Length"weight relationship for two flounder species from Iranian waters of the Persian Gulf

The length-weight (LWR) relationship was estimated for the first time for two flounder species viz. Pseudorhombus elevatus Ogilby, 1912 and Solea elongata Day, 1877 from Iranian waters of the Persian Gulf. Fishes were collected using fishing boat during August to December 2017. No information is available in FishBase regarding the LWRs of these species. The b values of the LWR was 2.98 for P. elevatus and 3.10 for C. elongate, and the r2 values are 0.996 and 0.989, respectively. These estimates can be used for estimation of biomass of the studied fishes employing length frequency distributions

Quantitative gene expression of ERG9 in model Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Chamomile extract for human cancer treatment

Over expression of squalene synthase gene causes induction of growth tumour and reduction of apoptosis. This gene which is conserved between Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast and humans, is named (ERG9). Aim: In this work, we studied the effect of Matricaria recutita extract on ERG9 gene (squalene synthase) expression in S.cerevisiae which was used as organism model in cancer therapy. Materials and Methods: S. cerevisiae was cultured in YPD medium plus 0,250, 1000 and 3000 µg/ml of Matricaria recutita extract and we evaluated the (ERG9) gene expression by Realtime RT-PCR method after 24 hours. Statistical analysis used: At least 3 independent experiments were done. Data were analyzed using One-way ANOVA and Dunnett’s test. A p-value of less than 0.01 was considered as significant. Results: We found that 250, 1000 and 3000 µg/ml of Matricaria recutita extract could reduce expression of ERG9 gene significantly (p<0.01). Interestingly, the expression of this gene was completely inhibited in 1000 and 3000 µg/ml concentrations. Conclusion: This study predicted that Matricaria recutita extract produced anti-cancer effects in humans, because it could inhibit the expression of an analogue key gene in this malignant disease. Further investigations should be made, to study its molecular mechanism of action at the mammal cell level

Variations in fish body and scale shape among Aphanius dispar (Cyprinodontidae) populations: insights from a geometric morphometric analysis

Phenotypic variations in fish body and scale shape were investigated among the three populations of Aphanius dispar (Rüppell, 1829) in Southern Iran through the use of landmark-based geometric morphometric analyses.This species is widely distributed in the region, and therefore, considerable morphological variations exist among the geographically allopatric populations. Based on the Principle Component Analysis (PCA), variation in body shape of the females is prominently related to the dorsal fin region, while in the males it is related to the dorsal fin and caudal peduncle. Moreover, the shape variations in the scales are obviously linked to the tip of anterior portion of the scales, and the left and right boundaries between anterior and posterior regions of the scales. The lateral sides of the fish scales in site I are concave, while they are laterally convex in sites II and III. The observed variation seen in the fish body shape and scales among the three studied sites are probably caused by the different ecological conditions of their habitats particularly variation in water flow

Correlation of del13q, del11q and Trisomy 12 with Laboratory and Clinical Features of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in Iranian Patients

Background: There is a strong association between chromosomal abnormalities and laboratory features and clinical course of the B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and correlation of cytogenetic aberrations with laboratory and clinical features of the disease. Methods: Clinical and laboratory features of 65 CLL patients were collected from their hospital profiles and their blood and/or bone marrow were examined by conventional cytogenetics and interphase FISH methods. Results: Conventional cytogenetic methods identified 27.7% chromosomal abnormalities in 65 patients. I-FISH analysis for del13q, del11q and trisomy 12 revealed abnormality in 75.4% of patients. The results showed that IFISH improved the detection rate of chromosomal abnormalities and it enhanced detection. Statistical analysis was performed on sex, age, family history, Rai stage and CD markers on trisomy 12, del 11q and del 13q subgroups. There was a high frequency of Ray stages I and II within del13q subgroup, Rai stages III and IV within del11q subgroup and Rai stage II within trisomy 12 subgroup. Mean of CD38 in patients with del 11q was significantly higher than mean of patients with trisomy 12 and del 13q. Conclusion: High level of CD38 and presence of del11q indicated a poor prognosis and low level of CD38 and presence of del13q was indicative of good prognosis in Iranian B-CLL patients. Trisomy 12 had an intermediate prognostic value

Antiproliferative effects of <em>Matricaria chamomilla on Saccharomyces cerevisiae</em>

Introduction: The Matricaria chamomilla plant is one of the most important plants used for the therapeutic purposes. More than 120 chemical constituents have been identified in Matricaria chamomile plant including 28 terpenoids and 36 flavonoids. This plant has a variety of therapeutic applications including the treatment of diabetes, eczema, wounds and gastrointestinal diseases. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast is a non-pathogenic organism that is used as a model for pathogenic yeasts in order to identify compounds with antifungal properties and also to identify functional mechanism of these compounds. The aim of this study is to investigate the antifungal effect of Matricaria chamomilla hydroalcoholic extract on S. cerevisiae yeast. Methods: In this study Matricaria chamomilla extract was prepared by maceration method. In order to study the extract effect on growth and survival rate of the yeast cell, the spectrophotometry and methylene blue staining methods were used. Excel and SPSS 11 softwares were used to determine amounts and to infer the difference between control and treatment samples. Results: Results obtained from spectrophotometry and analyses of methylene blue staining showed that the Matricaria chamomilla extract at the concentration of 3000 &mu;g/ml caused a significant decrease in the yeast growth and reduced the cells survival rate up to 48 (p&lt; 0.05). Conclusion: Results of this research confirm that the hydroalcoholic extract of Matricaria chamomilla has antiproliferative effect on Saccharomyces cerevisiae. </p

Ultramicroscopy of structures involved in the posterior region of scales in two flathead fishes (Teleostei: Perciformes)

Morphology of structures involved in the posterior region of scales in two flathead fish species viz. Platycephalus indicus and Grammoplites suppositus was studied using ultramicroscopy. The fish individuals were divided into three size groups based on their standard lengths and their scales were removed from four body regions. The microscopic observations indicated that the scales of both species were ctenoid. The posterior margin of all scales was formed by two rows of ctenii. Typically, the shape of the posterior region of scales in P. indicus was crescent, while it was triangular in G. suppositus. The number of ctenii in the scales of P. indicus was minimum 12 and maximum 60, while in G. suppositus it was minimum 6 and maximum 38. Moreover, the results indicated that the number of ctenii was increased during fish development because the smaller fishes have fewer ctenii in their scales than the adults, while, their general morphology has not been changed properly. This developmental change was significantly higher in P. indicus than G. suppositus. The increase of ctenii during fish development allows greater flexibility in movement. In conclusion, modification in the ornamentations of the posterior region has a hydrodynamic function and they are subject to modification during the fish development. The ctenii varying considerably in the number and could be easily counted, therefore, could be used as an appropriate taxonomic character at least in flathead fishes or even other fish groups

The frequency of cytogenetic abnormalities in idiopathic oligospermia and azoospermia infertile men in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province: a cross-sectional study

Background and aims: Infertility is one of the main health issues in families worldwide. In addition, there is a complex correlation between genetics and infertility and chromosomal abnormalities are found in 8% of infertile males. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of cytogenetic abnormalities among idiopathic oligospermia and azoospermia infertile men who were treated in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the records of a total of 100 participants were evaluated retrospectively. The patients who were under careful physical and para-clinical (i.e., hormonal, ultrasound, and spermiogeram) examinations were enrolled in the study. Chromosomal analysis was carried out on the cultures of peripheral blood lymphocytes by Giemsa (G) banding. Eventually, 10 well-spread metaphases were analyzed by G-banding. Result: The chromosome abnormality frequency, the numerical type, and the structural type were 13%, 3%, and 10%, respectively. Among patients with azoospermia, two cases had Klinefelter syndrome with karyotype. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that structural abnormalities are more prevalent than numerical abnormalities in infertile men who were treated in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. This indicates the importance of cytogenetic examination and the relevance of its achievements to the patient’s management in infertility clinics. Therefore, the cytogenetic test is proposed for infertile men, in particular in those who endure azoospermia. Keywords: Chromosomal abnormality, Male infertility, Oligospermia, Azoospermi