Study of seed protein electrophoretic profiles in some Erodium (Geraniaceae) species native to Iran

Erodium (L.) L’Hér. with 75 species is the third largest genus in Geraniaceae. Erodium is distributed in all continents but it shows a great diversity in the Mediterranean region. In Flora Iranica , Schonbeck-Temesy (1970), 15 species, four subsections and three subspecies have been mentioned for Erodium in Iran. Electrophoretic patterns of seed storage proteins in the genus Erodium has not been studied extensively. In this study for the first time seed protein electrophoretic patterns of seven Erodium species from different regions of Iran have been investigated. Protein extracts of seeds were obtained and protein concentration was determined by the Bradford method and analyzed with SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Results were evaluated by multivariate analysis methods including cluster analysis and factor analysis. In the electrophoretic pattern of seed storage proteins, generally, 48 specific bands with molecular weight between 13-102 kDa were detected. Electrophoretic data confirmed sub-generic classification of Erodium (to Plumosa and Erodium sections). Species relationships are discussed

Aromatic amino acids play a harmonizing role in prostate cancer: A metabolomics-based cross-sectional study

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is a common health problem worldwide. The rate of this disease is likely to grow by 2021. PCa is a heterogeneous disorder, and various biochemical factors contribute to the development of this disease. The metabolome is the complete set of metabolites in a cell or biological sample and represents the downstream end product of the omics. Hence, to model PCa by computational systems biology, a preliminary metabolomics-based study was used to compare the metabolome profile pattern between healthy and PCa men. Objective: This study was carried out to highlight energy metabolism modification and assist the prognosis and treatment of disease with unique biomarkers. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional research, 26 men diagnosed with stage-III PCa and 26 healthy men with normal PSA levels were enrolled. Urine was analyzed with proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy, accompanied by the MetaboAnalyst web-based platform tool for metabolomics data analysis. Partial least squares regression discriminant analysis was applied to clarify the separation between the two groups. Outliers were documented and metabolites determined, followed by identifying biochemical pathways. Results: Our findings reveal that modifications in aromatic amino acid metabolism and some of their metabolites have a high potential for use as urinary PCa biomarkers. Tryptophan metabolism (p < 0.001), tyrosine metabolism (p < 0.001), phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis (p < 0.001), phenylalanine metabolism (p = 0.01), ubiquinone and other terpenoid-quinone biosynthesis (p = 0.19), nitrogen metabolism (p = 0.21), and thiamine metabolism (p = 0.41) with Q2 (0.198) and R2 (0.583) were significantly altered. Conclusion: The discriminated metabolites and their pathways play an essential role in PCa causes and harmony. Key words: Metabolomics, Prostate cancer, Aromatic amino acids, 1H-NMR spectroscopy

Predictive value of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A in relation to fetal loss: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: For a woman with bleeding and threatened abortion, ultrasound scan is done to confirm the viability of the fetus; however, 10-15% of the embryos are eventually aborted. Distinguishing between women with good and poor prognosis can be a helpful approach. Objective: This study aimed to review the predictive value of Pregnancy-associated Plasma Protein A (PAPP-A) in relation to the diagnosis of fetal loss. Materials and Methods: The articles published in multiple databases including Web of Science, PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Persian databases such as ISC, Magiran, and IranMedx were searched for articles published until May 2019. MeSH terms was used for searching the databases including fetal loss OR pregnancy loss OR abortion OR miscarriage with the following word using AND; Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein- A OR PAPP-A. Two reviewers extracted data and recorded them in a pre-defined form and assessed the quality of articles using the Newcastle-Ottawa tool. Meta-analysis was done using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis/2.0 software and MetaDisc. Results: A total number of 16 studies were eligible for the qualitative data synthesis, out of which 8 studies were included in the meta-analysis. All studies had high and medium quality. The forest plot analysis showed a sensitivity of 57% (95% CI: 53-63%), a specificity of 83% (95% CI: 80-85%), a positive likelihood ratio of 3.52 (95% CI: 2.44- 5.07), a negative likelihood ratio of 0.54 (95% CI: 0.37-0.79), and a diagnostic odds ratio of 6.95 (95% CI: 3.58-13.50). Conclusion: PAPP-A cannot be recommended on a routine basis for predicting fetal loss and still further research with a combination of other biomarkers is required. Key words: Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A, Fetal loss, Pregnancy, Systematic review

Effect of maternal fluoxetine exposure on lung, heart and kidney development in rat neonates

Objective(s): Depression during pregnancy negatively affects fetal development. Fluoxetine as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs) is used for treatment of gestational depression. This study is trying to determine the effects of fluoxetine on the renal, heart and lung development.Materials and Methods: Fifteen pregnant rats were treated with fluoxetine at 7 mg/kg from days 0 to 21 of gestation. Immediately after born, heart and kidney samples were evaluated for genes expression and histological assessment. Lung sample were fixed for immunohistochemical study.Results: The gene expression of BMP7 and WNT4 were reduced in the kidney of fluoxetine-treated group (P-value0.05). Histological assessment showed that the glomeruli of the kidneys in treated group are more primordial compared to control. There was a developmental deficiency in Bowman’s capsule, and the capsular space was not clear. The arrangements of the filaments, the position of the nucleus and cells morphology were normal in the hearts of both groups. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that in the fluoxetine-exposed group HoxB5 is more expressed in the mesenchymal cells, but in the control group the expression is limited to alveolar cells.Conclusion: According to developmental changes in kidney, heart and lung, fluoxetine affects neonatal growth during pregnancy, which may lead to delay of some organs growth. So, it is essential to survey the roles of antidepressant drugs on fatal and neonatal development during pregnancy

A social work study to investigate the relationships between women’s personal characteristics and employment status

Women play important role on building a sustainable family oriented society; they could also contribute to society by contributing to labor market. However, women’s personal characteristics such as educational background, years of experience, etc. could impact their future occupations. In this paper, we study the impact of various factors on women’s job status. The measurement tools for social factors of employment in this research is a questionnaire consists of 32 questions. The study measures the reflection of repliers to different social factors including social position, popularity, socialize, social manners, self-reliance, speech abilities, responsibility, etc. Data were gathered from a sample of 300 people using random sampling and analyzed using descriptive mono factor statistics, Spearman correlation, Kramer correlation coefficient, Chi-square, regression and path analysis. The validity of questionnaire is tested by using Cronbach alpha (%75). The results indicate that there are some meaningful relationships between woman’s educational level, age, residency status, socialization capability, urbanity, skill & ability and their employment. The study, however, does not find any relationship between marital status and number of children and outcome of woman’s employment

Molecular characterization of bovine Cryptosporidium using Cryptosporidium oocyst wall protein (COWP) gene

Cryptosporidium is a globally distributed protozoan parasite and one of the most common causes of infection and diarrhea in humans and cattle. The aim of the present study was to determine the species of Cryptosporidium among cattle with diarrhea by a nested PCR-RFLP technique at Cryptosporidium oocyst wall protein (COWP). Fecal samples from 158 calves aged 1-20 weeks were collected from 10 dairy farms in Qazvin province, Iran. Initial identification of Cryptosporidium was carried out by Zeihl-Neelsen acid-fast staining method of stool samples. DNA was extracted from 26 (16.45 %) positive microscopically samples and Cryptosporidium genotypes were determined. Cryptosporidium parvum were identified in 80.8% of the positive samples and, Cryptosporidium andersoni in 19.2%. In conclusion the use of COWP primers could be sensitive enough to conduct a routine detection study. The nested PCR method using the COWP gene sequence can be an alternative diagnostic method to identify infected with Cryptosporidium and its genetic diversity

The effect of royal jelly and silver nanoparticles on liver and kidney inflammation

Objective: Royal jelly (RJ) is a honey bee product for which, anti-inflammatory properties were shown in vitro. Nanoparticles, including nano-silver (NS), are plausible inflammation inducers that act by activation of immune cells and consequent production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This project aimed to explore immunomodulatory effects of royal jelly and nano-silver on the kidney and liver. Materials and Methods: In this project, 40 male rats were grouped as follows: 10 rats as controls, 10 rats treated with RJ; 10 rats treated with both NS and RJ and 10 rats treated with NS. Liver and kidney interleukin (IL)-1β, -2, -6, and -33 levels were determined using commercial ELISA kits. Results: RJ reduced kidney IL-6 levels in comparison to control and NS--RJ groups. RJ and NS reduced kidney and liver IL-1β levels. Kidney IL-33 levels were decreased in the RJ and nano-silver groups in comparison to the NS--RJ group. Conclusion: Based on this study, it may be concluded that RJ together with NS can play anti-inflammatory roles and may affect the function of immune cells

Plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and its soluble receptor in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a clinical pathologic condition, which leads to inflammation events in hepatocytes. The objective of present study was to compare the plasma levels of VEGF and sVEGFR-1 as inflammation factors in overweight and obese children and adolescents with and without NAFLD. Materials and Methods: A total sample of 70 overweight and obese children and adolescents (37 boys and 33 girls) were recruited from those admitted to a nutrition clinic in Mashhad, northeastern Iran. The presence of NAFLD was determined by FibroScan, ultrasound and elevation of liver enzyme. Plasma VEGF and sVEGFR1 were also determined for each individual. Results: VEGF levels (log transformed) showed a significant stepwise increase from “zero” to “first”, “second” and “third” grades (P tren

Protective and modulatory effects of royal jelly used against the induced changes in silver nanoparticles on the hippocampus of male rats

Objective (s): Silver nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted considerable attention owing to their important properties, including antimicrobial and anti-oxidative stress effects. However, high concentrations of silver NPs have been reported to have toxic effects. The present study aimed to evaluate the modulatory and protective effects of royal jelly (RJ) against the harmful effects of silver NPs on hippocampal functions, such as learning and memory. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was conducted on 40 male Wistar rats. The animals were divided into four groups of 10, including the control group (no silver NPs and RJ), RJ group, silver NPs plus RJ, and silver NPs. Some functions of the hippocampus (e.g., learning and memory) were evaluated using Morris memory function tests for four consecutive days. In addition, the relative expression of TRPV1 was assessed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). At the final stage, hippocampal tissues were collected for histological studies.Results: Levels of learning and memory, relative gene expression ratio of TRPV1, and the histological changes in the hippocampus were significantly different in the groups receiving silver NPs compared to the groups administered with RJ. Conclusion: According to the results, RJ may be the effective in the protection against the adverse effects of silver NPs and improve the function of the hippocampus