Metabolic effects of berberine on liver phosphatidate phosphohydrolase in rats fed on high lipogenic diet: An additional mechanism for the hypolipidemic effects of berberine

Objective: To evaluate the effects of berberine (BBR) on the liver phosphatidate phosphohydrolase (PAP) and plasma lipids in rats fed on high lipogenic and normal diet. Methods: Forty rats were randomly divided into 5 groups. Group I (control) received standard diet. Group II received standard diet plus 90 mg/kg BBR and Groups IV received lipogenic diet (containing sunflower oil, cholesterol and ethanol) without treatment. Groups III and V received lipogenic diet plus 90 mg/kg BBR and 30 mg/kg gemfibrozil, respectively. On Day 60 of the experiment, blood samples were collected and PAP, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein, malondialdehyde, plasma antioxidant, and liver histopathology assessments were conducted. Results: PAP, plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein, and malondialdehyde levels decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in Group III compared to Group IV (24 94, 36 11, 21 18, 36.86 and 19 59, respectively). The liver triglyceride and cholesterol in Groups III and V had a remarkable decrease (P < 0.001) compared with Group IV (24.94 and 49.13, respectively). There was a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in atherogenic index in Groups III compared with Group IV. Conclusions: These results clearly suggested that BBR could be effective in reducing liver PAP, lipid abnormality, liver triglyceride and lateral side effects of hyperlipidemia. © 2014 by the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine

Dvogodišnje serološko istraživanje virusa goveđe virusne dijareje, goveđeg alfa-herpesvirusa 1 i virusa goveđe parainfluence tipa 3 na farmama mliječnih krava u Qazvinu, sjeverozapadni Iran

Infections with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), bovine alphaherpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1), and bovine parainfluenza virus type 3 (BPIV-3) cause diseases in cattle with serious economic consequences worldwide. The objective of the present study was to determine of herd-level and animal-level BVDV, BoHV-1, and BPIV-3 seroprevalence, and evaluate some of the associated risk factors on farms in Qazvin province, Northwestern Iran. A total of 1036 cattle in 16 herds were randomly selected, and their serum samples were tested to detect antibodies to these viruses in a cross-sectional study over 2 years. The results showed the seroprevalence of BVDV, BoHV-1, and BPIV-3 was 100%, 56.3%, and 100% at herd-level and 55.1%, 5.1%, and 95.2% at animal-level, respectively. Statistical analysis revealed that the farm was a strong risk factor for all the studied viruses, while the year was determined as a risk factor for only BVDV (P<0.001). The seroprevalence of BVDV and BPIV-3 was significantly (P<0.01) affected by season. The proportion of seropositive cows increased with age for BVDV and BoHV-1 (P<0.001). Concurrent infection was the highest in mixed infections with BVDV and BPIV-3 (53.2%), and there was a positive correlation between BVDV and BoHV-1 seropositivity (R2= 0.106, P<0.001). The present study shows that infections of BVDV and BPIV-3 are common in cattle in Northwestern Iran and which implies the need to implement control programs to reduce the risk of the spread of these viruses.Infekcije virusom goveđe virusne dijareje (BVDV), goveđeg alfa-herpesvirusa 1(BoHV-1) i virusa goveđe parainfluenze tipa 3 (BPIV-3) uzrokuju pobol u goveda širom svijeta, sa znatnim ekonomskim posljedicama. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je odrediti seroprevalenciju BVDV-a, BoHV-1 i BPIV-3, na razini stada i na razini životinje, te procijeniti rizične čimbenike povezane s tim virusima na farmama u pokrajini Qazvin u sjeverozapadnom Iranu. U presječnom istraživanju, koje je trajalo više od dvije godine, nasumično je odabrano ukupno 1036 goveda iz 16 stada čiji su uzorci seruma testirani kako bi se pronašla antitijela na tri navedena virusa. Rezultati su pokazali da je seroprevalencija BVDV-a 100 %, BoHV-1 56,3 %, a BPIV-3 100 % na razini stada, dok je na razini životinje seroprevalencija BVDV-a bila 55,1 %, BoHV-1 5,1 %, a BPIV-3 95,2 %. Statistička je analiza pokazala da je farma znatan rizični čimbenik za sve istraživane viruse, dok se kombinacija godine i sezone pokazala rizičnim faktorom samo za BVDV (P < 0,001). Na seroprevalenciju BVDV-a i BPIV-3 znakovito je utjecala sezona (P < 0,01). Omjer seropozitivnih krava za BVDV i BoHV-1 znakovito je rastao s dobi (P < 0,001). Najčešća je koinfekcija bila virusima BVDV i BPIV-3 (53,2 %), a ustanovljena je i pozitivna korelacija između seropozitivnosti BVDV-a i BoHV-1 (R2 = 0,106, P < 0,001). Ovo je istraživanje pokazalo da su infekcije BVDV-om i BPIV-3 česte u goveda u sjeverozapadnom Iranu što upućuje na potrebu uvođenja programa nadzora kako bi se smanjio rizik od širenja ovih virusa

The duck hepatitis virus 5'-UTR possesses HCV-like IRES activity that is independent of eIF4F complex and modulated by downstream coding sequences

Duck hepatitis virus (DHV-1) is a worldwide distributed picornavirus that causes acute and fatal disease in young ducklings. Recently, the complete genome of DHV-1 has been determined and comparative sequence analysis has shown that possesses the typical picornavirus organization but exhibits several unique features. For the first time, we provide evidence that the 626-nucleotide-long 5'-UTR of the DHV-1 genome contains an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) element that functions efficiently both in vitro and in mammalian cells. The prediction of the secondary structure of the DHV-1 IRES shows significant similarity to the hepatitis C virus (HCV) IRES. Moreover, similarly to HCV IRES, DHV-1 IRES can direct translation initiation in the absence of a functional eIF4F complex. We also demonstrate that the activity of the DHV-1 IRES is modulated by a viral coding sequence located downstream of the DHV-1 5'-UTR, which enhances DHV-1 IRES activity both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, mutational analysis of the predicted pseudo-knot structures at the 3'-end of the putative DHV-1 IRES supported the presence of conserved domains II and III and, as it has been previously described for other picornaviruses, these structures are essential for keeping the normal internal initiation of translation of DHV-1

Differential Consequences of Unilateral Nasal Air-Puff Stimulation on Breathing Pattern and Respiratory System Mechanics in Tracheotomized Rats

Objective(s): Reflexes that rose from mechanoreceptors in nasal cavities have extensive neuro-regulatory effects on respiratory system. Because of side specific geometry and dual innervations of the nasal mucosa, we investigated the consequences of unilateral nasal stimulations on respiratory mechanics and breathing patterns. Materials and Methods: Unilateral nasal air-puff stimulation (30 min) in the presence of propranolol (25 mg/kg) and atropine (5 mg/kg) were applied on tracheotomized spontaneously breathing rats. Breathing rate and pattern monitored. Peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) and flow (PIF) were exploited for calculation of resistance, dynamic compliance (C-dyn), and estimation of respiratory system impedance (Z(rs)). Results: During right-side stimulation, in propranolol (P<0.05) and atropine groups (P<0.01) PIP significantly decreased in comparison to the control group. Alternatively, it significantly increased in left-side and propranolol-left groups (P<0.05) than control group. Mean C-dyn following left-side stimulation and propranolol, revealed significant decrements (P<0.05) than control group. In the case of atropine-right and atropine-left groups, mean C-dyn had significantly decreased in comparison with atropine alone (P<0.05). Airway resistance (R) did not reveal significant difference during nasal stimulations whereas least square approximation revealed a significant side-specific frequency dependent deviation of imaginary part of impedance (X). An inverse correlation was determined for C-dyn versus frequency following right side (R=-0.76) and left side (R=-0.53) stimulations. Conclusion: For the reason that lower airways mechanics changed in a way independent from smooth muscle, it may be concluded from our data that unilateral nasal stimulations exert their different controls through higher regulatory centers

Isolation and G-typing of Rotaviruses from diarrheal Calves in Tehran and Alborz provinces, Iran

Rotaviruses group A are the major cause of diarrhea in calves under one month and every year causes enormous economic losses. Serological and molecular techniques can be used for rapid detection of rotaviruses but virus isolation requires specific methods of cell culture and suitable cell lines. In this study, 41 samples were collected from diarrheal calves up to the age of one month, from industrial and semi-industrial farms in Tehran and Alborz provinces. The samples were positive by RT-PCR on VP6 gene. After preparation and inoculation onto MA104 cells in roller tube culture and constant cell culture system, the cytopathic effect (CPE) was observed. Eligible cultured with CPE, were confirmed by two-step RT-PCR using VP6 gene primers. Semi-nested PCR using VP7 gene primers was also performed for G-genotyping in which 11 and 2 samples were detected as G6 and G10, respectively. This is the first report on isolation and identification of rotaviruses, one of the causative agents of viral diarrhea in Iran. The results of this research suggest that, these two types, can be used as the dominant strains for manufacturing a suitable vaccine against the rotaviruses in Iran

The Avian Encephalomyelitis Virus (AEV) 5’ Untranslated Region Contains an IRES with Similarity to the Hepatitis C Virus IRES

Cap-independent internal initiation of protein synthesis has been shown to occur on a number of viral and cellular mRNAs. Initiation of protein synthesis is directed by an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) element within the 5’ untranslated region (UTR) of the mRNA. Avian encephalomyelitis virus (AEV) belongs to the picornavirus family and shares protein sequence similarity with hepatitis A virus (HAV). Because of this, it was assigned to the hepatovirus genus. We have demonstrated that the 494 nucleotide 5’ UTR of this virus genome contains an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) element. However, in contrast to the HAV IRES, the AEV IRES functions efficiently in the presence of cleaved eIF4G, suggesting functional differences exist. Furthermore, comparison of the AEV IRES sequence with that of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) IRES revealed areas of striking similarity, especially in the region of the ribosome binding site. The AEV IRES is thus very similar to the recently described IRES from the picornavirus porcine teschovirus; this IRES also shows similarity to the HCV IRES. These results suggest that these viruses may have exchanged sequences during evolution

S1 gene sequence analysis of infectious bronchitis virus vaccinal strains (H120 & H52) and their embryo-passaged derivatives

Avian infectious bronchitis is an acute and highly contagious disease that mainly causes respiratory symptoms in poultry. A number of serotypes and variants of the viral agent with poor cross-protection are the major problem to achieve desired immunity from vaccination. The S1 subunit of S glycoprotein (spike) is the major determinant of IBV so that a minor change in amino acid sequence of this protein, alters the virus strain. Therefore, characterization of the sequence of S1 gene is necessary to identify virus strains and their similarities with the vaccinal strains. In this research, the S1 sequence of H52 and H120 vaccinal strains of Razi Institute was fully characterized, and also the effect of serial passages in embryonated - eggs (5 passages beyond the master seed) on the S1 gene was investigated. The results showed that H120 and H52 strains of Razi Institute are 100% identical to the reference vaccine strains available in the GenBank. In addition, the H52 strain showed one amino acid substitution from the 3rd passage in which Glycine (G) was replaced by Valine (V) at position 118 making these passages exactly identical to the H120 strain while no change occurred for the H120 strain during these passages. Analysis of the original vaccinal strains which are widely administered in Iran, is definitely useful for prevention and control strategies against the circulating viruses. To identify the genetic change(s) responsible for attenuation of these strains during passages in embryonated-egg, characterization of other genes, especially those involved in replication is recommended

Study on duration of maternal antibodies in calves against Bovine Herpes virus type 1 (BHV-1)

In order to estimate the mean of maternal antibody in calves against BHV-1 (Bovine Herpes virus type 1), this study was carried out in a population of calves from non-vaccinated dairy cattle at 2 livestock in Qazvin province. One hundred thirteen sera out of 512 were collected from 1-4 months unvaccinated calves. We used Blocking –Percentage of maternal antibodies against BHV-1, which obtained by Blocking ELISA assay in 1-4 months calves sera. The result of one way analysis of variance determined that there was a significant difference among blocking percentage of maternal antibodies against BHV-1 in 1-4 months (P<0.001). Comparing percentage of mean titer indicated a decreasing trend with respect to age i.e. from 84.4(a 95% CI: 78.1- 90.6) in 1 month to 57.6(a 95% CI: 47.1- 68.2) in 4 months, which was near to 55 as cut off point. Tukey's method showed a significant difference between the Blocking percent of mean titer between 1 and 4(P<0.001), 2 and 4 (P=0.034) months. Chi-square test for independency showed a significant association between age and seroactivity (P=0.005)

Serological study of bovine herpesvirus type 1 and parainfluenza type 3 in cow farms of Qazvin provincebased on different ages and seasons

The main objective of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of Bovine herpes virus type 1 and parainfluenza type 3 in a non-vaccinated population cattle in the livestock region of Qazvin province. Totally 504 sera were randomly collected and tested from 8 industrial dairy farms in Qazvin province during March 2010-March 2011. The result of one way analysis of variance was used for the analysis data. Also Tukey Method was employed to detect pair wise differences among the ages determined that there were a significant differences among the average titer in 1 to 3, 1 to 4, 2 to 3 and 2 to 4 year cows (P<0.005, P<0.001, P<0.041, P<0.001). Due to the significance at the different titers, and comparing pair wise amongdifferent seasons Tukey,s method had been used and showed significant difference in summer with autumn (P<0.038 ) and winter (P<0.001). A chi-square test showed the significant differences among ages (P=0.001). The sero- prevalence of BHV-1 was estimated to be 7.1% with 1.2% standard error (SE). The result of PI3 showed the significance at the different titers comparing with the different seasons. Therefore Tukey,s method had been used and showed significant difference among seasons (P<0.001). The seroprevalenceof PI3 was estimated to be 95% with 1% SE

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ABSTRACT The main objective of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of Bovine herpes virus type 1 and parainfluenza type 3 in a non-vaccinated population cattle in the livestock region of Qazvin province. Totally 504 sera were randomly collected and tested from 8 industrial dairy farms in Qazvin province during March 2010-March 2011. The result of one way analysis of variance was used for the analysis data. Also Tukey Method was employed to detect pair wise differences among the ages determined that there were a significant differences among the average titer in 1 to 3, 1 to 4, 2 to 3 and 2 to 4 year cows (P&lt;0.005, P&lt;0.001, P&lt;0.041, P&lt;0.001). Due to the significance at the different titers, and comparing pair wise among different seasons Tukey,s method had been used and showed significant difference in summer with autumn (P&lt;0.038 ) and winter (P&lt;0.001). A chi-square test showed the significant differences among ages (P=0.001). The sero-prevalence of BHV-1 was estimated to be 7.1% with 1.2% standard error (SE). The result of PI3 showed the significance at the different titers comparing with the different seasons. Therefore Tukey,s method had been used and showed significant difference among seasons (P&lt;0.001). The seroprevalence of PI3 was estimated to be 95% with 1% SE