Association of variable number of tandem repeats in endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene with coronary artery disease

Endo-derived nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized from L-arginine by endothelium nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). Since reduced NO synthesis has been implicated in the development of coronary atherosclerosis; we hypothesized that polymorphisms of NOS gene might be associated with increased susceptibility to this disorder and coronary artery disease (CAD). We studied the 27 base pair tandem repeat polymorphism in intron4 of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene in 141 unrelated CAD patients with positive coronary angiograms in Shahid Rajaee Heart Hospital and 159 age matched control subjects without a history of symptomatic CAD. The study protocol was approved by the Iran University of Medical Sciences Ethics Committee. The eNOS gene intron4a/b VNTR polymorphism was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction. The plasma lipids levels and other risk factors were also determined. The genotype frequencies for eNOS4b/b, eNOS4a/b and eNOS4a/a were 68.8, 29.1 and 2.1 in CAD subjects, and 81, 18.4 and 0.6 in control subjects, respectively. The genotype frequencies differed significantly between the two groups (�2= 6.38 P= 0.041). The frequency of the allele was 16.7 in CAD subjects and 9.8 in control subjects and was significantly higher in the patients (�2= 6.18 P= 0.013, odds ratio=1.84). Plasma lipids, except HDL-C were also remarkablely increased in CAD group

Differential gene-expression of metallothionein 1M and 1G in response to zinc in sertoli TM4 cells

Background: Zinc (Zn) as an important trace element is essential for testicular development and spermatogenesis. Molecular mechanism of Zn action in the reproductive system may be related to metal binding low-molecular weight proteins, metallothioneins (MT). Our objective was to determine the effect of Zn on two important isoforms of MT, MT1M and MT1G genes expression on testicular sertoli cells. Methods: Cultured sertoli TM4 cells were exposed to different concentrations of Zn at different time points. Cellular uptake of Zn was tested using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The cellular viability and gene expression were assessed by MTT and real-time PCR methods, respectively. Results: The treated cells resulted in higher Zn concentration and cellular viability. The expression of MT1M and MT1G genes in the treated cells were greater than those of the untreated cells (P<0.05). In the high dosage treated group (100 and 500 μM), Zn concentration and expression of MT1M and MT1G genes increased three h after treatment; MT1G gene expression increased more at sixth h. At 18th h of treatment, the expression of both genes especially MT1G, increased dramatically while Zn concentration decreased. Conclusion: Since the increase of MT1G mRNA was coincident with cellular Zn level, it seems that MT1G has a more prominent role than MT1M in the homeostasis of Zn. In addition, Zn at dosage of 50 μM (pharmacologic concentration) may protect cells by increasing the expression of MT genes at longer periods

A review of the most important native medicinal plants of Iran effective on leishmaniasis according to Iranian ethnobotanical references

The World Health Organization has declared that leishmaniasis is one of the six leading infectious diseases of tropical regions. The disease is transmitted to humans by the bite of sandflies from the genus Phlebotomus and develops cutaneous, mucosal or visceral clinical forms. Although cutaneous leishmaniasis is not a main health issue in terms of mortality, it causes numerous problems due to long period of the wound, tremendous healthcare costs, remaining scar, the likelihood of developing secondary infections or associated complications and sometimes malignancies in the scar site, and complications due to available pharmacotherapies. Studies are being conducted on medicinal plants to identify a suitable drug against Leishmania to treat leishmaniasis. We sought to identify medicinal plants that are used to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis according to references of Iranian traditional medicine. To conduct this review, Leishmania, leishmaniasis, ethnobotany, Iran, and medicinal plants were used to retrieve relevant publications indexed in databases including Scopus, Islamic World Science Citation Center, Scientific Information Database, and Magiran. According to the findings of this review, nine medicinal plants native to Iran are used to treat leishmaniasis. Medicinal plants Calotropis procera, Morus alba, Nerium oleander, Emex spinose, Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia absinthium, and etc are used to treat the wound according to herbal and traditional references. According to phytochemical analysis of these plants, gutaprecha, prenylated flavonoid, scopolin, reseosaid, skimmin, mulberroside A, astroglide, artemisinin, quercetin, and lawson are the most important active anti-leishmaniasis compounds with pharmaceutical potential as well as antiparasitic and disinfectant properties. These compounds can also be used to treat leishmaniasis wound

Influencia de diferentes regímenes de riego y tiempo de siembra en la calidad y cantidad del cáliz, el contenido de aceite de las semillas y la eficiencia del uso del agua de la roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.)

This study was carried out to examine the physiological traits, quality of calyx extract and seed oil content of roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) as affected by irrigation regimes and planting dates. The growth period from seed sowing to calyx harvesting was shortened as planting time was delayed. Stem diameter and plant height were decreased by drought stress or late planting, but calyx yield, total phenolic content, total anthocyanin content, vitamin C, and calyx water use efficiency increased under mild drought condition. In addition, antioxidant activity and calyx water use efficiency were significantly increased by late planting. It was suggested that an increase in calyx harvest index in delay in planting would be due to better photosynthesis activity and higher assimilate use efficiency because of the increase in sink capacity. Seed oil content decreased considerably due to drought stress and delay in planting date. These findings suggest that mild drought stress improves the quality and quantity of calyx and water use efficiency.Este estudio se llevó a cabo para examinar los rasgos fisiológicos, la calidad del extracto de cáliz y el contenido de aceite de semillas de roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) afectado por regímenes de riego y fecha de siembra. El período de crecimiento desde la siembra de la semilla hasta la cosecha del cáliz se acortó debido a que se retrasó el tiempo de siembra. El diámetro del tallo y la altura de la planta disminuyeron por el estrés por sequía o la siembra tardía, pero el rendimiento del cáliz, el contenido fenólico total, el contenido total de antocianinas, la vitamina C y la eficiencia del uso del agua del cáliz aumentaron en condiciones de sequía leve. Además, la actividad antioxidante y la eficiencia del uso del agua del cáliz aumentaron significativamente en la siembra tardía. Se sugirió que el aumento del índice de cosecha del cáliz en la demora en la siembra se debería a una mejor actividad de fotosíntesis y una mayor eficiencia en el uso de asimilación debido al aumento de la capacidad de hundimiento. El contenido de aceite de las semillas disminuyó considerablemente debido al estrés por sequía y al retraso en la fecha de siembra. Estos hallazgos sugieren que el estrés por sequía leve mejora la calidad y cantidad del cáliz y la eficiencia del uso del agua

Effects of vitamin C supplementation on leadinduced apoptosis in adult rat hippocampus

BACKGROUND: Lead has caused widespread pollution in the environment due to the numerous industrial applications. One principle target for lead in the human body is the central nervous system. However, research has demonstrated that neurotoxic effects of lead can be ameliorated by antioxidant agents, such as vitamin C. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effects of vitamin C supplementation against lead-induced apoptosis in the adult rat hippocampus, as well as changes in pro-apoptotic protein Bax expression. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: A randomized, controlled, animal study was performed at the College of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences from December 2007 to April 2009. MATERIALS: Lead acetate and vitamin C were purchased from Sigma, USA. METHODS: Thirty male rats were randomly assigned to three groups, with 10 rats in each group: control, lead, and lead + vitamin C. Rats from the lead group received intraperitoneal administration of lead 20 mg/kg per day for 7 days. Rats from the lead + vitamin C group received ascorbic acid 500 mg/kg per day in addition to lead acetate (as per the lead group). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: After 7 days of vitamin C administration, hippocampal cell apoptosis was observed using uranyl acetate and lead citrate stainings, hippocampal Bax protein expression was detected by Western blot analysis, and blood lead levels were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. RESULTS: Vitamin C supplementation significantly reduced lead-induced hippocampal cell apoptosis and decreased hippocampal Bax protein expression. However, vitamin C treatment did not significantly decrease blood lead levels. CONCLUSION: Vitamin C significantly decreased Bax expression and reduced lead-induced hippocampal cell apoptosis

Hypozincemia in bipolar i disorder (BID) patients

One-third of the world's population is at risk of zinc deficiency. It has been hypothesized that low serum/plasma zinc may contribute to alteration of brain Zn homeostasis and thus had to various psychological disorders. This study was designed to evaluate serum zinc (Zn) as well as copper (Cu) concentrations in patients with Bipolar I Disorder (BID) in our community to support the findings on the possible association of Zn in neuropsychological functions. Participants included 30 BID patients with different phases of mania and depression and 30 healthy controls. Results indicated the mean serum Zn level of the BID group was significantly lower than that of controls (P< 0.0001). Similar results were obtained for Cu. These findings suggest a possible association of Zn levels on neuropsychological dysfunction. Copyright © 2007 by New Century Health Publishers, LLC. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene intron4 VNTR polymorphism in patients with coronary artery disease in Iran

Background & objectives: Endo-derived nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized from L-arginine by endothelium nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) encoded by the NOS3 gene on chromosome7. Since reduced No synthesis has been implicated in the development of coronary atherosclerosis; polymorphisms of NOS gene might be associated with increased susceptibility to this disorder and coronary artery disease (CAD). We therefore undertook this study to determine the association between the occurrence of CAD and eNOS4 b/a polymorphism in Iranian patients. Methods: We studied the 27 base pair tandem repeat polymorphism in intron4 of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene in 141 unrelated CAD patients with positive coronary angiograms and 159 age matched control subjects without a history of symptomatic CAD. The eNOS gene intron4a/b VNTR polymorphism was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction. The plasma lipids levels and other risk factors were also determined. Results: The genotype frequencies for eNOS4b/b, eNOS4a/b and eNOS4a/a were 68.8, 29.1 and 2.1 per cent in CAD subjects, and 81, 18.4 and 0.6 per cent in control subjects, respectively. The genotype frequencies differed significantly (P<0.05) between the two groups. The frequency of the a allele was 16.7 per cent in CAD subjects and 9.8 per cent in control subjects and was significantly higher in the patients (P<0.05, Odds ratio=1.84). Plasma lipids, except HDL-C were also significantly increased in CAD group. Interpretation & conclusion: Though the genotype frequencies for eNOS4b/ b, eNOS4a/b and eNOS4a/a, also 'a' allele frequency differed significantly between the CAD patients and controls, this polymorphism was not an independent risk factor for the development of CAD in Iranian patients. Further studies with larger samples need to be done to confirm these findings

New species of Colletotrichum from wild Poaceae and Cyperaceae plants in Iran

Twenty-two Colletotrichum strains were isolated from anthracnose symptoms or leaf spots on leaves of various wild Poaceae and Cyperaceae plants collected in three provinces of Iran and tentatively identified as belonging to the Graminicola species complex based on morphology. All strains were studied via a polyphasic approach combining colony characteristics, morphology and phylogeny inferred from multi-locus sequences, including the nuc rDNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS), partial sequences of the β-tubulin (tub2), actin (act), manganese superoxide dismutase 2 (sod2), DNA lyase 2 (apn2) genes, a 200-bp intron of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gapdh), and the intergenic spacer between the apn2 gene and the mat1 idiomorph (apn2/mat1). Six species were distinguished, including three new species, namely C. caspicum, C. persicum, and C. sacchari, and three previously described species, C. cereale, C. nicholsonii and C. sublineola. Comprehensive morphological descriptions and illustrations are provided for all species. Furthermore, this study provided new insights into the distribution and host range of known species

Fundamental structural and functional properties of Aquaporin ion channels found across the kingdoms of life

Aquaporin (AQP) channels in the Major Intrinsic Protein (MIP) family are known to facilitate transmembrane water fluxes in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Some classes of AQPs also conduct ions, glycerol, urea, CO₂ , nitric oxide, and other small solutes. Ion channel activity has been demonstrated for mammalian AQPs 0, 1, 6, Drosophila big brain (BIB), soybean nodulin 26, and rockcress AtPIP2;1. More classes are likely to be discovered. Newly identified blockers are providing essential tools for establishing physiological roles of some of the AQP dual water and ion channels. For example, the arylsulfonamide AqB011 which selectively blocks the central ion pore of mammalian AQP1 has been shown to impair migration of HT29 colon cancer cells. Traditional herbal medicines are sources of selective AQP1 inhibitors that also slow cancer cell migration. The finding that plant AtPIP2;1 expressed in root epidermal cells mediates an ion conductance regulated by calcium and protons provided insight into molecular mechanisms of environmental stress responses. Expression of lens MIP (AQP0) is essential for maintaining the structure, integrity and transparency of the lens, and Drosophila BIB contributes to neurogenic signalling pathways to control the developmental fate of fly neuroblast cells; however, the ion channel roles remain to be defined for MIP and BIB. A broader portfolio of pharmacological agents is needed to investigate diverse AQP ion channel functions in situ. Understanding the dual water and ion channel roles of AQPs could inform the development of novel agents for rational interventions in diverse challenges from agriculture to human health. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Mohamad Kourghi, Jinxin V. Pei, Michael L. De Ieso, Saeed Nourmohammadi, Pak Hin Chow, Andrea J. Yoo