animal biosystematic
Fatemeh Fakharzadeh; Somayeh Horobi
Abstract
Two species, green toad (Bufotes viridis) from true toads (Bufonidae) family and Marsh frog (Pelophylax ridibundus) from true frogs (Ranidae) family have the most distribution in Khuzestan province. These species have many taxonomic problems and the chromosomal studies have been done in the country are ...
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Two species, green toad (Bufotes viridis) from true toads (Bufonidae) family and Marsh frog (Pelophylax ridibundus) from true frogs (Ranidae) family have the most distribution in Khuzestan province. These species have many taxonomic problems and the chromosomal studies have been done in the country are few. In the field studies, 28 samples of anura including 17 green toads and11marsh frogs were collected from northwest and south of Khuzestan province (Shush, Khorramshahr and Hendijan). Sampling was done between the summer of 2018 and the summer of 2019. Chromosome studies showed all green toads have 22n=22 chromosomes that were classified into two groups. The first group included 6pairs of large chromosomes and the second group composed of 5pairs of small chromosomes. In the toads of all three studied regions, the fourth and seventh pairs of chromosomes were submetacentric and the rest chromosomes were metacentric. Results showed all collected marsh frogs have 2n=26 chromosomes, which were divided into two groups. The first group included 5pairs of large chromosomes and the second group had 8 pairs of small chromosomes. The karyotype formula of the frogs of the three sampling areas are not the same. The karyotype formula of Khorramshahr, Shush and Hendijan frogs are 8m+1sm+4st, 7m+3sm+3st and 6m+6sm+1st, respectively. Sex heteromorphic chromosomes were not observed in any of the collected samples. Current study on marsh frogs and its comparison with other investigations shows a significant diversity in terms of karyotype in the country, which strengthens the possibility of the existence of a species complex.
Biochemistry
Pooyan Pedram; Mohammad Fazilati; Marzieh Rashidipour; Habibollah Nazem
Abstract
Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is a key enzyme in cellular metabolism found in all animals. It plays a crucial role in converting pyruvate to lactate and vice versa. LDH is present in a wide range of tissues and cells in the animal body. In recent decades, nanoparticles have been utilized due to their unique ...
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Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is a key enzyme in cellular metabolism found in all animals. It plays a crucial role in converting pyruvate to lactate and vice versa. LDH is present in a wide range of tissues and cells in the animal body. In recent decades, nanoparticles have been utilized due to their unique properties for designing optical and electronic sensors. This research presents a novel colorimetric method: silver nanoparticles synthesized using chrysanthemum aqueous extract are employed for direct detection of lactate dehydrogenase activity. Initially, chrysanthemums were collected from greenhouses in Mahallat County under the supervision of experts. After separation and powder preparation of the flower part of the plant, chrysanthemum aqueous extract was prepared. Subsequently, the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using aqueous extract and addition of silver nitrate solution was investigated by optimizing appropriate conditions. In the next step, two vials were prepared, each containing a reaction mixture comprising Tris-HCl, MgCl2, and NADH. Additionally, one vial contained LDH. Silver nanoparticles and sodium borohydride were then added to the vials. The enzyme can convert NAD+ to NADH. The detection mechanism of lactate dehydrogenase enzyme is based on the aggregation of silver nanoparticles, which leads to an increase in their size and consequently a color change. Thus, the presence or absence of the enzyme can be easily distinguished with the naked eye in a single step. In the presence of the enzyme, the color of the solution used in the study was yellow, while in the absence of the enzyme, the color was grayish. Consequently, lactate dehydrogenase enzyme can be identified with high sensitivity.
animal biosystematic
Sayyed Mahdi Heydari; Shahrokh Pashaei rad; Kamran Kamali; Mohammad Yaghoubi-Avini
Abstract
Reptiles are not only of economic value, but also culturally, historically, artistically, educationally, agriculturally, and ecologically. By hunting insects, they can play an effective role in agricultural pest control. Sampling was done non-invasively after determining 27 stations. 203 samples of Paralaudakia ...
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Reptiles are not only of economic value, but also culturally, historically, artistically, educationally, agriculturally, and ecologically. By hunting insects, they can play an effective role in agricultural pest control. Sampling was done non-invasively after determining 27 stations. 203 samples of Paralaudakia caucasia were collected and identified. Among these, 30 samples of adults and 14 samples of Juveniles species were subjected to biometrics. The obtained results of the biometrics, after checking in the IBM SPSS Statistic 24 software shown that there are significant differences in the SVL (Snout-Vent Length), TrL and TL. The significant differences can be attributed to the presence of the river and differences in vegetation. The mountain soil in the Eastern part is rocky and in the West is clay-rocky, can be considered as an important factor in the differences. The present study result had the significant differences with the other result reported from Shahrood and Mazandaran cities.
Animal physiology
Mehdi Basaki
Abstract
A review on hibernation was done by extensive search in main databases, using appropriate keywords and reading the newer and more cited articles from more reliable journals. This review investigated biochemical and molecular strategies of hibernating mammals to combat cold and lack of food and water. ...
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A review on hibernation was done by extensive search in main databases, using appropriate keywords and reading the newer and more cited articles from more reliable journals. This review investigated biochemical and molecular strategies of hibernating mammals to combat cold and lack of food and water. Growth and survival in times of resource scarcity require behavioral, physiological, cellular, and molecular adaptation in a relatively short time. Hibernation is a set of physiological strategies that allow animals to live in cold and lack food and water. Mammalian hibernation is a physiological state during which animals repeatedly experience periods of torpor and Interbout arousal. Hibernation varies in different kinds of animals. The inactive periods of heterotherms are more like deep sleep than hibernation. Voluntary hibernators enter a dormant period only when food resources are low, the weather is cold, and the season is changing. Obligate hibernations enter the inactive period seasonally, regardless of food availability, ambient temperature, and photoperiod. Obligate hibernating mammals can slow their metabolism, lower their body temperature, and fall into a torpor state. The energy supply is mainly made from fats stored pre-hibernation in this stage. This is associated with the upregulation of enzymes responsible for carbohydrate metabolism and the downregulation of enzymes responsible for fatty acid oxidation during hibernation. Non-stimulation of smell, taste, and oral-pharyngeal and digestive nerves and hormones such as leptin and insulin play a role in the neural suppression of feeding behavior from the hypothalamus. As water leaves the muscles, the plasma osmolality of hibernating animals decreases. Reducing blood osmolality acts as a thirst-suppression message to the brain. Hibernations are tolerant to cold both behaviorally and at the cellular level because the sensory neurons in these animals are less sensitive to cold. Also, hibernators have less cold-sensitive neurons in their hypothalamus. Hibernation is not simply a reduction in body temperature and vital parameters, but an active process that is seasonally regulated at the cellular and molecular levels. This seasonal adaptation is controlled by hormonal, neural, genetic, and epigenetic regulations. As different kinds of animals can hibernate, comparative studies are necessary to discover the central events of hibernation. What we have learned from the mechanism of animals hibernation can be used to develop methods to improve human health. Hibernation strategies can help reduce muscle and bone disuse atrophy, increase limb preservation time, fight obesity, and prevent reperfusion injury following myocardial infarction and stroke. Many questions about hibernation remain to be addressed in future research.
animal biosystematic
Habibe Zare; Batool Gorgin; Fateme Azizzadeh
Abstract
This study examines the status of toxic metals in the soil and fish of the Persian Gulf coast, focusing on Bushehr region. The main goal of this research is to identify and evaluate the concentration of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic in soil samples and fish caught from this ...
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This study examines the status of toxic metals in the soil and fish of the Persian Gulf coast, focusing on Bushehr region. The main goal of this research is to identify and evaluate the concentration of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic in soil samples and fish caught from this area. Using the standard methods of sampling and chemical analysis, the method recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA 3050B) was used as a common acid digestion method, and the necessary data were collected and analyzed. According to the values obtained from five stations on the shores of the Persian Gulf, the concentration of heavy metals, manganese, zinc, chromium and nickel is more than other metals. Also, by examining the average rate of heavy metals in the fish of three Persian Gulf stations, the concentrations of aluminum, zinc, lead, nickel, and copper are the highest. The results showed the presence of high concentrations of some toxic metals in soil and fish, which can be caused by industrial activities, agriculture and oil pollution. These findings raise concerns about ecosystem health and food safety in Bushehr region and emphasize the necessity of management and monitoring measures to reduce pollution and protect natural resources. In general, heavy metals are toxic to the body at very low levels. Aluminum, lead, cadmium, and nickel have a higher degree of toxicity, therefore, the increase of these metals in the tissue of fishes is associated with many risks. The main mechanism of heavy metal toxicity includes the production of free radicals to cause oxidative stress, damage to biological molecules such as enzymes, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids and DNA damage.
Development
Nasim Hayati; Amirhosein Fazlali; Gholamreza Kaka; Kazem Parivar
Abstract
Objective background: This study evaluated the therapeutic effect of umbilical cord blood cells on PLGA membrane scaffold on the repair of severed sciatic nerve of male Wistar rats by behavioral and electrophysiological studies.
Materials and Methods: After cutting the sciatic nerve, male rats were ...
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Objective background: This study evaluated the therapeutic effect of umbilical cord blood cells on PLGA membrane scaffold on the repair of severed sciatic nerve of male Wistar rats by behavioral and electrophysiological studies.
Materials and Methods: After cutting the sciatic nerve, male rats were divided into 4 groups of 7 Healthy rats, sciatic nerve cut rats without therapeutic intervention, rats with umbilical cord blood cells on PLGA membrane scaffold at the nerve cut site, rats were treated with umbilical cord blood cell injection at the injury site. The degree of recovery was evaluated by the sensorimotor activity of the sciatic nerve, electrophysiological studies.
Findings: motor evaluation of the sciatic nerve, the control group was not observed to return to the normal state in the eighth week, the cell therapy group was repaired on the PLGA membrane scaffold in the eighth week. The level of AMP in the 8th week after recovery of the cell therapy group with a gentle slope is a sign of the healing process of the cell therapy group. Counting the number of nerve fibers in a surface equal to 1000 square meters, the number of nerve fibers in the cell therapy groups increased after the eighth week of repair, compared to the control group and the PLGA membrane group. At the end of the eighth week, the sensory activity index of the sciatic nerve (Hot Plate test), the healing process of the cell therapy group on the PLGA membrane scaffold was more evident than the other groups.
Conclusion: Umbilical cord blood cell transplantation causes sciatic nerve repair and PLGA membrane scaffold with cord blood cells accelerates sciatic nerve repair.
pharmacology
Vida Hojati; Monireh Shafahi
Abstract
Metformin is a biguanide drug that reduces blood glucose levels by reducing glucose production in the liver, reducing intestinal absorption and increasing insulin sensitivity. Metformin has been used to treat type 2 diabetes since the late 1950s and remains the first drug of choice for this disease. ...
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Metformin is a biguanide drug that reduces blood glucose levels by reducing glucose production in the liver, reducing intestinal absorption and increasing insulin sensitivity. Metformin has been used to treat type 2 diabetes since the late 1950s and remains the first drug of choice for this disease. In recent years, it has been reported that metformin has favorable effects in other diseases as well. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to review the therapeutic effects of metformin in other diseases and types of cancer based on the latest research. The present review was collected using keywords from internal databases SID and Irandoc and external databases Web of Science, Scopus, Pubmed and Springer. A total of 100 researches between 2010 and 2024 were selected and reviewed with an emphasis on the latest sources. Metformin is considered as the first line of treatment in obese patients who do not have problems such as kidney or liver failure. It has also shown favorable effects on ovarian diseases (such as pycystic ovary syndrome and menstrual irregularity), cognitive, inflammatory, heart, kidney, liver and cancer diseases. Metformin prevents the progression of various diseases such as tumors, autoimmune and hormone-related diseases by regulating multiple signaling pathways such as JAK/STAT3 and mTOR/STAT3 centered on STAT3. Metformin has important neuroprotective effects such as preventing memory loss, stroke, anxiety, inflammation and seizures. It also has antioxidant effects and is useful in preventing aging. Due to the few side effects and of course more clinical research, metformin can probably be used in the prevention or treatment of some diseases in addition to diabetes.
animal biosystematic
Fatemeh Baharlu; Ali Gholamhosseini
Abstract
The Bee-eaters, include a group of 31 species of birds with bright colors that lives across the Palaeotropical and southern Eurasia regions. Of these, three species are distributed in Iran. Considering the role of bee-eaters in nature, presence of three species of Bee-eaters in Fars province and the ...
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The Bee-eaters, include a group of 31 species of birds with bright colors that lives across the Palaeotropical and southern Eurasia regions. Of these, three species are distributed in Iran. Considering the role of bee-eaters in nature, presence of three species of Bee-eaters in Fars province and the conflict between Bee-keepers and Bee-eaters, it is important to study the distribution of these species in the province. In order to investigate the distribution range of Bee-eaters in ecoregions of Fars province, fieldwork was carried out during 2017 and 2018. In total, 294 points were recorded for the European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster), 58 points for the Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis) and 13 points for the Persian Bee-eater (Merops persicus). Results showed that the European Bee-eater is distributed in almost regions of the province, Green Bee-eater in southern and western areas and the Persian Bee-eater in northern and western areas. According to the terrestrial ecoregions for Fars province, the European Bee-eater is distributed in the all three ecoregions including central Persian desert basins in northern areas, Zagros mountains forest steppe in central areas, and south Iran Nubo-Sindian desert and semi-desert ecoregion in southern areas of the province, but the most of its distribution points are related to the Zagros mountains forest steppe ecoregion. The Green Bee-eater is distributed in the Zagros mountains forest steppe and south Iran Nubo-Sindian desert ecoregions, however most of its distribution points are related to the south Iran Nubo-Sindian desert. The Persian Bee-eater is distributed only in the Zagros mountains forest steppe ecoregion.The three Bee-eater species overlap widely in distribution range in some parts of Fars province, and in the areas where all three species coexist, beekeeping is probably associated with a higher risk. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to this point for beehive apiary location.