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A gradual degeneration of the striatum and loss of nigral dopamine cells are characteristic of Parkinson's disease. Nowadays, combination therapy for neurodegenerative disease is considered. This study aimed to investigate the effects of melatonin and dopaminergic neurons derived from adipose tissue stem cells (ADSCs) in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease was induced in rats using neurotoxin 6-Hydroxydopamine. The treatment was performed using melatonin and dopaminergic neurons transplantation. Subsequently, behavioral tests, western blot analysis for Caspase-3 expression, GSH (Glutathione) content and stereology analysis for the volume and cell number of substantia nigra and striatum were performed. Treatment with melatonin and dopaminergic neuron transplantation increased the number of neurons in substantia nigra and striatum while the number of glial cell and the volume of substantia nigra and striatum did not show significant change between groups. Western blot analysis for caspase 3 indicated the significant differences between groups. The results also indicated the increased level of glutathione (GSH) content in treatment groups. this study showed that combination therapy with melatonin and dopaminergic neurons could greatly protect the neurons, reduce oxidative stress and improve the symptoms of PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huntington disease (HD) is an inherited disorder hallmarked by progressive deterioration of specific neurons, followed by movement and cognitive anomalies. Cell therapy approaches in neurodegenerative conditions have concentrated on the replenishment of lost/dying neurons with functional ones. Multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been represented as a potential remedy for HD. In this study, we evaluated the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of umbilical cord matrix stem cells (UCMSCs) and their paracrine effect against oxidative stress with a specific focus on HD. To this end, UCMSCs were isolated, immunophenotypically characterized by the positive expression of MSC markers, and exhibited multilineage potentiality. Besides, synthesis of neurotrophic factors of GDNF and VEGF by UCMSC was confirmed. Initially, PC12 cells were exposed to superoxide in the presence of conditioned media (CM) collected from UCMSC (UCMSC-CM) and cell viability plus neuritogenesis were measured. Next, bilateral striatal transplantation of UCMSC in 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP) lesioned rat models was conducted, and 1 month later, post-graft analysis was performed. According to our in vitro results, CM of UCMSC protected PC12 cells against oxidative stress and considerably enhanced cell viability and neurite outgrowth. On the other hand, transplanted UCMSC survived, decreased gliosis, and ameliorated motor coordination and muscle activity, along with an increase in striatal volume as well as in dendritic length of the striatum in HD rats. Collectively, our findings imply that UCMSCs provide an enriched platform by largely their paracrine factors, which downgrades the unfavorable effects of oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that significantly affects the quality of life of patients. In this study, we aim to evaluate the effectiveness of dental pulp stem cell (DPSC) transplantation in decreasing inflammation and cell death in brain cells, thus reducing seizure damage. We induced seizures in rats using intraperitoneal injections of pentylenetetrazole (PTZ). In the PTZ + DPSC group, we conducted bilateral hippocampal transplantation of DPSCs in PTZ-lesioned rat models. After 1 month, we performed post-graft analysis and measured some behavioral factors, such as working memory and long-term memory, using a T-maze test and passive avoidance test, respectively. We investigated the immunohistopathology and distribution of astrocyte cells through light microscopy and Sholl analysis. Additionally, we employed the Voronoi tessellation method to estimate the spatial distribution of the cells in the hippocampus. Compared to the control group, we observed a reduction in astrogliosis, astrocyte process length, the number of branches, and intersections distal to the soma in the hippocampus of the PTZ + DPSC group. Further analysis indicated that the grafted DPSCs decreased the expression of caspase-3 in the hippocampus of rats with induced seizures. Moreover, the DPSCs transplant protected hippocampal pyramidal neurons against PTZ toxicity and improved the spatial distribution of the hippocampal neurons. Our findings suggest that DPSCs transplant can be an effective modifier of astrocyte reactivation and inflammatory responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]