mehrdad ghorbanlou | Zanjan University of Medical Science (original) (raw)

Papers by mehrdad ghorbanlou

Neurological Research, Mar 17, 2019

ABSTRACT Objective: Nowadays, there seems to be no decisive way for treatment of spinal cord inju... more ABSTRACT Objective: Nowadays, there seems to be no decisive way for treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI).Extensive cell death (apoptosis and necrosis) occurring in SCI can cause considerable progressive sensorimotor disabilities. Preventing cell death by improving endogenous regenerative capability could an effective strategy for the treatment of SCI. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of lithium chloride (LiCl) on the cell survival through overexpression of BDNF and NT3 mRNA level and their receptors in the contusion rat models. Methods: Rats were randomly divided into four experimental groups (eight rats/group) including: contused animals (the non-treatment group); contused animals (the control group) which received laminectomy; contused animals received normal saline (vehicle)and contused animals received intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg LiCl three days after surgery. Injection continued for 14 days as treatment. Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan (BBB) rating scale was used to assess the motor function of the rats. To evaluate the histopathological and gene expression analysis, rats were sacrificed 28 days after surgery. Real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to obtain the relative levels of mRNA for BDNF, NT3 and their receptors. Results: The results showed LiCl ameliorates BBB scores via up-regulation of BDNF and TrkB receptors. Also, histological analysis showed that the numerical density per area of TUNEL- positive cells and the percentage of cavity significantly decreased in the LiCl-treated group. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that LiCl protects neural cells and effectively enhances locomotor function, which was done through up-regulation of endogenous BDNF expression in rats with SCI. Abbreviations: SCI: spinal cord injury; LiCl: lithium chloride; BDNF: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; NT3: Neurotrophin-3; BBB: Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan; TrkB: Tropomyosin receptor kinase B; TUNEL: Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling.

Iranian Journal of Medical Education, Apr 10, 2021

Endocrine Regulations, Apr 1, 2019

Stem cell therapy, specifically, pre-induction of mesenchymal stem cells toward male germ-like ce... more Stem cell therapy, specifically, pre-induction of mesenchymal stem cells toward male germ-like cells may be useful in patients with azoospermia. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro differentiation of mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) into male germ-like cells by indirect co-culture with testicular cells in the presence of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4). Methods. Experimental groups included: control (mouse BMSCs), treatment group-1 (BMSCs treated with BMP4), treatment group-2 (indirect co-culture of BMSCs with mouse testicular cells in the presence of BMP4) and treatment group-3 (indirect co-culture of BMSCs with testicular cells). BMSCs-derived male germ-like cells were evaluated by the expression of Dazl, and Stra8 using RT-qPCR. Results. Stra8 gene expression was significantly increased in the treatment group-2 and Dazl gene was significantly increased in the treatment group-1 compared to other groups. In conclusion, indirect co-culturing of BMSCs with testicular cells and BMP4 leads to the differentiation of BMSCs into male germ-like cells which express specific male germ-like genes. Testicular cells released factors that contributed to the differentiation of BMSCs into male germ progenitor cells. Conclusion. This study suggests that mesenchymal stem cells may be differentiated into male germ-like cells and therefore, may be a novel treatment option for men with azoospermia.

International Journal of Forensic Sciences

Introduction: This study provides the costal cartilage calcification degree (CCCD) with more focu... more Introduction: This study provides the costal cartilage calcification degree (CCCD) with more focus on first costal cartilage calcification (FCCC) in different sexes and age groups in an Iranian population. Materials and methods: This is a cross-sectional retrospective study including 400 chest computed tomography (CT) scans of the participants aging from 20 to 89 years old, from 2020 to 2021. The chest CT scans were categorized based on two factors of sex (n= 400; male and female), and age (n: 400; <30 years and >30 years). Degree of calcification was categorized into five groups including: 1 (<5%), 2 (5-25%), 3 (25-50%), 4 (50-75%), and 5 (75-100%). And FCCC was investigated meticulously by categorizing it into three groups including: 1 (complete fusion with sternum), 2 (partial fusion with sternum), and 3 (partial calcification). Results: Age-based analysis without considering sex demonstrated that <5% calcification (CCCD=1) is higher in age group <30 (61.9%) than >30 years (15.8%) (P= 0.000), and complete fusion (FCCC=1) is higher in age group >30 (72.4%) than <30 years (37.5%) (P= 0.01). Logistic regression results demonstrated no predicting value of CCCD, and FCCC in sex discrimination. But in age discrimination, FCCC can be considered a possible predictor with an overall correct classification of about 88.6%. Conclusion: CCD is more depended upon age than sex, and the pattern in FCCC can be of significant importance in age discrimination. For reliable sex discrimination it is suggested to accompany CCCD with age and patterns of calcification such as marginal, central, and mixed patterns.

animal, 2008

Poor glucose tolerance may be an under-researched contributory factor in the high (10% to 20%) pr... more Poor glucose tolerance may be an under-researched contributory factor in the high (10% to 20%) pre-weaning mortality rate observed in pigs. Insulin resistance commences at around week 12 of gestation in the sow, although there are conflicting reports in the literature about the extent to which insulin resistance is modulated by maternal diet. The aim of the study was to determine the effects of supplementing the maternal diet with different dietary oils during either the first half or the second half of gestation on the glucose tolerance of the sow. Sows were offered the control (C: n = 5) diet as pellets or the C diet plus 10% extra energy (n = 16 per group) derived from either: (i) extra pellets; (ii) palm oil; (iii) olive oil; (iv) sunflower oil; or (v) fish oil. Experimental diets were fed during either the first (G1) or second (G2) half of gestation. A glucose tolerance test (GTT) was conducted on day 108 of gestation by administering 0.5 g/kg glucose i.v. Blood samples were ta...

Acta Endocrinologica (Bucharest), 2019

Context. Heat Shock Protein 60 (HSP60) is a chaperone protein which is involved in proteins trans... more Context. Heat Shock Protein 60 (HSP60) is a chaperone protein which is involved in proteins transfer and re-folding of proteins. Objective. Importance of HSP60 in sperm capacitation and facility of sperm-oocyte membrane binding was confirmed, therefore in this study the effect of HSP60 on the rate of in vitro fertilization and the cleavage rate in mouse embryo was investigated. Design. Ten male mice and twenty five female mice were involved to collect sperms and oocytes required for this study. Subjects and Methods. Sperms were collected from the epididymis of male mouse and oocytes were collected from the oviduct of female mouse following ovarian hyperstimulation. Then, capacitated sperms and oocytes were placed together in fertilization medium in four groups in the presence of different concentrations of HSP60 (10, 50 and 100 ng/mL) and in the absence of HSP60. After calculation of the fertilization rate, zygotes were transformed into the other medium for development and the cleavage rate was monitored to blastocyst stage. Results. There was not a significant difference in the rate of fertilization between 10 ng/mL HSP60 group and the control group. The rate of fertilization and two-cell embryo development decreased significantly (P≤0.05) in 100 ng/mL HSP60 compared to other experimental and control groups. Further, the rate of two-cell embryo development increased significantly (P≤0.05) in 10 ng/mL HSP60 compared to other experimental and control groups. Conclusions. The present study demonstrated that HSP60 in low dose had a positive effect on two-cell embryo development, however it did not have any significant effect on the fertilization rate. Conversely, HSP60 had adverse effects on the fertilization and cleavage rates at higher doses.

Biomaterials, 2009

The interactions of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their engrafted microen... more The interactions of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their engrafted microenvironment are an integral part of signaling control of stem cell lineage commitment. We attempted to induce bone marrow-derived MSCs to undergo epidermal lineage differentiation by manipulating the biochemical, environmental and physical properties of culture conditions in an organotypic coculture model to simulate a skin-specific microenvironment. The induction medium was optimized by varying different biomolecular supplements in a basic stratification medium. A multi-layered epidermis-like structure was established when MSCs were cultured in an optimized induction medium on a contractible fibroblast-embedded collagen gel with an air-liquid interface. The commitment into epidermal lineage was further confirmed by the expression of early and intermediate epidermalization markers-keratin 10 and filaggrin in 90.67% and 80.51% of MSCs, respectively. This study not only highlights the possibility of in vitro control of MSCs into epidermal lineage, but also suggests the therapeutic potential of bone marrow-derived MSCs for skin regeneration.

Intracranial calcification is referred to calcification of parenchyma and vascular structures in ... more Intracranial calcification is referred to calcification of parenchyma and vascular structures in brain which can be physiologic or pathologic. This study was conducted with the purpose of investigating the frequency, location, pattern, dimensions and estimated volume of intracranial physiologic calcification (IPC) by computer tomography in different age groups. In this cross-sectional retrospective study, brain computed tomography scans of 216 patients were analyzed in 9 age groups each containing 24 patients from 2 to 89 years old. Data were analyzed by SPSS software using one way analysis of variance (ANOVA, post hoc Tukey), chi square, and linear regression tests (P≤0.05 was considered significant). Rate of calcification in different areas were as follows: pineal gland (75.0%), habenula (36.4%), pineohabenula (15.0%), right lateral ventricle choroid plexus (RCP) (67.7%), left lateral ventricle choroid plexus (LCP) (62.7%), falx cerebri (26.8%), petroclinoid ligament (13.2%), tentorium cerebelli (6.8%), third ventricle choroid plexus (0.9%), fourth ventricle choroid plexus (2.7%), basal ganglia (0.9%). A significant correlation exists between the presence of calcification in pineal, habenula, RCP, and LCP (P≤0.001). Nodular shape of calcification was dominant (47.9%). Estimated volume of pineal calcification showed increased levels in group 8 (70-79 years old) compared to group 2 (10-19 years old) (P≤0.05). Since the accurate description of radiologic appearance of IPCs (location, shape, and size) accompanied with age and clinical manifestation is of great importance in diagnosis and distinguishing from pathologic calcification-for example in patients with melatonin dysregulation or schizophrenic patients-this study was required.

Andrologia, 2019

Formaldehyde is a common agent in our surrounding environment and can adversely affect the male r... more Formaldehyde is a common agent in our surrounding environment and can adversely affect the male reproductive system. In this study, the effectiveness of Matricaria chamomilla (MC) extract as an antioxidant was investigated in rats treated with formaldehyde. Thirty‐two male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups: F (10 mg/kg formaldehyde), M200 (200 mg/kg MC extract), M500 (500 mg/kg MC extract), FM200 (10 mg/kg formaldehyde and 200 mg/kg MC extract), FM500 (10 mg/kg formaldehyde and 500 mg/kg MC extract) and control group (0.9% normal saline). Formaldehyde and MC extract were administered daily for 30 consecutive days via intraperitoneal injection. Hormonal status, sperm parameters, testis tissue histology, germinal cells apoptosis and stereological analyses of testis tissue were investigated. Testosterone and LH levels were significantly increased in FM200, FM500, F200 and F500 groups compared to F group (p ≤ 0.05). Sperm count, motility and viability were significantly enhanced in FM200, FM500, F200 and F500 groups compared to F group (p ≤ 0.05). A decrease in the number of apoptotic germ cells in FM200, FM500, M200 and M500 groups (p ≤ 0.05) was evident. In particular, the MC extract in dose 500 mg/kg is seen to reduce the adverse effects of formaldehyde on the reproductive system of male rats.

Anatomy & Cell Biology, 2017

Neurological Research, 2019

Objective Non-obstructive azoospermia is mostly irreversible. Efforts to cure this type of infert... more Objective Non-obstructive azoospermia is mostly irreversible. Efforts to cure this type of infertility have led to the application of stem cells in the reproduction field. In the present study, testicular cell-mediated differentiation of male germ-like cells from bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) in an in vitro indirect co-culture system is investigated. Materials and Methods In this experimental study, mouse BM-MSCs were isolated and cultured up to passage three. Identification of the cells was evaluated using specific surface markers by flow-cytometry technique. Four experimental groups were investigated: control, treatment with retinoic acid (RA), indirect co-culture with testicular cells, and combination of RA and indirect co-culture with testicular cells. Finally, following differentiation, the quantitative expression of germ cell-specific markers including Dazl, Piwil2 and Stra8 were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results Molecular a...

IntroductionEmbryology is a branch of medical sciences in developmental biology. Since the knowle... more IntroductionEmbryology is a branch of medical sciences in developmental biology. Since the knowledge of embryology is of special significance for medical students, this study was conducted with the purpose of elucidating the viewpoint of medical students of Zanjan University of Medical Sciences in Iran on the application of embryology courses in fulfilling clinical purposes.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018-2019 with a census method on all clinical medical students (trainees and interns). To collect medical students’ opinions, the researcher-designed questionnaire was used. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by embryology experts by content validity ratio (CVR) and factor analysis and the reliability of the questionnaire Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (0.9), respectively. Data were analyzed by SPSS (version 24) and Lisrel software. Values with P<0.05 were considered significant.ResultsDescriptive statistics in the field of general and system-based...

Endocrine Regulations, 2020

Adverse effects of obesity, which is caused by an imbalance between the energy intake and expendi... more Adverse effects of obesity, which is caused by an imbalance between the energy intake and expenditure, on the male reproductive system have been reported. Considering the anti-obesity effect of Glycyrrhiza Glabra (GC), we conducted this study to elucidate whether it can ameliorate the sperm parameters. Methods. In this experimental study, male Wistar rats of 6-8 weeks old were divided into four groups: control, high fat diet (HFD), GC50 (HFD plus 50 mg/kg GC extract), and GC100 (HFD plus 100 mg/kg GC extract). During the 16 weeks of the study course, the rats consumed the extract through gavage, daily. Body mass index (BMI), body weight gain, serum lipid profile, leptin concentration, and sperm parameters were investigated. Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) (post hoc Tukey) to express the significance of mean differences of variables between groups, and linear regression test was used to express the correlation model of variables. Both tests were performed by SPSS software; p≤0.05 was considered significant. Results. BMI was significantly decreased by the GC50 and GC100 groups compared to HFD group. GC50 group considerably decreased leptin level compared to HFD group. A significant positive correlation between leptin and triglyceride levels was evident. GC50 and GC100 extensively increased the total sperm motility and ameliorated the sperm abnormal morphology and count compared to HFD group. Conclusion. Glycyrrhiza Glabra extract may exert its ameliorating effects on the sperm parameters through its anti-obesity impact. Both doses of the extract were effective, however, the GC100 was more effective in improving the sperm parameters.

Biomedical Reports

Oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species generation have been implicated in the pathogenesis ... more Oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species generation have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several neurological disorders including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multiple sclerosis. In the present study, the neuroprotective effects of selegiline against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in hippocampus-derived neural stem cells (NSCs) were evaluated. NSCs isolated from neonatal Wistar rats were pretreated with different doses of selegiline for 48 h and then exposed to 125 µM H 2 O 2 for 30 min. Using MTT and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assays, acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, the effects of selegiline on cell survival, apoptosis and the expression of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and heat shock protein 4 (Hspa4) in pretreated stem cells were assessed compared with a control group lacking pretreatment. The results indicated that the viability of cells pretreated with 20 µM selegiline was significantly increased compared with the control group (P<0.05). Additionally, 20 µM selegiline increased the mRNA expression of Bcl-2 and Hspa4 (P<0.05 vs. control) and suppressed oxidative stress-induced cell death (apoptosis and necrosis; P<0.05 vs. control and 10 µM groups). From these findings, it was concluded that selegiline may be a therapeutic candidate for the treatment of neurological diseases mediated by oxidative stress.