Protection by cAMP and cGMP phosphodiesterase inhibitors of diazinon-induced hyperglycemia and oxidative/nitrosative stress in rat Langerhans islets cells: Molecular evidence for involvement of non-cholinergic mechanisms

The objective of this study was to study the effects of acute administration of diazinon alone or in combination with two phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors with selectivity to cAMP and cGMP (theophylline and sildenafil, respectively) on oxidative/nitrosative stress biomarkers, including nitric oxide (NO), lipid peroxides (TBARS), total antioxidant power (TAP), and concentration of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) in isolated Langerhans islets, plasma glucose and insulin levels, and the activity of plasma cholinesterase (ChE). Examination by different doses of diazinon (15, 30, and 60 mg/kg) in single administration lead us to choose diazinon (30 mg/kg) in combination therapies. Theophylline and sildenafil were used at doses of 25 and 5 mg/kg, respectively. In all diazinon-treated groups, plasma ChE activity and plasma insulin level were significantly decreased and plasma glucose concentration and Langerhans islets TNF-α, TBARS, and NO levels were significantly increased in comparison to controls. The TAP did not change in comparison to control. In combination therapy, both theophylline and sildenafil restored diazinon-induced changes in plasma glucose concentration, Langerhans islets TNF-α, NO, and TBARS concentrations but Langerhans islets TAP, plasma insulin, and ChE levels. It is concluded that diazinon stimulates oxidative/nitrosative stress in Langerhans islets that results in hyperglycemia due to insufficiency of insulin. Altered glucagons/insulin ratio, activated hepatic glucose production/release, and insulin resistance are possible mechanisms. The protective effects of cAMP and cGMP PDE inhibitors in restoration of diazinon-induced oxidative/nitrosative stress and hyperglycemia stress back to their antioxidant potentials that seem to be independent of ChE inhibition.     

A case of dorso-medial luxation of the radial carpal bone in a dog

Luxation of the radial carpal bone is an uncommon injury in the dog and cat. Previous clinical cases have reported palmaro-medial luxation with injury to the short radial collateral ligament. In this study a case of dorsomedial luxation of the radial carpal bone in a 10-year-old female Gordon Setter is described. A closed reduction of the luxation was performed and a conservative treatment was carried out. Thirteen months after the reduction, the dog had a satisfactory limb function, despite the presence of degenerative joint disease of the carpus. A pathogenic hypothesis for this dorso-medial luxation of the radial carpal bone is proposed reproducing the luxation on canine cadavers.     

Biosolubilization of phosphorus from rock phosphate and other P fertilizers in response to phosphate solubilizing bacteria and poultry manure in a silt loam calcareous soil

‘Phosphate solubilizing bacteria' (PSBs) are able to release unavailable P from native and applied P sources into plant‐available soil pool through their solubilizing and acidifying effects. The effects of three indigenous and one exotic PSBs on P solubilization from different P sources, plant biomass production, and P‐uptake efficiency of maize (Zea mays L.) were examined in an incubation and greenhouse study. For incubation study, surface (0–15 cm) soil was collected from an arable field (Inceptisols) and amended with rock phosphate (RP), single superphosphate (SSP), poultry manure (PM), and RP+PM with and without PSBs. The amended soil was incubated in the control environment at 25 ± 2°C for a total of a 100‐d period to establish relative potential rate of P solubilization of added P sources. A complementary greenhouse experiment was conducted in pots by growing maize as a test crop. Growth characteristics, P‐uptake, and P‐utilization efficiency (PUE) were determined. Phosphate solubilizing bacteria generated a solubilization effect on different P sources by releasing more P into plant‐available soil pool, i.e., 14.0–18.3 µg g^?1 in RP, 5.0–9.9 µg g^?1 in SSP, 1.4–4.4 µg g^?1 in PM, and 4.5–7.8 µg g^?1 in RP+PM compared to their sole application without PSBs. The available P from inorganic SSP declined continuously from the mineral pool (after day 30) and at the end 40% of applied P was unaccounted for. However, P losses were reduced to 28 and 27% when PSBs (PSB₁ and PSB₃) were applied with superphosphate treatments. In the absence of PSBs, the recoveries of applied P (in soil) from RP, SSP, PM and RP+PM were 4, 25, 9, and 12%, respectively, those had been increased to 14, 30, 12 and 15% in the presence of PSBs. Similarly, the plant biomass in RP+PSBs treatments compared to the RP without PSBs increased between 12–30% in first sampling (30 DAG) and 13–30% in the second sampling (60 DAG). The P utilization efficiency (PUE) in plants supplemented with PSBs was 20–73% higher compared to those without PSBs. The detection of oxalic and gluconic acids in culture medium treated with PSBs (7.8–25.0 and 25–90 mg L^?1, respectively) confirmed the production of organic acids by the indigenous bacterial isolates. This study indicate that low P recovery both in plant and soil can likely be improved by using indigenous PSBs and organic amendment poultry manure, which allowed a more efficient capture of P released due to P solubilization.     

Molecular characterization of a Squalene epoxidase gene in dermatophyte pathogen Trichophyton tonsurans

BACKGROUND: Trichophyton tonsurans is one of the dermatophyte fungi which invades the skin and hair of human. Several properties of this fungus have been investigated so far. However a few studies were carried out in the field of molecular biology of this fungus. In the present study, we tried to identify the Squalene epoxidase gene which is related to synthesis of ergosterol in this fungus. METHODS: Pairs of 23 and 24 nucleotides primers were designed from highly conserved regions of the similar genes in other fungi. Mentioned primers were utilized in PCR by using isolated genomic DNA of T. tonsurans whereas the PCR fragments were then sequenced. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Nucleotides (n = 558) have been sequenced from this new gene which encodes a polypeptide with 186 amino acids. Sequences comparison in gene data banks (NCBI, NIH) for this part of DNA and its deduced amino acid revealed significant homology with members of the eukaryotic Squalene epoxidase.     

Genetic variability of Iranian strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae causing bacterial canker disease of stone fruits

Strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae (Pss) were isolated from healthy and diseased stone fruits tissues sampled from 38 stone fruits orchard sites in Iran in 2010 and 2011. These strains were tested for pathogenicity and the presence of the syrB gene and were genetically characterized by using ERIC (enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus), REP (repetitive extragenic palindromes), and BOXAIR and IS50 (insertion sequences) primers and PCR. All 78 strains of Pss tested were moderately to highly pathogenic on Loring peach seedlings. A total of 78 isolates of the Pss amplified a 752-bp fragment with the syrB primers. To assess genetic diversity among the strains, genomic DNA was extracted from strains and used in rep-PCR and IS50-PCR analysis. Cluster analysis was performed using UPGMA. The strains of Pss were separated into nine distinguishable genotypic groups by the combination data set of both rep-PCR and IS50-PCR at 73 % similarity level. There was no significant correlation between genetic diversity and geographical origin of the isolates. These results indicate that a combination of rep-PCR and IS50-PCR fingerprinting can be used as a high resolution genomic fingerprinting method for elucidating intrapathovar diversity among strains of Pss. The results of this study demonstrated the existence of a considerable genetic diversity among Pss strains causing canker of stone fruit trees in Iran. In this study, genetic variability in Iranian strains of Pss were established, which will be of immense use in the development of resistant genotypes against this bacterial pathogen.     

Use of IR thermography in screening wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars for salt tolerance

Thermography is proposed to be an alternative non-destructive and rapid technique for the study and diagnosing of salt tolerance in plants. In a pot experiment, 30 cultivars of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were evaluated in terms of their leaf temperature and shoot growth and their ion distribution responses to NaCl salinity at two concentration levels: the control with electrical conductivity (EC) of 1 dS m^?1 and salinity treatment with EC of 16 dS m^?1 (150 mM). A completely randomized block design with factorial treatments was employed with three replications. The results indicated that thermography may accurately reflect the physiological status of salt-stressed wheat plants. The salt stress-based increase in leaf temperature of wheat cultivars grown at 150 mM NaCl reached 1.34°C compared to the control. According to the results obtained, it appears that thermography has the capability of discerning differences of salinity tolerance between the cultivars. Three salt-tolerant wheat cultivars, namely Roshan, Kharchia and Sholeh, had higher mean shoot dry matter (0.039 g plant^?1) and higher mean ratio of leaf K⁺/Na⁺ (14.06) and showed lower increase in the mean leaf temperature (0.37°C) by thermography compared to the control. This was while nine salt-sensitive cultivars, namely Kavir, Ghods, Atrak, Parsi, Bahar, Pishtaz, Falat, Gaspard and Tajan, had lower mean plant dry matter production (0.027 g plant^?1), lower mean ratio of K⁺/Na⁺ (9.49) and higher mean increases in leaf temperature (1.24°C).     

Association Study of rs1333040 and rs1004638 Polymorphisms in the 9p21 Locus with Coronary Artery Disease in Southwest of Iran

Background:

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a multifactorial and heterogenic disease. Recently, genome-wide association studies have reported that rs1333040 (C/T) and rs1004638 (A/T) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 9p21 locus have very strong association with CAD. This study aimed to examine these associations in Southwest of Iran.

Methods:

Blood samples were collected from 200 CAD patients and 110 healthy individuals with no CAD. The association of two SNPs with CAD was evaluated by PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism.

Results:

Chi-square test showed no association between rs1333040 SNP and CAD (X²: 4.66, df: 2, P=0.09). Also, there was no association between rs1004638 SNP and CAD (X²: 0.27, df: 2, P=0.88).

Conclusion:

No association was observed between rs1333040 and rs1004638 SNPs in the 9P21 region and CAD in Southwest of Iran. Key Words: Coronary artery disease, Single nucleotide polymorphisms, Genetic association study, Iran     

Forest Road Detection Using LiDAR Data

We developed a three-step classification approach for forest road extraction utilizing LiDAR data. The first step employed the IDW method to interpolate LiDAR point data （first and last pulses） to achieve DSM, DTM and DNTM layers （at 1 m resolution）. For this interpolation RMSE was 0.19 m. In the second step, the Support Vector Machine （SVM） was employed to classify the LiDAR data into two classes, road and non-road. For this classification, SVM indicated the merged distance layer with intensity data and yielded better identification of the road position. Assessments of the obtained results showed 63% correctness, 75% completeness and 52% quality of classification. In the next step, road edges were defined in the LiDAR-extracted layers, enabling accu- rate digitizing of the centerline location. More than 95% of the Li- DAR-derived road was digitized within 1.3 m to the field surveyed nor- rnal. The proposed approach can provide thorough and accurate road inventory data to support forest management.     

Pharmacokinetics of carprofen and firocoxib for medication control in racing greyhounds

Animals used in sport should be treated as required to ensure animal welfare but any such use of medication should also be controlled to ensure integrity. Pharmacokinetic studies on groups of six greyhounds were performed to measure plasma and urine levels of carprofen and firocoxib to inform medication control advice. Using the standard methodology for medication control the Irrelevant Plasma Concentration was determined as 20 and 2 ng/mL for carprofen and firocoxib, respectively. The Irrelevant Urine Concentration was also determined as 0.3 and 2 ng/mL for carprofen and firocoxib, respectively. These Irrelevant Plasma and Urine Concentrations will allow laboratory Screening Limits, Detection Times and Withdrawal Time advice to be determined and publicised by regulators of greyhound racing. The Screening Limits will also inform Recommended Limits of Detection if meat-containing residues of these medications are fed to greyhounds.