Effect of Agaricus blazei Murill on exploratory behavior of mice-model

Increased anxiety and depressive symptoms have reported to be its association with long term illness. Because of having unwanted effects of newly available drugs, patients administering anxiolytic drugs usually discontinue the treatment before they are completely recovered. Therefore, there is a serious need to develop new anxiolytic drugs. The anxiolytic effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of Agaricus blazei in animal models was assessed. 24 male mice (Mus musculus genus) were included in the study. Four groups were prepared and each group contained six animals. The groups were vehicle control, positive control (diazepam 1.0 mg/kg, i.p.) as well as two treatment groups receiving Agaricus blazei hydro-alcoholic extract at a dose of 136.50 mg/kg and 273.0 mg/kg orally. The Marble burying test, Nestlet shredding test and Light and Dark box test used to assess anxiolytic activity. Mice administered with diazepam 1.0 mg/kg, i.p. while hydro-alcoholic extract of AbM (136.50 and 273.0 mg/kg, respectively) was administered via oral route which exhibited marked reduction in number of marbles-burying as compared to vehicle control group. Mice administered with diazepam 1.0 mg/kg, i.p. and Oral administration of hydro-alcoholic extract of AbM (136.50 and 273.0 mg/kg, respectively) exhibited significant decrease in nestlet shredding in comparison to vehicle control group. The oral administration of hydro-alcoholic extract at a dose of 136.5mg/kg and 273mg/kg showed elevation in time spent in light box and was comparable to standard treated group while time spent by mice following oral administration of hydro-alcoholic extract of Agaricus blazei at a dose of 273.0 mg/kg also showed elevation and was found to be more near to standard treated group (diazepam 1 mg/kg, i.p.).

Vitamin E pretreated Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells attenuate CCl4-induced hepatocyte injury in vitro and liver fibrosis in vivo

Oxidative microenvironment in fibrotic liver alleviates the efficacious outcome of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-based cell therapy. Recent evidence suggests that pharmacological pretreatment is a rational approach to harness the MSCs with higher therapeutic potential. Here, we investigated whether Vitamin E pretreatment can boost the antifibrotic effects of Wharton's jelly-derived MSCs (WJMSCs). We used rat liver-derived hepatocytes injured by CCl₄ treatment in co-culture system with Vitamin E pretreated-WJMSCs (Vit E-WJMSCs) to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of Vit E-WJMSCs. After 24 h of co-culturing, we found that Vit E-WJMSCs rescued injured hepatocytes as hepatocyte injury-associated medium (AST, ALT, and ALP) and mRNA (Cyp2e1, Hif1-α, and Il-1β) markers reduced to normal levels. Subsequently, CCl₄-induced liver fibrosis rat models were employed to examine the antifibrotic potential of Vit E-WJMSCs. After 1 month of cell transplantation, it was revealed that Vit E-WJMSCs transplantation ceased fibrotic progression, as evident by improved hepatic architecture and functions, more significantly in comparison to naïve WJMSCs. In addition, Vit E-WJMSCs transplantation decreased the expressions of fibrosis-associated gene (Tgf-β1, α-Sma, and Col1α1) markers in the liver parenchyma. Intriguingly, the results of tracing experiments discovered that more WJMSCs engrafted in the Vit E-WJMSCs treated rat livers compared to naïve WJMSCs treated livers. These findings implicate that pretreatment of WJMSCs with Vitamin E improves their tolerance to hostile niche of fibrotic liver; thereby further enhancing their efficacy for hepatic fibrosis.

Serum from CCl4-induced acute rat injury model induces differentiation of ADSCs towards hepatic cells and reduces liver fibrosis

Cellular therapies hold promise to alleviate liver diseases. This study explored the potential of allogenic serum isolated from rat with acute CCl₄ injury to differentiate adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) towards hepatic lineage. Acute liver injury was induced by CCl₄ which caused significant increase in serum levels of VEGF, SDF1α and EGF. ADSCs were preconditioned with 3% serum isolated from normal and acute liver injury models. ADSCs showed enhanced expression of hepatic markers (AFP, albumin, CK8 and CK19). These differentiated ADSCs were transplanted intra-hepatically in CCl₄-induced liver fibrosis model. After one month of transplantation, fibrosis and liver functions (alkaline phosphatase, ALAT and bilirubin) showed marked improvement in acute injury group. Elevated expression of hepatic (AFP, albumin, CK 18 and HNF4a) and pro survival markers (PCNA and VEGF) and improvement in liver architecture as deduced from results of alpha smooth muscle actin, Sirius red and Masson's trichome staining was observed.

In vitro differentiated hepatic oval-like cells enhance hepatic regeneration in CCl4 -induced hepatic injury

Hepatic oval cells are likely to be activated during advanced stage of liver fibrosis to reconstruct damaged hepatic tissue. However, their scarcity, difficulties in isolation, and in vitro expansion hampered their transplantation in fibrotic liver. This study was aimed to investigate the repair potential of in vitro differentiated hepatic oval-like cells in CCl₄ -induced liver fibrosis. BMSCs and oval cells were isolated and characterized from C57BL/6 GFP⁺ mice. BMSCs were differentiated into oval cells by preconditioning with HGF, EGF, SCF, and LIF and analyzed for the oval cells-specific genes. Efficiency of oval cells to reduce hepatocyte injury was studied by determining cell viability, release of LDH, and biochemical tests in a co-culture system. Further, in vivo repair potential of differentiated oval cells was determined in CCl₄ -induced fibrotic model by gene expression analysis, biochemical tests, mason trichrome, and Sirius red staining. Differentiated oval cells expressed hepatic oval cells-specific markers AFP, ALB, CK8, CK18, CK19. These differentiated cells when co-cultured with injured hepatocytes showed significant hepato-protection as measured by reduction in apoptosis, LDH release, and improvement in liver functions. Transplantation of differentiated oval cells like cells in fibrotic livers exhibited enhanced homing, reduced liver fibrosis, and improved liver functions by augmenting hepatic microenvironment by improved liver functions. This preconditioning strategy to differentiate BMSCs into oval cell leads to improved survival and homing of transplanted cells. In addition, reduction in fibrosis and functional improvement in mice with CCl₄ -induced liver fibrosis was achieved.

A scalable, fast, and multichannel arbitrary waveform generator

This article reports on the development of a multichannel arbitrary waveform generator that simultaneously generates arbitrary voltage waveforms on 24 independent channels with a dynamic update rate of up to 25 Msps. A real-time execution of a single waveform and/or sequence of multiple waveforms in succession, with a user programmable arbitrary sequence order is provided under the control of a stand-alone sequencer circuit implemented using a field programmable gate array. The device is operated using an internal clock and can be synced to other devices by means of transistor-transistor logic (TTL) pulses. The device can provide up to 24 independent voltages in the range of up to ± 9 V with a dynamic update-rate of up to 25 Msps and a power consumption of less than 35 W. Every channel can be programmed for 16 independent arbitrary waveforms that can be accessed during run time with a minimum switching delay of 160 ns. The device has a low-noise of 250 μV(rms) and provides a stable long-term operation with a drift rate below 10 μV/min and a maximum deviation less than ± 300 μV(pp) over a period of 2 h.