Evaluation of 4-Amino salicylic acid chelating effect on healing of manganese induced intoxications in male Wistar rat's liver

زمینه و هدف: قرار گرفتن انسان در معرض غبارات منگنز می تواند باعث بروز بیماری شبیه به پارکینسون به نام منگانیسم شود. برای کاهش عوارض حاصل، داروهای شلات کننده‌ی فلزات پیشنهاد شده‌اند. این پژوهش با هدف بررسی، قدرت شلات کنندگی داروی پاراآمینوسالیسیلیک اسید انجام شده است. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه تجربی بیست رات نر بالغ نژاد ویستار در چهار گروه پنج تایی طبقه بندی شدند (یک گروه کنترل و سه گروه آزمون) و طی دو دوره به ترتیب سالین-سالین، منگنز-سالین، سالین-پاراآمینوسالیسیلیک اسید و منگنز- پاراآمینوسالیسیلیک اسید دریافت نمودند. تزریق داخل صفاقی کلرید منگنز به میزان mg/kg8 وزن بدن حیوان به مدت یک هفته برای ایجاد مسمومیت و تزریق زیر جلدی یک سی سی پاراآمینوسالیسیلیک اسید با غلظت g/l5/1 پنج روز در هفته به مدت چهار هفته جهت درمان صورت گرفت. سپس سرم حیوانات برای بررسی فاکتورهای بیوشیمیایی و بافت کبد آنها برای بررسی تغییرات هیستوپاتولوژیک جداسازی و فیکس شدند. داده ها توسط آزمون های آماری آنالیز واریانس یک طرفه و سپس تست توکی تجزیه و تحلیل شدند. یافته ها: بررسی فاکتورهای بیوشیمیایی بیانگر افزایش معنی دار کلسترول در گروه دوم نسبت به کنترل و کاهش سطح کلسترول خون گروه چهارم نسبت به گروه دوم بود (01/0

Identification of candida species in patients with vulvovaginitis presenting different clinical symptoms

Abstract: Background and Objective: Candidiasis is one of the most important and common agents of vulvovaginitis in women. Various clinical manifestations of candidiasis in patients may be associated with different species of Candida. The present study was designed to accurately determine Candida species isolates from patients using culture methods and molecular analysis. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional analytical study, 350 patients with suspected vulvovaginal diseases who manifested various clinical symptoms were entered. Vaginal specimens from the patients were collected. Direct microscopy, primary and specific cultures using SDA, CRA and CMA media, germ tube test, as well as DNA based techniques targeting ITS1-5S-ITS2 fragment, were used for diagnosis and identification of Candida species. Results: 165 out of 350 patients (47.14%) were positive with Candida species including 71.5% recurrent candidiasis and 28.5% acute candidiasis. Characterization of the isolates in the specific sub-cultures and by PCR-RFLP resulted in identification of six different species consisted of Candida albicans (60.6%), C. dubliniensis (3.6%), C. glabrata (23%), C. krusei (10.9%), C. parapsilosis (0.6%) and C. tropicalis (1.2%). In the group consisting of 100 patients with C. albicans, 44% and 56% presented severe and mild to moderate clinical vulvovaginitis, respectively. In patients with non albicans candidiasis, 61.5% showed severe and 38.5% showed mild to moderate vulvovaginitis, significantly different from those of the former group (P =0.028). The results indicated significant involvement of some risk factors (i.e. diabetes and antibiotic consumption) in clinically different vaginal infections (P<0.0001) Conclusion: The study showed a high prevalence of candida infection in patients with vulvovaginitis in Southeast of Iran, involving several species, mostly C. albicans and C. glabrata. Considering the increasing prevalence of non-albicans species among these patients, precise determination of causative Candida species with more reliable methods such as molecular techniques are recommended

In Vitro Evaluation of Enzymatic and Antifungal Activities of SoilActinomycetes Isolates and Their Molecular Identifcation by PCR

Background: Human cutaneous infection caused by a homogeneous group of keratinophilic fungi called dermatophytes. These fungi are the most common infectious agents in humans that are free of any population and geographic area. Microsporum canis is a cause of dermatophytosis (Tinea) in recent years in Iran and atypical strain has been isolated in Iran. Its cases occur sporadically due to M. canis transmission from puppies and cats to humans. Since this pathogenic dermatophyte is eukaryotes, chemical treatment with antifungal drugs may also affect host tissue cells. Objectives: The aim of the current study was to fnd a new antifungal agent of soil-Actinomycetes from Kerman province against M. canis and Actinomycete isolates were identifed by PCR. Materials and Methods: A number of hundred Actinomycete isolated strains were evaluated from soil of Kerman province, for their antagonistic activity against the M. canis. M. canis of the Persian Type Culture Collection (PTCC) was obtained from the Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST). Electron microscope studies of these isolates were performed based on the physiological properties of these antagonists including lipase, amylase, protease and chitinase activities according to the relevant protocols and were identifed using gene 16SrDNA. Results: In this study the most antagonist of Actinomycete isolates with antifungal activity against M. canis isolates of L1, D5, Ks1m, Km2, Kn1, Ks8 and Ks1 were shown in vitro. Electron microscopic studies showed that some fungal strains form spores, mycelia and spore chain. Nucleotide analysis showed that Ks8 had maximum homology (98%) to Streptomyces zaomyceticus strain xsd08149 and L1 displayed 100% homology to Streptomyces sp. HVG6 using 16SrDNA studies. Conclusions: Our fndings showed that Streptomyces has antifungal effects against M. canis

Diagnostic Accuracy of Pyrazinamide Susceptibility Testing in Mycobacterium tuberculosis: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Pyrazinamide (PZA) susceptibility testing plays a critical role in determining the appropriate treatment regimens for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of sequencing PZA susceptibility tests against culture-based susceptibility testing methods as the reference standard. Methods: We searched the MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases for the relevant records. The QUADAS-2 tool was used to assess the quality of the studies. Diagnostic accuracy measures (i.e., sensitivity and specificity) were pooled with a random-effects model. All statistical analyses were performed with Meta-DiSc (version 1.4, Cochrane Colloquium, Barcelona, Spain), STATA (version 14, Stata Corporation, College Station, TX), and RevMan (version 5.3, The Nordic Cochrane Centre, the Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark) software. Results: A total of 72 articles, published between 2000 and 2019, comprising data for 8,701 isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were included in the final analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of the PZA sequencing test against all reference tests (the combination of BACTEC mycobacteria growth indicator tube 960 (MGIT 960), BACTEC 460, and proportion method) were 87% (95% CI: 85–88) and 94.7% (95% CI: 94–95). The positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, and the area under the curve estimates were found to be 12.0 (95% CI: 9.0–16.0), 0.17 (95% CI: 0.13–0.21), 106 (95% CI: 71–158), and 96%, respectively. Deek's test result indicated a low likelihood for publication bias (p = 0.01). Conclusions: Our analysis indicated that PZA sequencing may be used in combination with conventional tests due to the advantage of the time to result and in scenarios where culture tests are not feasible. Further work to improve molecular tests would benefit from the availability of standardized reference standards and improvements to the methodology

Antifungal effect of Allium sativum either individually or in combination with Fluconazole, Itraconazole and Ketoconazole against pathogenic yeasts

Background and Objective: The increase of nosocomial systematic fungal infections due to pathogenic yeast, led to researchers on finding novel antifungals with potent inhibitory activity toward a wide range of pathogenic fungi. In the present study, antifungal effect of aqueous garlic extract individually and in combination with Fluconazole, Itraconazole and Ketoconazole were studied against some pathogenic yeasts. Materials and Methods: Broth microdilution method was used for evaluating antifungal activities of aqueous garlic extract with 0.03-256 µg/ml individually and in combination with Fluconazole, Itraconazole and Ketoconazole against Candida albicans PTCC5057, Candida dubliniensis CD36, Cryptococcus neoformance CNE1 and Malassezia furfur MF1, in vitro. The microdilution method was used for assessing antifungal susceptibility of above-mentioned compounds in two culture media sabouraud dextrose broth (for all fungi except M.furfur) and modified Dixon broth (for only M.furfur). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of aqueous garlic extract and antifungal drugs tested were determined by on comparison of colony forming units (CFU) between test and control groups. Results: Aqueous garlic extract inhibited the growth of all fungi tested in a dose-dependent manner, in a concentration comparable with azole drugs.The MIC ranges of aqueous garlic extract, Candida albicans, Candida dubliniensis, Cryptococcus neoformances and Malassezia furfur was determined to be 0.25-64 g/ml. The MIC ranges of aqueous garlic extract in combination with Fluconazole was determined 0.125-8, 0.25-16, 0.125-16 and 0.5-8 µg/ml, respectively. The MIC ranges of aqueous garlic extract in combination with Itraconazole was determined 0.25-8, 0.125-2, 0.125-16, 0.25-4 µg/ml, respectively.The MIC ranges of aqueous garlic extract in combination with Ketoconazole was determined 0.125-4, 0.125-1, 0.125-8 and 0.125-2 µg/ml, respectively.The results indicated that the antifungal activities of drugs were increased in combination with aqueous garlic extract (P<0.05). Conclusion: This study showed that, the aqueous garlic extract increased the antifungal activity and decreased MIC of drugs in combination with them

PCR - RFLP patterns for the differentiation of the Fusarium species in virtue of ITS rDNA

Background and Purpose: The Fusarium species are among the most important fungi in the medical, veterinary and agricultural fields. Materials and Methods: In the present study, 172 strains of these fungi have been analyzed. The high molecular weight DNAs were extracted from 23 reference strains as well as from 149 isolated Fusarium species. Using the designed nucleotide primers from rDNA of Fusarium species, PCR analysis was performed for the amplification of ITS regions. Afterwards, the location of the effective endonuclease enzymes has been evaluated within approximately 930 bp of rDNA sequence. Results: Through the selected enzymes including; HhaI, MspI, TaqI and FaqI, the mentioned Fusarium species have been divided into 33 groups. The first three enzymes were able to classify Fusarium species into 23 groups of which 19 groups included one member, one group included two members and three groups included three members of the Fusarium species. This study also revealed the possibility in the identification of F. semitectum, F. solani complex, F. pseudograminearum, F. nisikadoi, F. coeruleum and F. acuminatum species by one unique enzyme. In addition, our study indicated the ability of the differentiation of F. Compactum from F. equiseti. Conclusion: As Compared to previous studies with more endonuclease enzymes and with limited in identifications, the ITS-RFLP patterns reported here an attempted to evaluate most of the Fusarium species successfully

Modified level of miR-376a is associated with Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a frequent progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Impaired mitochondrial function is a major feature of sporadic PD. Some susceptibility or causative genes detected in PD are strongly associated with mitochondrial dysfunction including PGC1α, TFAM and GSK3β. microRNAs (miRNAs) are non‐coding RNAs whose altered levels are proven in disparate PD models and human brains. Therefore, the aim of this study was to detect modulations of miRs upstream of PGC1α, TFAM and GSK3β in association with PD onset and progress. In this study, a total of 33 PD subjects and 25 healthy volunteers were recruited. Candidate miRNA (miR‐376a) was selected through target prediction tools and literature survey. Chronic and acute in vitro PD models were created by MPP+‐intoxicated SHSY5Y cells. The levels of miR‐376a and aforementioned genes were assessed by RT‐qPCR. The expression of target genes was decreased in chronic model while there were dramatically up‐regulated levels of those genes in acute model of PD. miR‐376a was strongly altered in both acute and chronic PD models as well as PBMCs of PD patients. Our results also showed overexpression of PGC1α, and TFAM in PBMCs is inversely correlated with down‐regulation of miR‐376a, suggesting that miR‐376a possibly has an impact on PD pathogenesis through regulation of these genes which are involved in mitochondrial function. miR‐376a expression in PD‐derived PBMCs was also correlated with disease severity and may serve as a potential biomarker for PD diagnosis. This is the first study showing altered levels of miR‐376a in PD models and PBMCs, suggesting the probable role of this miRNA in PD pathogenesis. The present study also proposed TFAM and PGC1α as target genes of miR‐376a for the first time, through which it possibly can exert its impact on PD pathogenesis.Peer reviewe

Incorporation of Functionalized Reduced Graphene Oxide/magnesium Nanohybrid to Enhance the Osteoinductivity Capability of 3D Printed Calcium Phosphate-based Scaffolds

Improving bone regeneration is one of the most pressing problems facing bone tissue engineering (BTE) which can be tackled by incorporating different biomaterials into the fabrication of the scaffolds. The present study aims to apply the 3D-printing and freeze-drying methods to design an ideal scaffold for improving the osteogenic capacity of Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs). To achieve this purpose, hybrid constructs consisted of 3D-printed Beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP)-based scaffolds filled with freeze-dried gelatin/reduced graphene oxide-Magnesium-Arginine (GRMA) matrix were fabricated through a novel green method. The effect of different concentrations of Reduced graphene oxide-Magnesium-Arginine (RMA) (0, 0.25% and 0.75%wt) on the morphology, mechanical properties, and biological activity of the 3D scaffolds were completely evaluated. Our findings show that the incorporation of RMA hybrid into the scaffold can remarkably enhance its mechanical features and improve cell proliferation and differentiation simultaneously. Of all scaffolds, β-TCP/0.25GRMA showed not only the highest ALP activity and cell proliferation after 14 days but it up-regulated bone-related genes and proteins (COL-I, RUNX2, OCN). Hence, the fabricated 3D printed β-TCP/0.25GRMA porous scaffolds can be considered as a high-potential candidate for BTE

Revealing the Chemical Mechanism of NaO₂ Decomposition by In Situ Raman Imaging

Sodium–oxygen (Na–O₂) batteries exhibit a low charging overpotential owing to the reversible formation and decomposition of sodium superoxide (NaO₂) on discharge and charge cycles. However, the cycling performance of the battery system is compromised by the side reactions occurring between the reactive NaO₂ discharge product with the other components of the cell including the air electrode and the organic electrolyte. In the present study, we employ a Raman imaging technique to reveal the chemical mechanism behind the decomposition reaction of NaO₂ in the presence of diglyme-based electrolyte. Our results illustrate the formation of oxalate-based side products resulting from prolonged exposure of NaO₂ to the cell electrolyte. Moreover, we show that Na₂O₂·2H₂O is not the thermodynamically favorable side product for decomposition of NaO₂ and may only be formed under the high-energy beam used by the measuring probe. The findings of this study help to better understand the underlying chemical reaction mechanisms of Na–O₂ cells

How to Control the Discharge Products in Na–O₂ Cells: Direct Evidence toward the Role of Functional Groups at the Air Electrode Surface

Sodium–oxygen batteries have received a significant amount of research attention as a low-overpotential alternative to lithium–oxygen. However, the critical factors governing the composition and morphology of the discharge products in Na–O₂ cells are not thoroughly understood. Here we show that oxygen containing functional groups at the air electrode surface have a substantial role in the electrochemical reaction mechanisms in Na–O₂ cells. Our results show that the presence of functional groups at the air–electrode surface conducts the growth mechanism of discharge products toward a surface-mediated mechanism, forming a conformal film of products at the electrode surface. In addition, oxygen reduction reaction at hydrophilic surfaces more likely passes through a peroxide pathway, which results in the formation of peroxide-based discharge products. Moreover, in-line X-ray diffraction combined with solid state ²³Na NMR results indicate the instability of discharge products against carbonaceous electrodes. The findings of this study help to explain the inconsistency among various reports on composition and morphology of the discharge products in Na–O₂ cells and allow the precise control over the discharge products