JOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT (QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES)
Year:2009 | Volume:2 | Issue:4 (7)|Papers Count:10

Silybum marianum(milk thistle) belongs to the compositea family. The main active component of the plant is silimarin. In recent years, the therapeutic effects of silimarin in treating cirrhosis, hepatitis B, liver toxicosis and cancers have been investigated, and its role as a maintenance and recovering agent for hepatocytes in liver diseases has been reported. The aim of this research was to determine the effect of the herbal medicine Livimarin used during the 3 critical days of mouse development to experimentally assess any potential teratogenicity. In this experimental study, 40 NMRI mice strain were grouped into control and the experimental 1, 2 and 3. Considering the maximum human dose of Livomarin which is 6 capsules per day, each containing 175 mg, 3 doses of Livomarin were applied orally in days 7, 8 and 9 of gestation. These included the maximum daily human dose in mice (0.48 mg Livomarin, experimental 1), quarter of a capsule (44 mg Livomarin, experimental 2) and half a capsule (88 mg Livomarin, experimental 3). Our findings indicated that the oral administration of the aforementioned doses of the drug had no effect on the morphological and morphometrical parameters such as weight, length and curvature of fetuses and their limb buds, neither on the different tissues examined microscopically as compared to the controls. However, some effects such as a significant increase in the number of renal tubules and placental blood vessels were observed in the experimental groups 2 and 3. The number of Haufboer cells in placenta was also increased significantly (p<0.05) in the experimental group 3. Based on theses findings, it is concluded that using Livomarin during these 3 critical days of mice development will not cause any embryonic or placental abnormalities in the NMRI mice strain.

Increasing the rate of wound healing is considered as a basis in the science of therapeutics. In this regard, increasing the quality of the healing process has always been a major concern for the researchers. The use of herbal medicine as a novel and more effective drug that is also more compatible with the living body is being considered by more researchers worldwide. The aim of this project was to investigate the effect of the ointment containing powder and hydroalcoholic extract of Prosopis farcta and Ghee on the healing process. For this purpose, 9 male rats (Sprague strain) each weighing 300-400 grams were selected, and 8 circular holes with a diameter of 4mm were made on both sides of their vertebral column. Rats were randomly classified into three groups of control, test for Ghee and test for the ointment. The latter two groups were treated twice a day, while the control group was treated with normal saline until the closure of the wounds. According to our statistical analysis of the microscopic data, the rate of the healing process was significantly faster for the holes treated with Ghee and the ointment, compared to the control group, and this process was even faster for the holes treated with the ointment relative to the Ghee-treated holes. Microscopic data also indicated a significant increase in the thickness of the epithelium and the number of blood vessels in the treated samples relative to the control.

Tetanospasmin is a neurotoxin that causes tetanus. Recently, interest has been taken in the immunogenic and adjuvant properties of the O-chain (OPS) of B. abortus shows various adjuvant activities and improved immunological responses. This study was aimed at investigating the adjuvant properties of Brucella abortus OPS, and the comparative analysis of the immunological response by the OPS-TT conjugate and the purified OPS against tetanus. OPS was extracted with a solution of 2% acetic acid and purified with a Sephadex G-50 column. Conjugate of female BALB/c mice were selected. Vaccination was performed with three doses in a two-week interval. Serum samples were collected and antibody responses against tetanus were measured by ELISA method for total IgG, IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b, IgG3, IgM and IgA. Two weeks after the first dose, there was no significant difference between groups immunizided with TT and OPS-TT. However, following the second and the third doses, OPS-TT caused a significant increase in the concentration of all types of antibodies against tetanus, when compared to TT. The anti-TT IgG antibody was predominantly of the IgG1 subtype followed by IgG3, IgG2a and IgG2b. These results demonstrate that OPS fromB. abortus increases anti-tetanus antibody titre in a conjugate form with tetanus toxoid, and can be an appropriate and an effective adjuvant.

Lichens have traditionally been used for medical purposes in the past. Identification of lichens and the assessment of their antibiotic effects is of a great importance. In this study, five lichens were collected from the suburbs of Mashhad (Khorasan province-Iran) and identified through their macroscopic and microscopic properties as well as their biochemical analysis. Methanol and acetone extracts were prepared using the percolation method. Antibacterial activities were tested using the Disc Diffusion Method (DDM) on Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Seratia marcesence, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Psora desipiens and Xanthoria elegans had no detectable activity against the tested bacteria when 2 mg/disc of extracts were used. Growth inhibition of the tested gram positive bacteria was detected when extracts of Rhizoplaca chrysoleucaand R. melanophthalma were used, whereas no change in the growth of the tested gram negative bacteria could be detected. The antibacterial effect of the methanol extracts of lichens were preserved for 30 minutes at 100oC. The methanol extract of L. muralis had the maximum antibacterial effect and its MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) was 100, 200, and 750 mg/ml against B. cereus, B. subtilis and S. aureus, respectively. Identification of lichens and their antibacterial activity can be used for prophylaxis and treatment of infections.

There are no published reports on meseschymal stem cell isolation from chicken bone marrow, and little interest has been given to their differentiation ability in a culture medium. In this study, we have attempted to isolate chicken bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and improve their ability to differentiate. Chicken tibial bone marrow was extracted and used as a source for mesenchymal stem cell culturing. Using different induction media, bone marrow cells were differentiated into osteocyte, chondrocyte and adipocyte lineages. For histological analysis, specific histochemical staining was performed on the differentiated cells. Morphologically, the isolated cells were fibroblast-like. Three weeks post-induction, oil vacuels in adipocytes, calcium precipitations in osteocytes, cartilage matrixe in chondrocytes which had been stained with Oil red, Alizarin red and Toluidien blue, respectively, were formed. These results suggested that stem cells isolated from chicken bone marrow are capable of differentiating into osteocyte, chondrocyte and adipocyte lineages.

Among the flowering plants, Locoweeds are one of the largest genera with more than 300 species distributed widely throughout the temperate regions of the world. Locoweeds are of pharmacological, and economic importance, and serve as a main source of the forage industry in the country. For these reasons, this project aimed at evaluating germination, breaking of seed dormancy and identifying the most suitable treatment in relieving seed dormancy in Astragalus frida. An experiment was carried out as a completely randomized design with eight treatments and three replicates in a genetic laboratory in the Department of Environment. Seeds were treated using different methods of scarification and stratification. Based on our results, the highest percentage of germination (about 97%) was observed in the scarification treatments (with or without chilling).Vigor index and germination rate were also higher in these treatments. Mechanical scarification with sandpaper was the most appropriate treatment to make the seed coat permeable to water with no adverse effect on the embryo. The lowest rate of germination occurred in control, stratification, hot water and freeze-thaw treatments. Considering the low germination rate in ten days of stratification (without scarification) and the highest germination rate in seeds treated with scarification (with or without chilling), hardness of seed coat could be suggested as a main reason for dormancy in Astragalus fridae,

Compared to intact IgG, F (ab')2 exhibit significantly improved tumor specificity and intratumor penetration in animal models. Generally, lower molecular-weight agents provide better target to non-target ratios due to their rapid background clearance. The goal of this study is the enzyme digestion of PR81 and labeling of prepared F (ab')2 fragments with99mTc in order to produce a biologic radiopharmaceutical for radioimmunoscintigraphy of breast cancer. So antibody PR81 was digested with pepsin for 28 hours at 37oC. The F (ab') 2 fragments were purified by protein A column chromatography.The purity of F (ab')2 fragments was evaluated by SDS-PAGE and proved to be more than 95%. The immunoreactivity of the complex assessed by radioimmunoassay was determined to be 65.2%±5.1. Radiolabeling of F (ab')2 fragment using the HYNIC as a chelator and tricine as a co-ligand was resulted to special activity of 70.1%±5.2. The in vitro stability of labeled product checked in human serum by gel filtration chromatography (FPLC) was 55.2%±5.3. Biodistribution studies in BALB/c mice with breast tumor xenograft after 4, 8 and 24hs following to the preparation injection, demonstrated a specific localization of the compound at the site of tumors 4hs post injection with high sensitivity and minimum accumulation in non-target organs.

Talal fish with generic name (Rastrelliger Kanagurta) is one of the bony fishes and also the valuable species in the entire world. Since no studying hadn’t been carried out on this fish in iran, in framework of above study, in Iran southern Coasts, done biometric studies and compare the two sexes. In the annual cycle (Tir 87-Khordad 88) in each month, 50 fishes randomly collected from Persian gulf and Oman sea, after separation female and male, compare GSI, HIS and also ferequency of different longitudinal classes in two genus with together. GSI peak in talal fish (Tir 87-khordad 88) in both genus is in the Ordibehesht, that indicates spawning season in spring. HIS peak coincide. But HIS peak in male is in the dey. It is a significant relation between total length mean of fish in the female and male group. Meantimp the first 6 month of project, males were more from females and counter were in the second 6 month.