Bioaccumulation of some heavy metals and histopathological alterations in liver of Euryglossa orientalis and Psettodes erumei along North Coast of the Persian Gulf

In order to make evaluation of some heavy metals bioaccumulation and explore their histopathological effects on hepatocytes of oriental sole (Euryglossa orientalis) and deep flounder (Psettodes erumei), fishes were caught from two areas of north coast of the Persian Gulf, Bandar Abbass and Bandar Lengeh. Concentrations of nickel (Ni) and vanadium (V) in liver of both species in two sampling regions were in the following order: Bandar abbass> Bandar lengeh. Between the two species, these quantities were higher in P. erumei than E. orientalis in both sampling regions. Histopathology of the liver shows some cellular alterations including degeneration, necrosis and tissue disruption, and histopathological effects were severe in P. erumei than E. orientalis. Results showed that Bandar Abbass region was more polluted than Bandar Lengeh and because Ni and V were oil pollution indicators and two flat fishes were benthic, they can receive considerable amount of oil pollution through their biological activities like feeding. Also, higher amounts of heavy metal concentrations and major histopathological effects in E. orientalis showed strong relationship between benthic habitat of the fish and amounts of received pollutants from water and sediments since E. orientalis is more related to the bottom than P. erumei.Key words: Vanadium, nickel flatfishes, Persian Gulf

Prediction of preeclampsia based on blood lead levels in early pregnancy

زمینه و هدف: پره اکلامپسی شایع ترین عارضه بالینی دوران بارداری است. با توجه به اهمیت پره اکلامپسی در بارداری و عدم وجود عوامل قطعی موثر بر آن، این پژوهش با هدف پیشگویی وقوع پره اکلامپسی بر اساس سطح سرب خون مادران باردار در نیمه اول بارداری انجام شد. روش بررسی: این مطالعه توصیفی - تحلیلی بر روی 1033 مادر باردار در درمانگاه های پره ناتال شهر تهران انجام شد. در بدو ورود به مطالعه نمونه خون جهت سنجش سرب اخذ و پرسشنامه دموگرافیک تکمیل گردید. مادران باردار از زمان ورود به مطالعه تا زمان زایمان تحت مراقبت و پیگیری قرار گرفتند. در صورت وجود فشار خون مساوی یا بیش از 140 بر 90 میلی‌متر جیوه و پروتئین‌اوری پس از هفته 20 بارداری تشخیص پره اکلامپسی برای مادر داده می شد. برای تجزیه و تحلیل داده ها از آزمون های آماری من ویتنی و رگرسیون لجستیک در نرم افزارSPSS استفاده شد. یافته ها: از 1033 مادر باردار 20 نفر (9/1) مبتلا به پره اکلامپسی بودند. میانگین سطح سرب خون مادران µg/dl9/4 ± 7/4 بود. ارتباط میان سرب خون مادر و پره اکلامپسی مستقیم و معنادار بود (001/0>(P. سطح موثر سرب خون (نقطه ی برش) در پره اکلامپسی دارای حساسیت 85، ویژگی 5/70، ارزش اخباری منفی 6/99 و ارزش اخباری مثبت 4/5، µg/dl 5 بدست آمد. نتیجه گیری: نتایج این مطالعه نشان داد که سطح سرب µg/dl 5 و بالاتر در نیمه اول بارداری می تواند با حساسیت نسبتاً بالا با وقوع پره اکلامپسی همراه باشد؛ لذا انجام این آزمایش به عنوان روشی در اوایل بارداری، برای پیشگویی وقوع پره اکلامپسی در مادران باردار فاقد عوامل خطرزای مهم پره اکلامپسی، پیشنهاد می گردد

Design and synthesis of irreversible inhibitors of foot-and-mouth disease virus 3C protease.

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) causes a highly infectious and economically devastating disease of livestock. The FMDV genome is translated as a single polypeptide precursor that is cleaved into functional proteins predominantly by the highly conserved viral 3C protease, making this enzyme an attractive target for antiviral drugs. A peptide corresponding to an optimal substrate has been modified at the C-terminus, by the addition of a warhead, to produce irreversible inhibitors that react as Michael acceptors with the enzyme active site. Further investigation highlighted key structural determinants for inhibition, with a positively charged P2 being particularly important for potency. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

New 2-Methoxy Acetylenic Acids and Pyrazole Alkaloids from the Marine Sponge Cinachyrella sp.

K

Obesity and insulin sensitivity effects on cardiovascular risk factors: Comparisons of obese dysglycemic youth and adults

Background: Obesity and pubertal insulin resistance worsen cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in youth. It is unclear how the relationships of obesity and insulin resistance with CV risk compare to adults. Subjects and Methods: We evaluated 66 pubertal youth (mean ± SD: age 14.2 ± 2.0 years, body mass index [BMI] 36.6 ± 6.0 kg/m2, hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] 38.5 ± 6.1 mmol/mol) and 355 adults with comparable BMI (age 52.7 ± 9.4 years, BMI 35.1 ± 5.1 kg/m2, HbA1c 39.8 ± 4.2 mmol/mol) participating in a multicenter study. Insulin sensitivity was quantified using hyperglycemic clamps. Assessment of CV risk factors was standardized across sites. Regression analyses compared the impact of insulin sensitivity and CV risk factors between youth and adults. Results: Obese pubertal youth were more insulin resistant than comparably obese adults (P \u3c.001), but with similar slopes for the inverse relationship between insulin sensitivity and obesity. The impact of obesity on CV risk factors was explained by insulin sensitivity (P = NS after adjustment for sensitivity). The two age groups did not differ in relationships between insulin sensitivity and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, after adjusting for obesity. However, while systolic blood pressure (SBP) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol exhibited the expected direct and inverse relationships, respectively with insulin sensitivity in adults, these slopes were flat in youth across the range of insulin sensitivity (P ≤.05 for group differences). Conclusions: Effects of obesity on CV risk factors were attributable to insulin sensitivity in both groups. The relationships between insulin sensitivity and CV risk factors were similar in obese youth and adult groups except for SBP and HDL cholesterol. Clinical Trial Registration: The RISE consortium studies are registered through Clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01779362 (Adult Medication Study); NCT01763346 (Adult Surgery Study); and NCT01779375 (Pediatric Medication Study). Clinical trial registration numbers: NCT01779362, NCT01779375 and NCT01763346 at clinicaltrials.gov

Frequency of Oral and Maxillofacial Tumors in the Samples Referred to the Pathology Department of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: The mouth, jaw, and face are prone to oral and maxillofacial tumors, constituting a significant proportion of pathological lesions in Iran. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the frequency of oral and maxillofacial tumors in the samples referred to the Pathology Department of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on 110 patients referred to Qazvin Dental Clinic with pathological diagnosis of oral and maxillofacial tumors. After reviewing the medical files, information on tumor type, anatomical location, tissue origin, age range, gender, smoking and drug use, alcohol consumption, family history, and pathological diagnosis were extracted. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 25).Results: According to the findings of the study, 58.18% of women and 41.81% of men developed tumors of the mouth, jaw, and face. These pathological lesions were in the age range of 9-90 years (mean age of 41.04±20.29 years). They made up 42.72% of benign tumors and 57.27% of malignant ones. Among these, 84 cases were odontogenic tumors, and 26 cases were non-odontogenic tumors.Conclusion: As evidenced by the obtained results, oral squamous cell carcinoma was the most common among Oral and Maxillofacial tumors. This finding is consistent with the results of many epidemiological studies in the field of tumors of the mouth, jaw, and face

Determinants of Slow-Wave Activity in Overweight and Obese Adults: Roles of Sex, Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Testosterone Levels

Background: Slow-wave activity (SWA) in non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, obtained by spectral analysis of the electroencephalogram, is a marker of the depth or intensity of NREM sleep. Higher levels of SWA are associated with lower arousability during NREM sleep and protect against sleep fragmentation. Multiple studies have documented that SWA levels are higher in lean women, compared to age-matched lean men, but whether these differences persist in obese subjects is unclear. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition associated with obesity, is more prevalent in men than in women. Sex differences in SWA could therefore be one of the factors predisposing men to OSA. Furthermore, we hypothesized that higher levels of testosterone may be associated with lower levels of SWA.Objective: The aim of the current study was to identify sex differences in the determinants of SWA in young and middle-aged overweight and obese adults.Methods: We enrolled 101 overweight and obese but otherwise healthy participants from the community (44 men, 57 women) in this cross-sectional study. Participants underwent an overnight in-laboratory polysomnogram. The recordings were submitted to sleep staging and spectral analysis. Sex differences and the potential contribution of testosterone levels were evaluated after adjusting for age, body mass index and race/ethnicity.Results: OSA was present in 66% of men and in 44% of women. After adjustment for differences in age, race/ethnicity and BMI, the odds ratio for OSA in men vs. women was 3.17 (95% CI 1.14–9.43, p = 0.027). There was a graded inverse relationship between the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and SWA in men (β = −0.21, p = 0.018) but not in women (β = 0.10, p = 0.207). In a multivariate regression model, higher testosterone levels were independently associated with lower SWA in men after controlling for age, race/ethnicity and apnea-hypopnea index (β = −0.56, p = 0.025).Conclusion: Increasing severity of OSA was associated with significant decrease in sleep intensity in men but not in women. Higher testosterone levels were associated with lower sleep intensity in men. Men with higher testosterone levels may therefore have lower arousal thresholds and higher ventilatory instability in NREM sleep, and be at greater risk of OSA