* Nasra Naeim Ragab Ayuob is currently working as a professor of Medical Histology and Cell Biology at the Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt. She is Egyptian born in September, 1974.
* She was working between (2008 and 2016) as professor of Anatomy/Histology at Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia. She conducted a scientific cooperation with the Chair /Center of Excellence of Prophetic Medicine Applications from 2016 till present and published many researches in this research area.
* She supervised a scientific project, with a scientific team at the behavioral science unit at King Fahed Medical Research Center (KFMRC), on the effectiveness on aromatherapy in treating the common behavioral health problems at Saudi Arabia between (2015 and 2017).
* Some of her researches were aiming to assess the efficacy of some herbal and traditional substances (orange peel, Usnic Acid, garlic, red grape, raisins, thymoquinon, Musk, Ryhan) in the treatment of some health problem e.g. contact dermatitis, obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, depression, anxiety, Alzheimer).
Title
Renoprotective effect of red grape (Vitis vinifera L.) juice and dark raisins against hypercholesterolaemia-induced tubular renal affection in albino rats
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the efficacy of Red grape juice (RGJ) and dark raisins (DR) in protecting the renal tubules against hyper cholesteraemic-induced pathological changes.
Forty albino rats divided into four groups were utilized in this study. They included the control, high cholesterol diet (HCD)-fed, HCD+RGJ-fed, and HCD+DR-fed groups. Blood and insulin levels, lipid profile and kidney functions were assessed at the start of the experiment. The kidney was assessed hisopathologically using light and electron microscopes. The integrity of the renal tubules was assessed immunohistochemically.
The administration of HCD resulted in marked affection of the structure of the renal tubules. Both RGJ and DR, when administered along with the HCD for 12 weeks, improved the lipid profile, kidney functions as well as the histologic and cellular changes-induced by hyper cholesterolaemia in the rats kidney. The effect of raisins was superior to RGJ which might be due to its high contents of fibers and proteins.
This study highlighted the importance of supplementation of red grape and raisins in protection against the harmful effects induced by deposition of fat on the renal tubules’ structure and function.
Title 2
The protective role of musk on salivary glands of mice exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress.
Abstract
This work aimed to assess the efficacy of musk in relieving the behavioral, biochemical and hippocampal histopathological changes induced by exposure to chronic mild stress in mice and explore the possible mechanism behind this antidepressant-like effect.
Forty male albino mice were divided into four groups: control, a group exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) and two groups exposed to CUMS and then treated with fluoxetine or musk. Behavioral changes and serum corticosterone levels were assessed at the end of the experiment. Protein and gene expressions of brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in the hippocampus were assessed using ELISA and real-time RT-PCR, respectively.
Histopathological examination of the hippocampus and immunohistochemical techniques using glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), Ki67, caspase-3, BDNF and GR were performed.
Results showed that inhalation of musk had an antidepressant-like effect in an animal model of depression. Musk alleviated the behavioral changes and elevated serum corticosterone levels induced by chronic stress. It reduced hippocampal neuronal apoptosis and stimulated neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus.
Musk’s action may be related to upregulation of hippocampal GR and BDNF expressions. Musk is considered a potential antidepressant so it is advisable to assess its efficacy in treating depressed patient.