Genetic diversity of the Dwarf honeybee (Apis florea Fabricius, 1787) populations based on microsatellite markers.

Apis florea is one of two species of small, wild honeybee. The present study was conducted to evaluate the genetic diversity of Apis florea honeybee from 48 nests (colonies) using microsatellite markers in the South of Iran. All honeybee samples were analyzed for six microsatellite loci (A88, A107, A7, B124, A113 and A35). The six loci had different numbers of alleles in the sampled colonies ranging from 7 (loci A107) to 3 (loci A7, A35). Gene diversity in Apis florea ranged from 0.491 to 0.595. This range probably reflects the spreading of nests in a large region with a varied climate. Phylogenetic tree showed two distinct clusters including a) Minab region samples and b) Bandar Abbas, Bandar Khamir and Qeshm Island regions. All of these regions are geographically rich, having varied vegetation and climate conditions. Our findings are an important contribution to the methods of studying distribution and conservation of Apis florea.

Allele specific-PCR and melting curve analysis showed relatively high frequency of ß-casein gene A1 allele in Iranian Holstein, Simmental and native cows.

There are two allelic forms of A1 and A2 of ß-casein gene in dairy cattle. Proteolytic digestion of bovine ß-casein A1 type produces bioactive peptide of ß-casomorphin-7 known as milk devil. ß-casomorphin-7 causes many diseases, including type 1 diabetes, cardiovascular disease syndrome, sudden death and madness. The aim of the present study was to determine the different allelic forms of ß-casein gene in Iranian Holstein, Simmental and native cattle in order to identify A1 and A2 variants. The blood samples were collected randomly and DNA was extracted using modified salting out method. An 854 bp fragment including part of exon 7 and part of intron 6 of ß-casein gene was amplified by allele specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR). Also, the accuracy of AS-PCR genotyping has been confirmed by melting temperature curve analysis using Real-time PCR machinery. The comparison of observed allele and genotype frequency among the studied breeds was performed using the Fisher exact and Chi-squared test, respectively by SAS program. Obtained results showed the A1 allele frequencies of 50, 51.57, 54.5, 49.4 and 46.6% in Holstein, Simmental, Sistani, Taleshi and Mazandarani cattle populations, respectively. The chi-square test was shown that no any populations were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for studied marker locus. Comparison and analysis of the test results for allelic frequency showed no any significant differences between breeds (P>0.05). The frequency of observed genotypes only differs significantly between Holstein and Taleshi breeds but no any statistically significant differences were found for other breeds (P>0.05). A relatively high frequency of ß-casein A1 allele was observed in Iranian native cattle. Therefore, determine the genotypes and preference alleles A2 in these native and commercial cattle is recommended.

Molecular and agro-morphological genetic diversity assessment of Chickpea mutants induced via ethyl methane sulfonate.

Iran, especially its western provinces, is one of the most chickpea producing countries of the world with the yield about 500 kg/ ha in average. Narrow genetic variability for chickpea is one of the most limitations in conventional breeding approaches. In this study, derived genetic variation among 94 chickpea (Bivanij cultivar) mutant lines produced by Ethyl Methane Sulfonate (EMS) were assessed based on ISSR, RAPD markers in M4 and morpho-agronomic traits in M3 generation. The induced variation via EMS in field experiment, showed significant differences among mutant lines based on almost measured traits. In overall, banding patterns of 6 ISSR primers and 8 RAPD primers revealed 21 (50%) and 24 (42.25%) polymorphic bands, respectively. The ranges of similarity coefficient in ISSR and RAPD markers were 0.62-1.00 and 0.72-1.00, respectively. Specific grouping was carried out by each cluster analysis including ISSR, RAPD, ISSR+RAPD and morpho-agronomic markers based on their similarity matrices. The results showed significant variation generated by EMS based on molecular markers and morpho-agronomic traits. Mantel tests between extracted similarity matrices from each marker system were statistically significant. It could be concluded that the generated variation with EMS as a chemical mutant can be used for chickpea breeding purposes.

Lack of association between the TNF-α-1031genotypes and generalized aggressive periodontitis disease.

Periodontal disease is one of the most prevalent inflammatory illnesses and is a main cause of tooth loss in human population. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) gene is one of pro-inflammatory cytokines which has important role in pathogenesis of periodontal disease. The main purpose of this study is to determine genotype abundance of TNF-α-1031 gene in both groups of patients and controls, and also investigation of relation of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) these genotypes with periodontal disease risk. DNA was extracted from blood tissue of 31 patients and 54 controls. The TNF-α-1031 polymorphism was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction- confronting two-pair primer (PCR-CTPP) method. In the GAP group, the frequencies of TT, TC and CC genotypes were 35.48%, 61.29 and 3.23%, respectively. In controls the frequencies of TT, TC and CC genotypes were 22.22%, 72.22%, and 5.56%, respectively. Results of this study showed that there was no significant association between TNF-α (-1031 T/C promoter) gene polymorphisms and the risk of generalized aggressive periodontitis disease.

Induction of linalool as a pharmaceutical and medicinal metabolite via cell suspension culture of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.).

Cumin is an important medicinal plant in Iran. Plant cell suspension culture is a method for the production of medicinal and secondary metabolites. The linalool is a plant secondary metabolite that has been recognized as a neuroprotective agent. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of salicylic acid elicitor on induction of linalool in cell suspension culture of cumin. For this purpose, the cumin seeds were prepared, to obtain sterile seedling, were disinfected with sodium hypochlorite and alcohol, and were cultured on MS basal medium. This research was conducted in two separate experiments including callus induction and suspension cultures. Leaf explants were prepared from sterile seedlings and used to produce callus on MS medium supplemented with 1 mg/l NAA and 0.5 mg/l BAP. In order to establish suspension culture, the appropriate calli were transferred to liquid medium. Then cell cultures were treated with elicitors. The effects of elicitor on the production of linalool secondary metabolite and cell viability were assessed by GC-Mass and tetrazolium test respectively. For this purpose, the salicylic acid (at concentrations of 0, 1, 2, 4 and 8 mg/l) was used. The experimental design was a completely randomized design with five treatments and three replications. The results of cell culture and GC-Mass analysis showed that salicylic acid had significant effects on the linalool production (<0.01). At all concentrations of salicylic acid, viability of the cells in suspension culture experiments was lower than control. Increasing the elicitor concentrations lead to reduction in cell survival. In conclusion it is possible to produce linalool as a secondary metabolite and pharmaceutical agent in cell culture of cumin. It is necessary to determine the best combination of medium and elicitor.

Hemospermia: long-term outcome in 165 patients.

Long-term course of hemospermia has not been addressed in the sexual medicine literature. We report our 15 years' experience. From 1997 to 2012, 165 patients presented with hemospermia. Mean age was 38 years. Mean follow-up was 83 months. Laboratory evaluation and testis and transabdominal ultrasonography was done in all. Since 2008, all sonographies were done by the first author. One patient had urinary tuberculosis, one had bladder tumor and three had benign lesions at verumontanum. One patient had bilateral partial ejaculatory duct obstruction by stones. All six patients had persistent, frequently recurring or high-volume hemospermia. All pathologies were found in young patients. In the remaining 159 patients (96%), empiric treatment was given with a fluoroquinolone (Ciprofloxacin) plus an nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (Celecoxib). In our 15 years of follow-up, no patient later developed life-threatening disease. Diagnostic evaluation of hemospermia is not worthwhile in the absolute majority of cases. Advanced age makes no difference. Only high-risk patients need to be evaluated. The vast majority of cases may be safely and effectively treated with empiric therapy. Almost all patients do well in long term.

Open prostatectomy for benign prostate hyperplasia: short-term outcome in 3000 consecutive patients.

The purpose of this study was to report the short-term results of open prostatectomy for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Patient charts were retrospectively reviewed from September 1988 to April 2004. A total of 3000 consecutive patients with bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and complications of BPH underwent open prostatectomy in our center. We routinely used a retropubic, transcapsular approach with spinal anesthesia. Mean age was 69 years. Three hundred and sixty one patients were 80 years or older. Mean prostate volume was 71 ml. One thousand eight hundred and twenty five patients (60.8%) presented with and were operated on for acute urinary retention (AUR), and 350 patients (11.7%) presented with and were operated on for urge/overflow urinary incontinence. The main reasons for delayed presentation were poverty and absence of real medical insurance, because in Iran 'insured' patients pay at least 60% of their medical expenses personally. Reoperation in the same admission was needed in 29 patients (1%). Transfusions were needed in 99 patients (3.3%). Wound infection occurred in 37 patients (1.2%). Acute myocardial infarction (MI) occurred in 15 patients (0.5%), resulting in three deaths. Occurrence of AUR had significant negative correlation with duration of symptoms (P<0.05; odds ratio 0.5), and significant positive correlation with positive urine culture (P<0.05; odds ratio 2.7). Duration of hospital stay had significant positive correlation with positive urine culture (P<0.05; odds ratio 1.6) and advanced age (P<0.05; odds ratio 1.8), and significant negative correlation with prostate volume (P<0.05; odds ratio 0.6). Our results are representative of the current status of open prostatectomy. Whenever minimally invasive therapies are not affordable retropubic prostatectomy is a practical alternative.

Characteristics of gonorrhoea in Kermanshah, Iran.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics of gonorrhoea and prostitution in Kermanshah, Iran. METHOD: From 1997 through 2000, 100 male gonorrhoea patients were followed for a mean of 18 months (range 8-42 months). Diagnosis and follow up were made by a combination of history, physical examination, and the Gram stained smear. RESULTS: 4% of patients became infected by girlfriends, 24% by temporary (sigheh) wives, and 64% by street prostitutes; the remaining 8% denied coitus with sex workers. Of 38 married cases, 31 reported unprotected intercourse with permanent wives while infected, and only four of 38 gave prescribed drugs to their wives. 89% of contacts with prostitutes were unprotected. Most of the prostitutes and professional sigheh wives were practising survival sex. Fear of stigmatization and presumed severe penalties prevented prostitutes from seeking medical care, and 26% of patrons reported self medication. An average 84% of prescriptions of standard therapies failed. 31% of the cases remained refractory to all available therapies. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of the prostitutes and sigheh wives in Iran exchange sex for survival. Being uneducated survival sex workers, they accept risky sex behaviours easily. Sigheh wives are an important source of infection. The very high rate of persistent infection despite standard treatments is disturbing. Our ideal is a world in which nobody is obliged to enter commercial sex work. In the meantime, however, there is an urgent need to offer medical care and education to sex workers as needy patients in a safe and unprejudiced environment. Denying the presence of such realities as prostitution and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) because of their disagreement with cant claims and official propaganda, does not eradicate the facts but results in catastrophic public health problems.

Psoas abscess as the initial presentation of bladder cancer.

A 43-year-old man presented with left leg pain and an abdominal mass. Sonography and cystoscopy showed a bladder tumour obstructing the left ureteral orifice. The left kidney became nonfunctional. Computerized tomography suggested psoas abscess. Nephrectomy was done. Tumoral cells identified at cytological examination of psoas abscess but they were not found in the pyonephrotic kidney's pus. The patient declined further therapy and died 3 months postoperatively. This is the first case of bladder cancer presenting initially with psoas abscess.

Quality of life of Iranian kidney "donors".

PURPOSE: The quality of life of Iranian kidney vendors was clarified. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire was completed by 300 kidney vendors 6 to 132 months postoperatively (median 61). Interviews and living conditions were videotaped. In addition, the 300 vendors and 100 controls that underwent nephrectomy for benign disease completed the RAND 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36). RESULTS: Poverty prevented 79% of vendors from attending followup visits, and vending caused negative effects on employment in 65%. Of the families 68% strongly disagreed with vending, which caused rejection of 43% and increased marital conflicts in 73% of vendors, including 21% who divorced. There were 70% of vendors isolated from society, and 71% had severe de novo postoperative depression and 60% anxiety. Vending caused somewhat (20%) to very (66%) negative financial effects. It also had negative effects on the physical abilities in 60% of vendors who were mainly unskilled laborers, and 80% were dissatisfied with postoperative physical stamina, which was decreased mostly by depression. Of the vendors 37% concealed the truth of kidney sale from anyone, 14% disclosed it only to spouses, 43% to first generation relatives and 94% were unwilling to be known as donors. The mental preoccupation with kidney loss was usually (30%) to always (57%) present and interfered negatively with vendor life, and 62% reported negative effects on sense of being useful. Effects on general health were somewhat (22%) to very (58%) negative. When thinking about vending, the majority cited negative feelings. They responded that if they had another chance 85% would definitely not vend again, and 76% strongly discouraged potential vendors from "repeating their error." Half the vendors were ready to lose greater than 10 years of life and 76% to 100% of properties to regain kidneys. Compared to controls, vendors had significantly lower scores on all SF-36 scales (p <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our sample is a good representative of Iranian kidney vendors, with the majority having psychosocial complications. Globally, the medical community should focus more attention on motivations, quality of life, health and opinions of kidney vendors.

Iranian kidney donors: motivations and relations with recipients.

PURPOSE: The motivations of Iranian kidney donors and donor-recipient relationships are clarified. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 13-page 69-item questionnaire was completed by 100 donors and interviews were videotaped. RESULTS: Of the donors 90% did not knew the recipients preoperatively and only 13% had any information on recipient fate postoperatively. In 87% of cases there was no postoperative relationship. Because of recipient failure to appreciate the donors and refusal to realize preoperative promises 51% of donors hated the recipients and 82% were unsatisfied with their behavior. Motivations for donating were purely financial in 43% of cases and mainly financial with a minor altruistic component in another 40%. Of the donors 76% agreed that kidney sale should be banned and if there was another chance they would prefer to beg (39%) or obtain a loan from usurers (60%) instead of vending a kidney. All 6 related donors were paid. The goals of vending were achieved not at all by 75% of donors. CONCLUSIONS: None of the donors studied fulfilled the criteria of compensated donation or donation with an incentive and 97% were vendors. All evidence shows that the donor-recipient relationship in Iran is pathological with no similarity to the emotionally related category of transplantation. Reports by the reformist Iranian press, which have all been banned, show that our sample is a good representative of other Iranian donors. Almost none of the criteria of an acceptable living unrelated renal donor transplant program is met in Iran. The opinion of kidney donors should be regarded as the final arbiter when labeling the act as a sale or donation and it should be considered in discussions of living unrelated donor transplantation.

Open stone surgery in children: is it justified in the era of minimally invasive therapies?

OBJECTIVE: To review experience with open surgery for paediatric urolithiasis during a 10-year period. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The hospital records of patients up to 13 years old and treated between 1990 and 2000 for stones were reviewed; there were 310 patients (98 girls and 212 boys, aged 9 months to 13 years, mean 6.8 years). RESULTS: The commonest symptoms were renal-ureteric colic (26.7%), gross haematuria (19%), urinary retention (16.7%), and abdominal and/or flank pain (13.2%). Because of poverty and the resultant inability to pay medical fees, 19 children presented very late with pyonephrosis (resembling peritonitis in nine) and obstructive renal atrophy in 23. In 18 other patients the delay was caused by the disappearance of pain. Delayed presentation was the most important factor in developing complications from the stone. The stones were in the calyces in 15 patients, the pelvis in 113, the ureter in 56, the bladder in 71, the urethra in 17 and in a combination of sites in 38. The mean (range, median) stone size was 27 (9-75, 22) mm; 80 (25.8%) were complete staghorn stones. Indications for open surgery were a complex stone burden (62%), ESWL failure (14.5%), need for nephrectomy (1.9%), anatomical abnormalities (2.2%), and unavailability of minimally invasive alternatives (19%). All of the nephrectomized patients underwent unilateral stone removal and contralateral nephrectomy. For parents, the cost and reliability of the result were more important than other considerations, e.g. having a large or small incision. The overall stone-free rate at discharge was 95.4% (100% for single stones). In five cases (1.6%) a repeat open procedure was needed. The mean (range, median) hospital stay was 4 (1-13, 3) days. CONCLUSIONS: Arguments against open surgery for urolithiasis in adults should not be extrapolated to children, in whom open surgery is safe and effective. In Iran and many 'developing' countries, open surgery is less expensive, more effective, more dependable, and more easily available than minimally invasive alternatives. At least in such countries it deserves to be among the first-line therapies for paediatric urolithiasis, and urologists in less-developed countries should not decline to offer open surgery because it is almost obsolete in developed countries. Delayed presentation (through poverty and/or unawareness) contributes significantly to the morbidity of urolithiasis.

Penile fracture in Kermanshah, Iran: report of 172 cases.

PURPOSE: Experience with 172 cases of penile fracture, in Kermanshah, Iran is reviewed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Records of penile fracture cases were reviewed from April 1990 to October 1999. RESULTS: Diagnosis was made clinically and there was no need to perform cavernosography in any case. The most common mechanism of fracture was referred to by patients as "taghaandan" (to click or snap when forcibly pushing the erect penis down to achieve detumescence). All but 2 cases were treated surgically and 2 cases had concomitant urethral injury diagnosed by selective urethrography. Repair consisted of a circumferential degloving incision to evaluate the corpora. Because of unavailability of synthetic absorbables, inverted knot nylon sutures were used successfully for repair. Delay in operation did not increase difficulty in dissection or early postoperative morbidity. Preoperative and postoperative use of antibiotics was effective in eliminating risk of infection. There were no significant intraoperative or immediate postoperative complications and most patients were discharged home on postoperative day 1. CONCLUSIONS: Patient misinformation about penile tissue properties is the main explanation for the high incidence of penile fracture. Cavernosography, and urethrography and intraoperative urethral catheterization are not routinely needed, as diagnosis can be made clinically. Preoperative and postoperative use of antibiotics, and a uniform surgical plan regardless of delay in presentation are recommended.

Unconsummated marriage: clarification of aetiology; treatment with intracorporeal injection.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the aetiological factors in unconsummated marriage in Iran, and to report the results of intracorporeal injection therapy for erectile dysfunction in these circumstances. PATIENTS AND METHODS: During a 2-year period, 200 cases of unconsummated marriage were evaluated. A detailed history was obtained to clarify the circumstances of the problem; if simple measures failed to resolve the problem, intracorporeal injection with papaverine +/- phentolamine was used. RESULTS: The main factor associated with an unconsummated marriage was the intense social pressure to accomplish hasty coitus with an unfamiliar woman (some men having had no social contact with their new bride) and in the presence of relatives waiting nearby for evidence of the bride's virginity and confirmation of coitus. The initial problem was then further compounded with resultant erectile failure caused by anxiety about sexual performance. Inability to consummate the marriage was caused by premature ejaculation in 23%, erectile dysfunction in 61%, and a combination in 16%; 70% of patients were able to consummate the union after intracorporeal injection with papaverine +/- phentolamine. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to psychological causes and a lack of sexual education, the social circumstances in which partners are obliged to initiate and complete coitus are important factors in the aetiology of unconsummated marriage. Intracorporeal injection is useful in treating this problem and it should be the therapy of choice for unconsummated marriage in developing countries, where the conditions do not favour psychotherapy and where alternative erectogenic agents are expensive or unavailable.