The immunomodulatory role of probiotics in allergy therapy

The increased incidence of allergic disorders may be the result of a relative fall in microbial induction in the intestinal immune system during infancy and early childhood. Probiotics have recently been proposed as viable microorganisms for the prevention and treatment of specific allergic diseases. Different mechanisms have been considered for this probiotic property, such as generation of cytokines from activated pro-T-helper type 1 after bacterial contact. However, the effects of its immunomodulatory potential require validation for clinical applications. This review will focus on the currently available data on the benefits of probiotics in allergy disease.     

Transplantation of miR-219 overexpressed human endometrial stem cells encapsulated in fibrin hydrogel in spinal cord injury

Oligodendrocyte (OL) loss and demyelination occur after spinal cord injury (SCI). Stimulation of remyelination through transplantation of myelinating cells may be effective in improving function. For the repair strategy to be successful, the selection of a suitable cell and maintaining cell growth when cells are injected directly to the site of injury is important. In addition to selecting the type of cell, fibrin hydrogel was used as a suitable tissue engineering scaffold for this purpose. To test the relationship between myelination and functional improvement, the human endometrial stem cells (hEnSCs) were differentiated toward oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) using overexpression of miR-219. Adult female Wistar rats were used to induce SCI by using a compression model and were randomly assigned to the following four experimental groups: SCI, Vehicle, hEnSC, and OPC. Ten days after injury, miR-219 overexpressed hEnSC-derived OPCs encapsulated in fibrin hydrogel, as an injectable scaffold, were injected to the injury site. In this study, with a focus on promoting functional recovery after SCI, the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan test was performed to evaluate the recovery of motor function every week for 10 weeks and the histological assay was then performed. Results showed that the rate of motor function recovery was significantly higher in OPC group compared to SCI and vehicle groups but no marked differences were found between OPC and hEnSC groups, although, the rate of myelination in the OPC group was significantly higher than the other groups. These results demonstrated that remyelination was not the cause of recovery of motor function.     

The deubiquitinating gene Usp29 is dispensable for fertility in male mice

The balanced actions between ubiquitination and deubiquitination precisely control the levels of various proteins vital for spermatogenesis. Ubiquitin-specific processing proteases(USPs) are the largest family of deubiquitinatingenzymes(DUBs),containing more than 50 members. So far, the functions of only a few USPs in male fertility have been studied, the roles of the majority are yet unknown. The present study aimed to explore the function of Usp29(ubiquitin-specific protease 29) in male fertility. We found that Usp29 showed predominant expression in mouse testis, and its m RNA expression started to increase at 14 days postpartum(dpp), with a peak at 28 and 35 dpp. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, we generated Usp29 knockout mice(Usp29~(–/–)). Usp29~(–/–)mice exhibited no overt developmental anomalies. Further examination revealed that Usp29~(–/–)mice had normal fertility and showed no detectable difference in the testis/body weight ratio, testicular and epididymal histology as well as epididymal sperm count from the wild-type littermates. Moreover, Usp29 is not a pseudogene in mice. Taken together, our study first reported that though Usp29 is predominantly expressed in the testis, it is not essential for male fertility in mice.     

Use of in silico tools for classification of novel missense mutations identified in dystrophin gene in developing countries

DMD gene which is composed of 79 exons is the largest known gene located on X chromosome (Xp21). Point mutations in the dystrophin gene are responsible for 30–35% of cases with DMD/BMD. Mutation analysis of all the exons of the DMD gene is costly in developing countries, therefore, a few of the exons are selected to be analyzed routinely in clinical laboratories. In this study, direct sequencing was used for detection of point mutations in 10 exons of dystrophin gene in patients affected with DMD without detectable large rearrangements. Freely available programs were used to predict the damaging effects of the mutations. Point mutations were successfully detected in three patients. Three novel mutations, two missense mutations located on nonconservative domains and a single nucleotide deletion, were detected. Missense mutations were predicted to change splicing efficiency. Detection of point mutations by DNA analysis followed by prediction of the pathogenecity by using bioinformatic tool might be an asset to provide proper diagnosis or genetic counseling to patients and their family.     

Anti-fungal resistance in candida isolated from oral and diaper rash candidiasis in neonates

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the sensitivity of Candida species isolated from oral candidiasis and diaper dermatitis infections in children. The children referring to private and public clinics in Ilam, Iran were exmined for oral candidiasis and diaper dermatitis. In this study, 248 oral candidiasis and diaper dermatitis samples were collected and cultured.Candida species were identified by using standard methods. Resistance and sensitivity to amphotericin B, nystatin, ketoconazole, fluconazole, itraconazole, clotrimazole, and posaconazole were determined using the CLSI M44-A standard disk diffusion method. From the 248 studied samples, 149 were positive for Candida, among which the Candida albicans was the most prevalent (64.4%). The resistance of different Candida species to nystatin, itraconazole, fluconazole, ketoconazole, clotrimazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole were 4, 43, 34.2, 34.9, 21.5, 6, and 6.7%, respectively. No resistance to amphotericin B was observed. Considering rather low resistance to nystatin, this drug is the best choice for oral candidiasis and diaper dermatitis.     

Study of the inhibitory effect of Quercus Coccifera's aqueous extract on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa In vitro

The use of therapeutic herbs has become of great importance these days due to the increase in drug resistance. From a long time ago the Venus'' navel plant has been used to treat infections. In this study the antibacterial effect of the aqueous extract from the Quercus coccifera (jaft) herb, under laboratory conditions. This study was carried out experimentally. After collecting the Venus navel herb, it was dried in a warm dry environment away from direct sunlight in the shade. The alcoholic extract was prepared using a standard method. Clinical samples of staphylococcus aureus and pseudomonas aeruginosa were acquired from Ilam''s health care institutes. The inhibitory effect of the extracts was analysed in the Mueller Hinton using the disk diffusion method for both bacteria. Then MIC and MBC of the extracts was determined using the Macro broth dilution method. At its highest concentration the aqueous extract had an inhibition zone of 27.2 and 23.7 mm on staphylococcus aureus and pseudomonas aeruginosa consecutively. The MIC and MBC for staphylococcus aureus were 10 and 12.5 µg/ml and for pseudomonas aeruginosa they were 10 and 17.5 µg/m consecutively. The results of this study show the strong antimicrobial effect of jaft''s aqueous extract on staphylococcus aureus and pseudomonas aeruginosa and if more studies are based on this topic it could be a substitute for common antibiotics.