Preventive effect of zinc against cadmium-induced oxidative stress in the rat testis

The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant role of zinc (Zn) in the Cd-exposed testes of Wistar rats. Subchronic exposure to Cd (CdCl(2), 40 mg/l, per os) for 30 days resulted in a significant reduction in growth rate (-11%) and relative weights of testes (-36%) and seminal vesicles (-80%). Treated rats displayed a decrease in testicular and plasma testosterone levels, respectively (-70%, P<0.05; -48%, P<0.05), epididymal sperm count (-22%, P<0.05), and spermatozoa motility (-35%, P<0.05). In contrast, Cd increased the malondialdehyde (+46%, P<0.05), metallothionein (+200%, P<0.05), and 8-oxodGuo concentrations (+71%, P<0.05) in the testis. In the gonad, Cd decreased the GPx (-30%, P<0.05), CAT (-32%, P<0.05), mitochondrial Mn-SOD (-34%, P<0.05), and cytosolic CuZn-SOD (-32%, P<0.05) activities. Zinc supplementation (ZnCl(2), 40 mg/l, per os) in the Cd-exposed rats restored the activities of GPx, CuZn-SOD, and Mn-SOD in the testes to the levels of the control group. Moreover, zinc administration was capable of reducing the elevated levels of malondialdehyde in the testis. Interestingly, zinc supplementation attenuated DNA oxidation induced by Cd in the gonad and restored the testosterone level and sperm count to the levels of the control group. Zinc administration minimized oxidative damage and reversed the impairment of spermatogenesis and testosterone production induced by Cd in the rat testis.     

Distribution and phylogenetic analysis of the 3′UTR and coat protein gene of Iranian Beet black scorch virus

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Beet black scorch virus (BBSV) was surveyed in major sugar beet cultivation areas in Iran in 2008–2013 growing seasons. A total of 148 out of 308...     

Heavy Metal Release from Some Industrial Wastes: Influence of Organic and Inorganic Acids, Clay Minerals, and Nanoparticles

Knowledge about heavy metal release from industrial solid wastes(ISWs) is crucial for better management of their environmental risks. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of organic and inorganic acids, clay minerals, and nanoparticles(NPs) on the release of heavy metals from sugar factory waste, ceramic factory waste, leather factory waste, and stone cutting waste. The influence of the extractants on heavy metal release from these ISWs was in the following descending order: citric acid oxalic acid nitric acid≥ sulfuric acid Ca Cl2. Addition of clay minerals and NPs as adsorbents decreased heavy metal release, which was significantly lower in NP-treated wastes than in the clay mineral-treated wastes. On the other hand, the presence of organic and inorganic acids increased heavy metal adsorption by NPs and clay minerals. These results suggest that NPs can be applied successfully in waste remediation,and organic and inorganic acids play an important role in the removal of heavy metals from the studied adsorbents.     

Kinetics of phosphorus release from calcareous soils under different land use in Iran

The rate of phosporus (P) release from soils can significantly influence P fertility of soils. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of land‐use types on the kinetics of P release under different management practices and the relationship between kinetic parameters and soil physical and chemical properties from calcareous soils. The kinetics of P release in 0.01 M CaCl₂ was studied in surface samples of 30 calcareous soils planted to garlic, garden, pasture, potato, vegetables, and wheat. Trend in P‐release kinetics was similar between land‐use types. Significantly different quantities of P were released under different land use. The maximum amount (average of five soils) (46.4 mg kg^–1) of P was released in soil under potato and the minimum amount (10.4 mg kg^–1) under pasture. The kinetics of P release from soils can be described as an initial rapid rate followed by a slower rate. Different models were used to describe P release. In general, parabolic diffusion and power equation were found to be appropriate for modeling P release. The P‐release rate for the soils was estimated by parabolic equation for the studied land‐use types. The constant b was lower for pasture and wheat than for garlic and potato. The relationship between the rate of P release with Olsen‐P was linear, while it was curved with respect to the CaCl₂‐P, indicating that release of P was diffusion‐controlled. When the kinetic parameters of models were regressed on soil properties, CaCl₂‐P and CaCO₃ appeared to be the most important soil properties influencing P‐release rates in these soils.     

Linagliptin Protects Human SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells against Amyloid-β Cytotoxicity via the Activation of Wnt1 and Suppression of IL-6 Release

Background:Alzheimer’s disease is one of the neurodegenerative disorders typified by the aggregate of Aβ and phosphorylated tau protein. Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, because of Aβ peptides, are strongly involved in the pathophysiology of AD. Linagliptin shows neuroprotective properties against AD pathological processes through alleviation of neural inflammation and AMPK activation. Methods:We assessed the benefits of linagliptin pretreatment (at 10, 20, and 50 nM concentrations), against Aβ1-42 toxicity (20 μM) in SH-SY5Y cells. The concentrations of secreted cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, and signaling proteins, including pCREB, Wnt1, and PKCε, were quantified by ELISA. Results:We observed that Aβ led to cellular inflammation, which was assessed by measuring inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6). Moreover, Aβ1-42 treatment impaired pCREB, PKCε, and Wnt1 signaling in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Addition of Linagliptin significantly reduced IL-6 levels in the lysates of cells, treated with Aβ1-42. Furthermore, linagliptin prevented the downregulation of Wnt1 in Aβ1-42-treated cells exposed. Conclusion: The current findings reveal that linagliptin alleviates Aβ1-42-induced inflammation in SH-SY5Y cells, probably through the suppression of IL-6 release, and some of its benefits are mediated through the activation of the Wnt1 signaling pathway. Key Words: Alzheimer disease, Interleukin-6, Linagliptin, Wnt1 protein     

Effects of Dietary Savory and Myrtle Essential Oils on Growth,Survival, Nutritional Indices,Serum Biochemistry,and Hematology of Farmed Rainbow Trout,Oncorhynchus mykiss,Fry

The effects of diets containing different levels of essential oils from savory Satureja khuzestanica Jamzad and myrtle Myrtus communis L and an immunity complement were investigated on growth, survival, nutritional indices, serum biochemistry, and hematology of farmed rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, fry (n = 4500; 5 ± 2 g). The essential oils were dosed as 300 and 500 mg/kg diet. After 60 d, the fish fed 300 mg/kg of the essential oils showed the highest counts of white blood cells (P < 0.05). The same treatment revealed the greatest levels of hematocrit, total protein, and albumin, but glucose and cholesterol values significantly decreased compared with the control (P < 0.05). Feeding fish with 300 mg/kg of the essential oils led to highest records of specific growth rate and survival rate but the lowest feed conversion ratio (FCR), and those fed with immunity complement attained the lowest values of growth parameters. The fry fed with immunity complement and 300 mg/kg of myrtle essential oil achieved the highest and lowest FCR values, respectively. The results indicate that dietary supplementation of 300 mg/kg of the above essential oils exert positive impacts on the growth performance, feeding efficiency, and hematological factors in O. mykiss.     

Erratum to: Wild pistachio tree (Pistacia mutica) in the Qalajeh forest region of western Iran

<正>Erratum to:Journal of Forestry Reasearch,(2013)24(3):611-614DOI10.1007/s11676-013-0393-2The original version of this article unfortunately contained one mistake in author name in the footnote.The second author's name,"Mousa Rasouli",actually should be Hamid Soofi Mariv.The corrected version of the footnote should be as the following: