The aspect of treatment of autistic behaviour was investigated using valproic acid rat model of pregnant female rats. Two main groups (10 male rats/group) were treated for 6 days and then divided into six subgroups. The first group of normal rats was divided into three subgroups: (A) – control group, (B) – treated with camel milk (CAM; 2 mL/p.o) and (C) – treated with leptin (1000 µg/kg i.p) twice daily. The second group of autistic rats was randomly distributed into four subgroups as follows: (D) – positive control (autistics rats), (E) – treated with CAM, (F) – treated with a moderate dose of leptin and (G) – treated with a higher dose of leptin. Autistic behaviours of male offspring were checked by grooming and elevated pulz maze tests. Valproic acid (VPA)-induced autistic rats showed severe changes in oxidative stress markers, neurotransmitters and inflammatory cytokines, besides genotoxic manifestation of expression of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, Bax and caspase-3. Leptin or CAM alone showed no signs of toxicity. CAM showed pronounced improvement in control rats than control itself. Leptin or CAM treatment of autistic animals showed a significant improvement of all measured parameters and genetic expression values. The improvement was pronounced in animals treated with CAM. These results suggest that CAM is a potential therapeutic candidate for autism via regulation of inflammatory and apoptotic pathways. Leptin plays an essential role in alleviation of autistic behaviour through antioxidant effects.

Background. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a serious degenerative joint disease. It is one of the main causes of disability in the world. Current treatment modalities have numerous side effects. Subsequently, health experts are looking for alternative therapies. Objectives. The aim of the study was to evaluate the early effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) vs intra-articular (IA) corticosteroids (CS) on acute temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA). Material and methods. Sixty rats were divided into 3 groups: group 1-untreated OA; group 2-OA treated with CS; and group 3-OA treated with LLL. Half of the animals in each group were sacrificed at 1 and 4 weeks post treatment. The temporomandibular joint was dissected and evaluated histochemically, using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and radiographically. Results. Histochemically, Safranin-O staining revealed an obvious reduction in proteoglycans in the untreated osteoarthritic group. However, both of the treated groups showed a moderate increase in glycosaminoglycan (GAG) staining. As for the qRT-PCR results, caspase-3 showed the highest mean value in the untreated OA group, followed by the CS group, while the lowest mean value was recorded in the LLL group. Radiographically, the condyle showed erosion, flattening, osteophyte formation, and sclerosis in the untreated group, but there was great improvement in both of the treated groups. Conclusions. Both laser and cortisone showed reparative and formative effects, as evidenced by the increases in the proteoglycan content. However, LLL was superior in its anti-apoptotic effects. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a valuable tool in assessing osseous abnormalities.

Background. Osteoporosis is one of the most common yet difficult to treat diseases. It affects millions of people and costs the health care systems billions worldwide. All of the available kinds of pharmacological treatment have multiple side effects, which is why a need for safer treatment options has emerged.Objectives. This study aimed to assess the bone-healing potential of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) in jawbone osteoporosis in Wistar albino rats. Material and methods.Osteoporosis was induced with a daily intraperitoneal injection of 200 µg/100 g dexamethasone for 1 month. The rats were then randomly distributed into 2 groups: the osteoporotic group (left untreated); and the BM-MSCs group (received an intravenous injection of 50 million cultured BM-MSCs). Half of the rats from each group were sacrificed 2 weeks and the other half 6 weeks after the introduction of treatment. Bone regeneration was assessed by means of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), as well as the histopathological and histomorphometric analyses.Results. As for the 1 st sacrifice time, there were no significant differences between the osteoporotic and BM-MSCs groups with regard to all parameters except for bone mineral density (BMD), which was significantly higher in the BM-MSCs group. Regarding the 2 nd sacrifice time, the DEXA analysis showed a significant increase in BMD in the BM-MSCs group (p < 0.001). The RT-PCR analysis showed a significant decrease in RANKL gene expression (p < 0.001) and a significant increase in OPG gene expression (p < 0.001) in the BM-MSCs group. In addition, the histopathological examination of the BM-MSCs group showed pronounced healing progress in the jawbone microarchitecture. The histomorphometric analysis also revealed that the bone area percentage significantly increased in the BM-MSCs group (p < 0.001).Conclusions. This study proved that BM-MSCs could be effective in the treatment of osteoporosis.

Objective: Glucocorticoids induced osteoporosis and its related fragility fractures represent a costly human and socioeconomic load worldwide. All the current pharmacological therapies possess multiple adverse effects and high cost. Thus, the pesent study aimed to evaluate the bone healing ability of Moringa oleifera (MO) on glucocorticoids induced osteoporosis in the jawbone of Albino rats. Material and Methods: Osteoporosis was prompted by a daily intraperitoneal injection of 200 µg/ 100 g dexamethasone for 30 days. Next,the animals were randomly divided into 2 groups; osteoporotic and MO treated group. The treated group receivd a daily oral dose of 200mg/kg of MO. Rats from the MO group were sacrificed after 4 weeks from the beginning of treatment, and the same sacrifice date was used for the osteoporotic group. Bone regeneration was evaluated by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), histopathological and histomorphometric examination. Results: After the sacrifice, the DEXA analysis revealed a significant upregulation in the BMD in the MO treated group (p <0.001). The RT-PCR test showed a significant decline in RANKL gene expression and a significant rise in OPG gene expression in the MO group (p < 0.001, p = 0.002, respectively). The histopathological examination of the MO group displayed a marked healing of the jawbone micro-anatomy. The histomorphometric analysis also showed that the bone area percentage increased significantly in the MO group (p <0.05). Conclusion: A cheap, easy to get, yet a powerful plant like MO leaves, can be cosidered an effective treatment for osteoporosis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is an increasingly common deteriorating disorder of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) for which there is an urgent need to improve the prevention and cure. Objectives: We aimed to compare low-level laser (LLL) against corticosteroids as an alternative treatment for TMJ-OA. Methods: Sixty rats with TMJ-OA were divided into OA (untreated), corticosteroid-treated, and LLL-treated groups. Animals were sacrificed at 1 and 4 weeks after treatment, and their TMJs were dissected for evaluation by histological analysis, histochemical analysis, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Statistical comparison was conducted using oneway analysis of variance. Results: Histopathological examination revealed degenerative changes and loss of normal architecture in the untreated OA group and that these changes were decreased in both treatment groups. In histochemical analysis, collagen formation was higher in both treated groups than in the untreated group. Finally, tumor necrosis factor-α level was the highest in the OA group, followed by the corticosteroid-and LLL-treated groups. Conclusion: LLL may improve joint OA in the TMJ to a similar extent to corticosteroids and appears to have superior anti-inflammatory effects in the short-term.