The Evaluation of Vitamin E and TiO2 Nanoparticles Administration in Parkinson's Rat Model.

OBJECTIVE: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a severely debilitating disease for which no suitable treatment has been found so far. In recent years, nanoparticles (NPs) have shown therapeutic potential in PD. Thus, in the current research, for the first time, we investigated the effects of vitamin E and TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) on a rat model of PD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, after preparation and induction of PD, rats were administrated with vitamin E and TiO2-NPs. One day after receiving the last dose of treatments, rats were killed and substantia nigra was extracted from the brain and its cell suspension was prepared. In each group, female rats were mated, and after confirmation that the female rats were pregnant by vaginal smear test, the fetus was removed. Cell viability was studied by the MTT method and apoptosis, and necrosis were studied by the flow cytometry technique. Also, after RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis, the expression of Bcl-2 and circRNA 0001518 genes were studied using the real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique. For analyzing the data, two-way ANOVA was used. RESULTS: The results showed a sharp decrease in cell viability in female PD rats and fetuses resulting from PD female rats. Vitamin E treatment showed the greatest effect on increasing cell viability. Decreased expression of the Bcl-2 gene and increased expression of circRNA 0001518 were observed in PD conditions. CONCLUSION: Administration of vitamin E may be a good option for reducing PD-induced cell death.

Plasma Cytokines Profile in Subjects with Alzheimer's Disease: Interleukin 1 Alpha as a Candidate for Target Therapy.

Background: Testicular function depends on temperature, and it has been shown that scrotal hyperthermia causes a sharp decrease in sperm parameters due to oxidative stress. In recent years, the use of natural materials from the plant and nanoparticles has attracted much attention. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of curcumin and Fe2O3 nanoparticles on sperm parameters in rats. Materials and Methods: After preparing the rats, they were placed in a hot water bath at 43°C for 30 minutes for six consecutive days. The 48 rats were then divided into eight groups. A concentration of 0.03 mg/kg body weight magnetic Fe2O3 nanoparticles and curcumin at the concentration of 0.02 mg/kg body weight were used. After killing animals, the semen parameters such as viability, concentration, motility, and morphology of sperm were studied. Results: Significant differences were observed in all groups of rats in terms of semen parameters (P<0.001). The results showed a positive effect of curcumin on improving semen parameters in scrotal hyperthermia rats and a negative and toxic effect of Fe2O3 magnetic nanoparticles. However, significant improvement in sperm parameters was observed when Fe2O3 magnetic nanoparticles were given to rats along with curcumin. Conclusion: Curcumin has a positive and significant effect on improving sperm parameters in scrotal hyperthermia conditions. Fe2O3 magnetic nanoparticles, if co-administered with curcumin, can significantly improve sperm parameters. In this regard, green synthesis of nanoparticles and concomitant administration of antioxidants such as curcumin in scrotal hyperthermia conditions is recommended.

Mutation detection and inhibitor risk in Iranian patients with Hemophilia A: Six novel mutations.

This investigation facilitates a better understanding of inhibitor development, the critical treatment morbidity in HA patients. Furthermore, six novel mutations are reported, which would expand the mutation spectrum of the F8 gene.

Association of a genetic variant in ATP-binding cassette sub-family B member 1 gene with poor prognosis in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus.

Esophageal cancer is a common cause of death from cancer in men and the eighth most prevalent cancer globally. The morbidity and mortality rates are four times higher in men than in women. Genetic factors are among the susceptibility factors for squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. The rs2032582 polymorphism is a triallelic missense variant of the ABCB1 gene, that has been reported to be associated with several cancers. Here we have explored the association of the ABCB1 rs2032582 polymorphism with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) for the first time in a total of 251 subjects, with and without ESCC. Data from patient's record were obtained from the Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, and were used to recruit ESCC patients into the study. A total of 89 ESCC patients and 162 healthy controls were included. DNAs were extracted and genotyped using a TaqMan real-time PCR-based method. Caplan Meier method was applied to analyze patients overall survival, and progression-free survival and log-rank were used in order to compare the results. Logistic regression was used to calculate the association between risk of ESCC and different genotypes. Our data showed that patients with ESCC had a higher frequency of a T/A (TT/TA/AA) genotype for rs2032592 than individuals with GG-genotype. There were no associations between BMI and genotypic frequencies. Furthermore patients with TT/TA/AA genotypes had a poorer disease-free survival (P = 0.016) in comparison with GG genotype. We found a significant association of the ABCB1 rs2032582 polymorphism with prognosis, although further studies in a larger and multicenter setting are needed to value these findings. © 2019 IUBMB Life, 71(9):1252-1258, 2019.

A genetic polymorphism in the CYP1B1 gene in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus: an Iranian Mashhad cohort study recruited over 10 years.

AIM: Esophageal cancer is the eighth most common cancer globally and the seventh most common cause of cancer-related deaths in men. Recent studies have shown that CYP450, family 1, subfamily B, polypeptide 1, which plays a role in the metabolism of xenobiotics, is associated with several cancers. Therefore, in the present study we investigated the association between a genetic variant, CYP1B1-rs1056836 gene, with the clinical characteristics of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (ESCC). METHOD: In this study, 117 patients with ESCC and 208 healthy controls were recruited. DNA was extracted and genotyped using real-time PCR-based TaqMan. Kaplan-Meier curves were utilized to assess overall and progression-free survival. To evaluate the relationship between clinicopathological data, genotypic frequencies, disease prognosis and survival, Pearson's χ2 and t-test were used. Logistic regression was utilized to assess the association between the risk of ESCC and genotypes. RESULTS: The genotypic frequency for GG, GC and CC were 58.6, 29.8 and 11.5%, respectively, in the healthy subjects and 51.8, 36.14 and 12% in the ESCC group. An association between the GG genotype and stage of ESCC was found. Also, statistically significant results were not found for this variation and risk of ESCC. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest a relationship between the CYP1B1-rs1056836 genetic polymorphism and clinical features of ESCC, supporting further studies in larger populations in different ethnic groups, taking into account potentially important environmental factors such as diet.