In this study, the effects of osteoblast-conditioning on mechanical behavior, biocompatibility, biodegradation and osteoinductive properties of a nano-hydroxyapatite/gelatin (HA/GEL) nanocomposite scaffold was investigated. The scaffold was fabricated using the layer solvent casting combined with the freeze-drying and lamination techniques. The scaffolds were conditioned by culture of osteoblasts on their surface and their elimination by a repeated freeze-thawing process. The potential of the osteoblast-conditioned HA/GEL (HA/GEL/OC) scaffold to support cell adhesion and growth and its cytotoxicity was assessed in vitro using rat mesenchymal stem cells. For in vivo studies, the HA/GEL/OC nanocomposite was implanted in the critical size bone defect created on rat calvarium and studied after 7, 30 and 90 days. The results showed that mechanical and in vitro biological properties of the scaffold were not affected by the process of conditioning. However, in vivo studies demonstrated that osteoblast-conditioning enhanced biocompatibility and osteoinductivity and of the nanocomposite scaffold. The osteoblast conditioning also accelerated collagen content during the bone healing. In the experimental group that received the HA/GEL/OC and MSCs, the newly formed bone occupied almost the entire defect (93.4 ± 3.3%) within 3 months. In conclusion, this study indicates that osteoblast-conditioning is a viable strategy for the development of bone tissue engineering scaffolds. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 2001-2010, 2016.

Our findings showed that four weeks of swimming training produce beneficial rehabilitative effects on neuropathic pain symptoms. The analgesic effect of swimming training is partially related to the increase of GAD65. The beneficial role of irisin in neuropathic pain will require further investigation.

Article type: Original Article Background: Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are used widely in the treatment of hypertension and heart failure. These inhibitors such as captopril and enalapril are derived from natural products. Materials and Methods: In the present study 135 plants used in Traditional Persian Medicine have been investigated for their angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity. They were selected on the basis of their usage as antihypertensive, cardiotonics & diuretics. Dried powdered plant material was extracted with mix solution of water and ethanol in ultrasonic bath. The extracts were filtered and concentrated in vacuum except for the water extracts, which were freeze-dried. Test solutions were made by dissolving extract in assay buffer, corresponding to a final concentration of 0.33 mg of crude plant extract in 1 ml test volume. Enzyme assay was performed by HPLC method. Plants exhibiting inhibition levels with more than 50% were further tested for the presence of tannins in order to eliminate possible false positives. Results: In total, 52 Species out of the 135 (39%) screened, gave more than 50% ACE inhibition. Forty Species were found to possess a high ACE inhibiting ability and were low in their tannin content. Conclusions: Traditional medicine based on certain plants could be of beneficial effects in hypertension treatment.

Background Nowadays, the number of cancer survivors is significantly increasing as a result of efficient chemo/radio therapeutic treatments. Female cancer survivors may suffer from decreased fertility. In this regard, different fertility preservation techniques were developed. Artificial ovary is one of these methods suggested by several scientific groups. Decellularized ovarian cortex has been introduced as a scaffold in the field of human fertility preservation. This study was carried out to compare decellularization of the ovarian scaffold by various protocols and evaluate the follicle survival in extracellular matrix (ECM)-alginate scaffold. Results The micrographs of H&E and DAPI staining confirmed successful decellularization of the ovarian cortex in all experimental groups, but residual DNA content in SDS-Triton group was significantly higher than other groups (P < 0.05). SEM images demonstrated that complex fiber network and porosity structure were maintained in all groups. Furthermore, elastin and collagen fibers were observed in all groups after decellularization process. MTT test revealed higher cytobiocompatibility of the SDS-Triton-Ammonium and SDS-Triton decellularized scaffolds compared with SDS groups. Compared to the transferred follicles into the sodium alginate (81%), 85.9% of the transferred follicles into the decellularized scaffold were viable after 7 days of cultivation (P = 0.04). Conclusion Although all the decellularization procedures was effective in removal of cells from ovarian cortex, SDS-Triton-Ammonium group showed less residual DNA content with higher cytobiocompatibility for follicles when compared with other groups. In addition, the scaffold made from ovarian tissues decellularized using SDS-Triton-Ammonium and sodium alginate is suggested as a potential 3D substrate for in vitro culture of follicles for fertility preservation.

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