Resveratrol is a plant polyphenolic compound. Evidence indicates that resveratrol has beneficial effects against aging and neurodegenerative diseases. The goal of our study was in vivo examination of the effects of resveratrol on the abundance of mRNA encoding Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus of rat brain. Rats were administrated orally by different doses (2.5-20 mg/kg bwt) of resveratrol for 3, 10 and 30 days. Saline was used as control and 10% ethanol in saline was used as vehicle for resveratrol. Measurement of BDNF mRNA by Real-time RT-PCR showed that levels of the mRNA for BDNF were significantly and dose dependently elevated in the hippocampal tissues of rats. The findings suggest that the neuroprotective effects of resveratrol may be at least partly due to its inducing effects on the expression levels of the BDNF mRNA.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a role in mediating molecular, cellular, and behavioral adaptations underlying drug addiction. Here, we examined the influence of withdrawal from repeated morphine treatment on the expression of BDNF mRNA in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and locus coeruleus (LC) of the rat brain. We also studied whether alternations in mRNA levels of BDNF in these tissues are associated with histone modifications around promoters II and III of the BDNF gene. Thus, chromatin immunoprecipitation (CHIP) and quantitative (q)-PCR were employed to assess acetylation of histone H3 at K9/K14 and trimethylation of histone H3 at K9. Results of qRT-PCR showed that levels of BDNF mRNA in both VTA and LC were significantly increased 7 days rather than 2 h or 24 h following the last injection of morphine. Consistently, CHIP and qPCR analysis revealed that on day 7 of morphine abstinence, both VTA and LC levels of histone methylation at BDNF promoters II and III of morphine treated rats were significantly lower than control animals. Morphine withdrawal caused only a significant increase in H3 acetylation at the promoter II in the LC. These data demonstrate the involvement of histone H3 methylation in the regulation of gene expression in the VTA and LC of rats during forced abstinence of morphine.

Quercetin is a ubiquitous fl avonoid found in many plants. Neuroprotective effects of quercetin have been shown in several in vitro and in vivo studies, but its mechanism of action has not been fully defi ned yet. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a fundamental neurotrophin with vital functions in the survival of neuronal cells. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of quercetin on expression of BDNF mRNA in the hippocampus of rat brain. METHODS: Male rats were daily gavaged with quercetin (10, 20 or 50 mg/kg·bwt) for 30 days. Hippocampal levels of the BDNF transcripts were assessed using quantitative (q) RT-PCR. RESULTS: Quercetin at doses of 20 and 50 mg/kg caused a signifi cant increase in the mRNA expression of BDNF as compared with the control group. Quercetin treatment at a dose of 10 mg/kg failed to cause any signifi cant changes in the levels of BDNF mRNA CONCLUSION: Our fi ndings suggest that the neuroprotective effects of quercetin may be at least partly due to its inducing effects on the expression levels of the BDNF mRNA (Fig. 1, Ref. 40). Text in PDF www.elis.sk.

Development of next-generation bioabsorbable stents based on magnesium alloys is gaining lots of attention. However, finding an appropriate coating in order to enhance its corrosion resistance along with preserving other requirements is still a challenge. In this study, three FDA-approved polymers, namely poly(lactic acid), polycaprolactone and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), have been investigated as potential coatings for magnesium-based stents to enhance their corrosion resistance, biocompatibility and haemocompatibility. Potentiodynamic and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results demonstrated that PLA and PLGA coating performed better in improving corrosion resistance in comparison with uncoated and other coated samples. Although all coated and bare samples displayed desirable results of haemocompatibility assays, PLA-coated samples showed better outcome in terms of biocompatibility. The results revealed that PLA can be considered as a potential coating material to enhance the main characteristics of magnesium-based bioabsorbable stents.

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