JOURNAL OF SCIENCES (ISLAMIC AZAD UNIVERSITY)
Year:2006 | Volume:15 | Issue:58/1 (BIOLOGY)|Papers Count:12

In this research, cytotaxonomical studies were done on some of the species of six tribes of Brassicaceae and the results were compared in their structures and basic chromosome numbers (x). Also, karyotypes and ideograms were shown. In conclusion, it was found that some of species are polypolid and have B chromosome.

Vitamin E appears to play a beneficial role in maintaining human good health. Vitamin E improves behavioral functions such as age-related decrement in cognitive performance. However, its mechanism on learning and memory process and interaction with neurotransmitters is a controversial issue. Cholinergic system is one of the most important systems which play an important role in learning, memory and attention. So, this study concerned the interaction between vitamin E and acetylcholine on memory retention of passive avoidance learning in adult male rats. Post-training intracerebroventricular injections were carried out in all experiments. Administration of vitamin E (50 mg/rat) and acetylcholine (0.5,1 mg/rat) increased memory retention in rats. The combination of vitamin E with acetylcholine showed potentiation. It is concluded that vitamin E has an interaction with the cholinergic system in memory retention process.

Salvia genus is a member of the Lamiaceae family. Salvia nemorosa is an important pharmacological plant which maintains essential oils. In this research anatomical studies and also antimicrobial effects of alcoholic (ethanolic and methanolic) and aqueos extracts obtained from flower, leaf,steam and root organs on three species of Staphylococcus genus (aureus, epidermidis, saprophyticus), Bacillus serus, Esherichia coli, Shigella flexeneri, Salmonella typhi and Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus fungi were investigated. The evaluation of diameter of the inhibitory zone and distrubiotion method were used for assessment. The results showed that alcohlic extracts of various part of vegetative and generative of plant have strongest antimicrobial effect on the microorganisms relative to aqueous extracts.

Seeds of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graceum L.) are attributed with diuretic, carminative, antidiarrhoeal and antirheumatic effects. In the present study, oral administration of 0.1, 0.25 and 0.5g/kg body wt. of the alcoholic extract of fenugreek seeds for 14 days on the level of glucose and insulin in healthy and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were evaluated. The results showed that orally administration of the alcoholic extract of fenugreek exhibited a significant reduction in blood glucose and increased plasma insulin in diabetic rats. The extract couldn't change the level of blood glucose and plasma insulin in healthy rats significantly. A comparison was made between the action of the alcoholic extract and a known antidiabetic drug, glibenclamide (600 mg/kg body wt.). The hypoglycaemic effect of the extract was more effective than that observed with glibenclamide.

According to the recorded data and the present study, on the whole 454 species belonging to 246 genera and 62 families are known in Borujerd geographical area. Dicotyledon plants with 395 species, Monocotyledones with 55 species and Gymnospermes with 2 species form the flora of Borujerd. 26 species of Dicotyledones are Apetales, 242 species are Dialypetales and 127 species are Gamopetales. The richnest families are Fabaceae (76 species), Asteraceae (56 species), Brassicaceae (55 species), Lamiaceae (24 species) and Poaceae (22 species). The Various genera which are found in Borujerd are as follow: Astragalus (27 species), Euphorbia (12 species), Alyssum (10 species) and Centaurea (9 species). The lowest percentage of the growth form belongs to the tree and shrub species (23 species) and aquatic plants (9 species) in the region. 14 species of the tree and shrub species are Dialypetales, 4 species are Apetales, 3 species are Gamopetales and 2 species are Gymnospermes. From all species which exist in Iran, only 1812 species are endemic in Iran and according to the present study 7 species are endemic in Borujerd region.

In lichens growing investigation of Khorasan province, some of existing specimens in six regions were collected. Then morphological, anatomical and chemical studies were done on the collected specimens. On the basis of results four lichen species of four genera belong to four families, were identified. Two new species of Iran and also two new species of Khorasan are recorded for the first time.

When bacteria are exposed to cations or Benzalkonium chloride (from quaternary ammonium compounds) disinfectants, cations attach to phosphate groups of cell membrane phospholipids, whereas unpolar half of the molecule penetrates into hydrophobic part. So as a result there would be some deviation in cell membrane which leads to losing its' semi permeability property, so the nitrogenous and phosphogenous compounds can leave the cell. Furthermore cations entrance into cell causes some change in proteins structure. This antibacterial effect of cations can be reduced by presence of metal ions like Ca++ and Mg++ that probably compete for the anionic places on cell membrane. As water hardness is generally related to its' Ca++ and Mg++ quantity and is calculated by CaC03 (mg/lit) concentration, we studied cations reaction efficiency against water hardness increasment in this research to examine water hardness role in enteric epidemic outbreaks in those areas with hard water in summer. We examined efficiency of two Benzalkonium chloride disinfectants (Mahan and Mass) against three enteric pathogens: Escherichia coli (PTCC 1047), Salmonella enterica (typhimorium serotype PTCC 1340) and Shigella flexnery (PTCC 1234) in 48 alkaline hard water samples with different hardness grades (from 36 to 1610 CaC03 mg/lit). This antibacterial examination was done by dilution and diffusion methods. Results of 720 repeated tests showed that by following the steps mentioned on the label, these disinfectants were able to kill 108/ml of above-mentioned bacteria even in highest understudied water hardness (1610 mg/lit CaC03), but by diluting the examined disinfectants, water hardness could interact with their efficiency. Among three studied pathogens, Salmonella enterica (typhimorium serotype) showed the most resistance to Benzalkonium chloride in hard water. Considering Salmonella epidemic outbreaks in all over the world and also Iran, It is necessary to inform people how to use Benzalkonium Chloride in waters with various hardness as a disinfectant.

The formation of the cartilage tissue depends on the coordination of cell to cell or cell to ECM interaction that cause to cell polarity, migration and differentiation of precursur mesenchymal cells during chondrogenesis. Many of these events are mediated by ECM components such as glycocojugates. The aim of this study was to identify the presence and distribution of some different glycoconjugates and their suger residues in the chondrogenesis by histochemistry and lectin- histochemistry techniques. For this purpose, embryos from pregnant wistar rats from E12-E20 were collected and fixed serial sections (5-7 m thikness) were stained by: 1) alcian blue (pH:1) for S-GAG 2) PAS-alcian blue (pH: 2/5) for neutral and acidic sugers ,3) Toluidin blue for metachromatic substances and 4) MPA lectin for GalNac> -Gal sugar residues. Stained sections were graded according to the staining intensly (0-5 grading method).It seems that synthesis and secretion of glycocojugates and their changes of suger residues follow a spatiotemporal pattern and are developmentaly regulated.

65 E.coli strains isolated from cases of urinary tract infections from Qaemshahr and Sari hospitals in 1383 were analyzed to determine their drug resistance transfer factor. Isolation and identification of strains were carried out using standard procedures- Antimicrobial sensivity tests was carried out using single disk-diffusion method. The highest rate of resistance was against Ampicillin (87.7%) followed by Tetracycline (73.8%) and Cephalotin (61.5%). 75% of strains showed resistance to three or more antibiotics (MDR=Multiple Drug Resistance). MIC was carried out using Macrodilution method MIC of Nalidixic acid for all strains susceptible against this antibiotic and MIC of alt drugs used in this study for recipient strain was determined. Conjugation was performed using mixed culture method to determine Resistance transfer factor. E.coii DH5aF-lac+Na+r used as recipient strain. 60% of E.coli strains susceptible to Nalidixic acid had transferable resistance factor. Resistance to tetracycline had The highest rate of transfer (45%) followed by ampicillin (37.1%) chloramphenicol (33.3%), Trimethoprim - Sulfamethoxazole (23.1 %).The lowest rate of transfer was for cephalotin (7.1 %). In our study E.coli Isolates showed high percentage of resistance to drug used. These data confirms that significant increase in appearance of drug resistant strains is due to uncontrolled use of antibiotics in human and animals, and resistance transfer among different bacteria. To limit using antibiotics in human and animals, performing antimicrobial susceptibility tests to select a suitable antimicrobial agent, application of recommended dosage regimens and duration of therapy may decline the extent of resistant bacteria.

Bromocriptine mesylate is a derivative of ergot alkaloids and shows Anti-effect Parkinsonism through dopaminergic receptors. This drug causes stimulating postsynaptic dopaminergic receptors in hypothalamus. Bromocriptine can be used as stimulator of ovulation in women. To our knowledge, this drug has not been used in men so we carried out an experiment on sexual behavior and concentration of testosterone in adult male rats. Experiments have been done in a group of 50 male Wistar rat weighing 200-220 gr, that were divided in Experimental, control and sham groups. Experimental groups received bromocriptine mesylate about 0.25, 0.5, 1 (mg/kg), while Sham group received some drops of ethanol and distilled water and control group received nothing. Administration, continued during 20 days and sex behariours were studied. At the end of the day 20, blood Sampling was done and the serum concentration of testostrone was measured. The results were analyzed and studied by the method tukey-test and t-test. Statistical analysis showed that concentration of testosterone, sex motivation and sex performance in group administred bromocriptine mesylate with does 0.5, 1 (mg/kg) in the comparison with control group has significantly increased at the end of the day 20 (p<0/05). With regard to the results, it seems that this drug causes the release of testosterone either through direct effect on leydig cells or through effect on luteotrop cells in adenohypophysis to release LH. This drug, probably with effect on medial-preoptic area, improves sex motivation and sex performance.

In the present study, the effects of the histamine and cholinergic systems on memory retention in adult male rats were investigated. Post-training intracerebroventricular injections were carried out in all the experiments. Cholinoceptor agonists, acetylcholine (1-10 mg/rat) or nicotine (1-10 mg/rat) increased, while a cholinoceptor antagonist, scopolamine (5-20 mg/rat), decreased memory retention. The response to acetylcholine was attenuated by scopolamine. Administration of histamine (5-20 mg/rat) reduced, but the histamine H1 receptor antagonist, pyrilamine (10-50 mg/rat), and the histamine H2 receptor antagonist, cimetidine (1-50 mg/rat) increased memory retention in rats. The histamine receptor antagonists attenuated the response to histamine. Histamine reduced the acetylcholine- or nicotine-induced enhancement. The histamine receptor antagonists enhanced the nicotine- or acetylcholine-induced response. Histamine potentiated the inhibitory effect induced by scopolamine. It is concluded that histaminergic and cholinergic systems have opposing effects on memory retention. Also, the histaminergic system elicits an interaction with the cholinergic system in memory retention.

In order to study the effects of different levels of Phosphorus, Sulphur, and Zinc fertilizers on seed productivity, oil and protein of Canola hybrid variety (Re Jan Kobra), a field experiment was carried out during 2001-2002 in the research filed of Tehran University. To determine the suitable effects of balanced fertilizer (P, S, Zn). This experiment was designed on Split Plot in Randomized Complete Block with three replications. The main plots and the subplots were three levels of Triple Super Phosphate (0, 70, 140 Kg.ha-1) and two levels of Ammonium Sulphate (100, 200 Kg.ha-1) and Zinc was used as Zinc Sulphate (25, 50 Kg.ha-1) respectively. Results of variance analysis and means comparison showed that with increase content of phosphorus fertilizer to 70 Kg.ha-1 all under experiment parameters had maximum increase, if did not increase in phosphorus fertilizer (P = 0) these parameters had minimum increase. Between under experiment parameters, with increase Sulphur fertilizer, all under experiment parameters had increase and also increased oil percentage. With apply different levels of Zinc fertilizer all under experiment parameters had increased except Protein percentage.