amir mehdizadeh

Statins are the most important lipid lowering drugs and their protective effects in primary or secondary cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have been well documented. However, various number of evidences have revealed that the beneficial effects of statins regarding the CVDs are not only due to their blood cholesterol lowering properties but also because of their pleiotropic effects such as inhibition of isoprenoids synthesis, immunomodulation and neuroprotection. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a systemic disease with inflammatory properties and micro/macro-vascular complications. Despite the beneficial effects of statins to lower blood cholesterol level, mortality decrease due to CVD and stroke, dyslipidemia improvement, and their anti-inflammatory and anti-coagulatory properties have not well been studied, especially in T2DM. In this review, we discuss the pharmacology, pleiotropic effects, dose prescribing and side effects of statins with a focus on type 2 diabetes.

Primordial germ cells develop into oocytes and sperm cells. These cells are useful resources in reproductive biology and regenerative medicine. The mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been examined for in vitro production of primordial germ cell-like cells. This study aimed to summarize the existing protocols for MSCs differentiation into primordial germ cell-like cells (PGLCs). In the limited identified studies, various models of mesenchymal stem cells, including those derived from adipose tissue, bone marrow, and Wharton's jelly, have been successfully differentiated into primordial germ cell-like cells. Although the protocols of specification induction are basically very similar, they have been adjusted to the mesenchymal cell type and the species of origin. The availability of MSCs has made it possible to customize conditions for their differentiation into primordial germ cell-like cells in several models, including humans. Refining germ cell-related signaling pathways during induced differentiation of MSCs will help define extension to the protocols for primordial germ cell-like cells production.

Because of significant lateral stiffness, high lateral strength, and ease of construction and erection, conventional concentrically braced frames are known as one of the most useful structural systems in steel buildings. However, these structural systems exhibit an undesirable performance that have limited their application. The ordinary concentrically braced frames enter the inelastic phase under moderate and severe earthquakes and in this case, the compression braces begin to buckle and the full energy dissipation capacity of braces is not attained. This study aims to examine the structural fuse concept by application of special fuses at the end of the chevron braces. These fuses are consist of four elliptical holes in every side of the HSS brace member that is laterally confined by an HSS sleeve. In order to investigate seismic behaviour and compare the effect of the fuses, special braced frames with chevron arrangement, without fuse elements (SCBFs) and with fuse elements (FSCBFs) are considered. The prototype models consist of 5-story, 10-story, and 15-story braced frames, which are designed in Etabs software per Iranian seismic code of practice. The inelastic response of prototype models are evaluated in Seismostruct software through Incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) and using seven near-fault records. The study resulted higher response modification factor of FSCBFs compared with SCBFs.

There are different drug-based treatments (i.e., oral or injective) for patients with type 2 diabetes. Pioglitazone and sitagliptin, among oral agents, can affect blood glucose control and lipid profile.

The purpose of the current investigation was the assessment of the effects of adding sitagliptin or pioglitazone (asthe third drug) to the combined metformin-sulfonylurea treatment on glycemic control, inflammatory factors,and lipid profile.

This clinical trial was carried out on 125 patients with type 2 diabetes undergoing metformin-glibenclamide treatment. The patients were randomly divided into three groups, namely the sitagliptin group receiving 100 mg of sitagliptin for 3 months (n=45), pioglitazone group receiving 30 mg of pioglitazone for 3 months (n=40), and control group (n=40). After the interventions, the anthropometric indices, glycated hemoglobin A1c level, lipid profile, fibrinogen, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were compared among the study groups.

The sitagliptin group demonstrated significantly lower levels of hs-CRP(0.53±0.26 mg/L) and fibrinogen (314.08±48.09 mg/dL), compared to those reported for the pioglitazone and control groups. In contrast, significantly lower triglyceride levels (115.02±32.92 mg/dL) and significantly higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (51.57±11.14 mg/dL) were observed in the pioglitazone group in comparison to those reported for the sitagliptin and control groups.

The results of the present study suggest that sitagliptin reduces the levels of fibrinogen and hs-CRP. Nevertheless, pioglitazone has a more significant effect on the improvement of the lipid profile, compared to sitagliptin and combined metformin-sulfonylurea treatments.

Transfusion of red blood cells (RBCs) is a supportive and common treatment in surgical care, trauma, and anemia. However, in vivo production of RBC seems to be a suitable alternative for blood transfusions due to the limitation of blood resources, the possibility of disease transmission, immune reactions, and the presence of rare blood groups. Cell cultures require serum-free or culture media supplemented with highly expensive animal serum, which can transmit xenoviruses. Platelet lysate (PL) can be considered as a suitable alternative containing a high level of growth factors and a low production cost.

Three-step culture media supplemented with PL or fetal bovine serum (FBS) were used for proliferation and differentiation of CD34+ umbilical cord blood stem cells to erythrocytes in co-culture with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs). The cells were cultivated for 15 days and cell proliferation and expansion were assessed using cell counts at different days. Erythroid differentiation genes, CD71 and glycophorin A expression levels were evaluated.

Maximum hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) proliferation was observed on day 15 in PL-containing medium (99±17×103-fold). Gene expression and surface markers showed higher differentiation of cells in PL-containing medium.

The results of this study indicate that PL can enhance erythroid proliferation and differentiation of CD34+ HSCs. PL can also be used as a proper alternative for FBS in the culture medium and HSCs differentiation.

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the common degenerative articular disorders that are related to decreased quality of life. Currently, novel biologic therapeutic approaches are introduced in the literature for OA management. In this study, the clinical efficiency of Dextrose prolotherapy, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and autologous conditioned serum (ACS) injection on the level of pain and function in Knee OA were compared. A randomized clinical trial was directed on 92 knee OA patients. Patients were randomly divided into three groups: 30 were received dextrose prolotherapy once in a week for three weeks, 30 received autologous PRP for two times with seven days interval, and in the remaining 32 patients 2ml of ACS were injected two times every seven days. Study participants were measured through the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) score, the visual analogue scale (VAS), at baseline, 1 and 6 months post-intervention. Both ACS and PRP treated patients showed improvement in pain intensity and knee function during 1 and 6 months pursue; however, this progress was more significant in the ACS group. Dextrose prolotherapy showed no substantial changes in pain and function of the affected knee in treated patients. Treatment of Knee OA with ACS and PRP injections are associated with pain reduction and knee function improvement. Not only, ACS therapy is more effective than that of PRP, but also due to its less variability in processing and less reported side effects, it could be considered as a safe and effective non-surgical alternative for OA management.

Radium-226 is a radioactive element, with a very long half-life of 1600 years, producing radon gas. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, radon gas is the second most important factor causing lung cancer.

The purpose of this study was to separate 226Ra from the soil of high background radiation area by a radiochemical method for using in radon calibration chamber.

226Ra can be used in standard calibration chambers for calibration of radon detection systems. For this purpose, radiochemical method was used to extract radium from the soil with a high concentration of 226Ra. Four soil samples used in this study were selected from high background radiation areas of Ramsar, north of Iran. Equal amounts of samples were gathered from each region and ground. The specific activity of radium-226 was measured with HPGe detector. The highest specific activity of radium-226 (44.8 Bq/g) belonged to Talesh-Mahaleh. After radiochemical separation of 226Ra, the specific activity of extracted radium crystals was measured with the HPGe detector.

According to the results, the specific activity of 226Ra was found to be 94.97 Bq/g. Therefore, the specific activity of 226Ra was 2.12 times greater in the extracted crystals than in the original soil samples.

The results indicate that using the radiochemical method proposed in this study, 226Ra can be extracted with an efficiency of 42%.

Slow coronary flow (SCF) is a coronary artery disorder. Several inflammatory mediators have been reported to be associated with vascular homeostasis and endothelial dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between cytokines and miRNAs in patients with SCF compared to the controls. In this regard, blood samples were acquired from 45 SCF patients and 45 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. Serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were separated. Expression levels of miRNAs and cytokines in PBMCs were measured by real-time PCR. As a final point, serum levels of cytokines were quantified by ELISA. Expression levels of miR-1, miR-133, miR-208a, miR-206, miR-17, miR-29, miR-223, miR-326, and miR-155 as considerable indicators of inflammatory function significantly increased in SCF patients while the expression levels of miR-15a, miR-21, miR-25, miR-126, miR-17, miR-16 and miR-18a as considerable indicators of anti-inflammatory function significantly decreased in patients with SCF compared to the control group. Additionally, serum IL-1β, IL‐8, and TNF-α concentrations were significantly higher in the SCF group than controls. However, no significant differences were observed in IL-10 production in SCF patients compared to the controls. This study provided the potential role of miRNAs as biomarkers for SCF diagnosis as well as suitable markers for monitoring coronary artery disease (CAD) development in these patients. More investigations are still necessary to unravel the detailed essential mechanisms of circulating miRNA levels in patients with heart failure and SCF.

Oleate can be produced through de novo synthesis, which contributes to biological processes and signaling pathways. However, the role of this non-essential fatty acid in hepatic development remains unclear. The current study aimed to evaluate the influence of early oleate deficiency induced by the inhibitor of de novo oleate synthesis MF-438 on fetal rat liver development. Female Wistar rats with an average weight of 200±20 g were subjected to this study. After mating, pregnant rats were divided into three groups and gavaged with the vehicle, MF 438 or MF-438 plus oleate from day 3 of pregnancy for five days. Obtained fetuses were sacrificed and the liver tissues were retrieved. Hepatic morphological index, biochemical markers, and gene expression of hepatic development markers were analyzed using Hematoxylin-Eosine, spectrometry, and real-time PCR techniques, respectively. Relatively, deficient morphological indices and hepatic maturation markers were observed in fetus livers of the inhibitor-treated group. In comparison to the other two groups, total hepatic protein and glycogen content were increased with treatment of MF-438 plus oleate. Hepatocyte nuclear factor 1α, alpha fetoprotein, albumin, and cytochrome P450 gene expression were also significantly increased in the group treated with both MF-438 and oleate. Our data indicate that oleate availability during early embryo development is linked with fetal rat liver development.

Inflammatory and obstructive tonsillar diseases are among the most common diseases in childhood, and tonsillectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures in children. Current evidence indicates the potential association between cholesterol and inflammation. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of serum and tonsillar cholesterol in children undergoing tonsillectomy by gas-liquid chromatography. Eighty six children with an average age of 7.02±0.24 who referred to Tabriz Children's Hospital were studied with signs of infection and large tonsils. Tonsillectomy was performed and tissues were evaluated by using hematoxylin-eosin technique. The sampling process lasted for one year from February 2010 to 2011. Patients were divided in two groups of hyperplasia (n=48) and chronic tonsillitis (n=38). The cholesterol content of serum and tonsillar tissues were extracted and measured by gas-liquid chromatography. Findings: There was no significant difference in serum cholesterol between the two groups (P=0.32). However, the tonsillar cholesterol level in the chronic tonsillitis group was higher than the hyperplasia group (P=0.038). In the chronic tonsillitis group, the level of tonsillar cholesterol in the pathological grade 4 was significantly higher than other grades (P=0.009). The level of tissue cholesterol in children with chronic tonsillitis was higher than those with tonsillar hyperplasia and this level was higher in tonsillitis with higher pathological grade.

Type 2 diabetes is a group of heterogeneous disorders characterized by various degrees of insulin resistance, impaired insulin secretion, and increased glucose production. Sugar substitute are known as a food additive that provides a sweet taste like sugar without excess energy. Some sugar substitutes are naturally produced, and others are synthesized. Those resources which are not natural are generally called artificial sweeteners.

The present study was carried out to assess the effects of artificial sweeteners in diabetic patients by considering the level of blood sugar before and after intervention.

A total of 30 patients were included in this clinical trial. The patients were asked not to use the artificial sweeteners for 3 months and then were asked to consume diabetic especial diet containing artificial sweeteners such as sugar, biscuit and candy under the supervision of food specialist for the next three months.

The average Fasting blood glucose of diabetic patients increased from (121.03±25.3 mg/dl) to (152 ± 42 mg/dl) at the end of second trimester. Also, two hours postprandial glucose test showed a significant increase from (164.4±44.4 mg/dL) to (222±72 mg/dL). Interestingly, the average of HbA1C levels increased since (6.89 ± 0.9%) to (7.40 ±1.2%) at the end of second trimesters.

The results indicated that consuming food gradients containing artificial sweeteners may increase blood sugar in diabetic patients.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental diseases in children. Fatty acids are important components of nerve cell myelin. Essential fatty acid deficiency leads to behavioral abnormalities similar to nervous disorders, such as ADHD. The purpose of this study was to determine the composition of fatty acids in plasma phospholipids and whole erythrocyte in the ADHD boys.
This is a case-control study in which 36 boys with ADHD and 37 boys without ADHD -aged 6-12 years- were participated. ADHD children were diagnosed with clinical diagnosis and psychiatric questionnaires by a psychiatrist. Then fatty acids of plasma phospholipids and whole erythrocyte were extracted.
The mean content of sum of saturated fatty acids (P=0.004) and arachidonic acid (P Fatty acid composition of plasma phospholipids and RBC in the ADHD children differed from that of the non-ADHD children.

Cancer cells are critically correlated with lipid molecules, particularly fatty acids, as structural blocks for membrane building, energy sources, and related signaling molecules. Therefore, cancer progression is in direct correlation with fatty acid metabolism. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential effects of common chemotherapeutic agents on the lipid metabolism of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) cells, with a focus on alterations in cellular fatty acid contents.
Human HepG2 and SW480 cell lines as HCC and CRC cells were respectively cultured in RPMI-1640 medium supplemented with non-toxic doses of 5-fluorouracil and doxorubicin for 72 hours. Oil Red O dye was used to estimate intracellular lipid vacuole intensity. Fatty acid analysis of isolated membrane phospholipids and cytoplasmic triglycerides (TG) was performed by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) technique.
Oil red O staining represented significantly higher lipid accumulation and density in cancer cells after exposure to the chemotherapeutic agents as compared to non-treated control cells. Doxorubicin and 5-fluorouracil treatment promoted the channeling of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) from phospholipids to triglyceride pool in both HepG2 (.91% and .50%, P Our data showed that common chemotherapeutic agents of HCC and CRC can induce significant changes in cellular lipid accumulation and distribution of fatty acids through producing highly saturated and unsaturated lipid droplets and membrane lipids, respectively. These metabolic side effects may be associated with gastrointestinal cancers treatment failure.

The aim was to determine whether secretory phospholipase-A2 (sPLA2) activity and fatty acids in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are correlated with liver enzymes tests.
CSF and serum samples were collected from 49 patients (age 18-65) as part of routine diagnostic testing. Along with serum liver enzymes aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), the fatty acid composition of CSF was measured by gas liquid chromatography. CSF enzyme activities of sPLA2 were measured using the standard assay with diheptanoyl thio-phosphatidylcholin as substrate.
The saturated fatty acids (SFAs) including palmitic acid and stearic acid were positively, and the unsaturated fatty acids including oleic acid and linoleic acid were negatively correlated with liver enzymes tests. In regression analysis with adjustment for body mass index (BMI), the elevated liver enzymes tests were positively associated with activity of sPLA2 (β > 0.31, P 0.38, P CSF activity of sPLA2 and fatty acids may be linked to peripheral markers of liver function, suggesting an indirect impact of central fatty acids on hepatocytes function and metabolism.

Endometriosis, a common chronic inflammatory disorder, is definedby the atypical growth of endometrium- like tissue outside of the uterus. Secretoryphospholipase A2 group IIa (sPLA2-IIa) and fatty acid binding protein4 (FABP4)play several important roles in the inflammatory diseases.

Due to reported potential anti-inflammatory effects of ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on fatty acid binding protein 4 and extracellular secretory phospholipase A2IIa in cultured endometrial cells.

Ectopic and eutopic endometrial tissues obtained from 15 women were snap frozen. After thawing and tissue digestion, primary mixed stromal and endometrial epithelial cell culture was performed for 8 days in culture mediums supplemented with normal and high ratios of ω-3 and ω-6 PUFA. sPLA2-IIa in the culture medium and FABP4 level was determined using enzyme immuno assay (EIA) technique.

Within ectopic endometrial cells group, the level of cellular FABP4 and extracellular sPLA2-IIa were remarkably increased under high ω-3 PUFA exposure compared with control condition (p=0.014 and p=0.04 respectively).

ω-3 PUFAs may increase the level of cellular FABP4 and extracellular sPLA2-IIa in ectopic endometrial cells, since sPLAIIa and FABP4 may affect endometriosis via several mechanisms, more relevant studies are encouraged to know the potential effect of increased cellular FABP4 and extracellular sPLA2-IIa on endometriosis.

Paraoxonase-3 (PON3), as a high density lipoprotein (HDL)-associated lactonase, is capable of preventing the oxidative modification of low density lipoprotein (LDL). PON3 activity in follicular fluid (FF) is three times more than its activity in serum. However, the detailed role of PON3 in women’s fertility remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between PON3 activity in the FF of women undergoing assisted reproductive technique (ART), in vitro fertilization (IVF), or intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). This cross-sectional study consisted of 50 women from couples with male factor infertility (MFI) or with female factor infertility (FFI). The FF samples were obtained during the ART intervention. PON3 activity, HDL cholesterol (HDL C), total antioxidant status (TAS) and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined. The morphology of the embryo was determined using embryo cell number (ECN) and embryo fragmentation score (EFS). In addition, fertilization rate (FR) was used an oocyte fertilization index. Of 50 women, 20 women belonged to FFI group and the remaining 30 women belonged to MFI group. PON3 activity in FF of women in FFI group was significantly lower (p<0.05) in comparison with corresponding value in MFI group. The value of PON3 activity/MDA in the FFI group was lower than that in MFI group. Moreover, MDA level in the FF of FFI group was significantly higher (p<0.05) than its concentration in MFI group. Meanwhile, no significant difference was found in HDL-C concentration and TAS of both groups. No significant correlation was observed between the ECN and FF biochemical parameters. There was also a negative correlation between FR and MDA (r=-0.42, p=0.02), whereas a positive relation between FR with PON3 activity (r=0.59, p=0.004), HDL-C (r=0.35, p=0.04) and PON3/MDA (r=0.59, p=0.001). According to the results of this study, PON3 activity level as a key component of antioxidant system in FF may directly be associated with the success rate of ART and fertilization rate in women.

N,N-Diethyl meta Toluamide (DEET) is an insect repellent agent that contrary to its benefits, if is used in formulations with high skin permeation, will produce side effects of different severity. This study attempted to achieve a semi-solid DEET containing formulation with good appearance, sufficient spreadity, suitable viscosity for tube and jar filling, compatible pH with skin, reasonable stability, longer release time, and the less skin permeation. To obtain such a formulation, three types of DEET containing semi solids including gels (hydrophile), creams (emulsion) and ointments (lipophile), and their characteristics were compared with each other and with Off! Brand. Results showed that one of the prepared creams with the proper viscosity, stability, appearance and spreadity, had the least drug release in six hours and less skin permeation of DEET as compared with Off!. Hence the preparation was introduced as the optimal formulation.

Fatty acids are known to be critically important in multiple biological functions. Phospholipid fatty acids of follicular fluid, an important microenvironment for the development of oocytes, may contribute to the women’s fertility and the efficacy of assisted reproduction techniques. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of fatty acid composition of follicular fluid phospholipids on women undergoing assisted reproductive techniques. Follicular fluid samples were obtained from 100 patients, referred to Tabriz Alzahra Hospital. Seventy-nine subjects underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) and the remaining 21 underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Total lipid of follicular fluid was extracted and fatty acids were analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. Saturated fatty acids (SFA, P = 0.002) and the ratio of SFA to polyunsaturated fatty acids (P = 0.001) were correlated negatively with a number of mature oocytes after age adjustment. Linoleic acid (P = 0.006) was positively correlated, while the level of arachidonic acid was negatively correlated with fertility percentage after adjustment for body mass index, sperm count, sperm motility. Since phospholipids are one of the major components of lipid metabolism, the results of this study highlight the importance of this component in follicular fluid lipid metabolism. Consequently, it is proposed as an index in determination of the rate of success in assisted reproductive techniques such as IVF/ICSI.

The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, also known as the MEK/ERK1/2 kinase cascade, has recently been implicated in the regulation of lipid metabolism and fatty liver disease. However, its functional effect on cellular fatty acid composition is unknown. Herein, we examined the effect of a pharmacological inhibitor of MEK, the upstream kinase activator of ERK1/2, on fatty acid composition of hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2. HepG2 cells cultured in RPMI-1640 were exposed to the commonly used ERK1/2 pathway inhibitor PD98059 and were investigated with respect to fatty acid composition by gas-liquid chromatography. Exposure of cells to the ERK1/2 pathway inhibitor induced an increase in monounsaturated fatty acids and the fatty acid desaturation index and a decrease in polyunsaturated fatty acid content. Specifically, we showed a significant increase of oleic acid (18:1n‑9; +29%, P=0.003) and arachidonic acid (20:4n‑6)/linoleic acid (18:2n‑6) ratio (3.5-fold; P<0.001) in HepG2 cells. Cellular fatty acid composition of HepG2 cells appeared to be differentially regulated by ERK1/2 pathway, thus suggesting related metabolic pathways as potential mediators of the effects of ERK1/2 signaling on hepatic fatty acid composition.

Endometriosis is a common chronic inflammation which leads to infertility and chronic pelvic pain in affected women. Secretory phospholipase A2 type IIa (sPLA2IIa) is an acute phase reactant that is markedly increased in inflammatory disorders. To assess the effects of? -3 and? -6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) administration in endometrial cells culture on sPLA2IIa level and cell survival comparing homolog ectopic versus eutopic endometrial cells from endometriosis patients. In this experimental study, ectopic and eutopic endometrial tissue samples obtained from 15 endometriosis patients were immediately frozen. After thawing and tissue digestion, mixed stromal and endometrial gland cells were cultured for 8 days in three different culture media; balanced? -3/?-6, high? -3 and high? -6 PUFAs ratio. Cell survival was measured using 2, 3-bis (2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-5-(phenylamino) carbonyl-2H- tetrazolium hydroxide (XTT) method and sPLA2IIa level assessed with ELISA technique. The sPLA2IIa level was significantly higher in the ectopic endometrial cell culture compared to the eutopic group for each of the three matched treatments (balanced, high? -3 and high? -6). Also the sPLA2IIa level in the ectopic endometrial cell group was remarkably increased by each of the three PUFAs treatments compared to control condition (p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.05 respectively). Cell survival in the eutopic group was significantly decreased by high? -6 culturing compared to control medium (p<0.05). The increase in sPLA2IIa level in ectopic endometrial cells by fatty acid treatments (especially high? -3), strengthens the hypothesis that PUFAs stimulate secretion of cytokines leading to increased sPLA2IIa level.

Endometriosis is a common chronic inflammation causing major problems including infertility. The role of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids as their potential anti-inflammatory effects in endometriosis needs to be further explored. The objective of this study was to compare serum phospholipid fatty acid profile in endometriosis patients with controls, and to explore the correlation of this profile with the severity of the disease. Sixty-four endometriosis patients and 74 control women, in reproductive age, participated in this study. Among the endometriosis patients, 19 cases were in stage I, 27 cases in stage II, 8 cases in stage III, and 10 cases in stage IV. Each patient underwent laparoscopy. Before surgery, 5 ml of blood was obtained. After extraction of the total lipids, serum total phospholipid fraction was isolated by thin layer chromatography. Fatty acid composition of the phospholipid fraction was determined by gas chromatography and the resulted profile was compared in endometriosis patients and controls. The profile was also compared in the endometriosis group based on the severity of disease. Stearic acid was significantly lower in the endometriosis group as compared to controls (P= 0.030). No other fatty acid compositions were significantly different between patients and controls. Serum ratio of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) to arachidonic acid (AA) was in reasonable correlation with the severity of endometriosis (r = 0.34, P = 0.006). According to these findings, levels of fatty acids in serum total phospholipids seem not to be a marker for endometriosis, but the EPA to AA ratio was a relevant factor indicating severity of illness.

Recent findings have shown that coronary arteries free from epicardial adipose tissue are protected against atherosclerosis progress. The adipose tissues with high atherogenic property have high exchange rate of fatty acids with the vicinity arteries wall. Moreover, composition of the lipids in diet has been found to determine the diversity and amount of fatty acids in the adipose tissue. Considering the different atherogenic properties of various fatty acids, the present study aimed at evaluating the effect of high cholesterol diet on epicardial adipose tissues fatty acids profile in rabbits. Sixteen New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into two equal groups. The control group received normal standard diet, whereas the study group was fed with the high cholesterol diet for two months. At the end of the study, the rabbits were anesthetized, 1-5 mg of the epicardial adipose tissue was removed and fatty acids composition of adipose tissues was determined by gas chromatography. High cholesterol diet caused a significant increase in LDL and triglyceride and a marked decrease in HDL. After two months, in the epicardial adipose tissue, fatty acids 16:0, 18:1t and SFA showed a significant increase (P<0.05), whereas fatty acids 12:0, 18:1, 18:2, 18:3, MUFA, PUFA, ω3 and ω6 had a significant decrease (P<0.05). Consumption of high cholesterol diet for two months resulted in a significant increase in atherogenic fatty acids and a decrease in anti-atherogenic fatty acids in the epicardial adipose tissue.

A fast, accurate, sensitive, selective and reliable method using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry was developed and validated for the determination of finasteride in human plasma. After protein precipitation with perchloric acid, satisfactory separation was achieved on a Zorbax Eclipse® C8 analytical column using a mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile, 2 mM ammonium formate buffer (58:42, pH adjusted at 2.5 using formic acid); the flow rate was 0.25 mLmin-1 and the column oven was set to 50°C. Tamoxifen citrate was used as internal standard. This method involved the use of [M +H]+ ions of finasteride and IS at m/z 373 and 372 respectively with the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The calibration curve was linear over the range of 0.1–60 ng mL−1. The limit of quantification for finasteride in plasma was 0.1 ng mL−1. The intra-day and inter-day repeatability (precision) were 2.68-13.87% and 2.14-14.69% respectively. Intra-day and inter-day accuracy were 98-101.57% and 99.7-110%. The assay method has been successfully used to estimate the pharmacokinetics of finasteride after oral administration of a 5 mg tablet of finasteride in 12 healthy volunteers.

Peroxisome proliferative-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear receptors that involved in cellular lipid metabolism and differentiation. The subtype? of the PPAR family (PPAR?) plays important roles in physiologic functions of ovaries. To determine correlation between PPAR? protein level in granulosa cells and pregnancy rate in women undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. In this cross-sectional study, twenty-five samples of granulosa cells were collected from women referred to an IVF treatment center. PPAR? protein expression level in granulosa cells was determined in comparison with? -actin level as control gene with Western blot test. Laboratory pregnancy was determined by a rise in blood? -hCG level fourteen days after embryo transfer. Correlation analyses were used to test for associations between the oocytes and pregnancy occurrence as outcome variables and PPAR? protein expression level. Correlation analysis indicated that there was no significant relationship between granulosa cells PPAR? protein level with IVF parameters including number of matured oocytes and the ratio of fertilized to matured oocytes. Comparison of granulosa cells PPAR? protein level with positive and negative laboratory pregnancy revealed also no significant relationship. According to the results of this study, PPAR? protein level in granulosa cells could not be directly correlated to the success rate of IVF.

Follicular fluid (FF) plays an important role in oocytes and embryo development, which may contribute to IVF/ICSI success rate. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) level in FF and the success rate of IVF/ICSI. In a cross-sectional study, FF samples, FF samples were obtained from 100 patients referred to Tabriz Alzahra Hospital. Seventy-nine subjects underwent IVF and the remaining 21 underwent ICSI. The levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), apolipoprotein A-I and CETP were measured using enzymatic, turbidometric and ELISA methods respectively. Analysis of the subgroups with different levels of CETP showed a significant lower level of CETP in the subgroup with the lowest number of mature oocytes (p<0.05). The level of CETP was also considerably lower (18%, p=0.05) in subjects with<50% oocytes fertilization ratio than subjects with >70% of this ratio. While no association was found for pregnancy, the amount of CETP in FF was associated positively to the maturity and the percentage of oocyte fertilization.