One of the most promising treatments for diabetes mellitus (DM) is stem cell therapy. This study is aimed at elucidating the antidiabetic effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced DM in developing male rats. Twenty-four male albino rats (4 weeks old) were divided into control, diabetic, diabetic+MSCs1 (received MSCs one week after STZ treatment), and diabetic+MSCs2 (received MSCs 4 weeks after STZ treatment). Diabetic rats showed marked impairment ( ) in serum levels of glucose, insulin, C-peptide, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant status (TAS), and total oxidant status (TOS) in addition to disruption of the calculated values of homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), pancreatic β cell function (HOMA-β), and oxidative stress index (OSI). These biochemical alterations were confirmed by the histopathological and ultrastructural assessments which showed marked destructive effect on pancreatic islet cells. MSC therapy in an early stage reversed most of the biochemical, histological, and ultrastructural alterations in the STZ-induced diabetic model and restored the normal cellular population of most acinar cells and islet of Langerhans. These results indicate that MSC therapy of STZ-induced diabetic developing rats during an early stage has the capacity of β cell restoration and the control of blood glycemic homeostasis.

Background: Chrysin is a flavone that occurs naturally in plants and possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Objective: This study was carried out to examine the effect of chrysin on the adrenal cortex of maternally treated rat fetuses. Material and methods: Twelve pregnant rats were assigned into two groups (6 rats each). The first group acted as a control and received a vehicle 1% w/v Tween 80 (the drug's solvent) (GDs 7-14), whereas rats of the second group were treated orally with chrysin (50 mg/kg body weight/day) daily from day 7 till day 14 of gestation. Animals were sacrificed, and samples of the adrenal glands were taken, processed, and prepared for the histological and ultrastructural examination. Results: The three cortical zones, Zone glomerulosa, Zone fasciculata, and Zone reticularis in the cells of the adrenal cortex sections from maternally treated rat foetuses showed cytoplasmic vacuolation. Some of these cells' nuclei showed indications of karyolysis. Cortical cells had clear alterations at the ultrastructural level, including cavitated and deformed mitochondria as well as dilated smooth and rough endoplasmic reticular membranes. Accumulation of lipid droplets and lysosomes was seen in the vacuolated cytoplasm. These cells' nuclei had karyolysis visible. Conclusion: It appears that oral administration of chrysin caused damaging effects on adrenocortical cells of maternally treated rat fetuses. Therefore, it should be taken into mind and viewed with great worry that chrysin, although one of the flavonoids, should be utilized with caution during pregnancy.

The present study investigated the probable protective role of vitamin C in alleviating 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu)-induced nephrotoxicity in male mice (Mus musculus). Thirty male CD-1 mice were equally divided into three groups: Group I (the control group), received 0.9% NaCl; group II, received intraperitoneally (i.p.) 80 mg of 5-Fu/kg body weight (b.wt)/day for four weeks; group III, received (i.p.) 80 mg of 5-Fu plus 12 mg of vitamin C/kg b.wt/day for four weeks. Animals of all groups were killed at the end of the experiment, and the renal tissue samples were taken and processed for light and electron microscopical examinations. Light microscopic observations revealed that administration of 5-Fu caused erosion of the parietal cells of Bowman's capsules, widening of the urinary spaces, and disruption of the glomerular capillaries and hemorrhage. The cells of the proximal and distal tubules exhibited vacuolar degeneration and coagulative necrosis. The nuclei of these cells manifested pyknosis and karyolysis. Ultrastructural examination revealed damage of the parietal epithelium of Bowman's capsules with fusion and destruction of the foot processes of the podocytes. The cells of the proximal tubules displayed destruction of the microvilli constituting the brush borders and degeneration of the mitochondria. The distal tubules displayed destruction of both the basal infoldings and the mitochondria with fragmentation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Histological and ultrastructural results revealed that the treatment with vitamin C simultaneously with 5-Fu led to apparent protection of the renal tissue. This might suggest that vitamin C has a protective potential against 5-Fu-induced nephrotoxicity.

Chrysin is bioactive flavonoids that has numerous pharmacological activities and known to have hepatoprotective effect. The present study aimed to study the potential ameliorative effects of Chrysin (50 mg/kg b.wt./day) on Clonazepam (2 mg/kg b.wt./day) induced liver toxicity. Animals were divided into 4 groups, ten rats in each. Group 1 (Control group received a vehicle 1% w/v Tween 80), group 2 (received 2 mg/kg b.wt./day Clonazepam (CZP) suspended in 1% w/v Tween 80, group 3, (received 50 mg/kg b.wt./day Chrysin suspended in 1% w/v Tween 80, group 4 (received 2 mg/kg b.wt./day CZP, and Chrysin, 50 mg/kg b.wt./day). All animal groups were treated by oral gavage daily for 6 weeks starting at the first day of the experiment. The results indicated that in contrast to the control group, liver transaminases (ALT and AST), malondialdehide (MDA) and cytochrome P450 (Cyp3A4) were increased after the Clonazepam treatment, while the liver protein and the total antioxidant activity (TAA), glutathione reduced (GSH) contents and glutathione S-transferase (GSTs) activity were decreased. Also, the histological examination demonstrated that liver sections of CZP treated developing rats showed cytoplasmic vacuolation and fatty degeneration of some hepatocytes and their nuclei exhibited pyknosis and karyolysis. In addition to conspicuous distortions in the vasculatures, Kupffer cells proliferation and infiltration of lymphocyte were observed. Electron microscopic investigation of hepatocytes of CZP treated animals' revealed clear changes as mitochondrial dysfunction with loss of their cristae and compressed matrices. Also, dilatation and fragmentation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum into smaller stacks have been observed. On the other hand, marked improvement in the liver tissue against the damage displayed by CZP was recorded in biochemical, histological and ultrastructural screening of the hepatic animal sections treated with CZP+ Chrysin.

Background: Diclofenac sodium (DS) is regarded as one of the most significant and often used medications. Numerous cases of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and soft tissue rheumatism are all treated with it. Despite the drug''s positive effects, some medical studies accuse it of having pathogenic effects after being used for medicinal purposes on the body''s organs. Objective: The purpose of the current research was to assess the histological impact of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, diclofenac sodium (DS) on the pancreas of albino mice foetuses. Material and methods: Six groups of 60 pregnant female mice were prepared (10 mice each). Each animal in the first and second groups received an intraperitoneal (IP) injection of the drug''s solvent every day for six days, from day 1 till day 6 of gestation (GDs 1-6) and from day 7 to day 14 of gestation (GDs 7–14), respectively. These groups served as the control groups. The third and five groups are the treated groups, receiving daily (IP) injections of 1.5 and 3 mg/kg body weight of DS from days 1 through 6 of gestation (GDs 1-6), respectively, whereas the animals in groups fourth and six received similarly daily injections of 1.5 and 3 mg/kg body weight of DS for 8 days (GDs 7-14), respectively. Results: The pancreas of maternally treated foetuses underwent histological study, which revealed signs of alteration in both the exocrine and endocrine structures. These features varied according to the dose and period of administration, and they included focal acinar damage that manifested as cytoplasmic vacuolation and necrosis, pyknotic, and karyolysed nuclei, as well as blood extravasations that revealed hemorrhagic appearances. Conclusion: Because of the damaging effects of DS on the developing pancreas of mice, it should only be administered under rigorous control in the medical profession to safeguard expectant mothers from its potentially harmful effects.

In spite of the beneficial role of the beta-lactam antibiotics in the treatment of many cases of urinary tract infections, acute otitis media, and pneumonia, yet some medical reports incriminating it in producing certain adverse consequences following its use. Antibiotics remain important in pregnancy and may be second to only iron and food supplement. Hence, the present investigation was carried out to evaluate the effect of two doses of the beta-lactam antibiotic amoxicillin on the liver of maternally treated foetuses. The pregnant female mice were allocated into three groups. The pregnant mothers of the first group served as control group (injected intra peritoneally with the drug solvent) and those of the other two groups were injected intra peritoneally for 8 days from day 7 till day14 during gestation with the low dose (205 mg/ kg body weight) and high dose (820 mg/ kg body weight) of the beta-lactam antibiotics amoxicillin. The histological examination of the foetal liver sections of amoxicillin-treated groups showed vacuolar and fatty degenerations in the cytoplasm of the hepatocytes, as well as inflammatory cell infiltration. At the ultrastructure level, the hepatocytes of maternally treated foetuses revealed conspicuous alternations, represented by devastations of mitochondria that displayed loss of their cristae and their internal matrices materials. Fragmentation of the cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum into smaller stacks was also observed.Conclusion: The use of such doses of the beta-lactam antibiotic amoxicillin induces morphological alterations in fetal liver of mice subjected to this antibiotic during the period of gestation.