Virtual high-throughput screening of natural compounds in-search of potential inhibitors for protection of telomeres 1 (POT1)

Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma     

Anti-inflammatory,anti-apoptotic,and antioxidant actions of Middle Eastern Phoenix dactylifera extract on mercury-induced hepatotoxicity in vivo

Molecular Biology Reports - Mercuric chloride (MC) is a complex substance which is capable to produce free radicals. Middle Eastern Phoenix dactylifera (MEPD) is a flowering plant of palm family...     

Randomization inference with general interference and censoring

Interference occurs between individuals when the treatment (or exposure) of one individual affects the outcome of another individual. Previous work on causal inference methods in the presence of interference has focused on the setting where it is a priori assumed that there is “partial interference,” in the sense that individuals can be partitioned into groups wherein there is no interference between individuals in different groups. Bowers et al. (2012, Political Anal, 21, 97–124) and Bowers et al. (2016, Political Anal, 24, 395–403) consider randomization-based inferential methods that allow for more general interference structures in the context of randomized experiments. In this paper, extensions of Bowers et al. that allow for failure time outcomes subject to right censoring are proposed. Permitting right-censored outcomes is challenging because standard randomization-based tests of the null hypothesis of no treatment effect assume that whether an individual is censored does not depend on treatment. The proposed extension of Bowers et al. to allow for censoring entails adapting the method of Wang et al. (2010, Biostatistics, 11, 676–692) for two-sample survival comparisons in the presence of unequal censoring. The methods are examined via simulation studies and utilized to assess the effects of cholera vaccination in an individually randomized trial of 73 000 children and women in Matlab, Bangladesh.     

Adipose tissue-derived stem cells upon decellularized ovine small intestine submucosa for tissue regeneration: An optimization and comparison method

The extracellular matrix of different mammalian tissues is commonly used as scaffolds in the field of tissue engineering. One of these tissues, which has frequently been studied due to its structural and biological features, is the small intestine submucosal membrane. These research are mainly done on the porcine small intestine. However, a report has recently been published about a scaffold produced from the submucosal layer of the ovine small intestine. In the present study, ovine small intestine submucosal (OSIS) was decellularized in a modified manner and its histological, morphological, and biomechanical properties were studied. Decellularization was performed in two phases: physical and chemical. In this method, a chloroform-methanol mixture, enzymatic digestion, and a constant dose of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was used in the least agitation time and its histological property and biocompatibility were evaluated in the presence of adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs); furthermore, ADSCs were isolated with a simple method (modified physical washing non-enzymatic isolation). The results were showed that the use of OSIS could be effective and operative. Mechanical properties, histological structure and shape, and glycosaminoglycan content were preserved. In the SDS-treated group, more than 90% of the native cells of tissue were deleted, and also in this group, no toxicity was observed and cell proliferation was supported, compared to the untreated group. Therefore, our results indicate that ADSCs seeded on OSIS scaffold could be used as a new approach in regenerative medicine as hybrid or hydrogel application.     

Expression profile of lncRNAs and miRNAs in esophageal cancer: Implications in diagnosis,prognosis, and therapeutic response

Esophageal cancer is the seventh most common cancer worldwide. Although a number of environmental and lifestyle-related risk factors have been identified for this kind of cancer, the exact molecular mechanisms of tumor evolution have not been clarified yet. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) as important regulators of gene expression and chromatin configuration have essential roles in the pathogenesis of esophageal cancer. They have been shown to alter the function of cancer-related signaling pathways such as phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B and Wnt pathway, thus they might modulate the response of patients to pathway-targeted therapies. Moreover, a number of lncRNAs, such as AFAP1-AS1, UCA1, HOTAIR, LOC285194, and TUSC7, are involved in conferring chemoresistant/radioresistant in esophageal cancer cells. A complex network of interaction exists between lncRNAs and miRNAs in the context of esophageal cancer. Finally, various panels of lncRNAs and miRNAs have been introduced that can predict the survival of esophageal cancer patients. In this review article, we summarize the recent findings regarding the role of miRNAs and lncRNAs in the pathogenesis of esophageal cancer with the special focus on their regulatory roles on signaling pathways, their potential as diagnostic/prognostic markers, and their relevance with therapeutic response.     

Screening of oilseed rape cultivars relation to diamondback moth,Plutella xylostella (Lep.: Plutellidae) in fields of Tehran

The diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lep., Plutellidae), is one of the most important pests of oilseed rape, Brassica napus L., in the world. In this study, resistance of oilseed rape cultivars to DBM was evaluated in fields of Tehran based on injury rate of the cultivars. To evaluate cultivar resistance, 19 cultivars of oilseed rape were planted in randomised complete-block design with three replications. Total experiments were conducted in experimental field of Shahed University. Results showed that DBM had activity on the plants during season and peak of the injury occurred on 27 May. Results indicated that the total of oilseed rape cultivar was spotty. Statistical analysis showed that there was significant difference among determined characteristics in all cultivars. The highest and lowest numbers of holes in the leaf were observed in Midas, Karaj3, Zarfam and Hyola420, Hyola308 cultivars, respectively, in sampling of the end growth. Opera and Midas cultivars have the highest percentage of leaf infestation and the lowest percentage of leaf infestation was observed in Hyola420 and Hyola308. Also, Karaj3 and Zarfam cultivars have the highest percentage of meristem infestation and the lowest percentage of meristem infestation was observed in Licard and Hyola420 cultivars. Based on peak of the injury rate and importance of meristem injury, Hyola420 and Hyola308 cultivars were relatively resistant to DBM, and Karaj3 and Zarfam were relatively sensitive to DBM.     

Cytokine single nucleotide polymorphisms in patients’ with gallstone: dose TGF-β gene variants affect gallstone formation?

Gallstone is a common biliary disorder with several risk factors. Immune responses and inflammatory cytokines are important in this disease; as a result, some cytokines can be detected in bile fluid. In this research, cytokine gene polymorphisms were studied, and their effects on gallstone formation were evaluated. On 158 gallstone patients and 254 normal subjects, by PCR- RFLP method, IL-4-C590T polymorphism and by ARMS-PCR method, IFN-γ T+874A, TNF-α-A308G, IL-6 G-174C and TGF-β T+869C variants were studied. Pathologic evaluations were done on surgical specimens. There were no significant differences in distribution of evaluated polymorphisms between patient group and normal control group (P > 0.05), except TGF-β +869T allele (P = 0.04, OR = 1.23, 95 % CI = 1–1.79) which was higher in patients with gallstone. Although the pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6 may promote gallstone formation, in this study no significant correlation between TNF-α and IL-6 polymorphisms and gallstone formation was seen. It is taught that TGF-β may affect gallbladder cells to promote gallstone formation and higher producer TGF-β +869T allele can be a risk factor of gallstone disease, so further studies would be more elucidative.     

Cytokine gene polymorphism and graft-versus-host disease: a survey in Iranian bone marrow transplanted patients

Graft versus host disease (GVHD) is a major complication of bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Numerous studies have shown the potential role of cytokine genotypes in the occurrence of GVHD. In this retrospective, case–control study we aimed to investigate the association between 13 cytokine genes and acute GVHD (aGVHD) after HLA-identical sibling BMT in 91 Iranian subjects. Negative association was found between aGVHD and donor IL-10/GCC haplotype or donor IL-4Ra-A allele in the population study. When compared within the leukemia subgroup, we observed positive association between recipient IL-1α ?889/C allele and aGVHD. Also there were negative association between recipient IL-10/CAA haplotype and donor IL-4Ra/A allele and development of aGVHD. Among the different genotypes only donor IL-4Ra and donor IL-12 showed significant association. We conclude that several cytokine polymorphisms are positively and negatively associated with aGVHD in Iranian HLA matched siblings, of which IL-4Ra and IL-12 may play important roles.     

Black Yeast Biota in the Mangrove, in Search of the Origin of the Lethargic Crab Disease (LCD)

Knowledge of natural ecology is essential for a better understanding of pathogenicity and opportunism in black yeast-like fungi. Although etiological agents of diseases caused by these fungi are supposed to originate from the environment, their isolation from nature is difficult. This is probably due to their oligotrophic nature, low competitive ability, and, overall, insufficient data on their natural habitat. We obtained environmental samples from mangrove areas where mortalities by lethargic crab disease (LCD) are reported and areas without disease recorded. Isolation of chaetothyrialean black yeasts and relatives was performed using a highly selective protocol. Species-specific primers were used to determine if these isolates represented Exophiala cancerae or Fonsecaea brasiliensis, two proven agents of LCD, in order to test hypotheses about the origin of the disease. Isolates, identified by morphology as Fonsecaea- or Exophiala-like, were tested specific diagnostic markers for the fungi associated with LCD. Although several black fungi were isolated, the main causative agent of the LCD, E. cancerae, was not found. Molecular markers for F. brasiliensis revealed 10 positive bands for isolates from biofilms on mangrove leaves, branches, and aerial roots, of which four were confirmed by ITS sequencing. The absence of E. cancerae in environmental samples suggests that the species is dependent on the crab, as a genuine pathogen, different from F. brasiliensis, which is probably not dependent on the host species, U. cordatus. However, we did not attempt isolation from the marine water, which may represent the pathway of dispersion of the black yeast species between neighbor mangroves.