Role of histaminegic and calcium channels in the inhibitory effects of hydroalcoholic extract of matricaria recutita L. on isolated rabbit jejunum

Introduction: Considering the long traditional history of anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic effects of Matricria spices on the gastrointestinal system, the present study aimed to investigate the role of calcium channels and Histamine receptors in the inhibitory effects of hydroalcoholic dry extract of German chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) on the isolated rabbit jejunum. Methods: All experiments were done on the isolated jejunum of New Zealand rabbits (1.8-2.5 kg). Dry extract of aerial parts of M. recutita was obtained by the maceration technique. The study was performed on two groups (n=6 in each group). In the first group, the effects of cumulative concentrations of M. recutita (3×10-3-1×10-2 mg/ml) on normal and K+-induced contractions (50 mM) of isolated jejunum were studied. In the second group, the inhibitory role of M. recutita (3 – 13×10-3 mg/ml) was evaluated in the presence and absence of histamine and cetrizine. In the presence and absence of 10 μM certizine, a histamine H1-antagonist, a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect of M. recutita extract in the range of 3-13×10-3 mg/ml was recorded the rabbit jejunum. Results: Results showed that EC50 of M. recutita in the absence and presence of K+ was 6.3×10-3 and 6.5×10- 3mg/ml, respectively. IC50 values for two concentrations of M. recutita (8×10-3 , 1×10-2 ) to abrogated contractive phase of Histamine was 9.55 × 10-6 and 1.57 × 10-6 μM. Cetrizine (10 μM) abolished inhibitory effects of M. recutita (IC50=3.6×10-3), (p< 0.001). Conclusion: Dry extract of matricaria recutita had inhibitory effects on the contractions of isolated rabbit jejunum. Calcium channels and histamine were involved in these antispasmodic effects

Influence of various dietary fat sources on freezing capacity of Moghani ram semen

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of protected fish oil (FO) and Persia fat® (PF) on the quality of Moghani ram semen. For this purpose, a total of 96 ejaculates were collected from 12 healthy mature Moghani rams, which were divided into three distinct groups (n = 4) and were assigned to one of three experimental diets. The first group (control) received a diet supplemented with palm oil (PO), while the second and third groups received encapsulated FO and PF, respectively. After primary evaluation, semen samples of each group were pooled to eliminate individual differences, and then evaluated for semen concentration and volume. Afterwards, the samples were diluted with a Tris-based extender and frozen with a standard protocol. After thawing, motion kinetics, viability, membrane functionality and abnormality were assessed. The results showed that the group that received FO had significanty higher viability (quadratic), progressive motility (PM) (%), average path velocity (VAP) (μm/s), curvilinear velocity (VCL) (μm/s) (linear), amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH) (μm) (quadratic) and sperm concentration (linear) than the others. Additionally, total motility (TM) (%) and straight-line velocity (VSL) (μm/s) were significantly higher in the groups that received FO and PF compared with the control (quadratic) The results indicated that sperm abnormalities in the control group were significantly higher than the other groups. In conclusion, enrichment of the diet with FO or Persia fat could enhance ram sperm quality after freeze-thawing process.Keywords: fish oil, frozen spermatozoa, ram, motion parameter

Helicobacter pylori infection is a significant factor risk for hyperhomocysteinemia in the patients with coronary artery disease

This work aimed to determine whether seropositivity to Helicobacter pylori infection was an independent risk factor for hyperhomocysteinemia patients with cardiovascular disease. The H. pylori IgG, IgA and homocystein levels in 96 patients with cardiovascular disease and 64 participants free of cardiovascular disease as control subjects were determined by ELISA assay. The results showed that seropositivity to H. pylori IgG and IgA levels of coronary artery disease (CAD)patients was significantly higher than the controls and CAD patients with H. pylori IgG and IgA negative antibodies. A significant correlation was found between the seropositivity to H. pylori IgG and homocysteine levels of CAD patients in comparison with the controls and CAD patients with seronegativity to H. pylori IgG and IgA (r = 0.233, P = 0.019). The involvement of H. pylori infection in atherosclerosis process was based on the chronic inflammation, which might facilitate the CAD-related pathologies. The effect of the presence of H. pylori infection on homocysteine levels elevation in the CAD patients (as a risk factor independent of other traditional factors) was remarkable

Content analysis of secondary school chemistry textbooks based on components of resistance economy: Shannon Entropy Methodod

Background and Objectives:The present study aims to analyze the content of second grade chemistry textbooks based on the emphasis on the goals of resistance economy. Methods: The research method in this study was descriptive content analysis. In this study, after collecting quantitative data, Shannon entropy technique was used for anarysis. The statistical population of this study formed the content of all secondary high school chemistry textbooks. The sampling method in this study was census; Therefore, all second grade chemistry textbooks were analyzed. The registration unit in this study was the subject. In this study, the frequency of components and themes of resistance economy in chemistry curricula were examined. Findings: The findings of the content analysis showed that in secondary high school chemistry books, the most attention was paid to the goals of resistance economy in the field of consumption the field of skills and the field of production attitude. Conclusion: From the present study, it can be concluded that in the second grade chemistry textbooks, very little attention has been paid to the goals of the resistance economy. Also, in secondary school chemistry curricula, little attention has been paid to the goals and components of the resistance economy and the amount of attention to the goals of the resistance economy do not have a normal distribution and only some components of the resistance economy in the second secondary school (three dimensions and three areas) are consi dered

Genetics and molecular mechanisms of resistance to powdery mildews in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and its wild relatives

Powdery mildews (PMs) cause disease in a wide range of plant species including important crops. Taking tomato as an example, here we review findings on the genetic basis and mechanisms of plant resistance to PMs. First, we present a summary of our research on tomato resistance to two PM species, with the focus on Oidium neolycopersici. We discuss the genetics of resistance to this pathogen in tomato. Then, we compare different forms of resistance mediated by different resistance genes based on molecular and cytological data. Also, we provide a comparison between these resistance genes in tomato with those in barley, Arabidopsis and wheat, in order to present a model for the genetic basis of resistance to PMs in plants. We try to accommodate these resistance mechanisms in the current model of plant innate immunity. At the end we discuss possibilities to translate these findings to practical approaches in breeding for resistance to PMs in crops

Hereditary ataxia with a novel mutation in the Senataxin gene: A case report

Hereditary ataxias (HA) are a group of inherited neurological disorders caused by changes in genes. At least 115 different mutations in the senataxin (SETX) gene causing ataxia have been identified. There are no reports of any SETX gene mutation among the Iranian population. Here we report on two cases with homozygous and heterozygous mutations in which one patient was affected by HA with oculomotor apraxia type 2, and the other was a carrier of the disorder. In 2016, the affected patient was referred to the Biogene Medical and Genetic Laboratory (Tehran, Iran) suffering from imbalance and tremor of both head and body. The coding regions of 18 genes, including the SETX gene, were screened. The target regions were captured using the NimbleGen chip followed by next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology on the Illumina Hiseq2500 platform. NGS, a DNA sequencing technology, has greatly increased the ability to identify new causes of ataxia; a useful tool for the prevention of primary manifestations and treatment of affected patients. In the present study, a novel mutation in the SETX gene has been identified. © 2019, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

The correlation of SKA2 with cortisol, IL-1β and anxiety in pregnant women with the risk of preterm delivery

Objective The association between preterm birth (PTB), Spindle and Kinetochore Associated Complex Subunit 2 gene (SKA2), cortisol and anxiety have been shown, but in this study, we aimed to clarify whether the expression of the SKA2 gene plays a role in interleukin-1β (IL-1β) level since increasing level of IL-1β is linked with PTB. Methods The case-control study was conducted on 49 and 51 women with preterm and term delivery, respectively. The score of anxiety was ranked according to the Spielberger state trait Anxiety Inventory. The concentration of cortisol and IL-1β was determined by the ELISA method. The expression of SKA2 gene was assessed by the quantitative real time real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The western blot analysis was also performed to confirm the expression of SKA2 at the levels of protein. Results The results showed that the gene/protein expression of SKA2, the concentrations of cortisol and IL-1β were significantly high-er in the preterm than the term group. In the preterm group, the expression of SKA2 was positively correlated to the other factors including cortisol, IL-1β, and the degree of anxiety. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the expression of SKA2 was correlated positively to the levels of cortisol, IL-1β and the rate of anxiety in women with PTB. © 2020 Korean Neuropsychiatric Association

Minor differences in body condition and immune status between avian influenza virus-infected and noninfected mallards: a sign of coevolution?

Wildlife pathogens can alter host fitness. Low pathogenic avian influenza virus (LPAIV) infection is thought to have negligible impacts on wild birds; however, effects of infection in free-living birds are largely unstudied. We investigated the extent to which LPAIV infection and shedding were associated with body condition and immune status in free-living mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), a partially migratory key LPAIV host species. We sampled mallards throughout the species\u27 annual autumn LPAIV infection peak, and we classified individuals according to age, sex, and migratory strategy (based on stable hydrogen isotope analysis) when analyzing data on body mass and five indices of immune status. Body mass was similar for LPAIV-infected and noninfected birds. The degree of virus shedding from the cloaca and oropharynx was not associated with body mass. LPAIV infection and shedding were not associated with natural antibody (NAbs) and complement titers (first lines of defense against infections), concentrations of the acute phase protein haptoglobin (Hp), ratios of heterophils to lymphocytes (H:L ratio), and avian influenza virus (AIV)-specific antibody concentrations. NAbs titers were higher in LPAIV-infected males and local (i.e., short distance) migrants than in infected females and distant (i.e., long distance) migrants. Hp concentrations were higher in LPAIV-infected juveniles and females compared to infected adults and males. NAbs, complement, and Hp levels were lower in LPAIV-infected mallards in early autumn. Our study demonstrates weak associations between infection with and shedding of LPAIV and the body condition and immune status of free-living mallards. These results may support the role of mallards as asymptomatic carriers of LPAIV and raise questions about possible coevolution between virus and host