The effects of EDTA and Trichoderma species on growth and Cu uptake of maize (Zea mays) plants grown in a Cu-contaminated soil.

Metal contamination in soil poses a significant environmental concern worldwide, necessitating effective remediation strategies such as phytoremediation. The present study investigated the effects of EDTA dosage (1.5 and 3 mmol kg-1) and two Trichoderma species (T. harzianum and T. aureoviride) on copper (Cu) content and growth of maize plants grown in a Cu-contaminated soil, as well as Cu fractionation in the soil. In the absence of EDTA, only inoculation with T. harzianum led to a significant increase in shoot biomass. Combining fungal inoculum with EDTA only yielded a significant increase in shoot biomass when using T. aureoviride at a low EDTA rate, highlighting the interplay between fungal species and EDTA rates on plant growth. Results also indicated that EDTA application increased Cu bioavailability, enhancing Cu dissolution and root (not shoot) Cu concentrations. Conversely, inoculation with both Trichoderma species reduced Cu mobility and bioavailability in soil, thereby decreasing the shoot Cu concentrations of plants. When combined with EDTA, only application of T. harzianum resulted in an enhanced shoot Cu concentration, whereas combined application of T. aureoviride and EDTA did not make a significant change compared to the corresponding control (no fungal inoculation, no EDTA), possibly due to a lower compatibility of the T. aureoviride isolate with EDTA. Our results demonstrated that EDTA application, in both non-inoculated and inoculated treatments, increased Cu availability by facilitating its redistribution and transformation from less plant-available fractions (residual, Fe/Mn oxide-bound, and carbonate-bound) to the more readily plant-available forms (water-soluble and exchangeable fractions). In conclusion, although individual Trichoderma application proved beneficial for phytostabilization by reducing Cu content and mitigating Cu toxicity in plants, the combined application of EDTA and a compatible Trichoderma isolate (here, the T. harzianum isolate) holds promise for enhancing the phytoextraction capacity of plants. Although using maize has the advantage of being a food crop, to optimize phytoextraction, plant species with superior metal tolerance and phytoextraction capabilities should be selected, exceeding those of maize.

Genotype-phenotype analyses of Iranian patients with hemophilia B (Leyden -) and hemophilia B (Leyden +): A single-center study.

BACKGROUND: There is a high prevalence of inherited bleeding disorders in Iran, such as hemophilia A (HA) and hemophilia B (HB). This study aimed to analyze the molecular and clinical profiles of patients with HB. METHODS: A single-center study was conducted among patients with severe HB between March 20, 2000, and June 31, 2023. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was used for all of the major regions, such as the promoter, the exons, the adjacent intronic regions, and the untranslated regions of the F9 gene. Finally, Sanger sequencing was performed on the PCR products. RESULTS: A total of 111 HB patients (17 with HB [Leyden +] and 94 with HB [Leyden -]) were enrolled in this study. Among 94 patients with HB (Leyden -), 59 (62.8 %) had missense, 21 (22.3 %) had nonsense, and 8 (8.5 %) had frameshift mutations. Moreover, the most frequent pathogenic variant in HB (Leyden +) was c.-17 A>G in this study. CONCLUSION: The results of this study confirm that HB is caused by a wide range of molecular defects in Iran. Thus, by knowing the genotypes and phenotypes, we would be able to stratify the patients which is important in terms of their management and outcome.

The plant growth, water and electricity consumption, and nutrients uptake are influenced by different light spectra and nutrition of lettuce.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different replacement methods of nutrient solution (complete replacement, electrical conductivity (EC)- based replacement, and replacing based on the plant needs) and different LED light spectra (monochromic white, red, blue, and a combination of red/blue) on the uptake of mineral nutrients, water and electricity consumption and biomass production of two varieties of lettuce (Lollo Rossa and Lollo Bionda; Lactuca sativa var. crispa) in the hydroponic systems. The results showed that replacement methods based on the plant needs and based on EC increased shoot fresh mass and yield index in the NFT system. Also, results showed that the combination of red/blue light increased shoot fresh mass and yield index in the NFT system and in the plant factory under treatment by replacement method based on plant needs. Increasing the concentrations of N, K, and Zn and loss of Fe in nutrient solution were observed in all three replacement methods of nutrient solution in the NFT system. Water consumption was decreased under plant nutrition based on plant needs and based on EC. In the plant factory, the application of LED light spectrum also decreased electricity consumption and cost against fluorescent lamps. In general, it is concluded that nutrient solution replacement based on the plant needs and based on EC and the use of different LED light spectra (especially the combination of red and blue light) can be used to reduce the consumption of water and nutrients in the hydroponic cultivation of lettuce.

Involvement Value of FLT-3, c-Myc, STAT3, p27, and HOTAIR Gene Expression in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients: A Molecular Perspective to a Novel Leukemogenesis Mechanism.

Background: The identification of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has marked a new era in the molecular understating of the disease. This study investigated the correlation between the changes in the expression of lncRNAs, including HOTAIR, PVT-1, and CRNDE, and the alteration in the expression profile of FLT-3, c-Myc, STAT3, STAT5, and p27 in AML patients. Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected from forty-one newly diagnosed AML patients and ten healthy individuals to evaluate the expression levels of the study genes using qRT-PCR analysis. The probable correlation between the gene expressions was determined using Pearson's correlation test. Results: The results showed that while there was a significant elevation in the expression of FLT3, c-Myc, STAT3, and HOTAIR, p27 expression remarkably diminished in AML patients compared to the control group. Also, a correlation was found between the expression of FLT-3 and p27 and the expression of HOTAIR and STAT3. It was assumed that FLT-3 had a role in increasing the proliferative and survival capacity of AML cells, at least partly, through c-Myc-mediated suppression of p27. Moreover, lncRNA HOTAIR showed to be involved in leukemia proliferation assumably by enhancing the expression of STAT3. Conclusion: Overall, the results of gene profile analysis suggested that studying the expression of HOTAIR, FLT-3, c-Myc, STAT3, and p27 could be helpful to AML patients, and each of these genes could be a valuable target for pharmaceutic intervention.

Manipulation of light spectrum is an effective tool to regulate biochemical traits and gene expression in lettuce under different replacement methods of nutrient solution.

The use of light-emitting diode (LED) technology represents a promising approach to improve plant growth and metabolic activities. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different light spectra: red (656 nm), blue (450 nm), red/blue (3:1), and white (peak at 449 nm) on biochemical properties, photosynthesis and gene expression in two lettuce cultivars (Lollo Rossa and Lollo Bionda) grown under different methods of nutrient solution replacement in hydroponics. Complete replacement and EC-based replacement of nutrient solution increased content of proline and soluble sugars and activity of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, GPX and SOD) under the red/blue LED and red LED light treatments in both cultivars. In addition, the red/blue and the monochromatic red light increased the soluble protein content and the antioxidant activity in the Lollo Rosa cultivar under the replacement method according to the needs of the plant. An increase in flavonoid content in the EC-based method in the Lollo Rosa variety treated with a combination of red and blue light was also observed. The red/blue light had the greatest induction effect on anthocyanin content, expression of the UFGT, CHS, and Rubisco small subunit genes, and the net photosynthetic rate. Data presented here will directly contribute to the development of nutrient solution and LED spectrum management strategies to significantly improve plant growth and metabolism, while avoiding water and nutrient waste, and environmental pollution.

Platelet MicroRNA-484 as a Novel Diagnostic Biomarker for Acute Coronary Syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Platelet microRNAs (miRs) have been indicated as a diagnostic biomarker in various diseases, including acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study aimed to investigate the expression of miR-223-5p, miR-126-5p, miR-484, and miR-130a-3p in individuals with coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: Forty subjects with CAD and 13 healthy individuals were under study. The expression of miR-223-5p, miR-126-5p, miR-484, and miR-130a-3p was measured in platelets by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The relationship between miRNA expression and various parameters of the subjects was analyzed using analysis of variance and Spearman and t-tests. RESULTS: The miR-484 expression was significantly upregulated in the ACS subjects (P = .0097). Moreover, miR-484 had diagnostic value for screening subjects with unstable angina vs controls (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.978, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92-1, P = .0006) and NSTEMI patients versus controls (AUC = 0.910, 95% CI 0.74-1, P = .005). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that the upregulated expression of miR-484 in ACS patients might be used as a diagnostic biomarker in ACS.

The effect of ox-LDL and platelets on macrophages, M2 macrophage polarization, and foam cell formation.

BACKGROUND: The accumulation of oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) in macrophages in association with platelet activity leads to the formation of foam cells, which play a key role in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and coronary artery diseases (CAD). Here, in this study, we aimed to investigate the simultaneous effect of ox-LDL and platelets on foam cell formation, as well as modification in cell markers. METHOD: First, the U937, a human monocytic cell line, was cultured in RPMI-1640. Then, isolated platelets were co-cultured with the U937 and exposed to ox-LDL (80 µg/ml) to evaluate the impact of ox-LDL on foam cell formation using Oil red O (ORO) staining. Also, the expression of foam cells' surface markers and CD36, ABCA1, SR-B1, ACAT1, and LXRα genes, which are involved in macrophage metabolism and ox-LDL uptake, was measured by flow cytometry and real-time PCR, respectively. RESULTS: Our findings suggest that platelets promoted foam cell formation (ORO-positive cells), accompanied by a higher level of CD163+ M2 macrophages. Furthermore, the expression of CD36, ABCA1, SR-B1, ACAT1, and LXRα genes, which are implicated in cholesterol accumulation in macrophages, was significantly upregulated in the ox-LDL+ platelets group compared to the control (P < 0.05). Moreover, the up-regulation of CD36, ABCA1, and SR-B1 genes in the ox-LDL+ platelets group was more accentuated compared to the ox-LDL group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Owing to the positive effector role of platelets in the formation of foam cells and CD163+ cells, it could be assumed that platelets play a dual role in the development of these cells.

Design and Evaluation of an Electronic Information Exchange System Connecting Laboratories and Physicians' Offices.

Laboratory services are a crucial part of medical care and contribute to physicians' treatment-related decision-making. However, paper-based information exchanges between physicians' offices and laboratories waste physicians' time and prevent them from using outpatient test results in a timely and effective manner. To solve this problem, improve the safety and quality of patient care, and save patients' time and energy, the present study developed a web-based system for electronic information exchange between laboratories and offices in Microsoft Visual Studio with the ASP.net technology and the Microsoft SQL Server database. The developed web-based software met the needs of the users and stakeholders (physicians, laboratory personnel, and patients) in the laboratory service cycle. To evaluate the software, user satisfaction was assessed in terms of user interface, operational functionality, and system performance, indicating the acceptability of all the criteria from the viewpoint of the stakeholders. The developed web-based software enables electronic communication between offices and laboratories (two important healthcare bases), establishes information exchange (sending requests and receiving laboratory results) between these two bases, and also notifies the patients. The software gained the overall satisfaction of the users, and this highlights the need for electronic communications in the healthcare domain.

Treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease resulting from the demolition of ß-cells that are responsible for producing insulin in the pancreas. Treatment with insulin (lifelong applying) and islet transplantation (in rare cases and severe diseases), are standards of care for T1D. Pancreas or islet transplantation have some limitations, such as lack of sufficient donors and longtime immune suppression for preventing allograft rejection. Recent studies demonstrate that autologous hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) can regenerate immune tolerance against auto-antigens. Taking advantage of this feature, autologous HSC transplantation (auto-HSCT) is likely the only treatment for T1D that is associated with lasting and complete remission. None of the other evaluated immunotherapies worldwide had the clinical efficacy of auto-HSCT. Therapy with auto-HSCT is insulin-independent rather than reducing insulin needs or delaying loss of insulin production. This review provided the latest findings in auto-HSCT for treatment of T1D.

Association Between Human Leukocyte Antigens and Graft-Versus-Host Disease Occurrence in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation - A 10-Year Experience on Iranian Patients.

BACKGROUND: Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules mediate critical roles in determining responsiveness or non-responsiveness of the immune system, especially in transplantation. Some studies have shown a possible association between certain HLA alleles and some allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) outcomes such as acute/chronic graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD/cGVHD) and overall survival (OS). In the current study, we investigated any possible association of HLA subclasses and acute/chronic GVHD occurrence as well as OS in patients receiving HLA-matched sibling allo-HSCT. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the association of various HLA alleles with the incidence of aGVHD, cGVHD, and OS of 162 patients who received allo-HSCT from HLA-matched sibling between 2009-2018 at Taleghani hospital in Tehran. RESULTS: We found that the incidence of aGVHD grades II-IV was higher among patients who had HLA-B*07 (P=0.031) and HLA-DRB1*07 (P=0.052). The presence of HLA-A*01 was associated with 4.5-fold greater odds of incidence in the extensive-type of cGVHD (P=0.009). Furthermore, HLA-A*03 (P=0.089), HLA-B*13(P=0.013), HLA-B*40 (P=0.042), HLA-DRB1*02 (P=0.074), and HLA-DRB1*04 (P=0.039) were associated with a lower rate of OS. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that certain HLA alleles might influence the incidence and severity of acute or chronic GVHD in the context of HLA-matched sibling allo-HSCT. In addition, some specific HLA alleles help predict OS in allo-HSCT recipients. These results might be helpful in estimating the incidence of aGVHD, cGVHD, and OS as well as designing personalized therapy.

Immunotherapy with adoptive cytomegalovirus-specific T cells transfer: Summarizing latest gene engineering techniques.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection remains a major complication following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). T cell response plays a critical role in inducing long-term immunity against CMV infection/reactivation that impairs during HSCT. Adoptive T cell therapy (ACT) via transferring CMV-specific T cells from a seropositive donor to the recipient can accelerate virus-specific immune reconstitution. ACT, as an alternative approach, can restore protective antiviral T cell immunity in patients. Different manufacturing protocols have been introduced to isolate and expand specific T cells for the ACT clinical setting. Nevertheless, HLA restriction, long-term manufacturing process, risk of alloreactivity, and CMV seropositive donor availability have limited ACT broad applicability. Genetic engineering has developed new strategies to produce TCR-modified T cells for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of infectious disease. In this review, we presented current strategies required for ACT in posttransplant CMV infection. We also introduced novel gene-modified T cell discoveries in the context of ACT for CMV infection. It seems that these innovations are enabling to improvement and development of ACT utilization to combat posttransplant CMV infection.

Oncolytic virotherapy in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a curative option for various hematologic malignancies. However, fatal complications, such as relapse and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) hampered favorable HSCT outcomes. Cancer cells remained in the body following the conditioning regimen, or those contaminating the autologous graft can cause relapse. Although the relapse is much lesser in allogeneic HSCT, GVHD is still a life-threatening complication in this type of HSCT. Researchers are seeking various strategies to reduce relapse and GVHD in HSCT with minimum effects on the engraftment and immune-reconstitution. Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are emerging anti-cancer agents with promising results in battling solid tumors. OVs can selectively replicate in the malignant cells in which the antiviral immune responses have defected. Hence, they could be used as a purging agent to eradicate the tumoral contamination of autologous grafts with no damages to hematopoietic stem cells. Moreover, they have been shown to alleviate GVHD complications through modulating alloreactive T cell responses. Primary results promise using OVs as a strategy to reduce both relapse and GVHD in the HSCT without affecting hematologic and immunologic engraftment. Herein, we provide the latest findings in the field of OV therapy in HSCT and discuss their pros and cons.

Stimulation of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-Gamma (PPARγ) using Pioglitazone Decreases the Survival of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Cells through Up-Regulation of PTEN Expression.

BACKGROUND: The intertwining between cancer pathogenesis and aberrant expression of either oncogenes or tumor suppressor proteins ushered the cancer therapeutic approaches into a limitless road of modern therapies. For the nonce and among the plethora of promising anticancer agents, intense interest has focused on pioglitazone, a first in-class of Thiazolidinedione (TZD) drugs that is currently used to treat patients with diabetes. OBJECTIVE: Intrigued by the overexpression of PPARγ in Acute Promylocytic Leukemia (APL), this study was designed to investigate the effects of pioglitazone in APL-derived NB4 cells. METHODS: To assess the anti-leukemic effect of pioglitazone on myeloid leukemia cell lines, we used MTT and trypan blue assays. Given the higher expression level of PPARγ in NB4 cells, we then expanded our experiments on this cell line. To ascertain the molecular mechanism action of pioglitazone in APL-derived NB4 cells, we evaluated the expression levels of a large cohort of target genes responsible for the regulation of apoptosis, autophagy and cell proliferation. Afterward, to examine whether there is a correlation between PPARγ and the PI3K signaling pathway, the amount of Akt phosphorylation was evaluated using western blot analysis. RESULTS: Our results showed that pioglitazone exerted its cytotoxic effect in wild-type PTEN-expressing NB4 cells, but not in leukemic K562 cells harboring mutant PTEN; suggesting that probably this member of TZD drugs induced its anti-leukemic effects through a PTEN-mediated manner. Moreover, we found that not only pioglitazone reduced the survival rate of NB4 through the induction of p21-mediated G1 arrest, also elevated the intracellular level of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) which was coupled with upregulated FOXO3a. Notably, this study proposed for the first time that the stimulation of autophagy as a result of the compensatory activation of PI3K pathway may act as a plausible mechanism through which the anti-leukemic effect of pioglitazone may be attenuated; suggestive of the application of either PI3K or autophagy inhibitors along with pioglitazone in APL. CONCLUSION: By suggesting a mechanistic pathway, the results of the present study shed more light on the favorable anti-leukemic effect of pioglitazone and suggest it as a promising drug that should be clinically investigated in APL patients.

Activation of PPARγ intensified the effects of arsenic trioxide in acute promyelocytic leukemia through the suppression of PI3K/Akt pathway: Proposing a novel anticancer effect for pioglitazone.

The indulgent success of arsenic trioxide (ATO) in the induction of complete remission in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patients has accommodated this agent into the therapeutic protocols. However, the intrusion of unfavorable side effects had put an unanswered question on the way of the application of this agent; whether the benefits of ATO may outweigh its drawbacks. In this study, we found that when ATO is accompanied by an activator of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors gamma (PPARγ), even the lower concentrations could induce significant inhibitory effects on the survival of NB4 through diminishing the ability of the cells to replicate DNA in the S phase of cell cycle. We also found that through suppression of the PI3K pathway, the combination of pioglitazone and ATO provided a signal through which the induction of apoptotic cell death was enhanced probably via the elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). With respect to the tight connection between PI3K pathway and autophagy system and given to the inhibitory effect of pioglitazone-plus-ATO on PI3K, we found that the combination of these agents not only suppressed the expression of autophagy-related genes, but also their efficacy was augmented when autophagy was inhibited in NB4; clarifying the encouraging role of autophagy in the survival maintenance of APL cells. In conclusion, given the significant efficacy as well as the safety profile of pioglitazone in potentiating the anticancer effects of chemotherapeutic drugs, the present study suggests it as a promising agent to be used in adjuvant strategy for the treatment of APL.

Anti-leukemic effect of PI3K inhibition on chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells: shedding new light on the mitigating effect of c-Myc and autophagy on BKM120 cytotoxicity.

The success in the identification of BCR/ABL tyrosine kinase role in the pathogenesis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) went as far as to find a path to cure this leukemia; however, compensatory activation of leukomogenic signals get across the message that the small molecule inhibitors of oncogenic pathways, along with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, might be a beneficial approach in CML treatment. The results of the present study showed that the abrogation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway using pan-PI3K inhibitor BKM120 exerted a cytotoxic effect against CML-derived K562 cells through both the induction of p21-mediated G2/M arrest and the stimulation of apoptosis. Notably, the apoptotic effect of the inhibitor was further confirmed by the molecular analysis showing that BKM120 significantly increased the expression of pro-apoptotic genes. To the best of our knowledge, the involvement of autophagy in resistance to BKM120 has not been yet described and our study suggests for the first time that the elevation of autophagy-related genes might serve as a compensatory pathway to cease the anti-leukemic effect of BKM120 in K562; since we found a reinforced anti-survival event when the cells were treated with BKM120 in combination with autophagy inhibitor. In conclusion, the results of the present study showed that the abrogation of PI3K using BKM120 might be a befitting approach in CML treatment, either as a single agent or in a combined-modal strategy; however, further evaluations including clinical trials and in vivo investigations are demanded to ascertain the safety and the efficacy of the inhibitor in treatment strategies.

The Effect of Information Technology on the Information Exchange between Laboratories and Ambulatory Care Centers: A Systematic Review.

Laboratory services form an integral part of medical care in the decision-making of physicians, including those working at ambulatory care centers. Information exchange is essential between ambulatory care centers and laboratories. Inevitable errors have always existed in the exchange of such information on paper, which can be to some extent avoided by developing appropriate computer-based interfaces. Therefore, this review aimed to examine studies conducted to determine the effect of electronic communication between ambulatory care centers and laboratories. This systematic review was conducted on the basis of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Studies were searched in the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science, and those written in English and published between 2000 and February 2019 with full texts available were selected. From a total of 3898 papers retrieved from the studied databases, 24 papers were eligible for entering this study after removing similar and nonrelated studies. Electronic exchanges between ambulatory care centers and laboratories can have numerous benefits in terms of financial, organizational, and quality. This evidence for the value of electronic communications is an important factor contributing to its local investment and adoption.

The Expression of Interferon Gamma (IFN-γ) and Interleukin 6 (IL6) in Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).

Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) are including the most important cytokines which have been associated with the biological behavioral and immune responses in malignancies. Based on the critical roles which these two cytokines play against tumor cells, the present study was aimed to investigate the genes expression level of IL6 and IFN-γ in patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and compare with normal controls. Fifty-two patients with ALL and 13 healthy volunteer were under studied. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells of all patients and normal controls were separated by ficoll. The expression of interferon gamma and interleukin 6 genes were determined by RQ-PCR. Finally all data were analyzes using T student, one way ANOVA and Mann-Whitney tests were use to analyze all samples data. Our finding showed that the level of IFN-γ gene expression was significant decreased in patients with All as compared with healthy controls (83 change fold, p < 0.0001). The level of IL-6 Gene expression was not changeable in B-ALL patients as compared with healthy control (p = 0.4), but in T-ALL patients, was significantly reduced (p < 0.01). The results of present study indicated that IFN-γ gene expression reduced in ALL patients. It provides a valuable insight that immune system may disrupted in patients with ALL, which cause tumor cells escape from immune surveillance.

Effects of plant growth-promoting bacteria on EDTA-assisted phytostabilization of heavy metals in a contaminated calcareous soil.

The objective of this research was to determine the combined effects of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on the phytostabilization of Cd, Pb, and Zn by corn and chemical fractionation of these elements in soil. Three heavy metal-resistant bacteria (P18, P15, and P19) were selected. All strains, belonging to the fluorescent pseudomonads, exhibited plant growth-promoting properties, including phosphorus solubilization and production of siderophore, indole acetic acid, and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase. Applying EDTA individually or in combination with bacterial strains (P18 and P15) significantly increased shoot biomass. The highest dry shoot biomass was recorded in the combined treatment of EDTA and P15-inoculated pots. Application of EDTA in PGPR-inoculated pots increased concentrations of heavy metals in corn shoots and roots compared to the control. The highest concentration of Zn in corn root and shoot was observed in P15 + EDTA treatment, which were 2.0-fold and 1.3-fold higher than those in the untreated soil. Results of chemical speciation showed that the co-application of EDTA and fluorescent pseudomonads strains increased the bioavailability of Zn, Pb, and Cd by their redistribution from less soluble fractions to water-soluble forms. It was concluded that bacterial inoculation could improve the efficiency of EDTA in phytostabilization of heavy metals from multi-metal contaminated soils.

The effect of Cu-resistant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and EDTA on phytoremediation efficiency of plants in a Cu-contaminated soil.

Remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils is essential for safe agricultural or urban land use, and phytoremediation is among the most effective methods. The success of phytoremediation relies on the size of the plant biomass and bioavailability of the metal for plant uptake. This research was carried out to determine the effect of Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) ligand and Cu-resistant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on phytoremediation efficiency of selected plants as well as fractionation and bioavailability of copper (Cu) in a contaminated soil. The test conditions included three plant species (maize: Zea mays L., sunflower: Helianthus annuus L., and pumpkin: Cucurbita pepo L.) and six treatments, comprising two PGPR strains (Pseudomonas cedrina K4 and Stenotrophomonas sp. A22), two PGPR strains with EDTA, EDTA, and control (without PGPR and EDTA). The combination of EDTA and PGPR enhanced the Cu concentration in both shoot and root tissues and increased the plant biomass. The Cu specific uptake was at a maximum level in the shoots of pumpkin plants when treated with the PGPR strain K4 + EDTA (202 µg pot-1), and the minimum amount of Cu was recorded for sunflower with no PGPR or EDTA addition (29.6 µg pot-1). The result of the PGPR-EDTA treatments showed that the combined application of EDTA and PGPR increased the shoot Cu-specific uptake approximately fourfold in pumpkin. Pumpkin with the highest shoot Cu specific uptake and maize with the highest root Cu specific uptake were the most effective plants in phytoextraction and phytostabilization, respectively. The effectiveness of different PGPR-EDTA treatments in increasing Cu specific uptake by crop plants was assessed by measuring the amount of Cu extracted from the rhizosphere soil adhering to the roots of crop species, by the use of the single extractants Diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA), H2O, NH4NO3, and NH4OAc. PGPR-EDTA treatments increased the amount of water-extractable Cu from rhizosphere soils more than ten times that of the control. The combined application of the EDTA and PGPR reduced the carbonated Fe and Mn oxide-bound Cu in the contaminated soil, and increased the soluble and exchangeable concentration of Cu. Pumpkin, with high shoot biomass and the highest shoot Cu specific uptake was found to be the most effective field crop in phytoextraction of Cu from the contaminated soil. The results of this pot study demonstrated that the EDTA+PGPR treatment could play an important role in increasing the Cu bioavailability and specific uptake by plants, and thus increasing the phytoremediation efficiency of plants in Cu-contaminated areas.

The effect of mild agonist stimulation on the platelet reactivity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have accelerated atherosclerosis as a pro thrombotic state that is associated with the platelet activation priming. Platelets, which undergo the continuous mild stimulation, may lose their sensitivity to react to a strong stimulation. The present study aimed to investigate activation responses of platelets to mild and subsequent strong stimulations in patients with T2DM and healthy individuals. METHODS: Blood samples, which were taken from 40 patients with T2DM and 35 healthy individuals, were collected into the citrate containing tubes. The samples were subjected to the soft centrifugation to prepare the platelet rich plasma (PRP). Platelets in PRP samples were treated at a low (1 µM) concentration and then at a high (10 µM) concentration of ADP. Before and after stimulation with different doses of ADP, levels of CD62P expression and formation of platelet micro particles (PMPs) were measured using a flow cytometry method. RESULTS: The platelets from patients with T2DM had higher levels of CD62P expression before any stimulation (P = 0.003) than control samples. Platelets, which underwent the mild stimulation, indicated lower responses to CD62P expression, but higher PMPs formation after stimulation with high dose of ADP. Patients with T2DM had higher platelet micro particles in all states with the ADP stimulation. (P = 0.004, SD: ±74.52). CONCLUSIONS: The flow cytometry data indicated that platelets were pre-active and associated with metabolic conditions in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The induction of desensitization state helped platelets to reduce the platelet activation and sensitivity to ADP in a diabetic environment. Furthermore, the production of platelets micro-particles was high in the patients; and desensitized platelets were more susceptible to shedding of micro-particles.