Background and Aim: Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is one of the most frequently used tumor markers which is over-expressed in a variety of human cancers with epithelial origin such as colorectal, gastric, pancreatic, lung and breast cancers. The precise mechanism by which CEA is released from the cell surface into serum in cancer patients has not been clarified so far. CEA is attached to the plasma membrane by a glycophosphatidyl inositol (GPI) anchor. There have been some evidences indicating a possible role for involvement of an enzyme in CEA release from the cell surface. The GPI-anchor is a substrate for specific phospholipases. According to this information, we investigated the possible role of GPI specific PI-PLD (GPI-PLD) in hydrolysis and CEA release.Materials and Methods: We have, therefore, used reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to verify GPI-PLD expression in some cell lines of colorectal adenocarcinoma. The amount of CEA released from a high CEA producing cell line in the presence or absence of specific activators / inhibitors of this enzyme were measured.Results: Using RT-PCR, expression of GPI-PLD gene in these cell lines can be demonstrated.The amount of CEA released from high producing cell lines are increased or decreased in the presence or absence of specific activators / inhibitors.Conclusion: According to this study there are evidences implicating the role of GPI-PLD enzyme in releasing CEA from the surface of the cells of colorectal carcinoma.

Research was conducted to develop and release new improved winter safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) cultivar suitable for cold and semi cold areas of Iran. In 1995, 1996 and 1997, line L.R.V.51.51  was selected from Uromeieh landraces based on agronomic traits, resistance to diseases and abiotic stresses under field conditions. It was included in yield trials in main Research Stations Karaj, Isfahan and Darab, together with 9 safflower lines, as well as widely grown improved cheek cultivar Zrgan-279 Results showed that this line produces significantly higher and stable yield. Analysis of the grain and oil yields using Eberhart and Russel method showed significant difference for the main effects of genotype and genotype × environment (linear) interactions and non-significant difference for deviation from regression. According to the classification of genotypes based on the mean of grain and oil yields, coefficient of regression and deviation from regression, the new line L.R.V.51.51 with its high grain and oil yields and stability was selected as a desirable genotype while it has more tolerant to cold than Zargan-279, with mean grain and oil yields 2205 kgha-1 and 600 kgha-1 respectively. The new line was released in 2005, with the name of Paideh. 

Nanotechnology is a tool to the performance improvement of systems in the medical field. Based on this purpose, reduced graphene oxide nanoparticle/albumin nanoparticles as a drug carrier was chosen for sustained release of anticancer carboplatin. The release behavior, mechanism type of diffusion and other pharmacokinetic parameters were studied. Initially, The size distribution, hydrodynamic diameter and morphology of reduced graphene oxide nanoparticles / albumin nanoparticles (1 to 5 wt. %) were investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Then, carboplatin was loaded on the carrier and the encapsulation percentage was 50. 13% and the drug loading percentage was 48. 85%. Drug release behavior in an acidic environment similar to cancer tissue was assessed for 167 h by UV-Vis spectroscopy and it was shown that drug was released slowly. The release mechanism studies were shown that release mechanism followed by Korsmeyer-Pepas and non-Fickian diffusion. Other kinetic parameters such as kinetic constant, rate of release and maximum concentration of released drug were also calculated. We hope that the results can be introducing carrier based on carbon-protein for cancer treatment.

The characteristics of ethylcellulose matrices prepared from solid dispersion systems were compared with those prepared from physical mixture of drug and polymer. Sodium diclofenac was used as a model drug and the effect of the drug: polymer ratio and the method of matrix production on tablet crushing strength, friability, drug release profile and drug release mechanism were evaluated. The results showed that increasing the polymer content in matrices increased the crushing strengths of tablets. However the friability of tablets was independent of polymer content. Drug release rate was greatly affected by the amount of polymer in the matrices and considerable decrease in release rate was observed by increasing the polymer content. It was also found that the type of mixture used for matrix production had great influence on the tablet crushing strength and drug release rate. Matrices prepared from physical mixtures of drug and polymer was harder than those prepared from solid dispersion systems, but their release rates were considerably faster. This phenomenon was attributed to the encapsulation of drug particles by polymer in matrices prepared from solid dispersion system which caused a great delay in diffusion of the drug through polymer and made diffusion as a rate retarding process in drug release mechanism.

Hemoglobin is a porphyrin containing protein with an a2b2 tetrameric structure and like other porphyrin compounds shows spectral behavior of species specific characteristics. Researchers tend to relate bands in the hemoglobin spectra to certain structural and/or functional features. Given the fact that hemoglobin is the main oxygen carrier in animals functioning through the Oxy«Deoxy equilibrium, the determination of oxy and deoxy conformations of hemoglobins of different animals may shed light on their oxygen binding properties. Absorption spectra at 280 and 373nm have been widely used to quantitate the formation of hemoglobin deoxy conformation. In the present work, however, we used an optical density ratio of OD373/OD280 as an index for deoxy formation. This ratio was determined for Barbus sharpeyi and human hemoglobins at different SDS concentrations, pH levels and temperatures to compare them from a structure-function point of view. Our data showed that under low concentrations of SDS (<2mM) Barbus sharpeyi hemoglobin folds in a tri-state pattern while human hemoglobin folds through a two-state phenomenon. This finding indicates that in contrast to those of other non aquatic animals, the hemoglobin of Barbus sharpeyi has a loosely folded tetrameric structure with remarkably more oxygen affinity.

Today, the use of biological materials, both in the form of drug supplements and in the form of enriched foods, has been considered. These substances have shown various properties such as anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, immune system booster, and antimicrobial. Although these compounds originate from natural sources, they have little stability against environmental conditions. Encapsulation is an effective method that can increase the chemical and biological stability of biological compounds and also protect them from inevitable reactions. Compared with microcapsules, nanocapsules have a higher surface-to-volume ratio and are of great interest for in vivo and ex vivo biological applications. Polymeric nanocapsules can be prepared from natural or synthetic polymers. Encapsulated bioactive compounds should be released at the right time and place. Several release mechanisms have been proposed for trapped bioactive compounds, including simple diffusion, swelling, and decomposition with diffusion. Release under the influence of environmental conditions such as solvent, temperature, pressure, molecular interactions, changes in pore size, and network disintegration.

New antimicrobial hydrogels were prepared via reaction of functionalized-Tragacanth Gum biopolymer by glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride (QTG) with acrylamide (AM). Characterization of the QTG hydrogels with AM (QTG-AM) were carried out by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and 1HNMR. Swelling behavior of the QTG hydrogels were investigated on the pH, medium, and temperature, immersion time. Loading and invitro drug release from the final hydrogels were studied by using quercetin as a model drug. Five type of kinetic models were applied, and the release of drug from the drug-loaded hydrogels occurred through non-Fickian diffusion mechanism. The water uptake by hydrogels decreased in 0. 9% NaCl solution and increased in pH 9. 2. The antimicrobial effect of the prepared hydrogels QTG-AM was investigated against Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antimicrobial results demonstrated that the hydrogels possess good antimicrobial activity against the all tested microorganism.