Enhancement of nitrogen release properties of urea–kaolinite fertilizer with chitosan binder

The use of controlled release fertilizer (CRF) has become a new trend to minimize environmental pollution. In this study, urea–kaolinite containing 20 wt% urea after one hour dry grinding was mixed with different concentrations of chitosan as a binder to prepare nitrogen-based CRF. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the hydrogen bonding between urea and kaolinite. Covalent interaction between urea–kaolinite and chitosan make the granules stronger. The nitrogen release was measured in 5 days interval using a diacetylmonoxime calorimetric method at a wavelength of 527 nm. The results illustrated that by increasing the chitosan concentration from 3 to 7.5%, nitrogen release decreased from 41.23 to 25.25% after one day and from 77.31 to 59.27% after 30 days incubation in water. Compressive stress at break tests confirmed that granules with chitosan 6% had the highest resistance and were chosen for ammonia volatilization tests. Ammonia volatilization was carried out using the forced-draft technique for a period of 10 weeks. The results showed that the total amount of ammonia loss for conventional urea fertilizer and urea–kaolinite–chitosan granules was 68.63 and 56.75%, respectively. This controlled release product could be applied in agricultural crop production purpose due to its controlled solubility in the soil, high nutrient use efficiency and potential economic benefits.     

Alteration in genes expression patterns during in vitro differentiation of mouse spermatogonial cells into neuroepithelial-like cells

Pluripotent stem cells derived from testis is a new, natural, and unlimited source for cell therapy in regenerative medicine and represent a possible alternative to replacing of all cells in the body. Here, we designed a simple co-culture system of spermatogonia cells with Sertoli cells for the generation of embryonic stem-like cells from mouse testis. The importance of our simple method will be clear when we compared it with other complex and time-consuming methods. Embryonic stem-like colonies with sharp border confirmed by real-time PCR, immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry assessments. Embryonic stem-like colonies were immunopositive for pluripotency markers. Transition of spermatogonia cells to embryonic stem-like cells was accompanied by extensive changes in gene expression. These changes included significant increase in pluripotency genes expression and significant decrease in germ cell-specific genes expression. Also, we proved the differentiation capacity of embryonic stem-like cells to neuroepithelial-like cells which were immunoreactive to Nestin and Neurofilament 68. Evaluation of genes expression during in vitro differentiation into neuroepithelial-like cells showed high-level expression of Nestin whether this gene approximately has no expression in undifferentiated embryonic stem-like cells. Also, expression of pluripotency genes has significantly decreased in neuroepithelial-like cells compared with embryonic stem-like cells. This study shows that embryonic stem-like cells derived from testis are capable to differentiate into neuroepithelial-like cells that may provide a cellular reservoir usable for neurodegenerative disorders.     

Comparison of Th1 and Th2 responses in non-healing and healing patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis

Background:

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an endemic disease in many regions of Iran, including the city of Mashhad. In recent years, some cases have not responded to Glucantime, the usual treatment for this disease. The cellular immune response caused by T-helper type 1 (Th1) cells has an important role in protection against leishmaniasis, and activation of the T-helper type 2 (Th2) response causes progression of the disease. By analyzing these responses we hope to find a more effective treatment than that currently in use for leishmaniasis patients.

Methods:

The cellular immune responses in 60 cases of non-healing and healing cutaneous leishmaniasis, and individuals in a control group, were analyzed by measuring cytokines released by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) when stimulated with Leishmania major antigens by Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA).

Results:

Subjects from the healing group secreted more interleukin-12 (IL-12) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) (p<0.05) and less interleukins -4, -5, -10 (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10) (p<0.005) and -18 (IL-18) (p=0.003) than the non-healing group.

Conclusions:

The results demonstrate that secretion of cytokines that activate Th2 response including IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10 in non-healing subjects was higher than healing subjects and secretion of cytokines that activate Th1 response including IL-12 and IFN-γ in healing subjects was higher relative to the non-healing subjects. In this study it has been shown that the level of IL-18 progresses disease in non-healing patients when the level of IL-12 gets decreased. Key Words: Cytokines, Cutaneous leishmaniasis, Glucantime     

High IKZF1/3 protein expression is a favorable prognostic factor for survival of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients treated with lenalidomide

The aim of this study is to assess nucleoprotein expression of IKZF1/3 in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM) who received lenalidomide-based therapy and correlated them with their clinical outcomes. A total of 50 patients diagnosed with MM were entered in the study with the median follow-up of 86.4 months. By immunohistochemistry (IHC), IKZF1 and IKZF3 were expressed in 72 and 58% of the cases, respectively. IKZF1 and IKZF3 expressions were associated with longer median progression free survival (P?=?0.0029 and P?<?0.0001) and overall survival (P?=?0.0014 and P?<?0.0001). IKZF3 expression also appears predicted a favorable response to the lenalidomide-based therapy.     

Spectroscopic (UV/VIS,Raman) and Electrophoresis Study of Cytosine-Guanine Oligonucleotide DNA Influenced by Magnetic Field

Studying the effect of a magnetic field on oligonucleotide DNA can provide a novel DNA manipulation technique for potential application in bioengineering and medicine. In this work, the optical and electrochemical response of a 100 bases oligonucleotides DNA, cytosine-guanine (CG₁₀₀), is investigated via exposure to different magnetic fields (250, 500, 750, and 1000 mT). As a result of the optical response of CG₁₀₀ to the magnetic field, the ultra-violet-visible spectrum indicated a slight variation in the band gap of CG₁₀₀ of about 0.3 eV. Raman spectroscopy showed a significant deviation in hydrogen and phosphate bonds’ vibration after exposure to the magnetic field. Oligonucleotide DNA mobility was investigated in the external electric field using the gel electrophoresis technique, which revealed a small decrease in the migration of CG₁₀₀ after exposure to the magnetic field.     

Drug Targeting to Macrophages With Solid Lipid Nanoparticles Harboring Paromomycin: an <Emphasis Type="Italic">In Vitro</Emphasis> Evaluation Against <Emphasis Type="Italic">L. major</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">L. tropica</Emphasis>

Leishmaniasis is a worldwide disease that leads to high mortality and morbidity in human populations. Today, leishmaniasis is managed via drug therapy. The drugs that are already in clinical use are limited to a number of toxic chemical compounds and their parasite drug resistance is increasing. It is therefore essential, in order to circumvent the current difficulties, to design a new anti-leishmanial drug treatment strategy. Besides producing new, active anti-leishmanial entities, another promising strategy could be developing novel delivery systems and formulations of the existing pharmaceutical ingredients to improve drug efficacy. In the present study, paromomycin sulfate (PM), as one of the promising anti-leishmanial drugs, was formulated in solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), and its in vitro efficacy was investigated against different strains of Leishmania using a MTT test, Parasite-Rescue-Transformation-Assay, SYTO Green staining, and fluorescent microscope imaging. The results show that PM-loaded SLN is significantly more effective than PM in inhibiting parasite propagation (P?<?0.05) and that cytotoxicity of PM-SLN formulations is size dependent. According to our results, delivery of the drugs to the macrophages via nanoparticle utilization seems to be an accessible and practical approach.     

Killing cancer with platycodin D through multiple mechanisms

Cancer is a multi‐faceted disease comprised of a combination of genetic, epigenetic, metabolic and signalling aberrations which severely disrupt the normal homoeostasis of cell growth and death. Rational developments of highly selective drugs which specifically block only one of the signalling pathways have been associated with limited therapeutic success. Multi‐targeted prevention of cancer has emerged as a new paradigm for effective anti‐cancer treatment. Platycodin D, a triterpenoid saponin, is one the major active components of the roots of Platycodon grandiflorum and possesses multiple biological and pharmacological properties including, anti‐nociceptive, anti‐atherosclerosis, antiviral, anti‐inflammatory, anti‐obesity, immunoregulatory, hepatoprotective and anti‐tumour activities. Recently, the anti‐cancer activity of platycodin D has been extensively studied. The purpose of this review was to give our perspectives on the current status of platycodin D and discuss its anti‐cancer activity and molecular mechanisms which may help the further design and conduct of pre‐clinical and clinical trials to develop it successfully into a potential lead drug for oncological therapy. Platycodin D has been shown to fight cancer by inducing apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and autophagy and inhibiting angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis by targeting multiple signalling pathways which are frequently deregulated in cancers suggesting that this multi‐target activity rather than a single effect may play an important role in developing platycodin D into potential anti‐cancer drug.