Cerumen as a potential risk for transmission of Hepatitis B virus

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission via blood and other body fluids from infected individuals to healthy people has been largely demonstrated. However, in the current literature, there is little information available on the potential role of cerumen in HBV transmission. Cerumen and blood were collected from 70 patients infected with HBV and 70 volunteer healthy people were selected as the control group, and the samples were evaluated by ELISA and Real-time PCR. All the patients proved positive for HBsAg and anti HBc total. Sixty-one of the 70 cerumen samples of cases (82.1%) and 5 (7%) of controls were positive for HBV DNA with ranges from 1.53 × 102 to 2.9 × 108 and 1.3 × 102-2.6 × 105/ml, respectively. In three patients, the level of HBV DNA in cerumen was higher than that in the serums. The patients who were positive for HBeAg showed a higher rate of HBVDNA in the serum and cerumen.The results of this study showed the level of HBV DNA as a probably indicator of high risk transmission factor, which was present in the cerumen of chronic hepatitis B patients in west of Iran.     

Characterizing Brain Structures and Remodeling after TBI Based on Information Content,Diffusion Entropy

Background

To overcome the limitations of conventional diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging resulting from the assumption of a Gaussian diffusion model for characterizing voxels containing multiple axonal orientations, Shannon''s entropy was employed to evaluate white matter structure in human brain and in brain remodeling after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a rat.

Methods

Thirteen healthy subjects were investigated using a Q-ball based DTI data sampling scheme. FA and entropy values were measured in white matter bundles, white matter fiber crossing areas, different gray matter (GM) regions and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Axonal densities'' from the same regions of interest (ROIs) were evaluated in Bielschowsky and Luxol fast blue stained autopsy (n = 30) brain sections by light microscopy. As a case demonstration, a Wistar rat subjected to TBI and treated with bone marrow stromal cells (MSC) 1 week after TBI was employed to illustrate the superior ability of entropy over FA in detecting reorganized crossing axonal bundles as confirmed by histological analysis with Bielschowsky and Luxol fast blue staining.

Results

Unlike FA, entropy was less affected by axonal orientation and more affected by axonal density. A significant agreement (r = 0.91) was detected between entropy values from in vivo human brain and histologically measured axonal density from post mortum from the same brain structures. The MSC treated TBI rat demonstrated that the entropy approach is superior to FA in detecting axonal remodeling after injury. Compared with FA, entropy detected new axonal remodeling regions with crossing axons, confirmed with immunohistological staining.

Conclusions

Entropy measurement is more effective in distinguishing axonal remodeling after injury, when compared with FA. Entropy is also more sensitive to axonal density than axonal orientation, and thus may provide a more accurate reflection of axonal changes that occur in neurological injury and disease.     

Combination effect of exercise training and eugenol supplementation on the hippocampus apoptosis induced by chlorpyrifos

The aim of this study was to investigate the combination effect of exercise training and eugenol supplementation on the hippocampus apoptosis induced by CPF. 64 adult male albino rats were randomly selected and devided into eight groups of eight including: control, exercise (EXE), chlorpyrifos (CPF), Control?+?Oil (Co?+?Oil), Control?+?DMSO (Co?+?DMSO), chlorpyrifos?+?eugenol (CPF?+?Sup), chlorpyrifos?+?exercise (CPF?+?Exe) and, chlorpyrifos?+?exercise?+?eugenol (CPF?+?Exe?+?Eu). Four experimental groups received intraperitoneal injection (5 days a week) of 3.0 mg/kg body weight CPF in DMSO for 6 consecutive weeks. The exercise groups performed aerobic 5 days per week over 4 weeks. Eugenol were administered by gavage. Finally, the animals were sacrificed using CO₂ gas (a half of the rats were anesthetized with ketamine and xylazine and then perfused) to evaluate hippocampus histology and parameters. The results of this study showed that CPF injection significantly decreased BDNF, AChE and ATP in CA1 area of the hippocampus (p ? 0.05). Also, CA1 apoptosis by tunnel assay, it was found that CPF receiving groups with different dosage, showed a significant increase compared to other groups, which was confirmed by increasing cytochrome C and procaspase-3 in CPF groups (p ? 0.05). The result of this study show that 4 weeks of exercise training and eugenol supplementation does not improve the destructive effects of CPF in CA1 area of the hippocampus. As a result, it is recommended that future studies longer periods for treatment with exercise and eugenol supplementation.

     

Application of Probiotics in Folate Bio-Fortification of Yoghurt

Folate deficiency is a public health concern affecting all age groups worldwide. The available evidence reveals that adding probiotic bacteria to the yoghurt starter cultures during yoghurt production process under fermentation conditions increases the folate content of yoghurt. The present study was conducted to measure two folate derivatives, i.e., 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and 5-formyltetrahydrofolate, in bio-fortified yoghurt samples including (1) yoghurt containing Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, (2) probiotic yoghurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 and Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12, (3) probiotic yoghurt containing native strains of Lactobacillus plantarum 15HN, (4) probiotic yoghurt containing native strains of Lactococcus lactis 44Lac, and (5) probiotic yoghurt containing commercial strains of Lactobacillus plantarum LAT BY PL. During storage at 4 °C for 21 days, the highest levels of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and 5-formyltetrahydrofolate, which were statistically significant, were detected in the yoghurt made using Lact. plantarum 15HN. Moreover, the highest total folate concentration (1487 ± 96.42 μg/L) was specified in the yoghurt containing Lact. plantarum 15HN on the 7th day. It can be conjectured that this product can be suggested as a proper alternative to synthetic folic acid and may not have the side effects of using synthetic folic acid overdoses.

     

Genetic structure and ecological niche segregation of Indian gray mongoose (Urva edwardsii) in Iran

Combining genetic data with ecological niche models is an effective approach for exploring climatic and nonclimatic environmental variables affecting spatial patterns of intraspecific genetic variation. Here, we adopted this combined approach to evaluate genetic structure and ecological niche of the Indian gray mongoose (Urva edwardsii) in Iran, as the most western part of the species range. Using mtDNA, we confirmed the presence of two highly differentiated clades. Then, we incorporated ensemble of small models (ESMs) using climatic and nonclimatic variables with genetic data to assess whether genetic differentiation among clades was coupled with their ecological niche. Climate niche divergence was also examined based on a principal component analysis on climatic factors only. The relative habitat suitability values predicted by the ESMs for both clades revealed their niche separation. Between‐clade climate only niche comparison revealed that climate space occupied by clades is similar to some extent, but the niches that they utilize differ between the distribution ranges of clades. We found that in the absence of evidence for recent genetic exchanges, distribution models suggest the species occurs in different niches and that there are apparent areas of disconnection across the species range. The estimated divergence time between the two Iranian clades (4.9 Mya) coincides with the uplifting of the Zagros Mountains during the Early Pliocene. The Zagros mountain‐building event seems to have prevented the distribution of U. edwardsii populations between the western and eastern parts of the mountains as a result of vicariance events. Our findings indicated that the two U. edwardsii genetic clades in Iran can be considered as two conservation units and can be utilized to develop habitat‐specific and climate change‐integrated management strategies.     

Diffusion of MRI and CT Contrast Agents in Articular Cartilage under Static Compression

Cartilage has a limited capacity for self-repair and focal damage can eventually lead to complete degradation of the tissue. Early diagnosis of degenerative changes in cartilage is therefore essential. Contrast agent-based computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging provide promising tools for this purpose. However, the common assumption in clinical applications that contrast agents reach steady-state distributions within the tissue has been of questionable validity. Characterization of nonequilibrium diffusion of contrast agents rather than their equilibrium distributions may therefore be more effective for image-based cartilage assessment. Transport of contrast agent through the extracellular matrix of cartilage can be affected by tissue compression due to matrix structural and compositional changes including reduced pore size and fluid content. We therefore investigate the effects of static compression on diffusion of three common contrast agents: sodium iodide, sodium diatrizoate, and gadolinium diethylenetriamine-pentaacid (Gd-DTPA). Results showed that static compression was associated with significant decreases in diffusivities for sodium iodide and Gd-DTPA, with similar (but not significant) trends for sodium diatrizoate. Molecular mass of contrast agents affected diffusivities as the smallest one tested, sodium iodide, showed higher diffusivity than sodium diatrizoate and Gd-DTPA. Compression-associated cartilage matrix alterations such as glycosaminoglycan and fluid contents were found to correspond with variations in contrast agent diffusivities. Although decreased diffusivity was significantly correlated with increasing glycosaminoglycan content for sodium iodide and Gd-DTPA only, diffusivity significantly increased for all contrast agents by increasing fluid fraction. Because compounds based on iodine and gadolinium are commonly used for computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, present findings can be valuable for more accurate image-based assessment of variations in cartilage composition associated with focal injuries.     

Streptococcus mitis Induces Conversion of Helicobacter pylori to Coccoid Cells during Co-Culture In Vitro

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a major gastric pathogen that has been associated with humans for more than 60,000 years. H. pylori causes different gastric diseases including dyspepsia, ulcers and gastric cancers. Disease development depends on several factors including the infecting H. pylori strain, environmental and host factors. Another factor that might influence H. pylori colonization and diseases is the gastric microbiota that was overlooked for long because of the belief that human stomach was a hostile environment that cannot support microbial life. Once established, H. pylori mainly resides in the gastric mucosa and interacts with the resident bacteria. How these interactions impact on H. pylori-caused diseases has been poorly studied in human. In this study, we analyzed the interactions between H. pylori and two bacteria, Streptocccus mitis and Lactobacillus fermentum that are present in the stomach of both healthy and gastric disease human patients. We have found that S. mitis produced and released one or more diffusible factors that induce growth inhibition and coccoid conversion of H. pylori cells. In contrast, both H. pylori and L. fermentum secreted factors that promote survival of S. mitis during the stationary phase of growth. Using a metabolomics approach, we identified compounds that might be responsible for the conversion of H. pylori from spiral to coccoid cells. This study provide evidences that gastric bacteria influences H. pylori physiology and therefore possibly the diseases this bacterium causes.     

Clinical grade cultivation of human Schwann cell, by the using of human autologous serum instead of fetal bovine serum and without growth factors

Clinical grade cultivation of human schwann cell by the utilization of human autologous serum instead of fetal bovine serum, and also avoiding any growth factors, can increase safety level of this procedure in cases of clinical cell transplantation. The aim of this study was demonstration of the feasibility of clinical grade schwann cell cultivation. In this experimental study after obtaining consent from close relatives we harvested 10 sural nerves from brain death donors and then cultured in 10 seperated culture media plus autologous serum. We also prepared autologous serum from donor??s whole blood. Then cultured cells were evaluated by S100 antibody staining for both morphology and purity. Cell purity range was from 97% to 99% (mean?=?98.11?±?0.782%). Mean of the cell count was 14,055.56?±?2,480.479 per micro liter. There was not significant correlation between cell purity and either the culture period or the age of donors (P?>?0.05). The spearman correlation coefficient for the cell purity with the period or the age of donors was 0.21 and 0.09, respectively. We demonstrated the feasibility of clinical grade schwann cell cultivation by the using of human autologous serum instead of fetal bovine serum and also without the using of growth factors. We also recommended all cell preparation facilities to adhere to the GMP and other similar quality disciplines especially in the preparation of clinically-used cell products.     

Tinea Capitis Due to Microsporum vanbreuseghemii: Report of Two Cases

Two cases of dermatophytosis caused by Microsporum vanbreuseghemii are reported. A 7-year-old boy and his brother were examined for tinea capitis. Hair samples and skin scrapings were collected from each patient to microscopy and culture. Direct microscopic examination of the hairs using lactophenol revealed an ectothrix invasion. Cultures inoculated with portions of clinical material yielded M. vanbreuseghemii after 2?weeks. The identification of the fungi were based on colony morphology on mycobiotic agar, microscopic characteristic on slide cultures, biochemical reactions and hair perforation tests.     

Physical association of GPR54 C-terminal with protein phosphatase 2A

KiSS1 was discovered as a metastasis suppressor gene and subsequently found to encode kisspeptins (KP), ligands for a G protein coupled receptor (GPCR), GPR54. This ligand-receptor pair was later shown to play a critical role in the neuro-endocrine regulation of puberty. The C-terminal cytoplasmic (C-ter) domain of GPR54 contains a segment rich in proline and arginine residues that corresponds to the primary structure of four overlapping SH3 binding motifs. Yeast two hybrid experiments identified the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A-C) as an interacting protein. Pull-down experiments with GST fusion proteins containing the GPR54 C-ter confirmed binding to PP2A-C in cell lysates and these complexes contained phosphatase activity. The proline arginine rich segment is necessary for these interactions. The GPR54 C-ter bound directly to purified recombinant PP2A-C, indicating the GPR54 C-ter may form complexes involving the catalytic subunit of PP2A that regulate phosphorylation of critical signaling intermediates.