Background: Co-supplementation of unsaturated fatty acids (FAs) with saturated FAs may decrease the adverse effects of saturated FA-induced lipotoxicity. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of palmitoleic acid (unsaturated fatty acid) on palmitic acid (saturated fatty acid) induced lipotoxicity criteria in the primary culture of adult rat cardiomyocytes.

Methods: Cells were treated with 0.5 mM palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, palmitic + palmitoleic acids or remained untreated. The values of cellular triacylglycerol (TAG), diacylglycerol (DAG), DNA fragmentation and cellular viability were evaluated over 24 h, 48 h and 72 h time points.

Results: Co-administration of palmitic and palmitoleic acids increased TAG values over 48 h and 72 h time points compared to the palmitic acid (34.37% and 62.79%, respectively; P <0.001), while decreased DAG values (18.85% and 29.42%, respectively; P <0.01). Moreover, palmitoleic acid decreased DNA fragmentation and increased viability when administrated with palmitic acid (P <0.05).

Conclusion: Palmitoleic acid may be beneficial for diminishing adverse effects of palmitic acid in the rat cardiomyocytes through alterations in the molecule signaling levels. 

Background: Alpha Methyldopa (AMD) is a well-known treatment for the pregnancy induced hypertension and commonly used in several countries. Indeed the possible effect of AMD on the behavioral activities of offspring, whom are exposed during fetus period, has not been studied. The present study evaluated the possible effect of maternal administration of AMD on the rat offspring memory in the growing age.

Methods: This study was carried out in Isfahan Faculty Of Pharmacy in 2015. Pregnant wistar rats were injected 400 mg/kg AMD or saline every day from 14^th to 21^st pregnancy period, respective to their group (n=8). The spatial memory of male offspring (n=9) was evaluated one, two and three month after the birth in the object recognition task. Also two groups of adult animals (n=7) were daily administered 400 mg/kg AMD or saline one week prior to the memory evaluation. The discrimination (d2), recognition (R) and frequencies of exploration of new object (F_B) in the T2 trials are used as the memory indicating factors.

Results: Daily single dose of 400 mg/kg AMD to the mothers one week prior to the delivery significantly decreased the d2 index, R index and F_B in two and three months offspring rats compare to the their respective control groups.

Conclusion: The newborn rats exposed maternally to the AMD during the fetus period show cognitive impairments in the growing age. Indeed the rate of memory enhancement follows a slow pattern compare to the control offspring rats.