The effect of pentoxifylline on malathion-induced mitochondrial damage in rat liver

زمینه و هدف: مالاتیون از حشره کش های ارگانوفسفره ای است که استرس اکسیداتیو را از طریق ‏تولید رادیکال های آزاد و تغییر سیستم آنتی ‏اکسیدانی ایجاد می نماید. هدف این مطالعه بررسی ‏اثرات حفاظت احتمالی پنتوکسی فیلین (PTX) در آسیب اکسیداتیو ‏القاء شده در اثر مالاتیون بر میتوکندری کبد موش صحرایی نر می باشد.‏ روش بررسی: در این مطالعه تجربی 20 سر موش صحرایی نر نژاد ویستار در محدوده وزنی 200 تا 250 گرم به طور تصادفی به 4 گروه تقسیم شدند. گروه اول (شاهد) نرمال سالین، گروه دوم مالاتیون به میزان ‏‎mg/kg/day‏200، گروه سوم پنتوکسی فیلین به میزان ‏day‏/‏mg/kg‏ 50 و گروه چهارم پنتوکی فیلین و مالاتیون با هم دریافت نمودند. بعد از دو هفته درمان، بافت ‏کبد و میتوکندری های آن جدا شدند. فعالیت ‏آنزیم های کاتالاز (CAT)، سوپراکسیددیسموتاز (SOD)‏‏‎‏،‌ میزان پراکسیداسیون ‏لیپیدی (LPO) و درصد بقاء‏ میتوکندری کبد اندازه گیری شد. داده ها با آزمون های آماری آنالیز واریانس یک طرفه و توکی در نرم افزار SPSS تحلیل شدند. یافته ها: فعالیت آنزیم سوپراکسیددیسموتاز در گروه مالاتیون به همراه پنتوکسی فیلین، نسبت به گروهی که فقط مالاتیون دریافت کردند، در کبد کاهش معنی داری نشان داد (05/

Investigation of heavy metals in the Persian Gulf pearl oyster Pinctada radiata by using atomic absorption spectroscopy

Bioaccumulation of seven heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Fe, Cd, Pb, Ni, Mn) were determined in the Persian Gulf pearl oyster "Pinctada radiata" collected from major pearl oyster beds of Lavan and Handurabi Islands and Nakhiloo port during six months, winter of 1994 and spring of 1995, by spectroscopy, considering their environmental condition such as : salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen and transparency. Three ways analysis of variance and mean comparison tests, have been used to determine the relationship between concentration of metals and factors including time sampling, sites and size of samples

Controlling the intrinsic bending of hetero-epitaxial silicon carbide micro-cantilevers

� 2015 AIP Publishing LLC. We introduce a simple methodology to predict and tailor the intrinsic bending of a cantilever made of a single thin film of hetero-epitaxial silicon carbide grown on silicon. The combination of our novel method for the depth profiling of residual stress with a few nm resolution with finite element modelling allows for the prediction of the bending behaviour with great accuracy. We also demonstrate experimentally that a silicon carbide cantilever made of one distinct film type can be engineered to obtain the desired degree of either upward, flat, or downward bending, by selecting the appropriate thickness and cantilever geometry. A precise control of cantilever bending is crucial for microelectrical mechanical system applications such as micro-actuators, micro-switches, and resonant sensors

The effect of 12 weeks Anethum graveolens (dill) on metabolic markers in patients with metabolic syndrome; A randomized double blind controlled trial

Background: The clustering of metabolic abnormalities defined as metabolic syndrome is now both a public health and a clinical problem .While interest in herbal medicine has greatly increased, lack of human evidence to support efficacies shown in animals does exist. This clinical trial study designed to investigate whether herbal medicine, Anethum graveolens (dill) extract, could improve metabolic components in patients with metabolic syndrome. Methods: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial using a parallel design was conducted. 24 subjects who had metabolic syndrome diagnostic criteria (update of ATP III) were randomly assigned to either dill extract (n = 12) or placebo (n = 12) for 3 months. Results: Across lipid component of metabolic syndrome, no significant differences in triglyceride (TG) concentration and high density lipoprotein cholesterol were seen between the two groups. However TG improved significantly from baseline (257.0 vs. 201.5p = 0.01) with dill treatment but such a significant effect was not observed in placebo group. Moreover, no significant differences in waist circumference, blood pressure and fasting blood sugar were seen between two groups after 3 months follow up period. Conclusion: In this small clinical trial in patients with metabolic syndrome, 12 weeks of dill extract treatment had a beneficial effect in terms of reducing TG from baseline. However dill treatment was not associated with a significant improvement in metabolic syndrome related markers compared to control group. Larger studies might be required to prove the efficacy and safety of long-Term administration of dill to resolve metabolic syndrome components. © 2012 Mansouri et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Screening of some Zygomycetes for cellulase activity

This study was aimed to screen the cellulytic ability of some genera of Zygomycetes under laboratory conditions. Carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) and Wheat straw (WS) were used as the only carbon source in a minimal culture medium. Four days after inoculation, released proteins and sugars were assayed with related reagents and repeated each, 3 days up to the 31th day. Statistical analysis showed significant variation in released sugars but no significant variation in released proteins among tested genera. Mucor hiemalis f. corticola had highest and Mucor circinelloides f. circinelloides had lowest sugar levels. Glucose levels for M. hiemalis f. corticola increased until 16 days after inoculation, then decreased until 25th day, but had no variation until 30th day. These results showed that isolates belonging to the same forms had no significant difference in cellulase activity, but the ability of different genera and species were noticeable. This study also showed that WS medium can be effectively used for cellulase production by fungi