Relapse of COVID-19-associated mucormycosis in patients receiving posaconazole as maintenance treatment.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with secondary fungal infections such as mucormycosis. We investigated the relapse rate of mucormycosis and its risk factors.

Methodology: A prospective study was conducted on COVID-19-associated mucormycosis (CAM) patients discharged from Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran, Iran, from July 2021 to February 2022.

Transdifferentiation of Human Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Dopaminergic Neurons in a Three-Dimensional Culture.

Introduction: The induction of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (HUC-MSCs) toward dopaminergic neurons is a major challenge in tissue engineering and experimental and clinical treatments of various neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson disease. This study aims to differentiate HUC-MSCs into dopaminergic neuron-like cells.

Methods: Following the isolation and characterization of HUC-MSCs, they were transferred to Matrigel-coated plates and incubated with a cocktail of dopaminergic neuronal differentiation factors.

Combined treatment of high-intensity interval training with neural stem cell generation on contusive model of spinal cord injury in rats.

Introduction: Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to inflammation, axonal degeneration, and gliosis. A combined treatment of exercise and neural stem cells (NSC) has been proposed to improve neural repair. This study evaluated a combined treatment of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with NSC generation from adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) on a contusive model of SCI in rats.

Dimorphic evaluation of hippocampal changes in rat model of demyelination: A comparative functional, morphometric, and histological study.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common autoimmune disease. Progressive depletion of the brain and spinal cord tissue appears at the onset of the disease. Several studies have shown the increased size of the ventricles of the brain and decreases in the area of the corpus callosum and the width of the brain.

Potential role of human chorionic gonadotropin supplementation in spermatogenesis in rats subjected to forced swimming exercise.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the supportive effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on the quality of spermatogenesis, including count, motility, morphology, viability and apoptosis of sperm following forced swimming exercise.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-four adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. All rats were divided into four groups: control group; swimming exercise group (S); hCG administration group and swimming (SG) with hCG administration group (G).

The Effect of and Its Bioactive Luteolin on the Hippocampus of Mice after Induced Ischemia Reperfusion.

Background: Ischemia plays an important role in increasing damage to the nervous system. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of (PFE) and its bioactive luteolin (Lu) and forced swimming exercise on the hippocampus of mice after induced ischemia reperfusion.

Methods: The bioactive component of PFE (Lu) was identified by HPLC.

Differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells into functional motor neuron: In vitro and ex vivo study.

There are several therapeutic options for spinal cord injury (SCI), among these strategies stem cell therapy is a potential treatment. The stem cells based therapies have been investigating in acute phase of clinical trials for promoting spinal repair in humans through replacement of functional neuronal and glial cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differentiation of Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells (hDPSCs) into functional motor neuron like cells (MNLCs) and promote neuroregeneration by stimulating local neurogenesis in the adult spinal cord slice culture.

PuraMatrix hydrogel enhances the expression of motor neuron progenitor marker and improves adhesion and proliferation of motor neuron-like cells.

Objectives: Cell therapy has provided clinical applications to the treatment of motor neuron diseases. The current obstacle in stem cell therapy is to direct differentiation of stem cells into neurons in the neurodegenerative disorders. Biomaterial scaffolds can improve cell differentiation and are widely used in translational medicine and tissue engineering.

Homing of Super Paramagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONs) Labeled Adipose-Derived Stem Cells by Magnetic Attraction in a Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease.

Introduction: Stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD) are intended to replace lost dopaminergic neurons. The basis of this treatment is to guide the migration of transplanted cells into the target tissue or injury site. The aim of this study is an evaluation of the homing of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) labeled adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) by an external magnetic field in a rat model of PD.

Anatomical Variations of the Musculocutaneous and Median Nerves: A Case Report.

The musculocutaneous nerve is a large terminal branch of the lateral cord of the brachial plexus. It passes under the pectoralis minor and penetrates the coracobrachialis muscle, descending between the biceps brachii and brachialis muscles in the arm. After dissection in upper extremities in a 28-year-old male cadaver, the median and musculocutaneous nerve were found to have variations on the right side where the musculocutaneous nerve formed communications with the median nerve.

Motor Neuron Transdifferentiation of Neural Stem Cell from Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Characterized by Differential Gene Expression.

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) are adult stem cells which can be induced into motor neuron-like cells (MNLC) with a preinduction-induction protocol. The purpose of this study is to generate MNLC from neural stem cells (NSC) derived from ADSC. The latter were isolated from the perinephric regions of Sprague-Dawley rats, transdifferentiated into neurospheres (NS) using B27, EGF, and bFGF.

Decreased GFAP expression and improved functional recovery in contused spinal cord of rats following valproic acid therapy.

Many studies have illustrated that much of the post-traumatic degeneration of the spinal cord cells is caused by the secondary mechanism. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of the anti-inflammatory property of valproic acid (VPA) on injured spinal cords (SC). The rats with the contused SC received intraperitoneal single injection of VPA (150, 200, 300, 400 or 500 mg/kg) at 2, 6, 12 and 24 h post-injury.

Protective Effect of a cAMP Analogue on Behavioral Deficits and Neuropathological Changes in Cuprizone Model of Demyelination.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease that leads to neuronal cell loss. Cyclic AMP and its analogs are well known to decrease inflammation and apoptosis. In the present study, we examined the effects of bucladesine, a cell-permeable analogue of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), on myelin proteins (PLP, PMP-22), inflammation, and apoptotic, as well as anti-apoptotic factors in cuprizone model of demyelination.