Archives of Medical Laboratory Sciences
Volume:7 Issue: 1, Spring 2021

Scleroderma (SC) is a connective tissue disease, characterized by diffuse microangiopathy and excessive production of collagen.The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Grapex extract in improving the wound of patients with scleroderma.

This randomized controlled double-blindclinical trial was performed from 2018 to 2019 on patients with scleroderma referred to Golestan Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran. Forty patients with active SC were selected and randomly divided into two groups. Patients applied the ointment twice a day for 4 weeks on the surface of their wounds. After four weeks of using the cream, the rate of wound healing was determined by clinical examination of the wounds.

6 people were excluded from the study due to the lack of referral and final analyzes were performed on 34 patients (16 patients in the control group and 18 patients in the case group). The results of this study showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of response to treatment (p<0.0001). At the end of the fourth week, 88.89% of the patients in the case group (16 of the 18 patients) achieved complete healing of the wounds in comparison with 18.75% of the control group (3 of the 16 patients). Neither the control group nor the case group had a significant association between response to treatment with age andgenderof patients, type of scleroderma, duration of illness, and symptoms.

This study showed the effectiveness of Grapex cream ointment in healing scleroderma wounds. Therefore, Grapex cream is an effective, inexpensive, safe, and available medicine that can be used to accelerate wound healing in patients with scleroderma.

The coronavirus epidemic has become one of the major health concerns all over the world recently. Like other strains of coronavirus, this strain also spreads through a droplet-based transmission that is the main cause of its worldwide spread. Several trials of antiviral medicines related to the control of the virus have already begun globally but still one of the main problems is the lack of a viable treatment option. An extensive amount of research is still taking place to organize the data associated with genomics and proteomics of its original strain SARS-CoV-2 alongside other mutant strains. This review summarizes the related up-to-date research thatis going on the structural organization of the genome and proteome of the virus.

Phage display technology provides a new approach for making human antibody fragments that could be applicable in passive immune therapy. We applied the use of this technology to make human single-chain variable fragments (scFvs)specific for tetanus toxin.Tetanus toxin is a neurotoxin constituted by the association of two subunits, mediates its lethal action by blocking neuromuscular vesicle docking.

We previously found that six Human scFvclones inhibit toxin binding to ganglioside GT1b. This is the final report of human tetanus scFvs (scFv 8 and scFv 13) isolated from an immunized library of more than 106 scFv clones with in vivo neutralizing activity.

Only scFv 13 can reduce the in vivo toxicity induced by tetanus toxin. Also, scFv 8 has a weak capability of reducing the in vivo toxicity of the toxin.

These selected ScFvscan be considered as a possible option to substitute the human tetanus immunoglobulin (HTIG) which is extensively current immunotherapy for tetanus patients. Taken together, our results suggest that the use of human tetanus scFvs may lead to a less aggressive passive immune therapy against tetanus.

Alteplase is a thrombolytic drug that is produced by recombinant DNA technology. Tissue plasminogen activator enzymewhich converts plasminogen to the active form of plasmin is also produced by the same technology; it causes fibrinolysis and clot dissolution. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and complications of Alteplase injection in patients with acute ischemicstroke (AIS(during the first 3hours and 3-4.5hours after the onset of symptoms.

In this study, patients with AIS who were referred to Golestan Hospital of Ahvaz city during 2018-2019 were selected. Information was collected by a checklist.

The results showed that the mean Modified Rankin Scale(mRS)for 3 months and 6 months (p-value: 0.91 for 3months and p-value: 0.80 for 6months) and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)(p-value: 0.21) were not significantly different between both groups; statistically, no significant relationship was observed between them. The incidence of complications after treatment was almost similar, in both groups.

Finally, it was concluded that complications and efficacy of rt-PA (Alteplase) injection were not statistically different, between the two groups under study.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease and human polyomavirusBK (BKV) can be reactivated in patients with SLE due to the changes in the immune system and use of immunosuppressive drugs.In this study, we evaluatedthe prevalence of BKV infection among patients with SLE referred to Golestan hospital in Ahvaz, Iran betweenApril 2013 to June 2016.

In this cross-sectional study we studied 75 individuals including 40 patients with SLE and 35 normal individuals. Urine and blood samples were taken and DNA was extracted from urine and plasma. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test was used to detect the BKV genome and positive samples were sequenced to confirm BKV. BioEdit software and MEGA 6.0 software were used for phylogenetic analysis to assemble the viral genome. A phylogenetic tree was constructed by neighbor-joining analysis with 1,000 replicates of the bootstrap resampling test using Mega 6.0. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS version 22.

Among the 40 patients, 2(5%) were men and 38(95%) were women. The mean age of the patients was 39±10 years. 2.5% of plasma from patients with SLE were positive for BKV but none of the controls were positive in this regard.0% of control groups (p=0.346). Whereas in urine samples, 17.5% and 11.4% (p=0.458) of patients and the control group, were positive for BKV, respectively. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the patients and controls.

BKV reactivation occurs in 17.5% of patients with SLE during immunosuppression therapy. Therefore, more studies on BKV DNA by highly sensitive molecular assays in Patients with SLE seem to be necessary.

This study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of chicoric acid (CA) on mancozeb-induced male reproductive damage in mice.

65 NMRI male mice were randomly divided into 7 groups (n=8);1: control group, 2: MZB–induced toxicity 3: MZB+ atropine (0.25mg/kg daily), groups 4, 5, and 6: MZB+25, 50 and 100 mg/kg of CA respectively. 7:CA (100mg). The mice were sacrificed thirty-five days later and blood and testis samples were obtained. Testosterone levels, sperm parameters, protamine deficiency, and sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) were used to evaluate the reproductive system function.

The sperm count and sperm viability decreased in the MZB-intoxicated group; the sperm DNA fragmentation and protamine deficiency increased in this group. Head and neck deformity decreased in MZB+ CA groups (p<0.05). In MZB+ CA groups, the sperm motility type A, and B increased than the MZB group, abnormal sperm morphology within 100 mg/kg CA groups was less than 50 and 25 mg/kg. The groups pretreated with CA showed a significant increase in Leydig cells.

The results revealed that chicoric acid has a protective effect on testis tissue damage induced by MZB. So, this is a promising therapeutic choice for the treatment of male infertility.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a human carcinogenesis agent. Interleukin 10 (IL-10) is a key anti-inflammatory cytokine, and single nucleotide polymorphisms in IL-10gene promoter are correlated with infections caused by HBV.This research intended to assess the prevalence and genotype of HBV as well as the association between the polymorphisms of -819 and -1082 in the IL-10 gene with HBV in individuals with HBV infection in Qom Province, Iran

In this cross-sectional research, 360individuals with chronic HBV infection and control group were involved between July2018 and March2019. HBV diagnosis was evaluated using ELISA and nested PCR assays. To determine polymorphisms in the IL-10 gene promoter in HBV positive and control samples, an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction technique was employed.

The constructed phylogenetic trees for the HBsAg gene revealed that all sequences under study belong to genotype D and also, the majority of HBV samples presented similar sequences to the Iranian samples. Genotype frequencies of TT, TC and CC (polymorphism -819) were 82.2%, 11.6% and 6.1% for patients and 85%, 10.5% and 4.4% in control groups, respectively. Also, frequency of genotypes of AA, AG and GG (polymorphism -1082) were 45%, 43.8% and 11.1% for patients and 42.2%, 46.1% and 11.6% in control groups, respectively.

Here, we found no association among IL-10 gene polymorphisms in control and HBV-infected groups. However, more studies about the frequency of chronic HBV infection are necessary to be conducted.

Today, young women infertility through chemotherapy has become a global challenge. Chemotherapy destructs the malignant cells by reactive oxygen species (ROS)productionand inflammatory factorssecretion; these factors can also destructthe ovarian and uterine cells. Infertility usuallyhappens as a result of ovarian and uterine cellsapoptosis, as well as dysfunctionin these organs. Signaling pathways activated by chemotherapy lead to increased activation of follicles and depletion of the follicular pool. In addition, excessive secretion of sex hormones leads to follicles activation and infertility in women. Mesenchymal stem cells(MSC) use havebeen reported to be a great help inrestoringthe function of ovarian and uterine cells.On the other hand, theycanregulate sex hormonesecretion. Finally, the use of MSCsas a suitable treatment strategy can help restore the function of reproductive cells and treat infertility.

Patients with blood coagulopathies treated with multiple transfusions have a high risk to acquire some viral infections such as hepatitis C. This research was aimed to identify hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection prevalence, and the viral genotypes among patients with hemophilia and other inherited coagulopathies in Mashhad, Iran.

Medical records of 760 patients with inherited coagulopathies including hemophilia were reviewed in Sarvar Clinic of Mashhad. Plasma samples were subjected to detect antibodies against HCV (anti-HCV) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. HCV RNA andgenotypes were determined by a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method.

Totally 128 individuals (16.8%) including patients with hemophilia (n=116) and individuals with other coagulopathies (n=12) were found to be seropositive for anti-HCV. They comprised 122 men and six women with a mean age of 31.6 ± 10.5 years. The PCR results were available for 118 patients, of whom 86 individuals (72.9%) were found to have detectable HCV RNA in their serum. The most frequent genotypes were 1a and 3a (49.1% and 35.8%, respectively). HCV genotypes were not significantly correlated with the patients’ age (p=0.477) as well as with the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (p=0.655) and aspartate aminotransferase (p=0.332).

The patients with blood coagulation disorders had a greater prevalence of HCV infection in comparison withthe general population in our region. The most common subgenotypes of HCV were 1a, and 3a, respectively. These results could assist professionals to choose more efficient approaches for the management of their patients.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder among women of reproductive age. The hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis dysregulates in PCOS, ultimately leading to hyperandrogenisms. Consequently, it is associated with hirsutism, dyslipidemia, obesity, infertility, menstrual disturbance, and insulin resistance. To our knowledge, there is no detailed investigation of these manifestations. That is why, this study aimed to evaluate manifestations of hyperandrogenism, hirsutism in particular.

This study was performed on 39 women with an initial diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome. Rotterdam criteria including Oligo-or anovulation, hyperandrogenism clinical and/or biochemical signs, and ultrasound appearance of polycystic ovaries used as diagnostic criteria. Hirsutism scoring was carried out according to Freeman-Gallwey’s definition of hirsutism. The patients were analyzed for other skin problems including male pattern baldness, acanthosis nigricans, and acne as well as demographic features.

Hirsutism was observed in the majority of our patients (91%) ranging from mild to severe. Concerning the distribution of hirsutism on various parts of the body, severe hirsutism was observed more on the groin, abdominal area, and chin respectively.Male pattern baldness, acanthosis nigricans, and acne, and dysregulated menstruation were reported in these patients.

This investigation found that skin manifestations, especially hirsutism, are highly frequent in patients with PCOS

Osteoarthritis(OA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes dysfunction of cartilage and joints. Activation of the immune system and the development of inflammatory responses are among the main pathogenesis of the disease. Recently, it has been shown that the expression of Matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) in patients is increased and leads to the destruction of cartilage in the joints of patients. The introduction of Nanoparticles (NPs) has transformed many fields like medicine, nutrition, and electronics. The usageof nanotechnology in medicine particularly for drug delivery is revealed to have numerous benefits.Therefore, in this study, for the first time, we evaluated the use of Menthol and silver nanoparticles on the expression of MMPs type 1, 3, 9 and 13 in OA models.

BFLS cells were first incubated with LPS to induce inflammation. Then, the expression of MMPs type 1, 2, 3, and 9 was evaluated using RT-PCR, ELISA, and migration and invasion assay. This work, therefore, was aimed to synthesize Menthol-mediated silver nanoparticles and evaluate their anti-inflammatory activity. Menthol mediated silver nanoparticles were synthesized by short-term (1 day) interaction of Menthol (1 mL) with 2mM AgNO3 solution and centrifuged to obtain silver nanoparticles. Further, the menthol mediated AgNPs were evaluated for anti-inflammatory activity by in vitro method.

The results showed that the expression of MMPs in LPS-treated cells and silver menthol nanoparticles was decreased compared to LPS-treated cells. In addition, it was shown that menthol silver nanoparticles had the greatest reduction in MMP9 expression and reduced their migration and invasion.

It can be said that the use of menthol silver nanoparticles can be used as a supplement along with corticosteroid and anti-inflammatory drugs and even to replace them for the treatment of OA patients, which requires further studies in the future

Coronary ectasia is one of the prevalent cardiovascular diseases worldwide. It causes many deaths annually ranged between 9%to 10% which is dependent on related risk factors. The main pathogenesis has not been determined yet; however, it has been shown, that increased lipid profiles and their oxidation in patients can cause endothelial cell dysfunction and thrombosis. Therefore, here we investigated the oxidized phospholipids (OxPLs) role in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease.

This cross-sectional study was performed in Shariati Hospital, Tehran. Accordingly, patients with coronary artery angiography indications (n=360) were included and classified into one of the following three groups, based on the angiographic

1) normal coronary artery (not dysfunction in vessels) or mild CAD (only intimal irregularity or less than 3% narrowing without ectasia); 2) vessel dilation more than 1.5 times compared to the normal part of the vessel or compared to the normal size according toage and genderin one or more coronary vessels; and 3) patients with more than 50% stenosis in one of the coronary arteries. The peripheral blood was collected from patients in EDTA anticoagulants container tubes and the OxPL level was measured using an ELISA kit.

The results showed that the amount of OxPL in the third and second groups was higher than in the first group. It was also found that hyperlipidemia, diabetes,hypertension, and smoking were higher in the third and second groups; all mentioned findings were statistically significant (p-value <0.05).

According to the findings of this study, it was shown that an increase in OxPL in patients with coronary ectasia can be consideredas a risk factor fordisease progression; OxPL measurement can be used to identify high-risk individuals

Hepatitis Cvirus(HCV) infection is one of the leading causesof morbidity and mortality worldwide. It has been hypothesized that a number of bacteria and viruses might be involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to define the prevalence of HCV in patients with cardiovascular disease in comparison with a control group.

In this study, 281 individuals including 143 cardiovascular patients and 138 healthy controls were assessed for identification of HCV antibodies. The data collection was done between April 2016 and February 2017. The prevalence of HCV antibodies was determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method.

There was no HCV infection in both patients with or without cardiovascular disease. There was a significant direct correlation between cardiovascular diseases and mean level of FPG (Fasting plasma glucose) (p<0.001). Also the Systolic and Diastolic blood pressures were significantly higher in the patients with cardiovascular disease (p<0.001 and p=0.005,respectively).

The results of this study show that no evidence of HCV infection is found among a group of cardiovascular patients in the city of Mashhad.

Acetaminophen (APAP) is a commonly used analgesic and also the leading cause of medication-induced liver damage. On the other hand, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a medication widely used to treat APAP overdose. Despite this interest, a few studies have investigated the co-administration effects of these medications. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of NAC and APAP on renal and liver functions in rats when they use concurrently.

Male Wistar rats were orally treated with a single dose of APAP (700 mg/kg) alone or in combination of NAC at the three different doses (200, 500, and 700 mg/kg). After 24 hours, the blood and liver samples were collected for biochemical and histopathological evaluations.

Liver damage was well established in the 700 mg/kg APAP-treated rats, as evidenced by elevated the plasma levels of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT). In addition, the plasma level of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was significantly increased in the APPA group compared to the control group. Moreover, histological examinations revealed that liver degeneration was evident in APAP-treated animals. NAC only at the highest dose (700 mg/kg) could inhibit ALT elevation, but had no effect on AST and BUN levels. Interestingly, co-administration of NAC (700 mg/kg) with APAP (700 mg/kg) could slightly shift liver histological alterations from the irreversible stage (fibrosis) toward reversible lesions such as necrosis and hemorrhage.

The study findings indicate that co-administration of NAC and APAP can reduce the severity of APAP-induced liver damage in rats.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) usesseveral molecules such as angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), cluster of differentiation 26 (CD26), Ezrin,and Neuropilin-1 (NRP-1)for viral entry. In this review,the entire structural and genomic combination and the mechanism of virus entry, are discussed. This study might be useful for further drug design studies.SARS-CoV-2 neutralizationallowsthe immune system to fight the virus before its entry. COVID-19 enters the host bloodstream by infecting endothelial cells via a cluster of differentiation 147 (CD147).SARS-CoV-2 not only usesACE2 for its entry but also affectsACE-2 and its enzymatic activity on AngII and bradykinin, it also imbalancesthe RAAS and bradykinin system and elevatesthe inflammation. High levels of bradykinin, cause nonproductive cough as the result of fluid extravasation and leukocyte recruitment to the lung.Accordingly,we suggest replicase transcriptase complex (RTC) and specific non-structural proteins (Nsps)such as Nsp7,8,Nsp10, Nsp12,and Nsp16 are perfect targets of study becauseRTC and Nspsare the golden elements in the maintenance of COVID-19 appearance and masking. Base on this evidence COVID-19 usesvarious receptors for its entry and it might block these receptors'activity to evade the immune system and spread to other cells.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a malignant disease of lymphoid progenitor cells affecting both children and adults. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are one kind of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), reported modulatingthe initiation or progression of diversecancers. However, the role of CCDC26 and FOXCUT long non-coding RNAs in ALL has been unknown.In this study, we explored the expression of FOXCUT and CCDC26 lncRNAs in acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines.

Acute T lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines, RPMI 8402, Jurkat, B lymphoblastic leukemia, Daudi,and Ramoscell lines were used.After culturing the cells, RNA extraction and cDNA synthesiswere performed.The real-time PCR technique was then used to study the expression of CCDC26, FOXCUT, C-kit, and FOXC1 genes.

We found a significant increase of CCDC26 expression in RPMI 8402 (p<0.0001) and Ramos (p<0.05)cell lines compared to the control, while decreased expression of thesegeneswas observed in Jurkat and Daudi cell lines. Furthermore, FOXCUT gene had a significant increase in expression in all cell lines compared to the control (p<0.01 in Daudi and RPMI 8402 cell lines) (p<0.001 in Jurkat and Ramos cell lines).

Our results demonstrated that CCDC26 and FOXCUT genes can play a regulatory role in acute lymphoblastic leukemia and may serve as a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common pathological diseases in communities and hospitals, often caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). The use of microbial strains typing is an integral part of epidemiological surveys of infe ctious diseases to identify epidemics, detect the infection source, track and recognize pathogenic strains. In this study, uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains isolated from patients living in Gorgan were typed using RAPD - PCR.

In total, 1 87 Escherichia coli strains isolated from urine samples of inpatients and outpatients of Gorgan city from 2010 to 2016 were analyzed by the RAPD - PCR method using two primers. Using GelClust and FigTree software, the respective dendrograms were plotted by u nweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA).

In our research, 614 bands were detected using two primers. The highest frequency of bands was obtained in 400 bp and 500 bp with 65 repeats and the lowest number of bands was in 2500 bp an d 3000 bp with one repeat and 32 clusters. The largest number of isolates (i.e.14) was placed in cluster 16. Most bands were polymorphic, indicating high genetic diversity in isolates.

Analysis of 32 clusters of our study by the RAPD - PCR method showed that the studied clusters do not have a specific and unique feature and the scattering of isolates properties are equal among the clusters. Because each cluster had its characteristics, E. coli strains in the region have great genetic diversity.

Mitochondria implement various cellular functions, including energy production through the electron transport chain by oxidative phosphorylation mechanism. These respiratory chains consist of several complexes and protein subunits which are encoded by nucl ear and mitochondrial genes. Due to mutation susceptibility and repair limitation, more aberrations have occurred in mitochondrial DNA in comparison to nuclear DNA. Given the fact that mitochondrial DNA lacks introns, mutations almost occur in the coding s equence, which comprises a direct impact on its functions. Emerging evidence indicates that mutations in the mitochondrial DNA led to the production of reactive oxygen species, disrupted apoptosis, and tumor development. Studies reported various somatic a nd germline variants in mitochondrial DNA related to tumorigenesis. The D - loop region which is the starting point for replication and transcription of mitochondrial DNA is the most prevalent site of somatic mutations in solid tumors. The D - loop mutations a lso cause copy number variations which are gaining interest in studies of solid tumors including breast cancer, colon cancer, hepatocellular carcinomas, and prostate cancer. Most studies have reported a mitochondrial DNA reduction which subsequently preven ts apoptosis and promotes metastasis. The mitochondrial DNA region - specific haplogroups are also involved in the sequence variations due to processes such as genetic drift and adaptive selection. This review article discusses the biology and function of mi tochondria and related genes. By explanation of mitochondrial dysfunction caused by different kinds of alterations, we attempt to elucidate the role of mitochondria in tumorigenesis. Prominently published articles in this field were reviewed and the role o f germline and somatic mutations of mitochondrial DNA have been investigated in common cancers.

Stem cell transplantation, combined with some bioactive substances, has revealed promising outcomes in treating cardiac tissue damage caused by myocardial infarction (MI). In the present study, we evaluated the beneficial consequence of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation combined with heparin on hear t damage within infarcted rabbits.

Twenty - eight male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly distributed into four groups: control, MI, MI+ MSCs, and MI+MSCs+ heparin. Functional parameters of the left ventricle through echocardiography, lesion ar ea through Macro trichrome evaluation, and angiogenesis through Masson's trichrome staining were compared between groups.

Ejection fraction and fractional shortening were improved in MI +MSCs and MI+ MSCs + heparin group compared to the MI group (P<0.05). The lesion area was significantly reduced, and angiogenesis was markedly increased in MI +MSC + heparin treated animals compared to MI and MI +MSCs groups.

Although MSCs injection to infarcted area restored normal heart function, we concluded that in the infarcted region of animals, MSCs injection combined with exogenous heparin could have more effects on the left ventricle functional parameters, cardiac les ions, and new vessel formation

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is a member of the coronavirus family that caused the COVID-19 respiratory disease epidemic in China before the global pandemic of the disease in late 2019. The virus's genome is of 79% similarity to that of the SARS-CoV virus, using the ACE2 receptor to enter its target cells. The most common symptoms of this disease include fever, cough, pulmonary involvement, and sometimes gastrointestinal symptoms. A decline in both the number and function of lymphocytes and a severe increase in leukocyte inflammatory activity are among the most obvious immunological complications of this disease. If the immune system response to the virus is inadequate, the disease can become acute. Immune cells activity leads to a sharp increase in the number of blood cytokines, causing "cytokine storm," which in turn can cause systematic damages to the heart, lungs, and kidneys, and ultimately may lead to death. Mesenchymal stem cell therapy offers a promising approach to reducing the destructive impacts of infection in patients with COVID-19. Mesenchymal stem cells can secrete immune-modulating factors that suppress cytokine storms. Furthermore, the role of mesenchymal stem cells in preventing cell death and inhibiting tissue fibrosis has been well demonstrated. This review shows available clinical trials that have tapped into the therapeutic potential of the umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in patients with COVID-19.

Asthma is an inflammatory airway disease and allergies are the most important cause of asthma. Different types of drugs have been developed to control asthma, and the use of carrier systems to transfer drugs to the airways is an effective method. Gold nanoparticles (AuNP) is a subject of substantial research that can be easily synthesized and, in this study, the effect of gold nanoparticles on allergic asthma was evaluated.

There are 4 groups of mice, including: the control group, the control group receiving AuNPs, the asthmatic group, and the asthmatic group receiving AuNPs. An animal model of asthma was produced using ovalbumin (OVA). The negative control group was sensitized and challenged with PBS. Broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue were collected, then quantitative real-time PCR for the four target genes (IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and MUC5ac) and histopathological study of lung tissue was done.

In the OVA group, the mRNA expression of targeted genes had no significant differences (P>0.05). Mucus hypersecretion, goblet cell hyperplasia, peribronchial and perivascular inflammation had no significant difference between AuNPs receiving groups with non-treated groups (P>0.05).

In this study, it was observed that AuNP did not affect asthma and control mice. These nanoparticles did not elicit any immune or allergic responses and can be easily used for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most typical endocrine disorder affecting reproductive-aged women. The patients with PCOS show decreased follicular granule cells' maturation in their ovaries, probably associated with cell apoptosis. This study was designed to investigate Sitagliptin's protective effect against the apoptotic mechanism in PCOS via evaluating apoptosis rate and the mRNA expressions of apoptotic and anti-apoptotic molecules in PCOS rats.

PCOS was induced by injection of estradiol valerate (4 mg/kg, I.M.). Twenty-two female rats divided into four groups: Control (n=5), PCOS+Vehicle (n=5), PCOS+ Sitagliptin 25 mg/kg (n=6) and PCOS+ Sitagliptin 50 mg/kg (n=6). Hematoxylin and eosin staining were used to determine qualitative changes in the ovary follicles. The apoptotic index was examined by TUNEL assay, and the quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect expression levels of Bax and Bcl-2.

Bax mRNA expression was up-regulated (1.38-folds), and Bcl-2 mRNA expression was down-regulated (0.45-folds) in PCOS rats' ovarian tissues. Sitagliptin did not change Bax expression but increased the Bcl-2 mRNA expression (1.95-folds). The apoptosis index was increased in the PCOS group compared with the control group. The number of cystic follicles and pre-antral follicles increased the number of corpus luteum was decreased in PCOS rats compared to control rats. Sitagliptin decreased apoptosis rate and prevented the increase of cystic and pre-antral follicle numbers compared to the PCOS group.

In conclusion, Sitagliptin might have a major role in preventing PCOS development due to its anti-apoptotic properties on PCOS rats' ovaries.

One of the most critical concerns in Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from nosocomial infections is antibiotic resistance due to transferable resistance genes. This study aims to investigate the relationship and role of integrons in the transport of OXA-type genes in the production of carbapenem-resistant isolates.

In this study, 270 isolates of K. pneumoniae were isolated from patients with urinary tract infection symptoms hospitalized at Milad hospital of Tehran during 2017-2018. The biochemical methods confirmed K. pneumoniae isolates. Also, antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using an E-test method. Carbapenem-resistant isolates were confirmed using an automated antimicrobial susceptibility testing system (Phenix BD USA). The presence of OXA genes, integron, and its class were determined by PCR method.

According to our findings, the most effective antibiotics against uropathogenic K. pneumoniae isolates were piperacillin-tazobactam and meropenem, respectively. Out of the 270 isolates, 27 (10%) were detected as carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates. Moreover, 47.2%, 40.1%, 39.2%, and 36.4% of K. pneumoniae isolates were resistant to ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and amoxicillin/clavulanate, respectively. A significant proportion of isolates had class I integron. Meaningful differences in OXA-51, 58, and 24 genes were found in carbapenem-resistant and carbapenem-susceptible K. pneumoniae isolates. No significant relationship was observed between class 1 and 2 integrons and other studied gene determinants of antimicrobial resistance.

According to the observed results, OXA-23, OXA-24, OXA-58, and OXA-51-like groups were the most prevalent genes in carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates, respectively. Also, 97.9% of carbapenem-susceptible K. pneumoniae isolates had class 1 integron.

Autophagy is a highly conserved mechanism in eukaryotic cells which removes the dysfunctional organelles from the cell. Autophagy has immense physiological and pathological roles in cells. There are a variety of reports showing the dual function of autophagy as a tumor suppression and promotion phenomenon. Therefore, targeted therapy approaches like virotherapy can be a promising cancer treatment. Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is a well-known oncolytic virus which mutations in its matrix (M) protein including M51R, make it a better candidate for oncotargeting. Moreover, beclin-1 is one of the key regulators of autophagy and also apoptosis.

In the present study, the level of autophagy markers such as beclin-1 and LC3 were investigated concerning the apoptosis process induction by VSV M-protein. Two colorectal cancer cell lines HCT116 and SW480 and one normal colon epithelial cell line (FHC) which expressing VSV M51R mutant M-protein were compared regarding autophagy versus apoptosis. All experiments were conducted at least in triplicate.

The results showed that the elevated level of caspase 3 and reduced amount of beclin-1 in transfected SW480 cells may be an acceptable description for apoptosis.

In HCT116 cells domination of autophagy, plays a supportive mechanism for the cells to survive in response to M51R M-protein stress. Suppression of autophagy as an adjunct can be a promising way to eliminate resistance to cancer treatment. We have quantitively evaluated the Beclin-1 and LC3-II as autophagy markers, Future evaluation of these two along with other markers like P62 will reduce the limitations of this study.