A minireview on the in vitro and in vivo experiments with anti-Escherichia coli O157 : H7 phages as potential biocontrol and phage therapy agents

Phage therapy is an old method of combating bacterial pathogens that has recently been taken into consideration due to the alarming spread of antibiotic resistance. Escherichia coli 0157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen that causes hemorrhagic colitis and life-threatening Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). There are several studies on isolation of specific phages against E. coli 0157:H7 and more than 60 specific phase have been published so far. Although in vitro experiments have been successful in elimination or reduction of E. coli 0157:H7numbers, in vivo experiments have not been as promising. This may be due to escape of bacteria to locations where phages have difficulties to enter or due to the adverse conditions in the gastrointestinal tract that affect phage viability and proliferation. To get around the latter obstacle, an alternative phage delivery method such as polymer microen-capsulation should be tried. While the present time results are not very encouraging the work should be continued as more efficient phage treatment regimens might be found in future. (C)2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Investigating Aspects of Siavash Ties with Mehr Rituals

The story of Siavash has an old mythological theme, and hence one can consider him a mythic-ritual person whose study of various aspects of his story calls for the recognition of ancient rituals. The present research has examined Siavash in ancient texts and Shahnameh with a descriptive-analytical method. Contrary to the views of previous scholars, this paper concludes that Siavash has had the signs of Mitraism within himself. Such signs contain different features than common ones. Incidentally, these signs are those that are not part of Mehr rituals, but are its distinctive features. These signs revolve around the issues of belief in action and wisdom, and those aspects of religion that emphasize the role of intellectuals showed Siavash as the owner of Farah meaning the follower of religion and country, relating to Mehr rituals. So, a number of Siavash’s traits and mythical events around him should be found in beliefs such as believing in theism (Farah bavari), a pass-by-fire test, a horse and a Teshter in ancient mythologies, the source of the alliance, the righteousness, skillfulness in archery and vendetta are beliefs of the worshipers of Mehr

Isolation and molecular identification of halophilic protease producing actinomycete and evaluation of effective factors for maximal enzyme production

Introduction: Proteases are one of the most applicable hydrolyzing enzymes especially in food and beverage industries. Isolation of thermophilic or halophilic proteases was aimed by many investigations. The present study was designed to screen soil samples for halophilic actinomycetes capable to produce protease and evaluation of factors affect on the enzyme production.  Methods: Twenty soil samples were collected from salty land around Kerman, Iran and aseptically transferred to biotechnology lab and allowed to dry. Ten grams of each soil was extracted using NaCl (0.9%) sterile solution and added to Casein Glycerol Agar (CGA) or nutrient agar medium containing skim milk (1%) and NaCl (10%) and incubated at 30◦C untill the halo zone of protease activity was formed. The ratio of halo zone/colony size of isolated actinomyctes was used as an index to select the most suitable strains. Morphological and biochemical tests as well as molecular identification using 16S rDNA technique were then applied for identification of the strain. Evaluation of chemical factors such as carbon sources, nitrogen sources and inorganic salts as well as physical factors such as temperature and pH on protease production of the selected strain was performed using one factor at a time approach. Results: Seven protease-producing actinomycetes were isolated in preliminary studies among which one isolate (identified as Nocardiopsis sp.) was the most efficient one able to produce 650 U/mL protease after 5 days incubation in CG medium containing 10% NaCl. Evaluation of factors is now conducting to obtain the maximum protease production. Conclusion: one halophilic actinomycete able to produce protease was isolated in the present study and evaluation of factors affect on the enzyme production is now performing

The Putative Role of Factor V Leiden and Prothrombin Mutations in Pregnancy Complications

Context: Thrombophilia is an inherited or acquired predisposition in developing thrombosis. The two common thrombophilia polymorphisms are factor V Leiden (FVL) and factor II/ prothrombin G20210A (PT) gene mutations which can contribute to negative pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage, in-vitro fertilization (IVF) failure, preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), placental abruption, stillbirth, and pregnancy-associated venous thromboembolism. This review study sought to describe the effects of FVL and PT mutations on pregnancy complications. Evidence Acquisition: In this review study, a comprehensive search was performed on Iranian and international databases including MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences, Proquest and Google Scholar for articles published during 1996-2018. Out of 220 reviewed articles, 80 papers were ultimately selected.Results: According to these 80 selected papers, the possible relations of PT and FVL with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) have been widely evaluated. Several studies indicated higher risk of recurrent early miscarriages, implantation failure and fetal loss after IVF among women with FVL and PT mutations.Conclusion: Observational studies have suggested the benefits of screening patients for thrombophilic polymorphisms in identification of women with higher risk of developing thromboembolic events and other related pregnancy complications. Based on such screening programs, prophylactic therapy can be limited to a selected group of women who truly need it. 

Association of dietary total antioxidant capacity, alternative healthy eating index, and dietary inflammatory index with semen quality in men seeking infertility treatment

BackgroundSince the association between dietary quality scores and semen quality remains unclear, we carried out a hospital-based cross-sectional study to investigate the association of Dietary Total Antioxidant Capacity (dTAC), Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), and Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) scores with semen quality in men seeking infertility treatment.MethodsThis study enrolled 210 men with unexplained or idiopathic infertility. Semen samples were collected and analyzed according to the WHO 2010 criteria. Dietary data was collected using a 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) developed for Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the relationship between dTAC, AHEI, and DII scores with abnormal semen in crude and adjusted models.ResultsThere were no significant differences across quartile categories of the dTAC, AHEI, and DII scores regarding semen parameters. There was a trend toward a significant direct association between DII and abnormal semen risk (p = 0.01). Infertile men in the highest quartile of DII had a 2.84 times higher risk of abnormal semen in the crude model (OR: 3.84; 95% CI: 1.64–8.95); such that remained after adjusting for several potential confounders. There was no significant association between dTAC or AHEI and the risk of abnormal semen in infertile men, either before or after adjusting for potential confounders. Total energy (p = 0.05), fat (p = 0.02), saturated fat (p = 0.02), mono-saturated fat (p = 0.009), Thiamine (Vitamin B1) (p = 0.02), Niacin (Vitamin B3) (p = 0.03), Calcium (p = 0.01), and Selenium (p = 0.01) were inversely associated with semen normality.DiscussionThe study suggests that certain dietary factors may affect semen quality, and the mechanisms underlying the observed associations are likely multifactorial, involving complex interactions between diet, oxidative stress, inflammation, and hormone levels. Further research is required to confirm the results, fully elucidate the mechanisms underlying the associations, and identify specific dietary interventions that may improve male fertility outcomes

Cross-talks between the kidneys and the central nervous system in multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease, which is considered as a common autoimmune disorder in young adults. A growing number of evidences indicated that the impairment in non-neural tissues plays a significant role in pathology of MS disease. There are bidirectional relationship, metabolic activities and functional similarity between central nervous system (CNS) and kidneys which suggest that kidney tissue may exert remarkable effects on some aspects of MS disorder and CNS impairment in these patients compels the kidney to respond to central inflammation. Recently, it has been well documented that hormonal secretion possesses the important role on CNS abnormalities. In this regard, due to the functional similarity and significant hormonal and non-hormonal relationship between CNS and kidneys, we hypothesized that kidneys exert significant effect on initiation, progression or amelioration of MS disease which might be regarded as potential therapeutic approach in the treatment of MS patients in the future

Association between gastric cancer and the intake of different types of iron and meats

Background: Heme and non-heme irons are two forms of iron in the diet. Few studies have evaluated the association between heme iron intake and the risk of gastric cancer (GC). We aimed to investigate the association between heme, non-heme and total iron intake and risk of GC in Iran. Methods: In a hospital-based case–control study, nutritionists interviewed 178 pathologically confirmed GC patients and 276 controls using a valid Diet History Questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression model was used to estimate Odds Ratios (OR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs) for iron intake and risk of GC. Results: Subjects in the highest tertile of total iron intake were 46% less likely to get GC than those in the lowest (OR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.32–0.92), however, the associations were not significant for intake of heme and non-heme iron. The risk of GC in the highest tertile of total meat intake was 2.51 times higher than the lowest. We found significant associations between GC and chicken (OR = 2.95; 95% CI: 1.66–5.22) and fish intake (OR = 1.89; 95% CI: 1.09–3.27), However, we found no associations between the risk of GC and intake of red meat, salted fish, and liver. Conclusion: Total iron intake was associated with a lower risk of GC which could be partly due to the high prevalence of anemia in Iran. Although, we could not find any significant association between the risk of GC and the intake of heme and non-hem iron among the Iranian population.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Non – Detection of HPV DNA in Prostatic Cancer and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: a case- control study in Kerman

Background: Different studies assessed the role of inflammation in malignancy of different organs. Prostatitis has been suggested as a cause of cancer and BPH. Till now, more than 100 types of human Papilloma virus (HPV) are recognized including low and high-risk groups for carcinogenesis. Among them HPV-16 and HPV-18 have shown further association with cancer. Regarding the presence of E6 and E7 in HPV and ability for modification of basal epithelial cells, related role in prostate cancer (as well as cervical and genital malignancies) is hypothesized. The aim of this study was to determine the association of HPV-16 and HPV-18 with prostate cancer and malignancy degree. Methods: A total of 75 consecutive paraffin-embedded blocks including 50 samples with primary prostate cancer and 25 samples with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) as control were studied. Amplisense kit was used for replication at real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to determine genotypes of HPV-16 and HPV-18. DNA purity was assessed by Nano Drop. Results: The results of real-time PCR demonstrated that none of the samples of BPH and prostate cancer had amplification of HPV DNA. Conclusion: The results revealed that HPV-16 and HPV-18 are not causes of prostate cancer

Preparation and evaluation of the effect of Fe3O4@piroctone olamine magnetic nanoparticles on matrix metalloproteinase-2: A preliminary in vitro study

In the present study, Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized by the coprecipitation of Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions and used as a nanocarrier for the production of piroctoneolamine- loaded Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4@PO NPs). The nanocrystalline structure of the prepared iron oxide species was confirmed by the X-ray diffraction spectroscopy method. Particle size distribution analysis showed that the size of Fe3O4@PO NPs was in the range of 5–55 nm. The magnetization curve of Fe3O4@PO NPs (with saturation magnetization of 28.2 emu/g) confirmed its ferromagnetic property. Loading of PO on the surface of Fe3O4 NPs qualitatively verified by Fourier transform infrared spectrum obtained from Fe3O4@PO NPs. Cytotoxicity studies on the human fibrosarcoma cell line (HT-1080) revealed higher inhibitory effect of Fe3O4@PO NPs (50% cell death [IC50] of 8.1 μg/mL) as compared with Fe3O4 NPs (IC50 of 117.1 μg/mL) and PO (IC50 of 71.2 μg/mL) alone. In the case of human normal fibroblast (Hs68), the viability percentage was found to be 75% in the presence of Fe3O4@PO NPs (120 μg/mL). Gelatin zymography showed 17.2% and 34.6% inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in the presence of Fe3O4@PO and PO, respectively, at the same concentration of 40 μg/mL, whereas Fe3O4 NPs did not inhibit MMP-2 at any concentration. C� 2014 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc. Volume 61, Number 6, Pages 676–682, 201

Astaxanthin ameliorates inflammation, oxidative stress, and reproductive outcomes in endometriosis patients undergoing assisted reproduction: A randomized, triple-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial

PurposeIn a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial (RCT) including 50 infertile women with endometriosis candidate for assisted reproductive techniques (ART), we studied the effect of Astaxanthin (AST) on pro-inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress (OS) markers, and early pregnancy outcomes.MethodsBefore and after 12 weeks of AST treatment (6 mg per day), blood serum and follicular fluid (FF) samples were collected from 50 infertile women with endometriosis stage III/IV undergoing ART. Pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) and OS markers (malondialdehyde [MDA], superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [CAT], and total antioxidant capacity [TAC]) were measured in the serum and FF. ART outcomes were also compared between the groups.ResultsIncreased serum levels of TAC (398.661 ± 57.686 vs. 364.746 ± 51.569; P = 0.004) and SOD (13.458 ± 7.276 vs. 9.040 ± 5.155; P = 0.010) were observed after AST therapy in the treatment group. Furthermore, serum MDA (14.619 ± 2.505 vs. 15.939 ± 1.512; P = 0.031) decreased significantly following antioxidant treatment. In addition, significantly lower serum levels of IL-1β (4.515 ± 0.907 vs. 6.8760 ± 0.8478; P = 0.000), IL-6 (5.516 ± 0.646 vs. 5.0543 ± 0.709; P = 0.024) and TNF-α (2.520 ± 0.525 vs. 2.968 ± 0.548; P = 0.038) were observed after AST treatment. In addition, AST supplementation led to an improved number of oocytes retrieved (14.60 ± 7.79 vs. 9.84 ± 6.44; P = 0.043), number of mature (MII) oocytes (10.48 ± 6.665 vs. 6.72 ± 4.3; P = 0.041), and high-quality embryos (4.52 ± 2.41 vs. 2.72 ± 2.40; P = 0.024).ConclusionAST pretreatment can modulate inflammation and OS in endometriosis-induced infertile patients. ART outcomes also improved after 12 weeks of AST therapy. Our results suggest that AST can be a potential therapeutic target for infertile patients with endometriosis undergoing ART