Gene expression analysis of intestinal IL-8, IL-17 A and IL-10 in patients with celiac and inflammatory bowel diseases

Molecular Biology Reports - Celiac disease (CeD) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are accompanied by impaired immune responses. To study the immune regulation of these diseases, we evaluated...     

Property evaluation of two anticancer candidate platinum complexes with N-isobutyl glycine ligand against human colon cancer

BioMetals - Small molecules have potential usage in cancer therapy due to their remarkable potency of disarranging the natural structure of nucleic acids. In this study, two complexes...     

VEGF gene polymorphism interactions with dietary trace elements intake in determining the risk of metabolic syndrome

There is a complex association among genetic, metabolic, and environmental factors in determining the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the association between the dietary intake of iron, copper, zinc, manganese, selenium, and iodine (assessed by 24 recall) with vascular endothelial growth factor variants (rs6921438, rs4416670, rs6993770, and rs10738760), on the risk of MetS. Two-hundred and forty-eight individuals with MetS and 100 individuals without MetS were recruited. The dietary intake and the daily average of energy and nutrient intake were obtained by a questionnaire and quantified using Diet Plan 6 software. DNA was extracted from EDTA anticoagulated whole blood. The SNPs were assessed using using a Sequenom iPLEX Gold assay. Data analysis was undertaken using the Student t test, χ2 test and logistic regression using SPSS 11.5 software. There was a significant association between low dietary iron intake and rs6993770 (β = .10, P < .05), and a low dietary zinc and a high manganese intake with rs6921438 in relation to the presence of MetS (β = −.17, P < .05, β = −.30, P < .05, respectively). Our data showed the association of rs6993770 with iron intake and rs6921438 with zinc and manganese intake, indicating further investigation in a larger population to evaluate their values.     

Genetic variation in RPOIILS gene encoding RNA polymerase II largest subunit from Leishmania major

Leishmaniasis is a geographically widespread severe disease which includes visceral leishmaniasis, cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). There are 350 million people at risk in over 80 countries. In the Old World, CL is usually caused by Leishmania major, Leishmania tropica, and Leishmania aethiopica complex which 90 % of cases occurring in Afghanistan, Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Brazil, and Peru. Recently, some reports showed that some strains of L. major have internal transcribed space (ITS-1) with differential size exhibiting homology with the related gene in a divergent genus of kinetoplastida, the Crithidia. This prompted us to analyze the mentioned gene in 100 isolates obtained from patients with suspected CL. After obtaining samples from 100 patients, DNA extraction was performed and ITS-1 was analyzed using PCR–RFLP. These samples were sequenced for verifying their homology. Then, RPOIILS gene was analyzed in the samples that their ITS-1 gene exhibiting homology with the related gene in Crithidia. Results showed that 10 % of the isolates have ITS-1 exhibiting different size with the routine ones. Sequencing of them showed their similarity to the one from Crithidia fasciculata. RPOIILS gene encoding RNA polymerase II largest subunit analysis showed genetic diversity. This study might also help in solving the problems concerning Leishmaniasis outbreak currently facing in Iran and some other endemic regions of the world.     

Bilan nutritionnel au cours du développement de l'ectoparasite grégaire Dinarmus vagabundus et du solitaire Dinarmus basalis

Résumé Nos méthodes expérimentales permettent l'isolement d'une larve de sexe déterminé par hôte de l'ectoparasite grégaire Dinarmus vagabundus et du solaitire, D. basalis. Des hôtes porteurs de 3 à 8 larves par hôte de D. vagabundus sont aussi isolés. Dans ces conditions la quantité de nourriture disponible est la même pour toutes les densités larvaires étudiées.Les larves élevées en solitaire des deux espèces assimilent une quantité de nourriture significativement supérieure à celle assimilée par les . Ceci conduit à des adultes de poids moyen supérieur à celui des . Le poids moyen des et des de D. vagabundus diminue significativement aux fortes densités larvaires. L'intensité de la liaison entre la quantité de nourriture assimilée et la biomasse produite s'affaiblit au fur et à mesure que la densité larvaire par hôte augmente.Les de D. vagabundus de poids moyen (0,42 mg) engendrent deux fois et demi plus de descendants que les lilliputiennes (0,20 mg) émergées d'hôtes à forte densité larvaire. Celles de D. basalis (0,65 g) sont moins prolifiques que les de D. vagabundus.     

Synthesis,cytotoxicity assessment,and interaction and docking of novel palladium(II) complexes of imidazole derivatives with human serum albumin

Imidazole analogs are the agents that attract both bioinorganic chemist and drug designer. Numerous methods have been proposed for synthesis of imidazole derivatives. In this study, a series of heterocyclic system with p-conjugated system such as 2-aryl-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline analogs were synthesized. Then, three new palladium(II) complexes containing 2-(Furan-2-yl)-1H-Imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]Phenanthroline (FIP) and 2-(thiophen-2-yl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (TIP) ligands were synthesized. The structures of the compounds, [Pd(Phen)(TIP)](NO₃)₂, [Pd(Phen)(FIP)](NO₃)₂, and [Pd(FIP)₂]Cl were determined by spectroscopic methods and elemental analysis. Biological activity of the complexes synthesized was assessed against chronic myelogenous leukemia cell line, K562. Also, the interactions of human serum albumin with complexes were investigated using isothermal titration in the Tris buffer, pH 7.4. According to the results obtained, it was found that there is a set of six binding sites for these complexes on HSA with positive cooperativity in the binding process. Docking technique was also applied to confirm the experimental results. The results showed that smaller complexes have higher interaction affinity.     

Genotype and Phenotype of Echinococcus granulosus Derived from Wild Sheep (Ovis orientalis) in Iran

The aim of the present study is to determine the characteristics of genotype and phenotype of Echinococcus granulosus derived from wild sheep and to compare them with the strains of E. granulosus sensu stricto (sheep-dog) and E. granulosus camel strain (camel-dog) in Iran. In Khojir National Park, near Tehran, Iran, a fertile hydatid cyst was recently found in the liver of a dead wild sheep (Ovis orientalis). The number of protoscolices (n=6,000) proved enough for an experimental infection in a dog. The characteristics of large and small hooks of metacestode were statistically determined as the sensu stricto strain but not the camel strain (P=0.5). To determine E. granulosus genotype, 20 adult worms of this type were collected from the infected dog. The second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and cytochrome c oxidase 1 subunit (COX1) of the mitochondrial DNA were amplified from individual adult worm by PCR. Subsequently, the PCR product was sequenced by Sanger method. The lengths of ITS2 and COX1 sequences were 378 and 857 bp, respectively, for all the sequenced samples. The amplified DNA sequences from both ribosomal and mitochondrial genes were highly similar (99% and 98%, respectively) to that of the ovine strain in the GenBank database. The results of the present study indicate that the morpho-molecular features and characteristics of E. granulosus in the Iranian wild sheep are the same as those of the sheep-dog E. granulosus sensu stricto strain.