Correction to: Effect of Chromium Nanoparticles on Physiological Stress Induced by Exogenous Dexamethasone in Japanese Quails

Biological Trace Element Research - Chromium (Cr), as an essential trace element, plays a critical role in carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism in animals. It has been suggested that the...     

Management of soybean oil refinery wastes through recycling them for producing biosurfactant using Pseudomonas aeruginosa MR01

Biosurfactant production through a fermentation process involving the biodegradation of soybean oil refining wastes was studied. Pseudomonas aeruginosa MR01 was able to produce extracellular biosurfactant when it was cultured in three soybean oil refinement wastes; acid oil, deodorizer distillate and soapstock, at different carbon to nitrogen ratios. Subsequent fermentation kinetics in the three types of waste culture were also investigated and compared with kinetic behavior in soybean oil medium. Biodegradation of wastes, biosurfactant production, biomass growth, nitrate consumption and the number of colony forming units were detected in four proposed media, at specified time intervals. Unexpectedly, wastes could stimulate the biodegradation activity of MR01 bacterial cells and thus biosurfactant synthesis beyond that of the refined soybean oil. This is evident from higher yields of biodegradation and production, as revealed in the waste cultures (Y_{deg|(Soybean oil)} = 53.9 % < Y_deg|(wastes) and Y_P/S|(wastes) > Y_{P/S|(Soybean oil)} = 0.31 g g^?1, respectively). Although production yields were approximately the same in the three waste cultures (Y_P/S|(wastes) ? 0.5 g g^?1), microbial activity resulted in higher yields of biodegradation (96.5 ± 1.13 %), maximum specific growth rate (μ _max  = 0.26 ± 0.02 h^?1), and biosurfactant purity (89.6 %) with a productivity of 14.55 ± 1.10 g l^?1, during the bioconversion of soapstock into biosurfactant. Consequently, applying soybean oil soapstock as a substrate for the production of biosurfactant with commercial value has the potential to provide a combination of economical production with environmental protection through the biosynthesis of an environmentally friendly (green) compound and reduction of waste load entering the environment. Moreover, this work inferred spectrophotometry as an easy method to detect rhamnolipids in the biosurfactant products.     

M. leprae inhibits apoptosis in THP-1 cells by downregulation of Bad and Bak and upregulation of Mcl-1 gene expression

Background  

Virulent Mycobacterium leprae interfere with host defense mechanisms such as cytokine activation and apoptosis. The mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis is regulated by the Bcl-2 family of proteins. Expression of Fas ligand and apoptotic proteins is found in leprosy lesions and M. leprae has been shown to activate pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 genes, Bak and Bax. However, the mechanism by which M. leprae modulates apoptosis is as yet unclear. We investigated expression of apoptotic genes in THP-1 monocytes in response to infection by M. leprae and non-pathogenic M. bovis BCG.     

The angiogenic potential of autogenous free omental graft in experimental tibial defects in rabbit: Short-term preliminary histopathological study

This study was designed to evaluate the role of free autogenous greater omentum in vasculogenesis during the process of bone healing. The study was carried out on 15 male adult white New Zealand rabbits in the same condition. Both tibiae of the animals were exposed medially and a 2 mm hole was drilled at proximal diaphysis. A small piece of greater omentum, obtained from a 1 cm mid-abdominal incision was secured on left tibial hole. The animals were euthanized 14 days after operation and the bones removed for histopathological and immunohistochemical (anti-CD31 application for endothelial cell labeling) studies. In histopathological sections, the soft callus area in treatment legs was significantly more than the control legs. Also, the hole diameter in treatment group was significantly less than the control group. The number of capillary buds in treatment legs was significantly more than the control group. This study showed that an autogenous free greater omentum graft can influence bone healing through augmentation of vasculogenesis, as an essential element for proper bone healing.     

The effect of oral miltefosine in treatment of antimoniate resistant anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis: An uncontrolled clinical trial

BackgroundRecent circumstantial evidence suggests increasing number of Iranian patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) who are unresponsive to meglumine antimoniate (MA), the first line of treatment in Iran. Oral meltifosine was previously reported to be effective in visceral leishmaniasis as well CL. The current study is designed to determine efficacy and safety of oral miltefosine for the treatment of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) cases who were refractory to MA in Iran.Methodology/Principal findingsMiltefosine was orally administered for 27 patients with MA resistant ACL with approved L.tropica infection, at a dosage of ∼2.5 mg/kg daily for 28 days. Patients were evaluated on day 14 and 28, as well as 3, 6 and 12 month post treatment follow up sessions. Laboratory data were performed and repeated at each visit. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 17. Twenty-seven patients including 16 men (59.25%) and 11 women (40.74%) with mean age of 28.56 ± 4.8 (range 3–54 years old) were enrolled. Total number of lesions were 42 (1–4 in each patient). Most of lesions were on face (76.19%). Mean lesions’ induration size was 2.38 ± 0.73 cm at the base-line which significantly decreased to1.31 ± 0.58 cm and 0.61 ±0.49 cm after 14 and 28 days of therapy, respectively (p value <0.05). At 12-months follow-up post treatment, 22 patients had definite/partial cure (81.48%) including 17 definitely cured patients, corresponding to a cure rate of 68% on per protocol analysis, and 62.96% according to intention to treat analysis. Recurrence of lesion was only occurred in one patient (3.70%). Nausea was the most subjective complication during the therapy (33.33%).ConclusionOral miltefosine could be an effective alternative for the treatment of MA-resistant ACL.