Characterization of indigenous populations of cannabis in Iran: a morphological and phenological study.

BACKGROUND: Cannabis is a historically, culturally, and economically significant crop in human societies, owing to its versatile applications in both industry and medicine. Over many years, native cannabis populations have acclimated to the various environments found throughout Iran, resulting in rich genetic and phenotypic diversity. Examining phenotypic diversity within and between indigenous populations is crucial for effective plant breeding programs. This study aimed to classify indigenous cannabis populations in Iran to meet the needs of breeders and breeding programs in developing new cultivars. RESULTS: Here, we assessed phenotypic diversity in 25 indigenous populations based on 12 phenological and 14 morphological traits in male and female plants. The extent of heritability for each parameter was estimated in both genders, and relationships between quantitative and time-based traits were explored. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified traits influencing population distinctions. Overall, populations were broadly classified into early, medium, and late flowering groups. The highest extent of heritability of phenological traits was found in Start Flower Formation Time in Individuals (SFFI) for females (0.91) Flowering Time 50% in Individuals (50% of bracts formed) (FT50I) for males (0.98). Populations IR7385 and IR2845 exhibited the highest commercial index (60%). Among male plants, the highest extent of Relative Growth Rate (RGR) was observed in the IR2845 population (0.122 g.g- 1.day- 1). Finally, populations were clustered into seven groups according to the morphological traits in female and male plants. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, significant phenotypic diversity was observed among indigenous populations, emphasizing the potential for various applications. Early-flowering populations, with their high RGR and Harvest Index (HI), were found as promising options for inclusion in breeding programs. The findings provide valuable insights into harnessing the genetic diversity of indigenous cannabis for diverse purposes.

Microdissection testicular sperm extraction outcomes in azoospermic patients with bilateral orchidopexy.

BACKGROUND: Cryptorchidism is considered to be one of the most common causes of non-obstructive azoospermia. There are several surgical techniques to retrieve sperm in these patients. Microdissection testicular sperm extraction (m-TESE) is a recent sperm retrieval technique which is considered to be a safe, non-blind, and feasible method. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate sperm retrieval rate (SRR) by the mTESE method in patients who have undergone orchidopexy due to bilateral cryptorchidism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, 56 ex-cryptorchid patients, who underwent mTESE due to post orchidopexy azoospermia, were included. Patients with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, Klinefelter syndrome, azoospermia factors (AZF) microdeletion, or chromosomal translocation were excluded from the study. Data were obtained from medical files. RESULTS: SRR in this study was 46%. Patients were divided into two groups of negative (n = 30) and positive (n = 26) based on the sperm extraction outcomes. There was no statistically significant difference between two groups regarding the mean age at mTESE, mean age at orchidopexy, testicular size, and serum testosterone concentration. However, testicular location, histological patterns, FSH, and LH level showed to have statistically significant relation with sperm retrieval results. But, according to our logistic regression, none of the included variable in the model including FSH, LH, histopathology, and testis location have a significant effect on the presence of the sperm. DISCUSSION: In the present study, SRR was significantly higher in patients with scrotal testis and low level of FSH and LH. CONCLUSIONS: Performing mTESE could be recommended in ex-cryptorchid patients with post orchidopexy NOA. Preoperative testicular biopsy seems to be unnecessary while clinical criteria can perfectly define NOA.

Effects of foliar application of humic acid extracts and indole acetic acid on important growth indices of canola (Brassica napus L.).

Vermicompost (VC) is a rich source of HA that improves plant growth and yield indices such as fresh and dry weights, plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, and chlorophyll index value. In this study, the effect of foliar application of HA extracted from different types of VC enriched with bacteria and/or fertilizers, commercial HA (CHA) and indole acetic acid (IAA) on the growth characteristics of canola (Brassica napus) in greenhouse conditions were compared. According to the results, the foliar application of HA extracted from VC had complete superiority over CHA and IAA in most traits except for the leaf number. Furthermore, the highest level of foliar application of HA (600 mg L-1) enriched with Azotobacter chroococcum (21Az) + Pseudomonas fluorescens (Ps 59) (HA-AS) generated the highest height, diameter, leaf area, and chlorophyll index value. Also, the highest stomatal conductance and photosynthesis rate were observed with the application of 600 mg L-1 HA extracted from VC enriched with nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus (HA-NSP) compared to the other treatments. Besides, dry and fresh weights and seed yield under HA-NSP and HA-AS treatments were at their highest rate. Among the extracted HAs, the one extracted from the nitrogen enriched VC had the lowest efficiency. Based on the present study, the HA extracted from VC enriched with Azotobacter, Pseudomonas and NSP is recommended to increase canola growth and production.

Biochemical and molecular responses of Rosa damascena mill. cv. Kashan to salicylic acid under salinity stress.

BACKGROUND: Today, salinity stress is one of the most important abiotic stresses in the world, because it causes damage to many agricultural products and reduces their yields. Oxidative stress causes tissue damages in plants, which occurs with the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) when plants are exposed to environmental stresses such as salinity. Today, it is recommended to use compounds that increase the resistance of plants to environmental stresses and improve plant metabolic activities. Salicylic acid (SA), as an intracellular and extracellular regulator of the plant response, is known as one of these effective compounds. Damask rose (Rosa damascena Mill.) is a medicinal plant from the Rosaceae, and its essential oils and aromatic compounds are used widely in the cosmetic and food industries in the world. Therefore, considering the importance of this plant from both medicinal and ornamental aspects, for the first time, we investigated one of the native cultivars of Iran (Kashan). Since one of the most important problems in Damask rose cultivation is the occurrence of salinity stress, for the first time, we investigated the interaction of several levels of NaCl salinity (0, 4, 8, and 12 ds m- 1) with SA (0, 0.5, 1, and 2 mM) as a stress reducer. RESULTS: Since salinity stress reduces plant growth and yield, in this experiment, the results showed that the increase in NaCl concentration caused a gradual decrease in photosynthetic and morphological parameters and an increase in ion leakage. Also, increasing the level of salinity stress up to 12 ds m- 1 affected the amount of chlorophyll, root length and leaf total area, all of which reduced significantly compared to plants under no stress. However, many studies have highlighted the application of compounds that reduce the negative effects of stress and increase plant resistance and tolerance against stresses. In this study, the application of SA even at low concentration (0.5 mM) could neutralize the negative effects of salinity stress in the Rosa damascena. In this regard, the results showed that salinity increases the activity of antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the concentration of proline, protein and glycine betaine (GB). Overexpression of antioxidant genes (Ascorbate Peroxidase (APX), CAT, Peroxidase (POD), Fe-SOD and Cu-SOD) showed an important role in salt tolerance in Damascus rose. In addition, 0.5 mm SA increased the activity of enzymatic and non-enzymatic systems and increased salinity tolerance. CONCLUSIONS: The change in weather conditions due to global warming and increased dryness contributes to the salinization of the earth's surface soils. Therefore, it is of particular importance to measure the threshold of tolerance of roses to salinity stress and the effect of stress-reducing substances in plants. In this context, SA has various roles such as increasing the content of pigments, preventing ethylene biosynthesis, increasing growth, and activating genes involved in stress, which modifies the negative effects of salinity stress. Also, according to the results of this research, even in the concentration of low values, positive results can be obtained from SA, so it can be recommended as a relatively cheap and available material to improve production in saline lands.

Effect of Different Enriched Vermicomposts, Humic Acid Extract and Indole-3-Acetic Acid Amendments on the Growth of Brassica napus.

Humic acid (HA) is a specific and stable component of humus materials that behaves similarly to growth stimulants, esp. auxin hormones, contributing to improving growth indices and performance of plants. As a rich source of HA, vermicompost (VC) is also a plant growth stimulating bio-fertilizer that can enhance growth indices and performance in plants. The purpose of the present study is to compare the influence of VC enriched with bacterial and/or fertilizer, commercial humic acid (CHA) extract, and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) on improving growth characteristics and performance of rapeseed under greenhouse conditions. The results showed the complete superiority of VC over the CHA and IAA (approximately 8% increase in the dry weights of root and aerial organ and nearly three times increase in seed weight). The highest values of these indices were obtained with VC enriched with Nitrogen, Sulfur, and Phosphorus, Azotobacter chroococcum and Pseudomonas fluorescens; the lowest value was obtained with VC enriched with urea. Additionally, the application of 3% VC and the control involved the highest and lowest values in all traits, respectively. The SPAD (chlorophyll index) value and stem diameter were not significantly affected by different application levels of VC. Overall, the applications of IAA and the CHA were not found to be suitable and therefore not recommended.

Investigation of photosynthetic effects, carbohydrate and starch content in cress (Lepidium sativum) under the influence of blue and red spectrum.

In order to study the effect of the quality of different LED light spectra (90%R+10%B, 60%R+40%B and control) on photosynthetic parameters (photosynthetic rate (PG), Fv/Fm and ΦPSII) of stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, carbohydrate, starch and chlorophyll index on cress (Lepidium Sativum), a pot experiment was conducted under the greenhouse cultivation-without-soil (hydroponics) condition in the form of split plot based on a completely randomized design with 6 replications. The results showed that the combined application of blue and red light spectra with different percentages had a positive and significant effect on all traits. The highest amounts of each of the photosynthetic parameters in the 60R:40B treatment were 12.4, 0.87, and 0.92 (µmol CO2 m-2 s-1), respectively, and the lowest amounts (19.6, 0.39, and 0.44 (µmol CO2 m-2 s-1)) were observed in the control treatment. The highest amounts of stomatal conductance, carbohydrate and starch of leaves which were 0.3 (cm.s-2), 5.59 and 6.44 (mg.g-1 FW), respectively, were observed in the 90R: 10B treatment as a result of red light increase. Furthermore, in the control treatment, the light source of which was the natural sunlight, the lowest amounts of 0.11 (cm.s-2), 1.98 and 1.09 (mg.g-1 FW) were observed. The highest transpiration rate (25/83 (mol.m-2.s-1)) was observed in the 60R: 40B treatment which had experienced a significant increase compared to the control light (sunlight) treatment and the lowest transpiration rate (5.5 (mol.m-2.s-1)) was in the control (sunlight) treatment. The chlorophyll index in the 60R: 40B treatment was 41.18, which showed a significant difference from the other treatments (p ≤ 0.01) and the lowest amount of 25.5 was detected in the control treatment. As a result, it can be stated that the use of blue and red light spectra in combination with different percentages can have various positive effects on the growth and development of plants; therefore, the existence of both types of spectra is suggested. This technology means that a particular combination of LED light spectra can be useful for a variety of commercial greenhouse products, especially the valuable ones.

The growth and development of cress (Lepidium sativum) affected by blue and red light.

Today, the use of light emitting diodes (LEDs) are rapidly increasing in horticulture industry as a result of technological advancements. Lighting systems play an important role in the commercial greenhouse productions. As an artificial source of light, LED lamps can contribute to the better and faster growth of horticulture products such as vegetables grown in greenhouses. In this study, the effects of red and blue light spectrums were implemented and performed as a pot experiment under the cultivation-without-soil condition in greenhouse based on a completely random plan with 3 lighting treatments including natural light (control), 60% red light +40% blue light (60R:40B), and 90% red light +10% blue light (90R:10B), repeated 3 times. The results showed that the application of blue and red lights affected the fresh and dry weights of cress as well as its biomass, demonstrating a considerable increase compared to the plants grown under natural sunlight condition. In this regard, the fresh weight of the plant under the 60R:40B treatment had 57.11% increase compared to the natural light treatment. Compared to the control sample, the dry weight had 26.06% increase under 90R:10B treatment. The highest extent of biomass was observed under the 60R:40B lighting treatment with a value of 1.51 (g per kg dry weight of the plant), which was a 68.87% increase compared to the natural light treatment. Under the 60R:40B treatment, cress had its highest length at 19.76 cm. Under the similar treatment, the cress leaf had a total area of 56.78 cm2 which was the largest. The stem diameter and the number of leaves under the 60R:40B treatment had their highest values at 3.28 mm and 8.16, respectively. Accordingly, a growing trend was observed with 56.7 and 61.27% increase compared to the control treatment. Furthermore, the biochemical traits of cress, the amount of a, b and total chlorophyll, the amount of anthocyanin and phenolic contents under the application of red and blue light were at their highest values compared to the control treatment. The highest amount of chlorophyll was observed under 60R:40B treatment as 15.09 mg g-1 FW leaf. Moreover, the phenolic contents and the amount of anthocyanin were of significant difference at 1% level of likelihood compared to the control treatment. Therefore, the vegetative growth of cress was substantially affected by red and blue lights, resulting in the enhancement of the plant's biochemical features compared to control condition via adjusting the lighting quality and impacts of each red and blue light spectrum on their specific receptors. As a result, the presence of both lighting spectrums is essential for expanding and increasing the quality of the plant. At the large scale, this technology is capable of improving the commercial greenhouse production performance while helping farmers achieve maximum products. This particular combination of lights is one of the beneficial features of LED lighting systems intended for different types of commercial greenhouse productions, especially the valuable greenhouse products.

Topography of gastritis and its severity in 864 first degree relatives of gastric cancer patients.

OBJECTIVES: Studies on gastric mucosal histological findings among first degree relatives (FDR) of gastric cancer (GC) patients are scarce. The aim is to evaluate the topography and the severity of gastritis among FDR of GC patients. DESIGN: A total of 989 subjects who were FDR of GC patients, ages 40-65 years underwent gastroscopies. When no gross lesion was found, five specimens were evaluated according to the Sydney Classification and one for urease testing in order to determine the type of gastritis and its severity. RESULTS: Of the 989 subjects, 107 had significant lesions, including two with GC and one with esophageal cancer. The 864 subjects who had complete morphological data taken from five gastric areas (two from the antrum and three from the corpus) comprised 419 males (mean age 48.5±7 years) and 445 females (mean age 47±6.4 years). The H. pylori rate was 76.6%. Normal mucosa was seen in 6.9%, antrum-restricted gastritis in 7.4%, antrum-predominant gastritis in 63.5% and corpus-predominant gastritis in 20% (both had >80% H. pylori infection) and corpus-restricted gastritis in 2%. More atrophy was seen in the antrum and corpus of FDR females than males. The severity did not differ between those with one or more GC patients' relatives. Forty-nine percent of FDR had atrophy and 9.4% intestinal metaplasia (IM) in the corpus. After the age of 40, there was progression of intestinal metaplasia from 12.2 to 27.3% in the antrum and from 6.7% to 26.2% in the corpus during two decades. No high grade dysplasia was found in this mid-age population. CONCLUSION: Only one-fifth of FDR have H. pylori-induced corpus-predominant gastritis who are at risk for cancer and suitable for eradication. Corpus-restricted gastritis is a rare disease in this area.

Antispasmodic effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Thymus vulgaris on the guinea-pig ileum.

The effects of Thymus vulgaris hydroalcoholic extract on the contractile responses of the isolated guinea-pig ileum were investigated. Contraction changes in the terminal ileum of guinea pigs were monitored using a force displacement transducer amplifier connected to a physiograph. Thymus vulgaris extract inhibited the contractile responses in a dose-dependent manner and also decreased the amplitude of peristaltic waves. It is concluded that T. vulgaris has an antispasmodic action on guinea pig ileum by decreasing the amplitudes of the muscle contractions during peristalsis. The EC50 was calculated as 1.7 mg mL(-1). In guinea-pig ileum the extract led to an antispasmodic effect, possibly by affecting the anticholinergic and serotoninergic pathways.

Antimotility effect of hydroalcoholic extract of yarrow (Achillea millefolium) on the guinea-pig ileum.

The use of medicinal herbs among the general population gives rise to the possibility of therapeutic or toxic effects in patients that use these plants. The effects of Achillea millefolium hydroalcoholic extract on the contractile responses of the isolated guinea-pig ileum were investigated. The effect of the Achillea millefolium extracts at five concentrations ranging form 0.05 to 5 mg mL(-1) was tested. The terminal ileum was removed. Segments were fixed in an organ bath containing in Tyrode solution. Contraction changes in the tissues were monitored using force displacement transducer amplifier connected to physiograph. Each segment served as its own control. Achillea millefolium inhibited the contractile response in a dose-dependent manner. The 50% effective concentration values (EC50) were calculated, which was 1.5 mg mL(-1). Regression analysis had shown that with increasing in extract concentration the effect of extract was increased. The coefficient of extract dose was 0.031 mg. Present results demonstrate that extract prepared from the plant of Achillea millefolium inhibited electrical induced contractions of the guinea-pig ileum when tested in vitro. This effect is dose dependent and reversible.

Cancer occurrence in old age: Results of a population-based cancer registry in Semnan, Iran.

INTRODUCTION: The proportion of elderly persons has increased in most countries during the last few decades, and will increase further in the coming years. A population-based study was here carried out to clarify the site-specific cancer-incidence rates in old age in Iran. AIMS AND METHODS: A comprehensive search was undertaken to survey and register all new cancer cases during a 5-year (1998-2002) period among the indigenous population of Semnan Province aged 65 years or over. Diagnosis of cancer was based on histopathology, clinical or radiological findings, and death certificates. RESULTS: A total of 791 patients were registered with cancers. Of these, 492 (62.1%) were males. Crude rates were 1,310 and 962 per 100,000 persons per year for males and females respectively, and age-standardized ratios (ASRs) were 1350 and 973. Gastric cancer was the most common tumor with incidence rates of 340 and 153 per 100,000 persons per year for elderly males and females respectively. In women breast cancer was the second most common cancer (ASR= 108). In men prostate cancer was the second most common cancer with ASR= 150. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the present standardized rates, cancer is almost 9 times and 7 times more frequent among the elderly compared with younger men and women (30-64). The highest incidence of cancers was in group 75-79 years in both sex and then decrease was noted with increasing age.

Prospective evaluation of a new "paper urease test" for ultra-rapid detection of Helicobacter pylori.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of a newly developed paper urease test (PUT) for ultra-rapid detection of helicobacter pylori (HP) in gastric mucosa. MATERIAL/METHODS: 100 patients (43 men) with a mean age of 57+/-6.8 years participated. Patients presenting for upper endoscopy with no recent exposure to HP-altering drugs were enrolled. Gastric biopsy specimens were tested by the PUT and histology methods, and then the patients underwent [13C] urea breath tests (UBT). HP was considered positive when either UBT or histology demonstrated it, and negative if HP was not detected in either UBT or histology. The PUT was reported at 15 minutes. RESULTS: 87 of 100 patients tested positive for HP. The PUT correctly identified 74 of 87 HP-positive and 13 of 13 HP-negative patients, yielding sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 87%, 100%, 100% and 53.5%, respectively, in this population. CONCLUSIONS: Rapidly available and reliable results from the PUT can facilitate clinical decision prior to patient discharge from the endoscopy suite. We recommend PUT for screening of HP in endoscopy candidates, due to high specificity, rapid reaction, simplicity and low cost. A positive result shows a definite diagnosis, although a negative result needs further diagnostic methods.

Cancer occurrence in Semnan Province, Iran: results of a population-based cancer registry.

INTRODUCTION: suitable information of different cancers in special geographic areas can help define medical programs for treatment and screening of high-risk groups. AIMS AND METHODS: The provincial health authority reported a high mortality rate from upper GI cancer in the center of Iran. A comprehensive search was undertaken to survey and register all cases of cancer during a 5-year (1998-2002) period among the indigenous population of Semnan Province. Diagnosis of cancer was based on histopathology, clinical or radiological findings, and death certificates. RESULTS: A total of 1732 patients with cancers (mean age 59.41% +/-19.08% years) were found during the study. Of these, 936(54.86%) were in males. Crude rates were 124.8/100,000 and 112.1/100,000 for males and females, respectively. Age-standardized ratios (ASRs) for all cancers in males and females were 156/100,000 and 136/100,000 person-year, respectively. Gastric cancer was the most common tumor with an incidence rate of 19.7 per 100,000 people (ASR=27.5). In upper gastrointestinal cancers, gastric cancer was the most common (47.17%), followed by colon malignancies (8.1%, 9.5 per 100,000 populations), esophagus (6.8%, 7.9 per 100,000 populations), liver (2.4%, and 2.8 per 100,000 populations). In women, breast, uterine and ovary, stomach and skin were the most common cancers. In the child population the most common tumors were of the brain, acute lymphocytic leukemia, and bone. CONCLUSION: Gastric cancer alone constitutes one-sixth of all cancers in Semnan, with the highest ASR incidence rate reported from Iran up to now.

Role of overnight rifampin test in diagnosing Gilbert's syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Gilbert's syndrome (GS) is the most common inherited disorder of bilirubin metabolism. Recent data show that the rifampin test can be used as a diagnostic test but there is controversy about its effect on bilirubin level in normal individuals. We studied the effect of administration of rifampin on serum bilirubin level in patients with GS and in healthy individuals. METHODS: Serum total and unconjugated bilirubin levels were measured in 16 patients with GS and 15 healthy individuals before and after a single 600-mg oral dose of rifampin. RESULTS: In patients with GS, mean (SD) serum total and unconjugated bilirubin level increased from 2.15 (0.49) and 1.56 (0.41) mg/dL, respectively to 3.23 (0.72) (p< 0.001) and 2.52 (0.71) mg/dL (p< 0.001), respectively after rifampin administration, and in healthy subjects from 0.69 (0.13) and 0.34 (0.09) mg/dL, respectively to 1.68 (0.56) (p< 0.001) and 0.84 (0.23) mg/dL (p< 0.001), respectively. Elevation of these levels above the normal cut-off levels had poor accuracy for the diagnosis of GS. However, elevation of total serum bilirubin after rifampin above 2.4 mg/dL was 93.8% sensitive and 93.3% specific for the diagnosis of GS, and elevation of unconjugated bilirubin above 1.3 mg/dL was 100% sensitive and 100% specific. CONCLUSIONS: Rifampin elevates bilirubin level to above normal in GS and healthy subjects. Overnight rifampin test may be useful for the diagnosis of GS if cut-off levels for serum total and unconjugated bilirubin level of more than 2.4 and 1.3 mg/dL are used.