Pathobiology Research
Year:2021 | Volume:24 | Issue:1|Papers Count:6

The tail flick test is a common method used to evaluate acute pain in animal models. However, there seems to be a technical limitation to the use of this test, deserving a more detailed consideration. The problem is related to the use of physical restraints during the test, which in turn exposes the animal to stress and could therefore undesirably affect the obtained results. In the present report, a newly designed restraining chamber was used to improve the tail flick test regarding the mentioned limitation. Also, the baseline tail flick latency in animals undergoing the test using the classic restrainers was compared to that in those restrained by the newly designed chamber. The results indicated that the baseline tail flick latency was significantly lower in animals restrained by the newly designed box compared to those restrained by the tube-shaped version, which could be attributed to stress-induced analgesia. In conclusion, it is recommended that researchers use boxes similar to the custom-made box used in this study to prevent stress-induced errors when measuring nociceptive thresholds in rats.

Coronaviruses have four main types: alpha, beta, gamma, and delta. Beta and gamma types of coronaviruses are the leading causes of respiratory illnesses in humans and animals. These viruses have spread various diseases in the last 26 years. Recently, a new coronavirus disease has emerged in Wuhan, China and spread around the world. Three of these important viruses are SARS, MERS, and SARS-CoV-2. They have a natural and intermediate host in animals, especially bats. According to the gene sequence obtained from the virus, bats and pangolins are suspected to be the natural hosts of SARS-CoV-2. The virus is predicted to be transferred from bats to pangolins and then mutated and transferred to humans. Due to a large number of viruses in the corona virus family, which affects many animals, a new type of virus is likely to spread again. Based on the experiences of SARS and SARS-CoV-2, the role of veterinarians in the live animal and livestock products markets should be reconsidered.

Respiratory influenza infection is one of the leading causes of global morbidity and mortality, affecting approximately 10-20% of the world’ s population annually. According to recent estimates, influenza respiratory infections are associated with about 398, 000 deaths per year, accounting for a mortality rate of 2% among viral respiratory infections. During seasonal and pandemic influenza outbreaks, it has been found that pregnant women are more likely to develop severe influenza-related complications compared to the general population. During pregnancy, immunological and physiological changes affecting the respiratory, cardiovascular, and other systems put women at greater risk of developing certain infections and related complications. In this review study, at first, the characteristics of influenza virus infection and its epidemiology were briefly discussed, and then the clinical aspects of influenza virus infection in pregnant women and fetuses were explained.

Measles virus (MV), a negative-strand RNA virus, has been known as an ideal candidate for oncolytic virotherapy. Recombinant MV could encode genes of interests to achieve several aims. Replication efficiency of oncolytic virus in tumor cells is a key parameter in efficient tumor eradication. Products of the P gene (P/V/C) support measles virus to circumvent IFN 1 as the main response of the innate immune system against viruses. But vaccine strains used in oncolytic virotherapy trials comprise several mutations in their P gene sequences. These mutations affect replication efficacy and cause the attenuation of measles strains applicable in vaccination. Thus, arming vaccine strains with a wild-type P gene is useful to achieve high viral titer. Here in this study, a fully detailed protocol was developed for efficient engineering and recovery of MV for different purposes.

Background and Aim: Given the widespread epidemic of COVID-19 around the world and the irreparable damage to all aspects of human life, surveying methods to cope with this epidemic is one of the research priorities of societies. The aim of this study was to find the factors that predict the severity of the disease and the resulting death. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on COVID-19 patients admitted to Bu-Ali Sina hospital in Qazvin during March 2020. Epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics of patients were collected. Data were analyzed by independent t-test and Mann-Whitney U test (for normally and nonnormally distributed quantitative variables, respectively) and Chisquare test (for qualitative variables) using SPSS software Version 22. A p value of <. 05 was considered as significant. Results: The study population included 119 admitted COVID-19 patients. Among whom 94 patients recovered, and 25 patients died. The deceased patients were significantly older than the recovered patients (p=. 0007). The frequency of smoking among patients in this study was 5. 4%. Lymphopenia (p=. 015), neutrophil number (p=. 009), blood urea nitrogen (p=. 012), and creatinine (p=. 032) were significantly higher, and blood oxygen saturation (p=. 001) was significantly lower in the deceased patients than in the recovered patients. Conclusion: The percentage of smokers in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 disease was significantly lower than in the general population. If COVID-19 patients are in the high-risk group, including older people with sever hypoxia, lymphopenia, neutrophilia, impaired renal function, and sever lung involvement in CT scan, they should be examined with extra care due to the increased risk of death in these patients.

Introduction: The use of different nanoparticles has recently found new dimensions in the treatment of many malignancies. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the accumulation rate and tissue effects due to injection of biological magnetic iron nanoparticles in the ovarian tissue of Wistar rats in response to an electromagnetic field using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and histopathological methods. Methods: In this experimental study, animals were classified into four groups of six as follows: 1) group of healthy female rats without receiving nanoparticles in the absence of an electromagnetic field (control group), 2) group of healthy female rats receiving non-toxic dose of nanoparticles in the absence of an electromagnetic field, 3) group of healthy female rats receiving non-toxic dose of nanoparticles in the presence of an electromagnetic field, and 4) group of healthy female rats without receiving nanoparticles in the presence of an electromagnetic field. After grouping the rats, biological nanoparticles were injected intraperitoneally, and an electromagnetic field was created on the rats' skin at the site of the ovaries by a magnet, which was fixed on the skin using a tape. Then the presence of iron nanoparticles in the tissue was examined using ICP. Results: Magnetic iron nanoparticles had low toxicity so that their half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) in well Number 1 was 0. 386. In the two groups receiving non-toxic doses of nanoparticles in the presence or absence of the electromagnetic field, no changes were observed in primary and secondary follicles as well as connective tissue and blood. Conclusion: Magnetic iron nanoparticles have no destructive effects on ovarian tissue and have low cell accumulation; therefore, their use in this field is recommended to improve the future treatment of ovarian cancer.