Iranian Biomedical Journal
Volume:26 Issue: 5, Sep 2022

Bacterial products have attracted much attention as potential antitumor agents, with the ability to provide direct tumoricidal effects, leading to the inhibition of tumor growth. Treatment of superficial bladder cancer with intravesical BCG has a more reduction potential than surgery in tumor recurrence rate. BCG, the gold standard for NMIBC, is manufactured from different strains and produced commercially with varied strengths. There are a few countries known as the manufacturer of this strategic biopharmaceutical product, and Iran as a member of the Eastern Mediterranean Region plays a vital role in supplying this vaccine. Studies have failed to uncover the exact mechanism of action of the intravesical BCG; however, evidence points toward an immunogenic mechanism that proficiently modifies a biologic response and provokes the immune cells in order to kill and suppress tumors. Among various underlying mechanisms, BCG bacillus attachment to fibronectin through its FAP is a pivotal mechanism for BCG tumoricidal activity.

Inflammatory bowel disease is a group of conditions of the intestine. The gut microbiota is an important factor in the pathogenesis of IBD. Due to a link between the gut microbiota and IBD, studying microbiota changes using an accurate, sensitive and rapid method for rapid detection of the disease seems necessary. This study aimed to compare the composition of gut microbiota in three groups of people, including IBD patients, CIBD, and healthy groups.

For this study, 45 stool samples (15 from each group) were collected. Using real-time PCR, the abundance of 11 bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences was examined.

In the IBD group, the number of three bacterial phyla, including Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, decreased, while the population of γ-Proteobacteria increased significantly. In the CIBD group, the number of Actinobacteria enhanced, but that of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes decreased.

Finding of this study indicate that decrease of Firmicutes and increase of γ-Proteobacteria could be used as an indicator of IBD instead of employing invasive and costly detection methods such as colonoscopy and other tests.

Brain ischemia often leads to the chloride gradient alternations, which affects volume regulation and neuronal survival. Increase in NKCC1 expression and reduction in KCC2 level under ischemic condition results in inflammation and neuronal death. In this study, we investigated the effect of mimic miRNA and CoQ10 on the expression of CCCs (NKCC1 and KCC2) after cerebral ischemia.

In this study, cerebral ischemia was modeled using the MCAO method. Rats were randomly divided into six groups: sham, model, NC, vehicle, and the first and second treatments. In the Sham group, ischemia was not induced, and no treatment was performed. In the Model group, ischemia induction was performed, and other groups, in addition to ischemia induction, received Scramble miRNA, Ethanol, mimic miRNA-149-5p and CoQ10, respectively. Each group was divided into three subgroups to assess the volume of the tissue damage and NDS in subgroup 1, brain water content in subgroup 2, level of miRNA-149-5p and CCC expressions in subgroup 3.

Our data suggested that the use of mimic miRNA and Q10 increased the level of miRNA-149 and KCC2 expression and decreased NDS, NKCC1 expression, brain water content, and infract volume.

Findings of this study suggest that the mimic miRNA and Q10 may have neuroprotective effects through reducing infract volume and brain water content and modulating the expression of CCCS after brain ischemia.

Flavonoids are a large group of phenolic compounds possessing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. NAR is a flavonoid with various pharmacological properties. Using pharmaceutical compounds on skin is one of the routes of administration to achieve local and systemic effects. The aim of this study was to develop a topical formulation of NAR by the preparation of a NAR ME, which was further tested its skin permeability in rats.

Eight 0.5% NAR MEs were prepared by mixing appropriate amounts of surfactant (Tween 80 and Labrasol), cosurfactant (Capryol 90) and the oil phase (oleic acid-Transcutol P in a ratio of 1:10). The drug was dissolved in the oil phase. The physicochemical properties of MEs such as droplet size, viscosity, release, and skin permeability were assessed using Franz Cells diffusion.

Based on the results, the droplet size of MEs ranged between 5.07 and 35.15 nm, and their viscosity was 164-291 cps. Independent factors exhibited a strong relationship with both permeability and drop size. The permeability findings revealed that the diffusion coefficient of NAR by the ME carrier increased compared to the drug saturation solution.

The most validated results were obtained for Jss and particle size. Optimal formulations containing MEs with Jss and particle sizes varying between minimum and maximum amounts are suitable for topical formulations of NAR.

Cryptosporidium parvum is an important coccidian parasite infecting many mammals, including human. This parasite can manifest as chronic severe diarrhea in immunocompromised individuals, especially those with AIDS. The present study reports the recombinant production of rP2 and rP23 antigens of C. parvum as antigens for detecting human cryptosporidiosis using indirect ELISA tests.

The coding sequences of rP2 and rP23 proteins were codon-optimized, commercially synthesized and sub-cloned in the pET28a expression vector. The expressed proteins were purified by Ni-NTA column chromatography and confirmed by Western blotting. The efficacy of rP2/rP23 proteins for serodiagnosis was evaluated by positive (n = 20) and negative (n = 20) human sera, confirmed by the Ziehl-Neelsen staining as the gold standard test.

In ELISA test, the sera from C. parvum-infected patients reacted strongly to rP2/rP23. The sensitivity and specificity related to the diagnostic potential of rP2/rP23 in the ELISA assay were 100%.

Our results showed that combination of rP23 and rP2 antigens in ELISA significantly increases the performance of C. parvum serodiagnosis in human cryptosporidiosis.

Prostate cancer is a major cause of disease and mortality among men. GNT is an isoflavone found naturally in legumes. Isoflavones, a subset of phytoestrogens, are structurally similar to mammalian estrogens. This study aimed to evaluate the anticancer and cytotoxic effects of GNT on PC3 cell line under 3D culture medium.

The 3D culture was created by encapsulating the PC3 cells in alginate hydrogel. MTT assay, neutral red uptake, comet assay, and cytochrome C assay were used to study the anticancer and cytotoxic effects of GNT at 120, 240, and 480 μM concentrations. Also, NO, catalase, and GSH levels were determined to evaluate the effect of GNT on the cellular stress. The culture medium was used as the negative control.

GNT reduced the production of cellular NO and increased the production of catalase and glutathione, confirming the results of the NO test. Evaluation of the toxicity effect of GNT at the concentrations of 120, 240, and 480 μM using comet assay showed that this chemical agent induces apoptosis in PC3 cells in a dose-dependent manner. As the level of cytochrome C in PC3 cells treated with different concentrations of GNT was not significantly different from that of the control, GNT could induce apoptosis in PC3 cells through the non-mitochondrial pathway. 

The findings of this study disclose that the anticancer effect of GNT on PC3 cells under 3D culture conditions could increase the effectiveness of treatment. Also, the cell survival rate is dependent on GNT concentration.

Anemia often worsens the severity of respiratory illnesses, and few studies have so far elucidated the impact of anemia on COVID-19 infection. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of anemia at admission on the overall survival of COVID-19 patients using AFT models.

This registry-based, single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted in a university hospital in Ilam, the southwest of Iran, between March 2020 and September 2021. AFT models were applied to set the data of 2,441 COVID-19 patients. Performance of AFT models was assessed using AIC and Cox-Snell residual. On-admission anemia was defined as Hb concentration <120 g/l in men, <110 g/l in women, and <100 g/l in pregnant women.

The median in-hospital survival times for anemic and non-anemic patients were 27 and 31 days, respectively. Based on the AIC and Cox-Snell residual graph, the Weibull model had the lowest AIC and it was the best fitted model to the data set among AFT models. In the adjusted model, the results of the Weibull model suggested that the anemia (adjusted TR: 1.04; 95% CI: 1.00-1.08; p = 0.03) was the accelerated factor for progression to death in COVID-19 patients. Each unit of increase in hemoglobin in COVID-19 patients enhanced the survival rate by 4%.

Anemia is an independent risk factor associated with the risk of mortality from COVID-19 infection. Therefore, healthcare professionals should be more sensitive to the Hb level of COVID-19 patients upon admission.

Cystic fibrosis is the most common heredity disease among the Caucasian population. More than 350 known pathogenic variations in the CFTR gene (NM_000492.4) cause CF. Herein, we report the outcome of our investigation in two unrelated Iranian families with CF patients.

We conducted phenotypic examination, segregation, linkage analysis, and CFTR gene sequencing to define causative mutations.

We found two novel mutations in the present study. The first one was a deletion causing frameshift, c.299delT p.(Leu100Profs*7), and the second one was a missense mutation, c.1857G>T at nucleotide binding domain 1 of the CFTR protein. Haplotype segregation data supported our new mutation findings.

Findings of this study expand the spectrum of CFTR pathogenic variations and can improve prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling for CF.