Archives of Razi Institute最新文献

Anaplasmosis, a tick-borne disease with worldwide distribution, impacts ruminants, equines, carnivores, and humans. This study aimed to investigate Anaplasma phagocytophilum in horses from Ardabil province and Anaplasma ovis in small ruminants from East Azerbaijan province using the Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method. Blood samples were taken from the jugular vein of 100 healthy horses in the Ardabil province and 156 healthy sheep and goats (116 sheep and 40 goats) in the East Azerbaijan province during the spring and summer seasons of 2016 in northwest Iran. The collected blood samples were stored at -20°C until the molecular experiments were conducted. Nested PCR was employed to detect A. phagocytophilum in horses and A. ovis in small ruminants using extracted DNA and amplifying 16S rRNA and msp4 genes. The Chi-square test of independence was used to determine the relationship between Anaplasma spp., infection, and independent variables, including age, gender, animal species, and sampling location. None of the 100 samples collected from horses in the Ardabil province were positive for A. phagocytophilum. In the East Azerbaijan province, 11 out of the 156 (7.05%) blood samples collected from sheep and goats tested positive for A. ovis. In addition, A. ovis infection was not significantly related to the independent variables. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the sequence obtained in this study (MH790273) had 100% homology with the sequence obtained from sheep infected with Anaplasma in Ahvaz province (JQ621903.1). The findings of this study can contribute to the prevention and control of anaplasmosis in farm animals in northwestern Iran.

Amoebiasis is an intestinal disease caused by a unicellular parasite called Entamoeba histolytica. Interleukin-35 (IL-35) is the youngest specific member of the IL-12 family that plays a major role in the inhibitory function of regulatory T cells (Tregs) to curb inflammatory responses. IL-25 of the IL-17 family, which is widely released by Th2 cells and epithelial cells, is a warning signal produced upon cell or tissue injury to activate immune cells. The present study aimed to determine the cytokine profile (IL-25 and IL-35) in patients with E. histolytica infection in southern Iraq. This hospital-based study was conducted from August 2022 to May 2023. The study participants were patients with E. histolytica infection admitted to the infection department of general hospitals in Thi-qar province, southern Iraq. Initially, E. histolytica amebiasis was detected in the patients by nested multiplex PCR. All collected sera were tested with the Human Interleukin 35 (Biotech, China, Cat.RD-IL35-Hu) and IL25 (Biotech, China, Cat.RD-IL25-Hu) ELISA kits according to the instructions of the manufacturer. A total of 80 patients, including 50 patients with E. histolytica infection and 30 subjects in the control group without E. histolytica infection, were enrolled in the present study. The results showed a significant difference (p<0.001) in the serum level of IL-25 in patients with E. histolytica infection (4275.19 pg/mL) compared to individuals in the control group without E. histolytica infection (2186 pg/mL). Statistical analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the serum levels of IL-35 patients with E. histolytica infection compared with individuals in the control group without E. histolytica infection. The results of the present study show that the level of IL-25 is high in patients with E. histolytica infection. This indicates the important role of IL-25 in the activation of the immune system during intestinal inflammation. Therefore, this cytokine can be used as a diagnostic marker for E. histolytica infection.

In recent years, plague has re-emerged in several countries around the world and remains endemic in some regions. In a natural environment and in contact with rodents and their fleas, stray carnivores are most at risk of catching the disease and maintaining the spread of the bacillus. The present study aimed to demonstrate the presence or absence of Yersinia pestis in stray dogs and cats in the Algiers region by molecular methods and thus determine their role in epidemiology of this disease. Molecular research of Yersinia pestis has also been conducted on fleas from these carnivores. Preliminary identification of ectoparasites to genus and species level was performed. Real-time polymerase chain reaction targeting Yersinia pestis pla gene was used to survey the plague agent in fleas and carnivores captured as stray animals in Algiers (Algeria). Positive qPCR results were tested by PCR sequencing using glpD gene. Among 327 fleas captured from 107 dogs and 365 fleas from 140 cats, prevalence of Ctenocephalides felis was higher in cats (86,96%), whereas that of Ctenocephalides canis and Xenopsylla cheopis were higher in dogs (90,57% and 92,63%, respectively). While internal and external PCR positive controls were positive, none of the 107 dogs spleens and 140 cats spleens and none of the 256 analyzed fleas were positive for Y. pestis. These results suggested that stray cats and dogs are unlikely sources of plague in Algeria, contrary to what has been reported in other plague-endemic countries. This observation illustrates that the plague epidemiological chain varies from one region to another.

Helicobacter pylori is known to increase the risk of developing gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, gastric adenocarcinoma, and gastric lymphoma in adults across the globe. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of H. pylori infection and its associated risk factors. This cross-sectional study was conducted among the adult population in Duhok Province, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. A total of 259 subjects over the age of 18 who visited the hospitals were included in the study from 2018 to 2020. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was utilized to determine H. pylori seropositivity. A standardized questionnaire was administered to all study participants through face-to-face interviews. The H. pylori immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody data were analyzed using the Chi-square test. The prevalence of anti-H. pylori IgG antibody was present in 40.02% of adults. Among the studied variables, the following risk factors were significantly associated with the presence of anti-H. pylori IgG antibodies: male gender (P<0.043), level of education (P<0.025), history of gastrointestinal diseases (P<0.001), smoking status (P<0.001), and more siblings (P<0.001). This study supports the hypothesis that H. pylori infection in adults is highly related to poor hygiene and smoking status, low level of education, and crowded conditions. Therefore, in order to reduce the prevalence of H. pylori infection among adults, it is crucial to implement effective strategies aimed at enhancing fundamental sanitary conditions, as well as improving educational and socioeconomic status.

In this study, the role of gummosin in improving memory in the scopolamine memory impairment model was systematically examined. Memory and learning are the most developed and complex functions of the nervous system. Learning is the acquisition of new information that occurs as a change in behavior, and memory is the ability to store and retrieve learned information. In other words, memory is a combination of various processes of information acquisition, consolidation, storage and retrieval. The processes of memory consolidation and storage are the result of a series of time-dependent neurobiological events that occur after the initial formation of memory. In addition, this fluctuation of processes related to memory storage can fully occur shortly after the initial learning experience. Memory is a direct result of learning ,as it stores and retrieves learned experiences and information. The results of our study show that scopolamine leads to impaired memory, learning and synaptic plasticity, which is associated with a change in the expression of various genes and a reduction in the number of hippocampal neurons. The disorders that occurred in the rats of the scopolamine group confirm the model used in this study to induce memory and learning deficits, which is consistent with previous studies confirming the model used to induce Alzheimer's disease. The results of the behavioral tests in this study showed that, consistent with previous work, scopolamine caused a significant increase in anxiety behavior that was associated with a decrease in time spent in the central area compared to the control group, while donepezil injection resulted in a decrease in anxiety behavior. The time spent in the central area was increased compared to the scopolamine group.

Gastric cancer, which is considered a major health concern, is the sixth most frequent cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality across the globe. The present survey aimed to systematically review the anti-gastric cancer effect of all organic and inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) in in vitro, in vivo, and clinical trials. The investigation followed the PRISMA guidelines, and the findings were recorded in the CAMARADES-NC3Rs Preclinical Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Facility database. A detailed search was conducted on various English databases, such as Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed, and Google Scholar, with no specified publication time frame to obtain papers regarding the anti-gastric cancer properties of nanoparticles. The search process was performed using the following terms "Nanoparticles," "Gastric cancer," "Anti-gastric cancer," "Metal nanoparticles," "Organic nanoparticles," "Inorganic nanoparticles, "in vitro," "Clinical," and "in vivo,". Out of 11,189 papers, 31 articles, including 19 (45.5%) in vitro, 3 (13.6%) in vivo, 3 (13.6%) clinical trials, and 6 (27.3%) in vitro/in vivo, up to 2023, met the inclusion criteria for discussion in this systematic review. The most widely used NPs were found to be organic nanoparticles, such as polylactic acid and poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (16, 80.0%), followed by inorganic nanoparticles, such as silver NPs (13, 41.9.0%). This review study highlighted the high anti-gastric cancer potential of a wide range of organic and non-organic NPs through their activity via some mechanisms, such as the induction of apoptosis, gene therapy, and drug delivery. Nonetheless, further studies, especially in clinical settings, are needed to confirm their anti-gastric effects and accurate mechanisms.

Since around 100 years ago, the best treatment for millions of global snakebite victims has been polyclonal antivenoms. However, common antivenoms need continuous improvement to reduce rare, their side effects and get better performance. In the present study, Fab antivenom was produced through papain digestion of anti-cobra venom plasma, multi-step purification, and optimization, including ammonium sulfate precipitation and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. Then, the existence of the corresponding Fab fragment antibody was seen and confirmed by SDS-PAGE method and double immunodifusion (Ouchterlony) test. In addition, the potency test in NIH laboratory mice revealed that each milliliter of the new Fab antivenom was able to neutralize 624 micrograms and (80LD₅₀) of cobra venom, which is about 15% more efficient than the primary plasma of the same concentration, and 1.57 times more effective than the cobra antivenom found in commercial hexavalent antivenom of Razi Institute. According to the findings, it seems that this new Fab antivenom can be used as a new candidate for treatment of cobra snakebite victims.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs with a length of 21-25 nucleotides and play an essential role in the regulation of cancer initiation, development and progression. Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly detected malignancy in women and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In this study, the effects of transfection of microRNA-451a-5p and miR-34a-5p (tumor suppressors), individually and in combination on apoptosis, proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells in vitro were investigated. For this study, malignant breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) were transfected with the miR-451a-5p and miR-34a-5p mimics. Subsequently cytotoxicity, apoptosis, proliferation, migration protein and gene expression of caspase-3, caspase-8, MMP9, ROCK, vimentin and c-Myc of the cancer cells were analyzed by MTT, flow cytometry, q-RT-PCR (expression level of caspase-3, caspase-8, MMP9, ROCK, vimentin and c-Myc genes), wound healing and Western blot assays. The results showed that miR-34a-5p and miR-451a-5p could additionally induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the sub-G1phase, suppress proliferation and migration in breast cancer cells, and also decrease the expression of β- catenin and ERK/P-ERK proteins . The present data document that restoration of the tumor suppressor miR-451/miR-34 strongly induces programmed cell death in vitro and apparently inhibits cell proliferation and migration in human breast cancer cells. In summary, miR-451a and miR-34a play an important role in breast cancer cell proliferation and migration via the Wnt/β-catenin and ERK/P-ERK signaling pathways. Therefore, the simultaneous restoration of the presented tumor suppressor miRNAs can be proposed as a valuable and potential therapeutic strategy in the treatment of breast cancer. However, further studies should be useful.

Obesity has been an important health concern for over a decade, causing serious health issues worldwide. Treatments available for obesity include FDA-approved drugs such as Lorcaserin, Orlistat, Bupropion, combinations of Phentermine and Topiramate, and Sibutramine; however, these have adverse effects on health. To address the said issue, the current study was conducted to evaluate the anti-obesity potential of Phyllanthus fraternus leaves. These leaves are a rich source of different phytochemicals (e.g., alkaloids, saponins, terpenoids, tannins), and the plant has been shown to exhibit medicinal properties; therefore, it can be used for treating obesity disorders. The crude extract of plants was prepared in three different solvents (e.g., methanol, hydro alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol). Lipid inhibition was determined using lipase inhibition assay, and amylase assay was carried out to determine if the plant extract had anti-diabetic properties. An oil red staining was carried out to determine lipid accumulation in which the cells were incubated with plant extract for 48 h. To determine if the plant extract was toxic to 3T3 cells, an MTT assay was carried out to assess cell viability. Through lipase inhibition assay, we depicted potent anti-obesity properties, isopropyl alcohol extract exhibited 67.45% inhibition at the concentration of 500µg/ml. Methanol extract showed the highest percent of α amylase inhibition i.e., 90.03% at a concentration of 1,000 µg/ml. The MTT assay concluded that the plant extracts were not cytotoxic to the cells at a concentration range between 20µg/ml to 100µg/ml, and the percentage of viable cells was 98-63%. The results obtained from the current study revealed that the plant exhibits potent anti-obesity properties. Thus, this plant extract is a potential source as an alternative treatment to treat obesity.

The compound 1-methyltryptophan (1-MT) has been shown to act protectively in renal ischemia-reperfusion injury. Toll-like receptor 4 signaling is also a regular process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) that can after ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) result in an increase in renal fibrosis. EMT is associated with specific transcription factors: Snai1, Snai2, Zeb1, and Twist. 1-MT could regulate EMT and act as an antifibrotic agent. This study aimed to investigate the effect of 1-MT on EMT transcription factors in tubular epithelial cells that underwent 30 min. Renal tubular epithelial cells (TECs) were isolated from Lewis rats using a standard protocol with Fe₂O₃ magnetic separation and selective media as previously mentioned. Cells were cultivated and divided into 4 groups, namely C-TECs: control cells, IRI-TECs: IRI-induced TECs, D-IRI-TECs: IRI-induced TECs treated with 1-methyl-D-tryptophan, and L-IRI-TECs: IRI-induced TECs treated with 1-methyl-L-tryptophan. IRI was induced in all groups for 30 min by mineral oil (except for C-TECs) followed by 48-hour reperfusion. RNA and proteins were isolated from harvested cells. Using a semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we assessed the relative mRNA expression of EMT transcription factors Snai1, Snai2, Zeb1, and Twist. Hereby, we showed that the treatment of ischemia-induced TECs with both 1-MT isomers lowered the expression of EMT transcription factors Snai1 and Zeb1 which were increased by ischemia and reperfusion of TECs. This could act favorably in renal IRI decreasing EMT and renal fibrosis, therefore showing the potential of 1-MT as a part of therapy in renal transplantation aimed at renal ischemia-reperfusion injury.