The Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived-Conditioned Media in Combination with Oral Anti-Androgenic Drugs on Male Pattern Baldness: An Animal Study

Objective: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a prevalent form of hair loss, mainly caused by follicular sensitivity toandrogens. Despite developing different anti-androgen treatment options, the success rate of these treatments hasbeen limited. Using animal models, this study evaluated the therapeutic effects of umbilical cord (UC) stem cellconditioned media (CM) combined with oral anti-androgens for hair regeneration.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, Poloxamer 407 (P407) was used as a drug carrier forsubcutaneous testosterone injection. AGA models were treated with oral finasteride, oral flutamide, and CMinjections. Samples were thoroughly evaluated and compared using histological, stereological, and molecularanalyses.Results: Injecting CM-loaded hydrogel alone or combined with oral intake of anti-androgens improved hair regeneration.These treatments could promote hair growth by inducing hair follicles in the anagen stage and shortening the telogenand catagen phases. Furthermore, the combination treatment led to an upregulation of hair induction gene expressionwith a downregulation of inflammation genes.Conclusion: Through a reduction in inflammation, injection of CM-loaded hydrogel alone or combined with oral intakeof anti-androgens induces the hair cell cycle with regeneration in damaged follicles. Hence, this could be a promisingtherapeutic method for AGA patients

Electrical engineering master's entrance examination (Electromagnetics chapters)

This book has been written for the Bachlor graduates who wants to sit the Electrical engineering master's entrance examination. It includes chapters on Electromagnetis, Mathematics, Signals and Systems, Power Systems, Control Systems, Electrical Circuits and Electronics

Foveal structure in macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment after scleral buckling or vitrectomy

Purpose: To evaluate foveal microstructural changes and to determine its association with visual outcomes after reattachment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RRDs) by scleral buckling (SB) or pars plana vitrectomy (PPV). Methods: Using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), foveal microstructure in eyes with macula-off RRD were studied 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 months after PPV or SB and correlated with visual outcomes. Results: Forty-two eyes were included in the final analysis. Even with improved microstructural changes and normalization of retinal structures on OCT, final visual acuity was not correlated with microstructural changes in eyes undergoing PPV. In the SB group, final visual acuity was significantly correlated with an intact inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) junction (P = 0.013). There was no significant correlation between final visual acuity and presence of subretinal fluid (SRF) in either group. Conclusion: After SB, eyes with an intact IS/OS junction had better final visual acuity. In the PPV group, there was no significant correlation between microstructural changes and visual acuity. The presence of SRF did not influence final visual acuity in both groups

Magnetic aerosol drug targeting in lung cancer therapy using permanent magnet

Primary bronchial cancer accounts for almost 20% of all cancer death worldwide. One of the emerging techniques with tremendous power for lung cancer therapy is magnetic aerosol drug targeting (MADT). The use of a permanent magnet for effective drug delivery in a desired location throughout the lung requires extensive optimization, but it has not been addressed yet. In the present study, the possibility of using a permanent magnet for trapping the particles on a lung tumor is evaluated numerically in the Weibel's model from G0 to G3. The effect of different parameters is considered on the efficiency of particle deposition in a tumor located on a distant position of the lung bronchi and bronchioles. Also, the effective position of the magnetic source, tumor size, and location are the objectives for particle deposition. The results show that a limited particle deposition occurs on the lung branches in passive targeting. However, the incorporation of a permanent magnet next to the tumor enhanced the particle deposition fraction on G2 to up to 49% for the particles of 7 µm diameter. Optimizing the magnet size could also improve the particle deposition fraction by 68%. It was also shown that the utilization of MADT is essential for effective drug delivery to the tumors located on the lower wall of airway branches given the dominance of the air velocity and resultant drag force in this region. The results demonstrated the high competence and necessity of MADT as a noninvasive drug delivery method for lung cancer therapy

Development of species-specific PCR and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism assays for L. infantum/L. donovani discrimination

International audienc

Aerobic midgut microbiota of sand fly vectors of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis from northern Iran, a step toward finding potential paratransgenic candidates

Abstract Background Leishmaniasis is caused by Leishmania parasites and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected sand flies. Development of Leishmania to infective metacyclic promastigotes occurs within the sand fly gut where the gut microbiota influences development of the parasite. Paratransgenesis is a new control method in which symbiotic bacteria are isolated, transformed and reintroduced into the gut through their diet to express anti-parasitic molecules. In the present study, the midgut microbiota of three sand fly species from a steppe and a mountainous region of northern Iran, where zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) is endemic, was investigated. Methods Briefly, adult female sand flies was collected during summer 2015 and, after dissection, the bacterial composition of the guts were analyzed using a culture-dependent method. Bacterial DNA from purified colonies was extracted to amplify the 16S rRNA gene which was then sequenced. Results Three ZVL sand fly vectors including Phlebotomus major, P. kandelakii and P. halepensis were found in the highlighted regions. In total, 39 distinct aerobic bacterial species were found in the sand fly midguts. The sand fly microbiota was dominated by Proteobacteria (56.4%) and Firmicutes (43.6%). Bacterial richness was significantly higher in the steppe region than in the mountainous region (32 vs 7 species). Phlebotomus kandelakii, the most important ZVL vector in the study area, had the highest bacterial richness among the three species. Bacillus subtilis and Pantoea agglomerans were isolated from the guts of the sand flies; these are already used for the paratransgenesis of sand flies and mosquitoes, respectively. Conclusions The existence of B. subtilis and P. agglomerans in the ZVL vectors and other sand fly species studied so far suggests that these two bacterial species are potential candidates for paratransgenic approach to prevent ZVL transmission. Further research needs to test the possible relationship between the gut microbiome richness and the vector competence of the ZVL vectors

MtDNA CytB Structure of Rhombomys opimus (Rodentia: Gerbellidae), the Main Reservoir of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in the Borderline of Iran-Turkmenistan.

Background: Great gerbils, Rhombomys opimus, are the main reservoir host of zoonootic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) in Iran and neighboring countries. Based on morphological traits two subspecies R. opimus sodalis and R. opimus sargadensis have reported in the country. However, variation in infection rate and signs to Leishmania parasites, phenotype, size, and sexual polymorphisms demand more details to elucidate clearly the role of great gerbils in ZCL epidemiology. Methods: PCR-RFLP and PCR-direct sequencing were used to analyze mitochondrial DNA cytochrome B (mtDNA- cytB) gene structure of R. opimus collected from Golestan and Khorasan-e-Razavi Provinces in 2011 that are neighbor to Turkmenistan Country where ZCL is endemic in both sides of the borderline. Results: All of the specimens (n= 61) were morphologically or genetically similar to the typical R. opimus sodalis. However, there were 9 (1.5%) DNA substitutions throughout the 583 bp of the Cyt b gene of the samples sequenced comprising six DNA haplotypes. Maximum likelihood or neighbor joining phylogenetic trees inferred from the sequences could resolve the populations according to their subspecies as well as geographical origins. Discussion: The DNA polymorphisms in the great gerbils may correspond to the signs and infection rate in the animal.  However, further  studies are  needed  to  match  these  six  haplotypes  with  different  signs  and  parasite sustaining following infection with L. major in the great gerbils