Frequency of Odonthubutus doriae Thorell 1876 nests in desert soils, Esfahan, Iran

The results of this study showed that the mean number of Odonthubutus doriae nests in the southwest and north of Esfahan with Taljerd soil were 4.8 and 19.4 nests per twelve square meter plot respectively. The mean number of O. Doriae nests in the northwest and northeast of this city with Golshahr soil were 1.2 and 2 nests per plot (12 m2) respectively. The frequency of O. Doriae nests in Taljerd soils were significantly more than the frequency of nests of this scorpion in Golshahr soils in different areas of Esfahan. The Taljerd soils are rich in flora and fauna. Considering the similarity in climate in different areas of the city, it can be concluded that the soil texture is the main factor determining biodiversity in Taljerd soil

Scorpionism by Hemiscorpius spp. in Iran: A review

<div><p>Abstract Scorpions are distributed throughout Iran and the genus Hemiscorpius is particularly important in this region. Hemiscorpius lepturus is the most significant species within the genus in the country. Since scorpionism provoked by Hemiscorpius comprises a medical emergency, the present study is focused on this important issue. In order to perform the present work, a review of the medical and health-related literature was carried out in several databases. The current findings indicate that six species of Hemiscorpius are found in 15 states of Iran, mainly in the south and southwest. Deaths caused by stings were reported only for two species. The morphological characteristics and geographical distribution of H. lepturus in Iran, its venom and the toxic compounds, epidemiologic data and clinical manifestations of envenomation as well as treatment for affected people are herein reviewed and described. H. lepturus venom toxicity differs from other Iranian scorpions regarding duration and severity. Scorpionism is an important public health problem in Iran, especially in southwest and south regions and in urban areas. It is more prevalent in children and young people. H. lepturus venom is primarily a cytotoxic agent and has hemolytic, nephrotoxic and to some extent hepatotoxic activity. The use of polyvalent antivenom to prevent scorpion sting symptoms is recommended. A well-planned health education program might be useful in preventing scorpionism.</p></div

A study on litter size and abundance of newborns in several Iranian scorpion species

Background and Objective: Scorpions are considered as one of the most important natural hazards and introduced as a dangerous arthropods. Reproduction is the key factor for survival of any species, then interest has increased in knowing the litter size of a female scorpion species. The aim of present study was to determine the litter size and abundance of newborns in the most important of scorpions in laboratory condition. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, scorpions which represented six medically important species were collected from their natural habitats in two provinces of Khuzestan and Isfahan of Iran. All females gave birth in laboratory condition. The number of juveniles for each species were counted immediately after newborns were detected. Data analyses were conducted using SPSS for window version 16.0. Results: The litter size for Hemiscorpius lepturus was 15-31, Odonthobutus doriae 10-25, Mesobuthus eupeus 14-29, Androctonus crassicauda 15-45, Orthochirus scrobiculosus 12-21 and Olivierus caucasicus 19-23. All parturitions were occurred from late August to mid-October in the laboratory. The findings of the present study indicated that in the laboratory conditions, the litter size for A. crassicauda was the most whereas this value for O. scrobiculosus was less than the other species. Conclusion: It can be concluded that perhaps there is a positive correlation between the maternal female size and the litter size. © 2018 Rouhullah Dehghani et al

Alteration in mononuclear cell subpopulations in dogs immunized with gentamicin-attenuated Leishmania infantum

The impact of immunization with gentamicin-attenuated Leishmania infantum (H-line) on the immunophenotypic profile of popliteal lymph node (PLN) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of dogs was assessed by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Compared with the dogs infected with L. infantum wild-type (Group WT), there was a significantly higher percentage of CD4 + , CD44 + T cells and CD14 + , MHC-II + cells and a lower percentage of CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells in PLN of the immunized dogs with L. infantum H-line (Group H). The percentage of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells in PBMCs of immunized dogs was higher than that in dogs of Group WT. The CD4:CD8 ratio in PLN of dogs of Group H was significantly higher than that in dogs of Group WT. A significantly higher percentage of CD21 + B cells and a lower percentage of CD79b + cells were found in PLN of the immunized dogs compared with dogs of Group WT. Immunohistochemical investigation showed no parasites in the PLN of immunized dogs whereas there were parasites in the PLN of 60% of dogs infected with L. infantumWT. In this study, the immunophenotypic profile of mononuclear cells of the immunized dogs correlates with cellular immunity