Effects of soil compaction on seedling morphology, growth, and architecture of chestnut-leaved oak (Quercus castaneifolia)

Soil compaction following traffic by heavy-timber harvesting machinery usually causes an increase in soil strength, that is a stress factor negatively affecting the growth of newly germinated seedlings. This study used a soil strength experiment carried out in a greenhouse to test the hypotheses that increasing soil strength would adversely affect seedling morphology and alter seedling architecture by changing biomass allocation patterns. We explored the effects of soil compaction in a loam to clay-loam textured soil with optimal conditions of water on a continuous scale (0.2-1.0 MPa penetration resistance) on growth responses of the deciduous Quercus castaneifolia (C.A.Mey). Both above- and below-ground seedling characteristics, including size and biomass, were negatively affected by soil compaction. At the highest intensity of compaction, size and growth were reduced by 50% compared to controls; negative effects were typically more severe on below-ground (i.e., the length and biomass of the root system) than on above-ground responses. Increasing soil strength did not change above- and below-ground biomass allocation patterns (i.e., root mass ratio, root:shoot ratio, specific root length), resulting in unchanged seedling architecture. Strong adverse effects were already evident in the low-intensity compaction treatment and no critical soil strength threshold was observed. We conclude that root and height growth in Q. castaneifolia seedlings is limited by any increase of soil strength, though no evidence for the disruption of a functional equilibrium between above- and below-ground plant portions was found up to soil strengths of 1.0 MPa, at least under optimal water supply

Evaluation of Matrix Metaloproteinase 2 (MMP2) Activity in Contact Nickel Dermatitis Using Zymoanalysis in Comparison to Normal Individuals

Background and objectivesMatrix Metaloproteinases (MMPs), produced mainly by fibroblasts, play a major role in wound healing processes. This study aimed to investigate the MMP2 activity in dermal fibroblasts found in chronic contact nickel dermatitis lesions. MethodsIn order to study the role of MMP2 in contact nickel dermatitis, fibroblast from patients and healthy individuals were cultured based on ex-plantation of skin. MMP2 activity was measured in fibroblast culture media using zymoanalysis. Zymograms were then analyzed by quantitative densitometry. MTT assay was also used to evaluate and compare proliferation capacity of fibroblasts in both cell cultures.ResultsThe mean MMP2 activity 6-8 days after ex-plantation was significantly higher in patients fibroblasts than in normal individuals( 1709.2 and 134.35.9 in patients and normals, respectively (p<0.05)). The proliferation capacity of patients' fibroblasts was significantly higher than that of normal cases (3859382816 and 2702616527 respectively, p<0.05) in the same days.ConclusionOur study shows a significant increase in degenerative activity of fibroblasts in nickel dermatitis lesions. It was also seen that the MMP2 activity per cell was significantly higher in patients' fibroblasts compared to healthy individuals and that gelatinolytic activity of MMP2 is independent of cell number. Therefore, intra- and inter-cellular signals may be altered in fibroblasts of nickel dermatitis lesions which lead to promotion of fibroblast response to mitogenic and fibrogenic stimulations.Keywords: Nickel dermatitis; Matrix Metaloproteinase 2 (MMP2); Fibroblast; Zymoanalysis

A Study of the Effect of Aspirin and Atorvastatin on the Phenotypes of Liver Cancer Cells in a Cell Culture Model

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In patients with type 2 diabetes, liver diseases are the major causes of liver cancer. The invention of new methods and medicinal compounds has led to a significant increase in our ability to treat cancers. This study aims to evaluate the effect of two known compounds, atorvastatin and aspirin, on the phenotypes of liver cancer cell lines. METHODS: In this experimental study, after preparing HepG2 cell line from National Cell Bank of Iran and culturing it, the cytotoxic, apoptotic and metastatic effects of both atorvastatin and aspirin were investigated at concentrations of 50 – 100 – 200 μM in 7 treatment groups and one control group by MTT assay, flow cytometry and zymography tests. FINDINGS: The results of these tests indicated the cytotoxic effects of atorvastatin at all concentrations of 50 – 100 – 200 μM (48%, 99.96% and 100%), and the low cytotoxic effects of aspirin at all concentrations except for 200 μM, mainly observed as necrosis (p<0.05). In both compounds, apoptosis induction was initiated at a specific concentration and the simultaneous use of these two compounds increased the apoptosis from 6.8 and 3.22, respectively for atorvastatin and aspirin, to 20.22 (p < 0.05). Investigating the activity of the MMP-2 enzyme as a key enzyme in metastases indicated a decrease in this phenotype. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that co-administration of both atorvastatin and aspirin compounds is capable of inducing programmed cell death at low concentrations

Identification and characterization of main allergic proteins in cooked Wolf herring fish

Our aim in this study was to identify and characterize allergic proteins in cooked Wolf herring fish. We heated the crude extract alternatively at 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100°C for one hour and results were compared by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Also, proteins were immunoblotted with fish-sensitive patients' sera. The major allergenic proteins were identified via mass spectrometry. These allergenic proteins were then purified by anion exchange chromatography and the IgE-immunoreactivity of the fractions was compared with the crude extracts via disk enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). SDS-PAGE of the crude extract showed more than 15 distinct protein bands. Five of these proteins, with apparent molecular weights of 12, 18, 24, 38, and 51 kDa, were only observed in the 100°C heated extract. Immunoblotting of the heated extract revealed that the 12 and 51 kDa proteins were IgE-immunoreactive with 88 percent of fish-sensitive patient sera while the 24 and 38 kDa proteins reacted with 33.3 and 55.5 percent of fish-sensitive patient sera, respectively. Mass spectrometry of the 12, 38, and 51 kDa proteins revealed that all three were parvalbumin oligomers. Disk ELISA results showed that 20 of 25 and 14 of 25 fish-allergic patients' sera were IgE-reactive with purified oligomeric parvalbumin-coated and crude extract-coated disks, respectively. Parvalbumin and its oligomers are the main allergenic molecules in cooked fish. Therefore, an enriched or purified fraction containing this protein could be a useful source of allergen for applications in ELISA-based immunoassays and could discriminate fish-allergic patients who can tolerate cooked fish from those who cannot. © Copyright Autumn 2016, Iran J Allergy Asthma Immunol. All rights reserved

Comparison of the proteome profiling of Iranian isolates of Leishmania tropica, L. major and L. infantum by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass-spectrometry

Background: The mechanisms of virulence and species differences of Leishmania parasites are under the influence of gene expression regulations at posttranscriptional stages. In Iran, L. major and L. tropica are known as principal agents of cutaneous leishmaniasis, while L. infantum causes visceral leishmaniasis. Methods: As a preliminary study, we compared the proteome mapping of the above three Iranian isolates of Leishmania species through the 2-dimension electrophoresis (2-DE), and identified the prominent proteins by Liquid Chromatography (LC) mass spectrometry. Results: We reproducibly detected about 700 protein spots in each species by using the Melanie software. Totally, 264 proteins exhibited significant changes among 3 species. Forty nine protein spots identified in both L. tropica and L. major were similar in position in the gel, whereas only 35 of L. major proteins and 10 of L. tropica proteins were matched with those of L. infantum. Having identified 24 proteins in the three species, we sought to provide possible explanations for their differential expression patterns and discuss their relevance to cell biology. Conclusion: The comparison of proteome profiling pattern of the 3 species identified limit up and limit down regulated or absent /present proteins. In addition, the LC-MS data analysis showed that most of the protein spots with differential abundance in the 3 species are involved in cell motility and cytoskeleton, cell signaling and vesicular trafficking, intracellular survival / proteolysis, oxidative stress defense, protein synthesis, protein ubiquitination / proteolysis, and stress related proteins. Differentially proteins distributed among the species maybe implicated in host pathogenecity interactions and parasite tropism to cutaneous or visceral tissue macrophages

Isolation and molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii strains from different hosts in Iran.

Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most prevalent protozoan parasites in Iran. This study was aimed to isolate T. gondii from a variety of hosts and to genetically analyze the parasite isolates. The prevalence of T. gondii in different animal hosts was assessed in two provinces of Iran, Tehran and Mazandaran in the central and northern parts, respectively. The latex agglutination (LA) test was carried out, and antibodies were found in 24 out of 105 sheep, 5 out of 35 goats, 23 out of 45 free-ranging chickens (Gallus domesticus), 2 out of 13 ducks (Anas spp.), and two of four stray cats (Felis domesticus). T. gondii was isolated by bioassay in mice from four sheep, six chickens, one duck, two cats, and three human samples. Genotyping of these 16 isolates was performed using Multiplex PCR for five microsatellite markers and GRA6 gene sequence analysis. The results indicated that the studied isolates consisted of only two genotypes, II and III, with no evidence of type 1 or mixed genotypes