Metabolomics-based study of logarithmic and stationary phases of promastigotes in Leishmania major by [1]H NMR spectroscopy

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is one of the most important parasitic diseases in humans. In this disease, one of the responsible organisms is Leishmania major, which is transmitted by sandfly vector. There are specific differences in biochemical profiles and metabolite pathways in logarithmic and stationary phases of Leishmania parasites. In the present study, [1]H NMR spectroscopy was used to examine the metabolites outliers in the logarithmic and stationary phases of promastigotes in L. major to enlighten more about the transmission mechanism in metacyclogenesis of L. major

Methods: Promastigote was cultured, logarithmic and stationary phases were separated by the peanut agglutinin, and cell metabolites were extracted. [1]H NMR spectroscopy was applied, and outliers were analyzed using principal component analysis

Results: The most altered metabolites in stationary and logarithmic phases were limited to citraconic acid, isopropylmalic acid, L-leucine, ornithine, caprylic acid, capric acid, and acetic acid

Conclusion: [1]H NMR spectroscopy could play an important role in the characterization of metabolites in biochemical pathways during a metacyclogenesis process. These metabolites and their pathways can help in exploiting a transmission mechanism in metacyclogenesis, and outcoming data might be used in the metabolic network reconstruction of L. major modeling

[1]H NMR- based metabolomics approaches as non- invasive tools for diagnosis of endometriosis

Background: So far, non-invasive diagnostic approaches such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, or blood tests do not have sufficient diagnostic power for endometriosis disease. Lack of a non-invasive diagnostic test contributes to the long delay between onset of symptoms and diagnosis of endometriosis

Objective:The present study focuses on the identification of predictive biomarkers in serum by pattern recognition techniques and uses partial least square discriminant analysis, multi-layer feed forward artificial neural networks [ANNs] and quadratic discriminant analysis [QDA] modeling tools for the early diagnosis of endometriosis in a minimally invasive manner by [1]H- NMR based metabolomics

Materials and Methods:This prospective cohort study was done in Pasteur Institute, Iran in June 2013. Serum samples of 31 infertile women with endometriosis [stage II and III] who confirmed by diagnostic laparoscopy and 15 normal women were collected and analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The model was built by using partial least square discriminant analysis, QDA, and ANNs to determine classifier metabolites for early prediction risk of disease

Results:The levels of 2- methoxyestron, 2-methoxy estradiol, dehydroepiandrostion androstendione, aldosterone, and deoxy corticosterone were enhanced significantly in infertile group. While cholesterol and primary bile acids levels were decreased. QDA model showed significant difference between two study groups. Positive and negative predict value levels obtained about 71% and 78%, respectively. ANNs provided also criteria for detection of endometriosis

Conclusion:The QDA and ANNs modeling can be used as computational tools in noninvasive diagnose of endometriosis. However, the model designed by QDA methods is more efficient compared to ANNs in diagnosis of endometriosis patients

Effect of passive immunization with specific anti-FSH on tes-ticular lipids and some lipogenic enzymes of adult bonnet monkeys

The effect of anti-follicular stimulating hormone [FSH] on testicular lipid and the specific activity of testicular enzymes of the isocitrate dehydrogenase [ICDH], pyruvate/malate dehydrogenase [MDH] and malic enzyme involved in lipogenesis were studied in mature bonnet monkeys, Macaca radiata. Immunization of monkey with anti-FSH for 24 days did not produce any significant changes in the body weight, organ weight and pituitary weight. Testicular isocitrate dehydrogenase [ICDH] and malic enzyme activities were decreased significantly but MDH activity was stimulated by anti-FSH treatment. Testicular total lipid, phospholipid and cholesterol, were not altered significantly by the Anti-FSH treatment. Increased level of free cholesterol were also observed after FSH treatment. Among glyceride glycerol sub classes, triacyl glycerol showed a significant increase. Among testicular phospholipid classes, phosphatidyl inositol was markedly decreased by anti-FSH immunization. Data on serum hormonal profile, shows that there were no alteration in serum testosterone, prolactin [PRL] and luteinizing hormones [LH] but FSH was significantly decreased. The present study reveals that immunization with anti-FSH has significant effect on different class of testicular lipids and pyruvate malate enzymes cycle