Effects of oral gavage treatment of Eupatilin on protection of skin flaps in rats

Introduction: Nowadays, skin flaps are used to repair wounds, skin lesions and in reconstructive surgeries. In this way, the main problem is loss of flap tissue and necrosis, due to processes that result from ischemia-reperfusion injury and reactive oxygen species. Eupatilin is an O-methylated flavone derived from Artemisia plants that demonstrates anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-tumor effects. In this study, we evaluated the effect of Eupatilin administration on the survival of skin flap and oxidative stress by measuring necrotic area of skin flap and oxidative stress markers, in rats. Materials and Methods: Forty rats were divided into four groups (10 rats per group), including Sham group, Flap group, Eupatilin+ Flap group (received Eupatilin before flap), and Flap + Eupatilin group (received Eupatilin after flap). Eupatilin (10 mg / kg) was administered as oral gavage to mice. One week after flap surgery in a 3 x 8 cm scale, flap necrosis, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels-using thiobarbituric acid method (TBA)-and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-using an oxidase enzymatic method-was measured. Results: Treatment with Eupatilin, before or after flap, reduced the necrosis area of flap (P <0.05 vs flap group). Decreased MDA level (P <0.05 vs flap group) and increased superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) (P <0.01 vs flap group) are shown. Conclusion: The data obtained from this study demonstrated improvement of skin flap survival in rats and reduction of tissue necrosis and oxidative stress by Eupatilin treatment, either before or after flap surgery. © 2019, Semnan University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Agr typing of Staphylococcus aureus species isolated from clinical samples in training hospitals of Isfahan and Shahrekord

OBJECTIVE: As an opportunistic pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus is associated with serious nosocomial infections and growing antimicrobial resistance against beta-lactams among S. aureus strains has become a global challenge. The current study was designed to investigate the presence of agr genes among S. aureus strains recovered from clinical samples in university hospitals of Isfahan and Shahrekord. RESULTS: A total of 150 S. aureus isolates were screened by Disk diffusion method (DDM) and conventional PCR. The minimum (17.3%) and maximum (46%) antibiotic resistance rates were found in vancomycin and cefoxitin, respectively. The majority of our isolates were classified as agr type I followed by type II, type IV, and type III. The statistical analysis showed a significant correlation between agr type I and antibiotic resistance against cefoxitin and erythromycin (p = 0.04 and p = 0.03, respectively). Based on our findings, the agr typing could be considered an effective approach for molecular tracking of S. aureus infections

Inhibition of extracellular HMGB1 attenuates hyperoxia-induced inflammatory acute lung injury

Prolonged exposure to hyperoxia results in acute lung injury (ALI), accompanied by a significant elevation in the levels of proinflammatory cytokines and leukocyte infiltration in the lungs. However, the mechanisms underlying hyperoxia-induced proinflammatory ALI remain to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the role of the proinflammatory cytokine high mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) in hyperoxic inflammatory lung injury, using an adult mouse model. The exposure of C57BL/6 mice to \u3e/=99% O2 (hyperoxia) significantly increased the accumulation of HMGB1 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) prior to the onset of severe inflammatory lung injury. In the airways of hyperoxic mice, HMGB1 was hyperacetylated and existed in various redox forms. Intratracheal administration of recombinant HMGB1 (rHMGB1) caused a significant increase in leukocyte infiltration into the lungs compared to animal treated with a non-specific peptide. Neutralizing anti-HMGB1 antibodies, administrated before hyperoxia significantly attenuated pulmonary edema and inflammatory responses, as indicated by decreased total protein content, wet/dry weight ratio, and numbers of leukocytes in the airways. This protection was also observed when HMGB1 inhibitors were administered after the onset of the hyperoxic exposure. The aliphatic antioxidant, ethyl pyruvate (EP), inhibited HMGB1 secretion from hyperoxic macrophages and attenuated hyperoxic lung injury. Overall, our data suggest that HMGB1 plays a critical role in mediating hyperoxic ALI through the recruitment of leukocytes into the lungs. If these results can be translated to humans, they suggest that HMGB1 inhibitors provide treatment regimens for oxidative inflammatory lung injury in patients receiving hyperoxia through mechanical ventilation

Caspase-11 Activation in Response to Bacterial Secretion Systems That Access the Host Cytosol

Inflammasome activation is important for antimicrobial defense because it induces cell death and regulates the secretion of IL-1 family cytokines, which play a critical role in inflammatory responses. The inflammasome activates caspase-1 to process and secrete IL-1β. However, the mechanisms governing IL-1α release are less clear. Recently, a non-canonical inflammasome was described that activates caspase-11 and mediates pyroptosis and release of IL-1α and IL-1β. Caspase-11 activation in response to Gram-negative bacteria requires Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and TIR-domain-containing adaptor-inducing interferon-β (TRIF)-dependent interferon production. Whether additional bacterial signals trigger caspase-11 activation is unknown. Many bacterial pathogens use specialized secretion systems to translocate effector proteins into the cytosol of host cells. These secretion systems can also deliver flagellin into the cytosol, which triggers caspase-1 activation and pyroptosis. However, even in the absence of flagellin, these secretion systems induce inflammasome activation and the release of IL-1α and IL-1β, but the inflammasome pathways that mediate this response are unclear. We observe rapid IL-1α and IL-1β release and cell death in response to the type IV or type III secretion systems of Legionella pneumophila and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Unlike IL-1β, IL-1α secretion does not require caspase-1. Instead, caspase-11 activation is required for both IL-1α secretion and cell death in response to the activity of these secretion systems. Interestingly, whereas caspase-11 promotes IL-1β release in response to the type IV secretion system through the NLRP3/ASC inflammasome, caspase-11-dependent release of IL-1α is independent of both the NAIP5/NLRC4 and NLRP3/ASC inflammasomes as well as TRIF and type I interferon signaling. Furthermore, we find both overlapping and non-redundant roles for IL-1α and IL-1β in mediating neutrophil recruitment and bacterial clearance in response to pulmonary infection by L. pneumophila. Our findings demonstrate that virulent, but not avirulent, bacteria trigger a rapid caspase-11-dependent innate immune response important for host defense

The Causal Relationship of Motivational Variables and Academic Performance in Science: Mediation by Conceptual Understanding in the girls and boys eighth-grade students

Background and Objective:In various studies, the factors affecting academic achievement and performance are divided into two categories: the first category are variables and factors that are outside the learner and include factors such as teacher teaching method and socio-economic status of students and the category; the second are the variables that are related to the learner and are known as personal factors that include motivation, attitude, self-efficacy and cognitive factors. From the perspective of educational psychologists as well as teachers, motivation is one of the key concepts and is used to explain different levels of student performance. The purpose of this study was to examine the causal relationship between motivational variables and academic performance in science, mediated by conceptual understanding in male and female students of the eighth grade. Methods: The sample was recruited from all of eighth grade students in Darab city, Iran. The research method was correlational. The data gathered through the three questionnaires: the modified version of Harter's (1980, 1981) scale, Attitude Survey Questionnaire, and the researcher-made conceptual understanding of Science. In the descriptive section, the mean, standard deviation and correlation coefficient were used and in the inferential section, structural equation modeling was used. Findings: The results showed that all relationships between variables, except the extrinsic motivation for conceptual understanding were significant. Results also indicated that all indirect hypotheses, except the indirect relation of extrinsic motivation to the academic performance in science mediated by conceptual understanding were confirmed. Conclusion: In the explanation of the present study that there is no significant relationship between external motivation and conceptual understanding, it can be pointed out that students who are motivated externally, study activities simply to achieve the desired outcomes such as approval or reward and prevent undesirable consequences such as punishment. In other words, the external factor controls their behavior and encourages them to perform a specific activity. According to behaviorists, learning is a change in the obvious behavior of the individual and its realization requires the use of positive and negative reinforcers. And these environmental stimuli, which are used to reinforce or inhibit observable behaviors, lead to behavioral changes. Since behaviorists focus on observable and measurable behaviors, not on inaccessible mental processes, and given that conceptual understanding is a mental process related to one's perceptions, it is not unreasonable to expect that there is no significant relationship between external motivation. And observe conceptual understanding.   ===================================================================================== COPYRIGHTS  ©2019 The author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, as long as the original authors and source are cited. No permission is required from the authors or the publishers.  ====================================================================================

The Effect of EDTA and Garlic Extract Combination on Plasma Lipids, Lipoporteins, and Fatty Streaks in Cholesterol Fed Male Rabbit Aorta

Background: Garlic extract is used in treatment of hypercholesterolemia, although its efficacy isn’t exactly clear. There is a little information about mechanism of garlic effect on plasma lipids. By intervention of garlic in atherogenesis process it has been shown that it has a protective effect against cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, it has been shown that EDTA (Ethylene Diamin Tetra Acetic Acid) improves blood flow and decreases the vascular atherosclerotic symptoms. Methods: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of EDTA and garlic extract with together on plasma concentration of cholesterol, Triglyceride, LDL, and HDL, and formation of fatty streaks through the phenomena called “chelation therapy” in male Rabbit aorta. 32 male Rabbits were used and divided to 4 groups as group 1: cholesterol – rich diet (CRD) + EDTA + Garlic Extract (GE), group 2: CRD + EDTA, Group 3: CRD + GE, Group 4: CRD (control group). The animals were under food and drug diet for 5 weeks. Blood samples of Rabbits were taken before and after the test and then plasma cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL and HDL were measured. Finally, abdominal aorta was studied and pathologically evaluated. Results: The experiments showed the significant decrease of mean cholesterol in case groups and mean triglyceride in the groups which have received EDTA + GE and EDTA. Our results showed that mean LDL and LDL/HDL Ratio in case groups have been decreased in comparison to control group. In addition, there was a significant increase in mean HDL in the group which has received EDTA + GE. Conclusion: In this study it was shown that the using of fresh garlic and EDTA with together has a reductive effect on cholesterol, Triglyceride, and LDL concentration and also has an increasing effect on HDL concentration. But it seems that concomitant using of these tow substances with together strengthen the effect of each one, and it produces a great reduction of the blood lipids concentration. Keywords: atherosclerosis, garlic, EDTA

FOXO1 targeting by capsaicin reduces tissue damage after testicular torsion

Testicular torsion-related oxidative stress causes a sequential chain of DNA damage, lipid peroxidation and cell death that leads to the derangement in the sperm functions and infertility. Capsaicin that has been applied for pain relief and cancer prevention possesses antioxidant properties which can be exploited to confer cell survival under ischaemic testis damage. Wistar male rats weighing 150�200 g were randomly divided into four groups: (i) sham group (all procedures except torsion of testis), (ii) ischaemia group (TT group), (iii) three TT groups treated with different dose of capsaicin (TT + different doses of Cap) and (iv) three control groups treated with different doses of capsaicin (100, 500 and 1000 ug/ml). Capsaicin administration significantly decreased the expression of pro-apoptotic factors and increased the expression of anti-apoptotic factors. Likewise, the expression of FOXO1 is significantly increased by higher doses of the capsaicin. Histological assessment by H&E and TUNEL method also exhibited an improved testicular morphology and decreased apoptosis in testes. These results suggested clinical potential for capsaicin in treatment of testicular torsion by targeting FOXO1 and apoptotic pathways. © 2018 Blackwell Verlag Gmb

FOXO1 targeting by capsaicin reduces tissue damage after testicular torsion

Testicular torsion-related oxidative stress causes a sequential chain of DNA damage, lipid peroxidation and cell death that leads to the derangement in the sperm functions and infertility. Capsaicin that has been applied for pain relief and cancer prevention possesses antioxidant properties which can be exploited to confer cell survival under ischaemic testis damage. Wistar male rats weighing 150�200 g were randomly divided into four groups: (i) sham group (all procedures except torsion of testis), (ii) ischaemia group (TT group), (iii) three TT groups treated with different dose of capsaicin (TT + different doses of Cap) and (iv) three control groups treated with different doses of capsaicin (100, 500 and 1000 ug/ml). Capsaicin administration significantly decreased the expression of pro-apoptotic factors and increased the expression of anti-apoptotic factors. Likewise, the expression of FOXO1 is significantly increased by higher doses of the capsaicin. Histological assessment by H&E and TUNEL method also exhibited an improved testicular morphology and decreased apoptosis in testes. These results suggested clinical potential for capsaicin in treatment of testicular torsion by targeting FOXO1 and apoptotic pathways. © 2018 Blackwell Verlag Gmb