Medical Laboratory Journal
Volume:13 Issue: 3, May-Jun 2019

  Apolipoprotein M (APOM) is a novel high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-associated protein involved in the production of pre-beta HDL and cholesterol efflux to HDL. The present study examined effect of 12 weeks of aerobic interval training on HDL-associated APOM levels.               Study population included 20 healthy men aged 20 to 24 years. The subjects were randomly and equally divided into a training group and a control group. Each training session included 10 minutes of warm-up, 35 minutes of aerobic training (5 combined cycles each including four minutes of running at intensity of 85-95% and an active resting period of treadmill running at 65-75% of maximum heart rate for 3 minutes) and 10 minutes of cool-down. Blood samples (10 mL) were taken every four weeks. Two-way ANOVA and Bonferroni's post hoc test were used to compare the groups. A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.              At the end of the 12th week, HDL-associated APOM levels increased in the training group and decreased in the control group. However, these changes were not statistically significant (P>0.05).               This study demonstrated that the 12-week aerobic interval training does not significantly affect HDL-associated APOM levels. However, it is recommended to monitor subjects’ diet throughout the study period to reach a more comprehensive conclusion.       

  Efflux-based systems may play a role in resistance to fluoroquinolones in Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. Extracts of some medicinal plants contain molecules that can act as efflux pumps inhibitors. In this study, we aimed to evaluate antibacterial activities of ethanolic and chloroform extracts of Cinnamomum zeylanicum and their possible synergistic activity with ciprofloxacin against some Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. We also analyzed the extracts for presence of efflux pump inhibitors against the examined bacteria.                Powdered dried leaves and branches of C. zeylanicum were extracted with ethanol (85%) and chloroform by the maceration method. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of the extracts alone or combined with ciprofloxacin and phenylalanine-arginine β-naphthylamide (an efflux pump inhibitor) were determined against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter bummani, Escherichia coli and Salmonella enteritidis using the double serial microdilution method.              The extracts of C. zeylanicum inhibited the growth of all studied bacteria. Synergistic effects were noted between the extracts and ciprofloxacin against all tested bacteria other than P. aeruginosa. Ciprofloxacin efflux pumps in E. coli, S. enteritiditis and A. baumannii were inhibited by the extracts of C. zeylanicum.              The extracts of C. zeylanicum could be used as ciprofloxacin-potentiating agents against some Gram-negative pathogens. 

  In recent years, infections caused by antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus have become a major health issue. It has been suggested that the extract or essential oil of cinnamon tree has antibacterial properties. In this study, we investigated the antibacterial effects of polyurethane-cinnamon nanofibers against clinical isolates of S. aureus.              Polyurethane-Cinnamomum zeylanicum nanofiber scaffolds were synthesized. Polyurethane nanofiber and cinnamon polymers were also used to prepare the scaffold under the electrospinning process. Infrared spectroscopy, electron microscopy and mechanical tensile test were utilized to assess the scaffolds. Minimum inhibitory concentration of the nanofiber against the bacteria was determined using the broth dilution method according to the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. The results of antibiogram test showed that all tested disks were susceptible to S. aureus. Diameter of growth inhibition zone for polyurethane-cinnamon 10% was 41 mm. Minimum inhibitory concentration of the nanofiber against S. aureus isolates was 0.02 μg/mL.              We demonstrated that the polyurethane-cinnamon nanofiber has favorable antibacterial effects against clinical isolates of S. aureus. It is recommended to conduct further studies on the antibacterial effects of this nanofiber on other bacteria.       

  Nowadays, infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria are among the most important causes of mortality worldwide. This has attracted the attention of researchers to seek suitable alternatives for antibiotics. The venom of many toxic species such as arthropods has antibacterial properties. In this study, we investigated antibacterial effects of crude venom of Latrodectus dahli on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis.             Lyophilized crude venom of L. dahli was dissolved in 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer. Protein concentration was determined by the Bradford assay. Then, the bacteria were exposed to different concentrations (31.25-250 ng/mL) of the crude venom. Inhibitory activity of the venom against the bacteria was determined by MTT assay and determining minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC).             Results of the MTT assay showed that the crude venom significantly inhibited the growth of E. coli (31.25 and 62.5 ng/mL), S. aureus (at 250 ng/mL) and B. subtilis (at 125 and 250 ng/mL). In the MIC experiment, the crude venom significantly inhibited the growth of E. coli (at concentrations of 31.25 and 62.5ng/mL), S. aureus (at concentrations of 31.25-250 ng/mL) and B. subtilis (at concentrations of 31.25-250ng/mL).             The crude venom of L. dahli and its components showed relatively strong antibacterial effects.    

  Coronary heart disease has a direct correlation with plasma levels of Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and an inverse relationship with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level. This study aimed at comparing effect of eight weeks of aerobic training with and without green coffee supplementation on serum ApoB level and atherogenic indices of overweight men.               Thirty overweight men were randomly divided into two groups: training + green coffee supplementation (T+G; n=15) and training + placebo (T+P; n=15). Participants in both groups performed aerobic training, three sessions per week for eight weeks. Initial exercise intensity was set at 50% of maximum heart rate but gradually increased to 75% of maximum heart rate in the last two weeks. In a single-blind design, the subjects in the T+G group received a 400 mg capsule of green coffee bean extract one hour before each exercise session. The T+P group received placebo at the same time. Paired sample t-test and independent t-test were used to compare intra-group and inter-group variations, respectively. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS (version 22) at significance level of 0.05.               ApoB, LDL/HDL and total cholesterol/HDL decreased significantly in both groups. However, the changes were more notable in the T+G group compared to the T+P group.               The eight-week training program along with green coffee supplementation has positive effects on serum ApoB and atherogenic indices of overweight, inactive men. Therefore, it can be suggested as a non-pharmacological method of preventing cardiovascular disease.         

  Prostate cancer is a highly prevalent malignancy with a high mortality rate in men. Many studies have investigated the diagnostic value of various genes involved in prostate cancer, but there is no data for Kallikrein 2 (KLK2) and Kallikrein 3 (KLK3) expression patterns among Iranian patients. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the expression of these two genes in Iranian patients with prostate cancer.               In this case-control study, three groups consisting of healthy individuals, patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and patients with prostate cancer were studied. Peripheral blood samples were collected from all subjects, mRNA was extracted after cell lysis, and cDNA was synthesized. Real-time PCR was performed to assess gene expression levels relative to a reference gene (18s rRNA gene).               The KLK2 gene was overexpressed in patients with prostate cancer. KLK2 expression differed significantly between the cancer patients and controls. Relative expression of the KLK3 gene in the BPH group was higher than that in the control and cancer groups. However, we observed no significant difference in the expression of KLK3 between the control and cancer subjects.               We demonstrate that analysis of KLK2 expression is a favorable method of diagnosing prostate cancer and discriminating normal individuals from those with BPH or prostate cancer. We also found that the KLK3 gene is highly overexpressed in individuals with BPH, which might indicate that this gene is not cancer-specific.       

  Medicinal and aromatic plants are sources of natural antimicrobial compounds that could be useful replacements for antibiotics. The aim of this study was to assess antimicrobial activity of Crocus sativus stigma and Cinnamomum cassia extracts against some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.             Antimicrobial activity of methanolic and aqueous extracts of the plants was tested against clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus using the microdilution method. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration of each extract against the mentioned bacteria were also determined.             The MIC of the methanolic extract of C. cassia was 80 µg/ml against Enterococcus, K. pneumonia and E. coli. The MIC of the methanolic extract of C. sativus was 160 µg/ml against Enterococcus and S. aureus. The minimum bactericidal concentration of the methanolic extracts of C. sativus and C. cassia was 320 µg/ml against K. pneumonia and 160 µg/ml against Enterococcus.             The extracts of C. sativus and C. cassia exhibit promising antibacterial activities against clinical isolates of the tested bacteria. Our results suggest that the extract of these plants can be further exploited as potential antibacterial agents against multi-drug resistant bacteria.      

  Schiff base ligands are prepared via the condensation reaction of 1, 10- dimethyl–phenantroline aldehyde derivative with some nitrogen donor ligands, such as benzene ring that have different functional groups (-OH, -SH, -OCH3,-CH2OH, -Br) in acetonitrile. Recent studies suggest that Schiff bases might have antibacterial activity. Therefore, we aimed to synthesize new Schiff base complexes and evaluate their antibacterial activity against a number of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.             Schiff base ligands and their complexes were characterized by mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The in vitro antibacterial activity of the Schiff base ligands and metal ions against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was evaluated by determining minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) using the broth dilution method.             All synthesized Schiff bases exhibited favorable antibacterial activity against the tested microorganism, but the antibacterial effect of compounds 3OH and 3SH was more significant than that of other compounds.             Compound 3EOH has favorable antibacterial activity against the tested bacteria.