Diosgenin attenuates inflammatory response induced by myocardial reperfusion injury: role of mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channels

Reperfusion injury is one of the main reasons of cardiac disease morbidity. Phytopharmaceuticals are gaining importance in modern medicine of cardioprotection because of their multiplex capacity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of diosgenin on the inflammatory response induced by myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury and the role of mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium (mitoKATP) channels in this regard. Wistar rats (250–300 g) were used in this study. The Langendorff-perfused hearts of animals were subjected to a 30-min global ischemia followed by a 90-min reperfusion. The lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release was measured by spectrophotometry. The levels of inflammatory mediators tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), and IL-6 in the supernatant of heart’s left ventricle were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay rat specific ELISA kit. The LDH release into the coronary effluent during reperfusion was significantly decreased, and cardiac contractility significantly improved by diosgenin preadministration as compared with those of control or Cremophor-EL (solvent of diosgenin) groups (398?±?48 vs. 665?±?65 or 650?±?73 ml/min) (P?<?0.01). Administration of diosgenin before the main ischemia significantly reduced the levels of IL-6 (P?<?0.05), IL-1β, and TNF-α (P?<?0.01) in the reperfusion phase of diosgenin-treated hearts as compared with untreated control hearts. Inhibition of mitoKATP channels by 5-hydroxydecanoate significantly reverses the cardioprotective effects of diosgenin (P?<?0.05). The findings of the present study indicate that preconditioning with diosgenin may induce cardioprotective effect against reperfusion injury through reducing the production of inflammatory mediators and activating the mitoKATP channels.     

Population Growth of Six Iranian Brachionus Rotifer Strains in Response to Salinity and Food Type

Intrinsic rates of population increase (r) were evaluated as a measure of population dynamics of four strains of Brachionus plicatilis and two strains of B. urceolaris from Iran in response to different salinities and feeding algae. Each rotifer strain was cultured at four salinities: 5, 20, 25 and 30‰ and fed with two microalgal species: Chlorella vulgaris and Nannochloropsis oculata. Salinity of 5‰ was critical for all the examined strains, at which r was at minimum and was different from the other salinities (P < 0.05). For B. plicatilis strains, the maximum r was observed in those fed on Chlorella at salinities of 10 and 30‰ (64 ± 0.01 day⁻¹). While, in B. urceolaris, maximum r was for Nannochloropsis fed rotifers at salinity of 20‰ (0.69 ± 0.01 day⁻¹). Maximum final population density (FD) was obtained for a strain of B. urceolaris fed on Nannochloropsis at 20‰ (329.3 ± 10.9 ind.mL⁻¹). FD was relatively lower in B. plicatilis strains among all examined salinities. ANOVA showed the significant effect of salinity and rotifer strain, and algae × rotifer strain on both r and FD, and salinity × rotifer × algae on FD (P < 0.05). (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Micro‐spatial separation and associated morphological adaptations in the original case of avian character displacement

Divergent evolution between Western Rock Nuthatch Sitta neumayer and Eastern Rock Nuthatch Sitta tephronota is widely recognized as the original case study of character displacement. However, in their contact zone in the Zagros Mountains, Iran, the morphological differences important for niche segregation between the two species remain unknown. We investigated microhabitat use and morphological adaptations of the two species, predicting that morphological adaptations to different habitats in these two nuthatches have led to spatial segregation. Seventy‐seven birds were captured and measured in the contact zone and allopatric zone in Iran. Twenty‐two primary variables related to flight apparatus, functional foot apparatus and feeding apparatus were measured and 11 ratios of primary variables were calculated as secondary variables due to their importance in habitat use. We also measured environmental variables related to geological features, mineral substrates and vegetation cover at a random sample of 100 of the locations where a nuthatch was observed. Results of morphometric and habitat analyses indicated that, in addition to trophic niche segregation, the two nuthatch species also differ in their microhabitat use and show differences in morphological features accordingly. In many case studies of character displacement, much more interest has been focused on the morphological differences in feeding apparatus than on those relating to habitat use. We suggest that future studies of character displacement should pay more attention to spatial niche segregation between sympatric species rather than trophic niche segregation.     

The effect of Trimetazidine and Diazoxide on immunomodulatory activity of human embryonic stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cell secretome

Comprehensive proteome profiling of the factors secreted by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), referred to as secretome, revealed that it consists of cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, extracellular matrix proteins, and components of regeneration, vascularization, and hematopoiesis pathways. Harnessing this MSC secretome for therapeutic applications requires the optimization of production of secretary molecules. A variety of preconditioning methods have been introduced, which subject cells to stimulatory molecules to create the preferred response and stimulate persistent effects. Pharmacological preconditioning uses small molecules and drugs to increase survival of MSCs after transplantation or prolong release of effective secretary factors such as cytokines that improve immune system responses. In this study, we investigated the effect of secretome of human embryonic-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hESC-MSCs) preconditioned with Trimetazidine (TMZ) and Diazoxide (DZ) on immunomodulatory efficiency of these cells in LPS-induced peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). PBMCs were isolated from human peripheral blood and treated with concentrated hESC-MSC-derived conditioned medium and then, the secreted levels of IL-10, TNFα and IL-1β were assessed by ELISA after induction with LPS. The results showed that TMZ and DZ-conditioned medium significantly enhanced immunomodulatory potential of hESC-MSCs by increasing the secretion of IL-10, TNFα and IL-1β from LPS- induced PBMCs. We also found that hESC-MSCs did not secrete mentioned cytokines prior to or after the preconditioning with TMZ and DZ. In conclusion, our results implied that TMZ and DZ can be used to promote the immunomodulatory effects of hESC-MSC secretome. It is obvious that for applying of these findings in clinical demands, the potency of different pre-conditioned MSCs secretome on immune response needs to be more clarified.     

An Investigation on the Expression Level of Interleukin 10 (IL-10) in the Healthy and Mastitic Holstein Cows and the Bioinformatics Analysis of Nucleosome Profile

Cytokines are immune regulators that play an essential role in regulating immune response against various infections. The present study focused on the possible association between the expression level of Interleukin 10 (IL-10) in blood and milk samples of 25 healthy and 25 mastitic cows in Fars province, Iran, using a quantitative real-time PCR assay. The experimental groups were categorized according to the number of calvings. The expression level of IL-10 was significantly higher in the blood and milk samples of mastitic cows compared to the healthy ones. Concomitant to increasing the number of calving, a numerical elevation in the expression of IL-10 in blood was observed (P?IL-10 gene revealed the promoter, exon-intron regions, and nucleosome profile. The nucleosome occupancy site was finally predicted using NUPOP software. Our result indicated that the promoter was not exactly placed in the nucleosome region, which was finally aimed to predict the position and expression of IL-10 gene in the mastitic cows.     

Plant Symposia and Workshops

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a condition with insufficient insulin production or in the setting of insulin resistance with many origins including intestinal microbiota-related molecular mechanism. Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) is responsible for insulin breakdown in various tissues and is known as a potential drug target for T2D. Here, we assessed the effects of cell-free supernatant (CFS) and UV-killed Lactobacillus casei IBRC_M10711 on IDE expression, IDE activity, and insulin degradation in Caco-2 cell line. It was found that CFS and UV-killed L. casei IBRC_M10711 led to lower expression of IDE. UV-killed L. casei IBRC_M10711 significantly inhibited IDE activity but CFS did not. Insulin degradation was affected with none of them. In conclusion, L. casei IBRC_M10711 is effective on IDE expression and its activity, but not on insulin degradation. Future studies are recommended to explore the effect of this probiotic on other substrates of IDE.     

mtDNA variation of the critically endangered hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting on Iranian islands of the Persian Gulf

Genetic diversity of sea turtles (hawksbill turtle) was studied using sequencing of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA, D-loop region). Thirty dead embryos were collected from the Kish and Qeshm Islands in the Persian Gulf. Analysis of sequence variation over 890 bp of the mtDNA control region revealed five haplotypes among 30 individuals. This is the first time that Iranian haplotypes have been recorded. Nucleotide and haplotype diversity was 0.77 and 0.001 for Qeshm Island and 0.64 and 0.002 for Kish Island, respectively. Total haplotype diversity was calculated as 0.69, which demonstrates low genetic diversity in this area. The data also indicated very high rates of migration between the populations of these two islands. A comparison of our data with data from previous studies downloaded from a gene bank showed that turtles of the Persian Gulf migrated from the Pacific and the Sea of Oman into this area. On the other hand, evidence of migration from populations to the West was not found.