فصلنامه زیست شناسی جانوری تجربی
سال دوازدهم شماره 1 (پیاپی 45، تابستان 1402)

Heat stress causes significant economic losses in poultry production and leads to the reduction of several physiological and metabolic factors. This research was conducted in order to investigate the allelic and genotypic polymorphisms of the gene involved in heat stress (HSP90β) in Marandi indigenous, broiler and laying chickens using PCR-RFLP technique. Randomly, blood was taken from 300 chicken and genomic DNA was extracted by salting out method. Amplification of the desired gene locus with a length of 494 bp was performed using specific primers and MspI enzyme was used to identify the mutation in the desired gene locus. After enzymatic digestion, two genotypes M1M1 and M1M2 and two alleles M1 (with a band of 494 bp) and M2 (with two bands of 248 bp and 246 bp) were identified for the HSP90β marker locus. Marandi indigenous and broiler chicken masses were in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. For Marandi indigenous and broiler chicken populations, the Shannon information index at the HSP90β marker locus was 0.25 and 0.40, the fixation index is -0.07 and -0.16, and the observed heterozygosity index was 0.14 and 0.28, respectively. Due to the presence of polymorphism and mutation in the studied gene locus, it can be used in the Marandi indigenous and broiler chickens by genetic selection with the help of this marker to eliminate heat-sensitive chickens and keep heat-resistant chickens.

The present study was performed to investigate the effect of injection of PMSG and GnRH hormones on reproductive performance of Arabi ewes in the breeding season. 75 ewes were divided into 5 groups. The first group had no estrus synchronization program and no hormonal injection (control). Vaginal progesterone sponge (MAP) was inserted into other groups for 14 days. Simultaneously with the withdrawal of sponge, they were treated with: 1- injection of 500 IU of PMSG, 2- injection of 100 micrograms of GnRH, 3- injection of 500 IU of PMSG plus 100 micrograms of GnRH and 4- without injection (MAP only). One healthy and fertile Arabi ram was assigned to each of the 5 ewes. Estrous behavior of ewes was recorded for 7 days. The estrous response, return to estrus, pregnancy length, lambing rate, prolificacy rate, fecundity rate and the ratio of the birth of male and female lambs, were not affected by treatments. Injection of PMSG and GnRH were able to reduce the time of estrus onset coMAPred to sponge treatment alone (P<0.05). The birth weight and weight of 30, 60 and 90 days in lambs, although were affected by the treatments (P<0.05), but no obvious effect of hormone injection was observed on these parameters. In general, the injection of PMSG and GnRH in the estrus synchronization program of Arabi ewes, although was an effective method in estrus onset time, but could not have a significant effect on the other reproductive performances of the animal during the breeding season.

Liver fibrosis is a reversible disease that can be caused by various causes of liver damage and ultimately lead to severe complications such as cirrhosis, liver cancer or even death. Traditional treatments have several limitations, including insufficient therapeutic effects and side effects. Since the internalization, penetration and delivery of drugs have been facilitated with the help of nanomedicine, therefore, the use of nanotechnology in targeted drug delivery to improve liver fibrosis seems to be a suitable option. Male Wistar rats weighing 200-250 g were randomly divided into 5 groups of 8: control (healthy rats), sham (healthy rats + K3PO4), CCL4 (liver fibrosis model rats), Y2O3 30 (healthy rats + 30 mg/kg Y2O3) and CCL4+ Y2O3 30 (fibrotic rats + 30 mg/kg Y2O3). After induction of liver fibrosis by CCL4, rats received Y2O3 once daily for four weeks. At the end, the rats were anesthetized and blood was taken from the heart. A part of the liver samples was kept in 10% formalin and another part was kept at -80°C. Finally, oxidative stress markers (CAT, GPX, SOD and MDA) and liver enzyme levels (AST, ALT, ALP and GGT) were measured using ELISA method. Also, the expression of TGF-β and α-SMA genes in the liver was investigated by Real Time RT-PCR method. The use of 30 mg/kg of Y2O3 NPs did not have a favorable effect on regulating the levels of CAT, SOD, GPX, TGF-β and α-SMA, as well as MDA, AST, ALT, ALP and GGT in fibrotic rats. However, a significant improvement was observed in reducing liver tissue inflammation in CCL4+ Y2O3 30 group rats. The dose of 30 mg/kg of Y2O3 nanoparticles did not have a favorable effect on the antioxidant and biochemical indices of the liver in order to reduce liver fibrosis. But its favorable effects were observed in the fibrotic liver tissue of mice treated with Y2O3 30, especially the reduction of inflammation.

Statement of the problem: 

The liver is the main organ responsible for metabolic control and metabolic detoxification, which significantly contributes to the clearance of beta-amyloid plaques. 

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise with a supplement of vitamin C on liver enzymes and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) values in rats with Alzheimer's disease.

This was an experimental and fundamental research with a post-test and a control group conducted on 35 aged male Sprague-Dawley rats. The samples were randomly assigned to five groups (7 cases in each group), including 1) Alzheimer, 2) the healthy, 3) the exercise group, 4) the vitamin C, and 5) the exercise+vitamin C group. Aerobic exercise was continued for eight weeks, Total protein in liver tissue was measured to assess TAC, Malondialdehyde (MDA, alanine aminotransferase (AST), alkane phosphatase (AST), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels.

The values of AST, ALT and ALP, MDA, and TAC in the control group with Alzheimer's disease were significantly higher than those in the healthy control group (P<0.05). After the intervention, AST, ALT, and ALP in the exercise and vitamin C supplement groups were significantly lower than in the non-exercise groups (P=0.001).

Aerobic exercise and vitamin C supplementation are effective in improving liver factors in rats with Alzheimer's disease; however, they have no therapeutic effect on MDA and TAC levels in rats with Alzheimer's.

Approximately half of infertility in couples can be attributed to male factors, which may occur in a wide range of causes. Examining seminal plasma parameters is the initial and simplest approach in male infertility evaluation and provides valuable information about fertility status. In this study, the presence and relationship between the concentration of interleukin 35 (IL-35) in seminal plasma and standard parameters of sperm in infertile men were investigated. Semen analysis was performed on semen samples of men referred to the Infertility Center of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Semen samples were analyzed in accordance with the laboratory guidelines of the World Health Organization and were divided into three groups including 21 normozoospermic, 21 asthenoteratozoospermic, and 15 azoospermic samples. The seminal concentration level of IL-35 was analyzed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Results showed that IL-35 was detectable with different levels in the seminal plasma of studied groups, however, its concentration did not show a statistically significant difference (p>0.05). The correlation analysis between IL-35 concentration and sperm standard parameters showed that there is a significant negative correlation between IL-35 concentration and the normal sperm morphology percentage (r=0.317, p=0.04), while no significant correlation was observed with sperm count (r=-0.27, p=0.08) and sperm motility (r=-0.27, p=0.08). Despite the presence of IL-35 in semen, even in normozoospermic male patients, its role and functional significance have not been determined. The existence of a negative relationship between the IL-35 concentration and the normal sperm morphology percentage can indicate its importance in male infertility status.

Tissue engineering is an emerging field based on the three elements of cells, scaffolds, and bioactive molecules, and can be a useful method for treating muscle injuries. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of ascorbic acid (AA) on the viability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) cultured on skeletal muscle decellularization scaffold. First, BM-MSCs were extracted from rat leg bone marrow and cultured in vitro. The identity of the cells was assessed using flow cytometry. The extracted rat skeletal muscle was decellularized using a 1% SDS solution. The decellularization process was investigated by Masson Trichrome, and Alcian blue and DAPI staining.BM-MSCs were cultured on decellularized scaffolds and treated with 1 mM AA for 2 days. Then, the survival and viability of the cells were evaluated using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and MTT methods, respectively.BM-MSCs had a spindle morphology, and the results of flow cytometry showed the expression of CD44 and CD90 and the lack of expression of CD45 and CD34 in more than 90% of the cells. The staining verified the preservation of collagen and glycosaminoglycans and the absence of DNA in the decellularized tissue. MTT results showed that AA significantly increases the viability of BM-MSCs (P<0.05). Also, the SEM results showed that the cells in the group treated with AA were more proliferated. In general, AA can improve the efficiency of muscle tissue engineering by increasing the viability of BM-MSCs.

Snakebite is a global health problem and important conservation challenge. Knowing where snakebite risk is highest can help snakebite management. But climate change is altering snakebite risk pattern making its management more difficult and complicated.
In this study we used Echis carinatus’ habitat suitability as an indicator of snakebite risk, under current and future climatic conditions. We applied an ensemble of five distribution modelling methods (Generalized linear models (GLMs), Generalized additive models (GAMs), Generalized boosted models (GBMs), Maximum entropy modelling (Maxent) and Random Forest (RF)) to model the species habitat suitability. In addition, we identified villages that are at risk of envenoming form the species under current and future climate.
Results showed that the species suitable habitat will increase under climate change as consequence number of villages at risk will increase from 70247 to 82881 putting more human population at risk of envenoming.
High snakebite risk areas identified in this study are high priority target areas for awareness raising program and antivenom distribution. This study demonstrates usefulness of habitat suitability modeling in identifying high snakebite risk area in Iran.

Reptiles are important components of natural ecosystems but because of limited dispersal ability they are sensitive to habitat destruction, road development and climate change. However, very little is known about their diversity and distribution in protected areas of Iran. In this study, reptiles of Touran Biosphere Reserve were collected, photographed and identified from 2014 to 2021. Results showed that 36 reptile species including 20 lizards, 15 snakes and 1 tortoise are living in the Touran Biosphere Reserve. Families Agamidae and Gekkonidae where the most diverse families among the lizard species and family Colubridae was the most diverse family among the snake species. Testudo horsfieldii and Varanus griseus are species with conservation concern thus they need special conservation programs.

In this study, rainbow trout diploid, triploid, and tetraploid were comparatively investigated regarding the growth ‎performance, survival rate, and erythrocyte characteristics. For the triploid production, the fertilized eggs received 26.5 ℃ ‎thermal shock under three treatments: 1. double 1-min shock after 15 and 30 min of the fertilization, 2. one 15-min shock ‎after 15 min of the fertilization, and 3. one 12-min shock after 20 min of the fertilization. Tetraploidy was induced by ‎application of 28 ℃ thermal shock under three treatments: 1. 10-min shock after 59 degree-hours of the fertilization, 2. 10-‎min shock after 66 degree-hours of the fertilization, and 3. 10-min shock after 72 degree-hours of the fertilization. The best ‎triploidization results, 66.6% survival rate and 87% triploidization rate, achieved by application of 12-min shock after 20 ‎min of the fertilization. The best tetraploidization results, 54.9% survival rate and 7.94% triploidization rate, achieved by ‎application of 10-min shock after 59 degree-hours of the fertilization. There were no significant differences between the ‎triploid and diploid fish, wheras the tetraploids showed significantly lower growth rate than the diploids. In conclusion, in ‎this study, triploid and tetraploid production of rainbow trout were improved, and application of erythrocyte cell size as a ‎reliable and efficient polyploidy detection method was emphasized.‎

Kidney diseases are an important medical problem worldwide. Since there are limited treatment options for damaged kidneys, stem cell therapy has become an alternative treatment. The aim of present study is to investigate effect of culture medium obtained from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs-CM) of newborn mice kidneys in percentages of 10, 30 and 50 on differentiation of embryonic stem cells towards kidney epithelial cells. Mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from kidneys of newborn mice, passaged and propagated. Determination of the identity of cells was done using flow cytometry and checking the expression of surface markers CD105, CD29, CD90. In third passage of extracted cells, supernatant culture medium was collected, hESC were cultured and multiplied in the complete culture medium of cells and the differentiation of hES cells into progenitor cells was investigated. The expression of PAX2, ZO1 and CK18 genes was investigated using RT-PCR, expression of CD133, CD24 and CD44 surface markers was investigated using flow cytometry. Flow cytometry results confirmed the mesenchymal nature of the cells. The results of differentiation of hESCs showed that expression of PAX2, ZO1 and CK18 genes increased significantly (p<0.05) in the groups containing supernatant. The results of flow cytometry show an increase in expression of CD133 and CD24 markers in groups containing CM and the expression of CD44 marker in the group containing 50% CM, compared to control group. In general, results showed supernatant culture process of cells has a positive effect on inducing differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into kidney progenitor cells.