[ effect of zoledronic acid on BSP expression and methylation during osteoblastic differentation of mesenchymal stem cells]

Bone sialoprotein [BSP] is a specific marker of osteoblastic differentiation. In this research, the effect of Zoledronic Acid on BSP expression and methylation status during osteoblastic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells [MSCs] was evaluated. In this experimental study, MSCs were isolated from human bone marrow. For osteogenic differentiation, hMSCs were pulse treated with zoledronic acid, and were incubated in osteogenic differentiation medium for 3 weeks. The DNA and RNA were extracted after the first, second and third weeks of culture and also from undifferentiated MSCs. After Sodium bisulfate [SBS] treatment, gene specific methylation analysis for BSP was carried out using Methylation Specific PCR technique. BSP expression was observed in osteoblastic differentiated cells whereas it was not seen in MSCs. MSP showed that BSP was unmethylated during osteoblastic differentiation. BSP was expressed from the first week of differentiation. This confirms that zoledronic acid accelerates osteoblastic differentiation. Unmethylation status of BSP indicates that zoledronic acid does not have any effect on BSP methylation status. Other genetic or epigenetic mechanisms may control BSP expression during osteoblastic differentiation induction by zoledronic acid

[ estimation of water consumption, waste water generation and its biodegradability per capita based on social income and meteorological temperature in Kermanshah]

The aim of this study is to investigate water consumption, domestic wastewater generation and organic matter concentration, based on both, economical income and meteorological temperature. The method of this study is descriptive and analytical. A checklist was used to collect data on economical income. Water consumption was obtained based on water bills. Wastewater generation and organic matter such as biochemical oxygen demand [BOD] per capita/ day were measured every four hours, during a day in three regions of Kermanshah city: Kasra, Ellaheiah and Taavon. Comparing water consumption in winter and summer showed significant difference in three regions, mentioned above. The water consumption was [398 +/- 75, 291 +/- 48 and 188 +/- 50] for warm climate and [200 +/- 25, 188 +/- 35 and 140 +/- 41] for three regions respectively in cold weather. In spite of an apparent difference in BOD in three regions, it was not significant statistically. Water consumption has strongly considerable relationship with economical income [r=0.988, P-value<0.001], while the generated wastewater in these regions were not different, statistically for warm climate [220 +/- 60, 204 +/- 15 and 170 +/- 34], and in cold weather [170 +/- 21, 158 +/- 31 and 112 +/- 29], also the generated wastewater did not have considerable difference in cold climate. This study confirms that, the effects of these two parameters, i.e.monthly economical income and environmental temperature on water consumption, generated wastewater and biodegradable organic loading per capita/day is considerable. It was concluded that water consumption and wastewater generations were much more in warm climate than in cold weather. Finally through this study the estimation of water consumption, wastewater generation and BOD concentration becomes possible, which is beneficial for establishment of water consumption

Application and optimization in chromium-contaminated wastewater treatment of the reverse osmosis technology

Chromium [Cr] is the most important element used to plate other metals and electroplating factories are still considered to be the most important industries which pollute the environment to this metal. This paper describes a study conducted to determine the efficiency of reverse-osmosis [RO] as a membrane technique for removal of Cr from wastewater samples synthetically prepared to be similar to electroplating effluents. The RO unit used in this study was a spiral wound module of 2521 TE made by a Korean CSM company. Synthetic wastewater samples containing Cr ions at various concentrations of 1 to 20 mg/L were prepared and subjected to treatment by RO, and quantitative analysis had been accomplished by a colorimetric method. Evaluation of optimized conditions of treatment had also been carried out by determining the effects of changing operating pressure, temperature and pH[s] of samples. Optimum conditions of Cr-treatment by RO in 10 g/L initial Cr concentration were determined to be in the pH range of 6 to 7 and in temperature of about 25°C at an applied pressure of 200 psi. Considering the efficiency of Cr removal which was as high as 99% at the optimized conditions it could be concluded that RO membrane process may be selected and developed as an effective alternative for treatment of metal-contaminated effluents of electroplating and similar industries

[Evaluation of the second fraction of excreted/secreted antigens from toxoplasma gondii by ion exchange chromatography for serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis in rat]

According to the previous studies, Toxoplasma gondii excreted/secreted antigens [E/SA] appear to be suitable marker for serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis. Most of the previous studies used whole E/SA. The present study was carried out to evaluate the ELISA method using E/SA components from Toxoplasma gondii for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis. Components obtained by incubation of tachiziotes at RPMI-1640 culture medium were purified by Ion exchange chromatogeraphy and fractions were analyzed by native-PAGE electrophoresis. Forty noninfected rats were injected as IP with 4x106 Toxoplasma tachyzoites and their serum samples were collected at 8, 15, 22 and 60 days after infection then were tested by dye-test. Based on these results the sera of 15 and 60 days were selected and tested by ELISA using E/SA. Second fraction of chromatography was selected as antigens. The cut-off point of ELISA with 99% confidence was found to be 0.41. Optical density of all sera samples of 15 and 3 of 60 days after infection and 2 negative sera were over the test cut-off. Therefore sensitivity and specificity of the method were determined to be 100% and 91% respectively. These results indicated that the second fraction of Ion exchange chromatography of Toxoplasma E/SA under these conditions may be useful tool for the serediagnosis and differentiation of acute and chronic phases of toxoplasmosis

[Risk factors for Helicobacter pylori infection and correlation of ABO blood groups with this infection]

H.pylori infection has a worldwide distribution and has been shown to be involved in gastro-intestinal and other diseases, Epidemiological pattern of this infection differs between developing and developed countries. In developing countries individuals are mostly infected in childhood and most adults are already infected. In this study, the relationship between this infection and factors such as age, sex, socio-economical situation, family size, diet, BMI, and ABO blood groups was studied. This descriptive study was done in Clinic Laboratory of Imam Reza Hospital in the year 2005 on 184 individuals referred for H.pylori serologic evaluation. All patients were examined clinically; and their weight, height and BMI were measured. Individual, economic, diet, ABO blood group, Rh group, and H. pylori infection data was collected in a questionnaire. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequency distribution tables and square test. 77.8% of individuals were serologically positive for H. Pylori. Sero-positivity had a significant correlation with the age of participants. There was no significant correlation between H. Pylori infection and sex, economical situation, diet, BMI, cigarette smoking, addiction, alcohol consumption and ABO blood grouping. However, individuals from bigger families had a higher chance of sero-positivity. This study shew that the age pattern of H. Pylori infection in Iran is between the age patterns of developed and developing countries. Significant change is seen in the second and third decade of life. This study shew the correlation of H.pylori with age and family size; however there was no significant relationship with other factors

Role of TCD4 + cells and cytokines in response to treatment in cutaneous leishmaniasis

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is one of the protozoal diseases in which%90 of cases occurs in Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Saudi-Arabia, Brazil and Peru.Mashhad is one the most important foci of infection in our country. Various responses and prognosis to specific treatment in different patients from one side, and importance of IFN gamma and IL-4 producer cells on the other side impressed us to study the profile of lymphocytes and their subtypes by flow cytometry in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis. The study was conducted in Ghaem Hospital and Bu - Ali Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, on 36 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis from August 2001 until October 2002. Lymphocytes were counted and cultured to determine the cytokines. While cells were stimulated by phorpol 12-myistate 13-acetate [PMA], Inomycin and Monensin, cytokines were measured and analyzed, using different conjugate monoclonal antibodies [e.g. anti-IFN gamma - PE etc,], obtained from IQ Products Co., The Netherlands. In this project, the percentage of different responsible immunity cells in 29 subjects were [who carried out the survey] determined by F.C.S before and after medication. In our study, Thl in the whole population of the patients as well as 22 patients of group 1 who gave a positive response to the treatment showed a significant increase as [P=0.016] and [N 0.069], comparing with the control group. The present results show resemblance with the results obtained in most of the previous studies. Mean while, the Thl of the whole patients as well as the patients in group 1 involved in this study, shows a significant decrease, that is [N 0.063] for the whole patients and [P= 0.0039] for group 1, after the treatment in comparison with the status before the treatment. Perhaps, the toxic influence of medicine and stimulation of lymphocytes by PM.A. [none-specific stimulator] are the reasons for the reduction of Th1 in this group of patients