Antioxidant enzyme changes in response to osmotic stress in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedling

In order to evaluate the effects of osmotic stress on behavioral responses of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POX), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), a factorial experiment was carried out under laboratory conditions with three groups of wheat genotypes (tolerant, intermediate and susceptible) and three osmotic stress levels induced by PEG (control, mild and severe). Electrophoretic analyses were performed for three antioxidant enzymes SOD, POX and CAT in shoots of wheat seedlings using 7.5% slab polyacrylamide gels. The activities of GR and APX were determined spectrophotometrically. For SOD, POX and CAT, two, seven and one isozymes were observed, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that osmotic stress has a significant effect on enzymatic activities in wheat seedlings. POX, CAT, GR and APXactivities were increased significantly in the severe stress compared with control condition about 31, 61, 129 and 149 percent, respectively. Whereas, SOD activity increased significantly by 41% in the mild stress compared with control treatment. The highest enzymatic activity was belonged to tolerant group under severe stress conditions for almost all of isozymes and enzymes. Among the antioxidant enzymes, APX activity was increased most drastically in severe stress condition. The extent of damage to the wheat seedlings seems to depend on genotype and severity of osmotic stress

Relationship between the Presence of the nalC Mutation and Multidrug Resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Objectives. The current study was conducted to determine the relationship between the presences of significant multidrug resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) having intact mexR genes (nalC) to different antibiotics. Methods. In order to identify nalC, fifty strains of P. aeruginosa were obtained. All isolates were found in urinary tract infections. They were evaluated against different antibiotics. The nalC mutant was identified by PCR. Results. The 50 clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa originated from two hospitals in Iran, in which 32 isolates were found in Milad hospital, and 18 isolates were collected in the Ilam Hospital. The results in Milad hospital of nalC revealed that all P. aeruginosa resistant to oxacillin showed the presence of nalC. In Ilam hospital only three (16.6%) isolates were resistant to oxacilin and aztreonam, and among these three isolates only one isolate revealed resistance to ceftazidime and amikacin. The resistant isolates showed the presence of both OXA-10 and nalC. Conclusion. Our results showed that the presence of nalC was observed among P. aeruginosa resistance to oxacilin. Thus, the finding suggested relationship between oxacilin resistance and presence of nalC and consequently overproduction of the MexABOprM efflux system

Kinetic analysis of drug release from nanoparticles

PURPOSE. Comparative drug release kinetics from nanoparticles was carried out using conventional and our novel models with the aim of finding a general model applicable to multi mechanistic release. Theoretical justification for the two best general models was also provided for the first time. METHODS. Ten conventional models and three models developed in our laboratory were applied to release data of 32 drugs from 106 nanoparticle formulations collected from literature. The accuracy of the models was assessed employing mean percent error (E) of each data set, overall mean percent error (OE) and number of Es less than 10 percent. RESULTS. Among the models the novel reciprocal powered time (RPT), Weibull (W) and log-probability (LP) ones produced OE values of 6.47, 6.39 and 6.77, respectively. The OEs of other models were higher than 10%. Also the number of errors less than 10% for the models was 84.9, 80.2 and 78.3 percents of total number of data sets. CONCLUSIONS. Considering the accuracy criteria the reciprocal powered time model could be suggested as a general model for analysis of multi mechanistic drug release from nanoparticles. Also W and LP models were the closest to the suggested model RPT

Kinetics study of hydrochlorothiazide lactose liquid state interaction using conventional isothermal arrhenius method under basic and neutral conditions

The Maillard reaction of hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) and lactose has been previously demonstrated in pharmaceutical formulations. In this study, the activation energy of - hydrohlorothiazide and lactose interaction in the liquid state was ascertained under basic and neutral conditions. Conventional isothermal High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) technique was employed to ascertain the kinetic parameters using Arrhenius method. Results: The activation energy obtained was 82.43 and 100.28 kJ/mol under basic and neutral conditions, respectively. Consequently, it can be inferred that Maillard reaction is significantly affected by pH, which can be used as a control factor whenever the reaction potentially occurs

The effects of letrozole-induced maternal hyperandrogenism on sexual behaviors, testicular histology, and serum biochemical traits in male offspring rats: An experimental study

Background: Intrauterine endocrine abnormalities have profound effects on the development of physiological disorders. Objective: This study aimed to assess the effects of in utero exposure to letrozole (an aromatase inhibitor) and its late consequences on the reproductive and metabolic performance of an adult male offspring. Materials and Methods: 15 pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats (8 wk, 155 gr) were randomly assigned into 5 experimental groups (n = 3/each) and orally received either letrozole at doses of 0.25, 0.75, 1.00, and 1.25 mg/kg body weight (BW) or vehicle (control) on the gestation days of 16, 17, and 18. Pregnancy outcome, sexual behaviors on postnatal day 60, serum biochemical features, and the histopathology of testes were assessed in male offspring. Results: Compared to control group, delayed labor (21.83 vs. 24.25, p < 0.0001) and reduced litter size (n = 12.25 vs. n = 2, p < 0.0001) were recorded in 1.25 mg/kg BW group. A reduction in high-density lipoprotein level and the elevation of testes weight, BW gain, anogenital distance, as well as the serum concentrations of testosterone, triglycerides, cholesterol, and glucose were observed in 1.25 mg/kg BW (p < 0.0001) and 1.00 mg/kg BW (p < 0.0001) groups in comparison to control. A larger number of anogenital female sniffing, pursuit, and mounting behaviors were also observed in 1.25 mg/kg BW group in comparison to control (p < 0.0001). Severe testicular defects including necrosis and disruption of the epithelium of seminiferous tubules, sloughing of epithelial cells, and spermatogenesis arrest were observed in letrozole-treated groups, in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: Maternal exposure to letrozole can adversely affect the reproductive and metabolic performance of male offspring rats, suggesting an incomplete sex differentiation. Key words: Androgens, Aromatase inhibitors, Rat, Sexual activities, Testes histopathology

The frequency of HBeAg and relation with serum level of aminotransferase in chronic hepatitis B

زمینه و هدف: ویروس هپاتیت B (HBV) شایع ترین علت بیماری کبدی حاد و مزمن در جهان به شمار می رود. در افراد ناقل HBV می بایست وضعیت تکثیر ویروسی با استفاده از مارکرهای مناسب از جمله HbeAg مورد بررسی قرار گیرد تا در صورت مثبت بودن و همچنین بالا بودن آنزیم های کبدی افراد مبتلا به هپاتیت مزمن شناسایی شده و سپس تحت درمان قرار گیرند. لذا این مطالعه با هدف تعیین فراوانی مارکر HBeAg و ارتباط آن با سطح ترانس آمینازهای کبدی در افراد HBsAg مثبت انجام گرفت. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه توصیفی – تحلیلی 144 فرد آلوده به ویروس هپاتیت B در مراجعین به بیمارستان امام رضا(ع) شهر مشهد در سال 1385 انتخاب و سپس در سرم این افراد، HBeAg و آنزیم های کبدی با روش الایزا و تست های بیوشیمیایی اندازه گیری شدند. داده ها با استفاده از آزمون های آماری من ویتنی و کای دو تجزیه و تحلیل شد. یافته ها: فراوانی افراد 94 نفر مذکر و 50 نفر مونث بود. این افراد در محدوده سنی 85-2 با میانگین 3/2±4/37 سال قرار داشتند. 18 (26 نفر) دارای HBeAg در سرم بودند. میانگین آنزیم آسپارتات آمینو ترانسفراز (AST) در گروه HBeAg مثبت IU/L 83 و در گروه HBeAg منفی IU/L 2/56 بود (01/0

High prevalence of mental disorders: a population-based cross-sectional study in the city of Ilam, Iran

AimTo determine the age- and sex-standardized prevalence and risk factors of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in the city of Ilam.MethodIn this population-based cross-sectional study, 1,350 people were invited using a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method. Depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms were measured using the DASS-21 standard questionnaire. For data analysis, multiple ordinal logistic regression was used in Stata version 12 software. A significance level of 5% was considered.ResultsThe data of 1,431 people were analyzed. The age- and sex-standardized prevalence (95% CI) of severe depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms was 19.90% (17.64 to 22.16), 25.95% (23.48 to 28.43), and 15.75% (13.69 to 17.81), respectively. There was a positive association among depression symptoms with female sex (OR: 1.52; p < 0.003), Kurdish ethnicity (OR: 2.15; p < 0.004), low educational level (OR: 1.37; p < 0.031), job losing history (OR: 1.64; p < 0.001), mental disorders history (OR: 2.17; p < 0.001), hopelessness for the future (OR: 5.38; p < 0.001), and history of other diseases (OR: 1.67; p < 0.001). There was a positive association among anxiety symptoms with female sex (OR: 1.72; p < 0.001), job losing history (OR: 1.53; p < 0.003), mental disorders history (OR: 2.11; p < 0.001), hopelessness to future (OR: 3.33; p < 0.001) and history of other diseases (OR: 1.97; p < 0.001). Hopelessness for the future and a history of other diseases were the most effective variables for anxiety symptoms and stress symptoms.ConclusionA significant proportion of Ilam’s urban population suffers from mental disorders. Increasing people’s awareness, establishing counseling centers, and improving infrastructure should be considered by mental health policymakers who work in the province

Targeted Fluoromagnetic Nanoparticles for Imaging of Breast Cancer MCF-7 Cells

Purpose: To achieve simultaneous imaging and therapy potentials, targeted fluoromagnetic nanoparticles were synthesized and examined in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Methods: Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized through thermal decomposition of Fe(acac)3. Then, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) modified by dopamine-poly ethylene glycol (PEG)-NH2; finally, half equivalent fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and half equivalent folic acid were conjugated to one equivalent of it. The presence of Fe3O4-DPA-PEG-FA/FITC in the folate receptor (FR) positive MCF-7 cells was determined via fluorescent microscopy to monitor the cellular interaction of MNPs. Results: FT-IR spectra of final compound confirmed existence of fluorescein on folic acid grafted MNPs. The Fe3O4-DPA-PEG-FA/FITC NPs, which displayed a size rang about 30-35 nm using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), were able to actively recognize the FR-positive MCF-7 cells, but not the FR-negative A549 cells. Conclusion: The uniform nano-sized Fe3O4-DPA-PEG-FA/FITC NPs displayed great potential as theranostics and can be used for targeted imaging of various tumors that overexpress FR

Subduction-related mafic to felsic magmatism in the Malayer-Boroujerd plutonic complex, western Iran

The Malayer–Boroujerd plutonic complex (MBPC) in western Iran, consists of a portion of a magmatic arc built by the northeast verging subduction of the Neo-Tethys plate beneath the Central Iranian Microcontinent (CIMC). Middle Jurassic-aged felsic magmatic activity in MBPC is manifested by I-type and S-type granites. The mafic rocks include gabbroic intrusions and dykes and intermediate rocks are dioritic dykes and minor intrusions, as well as mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs). MBPC Jurassic-aged rocks exhibit arc-like geochemical signatures, as they are LILE- and LREE-enriched and HFSE- and HREE-depleted and display negative Nb–Ta anomalies. The gabbro dykes and intrusions originated from metasomatically enriched garnet-spinel lherzolite [Degree of melting (fmel) ~ 15%] and exhibit negative Nd and positive to slightly negative εHf(T) (+ 3.0 to − 1.6). The data reveal that evolution of Middle Jurassic magmatism occurred in two stages: (1) deep mantle-crust interplay zone and (2) the shallow level upper crustal magma chamber. The geochemical and isotopic data, as well as trace element modeling, indicate the parent magma for the MBPC S-type granites are products of upper crustal greywacke (fmel: 0.2), while I-type granites formed by partial melting of amphibolitic lower crust (fmel: 0.25) and mixing with upper crustal greywacke melt in a shallow level magma chamber [Degree of mixing (fmix): 0.3]. Mixing between andesitic melt leaving behind a refractory dense cumulates during partial crystallization of mantle-derived magma and lower crustal partial melt most likely produced MMEs (fmix: 0.2). However, enriched and moderately variable εNd(T) (− 3.21 to − 4.33) and high (87Sr/86Sr)i (0.7085–0.7092) in dioritic intrusions indicate that these magmas are likely experienced assimilation of upper crustal materials. The interpretations of magmatic activity in the MBPC is consistent with the role considered for mantle-derived magma as heat and mass supplier for initiation and evolution of magmatism in continental arc setting, elsewhere