The correlation between telomerase activity and BaX/BcL-2 ratio in valproic acid-treated MCF-7 breast cancer cell line

Objective(s): Valproic acid (VPA), a drug used in the treatment of neurological disorders, has been shown to have cytotoxic effects on cancer cells through different mechanisms. Telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein reverse transcriptase, is responsible for elongation of the telomere and is activated in cancers. A relation between telomerase activity and resistance to apoptosis has been established. This study focused on probable effects of VPA on MCF-7 cancer cells. In particular, we investigated VPA effects on viability, apoptosis and telomerase activity. Materials and Methods: Cytotoxicity effects of VPA on MCF-7 cells were determined by neutral red uptake assay. Cells were treated with different concentrations of VPA (0-32 mM) and telomerase activity and Bax and Bcl-2 protein levels were determined using TRAP assay (PCR-ELISA) method and ELISA method, respectively. Results: The cytotoxic effects of different concentration of VPA on MCF-7 cells were observed as a reduction in cell viability and telomerase activity and altered expression of Bcl-2 family protein levels. The results also showed that there is a significant correlation between reduction of telomerase activity and increase in Bax/Bcl-2 ratio (P=0.001). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that cell viability of MCF-7 cells was decreased after treatment with VPA, probably through a reduction of telomerase activity and an increase in Bax/bcl-2 ratio. Therefore, it could be concluded that VPA is a potent anti-cancer agent for breast cancer cells through inhibition of telomerase activity and induction of apoptosis. © 2015, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Lack of association between TRAF1/C5 rs10818488 polymorphism and rheumatoid arthritis in Iranian population

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a multifactorial disorder related to the inflammatory response system with debilitating and painful conditions. Both genetic and environmental factors, with unknown etiology, play important roles in this disease pathogenesis. Recently, TRAF1/C5 (Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Factor 1/. Complement Component 5) polymorphism associated with increased risk for RA has been studied in different populations worldwide, and inconsistent results have been obtained. rs10818488 allele is located on TRAF1/C5 intergenic region, and has been predicted to be functional. A total of 100 sex- and age-matched people including RA patients (n= 50) and healthy individuals (n= 50) from Iran have been entered in this study and genotyped for rs10818488 (A/G) polymorphism, using Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). In our study, rs10818488 allele was not associated with risk for RA in Iranian population (p>. 0.05, OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 0.72-2.23). Results revealed that this allele might be population-specific and not to be associated with their corresponding gene pool. However, further analyses are required to clarify other RA-associated markers in our community. © 2012

Benthos density and its relationship with sediment condition in the north coast of Gorgan Bay, Golestan Province

The frequency and distribution of benthos species in the north coast of Gorgan Bay (proposed site for cage and pen culture) were studied. Sampling was carried out in three water depths 1, 2 and 3 meters and 10 stations in each depth using Van Veen sampler with 3 replications. Totally, 12 families were identified: Nereidae, Ampharitidae, Spionidae Amphipodae, Osteracodae, Mytilidae, Dreissenidae, Cardidae, Neritidae, Pyrgulidae, .Lithoglyphidae and Planorbidae of which Osteracodae and Ampharitidae with 26% and 1% had maximum and minimum abundance, respectively in all depths. The maximum and minimum abundance of benthos was 6025 per square meter in waters 3 meters deep and 52 per square meter in waters 1 meter deep. In addition, sediment texture and total organic matter (TOM) were analyzed which showed that 2 and 3 meter deep waters had the maximum percent of T.O.M (7.8%) in spring and autumn while the minimum T.O.M (2.5%) in 1 meter deep waters was observed in winter

Acute LC50 and bioconcentration of mercury chloride in Rutilus frisii kutum

To determine the acute toxicity and bioaccumulation of mercuric chloride in Rutilus fidisii kutum, specimens of the fish were exposed to various concentrations of the chemical in water. We carried out ten treatments with three replicates and one control for each of the chemicals using the static 0.E.C.D. method in 55 liter tanks each containing 14 fingerlings. During the experiments, the average pH was recorded as 7.8, total hardness was measured to be 255 mel, average water temperature was 27±1 degrees centigrade and dissolved oxygen was 7.2 mg/l. Mean LC50 values of Hgcli for juvenile R. fish kutum with mean weight 1± 0.2 grams were 0.102 and 0.086 mg HO at 24h and 96h, respectively. The bioaccumulation values during 24h in muscle tissue, kidney and gill were 1.55, 16.1 and 22.7 mg He respectively. The values during 96h exposure were 2.8, 16.8 and 26.65 mg He in tissue, kidney and gill respectively. The bioconcentration values for muscle tissue, kidney and gill during the first 24h were 14.75, 153.39 and 216.11 after 96h were 33.8, 198.1 and 313.5 times that of the environment. These results show the bioaccumulation to be the highest in gill followed by kidney and muscle tissue. The study suggested direct relationship between mercury concentration in and its bioaccumulation in the fish organs tissue

Impacts of EMC effects on the D meson modification factor in equilibrating QGP

In this article we employ the nuclear EMC effect to extract the parton distribution functions (PDFs) inside the Lead (Pb) and Gold (Au) nuclei. Extracted PDFs are utilized to obtain the transverse momentum dependent (TMD) ones, using the computing codes like Pythia 8 or MCFM-10. Through this procedure TMDPDFs for charm and bottom quarks in Au at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200\;GeV$, Pb at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=2.76\;TeV$ and $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=5.02\;TeV$ are calculated. To evaluate the validity of results and investigate the influence of nuclear EMC effect, the numerated TMDs are used as input to estimate heavy quark modification factor $R_{AA}$ at transverse plane $P_T$. This observable is calculated through numerical solution of the Fokker-Planck equation. For this purpose we need to extract the drag and diffusion coefficients, using the hard thermal loop correction. It is done in the frame work of the relativistic hydrodynamics up to the third order approximation of gradient expansion. The results are compared with same solutions when the input PFDs are considered inside the unbounded protons where the nuclear effect is not included. The comparison indicates a significant improvement of computed $R_{AA}$ with available experimental data when the EMC effect is considered.Comment: 16 pages 6 figures 1 table

Biomimetic peptide enriched nonwoven scaffolds promote calcium phosphate mineralisation

Cell-free translational strategies are needed to accelerate the repair of mineralised tissues, particularly large bone defects, using minimally invasive approaches. Regenerative bone scaffolds should ideally mimic aspects of the tissue's ECM over multiple length scales and enable surgical handling and fixation during implantation in vivo. Leveraging the knowledge gained with bioactive self-assembling peptides (SAPs) and SAP-enriched electrospun fibres, we presented a cell free approach for promoting mineralisation via apatite deposition and crystal growth, in vitro, of SAP-enriched nonwoven scaffolds. The nonwoven scaffold was made by electrospinning poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) in the presence of either peptide P11-4 (Ac-QQRFEWEFEQQ-Am) or P11-8 (Ac QQRFOWOFEQQ-Am), in light of the polymer's fibre forming capability and its hydrolytic degradability as well as the well-known apatite nucleating capability of SAPs. The 11-residue family of peptides (P11-X) has the ability to self-assemble into β-sheet ordered structures at the nano-scale and to generate hydrogels at the macroscopic scale, some of which are capable of promoting biomineralisation due to their apatite-nucleating capability. Both variants of SAP-enriched nonwoven used in this study were proven to be biocompatible with murine fibroblasts and supported nucleation and growth of apatite minerals in simulated body fluid (SBF) in vitro. The fibrous nonwoven provided a structurally robust scaffold, with the capability to control SAP release behaviour. Up to 75% of P11-4 and 45% of P11-8 were retained in the fibres after 7 day incubation in aqueous solution at pH 7.4. The encapsulation of SAP in a nonwoven system with apatite-forming as well as localised and long-term SAP delivery capabilities is appealing as a potential means of achieving cost-effective bone repair therapy for critical size defects

First report of the parasitoid wasp Aneuclis melanaria (Hym.: Ichneumonidae: Tersilochinae) from Iran

In 2013, we launched a project to collect and identify the insects, which were associated with the pistachio gall aphid species Forda hirsuta Mordv. and Slavum mordvilovi Kreutz in Tang-Shekan region of the city of Arsanjan in the province of Fars. We collected the ichneumonid wasp Aneuclis melanaria (Holmgren) of the subfamily Tersilochinae on the aphid populations of S. mordvilovi. This parasitoid wasp is a new record for the fauna of Iran

The systematic study of the influence of neutron excess on the fusion cross sections using different proximity-type potentials

Using different types of proximity potentials, we have examined the trend of variations of barrier characteristics (barrier height and its position) as well as fusion cross sections for 50 isotopic systems including various collisions of C, O, Mg, Si, S, Ca, Ar, Ti and Ni nuclei with $1\leq N/Z < 1.6$ condition for compound systems. The results of our studies reveal that the relationships between increase of barrier positions and decrease of barrier heights are both linear with increase of $N/Z$ ratio. Moreover, fusion cross sections also enhance linearly with increase of this ratio.Comment: 28 pages, 7 figures, 5 Table

A New Record of Paracobitis rhadinaea (Regan, 1906) after a Hundred Years from Sistan Basin, Southeast of Iran

After around a hundred years of being without any record of occurrence of Paracobitis rhadinaea, a species of Nemacheiline loach, in Sistan basin, southeast of Iran, the year 2012 was the turning point of wild life in this area. Twenty-five specimens were caught from Chahnimeh Reservoir, a water body adjacent to the Hamoun Wetland in Sistan basin. Morphometric and meristic characteristics were measured