---

  Background & Objectives: Following to estrogen depletion in postmenopausal womens, its cardioprotective effect decreases. Stroke usually occurs in women during the menopause years. Estrogen hormone therapy is still controversial. Epidemiological data suggest that phytoestrogens have a preventive effect on various estrogen-related diseases/symptoms such as menopausal symptoms, cardiovascular diseases. Some studies suggest that genistein as an important component of soy have cardioprotection effects but its role on inflammation and cardiomyocte injury remained to be elucidated. So, this study was goaled to investigate the cardioprotective effect of methanolic soy extract on heart tissue injures.

  Method: In this study 40 female rats were randomly allocated into 4 groups: 1) Control (intact animals), 2) sham surgery (without ovarictomy), 3) ovariectomized (ovx), and 4) treatment (ovx and soy gavage) group that received 60mg/kg per day soy extract in drinking water for 28days (4 weeks). At the end of experiments, the rat heart tissue was processed histologically and the sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin to examine under light microscope. Statistical analysis was performed using the wilcoxon test.

  Results: The results showed that ovariectomy significantly increased inflammation and cardiomyocte injury and soy extract significantly promoted heart tissue recovery (p<0.05).

  Conclosions: This study indicated that oral administration of soy extract has a positive effect on attenuation of inflammation and myocyte injury in ovariectomized rat.

---

  Background & Objectives: Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by derangement in protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism. Most of hypoglycemic agent used in medicine for diabetes treatment are reported to have side effects for long run. On the other hand, increase in oxidative stress is effective in the genesis of diabetes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the effect of alcoholic extract of Euphorbia cyparissias on serum glucose and antioxidant enzymes level in diabetic male rats.

  Methods : In this study, 40 adult male Wistar rats weighting 250±20 grams divided into four groups randomly: control, diabetic animals, treatment 1 and treatment 2 which received 500 and 250 mg/kg of E.cyparissias extract for 21 days by gastric gavage, respectively. At the end of the treatment, level of antioxidant enzymes including TAC, MDA, SOD and GPX and also blood glucose were determined in animal's serum.

  Results : The blood glucose levels were significantly lowered in the group of treatment 1 compared to diabetic group (p<0.05). Results showed that MDA level of serum was increased significantly in diabetic group in comparison with control group (p<0.05). Furthermore, the TAC, SOD and GPX level were increased significantly in the group of treatment 1 compared to diabetic group (p<0.05).

  Conclusion : This study showed that oral administration of E.cyparissias extract has antidiabetic and antioxidant activity in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.

---

 
Background & objectives: Vincristine (VIN) is a broad-spectrum anticancer drug has been used to treat various cancers. Resveratrol (Res) is a natural polyphenol found in many plant sources. Many studies have reported anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects of resveratrol. We have explored the protective effect of resveratrol on vincristine-induced oxidative stress in mouse ovarian tissue.
Methods: In this study, 32 female mice weighing 25-30 grams were randomly divided into four groups (each group n=8): 1- control group, 2- Vin- group, 3- Vin-Res group and 4- Res group. The mice received a single IP injection of vincristine (3 mg/kg) weekly for 4 weeks. Res treatment was done 28 days by gastric gavage (daily 30 mg/kg).At the end of the study, Malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and the antioxidant activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) enzymes were measured in ovarian tissue and uterus of the studied animals. Also, ovarian follicles were counted.
Results: The results indicated that the MDA level was elevated and TAC, GPx as well as SOD activities were decreased in Vin- group significantly. Resveratrol reduced MDA level and increased GPx and SOD activities in Vin-Res group significantly. Also histological findings showed that Res increased primordial and primary follicles and reduced atretic  follicles in Vin-Res group significantly.
Conclusions: These results indicate the protective effect of resveratrol on ovarian and uterine tissue against oxidative damage of vincristine in mice