Assessment of Antidermatophytic Activities of Urtica dioica L against Microsporum canis in a Guinea Pig Model

Purpose: To investigate the antidermatophytic effects of Urtica dioica L. against Microsporum canis in vitro and in a guinea pig model.Methods: The in vitro antifungal activity of the extracts was measured by disc diffusion method and assessment of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The dorsum of the guinea pigs was infected with M. canis and topically treated as follows: negative control (NC) received no treatment; positive control (PC) received terbinafine 1 %; DMSO group (negative control) received 10 % DMSO (vehicle); while three other groups, viz, SN10%, SN20% and SN30% received 10, 20 and 30 % hydroalcohol extract dissolved in 10 % DMSO, respectively.Results: Both extracts did not show considerable antifungal activity against M. canis compared with terbinafine. The MICs of aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts were 30 and 20 mg.ml-1, respectively. PC and SN30% groups showed normal hair growth on day 15 while their skin looked healthy on day 30 post-inoculation. Lesion severity and clinical scores declined in SN30% and PC groups in comparison to NC group, on day 30 post-inoculation. Also, on day 30 post-inoculation, the clinical efficacy of the test formulations increased to 11.76, 23.52, 76.47, 5.88, and 94.11 % for SN10%, SN20%, SN30%, DMSO10%, and PC groups, respectively.Conclusions: The hydroalcoholic extract of this plant could be further developed, with a view to its possibe use as an adjunct remedy for topical treatment of tinea corporis.Keywords: Urtica dioica L., Microsporum canis, Kurdish Ethnomedicine, Antifungal, Hair growth, Lesion, Dermatophytosis, Tinea corpori

Copper ion as a new leakage tracer.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM Most failures of root canal treatments are caused by bacteria. Studies showed that the most common cause of endodontic failures were the incomplete obturation of the root canal and the lack of adequate apical seal. Some in-vitro methods are used to estimate sealing quality, generally by measuring microleakage that allows the tracer agent to penetrate the filled canal. PURPOSE Conventional methods of evaluating the seal of endodontically treated teeth are complicated and have some drawbacks. We used copper ion diffusion method to assess the leakage and the results were compared to dye penetration method. MATERIALS AND METHOD The crowns of 21 extracted teeth were cut off at the CEJ level. After preparing the canals, the teeth were placed in tubes containing saline. They were divided randomly into 15 experimental cases; 3 positive and 3 negative controls. Positive controls were filled by single cone without sealer while the experimental and the negative control groups were filled by lateral technique. The coronal portion of gutta was removed and 9mm was left. The external surface of each tooth was coated with nail polish. Two millimeters of apical portion was immersed into 9ml of distilled water and 0.3ml of CuSO4 solution was injected into the coronal portion. After 2 days, copper sulfate was measured by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The teeth were then immersed in 2% methylene blue for 24 hours, sectioned and the extent of dye penetration was measured by a stereomicroscope. RESULTS The maximum and minimum recorded copper ion concentrations for the experimental group were 18.37 and 2.87ppm respectively. The maximum and minimum recorded dye penetrations for the experimental group were 8.5 and 3.5mm respectively. The statistical analysis, adopting paired samples test, showed poor correlation between average recorded results of two methods. CONCLUSION Based on our results, there was no significant correlation between the dye penetration and the copper ion diffusion methods

Effect of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles on pregnancy and testicular development of mice

this study, considering the high sensitivity of developing fetal organs, different doses of iron oxide nanoparticles coated with dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) were injected intraperitoneally to pregnant mice. The magnetic and structural properties of DMSA-coated nanoparticles were examined by Alternating Gradient-Force Magnetometry, X-Ray Diffraction and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. The histological studies of the fetal liver and placenta sections showed presence of  nanoparticles in these organ systems. Weight change and the number of pups born by pregnant mice in comparison with controls were not significantly different. But, a significant decrease was seen in infants growth from the mothers treated with doses higher than 50 mg/kg. The testicular histological studies of these infants showed decrease in spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids and mature sperm significantly. Although, some studies revealed the nontoxic effect of iron oxide nanoparticles in adult mice, the present study indicated that, the doses higher than 50 mg/kg of DMSA-coated magnetic nanoparticles can disrupt embryo development.Key words: Magnetic nanoparticles, pregnancy, testicular development, toxicity

The effect of isolated Lactobacillus from gut of Barbus grypus on growth performance, survival and gut microflora of common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

This study evaluated the impact of dietary supplementation bacteria, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus bulgaricus isolated from the intestine of Barbus grypus on growth performance, survival and intestinal flora of common carp. For this purpose 480 common carp (average initial weight of 40 ± 6g) were randomly divided to 4 treatments (with three replications) and fed with diet containing 5×107 CFU/g L.plantarum (Group 1), L.bulgaricus (Group 2), Lactobacillus casei (Group3) and a diet without probiotic supplementation (As control group) for 60 days. To evaluate the persistent of the bacteria in digestive system, from the 60 th day to75 th day, experimental fish were fed with diet without probiotics (control). Results showed that Specific growth rate of fish fed diets containing Lactobacillus significantly higher compared with control group (p<0.05). Fish fed diets containing L.casei had significantly lower FCR than the control group on 60 th and 75 th of trial (p<0.05). The protein efficiency ratio and specific growth rate of fish fed the isolated bacteria at different times of trial was higher compared to fish fed than control diet. In general, results of intestinal micro flora assessment showed that Lactobacillus bacteria significantly increased in fish fed with dietary probiotic at 30 and 60 of trial (p<0.05) and groups 2 and 3 showed the greatest amount of Lactobacillus compared to the control group after 30 days of feeding. Theresults of this study showed that the addition of lactobacillus bacteria isolated from the intestines of Barbus grypus in the diet of common carp increased the beneficial micro flora population of intestinal microflora and ultimately improved growth performance and feed utilization

Safety of anti-TNF agents in patients with compensated cirrhosis: a case-control study

Background: There is limited data on the use of anti-TNF agents in patients with concomitant cirrhosis. The aim of this study is to assess the safety of anti-TNF agents in patients with compensated cirrhosis who used these medications for the treatment of an underlying rheumatologic condition or IBD. Methods: Multicenter, retrospective, matched, case-control study. A one to three case-control match was performed. Adults who received anti-TNF therapy were matched to three adults with cirrhosis who did not receive anti-TNF therapy. Patients were matched for etiology of cirrhosis, MELD-Na and age. Primary outcome was the development of hepatic decompensation. Secondary outcomes included development of infectious complications, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), extra-hepatic malignancy, and mortality. Results: Eighty patients with cirrhosis who received anti-TNF agents were matched with 240 controls. Median age was 57.2 years. Median MELD-Na for the anti-TNF cohort was seven and median MELD-Na for the controls was eight. The most common etiology of cirrhosis was NAFLD. Anti-TNF therapy did not increase risk of decompensation (HR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.64–1.30, p = 0.61) nor influence the time to development of a decompensating event. Anti-TNF therapy did not increase the risk of hepatic mortality or need for liver transplantation (HR: 1.18, 95% CI: 0.55–2.53, p = 0.67). Anti-TNF therapy was not associated with an increased risk of serious infection (HR: 1.21, 95% CI: 0.68–2.17, p = 0.52), HCC (OR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.13–1.57, p = 0.21), or extra-hepatic malignancy (OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.29–2.30, p = 0.71). Conclusions: Anti-TNF agents in patients with compensated cirrhosis does not influence the risk of decompensation, serious infections, transplant free survival, or malignancy

Investigation of human adipose-derived stem-cell behavior using a cell-instructive polydopamine-coated gelatin-alginate hydrogel.

Hydrogels can be fabricated and designed to exert direct control over stem cells\u27 adhesion and differentiation. In this study, we have investigated the use of polydopamine (pDA)-treatment as a binding platform for bioactive compounds to create a versatile gelatin-alginate (Gel-Alg) hydrogel for tissue engineering applications. Precisely, pDA was used to modify the surface properties of the hydrogel and better control the adhesion and osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs). pDA enabled the adsorption of different types of bioactive molecules, including a model osteoinductive drug (dexamethasone) as well as a model pro-angiogenic peptide (QK). The pDA treatment efficiently retained the drug and the peptide compared to the untreated hydrogel and proved to be effective in controlling the morphology, cell area, and osteogenic differentiation of hASCs. Overall, the findings of this study confirm the efficacy of pDA treatment as a valuable strategy to modulate the biological properties of biocompatible Gel-Alg hydrogels and further extend their value in regenerative medicine

The Effect of Synbiotic Supplementation on Growth Parameters in Mild to Moderate FTT Children Aged 2�5 Years

Synbiotic (probiotic bacteria and prebiotic) has beneficial effects on the gastrointestinal tract. This study was designed to investigate the effect of synbiotic supplementation on the growth of mild to moderate failure to thrive (FTT) children. A randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted involving 80 children aged 2�5 years with mild to moderate FTT, who were assigned at random to receive synbiotic supplementation (109 colony-forming units) or placebo for 30 days. The weights, height, and BMI were recorded in a structured diary, and the questionnaires were completed to monitor the numbers of infection episodes, gastrointestinal problems, admission to hospital, and appetite improvement during the study. Sixty-nine children completed the study. There were no differences in the demographic characteristic between the two groups. The mean weight was similar at baseline. After 30 days of intervention, the mean weight of the participants in the synbiotic group increased significantly than those in the placebo group (600 ± 37 vs. 74 ± 32 g/month P 0.000). BMI changes in synbiotic and placebo group were 0.44 and 0.07 kg/m2, and that the differences among the two groups were significant.(P 0.045) Furthermore, the height increment in synbiotic and placebo group was 0.41 and 0.37 cm respectively with no significant difference (P 0.761). Administration of 30-day synbiotic supplementation may significantly improve weight and BMI in Iranian children with mild to moderate FTT, but there is no effect on the height in this study. Further studies should be designed to found out the effect of synbiotic on growth parameters in undernourished and well-nourished children. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

The Effect of Synbiotic Supplementation on Growth Parameters in Mild to Moderate FTT Children Aged 2–5 Years

Synbiotic (probiotic bacteria and prebiotic) has beneficial effects on the gastrointestinal tract. This study was designed to investigate the effect of synbiotic supplementation on the growth of mild to moderate failure to thrive (FTT) children. A randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted involving 80 children aged 2–5 years with mild to moderate FTT, who were assigned at random to receive synbiotic supplementation (109 colony-forming units) or placebo for 30 days. The weights, height, and BMI were recorded in a structured diary, and the questionnaires were completed to monitor the numbers of infection episodes, gastrointestinal problems, admission to hospital, and appetite improvement during the study. Sixty-nine children completed the study. There were no differences in the demographic characteristic between the two groups. The mean weight was similar at baseline. After 30 days of intervention, the mean weight of the participants in the synbiotic group increased significantly than those in the placebo group (600 ± 37 vs. 74 ± 32 g/month P 0.000). BMI changes in synbiotic and placebo group were 0.44 and 0.07 kg/m2, and that the differences among the two groups were significant.(P 0.045) Furthermore, the height increment in synbiotic and placebo group was 0.41 and 0.37 cm respectively with no significant difference (P 0.761). Administration of 30-day synbiotic supplementation may significantly improve weight and BMI in Iranian children with mild to moderate FTT, but there is no effect on the height in this study. Further studies should be designed to found out the effect of synbiotic on growth parameters in undernourished and well-nourished children. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

LPS-responsive beige-like anchor gene mutation associated with possible bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia associated with hypogammaglobulinemia and normal IgM phenotype and low number of B

LPS-Responsive Beige-like Anchor (LRBA) deficiency is a disease which has recently been described in a group of patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) in association with autoimmunity and/or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-like phenotype. We here describe a 10-year-old boy who experienced recurrent infections, mainly in the respiratory system, associated with thrombocytopenia and anemia. Immunological workup showed low numbers of B cells and low IgG, but normal IgM levels. In spite of therapeutic doses of antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungal agents, in addition to immunoglobulin replacement therapy, he developed disseminated involvement of both lungs with peripheral nodules; transbronchial lung biopsy revealed possible bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP). Combined homozygosity mapping and exome sequencing identified a homozygous LRBA mutation in this patient (p.Asp248Glufs * 2). Such clinical and immunological findings have not been described to date and illustrate the broad and variable clinical phenotype of human LRBA deficiency. © 2016 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

The relationship of air pollution and surrogate markers of endothelial dysfunction in a population-based sample of children

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This study aimed to assess the relationship of air pollution and plasma surrogate markers of endothelial dysfunction in the pediatric age group.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2009-2010 among 125 participants aged 10-18 years. They were randomly selected from different areas of Isfahan city, the second large and air-polluted city in Iran. The association of air pollutants' levels with serum thrombomodulin (TM) and tissue factor (TF) was determined after adjustment for age, gender, anthropometric measures, dietary and physical activity habits.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Data of 118 participants was complete and was analyzed. The mean age was 12.79 (2.35) years. The mean pollution standards index (PSI) value was at moderate level, the mean particular matter measuring up to 10 μm (PM₁₀) was more than twice the normal level. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that TF had significant relationship with all air pollutants except than carbon monoxide, and TM had significant inverse relationship with ozone. The odds ratio of elevated TF was significantly higher in the upper vs. the lowest quartiles of PM₁₀, ozone and PSI. The corresponding figures were in opposite direction for TM.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The relationship of air pollutants with endothelial dysfunction and pro-coagulant state can be an important factor in the development of atherosclerosis from early life. This finding should be confirmed in future longitudinal studies. Concerns about the harmful effects of air pollution on children's health should be considered a top priority for public health policy; it should be underscored in primordial and primary prevention of chronic diseases.</p