Non-Infectious Complications in B-Lymphopenic Common Variable Immunodeficiency.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is considered the most symptomatic type of inborn errors of immunity in humans. Along with infectious complications, which have numerous consequences, non-infectious complications are also a major challenge among CVID patients. METHODS: All registered CVID patients in the national database were included in this retrospective cohort study. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence of B-cell lymphopenia. Demographic characteristics, laboratory findings, non-infectious organ involvements, autoimmunity, and lymphoproliferative diseases were evaluated. RESULTS: Among 387 enrolled patients, 66.4% were diagnosed with non-infectious complications; however, 33.6% had only infectious presentations. Enteropathy, autoimmunity, and lymphoproliferative disorders were reported in 35.1%, 24.3%, and 21.4% of patients, respectively. Some complications, including autoimmunity and hepatosplenomegaly, were reported to be significantly higher among patients with B-cell lymphopenia. Among organ involvement, dermatologic, endocrine and musculoskeletal systems were predominantly affected in CVID patients with B-cell lymphopenia. Among autoimmune manifestations, the frequency of rheumatologic, hematologic, and gastrointestinal autoimmunity was reported to be higher compared to other types of autoimmunity independent from the B cell-lymphopenia. Furthermore, hematological cancers, particularly lymphoma, were slightly introduced as the most common type of malignancy. Meanwhile, the mortality rate was 24.5%, and respiratory failure and malignancies were reported as the most common cause of death in our patients without significant differences between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Considering that some of the non-infectious complications might be associated with B-cell lymphopenia, therefore, regular patient monitoring and follow-up along with proper medications (besides immunoglobulins replacement therapy) are highly recommended to prevent further sequels and increase the patients' quality of life.

Diagnostic value of 3 T MR spectroscopy, diffusion-weighted MRI, and apparent diffusion coefficient value for distinguishing benign from malignant myometrial tumours.

AIM: To further verify the effectiveness of diffusion-weighted (DWI) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) using a 3 T MRI system to differentiate benign leiomyomas from uterine sarcoma; to investigate the benefit of adding MRS to the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) for improving the specificity of the benign/malignant classification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The dataset included 21 uterine sarcoma from 14 patients and 84 benign leiomyomas from 51 patients. T1-and T2-weighted images as well as DWI were obtained using a 3-T MRI system. Approximately 60% of patients also underwent MRS. The chi-square test was used to compare the percentage of malignant lesions that showed choline peaks, lipid peaks, and restricted diffusion to the corresponding percentage of benign masses. Using the area under a receiver operating characteristic (AUC) curve, the efficacy of different parameters for distinguishing uterine sarcomas from leiomyomas was measured. RESULTS: The visual assessment of DWI images showed that 100% of malignant lesions exhibited restricted diffusion while the corresponding figure for benign leiomyomas was only 5%. The mean ADC of malignant tumours differed significantly from that of benign ones (p<0.001). The percentage of malignant lesions for which choline and lipid peaks were present was significantly higher than that of benign lesions. By combining the ADC and MRS findings, an accuracy of 98.3 (95.1-100) was achieved. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggested that a combination of DWI and MRS could be useful in the preoperative assessment of uterine masses to differentiate benign leiomyomas from leiomyosarcoma.

Molecular characterization of Toxocara spp. eggs isolated from public parks and playgrounds in Shiraz, Iran.

Human toxocariasis, a worldwide parasitic disease, is caused by the larval stage of intestinal nematodes of dogs and cats, namely Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati. Human infection occurs by the accidental ingestion of embryonated eggs present in the soil, vegetables or on other contaminated surfaces, as well as via consumption of uncooked paratenic hosts, such as bird meat and giblets. The objective of this study was to evaluate the contamination of soil in public parks and playgrounds in Shiraz using microscopy and molecular methods. A total of 150 soil samples were collected from public parks and playgrounds in various areas of Shiraz, southern Iran. The samples were treated with saturated zinc sulphate solution, and Toxocara spp. eggs were detected by microscopic observation followed by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). To differentiate T. canis and T. cati eggs from each other, PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-rDNA region by SalI endonuclease enzyme was used. PCR-sequencing was performed to confirm the results of the PCR-RFLP method. Based on the flotation results of the 150 soil samples, six (4%) were found to be positive for Toxocara spp. eggs, whereas nested-PCR showed 24 samples to be positive (16%). Based on the PCR-RFLP method and the sequence of the ITS-rDNA region, a total of 23 out of 24 isolates were confirmed as T. cati and one out of 24 as T. canis. The results showed a higher number of soil samples to be positive for Toxocara by the molecular method than microscopy, and higher T. cati infection in soil samples, which could have an important role in human infection with toxocariasis in this region.

L-arginine modified magnetic nanoparticles: green synthesis and characterization.

In recent years, there has been considerable interest in Arg which is a unique, nontoxic, and biocompatible biomolecule since it can be utilized as an agent for the functionalization and subsequent stabilization of MNPs against oxidation and aggregation, during or after a synthesis procedure. Our studies demonstrate that Arg has great impacts on MNPs with the decreasing size of the particle. Also, saturation magnetization and electrostatic interactions of RMNPs have a direct impact on biological molecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. By controlling the concentration of Arg, it is possible to accurately control the above-mentioned characteristics, which are useful tools for applications such as connecting to antibodies, catalysis, drug loading, and modification of MNP stability. In the current study, three RMNPs with different Arg densities, i.e. 0.42, 1.62, and 2.29 µg per mg were successfully synthesized through a simple co-precipitation method (named p 0.5, p 1, and p 1.5, respectively) and verified by colorimetric determination. Also, the as-synthesized RMNP powders were characterized by XRD, SEM/EDAX, FTIR, VSM, and zeta potential analysis. The presence of a magnetic core was proved by XRD, FTIR, and EDAX. Colorimetric analysis showed the existence of Arg in the synthesized samples. According to the zeta potential and VSM results, increasing the cap of Arg on the MNP surface leads to an increase in the surface charge and decrease in the magnetization of the RMNPs, respectively.

Anti-quorum sensing activity of Pistacia atlantica against Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and identification of its bioactive compounds.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a multidrug resistant opportunistic pathogen and an important cause of nosocomial infections. Quorum-sensing (QS) is a process in which bacterial cell-cell communication can regulates production of many virulence factors including pigment formation and the ability to form biofilm which is essential for establishment of chronic infections. We examined the inhibitory effect of Pistacia atlantica (Anacardiaceae) methanolic leaf extract and its bioactive components on biofilm formation and pigment production by P. aeruginosa PAO1. Fractionation of the methanolic leaf extract was carried out using HPLC based activity profiling. Identification of the active compounds was carried out by the integrated approach of HPLC-DAD and LC-MS followed by molecular docking analysis. Pistacia atlantica crude extract at 2 and 1 mg/mL, inhibited 92% and 79% biofilm formation, respectively. Minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) determined by microbroth dilution was 0.25 mg/mL with 39% inhibition. Pyocyanin production measured by spectrophotometry showed 100% and 83% inhibition at 2 and 1 mg/mL and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 0.5 mg/mL with 40% inhibition. Four active HPLC fractions (11, 15, 16 and 19) showed MBIC values of 0.06, 0.16, 0.10, 0.15 mg/mL, and MICs for pyocyanin production of 0.49, 0.31, 0.76, >0.30 mg/mL, respectively. The active compounds were identified as rutin (1), myricetin, 3-O-rutinoside (2) and kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (4), all belonging to the flavonoid family. Molecular docking simulation of the active compounds showed that all had high affinity for LasR protein which is an important quorum-sensing signal receptor. The results of this study suggest that the active components of P. atlantica have high anti-QS activities and may have the potential for treatment of chronic infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Partially Blocked Amine-Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles.

In this study, a novel technique was introduced for selective surface modification of amine-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles. The method was based on alignment of magnetic nanoparticles in an external magnetic field, which resulted in formation of chain-like assemblies in diluted suspensions. The aligned chains were then modified on the surface via reaction of isocyanate species with the particle functionalities. Finally, after removal from the reactor medium, particles with segmented distribution of surface functionalities were achieved. We named these partially blocked amine-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles as "Saturn" nanoparticles. Application of the particles in fabrication of magnetic assemblies was successfully demonstrated. Using methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) as the bridging agent, structures in different forms such as chains and filaments were produced by the Saturn particles and compared with cross-linked structures of the unmodified amine-functionalized particles. It is expected that this novel nanoparticle with its unique structure will have great potential in assembly fabrication with a variety of applications in biomedical fields.

Ziziphus Jujube: a review study of its anticancer effects in various tumor models invitro and invivo.

The growing rate of cancer incidences and inefficiency of current therapies have made scientists to find novel agents such as medicinal plants. Ziziphus jujube is one of these plants whose pharmaceutical effects have been studied for a long time. Recent investigations have proved that bioactive compounds of Ziziphus jujube including triterpenic acids, flavonoids, cerebrosides, phenolic acids, α tocopherol, ß carotene, and polysaccharides have anti-proliferative effects on several cancerous cell lines and animals. The present study aimed to cover all previous invitro and invivo findings and some of molecular mechanisms of its anticancer property.

Sperm DNA methylation of H19 imprinted gene and male infertility.

Infertility affects up to 15% of reproductive-aged couples worldwide, with male factor being detected in 40%-50% of the cases. Proper sperm production is associated with the establishment of appropriate epigenetic marks in developing germ cells. Several studies have demonstrated the association between abnormal spermatogenesis and epigenetic disturbances with the major focus on DNA methylation. Imprinted genes are expressed in a parent-of-origin-specific manner, and the role of their DNA methylation in proper spermatogenesis has been documented recently. The existing evidence along with the absence of relevant data in south of Iran prompted us to study the methylation of H19 imprinted gene in spermatozoa of idiopathic infertile patients (males with abnormalities in sperm parameters) and healthy controls by Combined Bisulfite Restriction Analysis. According to our results, the lowest methylation percentage of H19 imprinted gene belongs to three cases with sperm characteristics under normal range (two cases Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia and one case Oligoteratozoospermia). However, our results show that the median of methylation percentage for H19 is not statistically significant between case and control groups. Our results and those of others introduce DNA methylation as a potential marker of fertility and should be investigated with more patients in future studies.

EFFECTS OF ARNEBIA EUCHROMA EXTRACT ON STREPTOZOTOCIN INDUCED DIABETES IN RATS: A STEREOLOGICAL STUDY.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered as an important health confounder in our world, which necessitates its better management by new methods. In this study, we have evaluated the effects of oral Arnebia Euchroma (AE) extract on different stereological parameters of the pancreas as well as blood glucose in Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes in rats. METHODS: We divided 48 Wistar rats into 4 groups: C1 including normal rats, C2 not-treated diabetic rats, E1 with diabetic rats receiving 100 mg/kg AE extract orally, and E2 including diabetic rats treated with 300 mg/kg AE extract. Stereological study was done and the levels of blood glucose were also estimated and compared between experimental and control groups. RESULTS: There were significant differences in volumes of pancreatic islets, ß cell populations, blood glucose levels in AE treated groups compared with not-treated diabetic group. CONCLUSION: Although AE did not completely prevent or heal the pancreatic damage, its oral administration showed promising effects on maintaining the population of beta cells, the main insulin secreting cells, after STZ-induced injury and also lowered blood glucose levels compared to the not-treated diabetic group.

Risk assessment of gas oil and kerosene contamination on some properties of silty clay soil.

Soil and ground water resource pollution by petroleum compounds and chemical solvents has multiple negative environmental impacts. The aim of this research was to investigate the impacts of kerosene and gas oil pollutants on some physical and chemical properties, breakthrough curve (BTC), and water retention curve (SWRC) of silty clay soil during a 3-month period. Therefore, some water-saturated soils were artificially contaminated in the pulse condition inside some glassy cylinders by applying half and one pore volume of these pollutants, and then parametric investigations of the SWRC were performed using RETC software for Van Genukhten and Brooks-Corey equations in the various suctions and the soil properties were determined before and after pollution during 3 months. The results showed that gas oil and kerosene had a slight effect on soil pH and caused the cumulative enhancement in the soil respiration, increase in the bulk density and organic matter, and reduction in the soil porosity and electrical and saturated hydraulic conductivity. Furthermore, gas oil retention was significantly more than kerosene (almost 40%) in the soil. The survey of SWRC indicated that the contaminated soil samples had a little higher amount of moisture retention (just under 15% in most cases) compared to the unpolluted ones during this 3-month period. The parametric analysis of SWRC demonstrated an increase in the saturated water content, Θ s, from nearly 49% in the control sample to just under 53% in the polluted ones. Contaminants not only decreased the residual water content, Θ r, but also reduced the SWRC gradient, n, and amount of α parameter. The evaluation of both equations revealed more accurate prediction of SWRC's parameters by Van Genukhten compared to those of Brooks and Corey.

Antioxidant effect of manganese on the testis structure and sperm parameters of formalin-treated mice.

Manganese inhibits oxidative stress damage. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective role of manganese on testis structure and sperm parameters in adult mice exposed to formaldehyde (FA). Twenty adult male NMRI mice were selected and randomly divided into four groups: (i) control; (ii) sham; (iii) 'FA'-exposed group; and (iv) 'FA and manganese chloride'-exposed group. The FA-exposed groups received 10 mg kg(-1) FA daily for 14 days, and manganese chloride was just injected intraperitoneally 5 mg kg(-1) on 2nd weeks. Mice were sacrificed, and spermatozoa were collected from the cauda of the right epididymis and analysed for count, motility, morphology and viability. The other testicular tissues were weighed and prepared for histological examination upon removal. Seminiferous tubules, lumen diameters and epithelium thickness were also measured. The findings revealed that FA significantly reduced the testicular weight, sperm count, motility, viability and normal morphology compared with control group (P ≤ 0.05). In addition, seminiferous tubules atrophied and seminiferous epithelial cells disintegrated in the FA group in comparison with the control group (P ≤ 0.05). However, manganese improved the testicular structure and sperm parameters in FA-treated mice testes (P ≤ 0.05). According to the results, manganese may improve and protect mice epididymal sperm parameters and testis structure treated with FA respectively.

Molecular Identification and Phylogenetic Study Based on the Fusion Gene of Newcastle Disease Virus Isolated from Broiler Poultry Farms in Markazi Province, Iran.

Newcastle disease (ND) is an economically significant and extremely spreadable viral illness affecting a wide variety of avian species. ND can rapidly spread within poultry farms and result in considerable economic losses for the global poultry industry. This disease is endemic in Iran, and despite intensive vaccination efforts in the poultry industry, outbreaks of ND occur unexpectedly. This study aimed to isolate the Newcastle disease virus (NDV) from poultry farms with breathing problems in Markazi province, Iran, and investigate the evolutionary relationship and molecular characteristics of the isolates during 2017-2019. To this end, tissue samples (lung, brain, and trachea) were taken from 42 broiler farms exhibiting respiratory symptoms. The samples were inoculated into 9-11-day-old embryonated eggs, and the virus was isolated from 20 (47.6%) of the 42 farms. Subsequently, RT-PCR was used to amplify partial fusion gene sequences from the new isolates. The amplified products were sequenced and compared phylogenetically to the standard pilot dataset (125 selected sequences) generated by the NDV consortium. As determined by phylogenetic analysis, all nine isolates belonged to subgenotype VII.1.1 of genotype VII and were highly similar to isolates from other parts of Iran and China. Moreover, all isolates possessed a polybasic cleavage site motif (112RRQKRF117), characteristic of virulent strains. Furthermore, the present isolates shared a high nucleotide identity (96%) with viruses previously isolated from other provinces of Iran, as determined by BLAST searches and multiple alignments. In addition, they shared a high degree of sequence similarity but were distinct from the existing NDV vaccines. Therefore, the genetic dissimilarity between current vaccine strains and circulating NDVs must be considered in vaccination programs.

CRISPR-Cas Technology as a Revolutionary Genome Editing tool: Mechanisms and Biomedical Applications.

Programmable nucleases are powerful genomic tools for precise genome editing. These tools precisely recognize, remove, or change DNA at a defined site, thereby, stimulating cellular DNA repair pathways that can cause mutations or accurate replacement or deletion/insertion of a sequence. CRISPR-Cas9 system is the most potent and useful genome editing technique adapted from the defense immune system of certain bacteria and archaea against viruses and phages. In the past decade, this technology made notable progress, and at present, it has largely been used in genome manipulation to make precise gene editing in plants, animals, and human cells. In this review, we aim to explain the basic principle, mechanisms of action, and applications of this system in different areas of medicine, with emphasizing on the detection and treatment of parasitic diseases.

The optimization effect of different parameters on the super hydrophobicity of prickly-shaped carbonyl iron particles.

In this study, the effects of glucose concentration, temperature, and time parameters of the hydrothermal reaction on the growth of prickly-shaped carbonyl iron were studied by using an experimental design to obtain the maximum superhydrophobicity of the magnetic particles. The experimental design was carried out by Response Surface Methodology (RSM) analysis using the Central Composite Design (CCD) method. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) analysis was performed to qualitatively assess the growth of the prickly-shaped carbonyl iron, and Water Contact Angle (WCA) analysis was used to quantify the superhydrophobicity of the resulting particles. The results revealed that the elevation of the concentration and time increased the roughness (prickly shape) of the particle surface and contact angle up to a point, after which it did not affect them. The temperature elevation caused an increase in the prickly shape of the particles and contact angles and then reduced them. The optimum concentration, temperature, and time were 0.75 Mol L-1, 170 °C, and 4 hours, respectively, for the maximum growth of prickly-shaped particles and the maximum contact angle was 169.7°. Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results confirmed the presence of glucose and stearic acid chemically bonded to the carbonyl iron particles. The X-ray Diffraction (XRD) results showed that the carbonyl iron had been not converted into iron oxide during the synthesis procedures of the superhydrophobic particles. Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) analysis showed that making the particles superhydrophobic had little effect on the magnetization reduction.

Smart piezoelectric biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine: a review.

Due to the presence of electric fields and piezoelectricity in various living tissues, piezoelectric materials have been incorporated into biomedical applications especially for tissue regeneration. The piezoelectric scaffolds can perfectly mimic the environment of natural tissues. The ability of scaffolds which have been made from piezoelectric materials in promoting cell proliferation and regeneration of damaged tissues has encouraged researchers in biomedical areas to work on various piezoelectric materials for fabricating tissue engineering scaffolds. In this review article, the way that cells of different tissues like cardio, bone, cartilage, bladder, nerve, skin, tendon, and ligament respond to electric fields and the mechanism of tissue regeneration with the help of piezoelectric effect will be discussed. Furthermore, all of the piezoelectric materials are not suitable for biomedical applications even if they have high piezoelectricity since other properties such as biocompatibility are vital. Seen in this light, the proper piezoelectric materials which are approved for biomedical applications are mentioned. Totally, the present review introduces the recent materials and technologies that have been used for tissue engineering besides the role of electric fields in living tissues.

Oxygen Delivery Approaches to Augment Cell Survival After Myocardial Infarction: Progress and Challenges.

Myocardial infarction (MI), triggered by blockage of a coronary artery, remains the most common cause of death worldwide. After MI, the capability of providing sufficient blood and oxygen significantly decreases in the heart. This event leads to depletion of oxygen from cardiac tissue and consequently leads to massive cardiac cell death due to hypoxemia. Over the past few decades, many studies have been carried out to discover acceptable approaches to treat MI. However, very few have addressed the crucial role of efficient oxygen delivery to the injured heart. Thus, various strategies were developed to increase the delivery of oxygen to cardiac tissue and improve its function. Here, we have given an overall discussion of the oxygen delivery mechanisms and how the current technologies are employed to treat patients suffering from MI, including a comprehensive view on three major technical approaches such as oxygen therapy, hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs), and oxygen-releasing biomaterials (ORBs). Although oxygen therapy and HBOCs have shown promising results in several animal and clinical studies, they still have a few drawbacks which limit their effectiveness. More recent studies have investigated the efficacy of ORBs which may play a key role in the future of oxygenation of cardiac tissue. In addition, a summary of conducted studies under each approach and the remaining challenges of these methods are discussed.

Inducing Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in symmetrical multilayers using post annealing.

The interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interaction (iDMI) is an antisymmetric exchange interaction that is induced by the broken inversion symmetry at the interface of, e.g., a ferromagnet/heavy metal. Thus, the presence of iDMI is not expected in symmetrical multilayer stacks of such structures. Here, we use thermal annealing to induce the iDMI in a [Py/Pt]×10 symmetrical multilayer stack. Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy is used to directly evidence the iDMI induction in the annealed sample. Structural characterizations highlight the modified crystallinity as well as a higher surface roughness of the sample after annealing. First principles electronic structure calculations demonstrate a monotonic increase of the iDMI with the interfacial disorder due to the interdiffusion of atoms, depicting the possible origin of the induced iDMI. The presented method can be used to tune the iDMI strength in symmetric multilayers, which are the integral part of racetrack memories, magnonic devices as well as spin-orbitronic elements.

Pyrethroid-linked resistance allelic mutations by molecular analysis in wild human head louse (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae) populations from schoolgirls of South Iran.

Background: Human head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer, 1767 (Anoplura: Pediculidae), is one of the most frequent ectoparasites infesting Homo sapiens worldwide. Reduced sensitivity to treatment due to genetic mutations, in particular knockdown resistance (kdr) (or target site insensitivity) allele, has led to this infestation prevalence. Molecular characterization of this resistance has a crucial impact on selecting appropriate treatment protocol. The aim of this study was to investigate kdr gene mutations on voltage-sensitive sodium channel (VSSC) among wild head lice samples from Fars province, southern Iran. Methods: Head lice were collected using plastic detection combs on girls enrolled in public schools from 10 counties in Fars province. The specimens were screened in 10 pools (each pool per county containing 35 specimens), with three pools (30%) being positive. Following species identification with valid entomological keys, 350 (68%) out of 514 randomly collected adult head lice were analyzed after their somatic genomic DNA extraction using Sinaclon kit. Samples were investigated by polymerase chain reactions (PCR), and the amplicon was subsequently sequenced. Results: Sequence analysis showed that the sodium channel genes in the pooled ectoparasites had two intron and three exon regions. Single (L840F), double (I836L, E837K), and triple novel point mutations (V875L, Q876P, S879V); the last involving two concomitant allelic substitutions; were discovered in the second and third exon regions of head louse DNA on chromosome II from three (30%) counties. Other exon or intron regions remained non-mutated from the remaining seven counties. Conclusions: The detection of six amino acid substitutions from 30% of examined head lice among infested schoolgirls reveal that mutants are minutely developing. These findings provide further incentive to recapitulate the legitimacy of current control measures and resolve dynamics of resistance in human head louse populations.

Remediation of zearalenone mycotoxin contamination in rumen fluid by phytochemical compounds of Zataria multiflora.

Background: Zearalenone (ZEA), which is one of the most prevalent wheat and corn seeds mycotoxins causes acute and chronic toxicities in ruminants, poultry, and aquatic animals. Among commercial toxin binders, only a few active charcoals have the significant ability to adsorb ZEA contamination; nevertheless, active charcoal is not considered a sound additive by the feed industry. Aims: This study aimed to screen and identify the ZEA-degradation compounds of the Zataria multiflora (Shirazi thyme) in the cattle rumen fluid. Methods: In this investigation, essential oil and different extracts (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol) of the aerial part of Shirazi thyme (at three concentrations of 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/ml) were screened to reduce ZEA contamination conditions (2 µg/ml) in rumen fluid. ZEA-content was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a fluorescence detector. In addition, Shirazi thyme phytochemical compounds responsible for eliminating ZEA were localized by HPLC-based activity profiling and then identified by mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Results: Both n-hexane and methanol extracts of Z. multiflora, considerably remediated ZEA (63-78%) from rumen fluid. According to HPLC-based activity profiling of Z. multiflora extract and LC-MS analysis, two triterpene compounds, including ursolic and oleanolic acids were introduced as ZEA degradation agents. Conclusion: Z. multiflora could be recommended as a new botanical source, and ursolic and oleanolic acids could be introduced as new phytochemical compounds that degrade ZEA.

In vitro effect of some nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors against HSV-1 replication.

OBJECTIVE: The current study was designed to investigate the effects of some nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) on HSV-1 infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Initially, the SwissTargetPrediction server was used to predict the interactions between HSV-1 thymidine kinase and acyclovir, stavudine, zidovudine, didanosine, and entecavir. The effect of each component on Vero cell viability was assessed by the MTT assay. After treatment, the cell supernatants were collected, and HSV-1 replication was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS: The qPCR results revealed that viral titers were reduced 41, 40, 19, 44, and 31-fold in the presence of acyclovir, zidovudine, stavudine, didanosine, and entecavir, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that NRTIs significantly reduce HSV-1 replication in cell culture.