Association between ABCB1-T1236C polymorphism and drug-resistant epilepsy in Iranian female patients

Background: One third of epileptic patients are resistant to several anti-epileptic drugs (AED). P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is an efflux transporter encoded by ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1) gene that excludes drugs from the cells and plays a significant role in AEDs resistance. Over-expression of P-gp could be a result of polymorphisms in ABCB1 gene. We studied the association of T129C and T1236C single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of ABCB1 gene with drug-resistant epilepsy in Iranian epileptics. Methods: DNA samples were obtained from 200 healthy controls and 332 epileptic patients, of whom 200 were drug responsive and 132 drug resistant. The frequencies of the genotypes of the two SNP were determined by polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results: No significant association was found between T129C and T1236C genotypes and drug-resistant epilepsy neither in adults nor in children. However, the risk of drug resistance was higher in female patients with 1236CC (P = 0.02) or CT (P = 0.008) genotype than in those with TT genotype. The risk of drug resistance was also higher in patients with symptomatic epilepsies with 1236CC (P = 0.02) or CT (P = 0.004) genotype than in those with TT genotype. The risk of drug resistance was lower in patients with idiopathic epilepsies with 129TT genotype (P = 0.001) than in those with CT genotype. Conclusion: Our results indicate that T1236C polymorphism is associated with drug resistance in Iranian female epileptic patients. Replication studies with large sample sizes are needed to confirm our results. Key Words: ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1), Drug-resistant epilepsy, Single nucleotide polymorphism     

Molecular cloning, expression and enzymatic assay of pteridine reductase 1 from Iranian lizard Leishmania

Background: Currently, there are no effective vaccines against leishmaniasis, and treatment using pentavalent antimonial drugs is occasionally effective and often toxic for patients. The PTR1 enzyme, which causes antifolate drug resistance in Leishmania parasites encoded by gene pteridine reductase 1 (ptr1). Since Leishmania lacks pteridine and folate metabolism, it cannot synthesize the pteridine moiety from guanine triphosphate. Therefore, it must produce pteridine using PTR1, an essential part of the salvage pathway that reduces oxidized pteridines. Thus, PTR1 is a good drug-target candidate for anti-Leishmania chemotherapy. The aim of this study was the cloning, expression, and enzymatic assay of the ptr1 gene from Iranian lizard Leishmania as a model for further studies on Leishmania. Methods: Promastigote DNA was extracted from the Iranian lizard Leishmania, and the ptr1 gene was amplified using specific primers. The PCR product was cloned, transformed into Escherichia coli strain JM109, and expressed. The recombinant protein (PTR1 enzyme) was then purified and assayed. Results: ptr1 gene was successfully amplified and cloned into expression vector. Recombinant protein (PTR1 enzyme) was purified using affinity chromatography and confirmed by Western-blot and dot blot using anti-Leishmania major PTR1 antibody and anti-T7 tag monoclonal antibody, respectively. The enzymatic assay was confirmed as PTR1 witch performed using 6-biopterin as a substrate and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate as a coenzyme. Conclusion: Iranian lizard Leishmania ptr1 was expressed and enzymatic assay was performed successfully. Key Words: Pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1), Leishmania, Gene expression     

The correlation between the endometrial integrins and osteopontin expression with pinopodes development in ovariectomized mice in response to exogenous steroids hormones

Background: The ovariectomized animals are good models to evaluate the effect of different steroid hormone treatments on implantation events and the pattern of integrin expression. Therefore, this study was performed to compare the expression of integrins and osteopontin (OPN) in correlation with pinopode development in ovariectomized mice endometrium which was subjected to steroid hormones. Methods: Ovariectomized mice were subjected to estrogen, progesterone and estrogen-progesterone hormones. Their uterine horns were evaluated for integrin expression by immunohistochemistry and real-time RT-PCR and for pinopode development by transmission and scanning electron microscopic studies. Results: No immunostaining for integrin and OPN molecules were detected in the endometrium of non-ovariectomized mice except in metestrus phase. The α4 and β1 integrin genes were expressed in all phases of estrous cycle. In ovariectomized mice, no reaction was detected in the endometrium of control, sham and estrogen-treated groups, but in both progesterone-treated groups, all examined genes were expressed. There was not any correlation between pinopodes and integrin expression in ovariectomized mice. Conclusion: The progesterone is more effective on endometrial integrin expression than estrogen and differences in the expression pattern of integrins reflect their important and different roles in embryo implantation. The pinopodes may have minor effect in mice implantation or have some delay in their expressions in ovariectomized mice which were subjected to exogenous hormones. Key Words: Endometrium, Estrogen, Integrin, Ovariectomized mice, Osteopontin (OPN)     

Release of phytosiderophores from roots of wheat and triticale under nickel‐deficient conditions

Despite numerous studies on phytosiderophores (PS) there is still an open question whether nickel (Ni) deficiency induces release of PS from graminaceous plant roots. Seedlings of two wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum L. cvs. Rushan and Kavir) and a triticale cultivar (X. triticosecale) were grown in Ni‐free nutrient solution (Ni‐deficient, Ni–) and with 10 µM NiSO₄ (Ni‐sufficient, Ni+, control). Root exudates were collected weekly for 4 weeks and the amount of PS in the root exudates was measured. The response to Ni deficiency on the release of PS differed between species. Roots of Rushan and triticale exuded higher PS in response to Ni‐deficient conditions. Nickel deficiency significantly enhanced shoot Fe and Zn concentrations in wheat, while it decreased shoot Fe and Zn concentrations in triticale. In Kavir, PS exudation was decreased by Ni deficiency at weeks 3 and 4 and the reduced release of PS from roots of Kavir was accompanied by lower concentrations of Fe and Zn in plant roots but higher Fe and Zn concentrations in shoot tissue. The PS release by Kavir was triggered by a Ni‐induced Zn deficiency particularly in the shoots. According to the results, it is suggested that in the studies concerning the phytosiderophore release under Ni deficiency, special attention should be given to different responses among and within cereals and to the plant Zn or Fe nutritional status.     

Canopy cover or remotely sensed vegetation index,explanatory variables of above-ground biomass in an arid rangeland,Iran

Estimation of above-ground biomass is vital for understanding ecological processes. Since direct measurement of above-ground biomass is destructive, time consuming and labor intensive, canopy cover can be considered as a predictor if a significant correlation between the two variables exists. In this study, relationship between canopy cover and above-ground biomass was investigated by a general linear regression model. To do so, canopy cover and above-ground biomass were measured at 5 sub-life forms(defined as life forms grouped in the same height classes) using 380 quadrats, which is systematic-randomly laid out along a 10-km transect, during four sampling periods(May, June, August, and September) in an arid rangeland of Marjan, Iran. To reveal whether obtained canopy cover and above-ground biomass of different sampling periods can be lumped together or not, we applied a general linear model(GLM). In this model, above-ground biomass was considered as a dependent or response variable, canopy cover as an independent covariate or predictor factor and sub-life forms as well as sampling periods as fixed factors. Moreover, we compared the estimated above-ground biomass derived from remotely sensed images of Landsat-8 using NDVI(normalized difference vegetation index), after finding the best regression line between predictor(measured canopy cover in the field) and response variable(above-ground biomass) to test the robustness of the induced model. Results show that above-ground biomass(response variable) of all vegetative forms and periods can be accurately predicted by canopy cover(predictor), although sub-life forms and sampling periods significantly affect the results. The best regression fit was found for short forbs in September and shrubs in May, June and August with R~2 values of 0.96, 0.93 and 0.91, respectively, whilst the least significant was found for short grasses in June, tall grasses in August and tall forbs in June with R~2 values of 0.71, 0.73 and 0.75, respectively. Even though the estimated above-ground biomass by NDVI is also convincing(R~2=0.57), the canopy cover is a more reliable predictor of above-ground biomass due to the higher R~2 values(from 0.75 to 0.96). We conclude that canopy cover can be regarded as a reliable predictor of above-ground biomass if sub-life forms and sampling periods(during growing season) are taken into account. Since,(1) plant canopy cover is not distinguishable by remotely sensed images at the sub-life form level, especially in sparse vegetation of arid and semi-arid regions, and(2) remotely sensed-based prediction of above-ground biomass shows a less significant relationship(R~2=0.57) than that of canopy cover(R~2 ranging from 0.75 to 0.96), which suggests estimating of plant biomass by canopy cover instead of cut and weighting method is highly recommended. Furthermore, this fast, nondestructive and robust method that does not endanger rare species, gives a trustworthy prediction of above-ground biomass in arid rangelands.     

Effect of GnRHa injection on milt volume in recently stripped rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

In this study, the effect of gonadotropin‐releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) injection on milt production in spent rainbow trout was investigated. On day 0, 25 newly matured male rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were stripped manually, and sperm quantity (vol: mL fish^?1) and quality, spermatocrit (%), sperm count (cell mL^?1), motile sperm percentage and motility duration (s) were evaluated. After stripping, fish were randomly divided into five groups: intact; sham (injected with propylene glycol as a hormone vehicle); and groups receiving 4, 8 or 16 μg kg^?1 BW of [d ‐Ala⁶ Des‐Gly¹⁰] mGnRHa. On day 7, the fish were stripped again and the same sperm characteristics as on day 0 were measured. At the beginning of the experiment, there were no significant differences in any of the sperm quantity characteristics between groups. On day 7, expressible milt volume was significantly reduced compared with day 0 (P<0.05, t‐test) in the intact and sham groups but milt quality remained the same (P>0.05, t‐test). The present study shows that GnRHa injection with a concentration as low as 4 μg kg^?1 BW after first stripping could prevent a significant reduction in milt quantity collected 7 days later without any adverse effects on sperm quality.     

Calibration and validation of four common ET0 estimation equations by lysimeter data in a semi-arid environment

In this study, four different methods for reference crop evapotranspiration (ET₀) were calibrated and validated for estimation of daily to mean monthly ET₀ by weighing lysimeter data during 2005–2006 and 2004–2005, respectively, in a semi-arid region. The value of the constant in the Hargreaves–Samani method changed from 0.0023 to 0.0026 for daily to mean monthly ET₀, and can be used in stations with only air temperature data. The constant of the aerodynamic resistance equation in the FAO-56 Penman–Monteith method (208.0) changed to 85.0. The value of coefficient a in the FAO-24-Radiation method was between ?0.5 and ?0.67. Further, the empirical equations were modified to estimate the value of b in the FAO-24-Radiation method and C in the FAO-24 corrected Penman method. The results showed that the modified FAO-56, corrected Penman–Monteith and FAO-24-Radiation methods are the most appropriate for estimating daily to mean monthly ET₀. Furthermore, the modified FAO-24 corrected Penman method was ranked in fourth place and its accuracy was lower than that of the other methods. However, it is appropriate for estimating mean monthly ET₀. Smoothing the daily data decreased the fluctuation in measured daily weather data and ET₀ measured by lysimeter, and consequently resulted in a higher accuracy in the estimation of daily ET₀.     

Elucidate Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Bread Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) Cultivars Using IRAP and REMAP Markers

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - Analysis of genetic diversity and population structure in bread wheat is an essential step in their conservation, utilization, and breeding....     

Surface drainage nitrate loading estimate from agriculture fields and its relationship with landscape metrics in Tajan watershed

Pasture, forest, and farmland are the dominant land covers in the Tajan River watershed and this landscape status has a direct connection with nitrate pollution. Understanding the correlations between landscape variables and nitrate pollutant is a priority in order to assess pollutants loading and predicting the impact on surface water quality. The soil and water assessment tool was used to simulate nitrate loads in different land cover types in different years. The landscape pattern was calculated by FRAGSTATS. The contributing share of each land use/land cover shows nitrate pollutant produced by grassland (5.7%) and forest (29%) are less than those produced by agricultural land (64.2%). Agricultural land was identified as the main source of nitrate pollution. Paddy fields and orchards had the most intensive soluble nitrate loss especially in spring and summer. Statistical analysis indicated that nitrate was positively associated with patch density, edge density, patch number, total edge, effective mesh size, largest patch index, and landscape shape index (p ≤ 0.01). We then analyzed how nitrate was related to landscape attributes in six different sites. Also the regression analysis results suggested that landscape metrics could account for more than 94% of the variance of nitrate in the whole catchment. The regression models confirmed the great importance of the agriculture metrics and forest metric in predicting nitrate in watershed. Defining the generation and extent of pollution in this particular watershed which discharges into the Caspian Sea can constitute an important step toward protecting this ecosystem.     

Physiological characteristics and irrigation water productivity of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) in response to deficit irrigation imposed at different growing stages—A field study from Southern Iran

Iran has been faced to drought during last decades, and one way to overcome this phenomenon is to improve the water productivity by introducing new crops tolerant to water stresses such as quinoa. Two-year field experiment was performed to find out the response of quinoa (cv. Titicaca) to deficit irrigation imposed at different growing stages. Hence, the effect of full irrigation (100% irrigation water requirement) and deficit irrigation (50% full irrigation) on physiological parameters, yield, irrigation water productivity and root density of quinoa was investigated during 2016 and 2017 growing seasons. The result showed that there was a significant difference between all variables in two years. Higher average air temperature in 2017 (2.0°C) resulted in a reduction of seed yield and water productivity (55% and 40% of that obtained in 2016, respectively). Application of deficit irrigation during different growing stages reduced crop height, stomatal conductance and seed yield, while it increased the root length density in both years. In conclusion, flowering stage of quinoa was very sensitive to deficit irrigation, and irrigation at grain filling stage would not help to recover the seed yield. Furthermore, the seed yield was lower than that obtained in other studies performed in other countries using same quinoa cultivar, which could be due to higher amount of applied irrigation water and different phenology under different climatic conditions. A decision on cultivating this crop under semi-arid conditions has to be made considering limited water resources.