Factor V Leiden, MTHFR, and FXIIIVal34Leu gene polymorphisms and their association with clinical features and risk of diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is expanding to epidemic levels globally due to the progressing prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM). In this study, the association between factor V Leiden (FVL), MTHFRC677T, and FXIIIVal34Leu polymorphisms and diabetic retinopathy was investigated in Eastern Iran. Methods: This case-control study enlisted the participation of 300 people (diabetic patients=100, diabetic retinopathy patients=100, healthy controls=100), and polymorphisms were examined by Tetra primer ARMS-PCR. Results: The frequency of FVL (p=0.294) and FXIIIVal34Leu (P=0.349) polymorphism showed no significant results between the genotype frequency in the mentioned groups. In contrast, MTHFRC677T SNP was significantly different in diabetic patients and controls (P=0.008). The MTHFRC677T polymorphism was found to be connected with increased systolic blood pressure in patients who had the TT genotype (130.96±11.92mm/Hg; P=0.011). Conclusion: Our study recommended that the MTHFRC677T polymorphism may offer to DR development. Studies with larger sample sizes and a wider spectrum of populations are authorized to verify this finding.

New Fluorescent Nanosensor for Determination of Diazepam Using Molecularly Imprinted Mn-doped ZnS Quantum Dots.

In this study, molecularly imprinted Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots were used as nanosensors to determine diazepam and its metabolites. Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots (QDs) capped with L-cysteine were prepared using a sodium thiosulfate precursor and characterized by various methods. Methacrylic acid was used as a precursor for the synthesis of MIP Mn-doped ZnS QDs and then used to measure diazepam in various samples. The linear dynamic range, coefficient of determination, and detection limit were found to be 0.3 - 250 µmol/L, 0.989 and 8.78 × 10-2 µmol/L, respectively. The interference studies showed that the prepared nanosensor was selective for diazepam and its metabolites.

Therapeutic and Preventive Effects of Aqueous Extract of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Pits on Ethylene Glycol-Induced Kidney Calculi in Rats.

INTRODUCTION: Urinary tract stones are one of the most common diseases in the urinary tract. Lack of kidney stone treatment causes irreparable damages to the kidneys, which has many harmful effects. Date palm pits are recommended in traditional medicine as an effective drug in the treatment of kidney stones. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of aqueous extract of date palm pits on kidney stones induced by ethylene glycol in male rats. METHODS: In this study, 40 rats were classified into five groups (n = 8), including the healthy group receiving normal water, the negative control group, the therapeutic groups with doses of 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg, and the prevention group with a dose of 300 mg/kg. In order to induce kidney stones, ethylene glycolated water (1%) was used as drinking water in the studied groups. Blood and urine of rats were collected on days 14 and 28 of the study to assess urinary parameters of calcium, creatinine, uric acid and phosphorus, and serum parameters of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, uric acid, calcium, and phosphorus. Also, the kidneys of rats were removed from the body on day 28 of the study and were given to a pathologist for examination. RESULTS: Results of serum parameters shows that the use of date palm pits extract in the treatment and prevention groups with a dose of 300 mg/kg significantly (P < .05) has reduced the levels of blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, calcium, creatinine and phosphorus. Also, the results of urinary parameters show that the use of the extract caused a significant decrease (P < .05) in creatinine, uric acid and calcium in the prevention group and a significant decrease (P < .05) in creatinine and uric acid in the therapeutic group with a dose of 300 mg/kg. Pathological results show a decrease in the number and size of calcium oxalate crystals in renal tubules in the treatment and prevention groups in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that the use of aqueous extract of date palm pits has been effective in the treatment and prevention of kidney stones induced by ethylene glycol in rats.

The Effects of Aqueous Extract of Eryngium Campestre on Ethylene Glycol-Induced Calcium Oxalate Kidney Stone in Rats.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of E. campestre using the aqueous extracts, obtained from the aerial parts, on Ethylene Glycol (EG)-induced calcium oxalate kidney stone in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 64 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 8 groups. Group I was considered as negative control and received normal saline for 30 days, group II as kidney stone control received EG for 30 days, groups III to VI as prophylactic treatment received EG plus 100, 200 or 400 mg/kg extracts for 30 days and groups VI to VIII received EG as therapy from day one and 100, 200 or 400 mg/kg extract from the 15th day. On the 30thday from the start of induction, rats were euthanized. Blood was collected and the kidneys were immediately excised. Slides from each one's kidneys were prepared and stained with Hematoxylin & Eosin method. Also levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1?) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were determined in rat's serum by competitive ELISA kit. RESULTS: E. campestre reduced IL-1? and IL-6 levels, showing a significant reduction for both cytokines in all prophylactic groups, especially at the dose of 400 mg/kg (P-value < .001). Moreover, IL-1? (p = .011) reduced significantly in the therapy groups in 400 mg/kg dose. Crystal count reduction was seen in all prophylactic and therapy groups in comparison with group II. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the E. campestre extract has potent suppressive effect on pro-inflammatory cytokine production in rat. Also, E. campestre decreases crystal deposition in the kidney of the hyperoxaluric rat.

Therapeutic Effects of Aqueous Extracts of Cerasus Avium Stem on Ethylene Glycol- Induced Kidney Calculi in Rats.

PURPOSE: To investigate the therapeutic effects of the aqueous extract of Cerasus Avium stem on kidney calculi. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, forty-eight (48) male Wistar rats were randomly allocated into six (6) groups and were studied during a 30 day period. Group A served as normal control and Group B received 1% ethylene glycol in drinking water (EG group). C, D, E, and F Groups, received 1% ethylene glycol from day 1 and were used as prevention and treatment subjects. Rats in prevention groups of low dose (C) and high dose (D) extract, were gavaged with 200 and 400 mg/kg extract respectively from first day of the experiment and treatmentgroups of low dose (E) and high dose (F) extract, were gavaged with 200 and 400 mg/kg extract respectively from the 15th day of the experiment. RESULTS: On the 30th days of the experiment, serum level of magnesium and potassium decreased significantly in EG group compared with A,C,D,E and F groups (P < .05), while serum level of calcium, creatinine, uric acid, sodium and urine level of calcium, creatinine, uric acid, increased significantly in EG group compared with A,C,D,E and F groups (P < .05). In the prevention and treatment groups, the number of deposits decreased significantly compared with EG group on the 30th day (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Cerasus Avium stem has a therapeutic effect on calcium oxalate stones in rats with nephrolithiasis and reduces the number of calcium oxalate deposits.

A new amperometric biosensor based on Fe3O4/polyaniline/laccase/chitosan biocomposite-modified carbon paste electrode for determination of catechol in tea leaves.

In the present study, a new biosensor based on laccase from Paraconiothyrium variabile was developed for catechol. The purified enzyme entrapped into the Fe3O4/polyaniline/chitosan (Fe3O4/polyaniline (PANI)/chitosan (CS)) biocomposite matrix film without the aid of other cross-linking reagents by a one-step electrodeposition on the surface of carbon paste electrode (CPE). The formed layer of biocomposite was characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The biosensor was optimized with respect to biocomposite composition, enzyme loading, and solution pH by amperometry method. The biosensor exhibited noticeable eletrocatalytic ability toward catechol with a linear concentration range from 0.5 to 80 µM and a detection limit of 0.4 µM. The biosensor showed optimum response within 8 s, at pH 5, and 40 °C. The apparent Michaelis-Menten (K M (app)) was found to be 1.092 µM. The fabricated biosensor could be applied for determination of catechol in tea leaf samples.

A nanocomposite/crude extract enzyme-based xanthine biosensor.

A novel amperometric biosensor for xanthine was developed based on covalent immobilization of crude xanthine oxidase (XOD) extracted from bovine milk onto a hybrid nanocomposite film via glutaraldehyde. Toward the preparation of the film, a stable colloids solution of core-shell Fe3O4/polyaniline nanoparticles (PANI/Fe3O4 NPs) was dispersed in solution containing chitosan (CHT) and H2PtCl6 and electrodeposited over the surface of a carbon paste electrode (CPE) in one step. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometry, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used for characterization of the electrode surface. The developed biosensor (XOD/CHT/Pt NPs/PANI/Fe3O4/CPE) was employed for determination of xanthine based on amperometric detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) reduction at -0.35V (vs. Ag/AgCl). The biosensor exhibited a fast response time to xanthine within 8s and a linear working concentration range from 0.2 to 36.0µM (R(2)=0.997) with a detection limit of 0.1µM (signal/noise [S/N]=3). The sensitivity of the biosensor was 13.58µAµM(-1)cm(-2). The apparent Michaelis-Menten (Km) value for xanthine was found to be 4.7µM. The fabricated biosensor was successfully applied for measurement of fish and chicken meat freshness, which was in agreement with the standard method at the 95% confidence level.

Auraptene from Ferula szowitsiana protects human peripheral lymphocytes against oxidative stress.

The antigenotoxicity effects of auraptene on DNA damage in human peripheral lymphocytes were studied using alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis. Auraptene at concentrations of 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 and 400 microM was tested under simultaneous treatment with 25 microM H(2)O(2). The data are expressed as % tail DNA and compared with ascorbic acid at concentrations of 25, 50, 100, 200 and 400 microM. Auraptene significantly reduced the genotoxicity of H(2)O(2 )at concentrations higher than 25 microM (p < 0.001). Interestingly, the antigenotoxicity activity of auraptene was higher than ascorbic acid (p < 0.01), however, at some concentrations (25, 50 and 200 microM) there was no significant difference between auraptene and ascorbic acid (p > 0.05). It seems that the significant antigenotoxicity effects of auraptene may be due to the prenyl moiety and also the suppression of superoxide anion (O(2) (-)) generation. This study suggests that the antigenotoxic property of auraptene is of great pharmacological importance and might be beneficial for cancer prevention.

Antigenotoxic effects of the disulfide compound persicasulfide A (PSA) on rat lymphocytes exposed to oxidative stress.

The antigenotoxic effect of persicasulfide A (PSA) from Ferula persica on DNA damage induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was evaluated using single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE). PSA was extracted from F. persica, characterized by NMR and its antioxidant/antigenotoxic effects were investigated. The antigenotoxic effect of solutions containing either PSA (1, 10, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 microM) or ascorbic acid (250, 500, 750 and 1000 microM) alone, or in the presence of H2O2 (25, 50, 100 and 200 microM) were tested on lymphocytes derived from the blood of healthy male Wistar rats (250-300 g) by using the comet assay. The degree of damage to DNA after exposure to different solutions was calculated based on the amount of DNA present in the tail compared to the total amounts of lymphocyte DNA. PSA did not show genotoxicity and caused a 50% reduction in DNA damage induced by H2O (EC50:476.47+/-67.46 microM). Compared to the EC50 for ascorbic acid (1399.23+/-205.21 microM), it was deduced that PSA was more effective than ascorbic acid in the prevention of oxidative damage to DNA.

Evaluation of antigenotoxicity effects of umbelliprenin on human peripheral lymphocytes exposed to oxidative stress.

The protective properties of a prenylated coumarin, umbelliprenin (UMB), on the human lymphocytes DNA lesions were tested. Lymphocytes were isolated from blood samples taken from healthy volunteers. DNA breaks and resistance to H(2)O(2)-induced damage were measured using a single-cell microgel electrophoresis technique under alkaline conditions (comet assay). Human lymphocytes were incubated in UMB (10, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 microM) alone or a combination of different concentrations of UMB (10, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 microM) and 25 microM H(2)O(2). Untreated cells, ascorbic acid (AA; 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 microM) and H(2)O(2) (25 microM) were considered as negative control, positive control, and the standard antioxidant agent for our study, respectively. Single cells were analyzed with "TriTek Cometscore version 1.5" software. The DNA damage was expressed as percent tail DNA. UMB exhibited a concentration-dependent increase in protection activity against DNA damage induced by 25 microM H(2)O(2) (from 67.28% to 39.17%). The antigenotoxic activity of AA, in the range 0-50 microM, was greater than that of UMB. However, no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the protective activity was found between UMB and AA at concentrations of approximately higher than 50 microM.