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Background and Objective: Biological activity of hydrogen sulphide in smooth muscle of vessel and non-vessel tissue are contradictory. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of hydrogen sulphide on smooth activity of muscle mice jejunum. Materials and Methods: Experiments were performed on mice jejunum and motor activity was recorded from in vitro segments of jejunum ~ 4 cm in length. jejunal segments were mounted horizontally in separate perfusion chamber. Furthermore, using vanilloid receptor 1 deficient mice (VR 1-/-) we tested hypothesis that extrinsic sensory nerves mediated alterations, in motor activity responses in the presence different concentration of of hydrogen sulphide (100-3000 μM). Results: Serosal application of NaHS (as hydrogen sulphide donor) produced a dose-dependent inhibition of motor activity that are not significantly different between VR 1-/- and VR 1 +/+ mice. In the presence of TTX (1μM) NaHS (300µM) caused a reduction in basal tone (19.5%, p<0.05, n=5) and inhibited the contraction evoked by 30µM bethanechol by 55% (n=5, p<0.05). Conclusion: This study showed that hydrogen sulphide is an important motor activity inhibitor in mice jejunum.

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Background and Objective: Hydroalcholic extract of Peppermint is traditionally used for gastrointestinal disorders. This study was done to evaluate the effect of Peppermint extract on the mice colon motor activity following immobilization stress.

Methods: In this experimental study, 30 male Albino mice were randomly allocated into the three groups; including control, stress and stress + Peppermint oil groups (n=10). The second group as a stress group exposed to immobilization stress for four hours during three days. Third group as stress plus Peppermint oil group was exposed to stress in addition to administration of 27 mg/kg/bw Peppermint oil intraperitoneally prior to stress. After three days, intestinal and peristaltic activity was recorded using pressure transducer from in vitro segments of colon (4-5 cm in length. Also, fecal weight, food intake and body weight was measured for each mouse for in vivo condition.

Results: The mean±SD of fecal weight after three times stress immobilization was 1.36±0.71, 1.06±0.6 and 0.47±0.39 gr in control, stress and Stress + Peppermint oil groups, respectively (P<0.05). The mean±SD of internal luminal pressure after three times stress immobilization was 4.47±1.15, 3.48±1.25 and 0.77±0.37 mm/hg in control, Stress and stress + Peppermint oil groups, respectively (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Peppermint oil is a strong inhibitor for colon motor activity following immobilization stress.

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Background and Objective: Muscles fatigue around the joint can altere the movment pattern and incrasing the risk of muscle damage. This study was done to determine the effect of hip abductor muscles fatigue on plantar pressure characteristics during stance phase of gait.

Methods:  This quasi-experimental studywas done on 22 males with age ranes of 15-21 years olds. Hip abduction protocol with 50% of one-repetition maximum was used to induce hip abductor muscles fatigue. Average pressure, plantar peak pressure, step duration and the plantar contact area in both feet distribution were collected using before and after the fatigue protocol during gait.

Results: Despite the relative reduction in average pressure, contact area and step duration and plantar increase in peak pressure after abductors fatigue, but these differences were not significant.

Conclusion: This study showed that the hip abductor muscles fatigue can not alter plantar pressure characteristics during stance phase of gait.

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Background and Objective: Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Docetaxel (DTX) is proposed as a well-known compound for prostate tumor chemotherapy, and its function is based on inhibiting microtubule depolymerization, disrupting microtubule balance, and consequently delaying cell cycle progression. Complications of DTX include hypersensitivity reactions, red blood cell aggregation, neutropenia, neurological problems, such as paralysis, fluid retention, bronchospasm, refractory hypotension, ADRS, respiratory impairment, cardiac dysfunction, ventricular tachycardia, cystoid macular edema, optic nerve damage, conjunctivitis, and keratopathy. This study aimed to determine the effect of curcumin on DTX-induced apoptosis in the DU145 (prostate) cell line using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.
Methods: This descriptive analytical study was conducted on the DU145 (prostate) cell line, purchased from the National Genetic Resources Cell Bank, at the Cell Culture Laboratory of the F aculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. Cells were passaged for exposure to the desired drugs. Groups included curcumin at concentrations of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 µg/mL and DTX at a concentration of 4.46 µg/mL. Cells were incubated in triplicate for 24 hours. For the MTT assay, the culture rate was 10⁴ cells per well. Apoptosis testing was designed for four groups (DTX at a concentration of 4.46 µM, curcumin at a concentration of 2 µM combined with DTX at an optimal concentration, curcumin at a concentration of 10 µM combined with DTX at an optimal concentration, and curcumin at a concentration of 10 µM alone), with the culture rate of 5×10⁵ cells per well in 6-well plates. After cell exposure, MTT and apoptosis determination assays were performed.
Results: DTX reduced the viability of DU145 (prostate) cells by approximately 50% (P<0.05). Groups treated with curcumin combined with DTX showed a dose-dependent decrease in cytotoxicity and an increase in the viability of DU145 (prostate) cells (P<0.05). Additionally, curcumin was able to reduce apoptosis in DU145 (prostate) cells by 90%.
Conclusion: Curcumin increases cell viability and reduces apoptosis in DU145 (prostate) cells.

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Background and Objective: Docetaxel is an effective chemotherapy drug for treating lung cancer, but its side effects and cytotoxicity limit its use. Natural compounds like carvacrol and thymol, known for their anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties, have gained attention as adjunct agents to reduce toxicity and enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs. This study aimed to investigate the impact of carvacrol and thymol on cell viability and function in A549 cancer cells exposed to docetaxel.
Methods: This experimental study was conducted on the epithelial cell line derived from lung cancer tissue (A549), obtained from the Pasteur Institute of Iran at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in the year 1042. In this research, A549 cells were pre-treated with various concentrations of carvacrol and thymol (5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 100, and 200 µg/mL) along with a cytotoxic dose of docetaxel (8.92 µg/mL) over a period of 48 hours. Cytotoxicity was assessed using the MTT assay. Additionally, the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells were measured using the DA-DCFH reagent, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were determined using the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reagent.
Results: Carvacrol and thymol significantly reduced the cytotoxic effects of docetaxel at concentrations ranging from 5 to 200 µg/mL (P<0.05). The evaluation of cytotoxicity indicated that at a concentration of 200 µg/mL, carvacrol and thymol exhibited a more pronounced enhancing effect (98.11±1.64%) compared to the concentration of 5 µg/mL (54.64±2.03%). Furthermore, these compounds significantly mitigated the oxidative stress induced by docetaxel by decreasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) (P<0.05). Specifically, at the concentration of 200 µg/mL, the levels of ROS and MDA were (13.57±0.09%) and (0.55±0.003%), respectively, in contrast to the levels at 5 µg/mL, which were (20.50±0.59%) and (0.98±0.01%). This demonstrates a notable inhibitory effect on the growth of cancer cells by carvacrol and thymol.
Conclusion: Carvacrol and thymol demonstrate high potential as compounds to improve cell function and reduce the cytotoxicity induced by docetaxel in A549 cancer cells. These findings suggest the potential enhancement of chemotherapy regimens for cancer treatment.