Curcumin, the Main Part of Turmeric, Prevents Learning and Memory Changes Induced by Sodium Metabisulfite, a Preservative Agent, in Rats

Ali Noorafshan,Reza Asadi-Golshan,Saied Karbalay-Doust,Mohammad Amin Abdollahifar,Ali Rashidiani-Rashidabadi 한국뇌신경과학회 2013 Experimental Neurobiology Vol.22 No.1

Sodium metabisulfite is used as a disinfectant, antioxidant, and preservative agent in the food, beverage, and drug industries. Neurons are highly sensitive to sulfite toxicity. Curcumin is the main part of turmeric and has neuroprotective effects on a variety of nervous system damages. The present study aimed to investigate the possible protective role of curcumin in learning and memory after exposure to sulfite in rats. The rats were divided into five groups receiving distilled water (solvent of the sulfite), olive oil (solvent of the curcumin), sodium metabisulfite (25 mg/kg/day), curcumin (100 mg/kg/day), and sulfite + curcumin. All the animals received daily gavages for 8 weeks. At the end of the 8th week, learning and memory were assessed in a partially-baited eight arm radial maze. The animals treated with sulfite showed fewer correct choices and more reference and working memory errors during the learning phase, at the end of the learning phase, and during the retention testing (p<0.001). The study results demonstrated that sulfite-exposure was associated with impaired learning and memory in rats. Adding curcumin to the rat nutrition plays a protective role in learning and memory after exposure to sulfite.

Sensory and Motor Behavior Evidences Supporting the Usefulness of Conditioned Medium from Dental Pulp-Derived Stem Cells in Spinal Cord Injury in Rats

Farzaneh Dehghani,Reza Asadi-Golshan,Vahid Razban,Esmaeil Mirzaei,Abdolkarim Rahmanian,Sahar Khajeh,Zohreh Mostafavi-Pour 대한척추외과학회 2018 Asian Spine Journal Vol.12 No.5

Study Design: Experimental animal study. Purpose: This study aimed to assess effects of conditioned medium (CM) of dental pulp-derived stem cells loaded in collagen hydrogel on functional recovery following spinal cord injury (SCI). Overview of Literature: SCI affects sensory and motor functions, and behavioral recovery is the most essential purpose of therapeutic intervention. Recent studies have reported that CM from dental pulp-derived stem cells has therapeutic benefits. In addition, collagen hydrogel acts as a drug delivery system in SCI experiments. Methods: Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) were cultured, and SHED-CM was harvested and concentrated. Collagen hydrogel containing SHED-CM was prepared. The rats were divided into five groups receiving laminectomy, compressive SCI with or without intraspinal injection of biomaterials (SHED-CM), and collagen hydrogel with or without SHED-CM. Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scoring, inclined plane, cold allodynia, and beam walk tests were performed for 6 weeks to assess locomotor, motor, sensory, and sensory-motor performances, respectively. Results: Scores of the rats receiving SHED-CM loaded in collagen hydrogel were significantly better than those of the other injured groups at 1-week post-injury for BBB, 2 weeks for inclined plane, 2 weeks for cold allodynia, and 4 weeks for beam walk tests (p <0.05). The differences remained significant throughout the study. Conclusions: Intraspinal administration of SHED-CM loaded in collagen hydrogel leads to improved functional recovery and proposes a cell-free therapeutic approach for SCI.

Efficacy of Curcumin in the Modulation of Anxiety Provoked by Sulfite, a Food Preservative, in Rats

Ali Noorafshan,Masoud Vafabin,Saied Karbalay-Doust,Reza Asadi-Golshan 한국식품영양과학회 2017 Preventive Nutrition and Food Science Vol.22 No.2

Sulfites are used as food preservatives and excessive sulfite might disturb the body systems including the brain. Curcumin shows protective effects on the nervous system toxicity. The present study aimed to evaluate the protective role of curcumin in sulfite-induced anxiety in rats. Male rats were divided into five groups. The rats in groups I to V received distilled water (vehicle of sulfite, 1 mL/d), olive oil (vehicle of curcumin, 1 mL/d), curcumin (100 mg/kg/d), sulfite (25 mg/kg/d), and sulfite+curcumin, respectively, by daily gastric gavage for 8 weeks. At the end of 8 weeks the rats were tested in the elevated plus-maze for anxiety. The results showed that concomitant treatment of curcumin during sulfite consumption prevented the reduction of the time spent in the open arm and entrance to the open arm (the indexes of anxiety). Besides, an increase was found in motor activity of the rats in the sulfite+curcumin group compared to the sulfite- treated animals. Exposure of sulfite in rats can induce anxiety, and curcumin can act as an anti-anxiety agent.

Efficacy of Curcumin in the Modulation of Anxiety Provoked by Sulfite, a Food Preservative, in Rats

Noorafshan, Ali,Vafabin, Masoud,Karbalay-Doust, Saied,Asadi-Golshan, Reza The Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition 2017 Preventive Nutrition and Food Science Vol.22 No.2

Sulfites are used as food preservatives and excessive sulfite might disturb the body systems including the brain. Curcumin shows protective effects on the nervous system toxicity. The present study aimed to evaluate the protective role of curcumin in sulfite-induced anxiety in rats. Male rats were divided into five groups. The rats in groups I to V received distilled water (vehicle of sulfite, 1 mL/d), olive oil (vehicle of curcumin, 1 mL/d), curcumin (100 mg/kg/d), sulfite (25 mg/kg/d), and sulfite+curcumin, respectively, by daily gastric gavage for 8 weeks. At the end of 8 weeks the rats were tested in the elevated plus-maze for anxiety. The results showed that concomitant treatment of curcumin during sulfite consumption prevented the reduction of the time spent in the open arm and entrance to the open arm (the indexes of anxiety). Besides, an increase was found in motor activity of the rats in the sulfite+curcumin group compared to the sulfite-treated animals. Exposure of sulfite in rats can induce anxiety, and curcumin can act as an anti-anxiety agent.

Protective Effects of Curcumin and Sertraline on the Behavioral Changes in Chronic Variable Stress-Induced Rats

Ali Noorafshan,Mohammad Amin Abdollahifar,Saied Karbalay-Doust,Reza Asadi-Golshan,Ali Rashidian-Rashidabadi 한국뇌신경과학회 2013 Experimental Neurobiology Vol.22 No.2

Behavioral characteristics of the animal models and humans are impaired in chronic stress. The present study aimed to evaluate and compare the protective effects of sertraline and curcumin on stress-induced learning and memory impairment, anxiety and anhedonia in rats. Male rats were divided into seven groups: stress+water, stress+olive oil, stress+curcumin (100 mg/kg/day), stress+sertraline (10 mg/kg/day), curcumin, sertraline, and control groups. The rats were exposed to chronic variable stress for 56 days. At the end of 40 days and while the previous treatments were continued, the rats were tested in the eight radial maze, elevated plus maze, and sucrose consumption for learning and memory, anxiety, and anhedonia, respectively. In comparison to the non-stressed group, stress+water and stress+olive oil groups revealed a significantly lower percent of correct choices and higher reference and working memory errors during learning and retention phases (p<0.001). In addition these stress groups showed a significant lower percent of the open arms time and open arms entries in the elevated plus maze and consuming less sucrose solution. In addition, the stress+curcumin and stress+sertraline groups showed a better performance in the evaluated parameters of the radial arm maze, elevated plus maze, and sucrose consumption tests. It appears that curcumin and sertraline have the similar effectiveness on behavioral changes in chronic variable stress-induced rats.

Retinoic acid loaded with chitosan nanoparticles improves spermatogenesis in scrotal hyperthermia in mice

Fatemeh Mazini,Mohammad-Amin Abdollahifar,Hassan Niknejad,Asma Manzari-Tavakoli,Mohsen Zhaleh,Reza Asadi-Golshan,Ali Ghanbari The Korean Society for Reproductive Medicine 2023 Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine Vol.50 No.4

Objective: High temperatures can trigger cellular oxidative stress and disrupt spermatogenesis, potentially leading to male infertility. We investigated the effects of retinoic acid (RA), chitosan nanoparticles (CHNPs), and retinoic acid loaded with chitosan nanoparticles (RACHNPs) on spermatogenesis in mice induced by scrotal hyperthermia (Hyp). Methods: Thirty mice (weighing 25 to 30 g) were divided into five experimental groups of six mice each. The groups were as follows: control, Hyp induced by a water bath (43 ℃C for 30 minutes/day for 5 weeks), Hyp+RA (2 mg/kg/day), Hyp+CHNPs (2 mg/kg/72 hours), and Hyp+RACHNPs (4 mg/kg/72 hours). The mice were treated for 35 days. After the experimental treatments, the animals were euthanized. Sperm samples were collected for analysis of sperm parameters, and blood serum was isolated for testosterone measurement. Testis samples were also collected for histopathology assessment, reactive oxygen species (ROS) evaluation, and RNA extraction, which was done to compare the expression levels of the bax, bcl2, p53, Fas, and FasL genes among groups. Additionally, immunohistochemical staining was performed. Results: Treatment with RACHNPs significantly increased stereological parameters such as testicular volume, seminiferous tubule length, and testicular cell count. Additionally, it increased testosterone concentration and improved sperm parameters. We observed significant decreases in ROS production and caspase-3 immunostaining in the RACHNP group. Moreover, the expression levels of bax, p53, Fas, and FasL significantly decreased in the groups treated with RACHNPs and RA. Conclusion: RACHNPs can be considered a potent antioxidative and antiapoptotic agent for therapeutic strategies in reproductive and regenerative medicine.

Curcumin Can Prevent the Changes in Cerebellar Structure and Function Induced by Sodium Metabisulfite in Rat

Ali Noorafshan,Mohammad Amin Abdollahifar,Aghdas Poostpasan,Saied Karbalay-Doust,Ali Rashidiani-Rashidabadi,Reza Asadi-Golshan 한국뇌신경과학회 2013 Experimental Neurobiology Vol.22 No.4

Sulfites are used as anti-microbial and anti-oxidant agents in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Curcumin, a flavonoid, is anAsian spice that shows neuroprotective activities. The current study aimed to stereologically assess the rats’ cerebellar cortex androtarod performance following sulfite exposure and determine the possible neuroprotective potential of curcumin. The rats weredivided into five groups: distilled water, olive oil, curcumin (100 mg/kg/day), sodium metabisulfite (25 mg/kg/day), and sodiummetabisulfite+curcumin. At 56 days after treatment, rotarod performance was tested, and then the cerebellum was removed forstereological analysis. The study results revealed 31%, 36%, 19% and 24% decrease in the total volume of the cerebellum, cortex, thetotal number of the Purkinje cells and length of the nerve fibers in the cortex per Purkinje, respectively in the sodium metabisulfite-treated rats compared to the distilled water group (p<0.01). The pre-trained animals on the rotarod apparatus were tested first on thefixed speed rotarod protocol followed by the accelerating rotarod protocol two days later. The results showed a significant decreasein the latency to fall in both test in sulfite-treated rats. The sulfite effects on the structural parameters and rotarod performance weresignificantly protected by the concomitant curcumin treatment (p<0.001). Sulfite can induce structural and functional changes inthe rats’ cerebellum and concomitant curcumin prescription plays a neuroprotective role.