemic and antioxidative effects of levan in rats fed with a high-cholesterol diet. Animals were allocated into four groups of six rats each: a normal diet group (Control), normal rats received levan (L), a high-cholesterol diet group (Chol) and a high-cholesterol diet with a daily dose of levan equivalent to 5%.

The first reported generation of several induced pluripotent stem cell lines from homozygous and heterozygous Huntington's disease patients demonstrates mutation related enhanced lysosomal activity.

Neuronal disorders, like Huntington's disease (HD), are difficult to study, due to limited cell accessibility, late onset manifestations, and low availability of material. The establishment of an in vitro model that recapitulates features of the disease may help understanding the cellular and molecular events that trigger disease manifestations. Here, we describe the generation and characterization of a series of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells derived from patients with HD, including two rare homozygous genotypes and one heterozygous genotype.

Selecting a test for the clinical assessment of balance and walking capacity at the definitive fitting state after unilateral amputation: a comparative study.

Background: There is a lack of data and consensus concerning the most appropriate functional evaluation in clinical practice at the definitive prosthetic phase after lower limb amputation.

Objectives: To determine among several selected functional tests the most pertinent to evaluate balance and prosthetic walking.

Study Design: Validation of a diagnostic procedure.

New observations in primary and secondary reading epilepsy: excellent response to levetiracetam and early spontaneous remission.

The response of reading epilepsy to new antiepileptic drugs is not known. Due to the rarity of this condition little is known about its natural history. We evaluated and treated three patients with primary and secondary reading epilepsy.

Hematotoxicity and genotoxicity of mercuric chloride following subchronic exposure through drinking water in male rats.

Erythrocytes are a convenient model to understand the subsequent oxidative deterioration of biological macromolecules in metal toxicities. The present study examined the variation of hematoxic and genotoxic parameters following subchronic exposure of mercuric chloride via drinking water and their possible association with oxidative stress. Male rats were exposed to 50 ppm (HG1) and 100 ppm (HG2) of mercuric chloride daily for 90 days.

Green tea extract alleviates arsenic-induced biochemical toxicity and lipid peroxidation in rats.

The present work was undertaken to evaluate the protective effect of an aqueous extract of green tea (GT, Camellia sinensis) leaves against arsenic (NaAsO₂)-induced biochemical toxicity and lipid peroxidation production in experimental rats. The treatment with arsenic exhibited a significant increase in some serum hepatic and renal biochemical parameters (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, albumin, bilirubin, cholesterol, urea and creatinine). But the co-administration of GT has increased the level of plasmatic concentration of biochemical parameters.

Protective Role of Ficus carica Stem Extract against Hepatic Oxidative Damage Induced by Methanol in Male Wistar Rats.

The present study was aimed to investigate the antioxidant activity of Ficus carica stem extract (FE) in methanol-induced hepatotoxicity in male Wistar rats. The rats were divided into two batches: 16 control rats (C) drinking tap water and 16 treated rats drinking Ficus carica stem extract for six weeks. Then, each group was divided into two subgroups, and one of them was intraperitoneally injected (i.

Inhibitory potential of omega-3 fatty and fenugreek essential oil on key enzymes of carbohydrate-digestion and hypertension in diabetes rats.

Background: diabetes is a serious health problem and a source of risk for numerous severe complications such as obesity and hypertension. Treatment of diabetes and its related diseases can be achieved by inhibiting key digestives enzymes-related to starch digestion secreted by pancreas.

Methods: The formulation omega-3 with fenugreek terpenenes was administrated to surviving diabetic rats.

Screening ethnically diverse human embryonic stem cells identifies a chromosome 20 minimal amplicon conferring growth advantage.

The International Stem Cell Initiative analyzed 125 human embryonic stem (ES) cell lines and 11 induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines, from 38 laboratories worldwide, for genetic changes occurring during culture. Most lines were analyzed at an early and late passage. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis revealed that they included representatives of most major ethnic groups.

Embryonic exposure to dimethoate and/or deltamethrin impairs sexual development and programs reproductive success in adult male offspring mice.

Pesticides can be toxic to desirable plants and animals, including humans. The aim of this study was to investigate the reproductive effects of low doses of pesticides on male offspring of exposed pregnant mice. Three groups of five female mice were treated daily by oral gavage with dimethoate (5 mg kg(-1) per day), deltamethrin (5 mg kg(-1) per day) and their mixture at 5 mg kg(-1) per day from day 3 to day 21 of pregnancy.

NANOG priming before full reprogramming may generate germ cell tumours.

Reprogramming somatic cells into a pluripotent state brings patient-tailored, ethical controversy-free cellular therapy closer to reality. However, stem cells and cancer cells share many common characteristics; therefore, it is crucial to be able to discriminate between them. We generated two induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines, with NANOG pre-transduction followed by OCT3/4, SOX2, and LIN28 overexpression.

Isolation of rat embryonic stem-like cells: a tool for stem cell research and drug discovery.

The establishment of rat embryonic stem cells constitutes a precious tool since rat has been extensively used in biomedical research, in particular for the generation of human neurodisease animal models. Up to now only a few studies have described the isolation of rat embryonic stem-like cells. One out of 9 isolated rat embryonic stem-like cell lines (B1-RESC) obtained from a 4.

Characterization of bioactive compounds and ameliorative effects of Ceratonia siliqua leaf extract against CCl₄ induced hepatic oxidative damage and renal failure in rats.

Ceratonia siliqua is a typical Mediterranean plant, mainly used in food and Tunisian traditional folk medicine. Among the tested extracts, the ethyl acetate fraction (EACs) exhibited the highest total phenolic and flavonoids content. The antioxidant activity in vitro systems showed a more significant potent free radical scavenging activity of this extract than other analysis fractions.

Differential oxidative stress responses to methanol in intraperitoneally exposed rats: ameliorative effects of Opuntia vulgaris fruit extract.

Methanol is primarily metabolized by oxidation to formaldehyde and then to formate. These processes are accompanied by formation of superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide. This article reports data on the effect of methanol-induced oxidative damage in experimental rats and the role of aqueous extract of Opuntia vulgaris fruit extract (OE) to counteract the toxicity induced by methanol.

Oral administration of levan polysaccharide reduces the alloxan-induced oxidative stress in rats.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a polysaccharide named levan, which was produced by new isolated bacteria, on oxidative stress and hyperglycemia in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Levan polysaccharide was given in drinking water for 60 days at a daily dose equivalent to 2%. The oral administration of levan in diabetic rats caused a decrease in glucose level in plasma and an increase of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities in both pancreas and liver.

Xeno-free culture of human pluripotent stem cells.

Stem cell culture systems that rely on undefined animal-derived components introduce variability to the cultures and complicate their therapeutic use. The derivation of human embryonic stem cells and the development of methods to produce induced pluripotent stem cells combined with their potential to treat human diseases have accelerated the drive to develop xenogenic-free, chemically defined culture systems that support pluripotent self-renewal and directed differentiation. In this chapter, we describe four xeno-free culture systems that have been successful in supporting undifferentiated growth of hPSCs as well as methods for xeno-free subculture and cryopreservation of hPSCs.

Reactive oxygen species production and antioxidant enzyme expression after Epstein-Barr virus lytic cycle induction in Raji cell line.

In a previous study, we have described oxidative stress during Epstein-Barr virus lytic cycle induction. Oxidative stress was evidenced by the observed high MDA levels and the decreased activities of antioxidant enzymes. We hypothesised that the lower activities of the antioxidant enzymes decrease were the result of either the excessive production of reactive oxygen radical species (ROS) or a negative regulation of the antioxidant enzyme gene expressions.

Oxidative stress induced by thyroid dysfunction in rat erythrocytes and heart.

The aim of this study was to determine whether the effects of thyroid dysfunction induce oxidative stress in the blood and heart of male Wistar rats. Rats were randomly divided into three groups: group I served as control rats. Group II was treated daily with 0.