One of the most promising treatments for diabetes mellitus (DM) is stem cell therapy. This study is aimed at elucidating the antidiabetic effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced DM in developing male rats. Twenty-four male albino rats (4 weeks old) were divided into control, diabetic, diabetic+MSCs1 (received MSCs one week after STZ treatment), and diabetic+MSCs2 (received MSCs 4 weeks after STZ treatment). Diabetic rats showed marked impairment ( p < 0.05 ) in serum levels of glucose, insulin, C-peptide, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant status (TAS), and total oxidant status (TOS) in addition to disruption of the calculated values of homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), pancreatic β cell function (HOMA-β), and oxidative stress index (OSI). These biochemical alterations were confirmed by the histopathological and ultrastructural assessments which showed marked destructive effect on pancreatic islet cells. MSC therapy in an early stage reversed most of the biochemical, histological, and ultrastructural alterations in the STZ-induced diabetic model and restored the normal cellular population of most acinar cells and islet of Langerhans. These results indicate that MSC therapy of STZ-induced diabetic developing rats during an early stage has the capacity of β cell restoration and the control of blood glycemic homeostasis.

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Background High salt intake induces renal-stress. The present study was carried out to examine the therapeutic effects of proximol(Halfa bar extract), lasilactonedrug(Spironolactone+Furosemide) and their combination on renal-stressed rats. Material and Methods:Thirty five male rats were used and divided into five groups. The first group served as negative control and received fresh tap water orally for four weeks. The animals in the other four groups drank hypertonic saline solution (2% NaCl) as a sole source of drinking water for four weeks to induce the animal model of renal stress. Then the renal-stressed rats were further divided into: positive control, renal-stressed rats treated daily with proximol (7.8 mg/kg b.wt), renalstressed rats treated daily with lasilactone (3.9 mg/kg b.wt), and renal-stressed rats treated daily with a combination of proximol and lasilactone for four weeks. The levels of aldosterone, sodium, potassium, calcium, urea, uric acid and creatinine were measured in the sera of rats. Nitric oxide (NO), reduced glutathione (GSH) and lipid peroxidation (MDA) levels were also measured in the homogenate of renal tissue. Results:In the renal-stressed group, there was a significant increase in levels of aldosterone, sodium, calcium, urea, uric acid, NO and MDA and a significant decrease in potassium and GSH as compared to control group. Although the treatment of renal stressed rats with proximol, lasilactone and their combination reduced the increased level of aldosterone induced in renal stressed rats, aldosterone level was still higher than the control value. In addition, the treatment with proximol, lasilactone and their combination restored the significant increase in sodium, NO and lipid peroxidation to non significant changes as compared to control group. Also the decreased levels of GSH induced in renal-stressed rats returned to non significant changes. However, potassium decreased significantly below the control and the model groups with the combined treatment. Furthermore, treatment with proximol, lasilactone and their combination reduced the elevated levels of uric acid and urea induced by hypertonic saline solution to control-like values in the case of uric acid and to a significant decrease in the case of urea. Conclusion:In conclusion, proximol, lasilactone and their combination have an effective role in ameliorating the changes in the levels of aldosterone, serum electrolytes, oxidative stress and consequently the disturbance in kidney functions in renal-stressed rats induced by hypertonic saline solution.

Introduction: The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of the non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug diclofenac sodium (DS) on the fetuses of albino mice from the morphological and skeletal points of view.Material and methods: Sixty adult pregnant female mice were used in the present study. They were allocated into 6 groups (10 mice each). The first two groups served as control and were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with the solvent of the drug, and the 3 rd and 5th groups were treated with 1.5 and 3mg/kg body weight of diclofenac sodium for 6 days ( gestation days 1-6 ), respectively ; the 4 th and 6 th groups were treated with 1.5and 3mg/kg body weight of the drug for 8 days ( gestation days 7-14), respectively. Results:The morphological examination of the fetuses of treated groups showed conspicuous decrease in the average body weight and body length in all treated groups. The fetuses maternally treated with the drug showed noticeable external morphological malformations and their skeletons exhibited mild retardation in skeletal elements. In conclusion:The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac sodium had exerted marked morphological malformations and mild skeletal alterations in mice fetuses maternally treated during different periods of gestation.