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Superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3) is a type of antioxidant enzyme, which plays an important role in converting superoxide anion into hydrogen peroxide through its extracellular activity. This enzyme has been widely studied and evaluated from various points of view, including maintaining cellular redox balance, protecting against oxidative damage, and enhancing overall cellular resilience. The current paper focuses on SOD3 expression from a functional perspective. In addition to a detailed examination of the gene and protein structure, we found ample evidence indicating that the expression level of SOD3 undergoes alterations in response to various transcription factors, signaling pathways, and diverse conditions. These fluctuations, by disrupting the homeostasis of SOD3, can serve as crucial indicators of the onset or exacerbation of specific diseases. In this regard, significant efforts have been dedicated in recent years to the treatment of diseases through the regulation of SOD3 expression. The ultimate goal of this review is to extensively highlight and demonstrate the immense potential of SOD3 as a therapeutic target, emphasizing its profound impact on health outcomes., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Objectives: tert -Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) is an antioxidant and preservative used in unsaturated vegetable oils and processed foods. However, when consumed in higher doses daily, it may pose a threat to public health by potentially increasing the risk of cancer, as it has an affinity with both the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and the estrogen receptor alpha (ERα)., Methods: This study aimed to examine the impact of substituting the 1,4-diol of TBHQ with 1,4-dithiol, referred to as TBDT, on the carcinogenic and antioxidant systems using computational methods. The binding affinity of TBHQ and TBDT to the two carcinogenic receptors, AhR and ERα, as well as to the antioxidant receptor Keap1 alone and in connection with Nrf2 (Nrf2-Keap1) was investigated through docking analysis., Results: The results indicated a decrease in TBDT's binding strength to ERα and AhR when assessed using Molegro Virtual Docker ( P -value: 0.0001 and 0.00001, respectively), AutoDock Vina ( P -value: 0.0001 and 0.0001), and the online server Fast DRH ( P -value: 0.0001 and 0.0001). However, TBDT's binding affinity to Keap1 was predicted to be significantly stronger than TBHQ's by both MVD and AutoDock Vina ( P -value: 0.0001 and 0.04), while its binding to Nrf2-Keap1 assessed to be stronger only by MVD ( P -value: 0.0001)., Conclusion: These findings suggest that TBDT not only exhibits higher antioxidant activity as a better ligand for the antioxidant system but also shows lower affinity with the AhR and ERα receptors. Therefore, TBDT can be considered a safer compound than TBHQ., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Enzymatic factors including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and catalase (CAT) are among the most important protective antioxidant systems in human semen. This study was conducted to investigate the association between the activities of the mentioned enzymes in semen and also the association between SOD2 rs4880, GPX1 rs1050450, and CAT rs1001179 polymorphisms with male infertility, which was followed by a bioinformatics approach. In a case-control study, 223 infertile men and 154 healthy fertile men were included in the study. After extracting genomic DNA from semen samples, the genotype of rs1001179, rs1050450, and rs4880 polymorphisms was determined using the PCR-RFLP. Next, the activities of SOD, CAT, and GPX enzymes were also measured in semen. Bioinformatics software was used to investigate the effect of polymorphisms on the function of genes. Data analysis indicated that rs1001179 polymorphisms were not associated with male infertility. But our data revealed that the rs1050450 polymorphism is associated with a reduced risk of male infertility as well as asthenozoospermia and teratozoospermia. In addition, rs4880 polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of male infertility as well as teratozoospermia. Further analysis showed that the activity of the CAT enzyme in the infertile group is significantly higher than in the fertile group, but the activity of GPX and SOD enzymes in the infertile group is significantly lower than in the fertile group. Bioinformatic analysis showed that rs1001179 polymorphism affects the transcription factors binding site upstream of the gene, while rs1050450 and rs4880 polymorphisms had an essential role in protein structure and function. On the other hand, rs1050450 (T allele) was exposed to a reduced risk of male infertility and may be a protective factor. And SOD2 rs4880 (C allele) is associated with an increased risk of male infertility, and it is considered a risk factor for male infertility. To reach accurate results, we recommend that the study of SOD2 rs4880 and GPX1 rs1050450 polymorphism effects in the different populations with a larger sample size and meta-analysis are needed., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Protein misfolding and amyloid formation are hallmarks of numerous diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), in which hSOD1 aggregation is involved in pathogenesis. We used two point mutations in the electrostatic loop, G138E and T137R, to analyze charge distribution under destabilizing circumstances to gain more about how ALS-linked mutations affect SOD1 protein stability or net repulsive charge. We show that protein charge is important in the ALS disease process using bioinformatics and experiments. The MD simulation findings demonstrate that the mutant protein differs significantly from WT SOD1, which is consistent with the experimental evidence. The specific activity of the wild type was 1.61 and 1.48 times higher than that of the G138E and T137R mutants, respectively. Under amyloid induction conditions, the intensity of intrinsic and ANS fluorescence in both mutants reduced. Increasing the content of β-sheet structures in mutants can be attributed to aggregation propensity, which was confirmed using CD polarimetry and FTIR spectroscopy. Our findings show that two ALS-related mutations promote the formation of amyloid-like aggregates at near physiological pH under destabilizing conditions, which were detected using spectroscopic probes such as Congo red and ThT fluorescence, and also further confirmation of amyloid-like species by TEM. Overall, our results provide evidence supporting the notion that negative charge changes combined with other destabilizing factors play an important role in increasing protein aggregation by reducing repulsive negative charges., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Eye disorders are common disorders with significant effects on personal, economic, and social aspects of life. These disorders have a genetic background and are associated with dysregulation of non-coding RNAs. Three classes of these transcripts, namely long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) have established roles in the regulation of gene expression and pathoetiology of ocular disorders. H19, MEG3, BANCR, UCA1, HOTAIR, ANRIL, XIST and MIAT are among important lncRNAs in ocular disorders. CircRNAs from ZBTB44, HIPK3, circ-PSEN1, COL1A2, ZNF532 and FAM158A loci have also been found to affect pathoetiology of ocular disorders. Both lncRNAs and circRNAs can serve as molecular sponges for miRNAs. In this review, we searched PubMed and Google Scholar databases to find the research articles summarizing the impact of non-coding RNAs in ocular disorders. The results of these studies would help in identification of suitable targets for treatment of ocular disorders., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Current angiogenesis inhibitors target cellular vascularization processes, including proliferation, migration, and tube formation. In this study, we investigated the impact of Urtica dioica agglutinin (UDA) on the cellular vascularization process., Methods and Results: Various concentrations of UDA were applied to normal (HUVEC, MCF-10 A, and HDF from humans, and L-929 from mice) and cancer (A431 and U87 from humans, and 4T1 from mice) cell lines at different times. The MTT, cell migration assay, differentiation of endothelial cells, expression of VEGF-A/VEGF-R2, and integrin α2 were evaluated. The MTT results demonstrated that UDA was non-toxic to normal cells while inhibiting the growth of neoplastic cells. The migratory capacity of HUVECs and U87 glioblastoma cells was inhibited by UDA in the wound repair model. This lectin inhibited HUVEC-induced vessel sprouting in the collagen-cytodex matrix. In addition, UDA treatment reduced VEGF-integrin cross-talk in HUVECs, confirming the anti-angiogenic activity of this molecule., Conclusions: Based on our findings, UDA may have an effect on cancer cell proliferation and vascularization events while causing minimal toxicity to normal cells via binding glyco-conjugates containing GlcNAc/man oligomers like EGFR. This is a blue clue for the angiogenesis-related therapeutic importance of UDA., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Objective: The current study aimed to assess the association between collagen type II alpha 1 chain (COL2A1) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP: rs2070739; C>T; G1405S) and mandibular skeletal malocclusions in the population of Mazandaran (North Iran)., Design: During 13 months, 102 control samples, 81 samples with skeletal Class III malocclusion contributed by mandibular prognathism and 82 samples with skeletal Class II malocclusion contributed by mandibular retrognathism were screened. Cephalometric analysis was performed to determine the type of abnormalities. COL2A1-G1405S genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. The HOPE tool was used to investigate the effect of COL2A1-G1405S on the three-dimensional structure of protein., Results: Results showed that there is no significant correlation between genotypes and alleles related to COL2A1-G1405S and mandibular prognathism (CT genotype: p-value= 0.210; T allele: p-value= 0.222). On the other hand, an association was observed between COL2A1-G1405S and mandibular retrognathism (CT genotype: p-value= 0.008; T allele: p-value= 0.011). The outputs of the HOPE tool also showed that COL2A1-G1405S can disrupt the NC1 domain of the protein., Conclusions: Here, we provide evidence that COL2A1-G1405S polymorphism may have positive correlation with the risk of skeletal Class II malocclusion contributed by mandibular retrognathism in the population of Mazandaran. Given that the COL2A1-G1405S occurs in NC1 domain, it is possible that this domain plays an important role in signaling pathways related to ossification. So, we suggest that the study of COL2A1 SNPs can help researchers understand the significant role of this collagen in mandibular skeletal malocclusions., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The effective medical applications of cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) have been reported by many researchers, including sterilization of liquid and solid surfaces, treatment of chronic wounds, treatment of cancer tumors, and blood clots. Therefore, in this study, we exposed Aporrectodea trapezoides and Eisenia fetida earthworms to APPJ discharge (0-30 s) to evaluate the impacts on regeneration of missed segments, apoptosis, lipid peroxidation (LPo), catalase activity (CAT), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total proteins, and protein profile. Results showed APPJ induced significant effects on regeneration ability of earthworms after 20 and 30 s of exposure (p < 0.05). Atmospheric pressure plasma jet did not have significant effects on MDA content and TUNEL-positive cells, but this effect was significant for TAC and CAT in both species (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the present study revealed for the first time that regeneration of missed segments in earthworms can be stimulated by plasma treatment., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an inducible inflammatory enzyme, which produces prostanoids from arachidonic acid. COX-2 overexpression and over-activity can cause inflammation, tumorigenesis, and angiogenesis. Prostanoids are the main reason for the inflammation, and increase of mitogenesis by COX-2. So, any change such as mutations that can lead to COX-2 over-activity could ignite the tumor situations with increase of prostanoids production is one of its ways. The aim of this study was to check the effect of 166 missense mutations of COX-2 on protein features that can affect the COX-2 activity such as protein stability, fluctuation, 2D structure, and its binding affinity with the substrate by in silico methods, network modeling, and docking calculations, by which 44 of them shown to be deleterious. Among them, the S124I and S474F mutations can increase the stability of the protein. 11.36% of deleterious nsSNPs were part of the substrate-binding region among which the M508T, H337R, and V511G have the potential to affect the protein by 2D structure alteration. V511G can improve binding affinity and H337R showed a small decrease in the deformation overall energy that can represent a decrease in the stability of COX-2. Also, L517S showed a significant decrease in the binding power of COX-2/substrate but based on the anisotropic network modeling this mutation has a dual effect on COX-2 stability. These nsSNPs/mutations have the potential causing an increase or decrease of tumorigenesis because increasing of COX-2 stability and its binding affinity can lead to altering its activity.

Recent studies have demonstrated that making the sorts of oxygen reactive, such as nitric oxide, can cause oxidative lipid damage, protein damage, and damage to the DNA of cells. Sperm DNA damage effect on the reduction of sperm mobility and damage of acrosome membrane lead to the inability of sperm to fertilize the oocyte. Increasing expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene is seen in various diseases such as cardiovascular and infertility diseases. This study aimed to assess the association between eNOS gene single nucleotide polymorphism/SNP (rs2070744, T786C) and risk of male infertility and the quality of sperm parameters in an Iranian population. In this case-control study, 100 infertile men were enrolled as a patient group. Control groups consisted of 100 fertile men. T786C genotypes were determined using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Results showed that T786C SNP, contained frequent genotype TC (p = 0.000; OR = 0.000; 95% CI = 0.000-0.015), TC + CC genotypes (p = 0.000; OR = 0.000; 95% CI = 0.000-0.015), and C allele (p = 0.000; OR = 0.00; 95% CI = 0.000-0.007), revealed a significant with male infertility. Based on the findings of this study suggested that although T786C SNP could not be applied as an appropriate genetic risk factor for male infertility, it probably may be considered a protective marker for other researchers. However, more comprehensive studies in different populations are required to confirm our data.

Recyclable magnetic photocatalysts of iron oxide (IO)/CdS core/shell nanocrystals (CSNCs) were prepared by a facile sequential one-pot method using 3, 3'-thiobispropanoic acid (TDP) as a bridge. The CSNCs showed redshift in absorption edge, decrease in the optical band gap, reduced exciton decay rates and increment in particle size. Quenching studies have been employed to understand the position of the electron/hole wave-functions at the IO/CdS interface. Antimicrobial tests have also been performed using broth tube dilution and disc diffusion methods against S. aureus. Additionally, photocatalytic properties of IO/CdS CSNCs have been evaluated for the decomposition of xylenol blue. In comparison with CdS quantum dots (QDs) and iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs), the IO/CdS CSNCs showed improved photocatalytic and bactericidal activities. Finally, levels of oxidative damage to proteins and lipids were evaluated., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) has long been overexpressed in acute myeloid leukemia and has a prognostic value in its diagnosis. Lately, the formation of G-quadruplexes in oncogenic promoters like (WT1) has been widely investigated since stabilization of these structures leads to transcriptional inhibition of the oncogene. Daunorubicin and mitoxantrone considered as crucial components of almost all standard acute myeloid leukemia induction regimens. Herein we have proposed a probable molecular mechanism of action through which the drugs may stabilize (WT1) promoter G-quadruplexes. Differential pulse voltammetry, circular dichroism, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, electrophoretic mobility shifts assay, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) stop assays, and quantitative RT-PCR were performed in order to better understanding the nature of interactions between the drugs and G-quadruplexes. Data revealed that both drugs had potential to stabilize G-quadruplexes and down-regulate WT1 transcription but daunorubicin exposed more silencing impact. The results illustrated the therapeutic association of these two commercial FDA-approved drugs in (WT1) transcriptional down-regulation. Since (WT1) has known as a transcriptional regulator of at least 137 target genes, so the new data are significant for the development of new approaches to regulating WT1 and other target genes by employing special drugs in cancer treatment.

Aim: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a decisive role in the regulation of tumor progression by manipulating tumor oncogenesis, angiogenesis, and immune functions within tumor microenvironments. Tumor progression is frequently associated with a phenotypic switch from M1 to M2 in TAM. Activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in TAM lead to tumor-induced immunosuppression. STAT3 is usually constitutively activated in a variety of malignancies. Consequently, STAT3 has emerged as a promising target for cancer immunotherapy., Materials and Methods: In this study, J774A.1 cell line which is an M2 macrophage and overexpress STAT3 was cultured in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium supplemented by fetal bovine serum. Then, the STAT3 silencing was evaluated by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using oligofectamine containing STAT3 short interfering RNA (siRNA). Oligofectamine containing STAT3 siRNA and control siRNA were added at a final concentration of 100 nM siRNA. The untransfected cells were considered as control group., Results: The semi-quantitative RT-PCR studies showed that J774A.1 cells express a high level of STAT3. Incubation of J774A.1 cells with oligofectamine containing STAT3 siRNA knockdown the STAT3 expression significantly both in 48 and 72 h study; however, the effect was more pronounced in 72 h study., Conclusion: The expression of STAT3 in J774A.1 cells confirmed that these cells are M2 macrophage. Moreover, silencing of STAT3 by siRNA delivery using oligofectamine delivery suggests that siRNA delivery using vehicles like nanoliposome could be a useful therapeutic agent in M2 macrophage therapy and its switch to M1 macrophages. This approach could be considered as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of all cancers., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest

Zinc (Zn) is the second most abundant trace element in human, which can't be stored in the body, thus regular dietary intake is required. This review explained the physiological and pathogenesis roles of zinc in men's health and its potentials in germination, quality of sperm, and fertilization. Our investigation showed that Zn contained many unique properties in human, especially males. The antioxidant quality is one of them. Also, the increased reactive oxygen species levels in the seminal plasma of men who are both infertile and smokers influence the Zn content of seminal plasma in a way that physiology of spermatozoa can be affected as well. Moreover, Zn acts as a toxic repercussionagainst heavy metals and cigarette inflammatory agents. Zinc as a hormone balancer helps hormones such as testosterone, prostate and sexual healthand functions as an antibacterial agent in men's urea system. It plays a role in epithelial integrity, showing that Zn is essential for maintaining the lining of the reproductive organs and may have a regulative role in the progress of capacitation and acrosome reaction. In contrast, Zn deficiency impedes spermatogenesis and is a reason for sperm abnormalities and has a negative effect on serum testosterone concentration. Based on these findings, Zn microelement is very essential for male fertility. It could be considered as a nutrient marker with many potentials in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of male infertility., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Financial Disclosure: The authors declared no conflicts of interests.

The human methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene encodes one of the key enzymes in folate metabolism. This gene is located on chromosome 1 (1p36.3), which has 12 exons. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible association of the two (C677T and A1298C) polymorphisms of this gene with male infertility. In a case-control study, 250 blood samples were collected from IVF centres in Sari and Babol (Iran): 118 samples were from oligospermic men and 132 were from controls. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms of the MTHFR genotype were detected using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. There was no association found between the A1298C variant and male infertility. However, carriers of the 677T allele (CT and TT genotypes) were at a higher risk of infertility than individuals with other genotypes (odds ratio 1.84; 95% confidence interval 1.11-3.04; P=0.0174). Structural analysis of human MTHFR flavoprotein showed that C677T transition played an important role in the change in affinity of the MTHFR-Flavin adenine dinucleotide binding site. Based on our results, we suggest that C677T transition in MTHFR may increase the risk of male infertility, and detection of the C677T polymorphism biomarker may be helpful in the screening of idiopathic male infertility.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) acts as an enhancer binding ligand-activated intracellular receptor. Chromatin remodeling components and general transcription factors such as TATA-binding protein (TBP) are evoked on AhR-target genes by interaction with its flexible transactivation domain (TAD). AhR-G1661A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP: rs2066853) causes an arginine to lysine substitution in the acidic sub-domain of TAD at position 554 (R554K). Although, numerous studies associate the SNP with some abnormalities such as cancer, other reliable investigations refuse the associations. Consequently, the interpretation of the phenotypic results of G1661A-transition has been controversial. In this study, an in silico analysis were performed to investigate the possible effects of the transition on AhR-mRNA, protein structure, interaction properties and modifications. The analysis revealed that the R554K substitution affects secondary structure and solvent accessibility of adjacent residues. Also, it causes to decreasing of the AhR stability; altering the hydropathy features of the local sequence and changing the pattern of the residues at the binding site of the TAD-acidic sub-domain. Generating of new sites for ubiquitination and acetylation for AhR-K554 variant respectively at positions 544 and 560 was predicted. Our findings intensify the idea that the AhR-G1661A transition may affects AhR-TAD interactions, especially with the TBP, which influence AhR-target genes expression. However, the previously reported flexibility of the modular TAD could act as an intervening factor, moderate the SNP effects and causes distinct outcomes in different individuals and tissues., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: According to previous studies, vitamin D exhibits protective effects against breast cancer via the vitamin D receptor (VDR). There is growing evidence that breast cancer incidence is associated with various polymorphisms of the VDR gene. This study investigates the association of VDR poly(A) microsatellite variants with 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) serum levels and breast cancer risk., Methods: Polymorphism analysis was performed on a total of 261 blood samples, which were collected from 134 women with breast cancer and 127 controls. Single strand conformation polymorphism was assessed by polymerase chain reaction in combination with sequencing to detect poly(A) lengths for each sample. The vitamin D levels of samples were determined by electrochemiluminescence., Results: The poly(A) variant L allele frequency was significantly higher in cancer patients than in controls (odds ratio [OR], 1.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-2.57; p=0.006). Thus, carriers of the L allele (LS and LL genotypes) have a higher risk for breast cancer (OR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.13-3.05; p=0.013). A larger increase in the risk for breast cancer was found in individuals with the L carrier genotype and lowered 25(OH)D levels., Conclusion: The results primarily suggest that VDR gene polymorphism in the poly(A) microsatellite is associated with 25(OH)D levels and that it can affect the breast cancer risk in the female population from northern Iran.

A new sensitive chemiluminescence (CL) procedure for the detection of hexythiazox (HXTZ) is presented, based on the quenching effect of the HXTZ in the luminol-H2O2 system using gold nanoparticles (GNPs) as a catalyst. The Box-Behnken design matrix and response surface methodology (RSM) have been applied in designing the experiments for studying the interactive effects of the three most important variables pH, luminol, and H2O2 concentrations on the CL intensity of luminol catalysed by GNPs. Under the optimal conditions, the CL intensity was linear with HXTZ concentration in the range of 0.017-0.42 μg mL(-1), and the limit of detection (LoD) was 0.011 μg mL(-1). The procedure has been successfully applied to the detection of HXTZ residues in citrus fruits and water samples at trace levels. Mean recoveries obtained were between 84.0% and 95.3%, with a repeatability precision of <6%. Meanwhile, the possible mechanism of the inhibited CL intensity was discussed., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The NOP2/Sun domain family, member 7 (Nsun7) gene, which encodes putative methyltransferase Nsun7, has a role in sperm motility in mice. In humans, this gene is located on chromosome 4 with 12 exons. The aim of the present study was to investigate mutations of exon 7 in the normospermic and asthenospermic men. Semen samples were collected from the Fatemezahra IVF centre (Babol, Iran) and analysed on the basis of World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines using general phenol-chloroform DNA extraction methods. Exon 7 was amplified using Sun7-F and Sun7-R primers. Bands on samples from asthenospermic men that exhibited different patterns of movement on single-strand conformation polymorphism gels compared with normal samples were identified and subjected to sequencing for further identification of possible mutations. Direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products, along with their analysis, confirmed C26232T-transition and T26248G-transversion mutations in asthenospermic men. Comparison of normal and mutant protein structures of Nsun7 indicated that the amino acid serine was converted to alanine, the structure of the helix, coil and strand was changed, and the protein folding and ligand binding sites were changed in samples from asthenospermic men with a transversion mutation in exon 7, indicating impairment of protein function. Because Nsun7 gene products have a role in sperm motility, if an impairment occurs in exon 7 of this gene, it may lead to infertility. The transversion mutation in exon 7 of the Nsun7 gene can be used as an infertility marker in asthenospermic men.

Several genetic factors are involved with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). However, few attempts have been made to associate mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variations with RPL. Therefore, we investigated the possible effect of the T4216C mutation in the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase I (ND1) gene of 33 women with RPL and 100 controls, using polymerase chain reaction amplification and DNA sequence analysis. Our results showed a statistically significant association of the T4216C mutation (p <  0.05) between patients and controls, which are 30% and 11%, respectively. In conclusion, more research is essentially needed to understand the effect and role of the T4216C mutation in the progress of RPL, which may vary among individuals and different ethnic groups.

Ligula intestinalis parasite is a cestode that can cause remarkable damages to fishes. SDS-PAGE is one of the methods that can be used to determine the immune serum band polymorphism and immune responses in fishes infested by Ligula intestinalis. This study reports the results of an investigation conducted using SDS-PAGE focusing on immune serum band polymorphism and on the reaction of the immune system in spirlins (Alburnoides bipunctatus) infested by pleurocercoids of Ligula intestinalis parasite. Serum samples from infested spirlins revealed a polymorphism band which differed from that reported in sera of roaches (Rutilus rutilus), a species of the same Cyprinidae family.

Thioredoxins are believed to mediate starch and protein mobilization in germinating cereals and dicotyledons. Nothing is known about redox regulation of lipid mobilization in plants. The possible redox regulation by thioredoxin h (Trx h) of a thiol-protease which degrades the oleosin coat of the oil body and its impacts on lipid mobilization was investigated in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seedlings. An alkaline proteolytic activity stimulated by light was detected in seedlings. In vitro, the activity of this alkaline protease increased after reduction by NADPH-thiordoxin reductase system (NTS). The expression pattern of an alkaline 65 kDa thiol protease detected by gelatin SDS-PAGE technique, corresponded to the activity profile of the NTS-activated protease. The thiol-specific fuorochrome monobromobimane (mBBr) showed that a 65 kDa protein was also in a reduced state in vivo and becomes reduced in vitro by NTS. Except for 17-20 kDa oleosins, other oil body associated mBBr-labeled proteins were disappeared within three days following germination. Treatments of sunflower oil bodies by the NTS-activated alkaline protease made them more susceptible to maize lipase action. Ascorbate application enhanced lipid mobilization of seedlings. A model for seedling oil body mobilization was proposed according to which Trx h or other Trx isoforms, reductively activates an oleosin degrading thiol-protease and some oil body proteins, thus renders the organelle more susceptible to subsequent lipolytic actions. For the first time the potential role of Trx in the mobilization of lipid reserves in plants has been shown., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy can be considered to be a fast and non-invasive tool for distinguishing between normal and cancerous cells and tissues without the need for laborious and invasive sampling procedures. Gastric samples from four patients (age, 65±2 years) were analysed. Samples were obtained from the organs removed during gastrectomy and then classified as normal or cancerous. Classification was based on histopathological examinations at our institution. Formalin-fixed sections of gastric tissue were analysed by FTIR-microspectroscopy. To characterize differences between sections of normal and cancerous tissue, specific regions of the spectra were analysed to study variations in the levels of metabolites. To distinguish between two conditions (normal and cancerous), changes in the relative intensity of bands in the range 600-4000 cm⁻¹ were analysed. A FTIR spectral map of the bands in the region 2800-3100 cm⁻¹ and 900-1800 cm⁻¹ were created to analyse pathological changes in tissues. The limited data available showed that normal gastric tissue had stronger absorption than cancerous tissue over a wide region in the four patients. There was a significant decrease in total biomolecular components for cancerous tissue compared with normal tissue.

The objective of the present study was to assess the ascorbic acid (AA) levels in seminal plasma of the fertile and infertile men and to investigate its relationship with sperm count, motility and normal morphology. Semen samples were provided by fertile [smoker (n = 25), nonsmoker (n = 21)] and infertile men [smoker (n = 23), nonsmoker (n = 32)]. A simplified method of reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) procedure using UV detection was applied for the determination of seminal AA. Fertile subjects, smoker or not, demonstrated significantly higher seminal AA levels than any infertile group (p<0.01). Nonsmokers had high, but no significant, mean AA levels in their seminal plasma compared with smokers. Seminal AA in fertile and infertile (smokers or nonsmokers) males correlated significantly with the percentage of spermatozoa with normal morphology (p<0.01). Seminal AA decreased significantly in infertile men. Decrease of seminal plasma AA is a risk factor for low normal morphology of spermatozoa and idiopathic male infertility. Measurement of seminal AA in the seminal plasma of males with a history of subfertility or idiopathic infertility is necessary and can be helpful in fertility assessment.

Zinc has antioxidative properties and plays an important role in scavenging reactive oxygen species. We hypothesized that in the absence of Zn, the possibility of increased oxidative damage exists that would contribute to poor sperm quality. Therefore, measurement of seminal Zn in the seminal plasma of males with a history of subfertility or idiopathic infertility is necessary and can be helpful in fertility assessment. The primary objective of the present study was to assess the relationship between Zn levels in seminal plasma with sperm quality in fertile and infertile men. Semen samples were provided by fertile (smoker [n = 17], nonsmoker [n = 19]) and infertile men (smoker [n = 15], nonsmoker [n = 21]). After semen analysis, concentrations of Zn, Mg, Ca, Na, and K in the seminal plasma of all groups were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Element concentrations in seminal plasma of all groups were in the order Na > K > Ca > Zn > Mg. Fertile subjects, smoker or not, demonstrated significantly higher seminal Zn levels than any infertile group (P < .001). A trend was observed for a lower Zn levels in seminal plasma of smokers compared with nonsmokers. Seminal Zn in fertile and infertile (smokers or nonsmokers) males correlated significantly with sperm count (P < .01) and normal morphology of sperm (P < .001). There was a significantly positive correlation between seminal Zn with Ca (P < .01) and K (P < .01) levels in all specimens. In conclusion, poor Zn nutrition may be an important risk factor for low quality of sperm and idiopathic male infertility.

In this research we investigated the effect of cigarette smoking on sperm parameters both before and after swim-up. Semen sample provided from fertile smoker (n = 25), fertile nonsmoker (n = 21), infertile smoker (n = 23) and infertile nonsmoker men (n = 32). Semen analysis was performed manually according to the World Health Organization (WHO) standards guidelines. Present research showed that sperm parameters quality in smoker men was approximately lower than nonsmoker men. As well as present research showed that cigarette smoking has dose dependent effect on sperm parameters, but this effect was not significant. Therefore, it appears that cigarette smoking is associated with reduced sperm quality and the risk of idiopathic male infertility in smoker men.

The Al(III) complex, [Al(salophen)2H2O]NO3, was synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic (NMR and FT-IR) techniques. Then the binding of Schiff base complex of [Al(salophen)]+ type, where salophen denotes N,N'-bis(salicylidene) 2,2-phenylendiamine to calf thymus DNA, has been investigated by spectrophotometric, circular dichroism, spectrofluorometric, melting temperature and viscosimetric techniques. This Al(III) complex showed absorption hyperchromism in the range of 310-390 nm, increase in melting temperature, some structural changes in specific viscosity, when bound to calf thymus DNA. The binding constant has been determined using absorption measurement and found to be 1.82 x 10(3)M(-1) and 1.31 x 10(3)M(-1) in HEPES and Tris-HCl buffers, respectively. Also the fluorescence spectral characteristics and interaction of Al-salophen complex with DNA have been studied. Al-salophen bound to DNA showed a marked increase in the fluorescence intensity along with a bathochromic shift (5 nm). The intersection point of the binding isotherm indicated a binding site size of 12 bp per bound complex molecule in both HEPES and Tris-HCl buffers. The experimental results showed that the Al-salophen complex bound to DNA by non-intercalative mode and major groove binding was the preferred mode of interaction.

In this study two control isolates of Salmonella enteritidis, RTCC1623 and RTCC1624, were obtained from the institute ofRazi (Karaj-Iran) and 14 strains were isolated from poultry samples in Kermanshah province of Iran, according to a standard protocol. These isolates were confirmed by PCR amplification of SefA gene fragments. Results showed that, 6 isolates of 14 isolates of Salmonella which their biochemical tests were positive contain 511 bp amplified fragments of the SefA gene. In other purpose, to correlating the presence of plasmids with antibiotic resistance and protein pattern, plasmid DNA was isolated before and after plasmid curing by using the alkaline lysis method. Strains of S. enteritidis contain seven different plasmid profiles (P1-P7) which were characterized by antibiotic resistance and protein pattern. Our observed showed, there was a high molecular weight plasmid with Rf 0.17 in all strains and the frequency of other plasmids was low. The plasmid with Rf about 0.2 is responsible for resistance to Cephalothin and the isolates that lost it were susceptible to this antibiotic. All strains, 100%, were resistant to ampicillin before and after curing of strains. According to present findings, PCR is a rapid and sensitive method for typing of S. enteritidis and plasmid profiling; antibiotic resistance and protein pattern are suitable methods for subtyping of S. enteritidis isolates. No direct correlation was found between plasmid contents, antibiotic resistance patterns and protein profiles of local S. enteritidis isolates.