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Objective(s) Metformin is well known for activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK activation inhibits mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) as a key signaling process in cell proliferation. Recent epidemiological studies demonstrate that metformin lowers the risk for several types of cancer in diabetic patients. Concerning the critical role of angiogenesis in the incidence and progression of tumors, we investigated the effect of metformin on human umbilical vein endothelial cells migration, as well as on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expressions in the cells and also on angiogenesis in air pouch model in rats. Materials and Methods A "wound" repair method was used to assess the cell migration (n=6). Real-time PCR was performed to quantify the mRNA expression of VEGF (n=5). In air pouch model, carrageenan was injected into the air pouches on the back of rats (n=6) and following an IV injection of carmine red dye granulomatous tissue was processed for the assessment of the dye content. An ordinary ANOVA with Student-Newman-Keuls post hoc test was used to compare groups. Results Metformin (orally, 50mg/kg) significantly (P

Aim: one hundred urine samples of abusers were examined for the presence of alkaloid substances in urine. Alkaloids of urine were confirmed with rapid and TLC methods. A thin-layer chromatography (TLC) procedure for the screening and confirmation of urinary codeine and morphine has been developed. Method: Urine samples were daily collected from abusers of Tabriz/ Iran. Urine extracts were prepared using silica-gel absorbent resin in column. The resin was rinsed with two buffers. These procedures make PH appropriation, then residual water was removed by vacuum aspiration and adsorbed alkaloid substances were eluted with a organic solvent of methanol and concentrated. After evaporation to dryness with heater, the residue was dissolved in organic solvent of methanol to reach 10 to 40 fold concentration. For screening, the extraction residues were spotted on TLC plates which are developed in chloroform: methanol: Ammoniac (12:1.4:0.2). For confirmation the spots for the two opioids were visualized with acidified iodoplatinate. Codeine and morphine standards are well separated from one another and comparison with samples urinary substances on plates. The limit of detection was a concentration of 300ng/mL.

"n Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Background: Paraquat is an herbicide produced and used prevalently worldwide. Studies have shown that lung fibrosis induced by paraquat can be prevented or delayed by certain antioxidants, iron chelating agents, melatonin, and, recently, blood pressure lowering drugs such as captopril."n"n Methods: The protective effects of captopril on paraquat toxicity were studied using RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry to determine the gene and protein expression of p53 and Bcl-2 in lung tissue samples from rats treated with captopril before and after exposure to paraquat."n"n Results: We found no significant difference in the gene and protein expression of p53 in different tissue samples, except for mRNA levels in the lung tissue of captopril-treated rats. However, the protein expression of Bcl-2 is greater in tissue from rats exposed to paraquat alone and paraquat together with pre- and posttreatment with captopril compared to tissue from untreated control rats and from those treated with captopril alone, which can be due to inflammatory responses of lung tissue. By RT-PCR, we were unable to detect Bcl-2 in lung tissue samples."n"n Conclusion: These results show that paraquat does not induce significant DNA damage; therefore, the gene and protein expression of p53 was not changed. Paraquat does induce lung tissue inflammation, which in turn increases Bcl-2 protein expression. Finally, captopril had no significant effect on the lung tissue toxicity induced by paraquat. Considering these results and the cellular interactions in lung tissue, we suggest that complementary assays and in-vitro cell culture experiments be performed to further elucidate the molecular events underlying paraquat lung toxicity. "nKeywords: Paraquat, captopril, rat, toxicity, p53, Bcl-2.

Background: Hypertension is a very common and important disease. There are conflicting reports about mercury, a trace element, in the genesis of hypertension.Methods: In this study we examined the relationship between blood mercury levels and hypertension prevalence in a population-based sample of hypertensive and normotensive patients at the Shariati Hospital and the Tehran Heart Center in Tehran, Iran. A cross sectional sampling of 224 patients, aged 40-80 years, who participated in physical examinations conducted in 2006 were included in this study. The population that participated in this study were sample of hypertensive (n=112) which had essential hypertension and normotensive (n=112) patients which had no history of essential hypertension at the Shariati Hospital and the Tehran Heart Center in Tehran. The consent of all the patients were taken in the written form before the experiments. After selecting the patients the range of blood mercury levels were measured with Flame atomic absorption. Results: The range of blood mercury levels was 0 to 39.55 µg/dL. The mean blood mercury level of hypertensive patients (10.75 +1.23 µg/dL) was higher than that of normotensive patients (1.6 +1.02 µg/dL). There was a significant difference in the mean blood mercury level of normotensive men (1.74 +1.56 µg/dL) versus that of hypertensive men (11.9 +1.38 µg/dL). The mean blood mercury level of normotensive women (1.5 µg/dL) was also significantly different from that of hypertensive women (9.65 +0.53 µg/dL) (p

The isolated perfused rat liver (IPRL) model has been used into toxicology study of rat liver. This model provides an opportunity at evaluation of liver function in an isolated setting. Studies showed that Cd, in a dose-dependent manner, induced toxic effects in IPRL models, and these effects were associated with aminotransferase activity and lipid peroxidation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether Mg and/or Se could have protective effects against the Cd toxicity in the IPRL model. Male Wistar rats (9-10 weeks) weighing 260-300 gr were used in this study. They were randomly divided into 8 groups of 4-6 rats per cage. In group 1, liver was perfused by Krebs-Henseleit buffer without MgSO4 (Control). Groups 2-8 were exposed to Mg, Se, Cd, Mg +Se, Cd + Mg, Cd + Se, Cd + Mg + Se respectively in Krebs-Henseleit buffer with no added MgSo4. Biochemical changes in the liver were examined within 90 minutes, and the result showed that the exposure to Cd, lowered glutathione level, while it increased malondialdehyde level and aminotransferase activities in IPRL model. Mg administration during exposure to Cd reduces the toxicity of Cd in the liver isolated while Se administration during exposure to Cd did not decrease Cd hepatotoxicity. Nevertheless, simultaneous treatment with Se and Mg on Cd toxicity have strengthened protective effects than the supplementation of Se alone in the liver.

Objective: Ionizing radiation interacts with biological systems to induce excessive fluxes of free radicals that attack various cellular components. Melatonin has been shown to be a direct free radical scavenger and indirect antioxidant via its stimulatory actions on the antioxidant system.The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant role of melatonin against radiation-induced oxidative injury to the rat liver after whole body irradiation. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study,thirty-two rats were divided into four groups. Group 1 was the control group, group 2 only received melatonin (30 mg/kg on the first day and 30 mg/kg on the following days), group 3 only received whole body gamma irradiation of 10 Gy, and group 4 received 30 mg/kg melatonin 30 minutes prior to radiation plus whole body irradiation of 10 Gy plus 30 mg/kg melatonin daily through intraperitoneal (IP) injection for three days after irradiation. Three days after irradiation, all rats were sacrificed and their livers were excised to measure the biochemical parameters malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH). Each data point represents mean ± standard error on the mean (SEM) of at least eight animals per group. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to compare different groups, followed by Tukey’s multiple comparison tests (p

Systems Engineering (SE) controls a complex environment consisting of various collaborative subsystems. Each subsystem demands different kind of requirements and follows a specific strategy for its development process. Unifying and harmonizing the development process of all collaborative subsystems towards achieving the ultimate integrated system is one of the main challenges of SE. This work introduces a new approach towards having a generic SE unified process applicable to various environments. We suggest a service-oriented framework for SE process implemented using Web Services, and describe the process scenario in a machine-friendly abstract layer over the Development Process. This description layer choreographs collaborative subsystems and is implemented by a Web Services Choreography Description Language (WSCDL). It also covers Interface Management concerns of SE. In such an environment, as long as all services follow a unique framework for the SE process such as the one specified by the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), each phase of the process would then be an anonymous service implemented by a different vendor. As the result, an organization could easily customize its own specific development environment by editing this choreography layer according to its specific development policies, and then tailor its own desired development environment by choosing and integrating various services available on the Web. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-01, page: 0351. Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2006.

Publication in the conference proceedings of EUSIPCO, Antalya, Turkey, 2005

Objective (s): Hyperglycemia is widely recognized as the underlying cause for some debilitating conditions in diabetic patients. The role of cannabinoid CB1 and vanilloid TRPV1 receptors and their endogenous agonists, endovanilloids, in diabetic neuropathy is shown in many studies. Here we have used PC12 cell line to investigate the possible influence of glucose concentration in culture medium on cytoprotective or toxic effects of a CB1 [WIN55 212-2 (WIN)], or TRPV1 [Capsaicin (CAS)] agonist. Materials and Methods: Cell viability was tested using the MTT assay. We have also measured TRPV1 and CB1 transcripts by real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction while cells were grown in low (5.5 mM) and high (50 mM) glucose concentrations. Results: Real time PCR results indicated that high glucose medium increased (P