ABSTRACT
Background: The aim of present study was to clarify the role of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor [PPAR] gamma Pro12Ala and C161T polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome [PCOS] and their influence on lipid and lipoprotein profiles of patients
Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study consisted of 50 women with PCOS, who referred to the Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences Clinic between April and October 2015, and 233 unrelated age-matched healthy women from the same region [West Iran]. The PPAR gamma Pro12Ala and PPAR gamma C161T polymorphisms were genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Fasting blood sugar [FBS], serum triglycerides [TG], cholesterol, low density lipoprotein- cholesterol [LDL-C], high density lipoprotein- cholesterol [HDL-C] and estradiol levels were measured
Results: The serum level of estradiol was significantly lower in PCOS patients compared to healthy women. The PPAR gamma Pro12Ala [CG] genotype increased the risk of PCOS 2.96-fold. The frequency of the PPAR gamma T allele [at C161T] was 21% in patients and 17.2% in controls with no significant difference [P=0.52]. In all studied individuals, the PPARgamma CG genotype was associated with significantly higher levels of TG. However, significantly lower levels of total cholesterol and LDL-C were observed in PPAR gamma TT individuals compared with those with the CC genotype. Within the PCOS group, the PPAR gamma CG genotype was significantly associated with lower levels of estradiol compared with the CC genotype. Also, the CG genotype was significantly associated with higher levels of TG when compared with the CC genotype
Conclusion: Our study shows that, unlike PPAR gamma C161T, PPAR gamma Pro12Ala is associated with the risk of PCOS. Also, we found that the lipid and lipoprotein profiles significantly vary based on PPAR gamma Pro12Ala and C161T genotypes
ABSTRACT
Background: Oxidative stress affects women fertility and influences on the spermquality by alterating activities of cholinesterases, a molecular marker of stressrelatedinfertility. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of acetylcholinesterase[AChE], butyrylcholinesterase [BuChE] activities and phenotypes inpatients with unexplained infertility [idiopathic]. It's possible association with inflammationmarker C-reactive protein [CRP] and other oxidative stress markers, i.e.before and after intra uterine insemination [IUI]
Methods: In this study, blood samples of 60 patients with unexplained infertilitywere collected the day before and 24 hr after IUI [between 8 AM and 9 AM after theovernight fasting] and activities of BuChE, AChE, catalase [CAT], superoxide dismutase[SOD] and glutathione peroxidase [GpX] and serum levels of thiol proteins[TP], C-reactive protein [CRP], total antioxidant capacity [TAC] were measured.Statistical significance was assumed at p<0.05
Results: Before IUI, there was a significant [p=0.048] positive correlation betweenBuChE activity and plasma TAC and a significant difference in the CAT activity betweenvarious BuChE [UU and non-UU] phenotypes. However, after IUI, a significantnegative correlation between the AChE activity and BuChE activity was found[p=0.045] and the level of RBC AChE activity was significantly reduced [382.4 +/- 163.19 vs. 586.7 +/- 384 IU/grHb, p=0.025]. Meanwhile, after IUI, the activities ofSOD [1568 +/- 847.5 IU/grHb vs. 1126 +/- 229.3, p=0.031] and CAT [310 +/- 53.4 IU/grHbvs. 338 +/- 73, p=0.025] were increased
Conclusion: This study suggests that decline in cholinesterases activities may be responsiblefor stimulation of oxidative stress and inflammation and reduction in fertilityrates by IUI
ABSTRACT
Telomerase activity increases in cancer cells. Bcl-2 is an antiapoptotic factor that its concentration grows in many cancer cells including hepatocellular carcinoma cells. In this study, an attempt was made to investigate the effects of a new synthetic compound, platinum azidothymidine [Pt-AZT] on treatment of rats with Hepatocellular Carcinoma [HCC] and to compare its effects with azidothymidine [AZT] in alteration of telomerase activity and Bcl-2 concentration in HCC. Healthy adult male Wistar rats [n=100] were randomly divided into 4 groups [A, B, C, and D]. Group A contained 25 healthy rats and was considered as the control group. Liver preneoplastic lesions were induced in remaining animals [n=75] using Solt-Farber resistant hepatocyte protocol. These animals were randomly allocated in groups B, C and D. Group B was negative control [untreated], groups C and D were treated by intraperitoneal injection [IP] of Pt-AZT [0.9 mg/kg/day] and AZT [0.3 mg/kg/day], respectively for 14 days. After the treatment period, telomerase activity and Bcl-2 concentration were determined in the rats' liver. No HCC was developed in group A, but tumors were present in all other groups. Telomerase activity and Bcl-2 concentration were significantly lower in group C compared to groups B [0.159 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.577 +/- 0.116 IU/L, p<0.001, respectively and 0.931 +/- 0.388 vs. 3.94 +/- 0.74 ng/ml, p<0.001, respectively]. Similar results were observed in comparison with group D [0.331 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.577 +/- 0.116 IU/L, p<0.001, respectively and 0.931 +/- 0.388 vs. 2.94 +/- 0.594 ng/ml, respectively]. There was a significant negative correlation between telomerase activity and Bcl-2 concentration only in untreated cancer group [p=0.034]. In this study, higher anticancer activity of Pt-AZT in comparison to AZT was demonstrated. It effectively inhibits the growth of liver tumor in rats through extending apoptosis
Subject(s)
Animals, Laboratory , Platinum , Zidovudine , Telomerase , Genes, bcl-2 , Liver Neoplasms , Liver Neoplasms, Experimental , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication with unknown etiology and its incidence is associated with genetic and environmental factors. There are inconsistent reports related to the role of endothelial nitric oxide synthase [eNOS] 4a/b polymorphism on the risk of preeclampsia development. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible influence of eNOS 4a/b and its synergism with eNOS G894T polymorphism on the risk of preeclampsia. The present case-control study consisted of 179 unrelated women with preeclampsia including 118 with mild and 61 with severe preeclampsia and 96 unrelated women with normal pregnancy as controls. All studied women were from Kermanshah Province of Iran. eNOS 4a/b and G894T genotypes were detected using polymerase chain reaction [PCR], and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism [RFLP] methods, respectively. The categorical variables between groups were compared using chi[2] test and the Odds ratios [OR] were obtained by SPSS logistic regression Statistical significance was assumed at p<0.05 level. The frequency of eNOS a allele was slightly higher in both mild [16.5%] and severe [17.2%] preeclamptic women than controls [15.1%]. Also, no significant difference was found between early- and late-onset preeclamptic women regarding the distribution of eNOS 4a/b genotypes. The presence of each allele of eNOS a or T was not associated with the risk of preeclampsia. However, the concomitant presence of both eNOS a and T alleles was associated with a non significant increased risk of severe preeclampsia by 1.77-fold [p=0.35]. The present study indicates the lack of association between eNOS a and T alleles with the risk of mild preeclampsia and a non significant increased risk of severe preeclampsia in the presence of both alleles which needs to be investigated in a study with larger samples