The aim of the present study was to investigate the anti-rheumatoid activity of secondary metabolites produced by endophytic mycobiota in Egypt. A total of 27 endophytic fungi were isolated from 10 dominant medicinal plant host species in Wadi Tala, Saint Katherine Protectorate, arid Sinai, Egypt. Of those taxa, seven isolates of Chaetomium globosum (CG1–CG7), being the most frequent taxon, were recovered from seven different host plants and screened for production of active anti-inflammatory metabolites. Isolates were cultivated on half – strength potato dextrose broth for 21 days at 28°C on a rotatory shaker at 180 rpm, and extracted in ethyl acetate and methanol, respectively. The probable inhibitory effects of both extracts against an adjuvant induced arthritis (AIA) rat model were examined and compared with the effects of methotrexate (MTX) as a standard disease-modifying anti-rheumatoid drug. Disease activity and mobility scoring of AIA, histopathology and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to evaluate probable inhibitory roles. A significant reduction (P < 0.05) in the severity of arthritis was observed in both the methanolic extract of CG6 (MCG6) and MTX treatment groups 6 days after treatment commenced. The average arthritis score of the MCG6 treatment group was (10.7 ± 0.82) compared to (13.8 ± 0.98) in the positive control group. The mobility score of the MCG6 treatment group (1.50 ± 0.55) was significantly lower than that of the positive control group (3.33 ± 0.82). In contrast, the ethyl acetate extract of CG6 (EACG6) treatment group showed no improvements in arthritis and mobility scores in AIA model rats. Histopathology and TEM findings confirmed the observation. Isolate CG6 was subjected to sequencing for confirmation of phenotypic identification. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1–5.8 s – ITS2 rDNA sequences obtained were compared with those deposited in the GenBank Database and registered with accession number KC811080 in the NCBI Database. The present study revealed that the methanol extract of endophytic fungus C. globosum (KC811080) recovered from maidenhair fern has an inhibitory effect on inflammation, histopathology and morphological features of rheumatoid arthritis in an AIA rat model.
Background: Burn injuries constitute a major health problem which cause more severe physiological stress than other traumas. Aloe vera has been used in traditional medicine for a long time for burn treatment.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have delivered new approaches to the management of deep burns. The present study assessed the effect of aloe vera versus MSCs on experimentally induced deep second-degree burn.Methods: Sixty adult female albino rats randomized into 6 groups: group I served as negative control, group II received topical aloe vera only, group III were injected intradermally with MSCs, group IV subjected to burn injury, group V received topical aloe vera post burn and group VI were injected intradermally with MSCs post burn. Healing of burn injury was evaluated grossly. Skin specimens were obtained after 14 & 21days post-burn induction and prepared for histological techniques (H&E and Masson's trichrome stain).Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of Sry gene for group VI was done.Results: After 14 days, groups V&VI showed fully regenerated epidermis with a significant increase in the epidermal thickness and a significant decrease in the optical density of collagen fibers compared to control groups. After 21 days, group V showed less epidermal thickness compared to that of day 14 and nearly normal collagen fibers arrangement. However, group VI showed a significant increase in the epidermal thickness compared to groups V&I and an interwoven collagen fibers arrangement with a significant decrease in the optical density of collagen fibers in comparison to control groups. PCR results of the tested samples revealed that 100% of the recipient rats contain Sry positive gene.Conclusions: Topical aloe vera promoted burn wound healing faster and better than intradermal injection of MSCs.
BackgroundRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that leads to chronic inflammation in the joints with subsequent cartilage and bone destruction. RA induces a massive burden on health services worldwide. Aim of the work This study was designed to evaluate the possible therapeutic effect of 'Chaetomium globosum' extract in the treatment of RA in a rat model. Materials and methodsForty male Wistar albino rats aged 8-10 weeks were divided into four groups of 10 rats each. The control group (group I) was injected subcutaneously with 0.1 ml of saline. RA was induced in the other three groups (groups II, III, and IV) by single subcutaneous injection of 0.1 ml of complete Freund's adjuvant in the footpad of the right hind paw. Group II was induced with arthritis and left untreated. Rats in groups III and IV were treated by administering either C. globosum 10 µg/kg or methotrexate (MTX) 0.3 mg/kg subcutaneously twice weekly for 2 weeks from day 12 after induction of arthritis. Animals of all groups were sacrificed on day 28 from the start of the experiment. The ankle joints were processed and stained with H&E, Masson's trichrome, and immunohistochemical stain for inducible nitric oxide synthase. Specimens were also processed for transmission electron microscopic study. ResultsUntreated arthritic rats revealed paw swelling, synovial hyperplasia, inflammatory infiltration, collagen accumulation, cartilage degradation, bone destruction, and significant increase in inducible nitric oxide synthase-positive chondrocytes. Transmission electron microscopic examination confirmed these results. The present study demonstrated for the first time that C. globosum significantly reduced all the clinical and histopathological changes of arthritis similar to MTX. Conclusion C. globosum extract had therapeutic effects similar to the well-established drug MTX and could be devoid of its serious side effects.
BackgroundAlthough the importance of estrogen in male reproduction is indisputable, little attention has been paid to the role of the estrogen receptor in male infertility. Aim of the workThis study aimed to evaluate the immunohistochemical localization of estrogen receptor-α (ER-α) in testicular biopsies from nonobstructive azoospermic (NOA) patients compared with the control. Patients and methodsThis study was carried out on 50 infertile men diagnosed with (NOA): 12 were hypospermatogenesis (HP), 22 were maturation arrest (MA), and 16 were Sertolicell-only (SCO) syndrome. Five fertile men were included in the control group. Testicular biopsies were obtained and were processed for H&E, Masson's trichrome, and immunohistochemical stains for ER-α, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and caspase-3. ResultsThe present study showed disorganization of seminiferous tubules, disruption of their basement membrane, and exfoliation of germ cells inside their lumena in cases of HP and MA. In cases of SCO, no germ cells in the tubules were detected; only Sertoli cells were observed. A significant increase in interstitial collagen was observed in all cases; however, hyperplasia of Leydig cells was observed only in SCO syndrome. Immunohistochemical study indicated a significant decrease in ER-α in MA and HP compared with the control. A significant increase in caspase-3 immunoreactivity was observed in all cases. However, PCNA immunoreactivity showed a significant decrease in cases of MA and HP. ConclusionIt can be concluded that the decrease in ER-α immunoexpression led to a defect in cellular proliferation and differentiation of germ cells and an increase in apoptosis of the postmeiotic spermatogenic cells.
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