3α-diol administration decreases hippocampal PKA (II) mRNA expression and impairs Morris water maze performance in adult male rats.

The effect of testosterone and its metabolites on learning and memory has been the subject of many studies. This study used the Morris water maze task to investigate the effect of intra-hippocampal injection of 3α-diol (one of the metabolites of testosterone) on acquisition stage of spatial memory in adult male rats. During the experiment we observed that 3α-diol, significantly impaired Morris water maze performance in treated rat's compared with controls. Because signaling event mediated by protein kinase A (PKA) especially PKA (II) are critical for many neuronal functions such as learning and memory, the hippocampus was analyzed for mRNA expression of PKA (II) using TaqMan real time RT-PCR. The results indicated that the transcription levels of PKA (II) were significantly decreased in animals treated with 3α-diol compared with controls. Thus, the findings suggest that administration of 3α-diol in hippocampus of adult male rats impairs memory function, possibly via down-regulation of PKA.

The effect of ultrasound on the expression of CNTF gene, a possible cause of ultrasound influence on the rate of injured peripheral nerve regeneration.

In this article we evaluate the effects of ultrasound radiation and its causes on the rate of injured peripheral nerve regeneration by crushing the sciatic nerve of rats with hemostatic forceps. The rats were divided into three test and one control groups. The test groups were radiated using three different types of ultrasound parameters while the control group just received sham expose. The amount of nerve regeneration was measured via functional test by extracting sciatic functional index from rats paw prints. The results showed that one of the test group parameters had the best functional results compared to other groups. Obtaining this outcome, the investigations continued by 50 rats with crushed sciatic nerve. These rats again divided into two test and control groups while for the test group the best parameters were assigned. In different time intervals compound muscle action potential wave was recorded from five rats of each group. Then their sciatic nerves were extracted to measure the amount of ciliary neurotropic factor gene expression by real time polymerase chain reaction. Crush injury sets the sciatic functional index to about -90 and compound muscle action potential to 6.8 mV in both control and test groups. After the period of treatment with ultrasound, the sciatic functional index reached the value of -25 in control group and -10 in test group and compound muscle action potential value reached 11 in control and 18 in test group. The results of electrophysiological tests confirmed the results of functional tests. At the end of the second, third and fourth weeks, the outcomes of real time polymerase chain reaction showed that the expression of ciliary neurotropic factor gene in test group was higher than control group as well as the amount in test group was approximately 11, 2 and 6 times higher than test group in corresponding weeks. Hence we can conclude that increase in the expression of ciliary neurotropic factor gene, as a nerve growth factor, following ultrasound radiation, can be considered as the reason of the effect of ultrasound on the rate of injured nerve regeneration.

Human rotavirus genotypes detection among hospitalized children, a study in Tehran, Iran.

BACKGROUND: Human rotavirus genotypes G1-G4, G9, P[4] and P[8] are major worldwide causes of acute gastroenteritis in children. Rotavirus genotype G1P[8] is predominant in many countries. In this study, the genotypic diversity of group A rotaviruses were detected in children <5 years of age who were treated for dehydration and diarrhea in Tehran, Iran from October 2004 to September 2008. METHODS: A total of 700 stool specimens were collected from children and assessed for the presence of rotaviruses by the dsRNA-PAGE technique. G and P typing of the positive samples were performed by semi-nested multiplex RT-PCR. RESULTS: Rotaviruses were isolated in 19% of samples. A total of 14 rotavirus dsRNA different electrophoretypes were detected. The predominant genotype was G1 (76.3%), followed by G4 (11.5%), G8 (0.8%), P[4] (9.2%) and P[8] (66.4%), respectively. In mixed type samples, the majority were of genotype G1P[8] (53.4%), followed by G1P[4] (9.2%) and G4P[8] (4.6%). Mixed types consisted of 3.1% of the total sample followed by G1G2/-P (1.5%), G1G4P[4] (0.8%) and G1G4P[8] (0.8%). CONCLUSION: In this study, a high prevalence of the G1P[8] genotype was determined to be the cause of childhood gastroenteritis in Tehran, Iran. The sequence of G and P genotypes showed high levels of similarity to strains from other Asian countries. Our data will be useful for future vaccine formulation in Iran.

Emergence of African swine fever virus, northwestern Iran.

In 2008, African swine fever was introduced into Georgia, after which it spread to neighboring Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Russian Federation. That same year, PCR and sequence analysis identified African swine fever virus in samples from 3 dead female wild boars in northwestern Iran. Wild boars may serve as a reservoir.

CD8+ T cells as a source of IFN-γ production in human cutaneous leishmaniasis.

BACKGROUND: In human leishmaniasis Th1/Th2 dichotomy similar to murine model is not clearly defined and surrogate marker(s) of protection is not yet known. In this study, Th1/Th2 cytokines (IL-5, IL-10, IL-13 and IFN-γ) profile induced by purified CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cells in response to Leishmania antigens were assessed at transcript and protein levels in 14 volunteers with a history of self-healing cutaneous leishmaniasis (HCL) and compared with 18 healthy control volunteers. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: CD4(+)/CD8(+)/CD14(+) cells were purified from peripheral blood using magnetic beads; CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cells were co-cultured with autologous CD14(+) monocytes in the presence of soluble Leishmania antigens (SLA). Stimulation of either CD4(+) T cells or CD8(+) T cells of HCL volunteers with SLA induced a significantly (P<0.05) higher IFN-γ production compared with the cells of controls. Upregulation of IFN-γ gene expression in CD4(+) cells (P<0.001) and CD8(+) cells (P = 0.006) of HCL volunteers was significantly more than that of controls. Significantly (P<0.05) higher fold-expression of IFN-γ gene was seen in CD4(+) cells than in CD8(+) cells. In HCL volunteers a significantly (P = 0.014) higher number of CD4(+) cells were positive for intracellular IFN-γ production than CD8(+) cells. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Collectively, the volunteers have shown maintenance of specific long-term immune responses characterized by a strong reaction to leishmanin skin test and IFN-γ production. The dominant IFN-γ response was the result of expansion of both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. The results suggested that immune response in protected individuals with a history of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) due to L. major is mediated not only through the expansion of antigen-specific IFN-γ producing CD4(+) Th1 cells, but also through IFN-γ producing CD8(+) T cells.

Effect of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on the level of Survivin & XIAP expression in several human cancer cell lines, after treating with DNA damaging agent.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has opposite biological activities in regulating apoptosis, also underlying molecular mechanisms are not clearly defined. We investigated HGF ability to inhibit cell death, which was induced by Doxorubicin, a DNA damaging agent. Also Survivin and XIAP mRNA levels were compared in HGF treated and non-treated cells. Cell proliferation and death were assessed using MTT assay and dye exclusion tests. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to evaluate Survivin and XIAP expression levels after treatment with HGF. ELISA was performed to quantify HGF secretion in the selected cancer cell lines media. HGF appeared to have inhibitory effect on Doxorubicin induced cell death in all of the studied cell lines. It had minimal effect on XAIP and Survivin expression levels in MRC-5, MOLT-4 and AGS cell lines; except for XIAP expression level in AGS cell line, which was increased substantially after treatment. Surprisingly, in KG-1 cell line, XIAP and Survivin expression levels were significantly reduced after HGF treatment. Although several members of IAP gene family are reported to play role in HGF mediated cytoprotective pathway, we showed that XIAP and Survivin do not seem to be involved.