Complementary investigation and taxonomic identification of starfishes, (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) from the Northern Persian Gulf, Iran

Sea Stars are one of the most incredible creatures in the coastal and open waters. In this study, 11 species of starfishes have been identified which belonging to six genera and five families in northern islands of Persian Gulf during May 2017 to September 2018. Among the species, Astropecten hemprichi (Müller & Troschel, 1842), Astropecten indicus (Döderlein, 1888), Astropecten polyacanthus polyacanthus (Muller and Troschel, 1842), Astropecten polyacanthus phragmorous (Muller and Troschel, 1842), Luidia hardwicki (Gray, 1840), Aquilonastra iranica (Mortensen, 1940), Linckia multifora (Lamarck, 1816), Culcita novaeguineae (Muller & Troschel, 1842) and Pentaceraster mammillatus (Audouin, 1826) have been reported in the past. The species of Aquilonastra watersi (O'Loughlin and Rowe, 2006) and Linckia laevigata (Linnaeus, 1758) are new recordsin the Persian Gulf

<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-weight: bold" lang="EN-US">Assessment of heavy metals by ligand-less cloud point extraction in sediment and <i>Holothuria parva </i>(Echinodermata, Holothuroidea) </span>

825-830The concentrations of heavy metals were determined in organs of Holothuria parva and sediment from three stations in the Qeshm, Iran. A ligand-less Cloud Point Extraction (CPE) procedure was used for preconcentration of trace metals as pretreatment step to determination of lead and cadmium by Graphite Furnace Atomic absorption Spectrometry (GFAAS). Concentration of heavy metals in body wall, gut and sediment were obtained 14.05, 5.72 and 41.66 µg/g for lead and 0.722, 0.493 and 3.27 µg/g for cadmium, respectively. Limit of detection (LOD) values of lead and cadmium were 0.037 and 0.028 µg/g, respectively. Relative standard deviation (RSD) for six replicate determinations of lead and cadmium were 2.68% and 1.20%, respectively. Concentrations of lead and cadmium in sediments and organs of sea cucumbers differed significantly, suggesting that this sea cucumber should not be considered as an ideal bioindicator of lead and cadmium pollutants in the sediment

Opioid Use Disorder Induces Oxidative Stress and Inflammation: The Attenuating Effect of Methadone Maintenance Treatment

Objective: Frequent use of opioids produces reactive oxygen species, upregulates inflammatory factors, and contributes to opiate dependence. In this study, we examined perturbations of plasma oxidative and inflammatory markers in patients with opioid use disorder in two phases. In the first phase, we compared the oxidative status in patients with opioid use disorders and in healthy controls; and in the second phase, we examined oxidative changes before and after methadone maintenance treatment. Method: To explore whether oxidative changes were associated with opioid use disorder, we compared plasma oxidative and inflammatory markers in patients with opioid use disorder and in smoking and non-smoking healthy participants. All participants completed measures of catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-9), and TNF-α at baseline. Baseline measures were compared using Kruskal-Wallis test. In the second phase, to explore oxidative changes during transition from opium use to methadone, blood and urine samples of patients with opioid use disorder were re-evaluated on Days 3, 7, and 14 after methadone therapy. Repeated measures analysis was used to determine the relative contribution of intervention to changes in CAT, GSH, MDA, SOD, MMP-9, and TNF-α level over time. Results: We observed lower SOD and catalase activities, and higher TNF-α and MMP-9 level in patients compared to the two comparison groups. Opioids exacerbated the oxidative imbalance and superimposed the underlying oxidative injury in smoker comparison group. Methadone therapy was associated with lower MMP-9 and TNF-α level, and higher SOD and catalase activities two weeks after therapy; showing an improvement in oxidative profile. Conclusion: This was an investigation indicating an oxidative imbalance before methadone therapy and during early days of transition from opium use to methadone. Being aware of redox status is crucial for determining an appropriate antioxidant therapy in opioid use disorder