Evaluation, Antioxidant, Antimitotic and Anticancer Activity of Iron Nanoparticles Prepared by Using Water Extract of Vitis Vinifera L. Leaves

The water extract of Vitis vinifera was used for the rapid synthesis of the iron nanoparticle, which is very simple and eco-friendly in nature. The UV-visible spectroscopy technique was employed to establish the formation of which inhibition onion root growth in a dose-dependent manner. A decrease in the mitotic index may indicate its genotoxic effect on Allium cepa root assay. Nanoparticle was studied for its in vitro anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity using different models, all the testing, gave significant correlation existed between concentrations of the nanoparticle and percentage inhibition of protein denaturation and scavenging free radicals.  These results clearly indicate that iron nanoparticle is effective against inflammation and free radical-mediated disease

LAMIUM ALBUM OR URTICA DIOICA? WHICH IS MORE EFFECTIVE IN DECREASING SERUM GLUCOSE, LIPID AND HEPATIC ENZYMES IN STREPTOZOTOCIN INDUCED DIABETIC RATS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Objectives: Diabetes mellitus, the most common endocrine disorder, is defined by hyperglycaemia. Urtica dioica or stinging nettle is known to have antidiabetic effects. Lamium album or non stinging nettle is shown to have some beneficial effects such as antioxidant, and cytoprotective properties. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of hydroalchoholic extract of L. album and U. dioica on serum glucose, lipids and hepatic enzymes level in sterptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Methods: Thirty-two male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into four groups; normal control, diabetic control, diabetic treated with U. dioica (100 mg/kg/daily), diabetic treated with L. album (100 mg/kg/daily) for 28 days. Serum glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), alanin trasaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and aspartate transaminase (AST) were measured. Results: U. dioica and L. album extracts caused significant decrease (

Impact of United States political sanctions on international collaborations and research in Iran

International research collaborations improve individual, institutional and governmental capacities to respond to health crises and inequalities but may be greatly affected by political environments. Iran ranks highly in tertiary education, productivity growth, knowledge impact and successful patent applications. In many countries, economic hardship has correlated with increased international research collaborations. Some have hypothesised that financial constraint drives scholars to seek outside collaborations for cost and risk sharing, and to access funding, materials and patient populations otherwise unavailable. This paper explores the history and importance of US political sanctions on the health of Iran’s academic sector. Although Iran’s international research collaborations increased during periods of increased sanctions, the Pearson correlation coefficient between gross domestic product and international research collaborations was not significant (r=0.183, p=0.417). This indicates that other factors are at least in part responsible. Additionally, we found Iran’s quantitative (eg, publication number) and qualitative (eg, visibility indices) publishing metrics to be discordant (two-tailed Mann–Kendall trend; p<0.0002 for both). Reasons for this are multifactorial, including increased indexing of Iranian journals, willingness of lower visibility journals to handle manuscripts with Iranian authors, widespread linkage of career advancement to science visibility indices, and others. During periods of increased sanctions, Iranian scholars were increasingly denied opportunities to publish scientific findings, attend scientific meetings, access to essential medical and laboratory supplies and information resources. We conclude that academic boycotts violate researchers’ freedom and curtail progress. Free exchange of ideas irrespective of creed is needed to optimize global scientific progress

Comparative expression profile of orphan receptor tyrosine kinase ROR1 in Iranian patients with lymphoid and myeloid leukemias

It has recently been shown that ROR1, a member of the receptor tyrosine kinase family, is overexpressed in leukemic B cells of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) and a subset of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). In this comparative study the expression profile of ROR1 mRNA was investigated in Iranian patients with CLL and Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) and the results were compared with those previously reported in our Iranian ALL patients. RT-PCR was performed on bone marrow and/or peripheral blood samples of 84 CLL and 12 AML patients. CLL samples were classified into immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (IGHV) gene mutated (n = 55) and unmutated (n = 29) and also indolent (n = 42) and progressive (n = 39) subtypes. ROR1 expression was identified in 94% of our CLL patients, but none of the AML patients expressed ROR1. No significant differences were observed between different CLL subtypes for ROR1 expression. Taken together the present data and our previous results on ROR1 expression in ALL, our findings propose ROR1 as a tumor-associated antigen overexpressed in a large proportion of lymphoid (CLL and ALL), but not myeloid (AML) leukemias. Expression of ROR1 seems to be associated to lineage and differentiation stages of leukemic cells with a potential implication for immunotherapy.Tehran University of Medical SciencesPublishe

Opacity and conductivity measurements in noble gases at conditions of planetary and stellar interiors

The noble gases are elements of broad importance across science and technology and are primary constituents of planetary and stellar atmospheres, where they segregate into droplets or layers that affect the thermal, chemical, and structural evolution of their host body. We have measured the optical properties of noble gases at relevant high pressures and temperatures in the laser-heated diamond anvil cell, observing insulator-to-conductor transformations in dense helium, neon, argon, and xenon at 4,000–15,000 K and pressures of 15–52 GPa. The thermal activation and frequency dependence of conduction reveal an optical character dominated by electrons of low mobility, as in an amorphous semiconductor or poor metal, rather than free electrons as is often assumed for such wide band gap insulators at high temperatures. White dwarf stars having helium outer atmospheres cool slower and may have different color than if atmospheric opacity were controlled by free electrons. Helium rain in Jupiter and Saturn becomes conducting at conditions well correlated with its increased solubility in metallic hydrogen, whereas a deep layer of insulating neon may inhibit core erosion in Saturn