Evaluation of the Effect of Ecological Factors on Cannibalism in Pelophylax bedriagae (Pallas, 1771) (Amphibia: Anura)

Marsh frog, Pelophylax bedriagae tadpoles habituate in temporary wetlands where intraspecific aggression has been observed. In this study, we examined the independent and interactive effects of predator cues, water level and density on head width size and head, tail and whole body cannibalism of larval P. bedriagae. We designed a 2×2×3 factorial experiment, by crossing two levels of predatory cues (presence/absence), two levels of density (low/ high) and three levels of water (low/ high/ decreasing) that were carried out within 29 weeks. Despite using conditions that might facilitate cannibalism (i.e., the presence of predator cues, low water level, and high density), a low rate of cannibalism was observed in all treatments. Independently, the highest percentage of total cannibalism was indicated in the presence of predator cues (2.26 %), high water level (2.04 %) and high density (2.24 %). Interactively, the highest rate of total cannibalism was recorded for larvae reared in the high density/absence of predator cues/low water level treatment (3.55%). In contrast, the lowest rate of total cannibalism was observed in the both the low density/presence of predator cues/decreasing water level and low-density/presence of predator cues/high water level treatments (0.44%). The results of the MANOVA indicated that predator cues, water level and density independently and interactively had not significant effect on rate of total cannibalism. At the end of experiment, the maximum size of head width was measured in low-density/absence of predator cues/high water level treatment (9.60±0.39mm), and there was no significant relationship between the maximum head width and the highest rate of cannibalism. According to the results of this experiment, it seems that P. bedriagae larvae may function to avoid the risk of cannibalism by conspecific

A histo-morphological characteristics of gonads in Mudskipper, Periophthalmus waltoni Koumans, 1941 from Helleh estuary, Southwestern Iran

In this study, the morphological and histological studies of male and female gonads in mudskipper, Periophthalmus waltoni Koumans, 1941 from Helleh estuary (Bushehr Province, southwestern Iran) were performed to determine its gonadal development stages and histo-morphological characteristics. Sampling was done from April 2010 to March 2011 and a total of 81 individuals were collected by hand net. The gonads of specimens were removed, their sexes determined and then fixed in 10% formalin solution after checking their morphology and measuring their weights, lengths and widths. Six stages of gonadal development in females and four stages in males were determined based on macroscopic and microscopic observations and reproductive indices. In female, increasing of the ovary size is occurred because of the accumulation of yolk materials in oocytes, and in the last stages, little folding in ovary was observed. Formation of zona radiata and yolk granules in the third stage, and increasing thickness of this layer and yolk granules were observed from stage three to stage six. In male, gradual developments of the sperm cells were observed from stage one onward

The Cytotoxicity of Eupatorium cannabinum Methanolic Extract in a Human Breast Adenocarcinoma Cell Line (MCF-7)

Introduction: Eupatorium cannabinum belonging to Asteraceae family is commonly known as hemp agrimony. E. cannabinum is used to treat headache, hepatitis, diarrhea, diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Considerable researches have been indicated various biological activities of E. cannabinum such as cytotoxic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immunological and hepatoprotective activities. Since the cytotoxic activity of E. cannabinum on human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7) have not been reported, the current study was conducted to evaluate the cytotoxicity of the total extract of E. cannabinum on MCF-7 cells. Methods and Results: MCF-7 cell line was treated with different concentrations (3.125 to 100 μg/mL) of the E. cannabinum total (methanolic) extract. After 48 hrs, the cytotoxic activity was assessed through MTT (3-[4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-Yl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. The methanolic extract demonstrated cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cell line with IC50 (the concentrationthat inhibited cell growth by 50%) value of 69.5 μg/mL. Conclusions: The methanolic extract of E. cannabinum showed considerable cytotoxic activity. Evaluating the apoptosis induction ability of E. cannabinum could be suggested for further studies

Cytotoxicity of Two Gypsophila Species to Human Breast Adenocarcinoma (MCF-7)

Introduction: Cancer is known as the second cause of death worldwide which results in serious problems in human life. It is developed by uncontrolled growth of a cell or a group of cells. Caryophyllaceae is a large family which has been reported to possess cytotoxic species and in the present study, the cytotoxic activity of two plants from this family has been evaluated. Methods and Results: Dried powder of Gypsophila bicolor (Freyn & Sint.) Grossh and Gypsophila ruscifolia Boiss. aerial parts were extracted with methanol 80% by maceration method (10 g). For fractionation, 30 g of the dried powder of both species was macerated with petroleum ether at room temperature. After 24 hours, the mixture was filtered and the plant residues were extracted with chloroform and methanol successively through the same process. Then they were concentrated using a rotary evaporator apparatus. The cytotoxic activity was evaluated against MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma), A-549 (non-small cell lung carcinoma) and AGO-1522 (human fibroblast) cell lines using MTT assay. The chloroform fractions of both Gypsophila species showed cytotoxic effects against MCF-7 cells with IC50 value <100 μg/mL. None of the extracts or fractions demonstrated cytotoxicity to A-549 or AGO-1522 cells up to the tested concentrations. Conclusions: The selective toxicity of the chloroform fractions of the species only to the MCF-7 cell line suggested that Gypsophila bicolor and G. ruscifolia could be proper candidates for further studies in the field of cancer researches

Niphargus sarii sp. n., a new subterranean niphargid (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Iran based on molecular and morphological characters

Niphargus sarii sp. n. was collected from Jo-Khanem Spring in Ilam Province. This species hypothesis is based on the analysis of morphological characters and 28S ribosomal DNA sequences. In this paper, we describe the morphological traits of this new species. Then, its taxonomic status within the genus is discussed in comparison to the 15 known Iranian species. Results revealed that N. sarii sp. n. is phylogenetically close to N. sohrevardensis. This species is easily distinguished from other Iranian species by some characters, in particular the equal length of rami in uropod I, lack of lateral robust setae on telson and the situation of dactylus to posterior margin of propodus in gnathopod II

Evaluating Educational Programs of Traditional Medicine Based on the Students' Viewpoints in Mashhad, Kerman, and Shahid Beheshti Universities of Medical Sciences, Iran

Background & Objective: The evaluation of educational programs is the most important aspect of any educational system. If performed correctly, it will provide valuable information on designing and implementation of educational programs and a basis for the evaluation of educational practices. Methods: This present study was performed in 2014 on 22 PhD students attending the Schools of Traditional Medicine of Mashhad, Kerman, and Shahid Beheshti Universities of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2009-2013. The data collection tool consisted of a questionnaire containing open- and closed-ended questions. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire have been approved. The quantitative data obtained were analyzed and categorized using Microsoft Excel. Results: The general objectives of traditional pharmacy consist of mission, perspective, goals, and professional duties. Each course was evaluated from the view point of students. This showed that more than half of the students agreed on the overviews and details (general objective, prerequisites, content titles, student evaluation, and educational sources). The educational sources of some courses such as Iranian Traditional Medicine (foundations and principles) with 43.9%, Sanitation and Prevention Principles with 33%, and Identification of Raw Material and Production of Traditional Medicine with 36.8% obtained the less than half of the positive votes of students. Moreover, 42.1% of students believed that the courses of Identification of Raw Material, Production of Traditional Medicine, and Identification of Traditional Medicine Forms were not presented in accordance with the educational program. Conclusion: The participants mostly approved the aims and overviews of this field of study each of its courses. The proposed recommendations show that the units and content of some courses, and their educational sources and priorities require revision and reformation. In general, due to being a new field, traditional medicine contains ambiguities which must be clarified through further evaluation and elimination of deficiencies observed in the current survey. Keywords: Program evaluation; Iranian traditional medicine; PhD student

Assessment of Cytokine-Mediated Signaling Pathway Dysregulation in Arm Skin After CO2 Laser Therapy

Introduction: Laser therapy is known as an efficient approach in dermatology surgery. CO2 laser therapy is a gold standard treatment in skin surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the interferons change after CO2 laser surgeryMethods: Significant differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) of arm skin after 7 days of treatment by the CO2 laser relative to the controls are downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and are included in the protein-protein interaction network via a STRING database (an application of Cytoscape software). The central DEGs were identified and enriched via gene ontology by using Clue GO software.  Results: A network including 78 DEGs and 100 neighbors was constructed and STAT1, MX1, ISG15, OAS1, IFIT1, IRF8, OASL, OAS2, and RSAD2 as hubs and STAT1, PTPRC, MX1, IRF8, ISG15, IL6, RORC, SAMSN1, and IFIT1 as bottlenecks were introduced. The cytokine-mediated signaling pathway, interferon gamma signaling, hepatitis C, interferon alpha/beta signaling, and the type I interferon signaling pathway were identified as five clusters of biological terms which are related to the central nodes.Conclusion: It can be concluded that the cytokine-mediated signaling pathway is the major pathway that is dysregulated after laser application in the treated skin.

Anti-Fatigue Effect of Viola odorata L. in Forced Swimming Test in Rat

Fatigue is a complex phenomenon that is explained as difficulty starting or keeping voluntary physical or mental activity leading to negative impacts on life and work performance. This study aimed to investigate the anti-fatigue effects of Viola odorata L. in an animal model. Aqueous and ethanol extracts of V. odorata were prepared and total phenolics content was determined. Then, the anti-fatigue activity of the extracts was evaluated via a weight-loaded forced swimming test in the rat. To this end, 48 male Wistar rats were randomly classified into 6 groups. The control group using distilled water and other groups with ethanol (EVO; 50, 100, 200 mg/kg) and aqueous extracts of V. odorata (WVO; 50, 100mg/kg) were gavaged once daily for four weeks. Then, the forced swimming was conducted and swimming time, as a fatigue factor was measured. In addition, to validate the effect of V. odorata on the endurance capacity of the rats, biochemical factors including glucose (Glc), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) were examined in the serum. Hepatotoxicity was also assessed using hematoxylin-eosin staining. Our Data indicated that the forced swimming time of the EVO-100, EVO-200, and WVO-100 groups was significantly increased. The serum Glucose in the group which received EVO-200 was increased significantly, while serum LDH levels in all treated groups were significantly decreased. Also, the serum level of TNF-α in the groups which received EVO-100 or 200 was increased significantly. However, there was no considerable difference in serum TNF-α level and no hepatotoxicity within aqueous extract groups. Pathology results showed fewer effects of the aqueous extract rather than ethanol extract on the liver. The results provide evidence for the development and use of V. odorata aqueous extract as an anti-fatigue supplement

Cancer Chemo-Preventive Effects of Red Propolis: a System Biology Approach

Background and objectives: Propolis is a natural product of honey bees that is characterized by therapeutic effects on diverse diseases. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of propolis effects on tumor, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis of proteome data of Hep-2 cells treated with red propolis was conducted. Methods: Cytoscape V 3.9.1 and its plug-ins evaluated the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in terms of network construction and the corresponding topological features. Results: The results implied that six hub-bottlenecks including ACTB, GAPDH, HSP90AA1, HSPA8, HSP90AB1, and HSPA5 were present in the PPI network; however, only the last central protein was among DEPs. ClueGO+ CluePedia identified five related biological processes and three action types of their connections. Results refer to anticancer property of red propolis. Conclusion: The proposed crucial proteins and their linked biological processes may represent as key players in the anticancer underlying mechanism of red propolis

Effect of Squill Oxymel on Knee Osteoarthritis: A Triple-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a major health problem in the society. Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM) or Persian Medicine (PM) as a branch of complementary medicine has been practiced in Iran for many centuries. An herbal medication known as squill oxymel has been used by PM physicians for OA. Our aim is to investigate the effect of squill oxymel on OA of the knee joint. Eighty eight patients were assigned to receive a placebo or squill oxymel syrup (10 ml each morning on empty stomach) for 8 consecutive weeks. Acetaminophen tablets were considered as the rescue medicine. Ultimately, 43 patients in the placebo group and 40 patients in the treatment group completed the trial and were included in the statistical analysis. Patients were followed for 4 weeks after cessation of treatment. The Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) questionnaire and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) were considered as the main outcome measures. Laboratory tests including AST, ALT, BUN, Cr plus inflammatory tests including WBC, ESR, and CRP with specific tests i.e. IL6 and SOD at the beginning and the end of intervention were measured. The results showed the positive effect of treatment on the outcome of knee pain (p=0.04) and daily activity (p=0.01) of KOOS after Cessation of treatment. On the other hand, VAS decreased in both treatment and placebo groups while it showed significance intra-group and showed no significance between the two groups. After 4 weeks of cessation of treatment, the positive effect of the squill oxymel on the treatment group continued in some of the subscales of KOOS, including symptoms, knee pain and daily activities, but stopped in the placebo group. In general, both clinically and statistically significant improvement was observed after cessation of treatment. Squill oxymel syrup showed promising results in management of knee OA but future researches with larger sample size and longer duration are necessary