Radioprotective effects of Silymarin on the sperm parameters of NMRI mice irradiated with γ-rays

Free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated using various endogenous systems or from external sources such as exposure to different physiochemicals. Ionizing radiation damage to the cell can be caused by the direct or indirect effects of radiotherapy processes. Silymarin (SM), a flavanolignan compound, has been identified as a natural potent antioxidant with cytoprotection activities due to scavenging free radicals. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the radioprotective effect of SM on sperm parameters of mice induced by γ-rays. A total number of 40 adult, male NMRI mice were randomly divided into four equal groups. The control group was neither treated with SM nor irradiated by γ-rays. The second group was only irradiated with 2 Gy of γ-rays. The third group was firstly treated with 50 mg/kg of SM for 7 consecutive days, and one day later, last injections were irradiated by 2 Gy of γ-rays. The fourth groups received only 50 mg/kg of SM for 7 consecutive days. All the animals were treated intraperitoneally. Histopathological and morphometrical examinations were performed. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey post hoc test. A value of p < 0.05 was considered significant. The results showed that in the radiation-only group when compared with those treated with SM and irradiated, a significant different was observed in testicular parameters and DNA damage (p < 0.05). In conclusion, SM can be considered as a promising herbal radioprotective agent in complementary medicine which may play an important role to protect normal spermatocytes against possible effects of γ-radiation-induced cellular damage

Investigation of Traffic Load on the Buried Pipeline by Using of Real Scale Experiment and Plaxis-3D Software

Abstract: In some cases, traffic load are effected pipelines so in this study, effects of truckload on the buried pipeline were done with numerical and experimental methods. In numerical method, model is assumed half extreme and length of them are considered extreme, mathematically. For performing of numerical method, 3D model were used in Plaxis-3D software. For comparison and checking of results, Experimental model was prepared and with using of electrical strain gages and computer, results of experimental model were recorded. Results show experimental and finite element models are compatible. In continue, effects of other parameters are studied with Plaxis-3D software

Effect of wet curing duration on long-term performance of concrete in tidal zone of marine environment

A proper initial curing is a very simple and inexpensive alternative to improve concrete cover quality and accordingly extend the service life of reinforced concrete structures exposed to aggressive species. A current study investigates the effect of wet curing duration on chloride penetration in plain and blended cement concretes which subjected to tidal exposure condition in south of Iran for 5 years. The results show that wet curing extension preserves concrete against high rate of chloride penetration at early ages and decreases the difference between initial and long-term diffusion coefficients due to improvement of concrete cover quality. But, as the length of exposure period to marine environment increased the effects of initial wet curing became less pronounced. Furthermore, a relationship is developed between wet curing time and diffusion coefficient at early ages and the effect of curing length on time-to-corrosion initiation of concrete is addressed.Peer reviewedCivil and Environmental Engineerin

Nocturia: a bothersome urological symptom in the elderly

Bahram Shekarchi,&nbsp;Mohammad Zamani Student Research Committee, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IranWe read with great interest the valuable study by Shao et al,1 which has been recently published in Clinical Interventions in Aging. The authors mentioned the nocturia as a negative factor, leading to a problem in the sleep status and the daily function of the patients who suffer from lower urinary tract symptoms.View original paper by Shao and colleagues

Investigating the synergistic antioxidant effects of some flavonoid and phenolic compounds

Phenolic and flavonoid compounds are secondary metabolites of plants which possess various activities such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-diabetes and anticancer effects. It has been established that these compounds can scavenge free radicals produced in the body. Because of this ability, not only the plants containing phenolic and flavonoid compounds but also, the pure compounds are used in medicinal products for prevention and treatment of many disorders. Considering that the golden aim of the pharmaceutical industries is using the most effective compounds with lower concentrations, determination of the best combination of the compounds with synergistic effects is important. In the present study, synergistic antioxidant effects of four phenolic compounds including caffeic acid, gallic acid, rosmarinic acid, chlorogenic acid and two flavonoids,  rutin and quercetin, have been investigated by FRAP (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power) method. The synergistic effect was assessed by comparing the experimental antioxidant activity of the mixtures with calculated theoretical values and the interactions of the compounds were determined. The results showed that combination of gallic acid and caffeic acid demonstrated considerable synergistic effects (137.8%) while other combinations were less potent. Among examined substances, rutin was the only one which had no effect on the other compounds. The results of ternary combinations of compounds demonstrated antagonistic effects in some cases. This was more considerable in mixture of rutin, caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid (-21.8%), chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid (-20%), rutin, rosmarinic acid, gallic acid (-18.5%) and rutin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid (-15.8%), while, combination of quercetin, gallic acid, caffeic acid (59.4%) and quercetin, gallic acid, rutin (55.2%) showed the most synergistic effects. It was concluded that binary and ternary combination of quercetin, rutin, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, gallic acid and rosmarinic acid could influence the antioxidant ability; therefore, to obtain the best antioxidant effects in products containing these materials, the interactions should be mentioned

Development and validation of a HPLC-UV method for determination of Proscillaridin A in Drimia maritima

Background and objectives:Drimia maritima (L.) Stearn also known as squill is a medicinally important plant that has been used for various ailments such as dropsy, respiratory disorders, jaundice and epilepsy from ancient times. Proscillaridin A is identified as one of the most effective compounds in the plant with remarkable pharmacological features including efficacy against congestive heart failure, antitumor, t-cell suppressive and analgesic activities. In the present study, a reliable high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been developed for quantification of proscillaridin A in D. maritima.  Methods: The separation of compounds was performed using gradient elution (methanol: water) on a reversed phase ACE C18 with flow rate of 1 mL/min and UV detection at 300 nm for 50 min. The method was evaluated using validation parameter such as selectivity, linearity, precision, recovery, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantization (LOQ). Results: The separation technique was selective for quantification of proscillaridin A. The calibration graph was linear with r2> 0.998. The intra and inter-day precision (RSD%, 3.8-4.16 and 7.5) were satisfactory. LOD and LOQ were calculated as 0.6 and 1.8 µg/mL respectively. The recovery average was 93.7%. Conclusion: Due to precision, accuracy and speed, the proposed HPLC-UV method could be applied for determination of proscillaridin A in Drimia maritima samples

Application of Steel Fiber Reinforced Lightweight Aggregate Concrete in Underground Mining

Several devices are used to provide support in an underground space. Wooden prop is generally employed for the purpose of passive secondary or short-term support of the mine roadway roof and sides. The wooden prop has various known usage limitation, including low strength, deterioration of wood in humid environment, poor ductility, and generally low service life. Substitution of the wooden prop with a prop made with a more suitable material could thus yield important advantages. In this study, lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC) is proposed to be used as a prop material. Since lightweight aggregate has a relatively low ductility, steel fibers are used in this investigation to achieve enhanced ductility levels. Five mixtures of fiber reinforced lightweight aggregate concrete were considered with different steel fiber percentages and pumice lightweight aggregates produced in Iran. The density, compressive, tensile and flexural strength as well as the toughness index of different fiber reinforced lightweight aggregate concrete materials were measured in order to assess their potential as replacement for wood in prop production. The experimental results indicated that the density of lightweight aggregate concrete is higher than wood. Since the strength and toughness of LWAC is significantly more than those of wood, the weight of a LWAC element with the same strength turns out to be 22 percent less than the wood element. Hence, wooden prop may be replaced with lightweight aggregate concrete prop to achieve improved service life and ductility while reducing the weight of the prop

Evaluating the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of Ferulago angulata and Ferulago subvelutina

Alzheimer is an age-dependent disease mostly with genetic origin. In this disorder, acetylcholine is decreased which results in deterioration of short-term memory. Many researches have been focused on finding new sources of medications with more potency and less side effects and investigating acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) has been the center of many researches. In the present study, the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory property of the total extracts and fractions of Ferulago angulata and Ferulago subvelutina have been evaluated according to Ellman method. The total extract and the 50% methanol fraction of Ferulago angulata demonstrated weak AChEI activity (15.8% and 9% in concentration of 300 μg/mL, respectively). The ability of the total extract and the n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and 50% methanol fractions of Ferulago subvelutina were found to be 19.7%, 15.4%, 32.2%, 14.5% and 11.7%, respectively. It was concluded that among the evaluated extracts and fractions, the dichloromethane fraction of Ferulago subvelutina demonstrated reasonable AChEI activity and it is suggested for further purification of its components

Diagnostic accuracy of dual-source CT angiography for evaluation of coronary artery and comparative analysis of the DSCT angiography of the internal carotid artery plaque with the histopathological specimens

The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of a dual-source CT (DSCT) coronary angiography in parallel with a CT angiography. On the other hand, we compared the DSCT angiography of the internal carotid artery plaque with the histopathological specimens. Ninety patients underwent DSCT and an invasive coronary angiography (ICA). All segments were analyzed at 60 and 70 of R-R interval initially. After finding the reconstruction interval, image quality was divided for each coronary segment on the four-point Likert scale. Also, of these patients, 30 cases that had neurological symptoms and carotid arteries also were evaluated. The degree of stenosis was assessed according to the North American Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) criteria. A patient-specific analysis revealed that the method sensitivity was 98.59 , specificity was 94.7 , positive predictive value (PPV) was 98.57 , negative predictive value (NPV) was 95 , and accuracy was 97.7 . Also, the kappa statistics did show high values in agreement with the histopathological findings (type III k = 0.82, types IV�V = 0.86, type VI = 0.81, type VII = 0.88, and type VIII = 0.67). Our results suggest that the DSCT has a high diagnostic accuracy for the evaluation of CAD and could demonstrate a high correlation between non-invasive imaging findings with DSCT and histopathological specimens. © 2015, Springer-Verlag London