Low-dose ethanol ameliorates amnesia induced by a brief seizure model: the role of NMDA signaling

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the ameliorative effect of low-dose ethanol (Eth) on amnesia induced by a brief seizure model and the role of N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) signaling in this event. Materials and Methods: Four groups of rats (total number = 36; n = 9, each group) were used: control, Eth (0.5 g/kg/i.p.), pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) (60 mg/kg/i.p.), and Eth+PTZ. Eth was administered for 6 days before the single injection of PTZ, at minute dose that cannot induce memory impairment. The consequences of Eth pretreatment, coadministered with PTZ, were studied in an inhibitory avoidance (IA) memory model. The PTZ was injected 30 min prior to the IA memory test. Thereafter, locomotion, liver enzymes, and the Real-time PCR for NR1 subunit of NMDA receptor were studied. The statistical analyses were performed using the parametric/nonparametric ANOVA and the post-hoc tests. Results: Our findings revealed that Eth pretreatment significantly improved the IA memory impairment induced by PTZ (P < 0.001), and indicated no change in locomotion and serum ALT, but significantly differed for AST between the PTZ and PTZ groups (P = < 0.05). The Real-time PCR results indicate the decreased NR1 mRNA expression in Eth and PTZ groups and the increased NR1 mRNA expression in Eth+PTZ group, compared to the control group (P < 0.001); however, the NR1 mRNA expression was increased in the Eth+PTZ group, compared to PTZ group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The present study provides evidence that the low-dose Eth can improve the amnesia induced by a brief seizure model presumably via NMDA signaling in a rat. © 2019, © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

The effect of melatonin on expression of p53 and ovarian preantral follicle development isolated from vitrified ovary

Ovarian vitrification is a strategy for conservation of fertility of young female patients, suffering from infertility, due to iatrogenic loss of ovarian function, resulting from chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of melatonin on expression of p53 and the developmental rate of preantral follicles isolated from vitrified and non-vitrified ovaries. This experimental study was carried out on 40, 14-day-old female mice (NMRI). One ovary from each mouse was used randomly for the vitrification procedure. Preantral follicles with a diameter of 120�140 μm derived from vitrified-warmed and non-vitrified ovarian tissues were cultured individually in α-MEM medium supplemented with or without melatonin. The expression of p53, diameter of follicle, survival rate, and number of antral follicles were compared using post hoc LSD, t test, and chi-square test, respectively in four groups: non-vitrified and non-melatonin (NVNM), non-vitrified and melatonin (NVM), vitrified and non-melatonin (VNM), vitrified and melatonin (VM). p53 gene was expressed in four groups and was strongly expressed in the antral follicles of VNM (p = 0.011). The addition of melatonin increased survival rate and the mean diameter of follicles in vitrified group (p = 0.001). There were no significant differences in antral formation of follicles between different groups. Adding melatonin to culture medium reduced expression of p53 apoptotic gene in vitrified group and improves in vitro maturation and survival rate in isolated follicles from vitrified ovaries. © 2017, Springer-Verlag London Ltd

Assessment of Relationship Between Expression of Survivin Protein and Histopathology Diagnosis and Malignancy Severity in Colon Specimen

Background: Survivin is a member of the inhibitor of an apoptosis protein family that has been shown to inhibit apoptosis, promote cell proliferation and enhance angiogenesis. In this study, the survivin protein expression in normal, colon polyp, and adenocarcinoma tissues was investigated. Methods: Immunohistochemical staining for nuclear survivin was carried out on 45 normal colon tissue samples, 38 samples of a colonic polyp, and 37 cases of colon adenocarcinoma operated by colonoscopy or colectomy. The percentages of cells that expressed survivin were classified qualitatively into four categories (0, 1+, 2+, and 3+) based on the intensity of staining and the percentage of cells. An area of samples with colon polyp diagnosis or colon adenocarcinoma that had no microscopic pathology was considered as normal tissues. Results: Survivin protein expression was negative in all cases of normal colon tissue samples while it was expressed in 31 out of 38 colon polyp specimens (81.5) and in 35 out of 37 (94.5) colon adenocarcinoma samples. Amount of expression in the colon adenocarcinoma (p < 0.001) was significantly higher than the amount of expression in the colon polyp. There was not a significant correlation between the survivin protein expression and the low and high grade adenocarcinoma (p = 0.874). Conclusions: Survivin protein was not expressed in normal colon tissues and its amount was higher in the colonic adenocarcinoma compared to the colon polyp. Due to the variations in the intensity of expression in colon polyp (changing from negative to + 3), this marker cannot be used for differentiating the polyp from the adenocarcinoma. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Association between two common transitions of H2BFWT gene and male infertility: a case�control, meta, and structural analysis

H2BFWT is one of the testis‐specific histones that plays a fundamental role in spermatogenesis, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in this gene may result in male infertility. This study aimed to investigate the association between −9C>T and 368A>G transitions of H2BFWT gene and male infertility through a case–control, meta‐analysis, and a bioinformatics approach. In this case–control study, 490 subjects including 240 idiopathic infertile men and 250 healthy controls were included. The −9C>T and 368A>G SNPs genotyping were performed by a PCR–RFLP method. To find eligible studies for meta‐analysis, we searched valid scientific databases. The odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were estimated to find the strength of these associations. Furthermore, the influences of two common transitions on the molecular features of H2BFWT were assessed by in silico tools. Our case–control data revealed that −9C>T is not associated with male infertility. But, there was a significant association between 368A>G and male infertility. In the meta‐analysis, five eligible studies were included. Our data revealed significant associations between −9C>T, 368A>G, and male infertility in overall and stratified analyses. Moreover, structural analysis showed that 368A>G could affect the protein structure (SNAP prediction: non‐neutral, score: 42, expected accuracy: 71%; SIFT prediction: deleterious, score: −2.55), while −9C>T may affect the binding nucleotide in the promoter region. Based on these findings, two aforementioned polymorphisms were associated with increased risk of male infertility. However, studies with larger sample size and different ethnicities are needed to obtain more accurate conclusions

CDX2 Protein Expression in Colorectal Cancer and ItsCorrelation with Clinical and Pathological Characteristics, Prognosis, and Survival Rate of Patients

Purpose: Caudal-type homeobox transcription factor 2 (CDX2) is expressed in the nucleus of the intestinal epithelial cells and is essential for embryonic formation and differentiation of the intestine, whose reduced expression can result in metastatic tumors. This study was to investigate the association of CDX2 expression level in colorectal cancer (CRC) with age, gender, microscopic histopathology, tumor staging, tumor grading, 3-year survival rate, and prognosis. Methods: After preparing paraffin tissue blocks, CDX2 protein expression was assayed by immunohistochemistry in 82 CRC patients. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to detect tumor histology, tumor grading, tumor staging, and blood-lymphatic, and neural invasion. The collected data includes age, gender, tumor site, and 3-year survival rate of patients after diagnosis. Results: The CDX2 expression was significantly higher in men than in women, and it was significantly lower in right-sided tumors as in transverse colon and left-sided tumors. Also, the CDX2 expression was significantly higher in adenocarcinoma than in mucinous. In addition, a significant correlation was found between downregulated CDX2 and lymph node involvement. In tumor grading, there was a significant correlation between CDX2 downregulation and high-grade tumor. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between downregulated CDX2 expression and overall pathological staging. Conclusion: The downregulated CDX2 expression is associated with female gender, right-sided tumors, mucinous tumors, lymph node involvement, high-grade tumor, and advanced overall pathological staging and can be considered as a possible prognostic factor for patients follow-up. However, our study is a preliminary study and further studies with larger sample sizes in different ethnic groups are required. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Survivin polymorphisms and susceptibility to prostate cancer: A genetic association study and an in Silico analysis

Survivin is a member of the apoptosis inhibitor protein family and its polymorphisms may lead to susceptibility to cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association of c.-31G>C (rs9904341), c.454G>A (rs2071214), c.*148T>C (rs2239680) and c.*571T>C (rs1042489) polymorphisms of survivin gene with prostate cancer risk and provide some justification using in silico analysis. The 157 men with prostate cancer and 145 healthy controls were included in a case-control study. The studied polymorphisms were genotyped using PCRRFLP method. An in silico approach was employed to show the possible effects of the polymorphisms on the survivin gene function. The study revealed that there are significant associations between c.-31CC genotype (OR= 2.29, 95 CI= 1.20-4.37, p= 0.012), c.-31C allele (OR= 1.62, 95 CI= 1.17-2.26, p= 0.004), c.454AG genotype (OR= 2.03, 95 CI= 1.02-4.04, p= 0.043), and c.*148C allele (OR= 1.49, 95 CI= 1.04-2.15, p= 0.031) with prostate cancer. Using stratified analysis, we found also significant effects of age distribution on the association of c.-31G>C with prostate cancer risk (OR= 2.10, 95 CI= 1.08-4.10, p= 0.030). Also as a preliminary study, it was shown that smoking status has significant effects on the association of c.-31G>C (OR= 1.94, 95 CI= 1.08- 3.49, p= 0.027) and c.*148T>C (OR= 2.60, 95 CI= 1.47-4.60, p= 0.001) polymorphisms with prostate cancer risk. Finally, in silico analysis revealed that c.-31G>C, which is located in a CpG island of the promoter may change transcriptional regulation of survivin gene and c.454G>A and *148T>C could affect protein structure and possible miRNA interaction with 3'-UTR of survivin transcript respectively. According to the results, c.-31G>C, c.454G>A, and c.*148T>C polymorphisms could be genetic risk factors for prostate cancer in an Iranian population. However, further studies with larger sample size and different ethnicities are required to obtain more comprehensive results. © 2018, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors. All rights reserved

Effects of continuous and interval training on different fitness parameters in athletes

Coaches and athletes are always looking for training methods to improve physical capabilities of athletes. Therefore, different training methods have been developed and used based on the science of physiology and exercise science. Effects of interval and intermittent exercises on weight and fitness have been widely studied but few studies focus on fitness training. So we planned to evaluate the effects of interval and continuous training on different cardio-respiratory factors in athletes. The results of our study showed that interval and continuous training have significant effects in cardiac indices, respiratory parameters and blood parameters. Thus, these kinds of trainings can be used for increasing aerobic and anaerobic fitness of the athletes. © IDOSI Publications, 2013

Prevalence of state anxiety in patients with cancer

Cancer is the major cause of death worldwide. In response to threatening nature of cancer many patients with cancer are anxious. But anxiety may persist and worsen the condition of patients with cancer. In this study we reported the State (obvious) State anxiety of 250 patients with definite diagnosis of cancer referred to Shahidbeheshti Hospital was investigated by using State-Trait anxiety Inventory. Most of the patients in our study were moderately anxious (nearly 40). And the majority of them had low and high moderate anxiety. Patients with cancers that need chemotherapy treatment were among the patients that had the most severe anxiety level. © IDOSI Publications, 2013