Effect of Vitamin E on Oocytes Apoptosis in nicotine-treated Mice

Objective(s): Cigarette and nicotine enhances embryogenesis, fertility, pregnancy loss and ultrastructure alterations of oocyte. This study was performed to determine the effect of daily supplementation of vitamin E on oocytes apoptosis in nicotine-treated mice. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 24 NMARI adult female mice were randomly allocated into four experimental groups. For 30 days, animals in control group (C) were received saline through subcutaneous injection, group I received vitamin E (60 mg/kg/day orally), group II received nicotine (5 mg/kg/day, subcutaneous) and animals of group III received nicotine with vitamin E (60 mg/kg/day orally). After 30 days, the animals were superovulated with PSMG (10 Units) and HCG (10 Units). Next day animals were sacrificed and oocytes were flushed. Collected oocytes were examined through TUNEL assay for the determination of apoptosis through the use of fluorescent microscope. Results: The number of retrieved oocytes was 139, 148, 97 and 127 in control, experimental group I, II and III, respectively. Nicotine treatment increased apoptosis in oocytes up to 13.4% whereas oocytes apoptosis was 3.6% in controls. Supplementation with vitamin E in nicotine-treated mice reduced the oocytes apoptosis to 5.5%. Conclusion: This study showed that nicotine exposure (5 mg/kg/day for 30 days) can increase apoptosis in oocytes, and supplementation with vitamin E (60 mg/kg/day orally) can reduce the oocytes apoptosis in nicotine-treated mice

Preventing effect of vitamin E on oocytes apoptosis in morphinetreated mice

Several studies have shown that Morphine Sulfate affects on fertility, embryogenesis and consequent pregnancy loss and ultrastructural alterations of oocytes in animal model. This study was done to determine the effect of morphine sulfate on oocytes apoptosis and preventive role of daily supplementation of Vitamin E on oocytes apoptosis in morphine sulfate -treated mice. Twenty-four NMARI female mice were randomly allocated into four experimental groups. For 15 days, control group received saline (0.2 ml/day by subcutaneous injection), group I Vitamin E (60 mg/kg/day orally), group II Morphine Sulfate (10 mg/kg/day by subcutaneous injection) and group III Morphine Sulfate with Vitamin E (60 mg/kg/day orally). Then, animals were superovulated with PSMG (10 Units) and 10 Unites of HCG. The next day the animals were sacrificed, oocytes were flushed from each fallopian tube. The collected oocytes were subjected to determine apoptosis by Tunnel assay with using Fluorescent Microscope. According to our results, the number of retrieved oocytes were 121, 132, 86 and 114 in control, experimental group I, II and III, respectively. Morphine Sulfate treatment increased apoptosis in oocytes to 17.44% whereas oocytes apoptosis was 4.13% in Controls. Supplementation with Vitamin E in Morphine Sulfate -treated mice reduced the oocytes apoptosis to 7.01%. This study showed that Morphine can increase apoptosis in oocytes and Vitamin E treatment significantly reduces oocytes apoptosis in the Morphine Sulfate -treated mice

Old Remedies for Epilepsy: Avicenna\u27s Medicine.

BACKGROUND: The history of epilepsy and its treatments dates back to at least 4 millennia. Avicenna, c. 980 AD in Bukhara, Khorasan-1037 in Hamedan was a Persian-speaking Iranian physician, who has many recommendations and suggested various therapies for epilepsy in his book, The Canon of Medicine. METHODS: We first reviewed the most important ancient treatments for epilepsy mentioned by Avicenna and considered those as the key words for our next step. Then, we made a literature search (medline and scopus) with those key words to find out new scientific findings in modern medicine about the Avicenna\u27s suggestions. RESULTS: Among the Avicenna\u27s recommended therapies for epilepsy, only Rue has been tested for anticonvulsant activities in modern medicine. Interestingly, it had a dose dependent anticonvulsant effect. CONCLUSION: It is worthwhile to consider the Avicenna\u27s recommended therapies for epilepsy and to design future scientific studies based on his suggestions

Study of embryotoxicity of mentha piperita l. during organogenesis in balb/c mice

Mentha piperita (Labiatae), commonly known as peppermint is a native Iranian herb which is used in folk medicine for various purposes. This study was carried out to reveal the teratogenic effect of Mentha piperita on mice fetuses. In this experimental study, pregnant Balb/c mice divided to four groups. Case group received 600 (treatment I) and 1200 (treatment II) mg/kg/day the hydroalcoholic extract of Mentha piperita during 6-15 of gestational days and one control group received normal saline during GD6-GD15 by gavages and other control group did not receive any matter during 6-15 of gestational days. Mice sacrificed at GD18 and embryos were collected. Macroscopic observation was done by stereomicroscope. 20 fetuses of each group were stained by Alizarin red-S and Alcian blue staining method. The Mean weight of fetuses decreased in treatment groups rather than control (P<0.05) but CRL there was no significant difference between treatments and controls groups. In the treatment I (600 mg/kg/day) and treatment II (1200 mg/kg/day), normal saline and control group, no gross congenital malformations were observed in fetuses. Treated fetuses also had no delayed bone ossification as determined by Alizarin red-S and Alcian blue staining method. This study showed that the hydroalcoholic extract of Mentha piperita (600 and 1200 mg/ kg/day) has no teratogenic effect in mice fetuses if used continuously during embryonic period

O impacto dos distúrbios monetários na inflação e nos ciclos de negócios na economia iraniana

In this paper, we have investigated the effect of monetary disorders on inflation and business cycles in Iran’s economy during the period 1973 to 2012. Monetary disorders are defined by two indexes of monetary policy uncertainty and shock to liquidity growth. In the first step, the causal relationship of monetary policy uncertainty on real GDP fluctuations, employment fluctuations and inflation are estimated using Granger causality test. To this purpose, to follow Haghighat and Mohammad Gholipour Tapeh (2014), the conditional variance of liquidity growth extracted from models of GARCH family was applied as a substitute for monetary policy uncertainty. In the second stage, the reaction of economic growth, employment growth and inflation to the shock to liquidity growth are estimated using impulse response function technique derived from VAR model. The results indicate the existence of one-way Granger causality relation of monetary policy uncertainty in all three variables of real GDP fluctuations, employment fluctuations and inflation. Also, based on the results, impulse response function reduces the shock to liquidity growth as much as a standard deviation, real GDP growth and employment after a period and increases inflation. Accordingly, the hypothesis of the effect of monetary disorders on business cycles in Iran’s economy in the period of this research cannot be rejected.JEL classification: E23, E31, E32, E52En este documento, hemos investigado el efecto de los trastornos monetarios en la inflación y los ciclos económicos en la economía de Irán durante el período de 1973 a 2012. Los trastornos monetarios se definen por dos índices de incertidumbre de la política monetaria y el impacto del crecimiento de la liquidez. En el primer paso, la relación causal de la incertidumbre de la política monetaria sobre las fluctuaciones del PIB real, las fluctuaciones del empleo y la inflación se estiman mediante la prueba de causalidad de Granger. Para este propósito, siguiendo a Haghighat y Mohammad Gholipour Tapeh (2014), se aplicó la varianza condicional del crecimiento de la liquidez extraída de los modelos de la familia GARCH como sustituto de la incertidumbre de la política monetaria. En la segunda etapa, la reacción del crecimiento económico, el crecimiento del empleo y la inflación al impacto del crecimiento de la liquidez se estiman utilizando la técnica de función de respuesta al impulso derivada del modelo VAR. Los resultados indican la existencia de una relación de causalidad de Granger unidireccional de la incertidumbre de la política monetaria en las tres variables de fluctuaciones del PIB real, fluctuaciones del empleo e inflación. Además, en función de los resultados, la función de respuesta al impulso reduce el impacto del crecimiento de la liquidez tanto como una desviación estándar, el crecimiento del PIB real y el empleo después de un período y aumenta la inflación. En consecuencia, la hipótesis del efecto&nbsp;de los trastornos monetarios en los ciclos económicos de la economía de Irán en el período de esta investigación no puede ser rechazada.Clasificación JEL: E23, E31, E32, E52Neste artigo, investigamos o efeito dos distúrbios monetários sobre a inflação e os ciclos econômicos na economia do Irã durante o período de 1973 a 2012. Os distúrbios monetários são definidos por dois índices de incerteza da política monetária e por choque no crescimento da liquidez. No primeiro passo, a relação causal entre a incerteza da política monetária sobre as flutuações do PIB real, as flutuações do emprego e a inflação é estimada usando o teste de causalidade de Granger. Para este propósito, para seguir Haghighat e Mohammad Gholipour Tapeh (2014), a variância condicional do crescimento de liquidez extraída de modelos da família GARCH foi aplicada como um substituto para a incerteza da política monetária. No segundo estágio, a reação do crescimento econômico, crescimento do emprego e inflação ao choque para o crescimento da liquidez são estimados usando a técnica de função de resposta impulsiva derivada do modelo VAR. Os resultados indicam a existência de uma relação de causalidade de Granger unidirecional da incerteza da política monetária em todas as três variáveis de flutuações reais do PIB, flutuações do emprego e inflação. Além disso, com base nos resultados, a função de resposta ao impulso reduz o choque para o crescimento da liquidez, tanto quanto um desvio padrão, crescimento do PIB real e emprego após um período e aumenta a inflação. Consequentemente, a hipótese do efeito dos distúrbios monetários nos ciclos de negócios na economia do Irã no período desta pesquisa não pode ser rejeitada.Classificação JEL: E23, E31, E32, E5

A Single-Letter Upper Bound to the Mismatch Capacity

We derive a single-letter upper bound to the mismatched-decoding capacity for discrete memoryless channels. The bound is expressed as the mutual information of a transformation of the channel, such that a maximum-likelihood decoding error on the translated channel implies a mismatched-decoding error in the original channel. In particular, a strong converse is shown to hold for this upper-bound: if the rate exceeds the upper-bound, the probability of error tends to 1 exponentially when the block-length tends to infinity. We also show that the underlying optimization problem is a convex-concave problem and that an efficient iterative algorithm converges to the optimal solution. In addition, we show that, unlike achievable rates in the literature, the multiletter version of the bound does not improve. A number of examples are discussed throughout the paper.European Research Council under Grant 725411, and by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under Grant TEC2016-78434-C3-1-R

Integrable Systems and Symplectic Geometry

Hulshof, J. [Promotor]Sanders, J.A. [Copromotor]Wang, J.P. [Copromotor

The molecular genetic analysis of the expanding pachyonychia congenita case collection

BACKGROUND: Pachyonychia congenita (PC) is a rare autosomal dominant keratinizing disorder characterized by severe, painful, palmoplantar keratoderma and nail dystrophy, often accompanied by oral leucokeratosis, cysts and follicular keratosis. It is caused by mutations in one of five keratin genes: KRT6A, KRT6B, KRT6C, KRT16 or KRT17. OBJECTIVES: To identify mutations in 84 new families with a clinical diagnosis of PC, recruited by the International Pachyonychia Congenita Research Registry during the last few years. METHODS: Genomic DNA isolated from saliva or peripheral blood leucocytes was amplified using primers specific for the PC-associated keratin genes and polymerase chain reaction products were directly sequenced. RESULTS: Mutations were identified in 84 families in the PC-associated keratin genes, comprising 46 distinct keratin mutations. Fourteen were previously unreported mutations, bringing the total number of different keratin mutations associated with PC to 105. CONCLUSIONS: By identifying mutations in KRT6A, KRT6B, KRT6C, KRT16 or KRT17, this study has confirmed, at the molecular level, the clinical diagnosis of PC in these families