Conjugated Alpha-Alumina nanoparticle with vasoactive intestinal peptide as a Nano-drug in treatment of allergic asthma in mice

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by airway inflammation, bronchoconstriction, airway hyperresponsiveness and recurring attacks of impaired breathing. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) has been proposed as a novel anti-asthma drug due to its effects on airway smooth muscle relaxation, bronchodilation and vasodilation along with its immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. In the current study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of VIP when conjugated with α-alumina nanoparticle (α-AN) to prevent enzymatic degradation of VIP in the respiratory tract. VIP was conjugated with α-AN. Balb/c mice were sensitized and challenges with ovalbumin (OVA) or PBS and were divided in four groups; VIP-treated, α-AN-treated, α-AN-VIP-treated and beclomethasone-treated as a positive control group. Specific and total IgE level, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), bronchial cytokine expression and lung histology were measured. α-AN-VIP significantly reduced the number of eosinophils (Eos), serum IgE level, Th2 cytokines and AHR. These effects of α-AN-VIP were more pronounced than that seen with beclomethasone or VIP alone (P<0.05). The current data indicate that α-AN-VIP can be considered as an effective nano-drug for the treatment of asthma

Cytotoxic activity of some ethnic medicinal plants from southwest of Iran

Background and objectives: Many people in ethnic groups of the world have trusted in plants for disease management and cure. Medicinal plants have always played a great role in the lives of Iranian people in the past and present and with no doubt in the future. Healers in different regions of Iran have been using medicinal herbs and one rich source for these cures is located in south-west of Iran, Kohgiluyeh va Boyer Ahmad province. Some species from this province have been selected for the present study and their cytotoxic activity has been evaluated. Methods: The methanol extracts of the 26 species were obtained by maceration and the extracts were investigated for cytotoxic activity in MTT assay. Results: The results revealed that four out of twenty six plants were toxic to MCF-7, A-549, HepG-2 and HT-29 cells. Conclusion: The findings of the present study specially the species with lower IC50 values (Eryngium billardieri and Nerium indicum) are suggested for further investigations in cancer studies

The electromagnetic interference of mobile phones on the function of a γ-camera

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study is to evaluate whether or not the electromagnetic field generated by mobile phones interferes with the function of a SPECT γ-camera during data acquisition. METHODS: We tested the effects of 7 models of mobile phones on 1 SPECT γ-camera. The mobile phones were tested when making a call, in ringing mode, and in standby mode. The γ-camera function was assessed during data acquisition from a planar source and a point source of Tc with activities of 10 mCi and 3 mCi, respectively. A significant visual decrease in count number was considered to be electromagnetic interference (EMI). RESULTS: The percentage of induced EMI with the γ-camera per mobile phone was in the range of 0% to 100%. The incidence of EMI was mainly observed in the first seconds of ringing and then mitigated in the following frames. CONCLUSIONS: Mobile phones are portable sources of electromagnetic radiation, and there is interference potential with the function of SPECT γ-cameras leading to adverse effects on the quality of the acquired images. © 2013 by Lippincott Williams and Wilkins