The interaction effects of aerobic exercise training and vitamin D supplementation on plasma lipid profiles and insulin resistance in ovariectomized rats

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine the interaction effects of aerobic exercise training and vitamin D supplementation on indices of obesity and plasma lipid profiles in ovariectomized (OVX) rats.

Methods

Forty female Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups: aerobic training (3 days/week for 8 weeks; AT; n = 8), aerobic training and vitamin D supplementation (OVX + AT + Vit D; n = 8), vitamin D supplementation (OVX + Vit D; n = 8), ovariectomized control (OVX + C, n = 8) and SHAM (n = 8). After blood sampling, visceral fat was taken from the abdominal cavity and weighed immediately. Data was statistically analyzed by One-way ANOVA and Repeated measure ANOVA tests with a 0.05 significance level.

Results

Body weight, visceral fat, BMI and food intake decreased significantly in OVX + AT + Vit D (P < 0.001); whereas these variables increased significantly in OVX + C (P < 0.001) and SHAM (P < 0.023) groups. At the end of two-months of follow-up, we observed significant differences in TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR in all groups.

Conclusion

It seems that aerobic training with vitamin D, due to the involvement of muscle mass and exposure to dynamic pressure on the bones and muscles, increased energy expenditure, stimulated insulin exudation and glucose homeostasis, decreased insulin resistance and improved the lipid profile in ovariectomized rats.     

Characterization of Biosynthesized Silver Nanoparticles Using Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and its In Vitro Assessment Against Colorectal Cancer Cells

Silver nanoparticles are the most desirable nanoparticles broadly used in diverse fields. This study intends to investigate the anticancer properties of synthesized silver/Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG nanoparticles (Ag-LNPs) as a reducing and stabilizing agent in the synthesis process. To prepare silver/Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG nanoparticles, 1 mg/ml cell lysate of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and 1 mM silver nitrate solution were mixed and incubated for 72 h. XRD, FTIR, and TEM methods were used for nanoparticle characterization. MTT assay and annexin/PI staining were employed to analyze the toxicity and apoptotic cells levels of Ag-LNPs, respectively. TEM showed that these nanoparticles are spherical shaped about 233 nm in size. FTIR spectroscopy demonstrated that Ag-LNPs were functionalized with biomolecules. XRD pattern showed high purity and face-centered crystal structure of Ag-LNPs. MTT assay revealed that the percentages of HT-29 live cells significantly reduced in the high concentration of Ag-LNPs. Annexin/PI staining showed that these nanoparticles could lead HT-29 cells to apoptosis. This study showed the new Ag-LNP-synthesizing method using Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG as a cost-effective and efficient approach. Also, it showed that these nanoparticles can be considered as a potential active agent for biomedical applications and drug delivery due to their anticancer activities.

     

Nucleic Acid Template and the Risk of a PCR-Induced HIV-1 Drug Resistance Mutation

Background

The HIV-1 nucleoside RT inhibitor (NRTI)-resistance mutation, K65R confers intermediate to high-level resistance to the NRTIs abacavir, didanosine, emtricitabine, lamivudine, and tenofovir; and low-level resistance to stavudine. Several lines of evidence suggest that K65R is more common in HIV-1 subtype C than subtype B viruses.

Methods and Findings

We performed ultra-deep pyrosequencing (UDPS) and clonal dideoxynucleotide sequencing of plasma virus samples to assess the prevalence of minority K65R variants in subtype B and C viruses from untreated individuals. Although UDPS of plasma samples from 18 subtype C and 27 subtype B viruses showed that a higher proportion of subtype C viruses contain K65R (1.04% vs. 0.25%; p<0.001), limiting dilution clonal sequencing failed to corroborate its presence in two of the samples in which K65R was present in >1.5% of UDPS reads. We therefore performed UDPS on clones and site-directed mutants containing subtype B- and C-specific patterns of silent mutations in the conserved KKK motif encompassing RT codons 64 to 66 and found that subtype-specific nucleotide differences were responsible for increased PCR-induced K65R mutation in subtype C viruses.

Conclusions

This study shows that the RT KKK nucleotide template in subtype C viruses can lead to the spurious detection of K65R by highly sensitive PCR-dependent sequencing techniques. However, the study is also consistent with the subtype C nucleotide template being inherently responsible for increased polymerization-induced K65R mutations in vivo.     

Epidemiology of Dermatophytoses in an Area South of Tehran,Iran

Dermatophyte infections have been considered to be a major public health problem in many parts of the world. The aim of this study was to identify the etiological and epidemiological factors of dermatophyte infections in an area south of Tehran. A total of 1254 patients suspected to have dermatophytic lesions were examined over a period of three years (1999-2001). Material collected from skin, hair, and nails was submitted to direct microscopic examination using KOH, cultured in Sabouraud dextrose agar and microscopically examined for colony morphology, in order to the identify the 169 dermatophytes isolated. The prevalence of dermatophytoses was 13.5% (95% CI: 11.7-15.5%). Their incidence was 10.6 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI: 8.5-13.2). Epiderophyton floccosum was the most frequent dermatophyte isolated (31.4%) followed by Trichophyton rubrum (18.3%), T. mentegrophytes (17.2%), T. violaceum (16.6%), Microsporum canis (6.5%), T. verrucosum (4.7%) and M. gypseum (4.1%). Epidermophytes floccosum was found to be the most common isolated dermatophyte in age groups 20-29 (30.2%). Tinea corporis (31.4%) was the most common type of infection, followed by tinea cruris (20.7%), tinea manuum (15.4%), tinea capitis (12.4%), tinea pedis (10.6%), tinea faciei (7.1%), and tinea unguium (2.4%). The frequency rate of all of the types of tinea was higher in males than in females. The anthrophilic species E. floccosum was the most common dermatophyte as a causative agent of tinea. The most prevalent fungal infection was tinea corporis caused by E. floccosum.     

A floor plate enhancer of the zebrafish netrin1 gene requires Cyclops (Nodal) signalling and the winged helix transcription factor FoxA2

The diversity of developmental programs present in animal phyla first evolved within the world's oceans, an aquatic environment teeming with an abundance of microbial life. All stages in the life histories of these early animals became adapted to microorganisms bathing their tissues, and countless examples of animal-bacterial associations have arisen as a result. Thus far, it has been difficult for biologists to design ways of determining the extent to which these associations have influenced the biology of animals, including their developmental patterns. The following review focuses on an emerging field, the goal of which is to understand the influence of bacteria on animal developmental programs. This integrative area of research is undergoing a revolution that has resulted from advances in technology and the development of suitable animal-bacterial systems for the study of these complex associations. In this contribution, the current status of the field is reviewed and the emerging research horizons are examined.     

The role of time of food intake on upcoming liver disease in male Wistar rat

Interventions against obesity, are mainly around changing calorie intake and energy expenditure. Recently, some studies focused on the influence of circadian time of food intake on metabolic status. Here, we compare the role of calorie restriction and time restricted feeding followed by high-fat diet started post weaning, First, 52 male Wistarrats (3 weeks old) were divided into two groups: the high-fat diet (HFD, n = 42) and the control group (CON1, n = 11). After 17 weeks, five rats were randomly selected from each group for sample preparation. In the second phase, the animals in HFD group were assigned into four groups (n = 9): (1) 30% calorie restriction (CR), (2) day intermittent fasting (DIF), (3) night intermittent fasting (NIF), (4) adlibitum food intake (AL), (5) remained animal from the first phase control (CON2). Seventeen weeks of HFD started post-weaning did not cause fatty liver but it caused a significant difference in the body and the adipose tissue weight (P0.05). The results showed that longtime HFD did not lead to liver steatosis while the incorrect time of food intake predisposes the animal to the upcoming liver disease. This data indicate a significant role of timing of food intake rather than nutrition composition itself.