غلامعباس محمدی

Insulin resistance is a pathological condition in which cells fail to respond normally to insulin. The most important cause of insulin resistance is abdominal obesity. Increased abdominal fat increases the amount of free fatty acids and decreases adiponectin, which directly affects insulin signaling. Due to the role of Quercus infectoria in lowering blood sugar, we investigated the mechanism of action and the effect of its aqueous extract on insulin resistance in insulin-resistant Rats.

The animals were fed fructose-rich or normal food for six weeks. At the end of six weeks, the animals were divided into 4 groups including receiving plant extracts, pioglitazone, control, and normal food, and then treated for 2 weeks. At the end of the treatment period serum Glucose, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels were measured by autoanalyzer; Insulin and adiponectin levels were measured by ELISA; plasma free fatty acids were measured by gas chromatography, and HOMA-IR (Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance) index was calculated by the formula. A one-way ANOVA test was used for statistical analysis.

In the Quercus infectoria group, the concentrations of glucose (129.3±6.8 mg/dl), triglyceride (79.8±5.1mg/dl), insulin (31.2±6.32pmol/L) and HOMA-IR (1.6±0.32) significantly decreased compared to the control group with glucose (187.5± 15.9 mg/dl), Triglyceride (217.6±18.5 mg/dl), Insulin (137.6±34.2 pmol/L) and HOMA-IR (9.7±2.13) decreased. The concentration of total free fatty acids and adiponectin did not change.

This study showed the beneficial effects of aqueous extracts of Quercus infectoria on reducing insulin resistance in insulin-resistant rats.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the salt tolerance of two cultivars of fig (‘Kushki’ and ‘Rounou’) under in vitro conditions. Salinity treatment was performed using different concentrations of sodium chloride (0, 40, 80 and 120 mM). The results showed that salinity significantly reduced fresh and dry weight, shoot length and leaf number in both cultivars after three weeks’ treatment with sodium chloride. However, the decline was more in the ‘Kushki’. In both cultivars, the activity of antioxidant enzymes were increased with increase in the concentration of sodium chloride, and this increase was significantly higher in Kushki cultivar. The amount of sodium accumulation and Na+/K+ratio in leaves and roots of ‘Rounou’ was significantly higher than Kushki cultivar. At 120 mM concentration, all traits were significantly reduced. Seedlings of the two cultivars showed different responses for most of the evaluated traits. According to the results of this study, the Kushki cultivar was more tolerant than the Rounou cultivar to the salinity stress.

Tissue culture is a useful and applicable method in micropropagation and plants mass production in a short period of time irrespective of growing and planting season. Meanwhile it is a new and effective method to breed plants through gene transformation. Despite these advantages, a useful tissue culture system for effective regeneration is required for many plants such as White top (Cardaria draba). White top contains a lot of sulforaphan for which it is considered a medicine plant which in turn highly requires a suitable protocol for its effective regeneration. In this study, the samples gathered in Kerman Township were used and the ability of the plant for callus induction and shoot regeneration was studied in vitro in two separate factorial experiments in randomized complete block design, BAP: in 7 levels and NAA in 4 levels. The first experiments were carried on cotyledon explants and the second one on hypocotyl explants with 3 replications in the years 2010 and 2011. Considering the statistical analysis (p≤0.05), 3 mg/L BAP plus 0.5 mg/L NAA treatment and 3 mg/L BAP plus 1 mg/L NAA hormone treatment had the callus induction and the most suitable number of shoots for cotyledon and hypocotyl explants, respectively. The best root generation was for cotyledon and hypocotyl explants using only 1 mg/L NAA treatment and 0.5 mg/L BAP plus 1 mg/L NAA treatment, respectively. All the samples were placed on MS liquid containing 2 mg/L IBA and then they were elongated in the full strength medium without growth regulators for 2 weeks. After that, they were kept in the pots containing sterilized peat moss under greenhouse conditions for 4 weeks which resulted in 90% success in the plants regeneration.

Based on an experimental trial, we tried to test the effects of opium addiction through different administration routes on inflammatory and Coagulation Factors. This study was performed on 30 adult male Syrian golden hamsters allocated to one of three groups: control group which received no opiate; the first study group received oral opiate; and another study group received inhaled opiate. After 4 weeks, all hamsters were anesthetized with diethyl ether and their blood samples were obtained from their hearts for laboratory assessment. The blood level of hs-CRP was significantly higher in group used opium orally compared with the group used opium orally (P < 0.001); other markers were not different between the two experiments groups. The level of hs-CRP was higher in the two study groups than the controls. Blood hemocysteine levels following oral and inhaled opium use were comparable with the controls. Our study confirms the triggering role of opiate dependence through different administration routes on inflammatory process, especially through its oral usage.

The brain damage caused by trauma is the most common cause of death. The neuroprotection effects of estrogen and progesterone have been reported in numerous studies. In the present study, the role of different doses of sex steroids has been investigated on the aquaporin 4 protein concentration changes in brain tissue of ovariectomized (OVX) rats after traumatic brain injury (TBI). In this experimental interventional study, 140 female rats N-MRI were randomly divided into seven groups and each group group further subdivided into two subgroups as follows; sham group, ovariectomized sham group, vehicle, physiologic and pharmacologic estrogen at doses 33.3 µg/kg, and 1 mg/kg respectively, physiologic and pharmacologic progesterone at doses 1.7 mg/kg and 8 mg/kg group. TBI was induced for groups 3-7 by Marmarou method. Thirty minutes after TBI, the hormones were intraperitoneally injected. Parameters such as Evans blue content, and water content and aquaporin 4 concentration were determined 5h and 24h after TBI respectively. Compared to the vehicle group, physiologic and pharmacologic doses of estrogen could significantly diminish the aquaporin 4 expression and water content (p<0.01), and permeability of blood - brain barrier (p<0.001). While physiologic and pharmacologic doses of progesterone had a same effect as estrogen on brain water content (p<0.001), this effect was not observed on aquaporin 4 expression. The brain Evans blue content at physiologic dose of progesterone was significantly lower than vehicle group, but it was higher at pharmacologic dose (p<0.001). We concluded that only physiologic and pharmacologic doses of estrogen reduce d the aquaporin 4 expression in OVX rats after TBI. Based on our results, estrogen may have a therapeutic effect on brain injury.

Copper and zinc play a key role in oxidative reactions and in vivo studies have shown their different effects. In this study we examined the influence of exposure to copper and zinc on catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in erythrocytes, total serum antioxidant capacity and malondiadehyde (MDA) production of copper industry workers. In the present study, 70 workers in a Copper Industry and 70 healthy controls with the age range of 35-55 years were studied. The catalase assay and SOD activity in RBC lysate and total antioxidant were measured by spectrophotometric methods. Using thiobarbitoric acid reaction, MDA concentration was determined. The results showed a higher copper and zinc concentration in serum of worker group (113.8±2.2 & 148.3±3.2 μg/L respectively, P<0.001) in comparison with the control group (104.5±1.5 & 107.7±2μg/L respectively). Serum catalase and SOD activities in RBC were higher in workers (7621.7±199.3 & 1489.5±12.3 μ/l) than in the control group (7049.1±157.4 & 1421.7±11.1 μ/l respectively, P<0.05, for SOD only). Serum total antioxidant was significantly higher in workers than controls (1.6±0.03 vs. 1.4±0.01) and it was the same for MDA concentration (245.5±3.7nmol/gHb in the worker group compared to 205±3.2nmol/gHb in the control group). No correlation were found between copper and zinc concentrations and the other factors (P>0.05). These results suggest that occupational exposure to copper and zinc induces oxidative stress followed by anti oxidative defense system

Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of mortality in the developed and some developing countries. Some people believe that opium abuse has beneficial effects for reducing blood lipids and atherosclerosis prevention. In this study, the effect of oral opium addiction on lipid profile and atherogenesis in normal and hypercholesterolemic rabbits was studied. Thirty two male Newzeland White rabbits were used in this study. They were divided into four groups including control, hypercholesterolemic, addicted, and hypercholesterolemic addicted and were studied for three months. The blood samples were obtained and lipid profile was determined at the beginning of the study and at the end of every month thereafter. After 90 days aorta was removed to assess for lesion formation. The levels of cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and atherogenic index (total cholesterol/HDL-C) in the hypercholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic addicted rabbits were increased significantly (P<0.001). These increases in lipids and aorta lesion areas were higher in hypercholesterolemic addicted group than hypercholesterolemic group. These findings suggest that oral opium abuse affects cholesterol metabolism and depending on the dietary condition can have an aggravating effect on atherosclerosis. The protective effect of morphine on cardiac disease is not probably through the modulation of lipid metabolism.

Despite improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer in the past two decades, it has remained the most common cause of death from cancer worldwide. Among all genes that are mutated in lung cancer, TP53 located on chromosome 17P13/1 has a significant diagnostic and prognostic value. TP53 mutations have been extensively studied in lung cancer and TP53 mutational spectra have been used for finding the origin(s) and mechanisms of these mutations in lung cancer development. The present study was conducted to investigate the TP53 mutations in patients with Non- small cell lung cancer hospitalized during 1997-2005 in Afzalipour Hospital, Kerman, Iran. Formalin- fixed, Paraffin- embedded tissues from lung cancer patients undergone surgery between 1997 to 2005 were evaluated. The mutational status of the TP53 gene (exons 5 & 8) was screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis followed by sequencing. Of all cases of squamous cell carcinoma, 73 mutations were found in Exon 5 (in 18 cases) and 47 mutations in Exon 8 of TP53 gene (in 15 cases). we identified mutation hot spot at codons 6, 14, 25 of exon 5 and codons 2, 27, 35 of exon 8 of TP53 gene. Tansversions (G to T, A to T and G to C) and deletion mutations were the most in both exons 5 and 8. The incidence of G to T transversion mutations did not significantly differ between Exons 5 and 8. Higher prevalence of mutations in TP53 gene in the present study comparing to previous studies may be due to genetic, environmental and some epidemiological factors such as diet and life style of studied subjects.

Coronary heart diseases, specially myocardial ischemias due to atherosclerosis, are among the major causes of mortality in industrialized societies. Oxidative stress occurs during ischemia. This finding has been confirmed by in vitro studies which have shown some changes in antioxidant concentration during ischemia. However, antioxidant system status and its relation to ceruloplasmin as a risk factor have not been studied in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD). This study was conducted to evaluate this status. This case-control study carried out on 99 men, aged 35-55 years. Two groups including 29 patients with IHD due to coronary artery stenosis above 70 percent, confirmed by angiography and exercise tests, and 70 healthy men without heart disease, diabetes and hypertension background were studied. Blood samples were collected from all subjects early in the morning. Then catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, total antioxidant of serum (TAS), ceruloplasmin and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations were measured by a spectrophotometric method. TAS, SOD and catalase levels were 0.9 ± 0.04 mmol/L, 1224 ± 21.40 U/g Hb and 5657 ± 290.60 U/g Hb respectively in patients which were significantly lower than those of controls 1.6 ± 0.02 mmol/L, 1488 ± 13.03 U/g Hb and 7546 ± 176.80 U/g Hb (p<0.05). MDA and ceruloplasmin concentrations were 36 ± 0.92 mg/dl, 277 ± 6.90 nmol/g Hb) respectively in cases and 29 ± 0.60 mg/dl and 247 ± 4.20 nmol/g Hb in controls which showed a significant difference (p<0.05). There was no statistical correlation between antioxidants and ceruloplasmin level in these groups. In patients with IHD, antioxidant system capacity was lower than that of controls which can explain higher lipid peroxidation in these patients. Also we can not predict lipid peroxidation severity by measuring ceruloplasmin level because no association was found between these two factors.

Ultraviolet radiation is energetically capable of disrupting proteins. Ultraviolet radiation divides to three bands UV-A (320-390 nm), UV-B (280-320 nm) and UV-C (254-280 nm). Several studies have indicated that enhanced UV-B radiation can deleteriously affect physiological processes and overall growth in a number of plant species. In this research, the effects of different bands of UV-radiation were studied on the germination growth parameters, Sugar and Protein contents of plant Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). The plants were grown in vermiculite medium using pots. Before applying the UV treatments, plants were subjected to a based nutrient solution (Hoagland solution) for 5 weeks. After 5 weeks, plants were for 2 weeks under treatment UV. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, and averages were compared by Duncan test. In each experiment was used 4 replicates. The results indicated that, UV light sped the germination of these seeds but the subsequent growth of the seedlings was markedly retarded. The results showed that under our experimental conditions UV-B and UV-C radiation decreased shoot and root dry weight. Furthermore, this treatment induced significant decreased of Leaf area. Content of soluble Sugar decreased significantly in leaves and roots of treated plants in comparison with control. The different bands ultraviolet radiation decreased Protein content. By considering to obtained results in this study we concluded that UV-A often harmful in plant, but UV-B and UV-C have serious effects on plant.