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SummaryFertility preservation is one of the most important issues in assisted reproductive technology. Previous studies have shown that cytokines and growth factors can improve follicle growth. The endometrial stromal cells secrete various factors that are involved in maintaining the integrity of uterine and epithelial secretory function. The platelet-rich plasma contains a large assembly of platelets suspended in plasma that successfully improves the viability and growth of various cell lines. This work aimed to investigate the influences of conditioned medium (CM) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on the development of ovarian follicles in infertile mice due to cyclophosphamide (CYC) exposure. In this study, 65 healthy BALB/c female mice (∼28–30 g and 6-8 weeks old) in five groups were studied. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9)-positive cells. The mRNA expression levels of SMAD1, SMAD2, and BMP15 was assessed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. The expression levels of SMAD1, GDF9, BMP15, and SMAD2 in the CM+PRP group was significantly more than in the CM and PRP groups. In addition, live birth occurred in the CM+PRP group. Treatment with CM+PRP in infertile mice due to Cy exposure increased fertility and live-birth rate. In general, our study suggested that the CM and PRP combination could improve the growth of mice ovarian follicles in vivo.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impacts of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and conditioned medium (CM) derived from endometrial stromal cells on mouse preantral follicle culture in a two-dimensional system to produce competent mature oocytes for fertilization.Methods: In total, 240 preantral follicles were isolated from female mouse ovarian tissue and divided into four groups. The preantral follicles were isolated three times for each group and then cultured, respectively, in the presence of alpha minimum essential medium (control), PRP, CM, and PRP+CM. The in vitro growth, in vitro maturation, and cleavage percentage of the preantral follicles were investigated. Immunocytochemistry (IHC) was also conducted to monitor the meiotic progression of the oocytes. Additionally, the mRNA expression levels of the two folliculogenesis-related genes (Gdf9 and Bmp15) and two apoptosis-related genes (Bcl2 and Bax) were investigated using real-time polymerase chain reaction.Results: In the PRP, CM, and PRP+CM groups, the preantral follicle maturation (evaluated by identifying polar bodies) were greater than the control group. The cleavage rate in the CM, and PRP+CM groups were also greater than the control group. IHC analysis demonstrated that in each treatment group, meiotic spindle was normal. In the PRP+CM group, the gene expression levels of Bmp15, Gdf9, and Bcl2 were greater than in the other groups. The Bax gene was more strongly expressed in the PRP and control groups than in the other groups.Conclusion: Overall, the present study suggests that the combination of CM and PRP can effectively increase the growth and cleavage rate of mouse preantral follicles in vitro.

The present study takes on an innovative experiment involving detection of ultraweak photon emission (UPE) from the hippocampus of male rat brains and finds significant correlations between Alzheimer’s disease (AD), memory decline, oxidative stress, and the intensity of UPE emitted spontaneously from the hippocampus. These remarkable findings opens up novel methods for screening, detecting, diagnosing and classifying neurodegenerative diseases (and associated sydromes), such as in AD. This also paves the way towards novel advanced brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) photonic chip for the detection of UPE from brain’s neural tissue. The envisaged BCI photonic chip (BCIPC) would be minimally invasive, cheap, high-speed, scalable, would provide high spatiotemporal resolution of brain’s activity and would provide short- and long-term screening of clinical patho-neurophysiological signatures, which could be monitored by a smart wristwatch or smartphone via a wireless connection.Background & aimLiving cells spontaneously emit biophotons, or UPE, during the process of metabolic reactions, and these UPE in tissues may be altered in pathological conditions. These compelling observations led us to hypothesise that AD (a severe neuropathological disorder) can be screened via UPE. This is substantiated by previous studies showing that oxidative stress occurs prior to the formation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (i.e. the neuropathological hallmarks of AD). Indeed, oxidative stress is a critical factor contributing to the initiation and progression of AD. Moreover, earlier research have evidenced the association between UPE and oxidative stress of biological tissue. These combined observations set us to investigate whether UPE intensity of the hippocampus in a pathological state, induced by intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of streptozotocin (STZ), can be correlated with memory, oxidative stress, Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) as a novel screening strategy for AD.Material & methodsThirty-two adult male rats were divided into four groups: Control, Sham, STZ, and STZ+Donp (n=8). Specifically, for inducing sporadic AD (sAD), STZ was injected on days 1 and 3. One week after the second ICV injection, the intraperitoneal (IP) use of donepezil was initiated and continued for two weeks. After treatment, spatial and recognition memory were evaluated from days 24 to 29 of the experiment using the Morris water maze (MWM) and novel object recognition (NOR) test, respectively. Finally, the rats were euthanased by cervical dislocate in day 30. Anesthetic drugs disrupt neural communication from chemical neurotransmitter receptor inhibition. UPE related to cells activity so anesthesia intervention must be considered. Then, their brains were removed and the hippocampus dissected. The Right hippocampus was evaluated in terms of UPE via a Photomultiplier tubes (PMT) device. Moreover, in left hippocampus we measured malondialdehyde (MDA) by the TBARS assay and heat via calorimeter ELIZA device. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was also scrutinized via acetylthiocholine reaction via the Ellman method.Results & discussionSTZ injection impaired learning and memory function compared with the sham and control groups. The results of the MWM test indicated a decrease in the time used to find the hidden platform in the donepezil-treated group during training days, while in the STZ group, no significant reduction in this time was observed. In the probe trial, the donepezil-treated group showed a significant increase in target quadrant time in comparison with the STZ group (p

Background: Inflammation, myelin loss, astrocytosis, and microgliosis are pathological signs of the autoimmune and demyelinating disease known as multiple sclerosis (MS). Axonal and neuronal degenerations have basic molecular pathways. The remyelination process can be influenced by the secretome of mesenchymal stem cells due to their capacity for immunomodulation, differentiation, and neuroprotection. Microglial cells are divided into two subgroups: M1 and M2 phenotypes. A crucial component of the microglial function is the colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R). We aimed to evaluate the immunomodulating effects of secretome and conditioned serum on the microglial phenotypes and improvement of demyelination in a cuprizone model of MS. Methods: The study used 48 male C57BL/6 mice, which were randomly distributed into 6 subgroups (n=8), i.e., control, cuprizone, MSC (confluency 40% and 80%) secretome group, and blood derived conditioned serum (autologous and humanized). The animals were fed with 0.2% cuprizone diet for 12 weeks. Supplements were injected into the lateral tail vein using a 27-gauge needle every 3 days 500 μl per injection. Results: At 14 days after transplantation, animals from each group were sacrificed and analyzed by Real time PCR. The results showed that the administration of MSC secretome can efficiently reduce expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL6 and TNF-α) in the corpus callosum; also, conditioned serum downregulated IL-1. Moreover, the oligodendrocyte-specific gene was upregulated by secretome and conditioned serum treatment. Also, the expression of microglial- specific gene was reduced after treatment. Conclusions: These findings demonstrated that the secretome isolated from MSCs used as a therapy decreased and increased the M1 and M2 levels, respectively, to control neuroinflammation in CPZ mice. In conclusion, the current study showed the viability of devising a method to prepare suitable MSCs and secreted factor to cure neurodegenerative diseases, as well as the capability of regulating MSC secretome patterns by manipulating the cell density. other: .

Background In December 2019, in Wuhan, China, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was emerged due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). It seems that children and neonates, similar to adult and elderly individuals, are at risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, adequate data are not available about neonates infected with SARS-CoV-2. Methods This study evaluated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in neonates born to mothers or relatives with COVID-19. This cross-sectional study was performed on 25,044 consecutive Iranian participants in Tehran, Iran, from January 2020 to August 2020. Viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) was extracted from 500 µl of the oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal specimens of the participants. The genomic RNA of SARS-CoV-2 was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Results Out of all participants, 98 (0.40%) cases were neonates born to mothers or relatives with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Therefore, the current study was performed on these neonates. Out of 98 studied neonates, 6 (6.1%) cases had positive PCR results for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Moreover, among 98 studied neonates’ mothers, 25 (25.5%) cases had positive PCR results for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Conclusion The findings of this study demonstrated that the rate of COVID-19 in neonates born to mothers or relatives with SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Iranian population is about 6.1%.

Background: Working children are susceptible to infection with various infectious microorganisms. Unfortunately, the difficulties of working children are growing at a remarkable speed worldwide. Objectives: The aim of this research was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, as well as to evaluate the level of anemia, calcium, and phosphorus in working children. Methods: This cross-sectional research was performed on 370 Iranian and Afghan working children from February 2018 to May 2019. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb), hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb), and anti-HCV Ab were evaluated using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Furthermore, HCV-RNA and genomic HBV-DNA in the plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) specimens of the participants were investigated. The restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method was used to determine the genotype of HCV, and sequencing was performed to confirm. Results: The mean age of the participants was 10.1 ± 2.1 years (range, 6 - 15 years), and 229 (61.9%) were male. None of the studied children had any detectable HBV-DNA in the plasma and PBMC. The HCV genome was not detected in the plasma of the children, but HCV-RNA was assessed in the PBMC sample of 1 child (0.3%). Therefore, one of the children had occult HCV infection (OCI). The genotype of HCV in this child was subtype 1a. Furthermore, HBsAb was detected in Iranian (41.5%) and Afghan children (40.0%), and 2 (0.54%) of the working children were HBsAg positive. In 3 participants (0.8%), a positive HBcAb test result was noted. Conclusions: The prevalence of HCV and HBV infection in working children in Iran is extremely rare. However, there is a possibility of the presence of OCI in these children.

Pancreatic islet transplant is suggested as a promising treatment option in diabetes, but the number of viable and functional islets and the long-term efficacy of transplanted islets have not been satisfactory. Islet isolation leads to destruction of the extracellular matrix and loss of trophic support of islets, which reduces their survival and function. Reconstruction of islet microenvironment with biomaterials may preserve islet survival and graft efficacy. Accordingly, we investigated the effects of pancreatic islet homogenate on islet quality and graft outcomes in diabetic rats.Islets were isolated from the pancreas of Sprague Dawley rats and were cultured with or without pancreatic islet homogenate. Before transplant, viability, insulin content, and insulin released from cultured islets were assessed. Islets were then transplanted into subcapsular space of diabetic rat kidney. Transplant outcomes were evaluated by plasma glucose and insulin levels, glucose tolerance tests, and stress oxidative markers.Viability and insulin release in the pancreatic islet homogenate-treated islets were significantly higher than that in the control islets. After transplant of islets, recipient rats with pancreatic islet homogenate showed significant decreases in blood glucose and malondialdehyde levels and increases in superoxide dismutase activity and plasma insulin levels.Islet treatment with pancreatic islet homogenate could improve islet survival and transplant function and outcomes. Oxidative stress reduction might be a secondary beneficial effect of improved quality of treated islets.

Introduction: Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a prevalent lethal condition. The clinical feature of this type of poisoning varies from headache and nausea to more severe conditions. After recovery from the acute intoxication, neurological or behavioral problems may emerge. In 3%-40% of cases, delayed neuropsychiatric syndrome (DNS) in post CO poisoning, generally develops within few weeks after a preliminary remission from acute poisoning. Case Presentation: We report a patient with relatively suitable premorbid. He was admitted to the hospital with fire burning, co poisoning and discharged home with good general conditions and mental status by receiving normal baric oxygen 100%. later in post-operative management of skin graft he developed a fulminant neurological deficit by impaired memory and concentration, loosening of association, disorientation to place, time and person, agitation, aggression, mood labiality, urinary incontinency and encopresis, slow psychomotor retardation, false and approximate answers to questions, auditory and visual hallucination, staring and inappropriate laughing. As the patient was not responsive to neurological treatment, he was referred to psychiatric service. DNS in this patient resolved gradually during a short period of psychopharmacotherapy and supportive psychotherapy. Conclusion: CO poisoning may lead to neuropsychiatric sequel and neuroimaging changes which could be reversible.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a therapeutic option in different fields based on its growth factors. We investigated influence of PRP on islet survival, function, transplantation outcomes, and pancreatic genes expression in diabetic rats. In vitro: pancreatic isolated islets were incubated with/without PRP then viability, insulin secretion, and content were assessed. In vivo: Series 1 were designed to determine whether islet treatment with PRP improves transplantation outcome in diabetic rats by evaluating plasma glucose and insulin concentrations and oxidative parameters. Series 2, effects of PRP subcutaneous injection were evaluated on pancreatic genes expression and glucose tolerance test in diabetic rats. PRP enhanced viability and secretary function of islet. Reduced glucose and malondialdehyde levels as well as increased insulin levels, superoxide dismutase activity, and expressions of pdx1 and insulin were observed in diabetic rats. PRP treatment has positive effects on islet viability, function, transplantation outcome, and pancreatic genes expression in diabetic rats.

Several factors are necessary for the growth and survival of healthy follicles in the folliculogenesis process, including endocrine and paracrine glands, and a regulated ratio of granulosa cells to oocytes. One of the most powerful methods for studying folliculogenesis is the culture of ovarian follicles and oogenesis within a completely controlled environment. Follicle culture systems are highly developed and are rapidly evolving. However, the methods for separating the follicles, the cultivation techniques, the culture medium, and the dietary and hormonal supplements vary depending on the species studied. This study made a literature review of follicular culture techniques, and we investigated the heterogeneity among these key variables in follicular culture.

In this paper, the chitosan-functionalized ionic liquid is modified with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles to form a novel and reusable catalyst (SPION@CS-IL), which was carried out using an ultrasonic promoted approach. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) are some of the techniques that are used to fully characterize SPION@CS-IL. The created nanoparticles were discovered to be a reusable heterogeneous superparamagnetic catalyst for the environmentally friendly one-pot synthesis of pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives using a simple three-component reaction approach involving thiobarbituric acid, 4-hydroxy coumarin, and various aromatic aldehydes. The method is studied by performing the reaction under ultrasonic irradiation, while the approach is a “green” method, it uses water as the solvent. The isolated yields of the synthesized products are very advantageous. The catalyst has outstanding reusability and is easily removed from the products via filtration (5 runs). Short reaction times, low catalyst loadings, the nanocatalyst’s capacity to be recycled five times, and the absence of harmful chemical reagents are all significant benefits of this environmentally benign process.

Introduction: Parquet poisoning has been elaborated to be very common among developing countries, particularly in regions with agriculture economy. One of the most common presentations of paraquat poisoning is oropharyngeal burns. Herein, we report a patient from a dry and warm district in the geographic center of Iran where agriculture and, as a result, paraquat poisoning are not commonly reported. Case Presentation: A 25-year-old man presented to hospital subsequent to a suicide attempt by ingesting oral paraquat poison. He gradually developed odynophagia and trismus-like appearance that, after a psychiatric consultation, was misdiagnosed as a drug side effect in the form of dystonia. Upon further physical examination, oral ulcers on his tongue were revealed to be responsible for the symptom. Conclusion: Paraquat poisoning is very rare in regions with lower rates of agriculture activities. In any patient with poisoning, however, it is necessary to consider intraoral examination to rule out any other suspected diagnosis.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes histological alterations which in turn affects functional activity. Studies have demonstrated that dental pulp-derived stem cells conditioned medium has beneficial effects on the nervous system. Besides, collagen hydrogel acts as a drug releasing system in SCI investigations. This research aimed to evaluate effects of dental pulp-derived stem cells conditioned medium loaded in collagen hydrogel in SCI. After culturing of Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs), SHED-conditioned medium (SHED-CM) was harvested and concentrated. Collagen hydrogel containing SHED-CM was prepared. The rats were divided into five groups receiving laminectomy, compressive SCI with or without intraspinal injection of biomaterials (SHED-CM and collagen hydrogel with or without SHED-CM). After 6 weeks, histological parameters were estimated using stereological methods. The total volume of preserved white matter and gray matter (p0.05) as well as the total number of neurons and oligodendrocytes in the rats received SHED-CM loaded in collagen hydrogel were significantly higher, and also lesion volume and lesion length were significantly lower (p0.05) compared to those of the other injured groups. In conclusion, intraspinal administration of SHED-CM loaded in collagen hydrogel leads to neuroprotection, proposing a cell-free therapeutic approach in SCI.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a therapeutic option in different fields based on its growth factors. We investigated influence of PRP on islet survival, function, transplantation outcomes, and pancreatic genes expression in diabetic rats.

Transplantation of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) has shown to have a vital role in promoting nerve regeneration after SCI. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of BMSCs transplantation in healing of spinal cord injury (SCI) in mice based on morphologic parameters. Forty two male mice were randomly divided into 3 groups of control with no intervention, experimental SCI without treatment, and experimental SCI transplanted with 2 × 105 BMSCs intravenously. To induce SCI bilaterally, T10 was compressed for 2 min. The animals were sacrificed 3 and 5 weeks after SCI and T7-T11 segments of spinal cord were removed and stained by Giemsa and H&E methods. Stereological assessment estimated the gray and white matter volume, the number of neurons and neuroglia and diameter of central canal. The average amount of gray matter in SCI injury group was significantly lower than control group. An increase in the number of neurons was noted after cell transplantation. The number of neurons in SCI injury group significantly decreased in comparison to the control group. In cell transplantation group, a significant increase in the number of neurons was visible when compared to SCI injury group. The increase in the number of neurons after cell transplantation denotes to the regenerative potential of BMSCs in SCI. These findings can be added to the literature and open a new window when targeting treatment of SCI.

Background: Brain tumors are among the most lethal and devastating cancers. Medulloblastoma tumor is a common solid brain malignancy, arising in the posterior fossa. Stereological methods are used in combination with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to obtain unbiased estimation of the total volume of the structure of interest. Objectives: In the current study, we evaluated cerebellar tumor volume pre- and post-operative in patients suffering from meduloblastoma tumor using MRI and Cavalieri method. Patients and Methods: The study was performed on 16 subjects consisting of two groups of eight people including patient and control groups. Slide direction were in both sagittal and axial planes. Pre- and post-operative volume of medulloblastoma tumor were determined on MR scanning images using the point-counting approach of Cavalieri method. Results: The post-operative tumor volume in both sagittal (P = 0.028) and axial (P = 0.046) MR images was statistically reduced by 90% compared to the pre-operative volume. Moreover, the pre-operative volume of the cerebellum in patients increased by 38% in patients as compared to the normal subjects (P = 0.028). Conclusion: It could be concluded that MRI-estimated tumor-volume might be useful in evaluating the efficiency of surgical treatment and prognostication of tumor regression rate.

Background Premature ovarian failure is one of the major side effects of chemotherapy drugs. Blood plasma contains several factors that might lead to the repair of different tissues. Objective The chemoprotective effects of plasma derived from mice with different ages and genders were assessed on ovarian tissue in cyclophosphamide-treated mice. Methods Forty-two adult female mice were divided into six groups as follows: (A) control; (B) 0.9% sodium chloride as vehicle; (C) cyclophosphamide; (D) cyclophosphamide + young male blood plasma; (E) cyclophosphamide + old male blood plasma; (F) cyclophosphamide + young female blood plasma. Ovarian failure was induced by injecting cyclophosphamide. On the 1st day, three groups received simultaneous injections of 150 μL intraperitoneal and 70 μL intravenous plasma derived from mice of different ages and genders. Each plasma type (150 μL) was then injected intraperitoneally every other 3 days for 19 days. On day 21, the dissected ovaries were stained for stereological analysis. Also, estrogen and progesterone levels were measured. Results Cyclophosphamide had damaging effects on ovarian parameters and led to reduced hormone levels in comparison with the control group. However, treating with young female and, old male blood plasma, to a lesser degree, showed beneficial effects on the number of primordial follicles, pre-antral follicles, and granulosa cells. Also, these two treatments had protective effects on the volume of ovarian parameters as well as estrogen and progesterone levels in comparison with the cyclophosphamide group (P Conclusion Plasma derived from mice of different ages and genders can ameliorate premature ovarian failure against the adverse effects of cyclophosphamide.

Background: Bone age assessment (BAA) is a radiological process with the aim of identifying growth disorders in children. The objective of this study is to assess the bone age of Iranian children in an automatic manner. Methods: In this context, three computer vision techniques including histogram of oriented gradients (HOG), local binary pattern (LBP), and scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) are applied to extract appropriate features from the carpal and epiphyseal regions of interest. Two different datasets are applied here: the University of Southern California hand atlas for training this computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system and Iranian radiographs for evaluating the performance of this system for BAA of Iranian children. In this study, the concatenation of HOG, LBP, and dense SIFT feature vectors and background subtraction are applied to improve the performance of this approach. Support vector machine (SVM) and K-nearest neighbor are used here for classification and the better results yielded by SVM. Results: The accuracy of female radiographs is 90% and of male is 71.42%. The mean absolute error is 0.16 and 0.42 years for female and male test radiographs, respectively. Cohen's kappa coefficients are 0.86 and 0.6, P < 0.05, for female and male radiographs, respectively. The results indicate that this proposed approach is in substantial agreement with the bone age reported by the experienced radiologist. Conclusion: This approach is easy to implement and reliable, thus qualified for CAD and automatic BAA of Iranian children.

Neurons like other living cells may have ultraweak photon emission (UPE) during neuronal activity. This study is aimed to evaluate UPE from neural stem cells (NSC) during their serial passaging and differentiation. We also investigate whether the addition of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) or enhancement of UPE (by AgNPs or mirror) affect the differentiation of NSC. In our method, neural stem and progenitor cells of subventricular zone (SVZ) are isolated and expanded using the neurosphere assay. The obtained dissociated cells allocated and cultivated into three groups: groups: I: cell (control), II: cell + mirror, and III: cell + AgNPs. After seven days, the primary neurospheres were counted and their mean number was obtained. Serial passages continuous up to sixth passages in the control group. Differentiation capacity of the resulting neurospheres were evaluated in vitro by immunocytochemistry techniques. Measurement of UPE was carried out by photomultiplier tube (PMT) in the following steps: at the end of primary culture, six serial cell passages of the control group, before and after of the differentiation for 5 minutes. The results show that neither mirror nor AgNPs affect on the neurosphere number. The UPE of the NSC in the sixth subculturing passage was significantly higher than in the primary passage (P < 0.05). AgNPs significantly increased the UPE of the NSC compared to the control group before and after the differentiation (P < 0.05). Also, the treatment with AgNPs increased 44% neuronal differentiation of the harvested NSCs. UPE of NSC after the differentiation was significantly lower than that before the differentiation in each groups, which is in appropriate to the cell numbers (P < 0.0001). The mirror did not significantly increase UPE, neither before nor after the differentiation of NSC. As a conclusion, NSC have UPE-properties and the intensity is increased by serial passaging that are significant in the sixth passage. The AgNPs increases the UPE intensity of NSC that pushes more differentiation of NSC to the neurons. The mirror was not effective in enhancement of UPE. As a result, UPE measurement may be suitable for assessing and studying the effects of nanoparticles in living cells and neurons. This work was supported by grant No. 94-01-01-10157 from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. This article was a part of the thesis written by Esmaeil Fereydoni, MSc. student of Anatomy.

Study Design Experimental animal study. Purpose This study aimed to assess effects of conditioned medium (CM) of dental pulp-derived stem cells loaded in collagen hydrogel on functional recovery following spinal cord injury (SCI). Overview of Literature SCI affects sensory and motor functions, and behavioral recovery is the most essential purpose of therapeutic intervention. Recent studies have reported that CM from dental pulp-derived stem cells has therapeutic benefits. In addition, collagen hydrogel acts as a drug delivery system in SCI experiments. Methods Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) were cultured, and SHED-CM was harvested and concentrated. Collagen hydrogel containing SHED-CM was prepared. The rats were divided into five groups receiving laminectomy, compressive SCI with or without intraspinal injection of biomaterials (SHED-CM), and collagen hydrogel with or without SHED-CM. Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scoring, inclined plane, cold allodynia, and beam walk tests were performed for 6 weeks to assess locomotor, motor, sensory, and sensory-motor performances, respectively. Results Scores of the rats receiving SHED-CM loaded in collagen hydrogel were significantly better than those of the other injured groups at 1-week post-injury for BBB, 2 weeks for inclined plane, 2 weeks for cold allodynia, and 4 weeks for beam walk tests (p

The presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome in liver biopsy or peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) specimens in the absence of detectable HCV-RNA in plasma of the people with or without anti-HCV antibodies has defined as occult HCV infection (OCI), whereas occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) is detection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome in the absence of traceable hepatitis B surface antigen in the plasma samples of patients. The purpose of this study is to determine the presence of OBI and OCI in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals. In this cross-sectional research, 190 Iranian HIV-infected individuals were enrolled from September 2015 to February 2019. All participants were tested regarding various serological markers for HCV and HBV infections. Viral RNA and DNA were extracted from plasma and PBMC specimens, and the presence of HCV-RNA in plasma and PBMC samples was tested using reverse transcriptase-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), HBV viral load was determined in plasma samples using COBAS TaqMan 48 Kit, and also the presence of the HBV-DNA in PBMC samples was tested by real-time PCR. In this study, the prevalence of OBI and OCI in HIV-infected individuals was 3.1% and 11.4%, respectively. The genotypes of HCV in the patients with OCI were as follows: 57.1% were infected with subtype 3a, 35.7% were infected with subtype 1a, and 7.1% was infected with subtype 1b. It is noteworthy that in this study, two patients (1.1%) had OCI/OBI coinfections. The present study revealed that 1.1% of Iranian HIV-infected individuals had OBI and OCI at the same time. Therefore, it seems that designing prospective surveys to determine the presence of this coinfection in HIV-infected individuals is informative.

High incidence of articular cartilage defects resulting from age-related degeneration or trauma injuries is a major problem worldwide. Limited self-regeneration ability of cartilage often leads to inappropriate biochemistry and structure of healed tissue. Considering Impairments of traditional treatments, cell-based therapies are promising. The rapid ex vivo expansion and chondrogenic differentiation capability make dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) a favorable cell type for therapeutic application, however strategies in order to efficient cartilage tissue-like production are imperative. In the present study the potential role of hypoxia mimicking agent, cobalt chloride (CoCl2), on chondrogenic differentiation of human DPSCs was surveyed. Cell viability assay used to obtain the optimum dose and exposure time of CoCl2. DPSCs were differentiated in pellet culture system after CoCl2 pretreatment. Chondrogenic differentiation efficiency was evaluated by histological and immunohistological analyses. The results showed that CoCl2 led to increased pellet size, integrity and matrix deposition with organizations more resembled typical cartilage lacuna structure. Furthermore, CoCl2 could improve differentiation by elevated chondrogenic markers, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and collagen II expression. CoCl2 pretreatment mitigated hypertrophy, as well, which was reflected in decreased collagen X expression. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) specific activity did not change significantly by CoCl2 preconditioning. Based on current study hypoxia mimicking agent, CoCl2, could be suggested to promote DPSCs chondrogenic differentiation.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has a potential effect on tissue repair through proliferation and differentiation of tissue progenitor cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of PRP on the testis structure and function in infertile rat model by stereological method. Thirty-two male rats were divided into four groups. Infertility was induced by the administration of busulfan (BUS) (10mg/kg, I.P., single dose). PRP (80μl, testis local injected, single dose) was administered for the subjects. After 48 days, semen analysis was performed and blood samples were taken from the heart to measure the testosterone. Then, the left testis was removed, fixed, embedded, sectioned, and stained by HE; after that the testes were analyzed. The results showed that BUS can decrease the sperm count, motility, normal morphology, length of the spermatozoon tail, volume of the testis, seminiferous tubules, germinal epithelium height, and the number of spermatogenesis lineage cells in comparison with the control group (p 0.01). PRP increased the number of spermatogenic stem cell, count, motility and tail length of the sperm and testosterone level in BUS-treated animal significantly, but it did not have any effect on the volume of the testis, germinal epithelium height, Sertoli and Leydig cells number, and seminiferous tubules length. It concluded that PRP can improve the structural and functional impairment of the testis in treatment by BUS.

In this work, the electrokinetic properties of asphaltene particles have been investigated. Micro-electrophoresis method by applying DC electric field, was utilized to different mixtures containing asphaltene to determine its electric charge. It was observed that in the case of using n-heptane and its mixture with toluene (heptol), the asphaltene particles were showed to be positively charged however for toluene itself, they expressed no tendency toward the electrodes. While it is expected that larger asphaltene aggregates carry higher electric charge, the results contradictorily showed that they are mainly governed by gravity rather than electro-static force and that “aggregation” reduces the charge density of asphaltene particles. Using a digital microscope equipped with image processing software, the average net electric charge of each asphaltene molecule was calculated to be 5 . 62 × 10 - 28 C m o l e c u l e or 3 . 51 × 10 - 9 ē m o l e c u l e . As this value is much less than 1ē, it can be concluded that asphaltene molecules do not possess intrinsic electric charge and the apparent charge is mostly induced through the medium, generated by rearrangement of asphaltene molecular structure. Thereafter, based on calculated charge and considering governing forces (gravity, friction and electric force), the electrophoretic mobility of asphaltene particles in dynamic mode was mathematically modeled and verified under different electric field intensities. The results illustrated satisfactory agreement with the obtained experimental data. Knowing the asphaltene electric charge, the magnitude of streaming potential can be calculated, subsequently the model will be able to predict the velocity ranges at which colloidal asphaltene flocculation is possibly avoided. Finally the effect of flow rate, electric potential and solvent composition was investigated on electrophoretic mobility. It was found that, the higher the fluid flow rate, the greater is the mobility. However, increasing the electric potential resulted in electrophoretic mobility reduction of asphaltene particles. Moreover, critical increase of electrophoretic mobility was observed for n-heptane contents of more than 50 wt.% in heptol, which refers to the onset point of asphaltene nano-aggregates.

Background: Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) polymorphisms, C-1562 T and -90 (CA) n repeats, which influence transcriptional activity of this gene, are proposed to play a role in MS susceptibility and its development. In the present study, the possible association of MMP-9 polymorphisms in Iranian MS patients is studied. Methods: Association of MMP-9 mentioned gene polymorphisms with MS susceptibility was evaluated in unrelated Iranian subjects referred to Al-Zahra Hospital, Isfahan, Iran during 2014 to 2017. Results: -1562 T allele of MMP-9 was associated with increased MS risk. However, we found no overall significant effect of −90 (CA)n repeat on MS susceptibility. Conclusion: For as much as MMP-9 molecule is a potential target for MS therapy, to determine whether any of MMP-9 polymorphisms influence MS susceptibility in Iranian MS patients or not, concerning the significant influence of T allele on MS susceptibility and the non-significant association regarding CA repeats, further research is needed before proposing any definite conclusion.

Background: Diabetes is a chronic disease that can affect almost all of the body organs, including male and female reproductive systems. Objective: This study was designed to investigate the preventive effects of metformin on stereological and ultrastructure characteristics of the ovary in the streptozotocin-induced diabetes adult female rats. Materials and Methods: Seventy adult (8-10 wk) female Sprague-Dawley rats (180-200 gr) were equally divided, as follows: (n = 10/each) control; STZ-induced diabetes (single dose of 65 mg/kg STZ, IP); metformin-treated (50 mg/100 gr of body weight, orally); diabetic-metformin-treated; sham 1, (single dose of sodium citrate); sham 2, (0.5 ml of daily oral distilled water); and sham 3, (sodium citrate + distilled water treated). The body mass index, ovarian weight, blood sugar level, cholesterol, and triglyceride were measured. The stereological and ultrastructural features of ovary were assessed. Results: The blood sugar of induced-diabetic rats was increased (p < 0.01). The BMI (p < 0.01), number of granulosa cells (p = 0.04), primordial, primary and secondary follicles (p = 0.03), total volume of ovary (p < 0.01) and cortex, nucleus diameter ratio to the ooplasm were decreased. The number of atretic follicles in the diabetic and diabetic + metformin-treated rats were increased (p < 0.01). The ultrastructural characteristics of ovary were more damaged in diabetic rats. Conclusion: Diabetes has destructive effects on ovarian follicles and causes follicular atresia. Also, the size of oocytes, numbers of granulosa cells and ooplasmic organelles, which are involved in the folliculogenesis are affected by diabetes and metformin has no preventive effects.

An efficient, green and eco-friendly protocol has been developed for the synthesis of 2,4,5-trisubstituted and 1,2,4,5-tetrasubstituted imidazoles via one-pot condensation reaction using Dendrimer-PWAn as catalyst under solvent-free conditions or ultrasonic irradiation in excellent yields. The reactions under conventional heating conditions were compared with the ultrasonic-assisted reactions. The operational simplicity, practicability and applicability of this protocol to various substrates make it an interesting alternative to previous procedures. The present methodology offers several advantages such as excellent yields, short reaction times, a cleaner reaction, and the absence of any tedious work-up or purification. The catalyst is easily separated from the products by filtration and also exhibits remarkable reusable activity. SEM, BET and DLS of the catalyst were also investigated after each reaction cycle.

Numerous bioactive growth factors and cytokines in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) have recently made it an attractive biomaterial for therapeutic purposes. These growth factors have the potential to regenerate the injured tissues. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects of PRP in hepatotoxic animal model. Hepatotoxicity was induced in rats by oral administration of 4 mL/kg/week of CCl4 diluted 1:1 in corn oil for 10 weeks. To confirm the hepatotoxicity, 24 h after the last CCl4 administration, blood samples were collected via cardiac puncture to assess the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, albumin, total protein, and total bilirubin. Twenty-four hours after blood collection, the experimental animals received a single injection of PRP (1 mL) via the anterior mesenteric vein. One week later, all biochemical tests were performed again, and the rats were scarified and their livers were removed, prepared histologically, and stained. The stereological analyses were performed to evaluate the effects of PRP on histopathological features of CCl4-treated livers. The results were compared statistically with the corresponding control and CCl4+normal saline (NS)-treated animals. A significant decrease in the number and volume of hepatocytes (p = 0.01), and also a reduction in the volume of sinusoids (p = 0.001) and connective tissue (p = 0.04), were observed in the PRP-treated animals compared with the CCl4+NS-treated ones. Our findings demonstrated that application of PRP had beneficial effects on CCl4-induced fibrosis; however, it had detrimental effects on the total number of hepatocytes and the volume of hepatocytes and sinusoidal spaces.

Introduction: Multiple paraphilia is characterized as a disorder that includes three or more paraphilias; for instance pedophilia, exhibitionism, or rape together make up multiple paraphilia. It is hard to estimate prevalence rates of paraphilias due to changes in criterion with time and in divergent cultures. Case Presentation: Our case is a young man whose marriage lead to exacerbation of his paraphilic behavior and more substance abuse. He represented with multiple type of paraphilia simultaneously, which can occur rarely. Conclusions: There’s a possibility of different paraphilia occurrence at the same time and to prevent further aversive consequences of the aggregation of paraphilia; devising a treatment plan for such patients would avoid devastating conditions.

Ovarian failure is diagnosed by ovarian destruction and reducing sex hormonal levels. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) contains several growth factors that induce tissue repair and may induce folliculogenesis.This study evaluates the effect of PRP on ovarian structures and function in cyclophosphamide (Cy)-induced ovarian failure in female rats by a stereological method.Thirty-two adult female rats were divided into four groups (Control, Cy, Cy + PRP, and PRP). Female infertility was induced by Cy (75 mg/kg, single dose, intraperitoneally). Animals were treated by PRP which was obtained from age-matched male rats (200 μL, single dose, intraperitoneally). Blood samples were collected for measurement of hormones. The animals were dissected and the right ovaries were removed, fixed, sectioned, and stained by HE. Stereological methods were used to estimate cortex and medulla volume, and the number and diameter of follicles, follicular cell, and oocyte using light microscopy.Cyclophosphamide had the maximum effect in decreasing on cortex volume, the pre-antral follicles number, a diameter of follicular cells and oocyte diameter in the antral follicle and the reduction of estradiol and progesterone levels compared with the control group. PRP had a dominant positive effect on the ovarian cortex volume, pre-antral follicles number and antral follicle diameter relative to the control group. PRP also decreased oocyte diameter in pre-antral follicle in infertile animals (p 0.001).It seems that PRP has a protective effect on ovarian failure in the infertile female rat model.

In this paper, we adopt a facile method to prepare a type of porous silica nanoparticles (n-SiO2) from tetraethyl orthosilicate as the source of silica. Then, dendritic polymer supported on nanosilica with surface amino groups was fabricated. Finally, H3PW12O40 nanoparticles (PWAn) were synthesized by the treatment of H3PW12O40 powder with n-Octane as solvent by a solvothermal method and then immobilized onto the dendrimer polymer functionalized nanosilica. The synthesized nanostructures were characterized by fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic light scattering (DLS), N2 adsorption–desorption isotherm analysis, UV–Vis and elemental analysis. The morphology of the catalyst was characterized using transmission electron microscopes (TEM). The acidity of the catalyst was determined by FTIR pyridine adsorption spectroscopy. Then, this catalytic system was used as an efficient catalyst for the synthesis of 2H-indazolo[2,1-b]phthalazine-triones via multi-component and one-pot reactions of various aldehydes, phthalic anhydride, hydrazinium hydroxide, and dimedone under thermal solvent-free conditions or ultrasound irradiation at room temperature. Also, the catalyst can be easily recovered and reused for six consecutive reaction cycles without significant loss of activity.

An efficient and environmentally benign procedure for the synthesis of tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyran and 3,4-dihydropyrano[c]chromene derivatives has been developed by a one-pot three-component reaction of various aldehydes, malononitrile, and dimedone or hydroxycoumarin in the presence of Fe3O4@SiO2–imid–PMAn nanoparticles as magnetic catalysts under ultrasonic irradiation or reflux conditions in water. This new procedure has notable advantages such as operational simplicity, excellent yields, short reaction time, and absence of any tedious workup or purification. In addition, the excellent catalytic performance in a water medium and the easy preparation, thermal stability and separation of the catalyst make it a good heterogeneous system and a useful alternative to other heterogeneous catalysts. Also, the catalyst can be easily recovered by a magnetic field and reused for eight consecutive reaction cycles without significant loss of activity.

MWCNTs-C-PO3H2 has been used as an efficient, heterogeneous and reusable nanocatalyst for synthesis of acylals from aldehydes under solvent-free conditions at room temperature. A wide range of aldehydes was studied and corresponding products were obtained in good to excellent yields in short reaction times. Nanocatalyst can be easily recovered by centrifuge and reused for subsequent reactions for at least five times without deterioration in catalytic activity. The major advantages of the present method are high yields, short reaction time, recyclable catalyst and solvent-free reaction conditions at room temperature.

Due to the similar routes of transmission, individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may become infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) simultaneously. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of HCV co-infection in Iranian individuals with HIV infection, and to genotype HCV in plasma and PBMC specimens of these patients. From September 2015 to October 2016, a total of 140 Iranian individuals with HIV infection were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The RNA from plasma and PBMC specimens was extracted, and genomic HCV-RNA was amplified using RT-nested PCR with primers that target 5'-UTR. The HCV genotyping used the RFLP technique. To confirm HCV genotype, 10 randomly selected HCV-positive samples were also submitted for sequencing. The mean age of patients was 35.7 ± 13.5 years (range: 1-66). Out of 140 patients, 62 (44.3 %) were positive for anti-HCV antibodies; among these, viral genomic RNA was detected in 34 (24.3%) and 39 (27.9%) of the plasma and PBMC specimens, respectively. The HCV genotyping showed a similar pattern of subtypes 1a (44% vs 46.2%), 3a (32.4% vs 33.3%), and 1b (17.6% vs 17.9%) in all sera and PBMC samples. It is noteworthy that the HCV genotypes in plasma and PBMC specimens of 6 HCV co-infected patients were not the same. This study reveals that HIV/HCV co-infection is high in Iranian patients (44.3%), especially in people who have high-risk factors (83.9%). Also, HIV/HCV co-infected individuals may have dissimilar HCV genotypes in their plasma and PBMC specimens.

A facile, efficient and environmentally-friendly protocol for the synthesis of 14-aryl- or alkyl-14H-dibenzo[a,j]xanthenes and 1,8-dioxooctahydroxanthenes has been developed by one-pot condensation of various aldehydes with (i) β-naphthol and (ii) cyclic 5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione, in the presence of Fe3O4@SiO2–imid–H3PMo12O40 nanoparticles as magnetic catalysts under various conditions. Different types of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes are used in the reaction and in all cases the products synthesized successfully. The present approach offers several advantages such as short reaction times, high yields, easy purification, a cleaner reaction and ease of recovery and reusability of the catalyst by a magnetic field. Also, the aforementioned nanocatalyst can be easily recovered by a magnetic field and reused for subsequent reactions at least 5 times without noticeable deterioration in catalytic activity.

A novel, efficient, heterogeneous, and reusable multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), functionalized with phosphonic acid (MWCNTs–C–PO3H2) has been synthesized. The synthesized CNTs were characterized using some electron microscopic techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX), and also some thermal and spectroscopic methods such as thermogravimetry (TG). The nitrogen adsorption behavior of the MWCNTs–C–PO3H2 catalyst was evaluated using the TG instrumentation system at 25 °C. The catalyst was applied successfully for highly efficient and selective acetylation of alcohols, phenols, thiols and aromatic amines with acetic anhydride at room temperature under solvent-free conditions. The reusability of the catalyst was checked and the recovered catalyst was reused for five runs without significant loss in activity.

An efficient and general method has been developed for synthesis of 1- and 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles from nitriles and amines using magnetite nanoparticles immobilized Salen Cu(II) as an efficient and recyclable catalyst. The structural and magnetic properties of functionalized magnetic silica are identified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) instruments. NMR, FT-IR, elemental analysis and XRD were also used for identification of these structures. Nanocatalyst can be easily recovered by a magnetic field and reused for subsequent reactions for at least 7 times with less deterioration in catalytic activity.

Numerous bioactive growth factors and cytokines in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) have recently made it an attractive biomaterial for therapeutic purposes. These growth factors have the potential to regenerate the injured tissues. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects of PRP in hepatotoxic animal model. Hepatotoxicity was induced in rats by oral administration of 4 mL/kg/week of CCl

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as a source of growth factors may induce tissue repairing and improve fibrosis. This study aimed to assess the effects of PRP on kidney regeneration and fibrosis in gentamicin (GM)-induced nephrotoxicity rat model by stereological study. Thirty-two male rats were selected. Nephrotoxicity was induced in animals by administration of GM (80 mg/kg/daily, intraperitoneally [IP], 8 day) and animals were treated by PRP (100 µL, intra-cortical injection using surgical microscopy, single dose). Blood samples were collected for determine blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) before and after PRP therapy. At the end of experiment, right kidneys were sectioned by Isotropic Uniform Random (IUR) method and stained with H & E and Masson’s Trichrome. The stereological methods were used for estimating the changes in different structures of kidney. PRP increased the number of epithelial cells in convoluted tubules, and decreased the volume of connective tissue, renal corpuscles and glomeruli in GM-treated animals (P < 0.05). Our findings indicate that PRP had beneficial effects on proliferation of epithelial cells in convoluted tubules and ameliorated GM-induced fibrosis., Graphical Abstract

Curcumin has protective effects on a variety of CNS injury models. Our purpose was to assess the effects of curcumin on the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and functional recovery in sciatic nerve crush (SNC) of rats.The fifth lumbar DRG was removed 28 days after SNC. Sciatic functional index (SFI) and also the DRG structure were evaluated, using stereological methods to assess the effects of curcumin.The volume and number of A- and B-cells were reduced in the SNC as compared with the sham-operated animals. In curcumin treated rats, the volume decreased but in a lesser extent and it was ∼10% and ∼15% higher on the average in comparison with the non-treated SNC (P0.04). In curcumin treated rats, the number of cells also decreased but in a lesser extent and it was ∼17% and ∼36% higher in comparison with the non-treated crushed animals (P0.02). The surface area of A- and B-cells reduced in the SNC and SNC plus curcumin in comparison with the sham-operated rats (P0.01). The number of satellite cells was reduced in the SNC as compared with the sham-operated animals. In curcumin treated rats, the number of satellite cells decreased but in a lesser extent and the number of satellite cells was ∼19% higher in comparison with the non-treated (P0.02). SFI test shows that the motor function of the rats treated with curcumin significantly improved at 21st days after sciatic nerve crush.The results demonstrate that curcumin promotes the functional recovery and has a neuroprotective effect on the DRG after sciatic nerve injury in the rats.

To determine the effects of noise exposure on hearts of newborn mice, 48 pregnant mice were exposed to recorded aircraft flight noise (100 dB) for 150 min from the 2nd day of pregnancy to 7th day after delivery. Mice of the same age were selected as control group. The weights and crown-rump lengths of the fetuses and the newborns were measured, and their hearts were removed under deep anesthesia on the 1st, 7th, and 14th days after birth and prepared histologically. Quantitative changes of the hearts were measured stereologically by the Cavalieri method. The ultrastructural changes of cardiac myocytes were examined using transmission electron microscopy. No histological changes were observed, but the volumes of newborns’ hearts in the experimental groups increased significantly compared to the control group. Photomicrographs of cardiac muscle cells revealed nuclear envelope changes, chromatin condensation, and increased mitochondria and myofibrils in noise-exposed newborns. It is concluded that the newbor...

A pot experiment was conducted during a two-year period in order to evaluate and compare the salinity tolerance of 10 Iranian commercial cultivars of pomegranate. Pots were arranged in a split plot design with two factors included water salinity as main plot in 3 levels of 4, 7 and 10 dS/m and 10 pomegranate cultivars as sub-plot and 3 replications. The properties concerned during the experiment were vegetative growth, percentage of alive cut tings after 2 month and the necrosis and chlorosis of leaves. In the end of the experiment the vegetative yield and root dry weight were also measured. In addition, irrigation water, drainage water, soil in plots, root, stem and leaves were analyzed for elements such as Na + and Cl – . The obtained results indicated that the best vegetative growth con ditions were related to Voshike -e- Saravan and Tab -o- Larz cultivars at 4 and 7 dS/m salinity levels, respectively. Moreover, the most significant percentage of alive cuttings was related to Voshike -e- Saravan cultivar at each of the three studied salinity levels. Similarly, this cultivar had the minimum values of leaves necrosis and chlorosis at all three levels of salinity. Furthermore, the highest level of fresh yield was related to Zagh cultivar at 4 dS/m salinity level. The highest values of total Na + and Cl – were observed in shoots and leaves of Zagh and Voshike -e- Saravan cultivars at 10 dS/m salinity level as well. In general, Voshike -e- Saravan is the most salinity-resistant cultivar among 10 studied cultivars. Besides, Malas -e- yazdi and Tab -o- larz can be planted as salinity resistant cultivars in the second hand. Other cultivar cuttings were not resistant in salinity and finally died (even after the second year) and three cultivars of Gabri, Malas -e- Esfahani and Khafri -e- Jahrom were the most sensitive cultivars with the lowest salinity resistance.

Talaei-Khozani, T., Monsefi, M., Vojdani, Z. and Dehghani, F. 2007. Histochemical study of the effects of noise on the cell surface and extracellular matrix glycoconjugates of the developing mouse cochlea. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 31: 209–212. To determine whether noise could change the glycoconjugate pattern of developing cochlea 42 pregnant mice (2–4 m) were exposed to 100 dB continual sound for 2.5 h daily. After parturition, the cochlea of the offspring in the first, seventh and fourteenth day after birth were removed, prepared histologically and stained with lectins, WGA (wheat germ agglutinin), PNA (peanut agglutinin), GSA (Griffonia simplicifolia) and DBA (Dolichos biflorus agglutinin). Exposure to noise led to decrease in the uptake of the PNA by spiral limbus and ligament in the seventh and fourteenth postnatal days. It is concluded that alternation in glycosilation of glycoconjugates in the noise exposed cochlea could be responsible for the structural and functional changes such as fetal no...

A facile, efficient and environmentally-friendly protocol for the synthesis of 14-aryl- or alkyl-14H-dibenzo[a,j]xanthenes and 1,8-dioxooctahydroxanthenes has been developed by one-pot condensation of various aldehydes with (i) β-naphthol and (ii) cyclic 5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione, in the presence of Fe3O4@SiO2–imid–H3PMo12O40 nanoparticles as magnetic catalysts under various conditions. Different types of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes are used in the reaction and in all cases the products synthesized successfully. The present approach offers several advantages such as short reaction times, high yields, easy purification, a cleaner reaction and ease of recovery and reusability of the catalyst by a magnetic field. Also, the aforementioned nanocatalyst can be easily recovered by a magnetic field and reused for subsequent reactions at least 5 times without noticeable deterioration in catalytic activity.

An efficient and general method for the synthesis of 1- and 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles using a salen Cu(II) complex supported on magnetite-silica nanoparticles as the catalyst is reported.

Background: Olive (Olea europea), from the Oleaceae family, is known as a phytoestrogen plant compound, containing Lignans and phenolic compounds. Some studies have shown phytoestrogens to have spermatogenesis-decreasing effects. Objective: The present study investigated the effects of a hydro-alcoholic extract of olive fruit on reproductive argons in male rats. Materials and Methods: The hydro-alcoholic olive (Olea europaea) extract was given orally to three experimental groups of rats in 50, 150, and 450 mg/kg in 48 days. The vehicle group was fed with normal saline and nothing was given to the control group (each group with 8 rats). After 49 days reproductive indicators i.e., sperm count, sperm motility, the weight of prostate, testis, epididymis, and seminal vesicle were measured. Results: The results showed a significant decrease in the weights of the left testicle, seminal vesicle, testosterone hormone, sperm count and sperm motility but there was no significant difference with regard to the weights of prostate and epididymis, and estradiol hormone. Conclusion: This study suggests that olive extract may have deleterious effects on fertility factors; therefore, after further studies, it may be used as a contraceptive in males.