Effects of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) extract on serum antibacterial activity of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) against Aeromonas hydrophila, Streptococcus iniae and Yersinia ruckeri

In the present study, the effects of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) extract on serum antibacterial activity of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) against Aeromonas hydrophila, Streptococcus iniae and Yersinia ruckeri was studied. In this regard, 450 fish with average weight of 100±10 g were stocked into fifteen fiberglass tanks. This experiment consisted of 3 treatment groups (received 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg BW safflower extract via IP injection), one positive control group (just received normal saline) and one negative control group (with no injection). Blood samples were taken at the 3th, 7th and 10th days after the injections, and antibacterial activity of serum were determined in vitro using CFU method. The results showed that safflower extract injection had no significant effects on serum anti-bacterial activity against A. hydrophyla and Y. rukeri during 10 days post injection. However, in the fish receiving 100 mg/kg safflower extract, serum bactericidal activity against S. iniae was significantly higher than the other groups. This study demonstrated that safflower extract at the doses of 50-200 mg/kg via IP injection did not cause significant changes in serum antibacterial activity against A. hydrophila and Y. ruckeri, but injection of 100 mg/kg extract led to an increase in the serum antibacterial activity against S. iniae, in rainbow trout

A 38- Year Demographic Study of Central and Peripheral Giant Cell Granulomas of the Gaws

Objective: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively analyze the demographic characteristics of patients with central peripheral giant cell granulomas (CGCGs) / (PGCGs) an Iranian population.Methods: In this 38-year retrospective study, the data were obtained from records of 1019 patients with CGCG and PGCG of the jaws referred to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial, Pathology, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran between 1972 and 2010. Information regarding age distribution, gender, location of the lesion and clinical signs and symptoms was documented.Results: A total of 1019 patients were affected by giant cell granuloma lesions (GCGLs) including 435 CGCGs and 584 PGCGs. The mean age was 28.91 ± 18.16. PGCGs and CGCGs had a peak of occurrence in the first and second decade of life respectively. A female predominance was shown in CGCG cases (57.70%), whereas PGCGs were more frequent in males (50.85%). Five hundred and ninety eight cases of all giant cell lesions (58.7 %) occurred in the mandible. Posterior mandible was the most frequent site for both Lesions. The second most common site for PGCG was posterior maxilla (21%), whereas anterior mandible was involved in CGCG (19.45%). The majority of patients were asymptomatic. Patient's age, location (mandible/maxilla) and bleeding were the influential variables on the type of the lesion.Conclusion: Although the CGCGs share some histopathologic similarities with PGCGs, differences in demographic features may be observed in different populations

Correlation between ELF–PEMF exposure and Human RPE Cell Proliferation, Apoptosis and Gene Expression

Purpose: Emerging evidence implies that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) can negatively affect angiogenesis. In this regard, the effects of extremely low frequency pulsed electromagnetic field (ELF–PEMF) exposure on the relative expression level of angiogenic factors involved in the pathogenesis of ocular disorders were evaluated in human retinal pigment epithelial (hRPE) cells in order to investigate a noninvasive therapeutic method for patients with several ocular diseases associated with neovascularization. Methods: After separating hRPE cells from globes, hRPE cells were exposed to 15 mT of ELF–PEMF (120 Hz) at 5, 10, and 15 min for seven days. Cell proliferation and apoptosis of treated cells were evaluated via ELISA assay. Moreover, relative expression changes of HIF-1α, CTGF, VEGFA, MMP-2, cathepsin D, and E2F3 were performed using real-time RT-PCR. Results: ELF–PEMF exposure had no significant effects on the apoptosis and proliferation rate of hRPE cells. Expression level of HIF-1α, CTGF, VEGFA, MMP- 2, cathepsin D, and E2F3 was downregulated following 5 min of ELF–PEMF exposure. Conclusion: As ELF–PEMF showed inhibitory effects on the expression of angiogenic genes in hRPE cells with no cytotoxic or proliferative side effects, it can be introduced as a useful procedure for managing angiogenesis induced by retinal pathogenesis, although more studies with adequate follow-up in animal models are needed

Primary Angle Closure Glaucoma-associated Genetic Polymorphisms in Northeast Iran

Purpose: To evaluate the association of five different polymorphisms from a genomewide- associated study with susceptibility to glaucoma in the northeast Iranian population. Methods: Hundred and thirty patients with primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) and 130 healthy controls were genotyped for the polymorphic regions with the aid of tetraamplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction. The association of these variants with the disease susceptibility was measured statistically with the logistic regression method. Results: Hundred and thirty patients with PACG (53 males, 77 females) with a mean age of 64.5 ± 6.2 years and 130 healthy control subjects (51 males, 79 females) with a mean age of 64.0 ± 5.7 years were selected for evaluation. There was a significant association between rs3816415 (P = 0.005), rs736893 (P < 0.001), rs7494379 (P < 0.001), and rs1258267 (P = 0.02) with PACG susceptibility. This association could not be shown for rs3739821. Conclusion: It was revealed that studied variants in GLIS3, EPDR1, FERMT2, and CHAT genes can contribute to the incidence of PACG. Additional studies in other populations are needed to evaluate DPM2-FAM102A