Feed Intake, Ruminal Fermentation, Blood Metabolites and Growth Performance of Lambs Fed on Camelthorn (Alhagi camelorum Fisch.) Based Diets

In order to investigate the effect of camelthorn in replacement of alfalfa and wheat straw on intake, digestibility, ruminal fermentation, blood metabolites and feedlot performance, twenty one Baluchi male lambs with an average body weight (BW) of 19.8 ± 1.1 kg were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments for 90 d. Treatments were: 1) control (without camelthorn), 2) 15% camelthorn, and 3) 30% camelthorn, based on diet dry matter (DM). There were no significant differences among treatments in case of DM intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) (P > 0.05). However, a trend for lower final BW was found in lambs fed 30% camelthorn compared to control group (P < 0.1). The digestibility coefficients of nutrients were not affected by the treatments, but neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility tended to decrease linearly with increasing camelthorn level (P < 0.1). Increasing camelthorn linearly increased (P < 0.05) acetate without any changes in total volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration. A linear decreasing trend was also observed in propionate content with increasing camelthorn (P < 0.1). Dietary treatments had no significant effect on blood metabolites. However, increasing camelthorn tended to decrease the serum triglyceride concentration linearly (P < 0.1). It can be concluded that camelthorn can be substituted with alfalfa and wheat straw up to 30% of diet DM in the fattening lambs’ ration without any significant adverse effects on animal performance

Cloning, fusion and expression of recombinant Bacillus anthracis protective antigen domain 4 with cholera toxin B-subunit in E. coli

زمینه و هدف: ترکیب یا اتصال ژنتیکی آنتی ژن ها با زیر واحد B کلرا توکسین =cholera toxin B) (ctB پاسخ آنتی‌بادی موکوسی قوی ای را ایجاد می‌کند. هدف از این مطالعه اتصال ctB به ژن کد کننده ناحیه 4 آنتی ژن حفاظت کننده (Protective antigen Domain 4=PaD4) به منظور بیان پروتئین کایمریک به عنوان کاندیدا واکسن علیه بیماری سیاه زخم می باشد. روش بررسی: در این تحقیق تجربی آزمایشگاهی واکنش PCR با پرایمرهای اختصاصی برای ژن های ctBو PaD4 انجام شد و ژن های تکثیر شده به طور جداگانه در PGEM-T easy vector کلون شدند. سپس ژن PaD4 به انتهای '3 ژن ctB با روش هضم آنزیمی متصل شد و ژن امتزاج شده ctB-PaD4 در PET28a زیر همسانه سازی گردید. سویه BL21 باکتری E.coli توسط وکتور نوترکیب ترانسفورم شد و بیان پروتئین کایمر تحت القای ایزوپروپیل- بتا-D-1-گالاکتوپیرانوزید IPTG)) قرار گرفت و به وسیله تکنیک SDS.PAGE و وسترن بلات مورد ارزیابی قرار گرفت. یافته ها: ژن امتزاج شده ctB-PaD4 ساخته شد و با تکنیکPCR و تعیین توالی مورد تأیید قرار گرفت. این ژن در باکتری E.coli سویه BL21در دمای بهینه 37 درجه سانتیگراد بیان گردید و پروتئین کایمر با موفقیت تولید شد. باند مربوط به این پروتئین با تکنیک SDS.PAGE و وسترن بلات تأیید گردید. نتیجه گیری: این پروتئین نوترکیب بعد از بررسی ایمنی زایی می‌تواند به عنوان واکسن زیر واحدی کایمر جدید و موثر علیه باکتری باسیلوس آنتراسیس به صورت خوراکی یا استنشاقی استفاده شود

The Effect of Balance Exercises on Knee Instability and Pain Intensity in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis :A Randomized Clinical Trial

Knee instability is considered as a common symptom in patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis and knee pain. The objective of current research is to examine the effect of balance exercises on knee instability and pain intensity in patients with knee osteoarthritis. in this one-blind randomized controlled clinical trial, 30 patients with knee osteoarthritis were selected using simple and convenient sampling method, and they were divided into two groups, including balance exercises group and control group. The treatment program in the balance exercises group included balance exercises, and in the control group, it included ultrasound, TENS(Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation), and hot pack. Knee instability was measured according to the evidence of buckling, shifting or giving way through a questionnaire, and the pain intensity was measured by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) in two periods of before and after treatment. Treatments in both groups lasted for 3 weeks and five times per week. Independent t-test and paired t-test were used for analyzing the data. The mean score of pain and knee instability in the balance group improved from 6.53± 2.32 to 4.60 ± 1.91 (P = 0.00) and from 1.80 ± 0.94 to 2.93 ± 0.79 (P = 0.00), respectively. The mean score of pain and knee instability in the control group improved from7.46± 1.92 to 5.40± 2.09(P=0.00) and from 1.40 ± 0.73 to 2.13 ± 1.06 (P = 0.01), respectively. Significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of mean score of knee instability (P <0.05). Inter-group comparison revealed significant difference between balance exercises group and the control group in terms of impact on mean score of knee instability. Intra-group comparison also revealed that mean score of pain and knee stability improved in both of the balance exercises group and control group

Antibacterial Activity of Ethyl Acetate and Methanol Extracts of Securigera securidaca, Withania sominefra, Rosmarinus officinalis and Aloe vera Plants against Important Human Pathogens

Background:      Considering the importance of new antibiotics, the potential antibacterial activity of ethyl acetate and Methanol extracts of Securigera securidaca, Withania sominefra, Rosmarinus officinalis and Aloe vera plants against important human pathogens was studied.   Methods:   Streptococcus pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa were the pathogenic bacteria used to determine the antibacterial effect of ethyl acetate and mathanol extracts of Securigera securidaca, Withania sominefra, Rosmarinus officinalis and Aloe vera in broth micro-dilution method. Results:      The results of studying the methanol extract of S. securidaca with the lowest inhibitory concentration of 25, showed that all used bacterial pathogens were inhibited at this concentration, while the lowest inhibitory concentration of ethyl acetate extract of Securigera securidaca was 12.5, which were P. mirabilis and S. aureus is inhibited in this concentration. The highest bactericidal concentration (MBC) of S. securidaca ethyl acetate extract was 100, and S. aureus, P. aeruginosa were inhibitory at this concentration. The lowest inhibitory concentration of methanol extract of W. sominefra was 6.25, which S. pneumoniae, P. mirabilis, S. aureus and E. coli bacteria were inhibited at this concentration, while the highest inhibitory concentration was observed against P. aeruginosa (25 ppm), The lowest inhibitory concentration of the ethyl acetate W. sominefra extract was 3.1ppm in comparison with P. mirabilis and E. coli. Conclusion:     In conclusion, it seems that S. securidaca, W. sominefra, R. officinalis and Aloe vera extracts could inhibit the growth of all of the mentioned bacteria

Histological Study of the Toxic Effects of Solder Fumes on Spermatogenesis in Rats

Objective: Toxic fumes generated during the soldering process contain various contaminantsreleased at sufficient rates to cause both short- and long-term health problems.Studies have shown that these fumes change the quality and quantity of semen fluid in exposedworkers. The aim of the present study was to determine the potentially toxic effectsof solder fumes on spermatogenesis in seminiferous tubules of rats as an experimentalmodel, with conditioned media in an exposed chamber.Materials and Methods: A total number of 48 male Sprague Dawley adult rats wererandomly divided into experimental (n=30) and control (n=18) groups. Based on exposuretime, each group was further subdivided into two, four and six subgroups. Rats in the experimentalgroups were exposed to solder fumes in an exposure chamber for one hour/day. The concentrations of fumes [formaldehyde, stanum (Sn) and lead (Pb)] were measuredby a standard method via atomic absorption and spectrophotometry. According to atimetable, under deep anesthesia, the rats of both experimental and control subgroupswere killed. After fixation of testes, specimens were weighed and routinely processed.Paraffin sections were stained by hematoxylin and eosin. Spermiogenesis index was calculatedand data analyzed by Mann Whitney NPAR test.Results: Analysis of air samples in the exposure chamber showed the following fumeconcentrations: 0.193 mg/m3 for formaldehyde, 0.35 mg/m3 for Sn and 3 mg/m3 for Pb.Although there was no significant difference in testes weight between control and experimentalsubgroups, there was only a significant difference in spermiogenesis indexbetween the six week experimental and control subgroups (p<0.02).Conclusion: The results of this study showed that solder fumes can change the spermiogenesisindex in experimental groups in a time dependent manner

Glucomannan as a Dietary Supplement for Treatment of Breast Cancer in a Mouse Model

Konjac glucomannan (KGM) is a water-soluble polysaccharide derived from the Amorphophallus’s tuber and, as herbal medicine has shown, can suppress tumor growth or improve health. However, there has been no investigation into the effects of KGM on breast tumor-bearing mice. Therefore, in two cohort experiments, we assessed the effect of glucomannan at daily doses of 2 and 4 mg for 28 days as a dietary supplement and also glucomannan in combination with tumor lysate vaccine as an adjuvant. Tumor volume was monitored twice weekly. In addition, TNF-α cytokines and granzyme B (Gr–B) release were measured with ELISA kits, and IL-2, IL-4, IL-17, and IFN-γ were used as an index for cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity. Moreover, TGF-β and Foxp3 gene expression were assessed in a real-time PCR test. The results show that glucomannan as a dietary supplement increased the IFN-γ cytokine and Th1 responses to suppress tumor growth. Glucomannan as a dietary supplement at the 4 mg dose increased the IL-4 cytokine response compared to control groups. In addition, cell lysate immunization with 2 or 4 mg of glucomannan suppressed tumor growth. As an adjuvant, glucomannan at both doses showed 41.53% and 52.10% tumor suppression compared with the PBS group. Furthermore, the administration of glucomannan as a dietary supplement or adjuvant reduced regulatory T cell response through decreasing TGF-β and Foxp3 gene expression in the tumor microenvironment. In conclusion, glucomannan as a dietary supplement or adjuvant enhanced the immune responses of tumor-bearing mice and decreased immune response suppression in the tumor milieu, making it a potentially excellent therapeutic agent for lowering breast tumor growth

Sex difference in gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity: Influence of L-arginine in rat model

Background: L-arginine is an important precursor for the formation of nitric oxide (NO). According to previous studies, NO function is related to gender. Likewise, chronic renal diseases have lower prevalence in female. Gentamicin (GM) is an aminoglycoside antibiotic. According to some studies, males are more sensitive to GM renal nephrotoxicity. This study attempts to find protective effects of L-arginine on GM nephrotoxicity in male and female rats. Methods: Male and female rats were divided into eight groups: Rats were randomly assigned to 8 groups each including both male and female rats. The first and second groups received vehicle (saline), the third and fourth groups received gentamicin (80 mg/kg), the fifth and sixth groups received L-arginine (150 mg/kg), and finally, seventh and eighth groups received gentamicin+ L- arginine. Next, 9 days after administering drugs, blood samples were collected from the heart. After making sacrifices, the level of blood urea, creatinine (Cr), nitrite, and malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured in serums. Likewise, nitrite and MDA were measured in the homogenized kidney tissue. Results: GM significantly increased serum level of urea and Cr in male and female rats (P < 0.05). However, co-administration of GM + L-arginine significantly did not decrease urea and Cr level in male rats, whereas, in female rats, they significantly reduced (P < 0.05). In response to GM, renal MDA level increased in male and female rats (P < 0.05), and in the presence of GM + L-arginine, the level of MDA significantly decreased in both genders (P < 0.05). Conclusions: L-arginine demonstrated some protective effects in female rats but did not protect against GM nephrotoxicity in male rats for unknown reasons, probably related to the effects of sex hormones which needs further studies to be confirmed

Association between interleukin-4 (IL-4), gene polymorphisms (C-589T, T+2979G, and C-33T) and migraine susceptibility in Iranian population: A case–control study

Background: Migraine is a chronic neurological disease characterized by recurrent moderate to severe headaches commonly in association with neuro-inflammation. Interleukin-4 (IL-4), an anti-inflammatory cytokine, plays an important role in modulating pain threshold and has an essential role in stimulation of pain receptors in the trigeminal nerve fibers. Aim of the study: The current study aimed to investigate the possible associations between IL-4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and susceptibility to migraine in Iranian patients. Patients and methods: In a prospective case–control study, we studied blood samples of 190 patients with migraine (migraineurs) and 200 healthy controls (HCs) for analysis of gene variants. Genotyping for the IL-4 SNPs: C-589T (rs2243250), T+2979G (rs2227284), and C-33T (rs2070874) were performed using PCR-RFLP. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS version 21.0 (SPSS, Chicago) and SNPStats version 1.14.0. Results and conclusion: Among IL-4 SNPs, rs2243250 (TC genotype, OR = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.13–0.50, P = 0.001) and rs2227284 (TG and TT genotypes, OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.23–0.92, P = 0.029 and OR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.18–0.79, P = 0.009 respectively) were significantly associated with migraine. No significant associations between IL-4 SNP rs2070874 (TC, TT and CC genotypes) and migraine were found. The most frequent genotypes in the migraineurs were CC in both SNPs rs2243250 (79%), and rs2070874 (71.5%), as well as GG for SNP rs2227284 (64%). There was no statistically significant relationship between these SNPs and different subclasses (common, classic and complicated) of migraine. Our findings revealed that in IL-4 rs2243250 and rs2227284 genotypes and allele frequencies have a role in susceptibility to migraine in our population. Therefore, it is suggested that in addition to other factors, IL-4 genetic variations also play a pivotal role in the progress of migraine