[Silver nanoparticles synthesis using artemisia turcomanica ethanolic extract and study of anti-proliferative effects on cell line of gastric cancer]

Background: The use of plants for the synthesis of nanoparticles, because of not using pollutants and toxins, is considered an eco-friendly method

Objective: The purpose of this study is silver nanoparticles biosynthesis using Artemisia lurcomanica extract and evaluating the toxicity of synthesized silver nanoparticles on gastric cancer cell line [ACS]

Methods: For synthesizing silver nanoparticles, the leaf extract of Artemisia turcomanica was used. Phytomorphology of bio silver nanoparticles using Transmission Electron Microscopy [TEM] and Scanning Electron Microscope [SEM] analysis was evaluated. Cytotoxicity effects of bio nanoparticles in two cell lines of gastric cancer [AGS] and fibroblast normal cell [L-929] in concentrations of 3, 5, 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 microg/ml were evaluated in 24 hours by MTT assay. Apoptosis was analysed by flocytometry

Results: The IC50 value for silver nanoparticles was 4.88 jig/ml during 24 h on AGS cell line, which was significant comparing to the control group. Also the IC50 value for silver nanoparticles in 24 hours for normal cells was 14.56 microg/ml. Apoptosis was detected in test group which was more than necrosis. A significant difference was observed between apoptosis and necrosis

Conclusion: In this study the extract of Artemisia turcomanica was used for the first time for biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles and results suggest that synthesized silver nanoparticles have cytotoxicity and apoptosis induction effect on gastric cancer cells

Molecular characterization of cyclophilin protein gene in skin normal microflora: malassezia furfur

Malassezia are dimorphic, lipid-dependent yeasts, which are responsible for causing several cutaneous and systemic conditions. Although cyclophilins [CyPs] are highly conserved cytosolic proteins that catalyze the peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerazation reaction before protein folding process, it has been suggestive of an allergen in a few numbers of fungi such as Aspergillus fumigatus and Malassezia species. Allergenic cyclophilins are IgE-binding components, which have been characterized in other species of Malassezia; and are considered as Mala s 6 in Malassezia sympodialis. In the present study we tried to identify the molecular characterization of cyclophilin gene in M. furfur. Pairs of oligonucleotide primers were designed from highly conserved regions of the gene counterparts in other fungi. The primers were then applied to amplify the primer-specific DNA fragment. Afterward, PCR product fragments were sequenced to be used in further analysis. About 573 nucleotides, encoding a polypeptide of 190 amino acids, have been sequenced. Sequence comparison was performed in Gene Bank, both for the nucleotides and their deduced amino acid sequence. It revealed a significant homology with cyclophilin genes and proteins of other eukaryotic cells. The amino acid sequence of the encoded protein was about 86% identical to the sequence of cyclophilin protein from other fungi. The molecular characterization of cyclophilin gene may open the way to disclosure of the functional characteristics of cyclophilin and is a fundamental step for understanding the molecular basis of its pathogenesis in AEDS disease

[Quality of life in war related spinal cord injured women]

To assess health-related quality of life [HRQOL] in women who had suffered spinal cord injuries in the Iran-Iraq war [1980-1988]. A total of 35 female patients who had suffered spinal cord injury [SCI] in the war were entered into the study. Patients who gave their consent to participate in the study were asked to complete The Short Form of Health Survey questionnaire [SF-36]. The study achieved a response rate of 60% [21/35]. The mean age of participants was 41.95 [SD=12.9] years [ranging from 17 to 62 years]: 57.7% of the subjects were single and 28.6% were married. Compared to the normal population, quality of life was significantly lower in all subscales [p<0.05] studies except for Vitality [VI] and Role Functioning [RP]. The study showed that spinal cord injury was associated with a significant decline in quality of life

Isolation of mesenchymal stem cells from dental pulp of exfoliated human deciduous teeth

The exfoliated human deciduous tooth [SHED] contain multipotent stem cells that identified to be a population of highly proliferative and clonogenic .These cells are capable of differentiating into a variety of cell types including neural cells, adipocytes, and odontoblasts. Normal exfoliated human deciduous incisors collected from six- to nine-years-old children. The pulp was separated from the crown and digested with collagenase .Single cell solutions were cultivated in alpha-MEM supplemented with ES-FCS. After two to three days, the cells reached confluency and were trypsinized and cultured for further passages. The passage-4 cells were analyzed with CD34, CD45, CD105, CD166, CD31, CD90 and CD146 markers that indicated these cells had a mesenchymal stem cell [MSC] identity. We examined the cells for Alkaline Phosphatase activity to investigate the mesenchymal [stromal] nature.Finally, the cells were differentiated into the osteoblastic and adipocytic lineages in different subcultures and analysed by RT-PCR and different staining protocols. Viable cells growing out of the explants showed elongated shapes in clusters. These cells showed alkaline phosphatase activity. Flow cytometry results revealed high expression of pluripotent stem cell markers .In some area of the osteoinductive cultures nodule-like structures were observed that showed red mineralizing area upon staining with Alizarin Red.In adipogenic cultures lipid vesicles appeared after five weeks of induction with Oil Red. This study show that pulp contains cells with high plasticity and proliferation capacity and can be easily isolated without any serious intervention

Acral lentiginous melanoma: Report of a misdiagnosed case

Acral lentiginous melanoma [ALM] is a type of malignant melanoma [MM] that involve glabrous skin. It is the dominant type of MM in Asians, Hispanics and Blacks. ALM usually.presents as a brown patch with lentiginous spots on its surface. The lesion may become ulcerated. This type of MM is prone to be misdiagnosed and when it occurs on the plantar skin its diagnosis may be delayed. Herein, a case of ALM at the fourth interdigital space of foot in a 65-year-old diabetic patient is reported. This patient had been misdiagnosed as case of cutaneous candidiasis with fissures and had received antifugal agents

Immunohistochemical assessment of natural killer cells in normal and inflamed dental pulps

Immunohistological studies have shown the pulpal responses to bacteria and their product's inflammation, but presence of natural killer [NK] cells were unclear. This study detected NK cells in normal and inflamed pulps. From the third molars, 15 normal and 15 inflamed pulps were extirpated out and studied by indirect immune peroxides technique and microscope for NK cells. We did not find NK cells in normal coronal pulps, but they were detected in one third of inflamed coronal pulps. NK cells are absent in normal coronal pulps and present in the intensively inflamed pulps. They may play a role in the pathogenesis of pulp lesion

comparison of IL-2 in normal and symptomatic pulps

Normal healthy pulpal tissues were obtained from 19 impacted molars and symptomatic samples were obtained from 18 carious molars and premolars clinically diagnosed in all vital pulpal tissues. Student's t-test revealed significant differences in IL-2 concentrations, comparing symptomatic pulpal tissues with normal healthy samples [657, p<0.01]. These results suggest that IL -2 may serve as a marker of changes in pulp tissue