The sub-lethal effects of cadmium on some gill histopathology in the cultivated Sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus)

The sub-lethal effects of water-born Cadmium (Cd) on histopathological changes of gill tissues were investigated on Sterlet, Acipenser ruthenus. In this research, 60 fish (41.69 ± 0.95 g and 23.98 ± 0.14 cm) were randomly distributed in 4 experimental groups, each with 3 replicates. The fish were exposed to different concentrations of Cd for 21 days under semistatic experimental condition as: 0, 16, 32 and 64 µg/L Cd. At the end of the experiment, the gill tissues were fixed in Bouin's solution for histopathological studies. Qualitative and quantitative changes of the gill tissues were analyzed. Several qualitative changes including hyperplasia, hypertrophy of epithelial cells and epithelial edema as well as necrosis, rings and fusion of gill filaments and secondary lamellae were observed in all treated fish including control group. Quantitative analysis based on organ index (Iorg) showed significant increase in histopathological changes in the gill tissues coincided by elevation of Cd concentration in the water. However, there was no significant differences in the organ index between control and 16Cd group.The results of this study demonstrate severe histopathological changes in the gill tissues after exposing to sub-lethal concentration of water-born Cd under experimental condition. The results of this study might be used as a guildline for evaluation of histopahological changes being induced by heavy metals in natural or cultivated environment for sturgeon fish

An epidemiological study of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Kashan (2007-2008)

Introduction: Leishmaniasis is a parasitological disease, which is common between human and animals. This disease cause always serious health problems for the human communities. This disease is prevalent in many parts of the world. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a prevalent parasitological disease with diverse clinical manifestations in Iran. It is an important health problem in many parts of Iran as well and its incidence has doubled over the last decade. This study was designed to determine the epidemiology of CL in Kashan during 2007-2008. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which 5098 persons were randomly selected in thirteen rural and urban districts of Kashan. The disease was diagnosed based on clinical examination and microscopic observation of the parasite in the ulcer site. The patient's information such as age, sex, job, number and sites of ulcer(s) or scar(s), date and place of the ulcer, and results of clinical examination and laboratory tests were recorded. Data analysis was performed using statistical Ki-square test. Results: The prevalence rate of disease in 5089 inhabitants studied was 6.4. One hundred and three persons (2) had active ulcers and 223 persons (4.4) had scar. Fifty three out of 200(26.5) infected male suffering from CL, and fifty out of 126 (39.7) infected female had active ulcer (P=0.013) The highest frequency and the least infected age groups were observed in 20-29 years old patients with a rate of 23.3 and 0-9 years old with the rate of 7.8, respectively. 49.5 of the infected cases were under 30 years old. 64.1 of the patients had one and 35.9 had two or more ulcers. The most common location of ulcers were on hands (46.6) and then on feet, on face and on the other parts of the body. 75.8 of the patients were infected in Kashan city. The estimated rate for CL incidence was approximately 37.6 cases in 100000 people in Kashan during 2007-2008 Conclusion: The prevalence and incidence rate of CL are higher than expected rate in Kashan city. Such a high prevalence and incident rate is alarming and require control and prevention measures. Further epidemiological investigations of disease particularly CL are suggested

Age, growth and reproduction of Chondrostoma regium (Heckel, 1843) from the Zayandeh Roud River, Iran

Age, growth and reproduction were investigated for Chondrostoma regium, collected monthly (November 2007- August 2008) from the Dimeh Spring region, Zayandeh Roud River, Iran. The maximum age of collected female and male fish were estimated based on scale increments as five and four years respectively. Von Bertalanffy growth equations were calculated as Lt=246[1-e^-0.206(t-0.034)], Wt=163.29[1-e^-0.206(t-0.034)]^2.77 for females and Lt=253.1[1-e^-0.206(t-0.175)], Wt=188.25[1-e^-0.206(t-0.175)]^2.99 for males. Size ranges of the male and female specimens were almost similar. The fork length range for females was 10.5-18.0 cm and 10.7-19.7 cm for males; and the weight range was 15.7-85.4 g in females, and 14.5-88.5 g in males. The female-male ratio was 1.8:1 (p<0.05), and for both sexes gonadal development and sexual maturity occurred in the second year of their life. Length-weight relationships revealed isometric growth pattern for males and a negative allometric growth for females. Monthly data of Gonadosomatic Index, and ovary condition suggested that spawning occurred during May and June. The mean absolute and relative fecundity was calculated as 2429±1512 (eggs/female) and 78.1±18.7 (egg/g), respectively, and fecundity was significantly correlated with both body weight (r^2=0.90) and fork length (r^2=0.84)

Effect of dietary wood betony, Stachys lavandulifolia extract on growth performance, haematological and biochemical parameters of common carp, Cyprinus carpio

A 6 week study was conducted to assess the effects of wood betony (WB), Stachys lavandulifolia extract on growth performance, hematological and biochemical parameters of common carp, Cyprinus carpio. Different levels of the WB extract (0, 2, 4 and 8 % weight per weight, W/W, 0WB, 2WB, 4WB and 8WB) in the diet were used. The results showed that final weight and weight gain were significantly improved by WB (p0.05). There were no significant differences in hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean erythrocytes of hemoglobin, mean erythrocyte volume, mean hemoglobin erythrocyte concentration and white blood cell (WBC) counts (p>0.05), while, red blood cells (RBC) counts showed significant declining trend by increasing the level of the plant extract from control to 8WB (p<0.05). Significant elevation in the levels of total protein, albumin and globulin and albumin/globulin ratio by increasing WB concentration in the diet were observed (p<0.05). Diet enriched by WB could decrease serum level of triglycerides and cholesterol in comparison with the control (p<0.05). Based on the results of this study, it could be concluded that feeding common carp with WB can improve growth and some immunity characteristics as well as lipid metabolism

Effects of prebiotic and synbiotic supplementation on glycaemia and lipid profile in type 2 diabetes: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Purpose: Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) as a chronic disease, is on rise in parallel with other non-communicable diseases. Several studies have shown that probiotics and prebiotics might exert beneficial effects in chronic diseases including diabetes. Because of controversial results from different trials, the present study aims to assess the effects of prebiotic/synbiotic consumption on metabolic parameters in patients with type2 diabetes. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed on randomized controlled trial published in PubMed/Medline, SciVerse Scopus, Google scholar, SID and Magiran up to March 2018. Of a total number of 255 studies found in initial literature search, ten randomized controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled mean net change were calculated in fasting blood-glucose FBG, Hemoglobin A1c HbA1c and lipid markers (total cholesterol TC, triglyceride TG, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol LDL-C, high density lipoprotein cholesterol HDL-C). The meta-analyses was conducted using Revman Software (v5.3). Results: The pooled estimate indicated a significant difference for the mean change in FBG, HbA1c and HDL in treatment group in comparison with control group. Subgroup analysis by intervention showed a significant difference in TG, LDL and HDL (synbiotic group) and in TG, TC, FBG, HDL and HbA1c (prebiotic group) compared with placebo. In another subgroup analysis, high quality studies showed significant reductions in TG, TC, FBG and HbA1c in intervention group compared with placebo group. Conclusion: In summary, diets supplemented with either prebiotics or synbiotics can result in improvements in lipid metabolism and glucose homeostasis in type 2 diabetic patients. © 2018 The Authors. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, as long as the original authors and source are cited. No permission is required from the authors or the publishers

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Effect of l-citrulline supplementation on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

The objective of this study was to systematically investigate the efficacy of oral l-citrulline supplementation on systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Studies were identified by a search of electronic databases from inception to April 2018, and combined and stratified analyses were used. Fifteen trials were identified, and data from 424 participants were included. Pooled analysis showed significant reductions in systolic blood pressure by �7.54 mmHg (95 confidence interval (CI): �9.44, �5.63; P &lt; 0.001, I2 = 14) and diastolic blood pressure by �3.77 mmHg (95 CI: �5.67, �1.86, P &lt; 0.001, I2 = 42) following oral supplementation of l-citrulline or a watermelon extract. No changes were detected in controls. Significant heterogeneity (I2 = 42, P = 0.04) was found for diastolic blood pressure, and subgroup analysis showed significant improvements in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, particularly for study durations: �6 weeks, lower doses: �4 g/day, and in participants with higher baseline values: �130/85 mmHg. In conclusion, l-citrulline improves systolic and diastolic blood pressure and may be more efficacious in pre-hypertensive and hypertensive populations. © 2018, Springer Nature Limited

Epigenetic polypharmacology: from combination therapy to multitargeted drugs

The modern drug discovery process has largely focused its attention in the so-called magic bullets, single chemical entities that exhibit high selectivity and potency for a particular target. This approach was based on the assumption that the deregulation of a protein was causally linked to a disease state, and the pharmacological intervention through inhibition of the deregulated target was able to restore normal cell function. However, the use of cocktails or multicomponent drugs to address several targets simultaneously is also popular to treat multifactorial diseases such as cancer and neurological disorders. We review the state of the art with such combinations that have an epigenetic target as one of their mechanisms of action. Epigenetic drug discovery is a rapidly advancing field, and drugs targeting epigenetic enzymes are in the clinic for the treatment of hematological cancers. Approved and experimental epigenetic drugs are undergoing clinical trials in combination with other therapeutic agents via fused or linked pharmacophores in order to benefit from synergistic effects of polypharmacology. In addition, ligands are being discovered which, as single chemical entities, are able to modulate multiple epigenetic targets simultaneously (multitarget epigenetic drugs). These multiple ligands should in principle have a lower risk of drug-drug interactions and drug resistance compared to cocktails or multicomponent drugs. This new generation may rival the so-called magic bullets in the treatment of diseases that arise as a consequence of the deregulation of multiple signaling pathways provided the challenge of optimization of the activities shown by the pharmacophores with the different targets is addressed