مجله پژوهشهای جانوری (زیست شناسی ایران)
سال سی و ششم شماره 4 (زمستان 1402)

Land snails, known for their exceptional diversity inhabit various environments, including forests. The Hyrcanian forests in northern Iran are one of the most important habitats for this group of terrestrial mollusks. The main objective of this study was to identify land snails inhabiting the Khoshkedaran Forest, a significant habitat in the Hyrcanian area using both morphological taxonomy and DNA barcoding methods. Gathered samples were classified at the family level based on their morphological characteristics such as shell size and color, presence of operculum, and open or closed umbilicus. Subsequently, a subset of 2-3 individuals from each family underwent genetic analysis. Following laboratory procedures, the obtained genetic sequences underwent thorough analysis, including the determination of an evolutionary model, calculation of genetic distances, and constructed phylogenetic tree. The collected samples could be categorized into four families, five genera, and six species. No sequences in the Gene Bank matched the sequence attributed to Caspicyclotus sieversi. Therefore, the identification of this species was reliant on morphological techniques. Being the first DNA barcoding study on land snails in the Hyrcanian forests, this research has offered significant contributions to understanding the biodiversity of the region. By extending the scope of the study to encompass a broader area and employing more comprehensive statistical analyses of snail populations, we can obtain detailed information on the land snail diversity within the Hyrcanian forests. This valuable information plays a pivotal role in the effective management and conservation of this exceptional ecosystem.

Haloperidol is a dopamine receptor antagonist and is used in the treatment of mental illnesses. Morus alba is a plant belonging to the Moracea family. Morus alba leaves have antidopaminergic effects like haloperidol. The purpose of this research is to compare the effect of Morus alba leaves extract and haloperidol as two antidopaminergic substances on the level of hepatic enzymes and liver tissue in adult female three spot gourami fish. For this purpose, the number of 120 pieces of fish in 8 groups including intact control group, solvent control, treatments receiving doses of 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg of haloperidol, and doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg of ethanol extract of Morus alba leaves, they were divided. Medicines were administered intramuscularly every other day for a period of twenty days. After finishing the injections, liver enzymes and liver tissue were studied in all groups. The statistical results showed that There was a significant difference between the level of liver enzymes in the control and treated groups (P < 0.05) in such a way that by increasing the dose, haloperidol increased liver enzymes and damage to liver cells, while the extract of Morus alba leaves, led to the reduction of liver enzymes and protection of liver cells. Therefore, haloperidol can cause hepatotoxicity, but Morus alba extract is probably hepatoprotective.

Piezo1 is a mechanically sensitive caution channel associated with obesity and its related disorders such as insulin resistance. Purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of six weeks of high intensity interval training (HIIT) on Adipose Tissue Levels of Piezo1 mRNA and Insulin Resistance Index (HOMA-IR) in diabetic rats. For this purpose, 20 male wistar rat (10-12 weeks old, 370/25±13/76 gr) selected and type 2 diabetes induced by high fat diet and Streptozotocin. Then, the diabetic rats were randomly divided into experimental and control groups (n=10 in each). The rats in the experimental group participated in six weeks of high intensity interval training of running on treadmill at maximal velocity in exercise intervals for 40 seconds with 2 seconds of active rest interval between) 30 minutes per session and five sessions per week. All rats were dissected 48 hours after the last training session and the blood indices were evaluated using appropriate laboratory methods. The results of the present study showed that six weeks of HIIT resulted in significant increases in adipose tissue piezo-1 mRNA in addition to significant decreases in levels of insulin (P=0.000) and fasting blood glucose , HOMA-IR and body weight . Moreover, six weeks of HIIT lead to significant decreases in body weight . In general, it seems that in addition to improve body composition, six weeks of HIIT play a role in improving insulin resistance by increasing the levels of piezo-1

Due to the importance of the nervous system in the living organism, many studies have been conducted on the development of the nervous system of mammals and other birds,. 63 fertilized pheasant eggs were placed in an automatic incubator and on odd days, from day 3 to day 23, as well as one-day-old chicks, embryo brain samples were taken and tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Morphological studies confirmed the increase in length and width of the cerebellum with increasing fetal age. Histological resultscshowed that the cerebellum in this bird can be seen as a simple projection in the rhombencephalon from the age of 7, which gradually increases with the age of the fetus and at the age of 11 embryos, with more advanced development in the piamater (vascular connective tissue) into the cerebellum, different folias were first seen in a simple form and with a small number, and from the age of 13 embryos, the first 2 branches of the folias were seen. With the increasing age of the fetus, the number and branches of the folias and the width of the base of the cerebellum increased. The first differentiation between white and gray matter in the cerebellum was seen at 19 embryonic years. Like other birds, the cerebellum was located in posterior of cerebral hemispheres, and was separated from the cerebral hemispheres and visual lobes by two transverse grooves on both sides and it has a middle part called Kermina and two side parts called Gushak

This study was hypothesized to evaluate the beneficial effects of Melilotus officinalis extract on blood lipid indices in adult male rats under chronic immobility stress. In the present study, 40 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups of 8 (n=8) including: Control (intact), sham (under chronic stress receiving normal saline), and treatment (under chronic stress receiving M. officinalis extract at doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg). To induce chronic immobility stress, the animals were placed in a restraint device for 2 hours daily for 21 days. The plant extract was injected intraperitoneally daily for 21 days, 30 min before induction of chronic stress. At the end, after deep anesthesia, the blood samples were taken out via cardiac puncture. Blood sera were used to evaluate lipid indices. In the sham group compared to the control, a significant increase was observed in triglyceride (P<0.001), total cholesterol (P<0.05), and VLDL (P<0.05) values. A dose of 100 of plant extract caused a significant decrease in triglyceride (P<0.001), LDL (P<0.05), and VLDL (P<0.01) and an increase in HDL (P<0.01) values. A dose of 50 of plant extract significantly lowered total cholesterol (P<0.001), triglyceride (P<0.001), and LDL (P<0.001) values. Meanwhile, a dose of 25 of plant extract caused a significant decrease in total cholesterol (P<0.01), triglyceride (P<0.001), and LDL (P<0.01) values. M. officinalis extract has the ability to improve blood lipid indices in animals under chronic stresses.

Parasites of two commercial tuna fish including Scomberomorus commerson and Thunnus tonggol were investigated in Bandar Abbas coast during summer and autumn. A total of 84 fish of both species were captured. Based on the results, samples of S. commerson were infected with manogenean parasites, while T. tonggol did not show any of infection. The identified monogeneans include Gotocotyla acanthura, G. bivaginalis, G. queenslandici, Cathucotyle cathuaui, Pseudothoracocotyle ovalis, T. crocea and Pricea multae. Digenean parasites isolated from both hosts belong to the genera Plerurus, Lecithochirium, Ectenurus and Erilepturus. Callitetrarhynchus sp. was the only cestode observed in studied fishes. Obtained nematodes belong to Goezia, Hysterothylacium and Camallanus genera. The highest prevalence of contamination in S. commerson is related to monogenan parasites with 98.72% and the lowest is in cestodes with 0.26%. The prevalence of infection in S. commerson with digenea and nematoda is 5.6%. In T. tonggol, the highest percentage of infection was related to nematods and the lowest in cestode, 59.59% and 12.95% respectively.