Liver fibrosis, a common condition occurring during the evolution of almost all chronic liver diseases, is the consequence of hepatocyte injury that leads to the activation of Kupffer cells and hepatic stellate cells (HSC). Silymarin (Si) is a herbal product widely used for its hepatoprotective potential. Our study aims to investigate the effects of two different doses of Silymarin on a CCl ₄ -induced model of liver fibrosis with a focus on the early stages of liver injury. Fifty Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups ( n =10): control group (sunflower oil twice a week); CMC group (carboxymethyl cellulose five times a week, sunflower oil twice a week); CCl ₄ group (CCl ₄ in sunflower oil, by gavage, twice a week); CCl ₄ +Si 50 group (CCl ₄ twice a week, Silymarin 50 mg/b.w. in CMC five times a week); and CCl ₄ +Si 200 group (similar to the previous group, with Si 200 mg/b.w.). One month after the experiment began we explored hepato-cytolysis (aminotransferases and lactate dehydrogenase), oxidative stress, fibrosis (histological score, hyaluronic acid), markers of HSC activation (transforming growth factor β 1 [TGF- β 1], and α -smooth muscle actin [ α -SMA] expression by western blot) and activation of Kupffer cells by immunohistochemistry. Our data showed that Si 50 mg/b.w. had the capacity of reducing oxidative stress, hepato-cytolysis, fibrosis, activation of Kupffer cells, and the expression of α -SMA and TGF- β 1 with better results than Si 200 mg/b.w. Thus, the usual therapeutic dose of Silymarin, administered in the early stages of fibrotic changes is capable of inhibiting the fibrogenetic mechanism and the progression of initial liver fibrosis.

In recent years, escitalopram (ESC) has been suggested to have different mechanisms of action beyond its well known selective serotonin reuptake inhibition. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of escitalopram on oxidative stress, apoptosis, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2), and oligodendrocytes number in the brain of chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced depressed rats. The animals were randomised in four groups (8 in each group): control, stress, stress + ESC 5 and stress + ESC 5/10. ESC was administered for 42 days in a fixed dose (5 mg/kg b.w.) or in an up-titration regimen (21 days ESC 5 mg/kg b.w. then 21 days ESC 10 mg/kg b.w.). Sucrose preference test (SPT) and elevated plus maze (EPM) were also performed. ESC improved the percentage of sucrose preference, locomotion and anxiety. ESC5/10 reduced the oxidative damage in the hippocampus and improved the antioxidant defence in the hippocampus and frontal lobe. ESC5/10 lowered caspase 3 activity in the hippocampus. Escitalopram had a modulatory effect on BDNF and the number of oligodendrocytes in the hippocampus and frontal lobe and also improved the MeCP2 expressions. The results confirm the multiple pathways implicated in the pathogenesis of depression and suggest that escitalopram exerts an antidepressant effect via different intricate mechanisms.

The objective of our study was to investigate glycemic, oxidative/antioxidative and inflammatory status in letrozole and estradiol valerate induced polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) models. Sixty adult female Wistar rats were divided into four groups: L (0.2 mg letrozole/0.5 ml carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), daily for 30 days), the control group C_L, EV (one i.m. injection of 5 mg EV/0.5 ml sesame oil) and its corresponding control group C_EV. After 30 days, ovarian morphology was assessed through ultrasound, serum free testosterone was determined, and an oral glucose tolerance test was performed. Blood, muscle, liver and periovarian adipose tissue (POAT) were collected for oxidative/antioxidative and inflammatory status evaluation. Free testosterone was increased only in the L group, while fasting glycemia was higher in the EV group. Both L and EV led to a significantly decreased level of muscle malondialehyde (MDA) and liver glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, while in POAT, MDA level diminished and GPx activity increased. The only difference between the two protocols was in muscle, where after L administration, GPx activity was significantly lower. Implementation of both protocols resulted in an increased expression of pNFKB in muscle, liver and POAT. The expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP1) increased in liver and POAT after L administration, while in the EV group, MCP1 and STAT3 decreased in POAT. Our study shows that both protocols are characterized by an inflammatory environment in the usually insulin resistant tissues of human PCOS, without generating oxidative stress. In addition, EV has mild metabolic effects and unexpected interference with MCP1 expression in POAT, which require further investigation.