Sharif Digital Repository

Background & Objective: The potent antioxidant property of fullerene C60 nanoparticles and their derivatives has been demonstrated in a wide range of in vitro and in vivo studies. Hence, we examined the effects of fullerene C60 on the oxidative stress parameters in brain and liver of the rats in normal situation. Materials & Methods: The study was performed in two groups of Wistar rats (each group, n = 6); normal and fullerene-treated normal animals. Treated rats received fullerene via oral gavage at dose of 1 mg/kg/day for 60 days. At termination of the study, the oxidative stress parameters were determined in brain and liver tissues, including the contents of glutathione (GSH) and... 

The performances of gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry are examined through the comparison of Daphnia magna metabolic profiles. Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with mass spectrometry were used to compare the concentration changes of metabolites under saline conditions. In this regard, a chemometric strategy based on wavelet compression and multivariate curve resolution–alternating least squares is used to compare the performances of gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with... 

Cell survival during the early stages of transplantation and before new blood vessels formation is a major challenge in translational applications of 3D bioprinted tissues. Supplementing oxygen (O2) to transplanted cells via an O2 generating source such as calcium peroxide (CPO) is an attractive approach to ensure cell viability. Calcium peroxide also produces calcium hydroxide that reduces the viscosity of bioinks, which is a limiting factor for bioprinting. Therefore, adapting this solution into 3D bioprinting is of significant importance. In this study, a gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) bioink that is optimized in terms of pH and viscosity is developed. The improved rheological properties... 

Diabetes affects a large population of the world. Lifestyle, obesity, dietary habits, and genetic factors contribute to this metabolic disease. A target pathway to control diabetes is the 5′-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway. AMPK is a heterotrimeric protein with α, β, and γ subunits. In several studies, AMPK activation enhanced glucose uptake into cells and inhibited intracellular glucose production. Impairment of AMPK activity is present in diabetes, according to some studies. Drugs used in the treatment of diabetes, such as metformin, are also known to act through regulation of AMPK. Thus, drugs that activate and regulate AMPK are potential... 

In recent years miscellaneous smart micro/nanosystems that respond to various exogenous/endogenous stimuli including temperature, magnetic/electric field, mechanical force, ultrasound/light irradiation, redox potentials, and biomolecule concentration have been developed for targeted delivery and release of encapsulated therapeutic agents such as drugs, genes, proteins, and metal ions specifically at their required site of action. Owing to physiological differences between malignant and normal cells, or between tumors and normal tissues, pH-sensitive nanosystems represent promising smart delivery vehicles for transport and delivery of anticancer agents. Furthermore, pH-sensitive systems... 

Purpose: To evaluate the phytochemical profile of methanol extract of Ephedra foeminea and assess its anti-carcer effect on a large set of normal and cancerous cell lines Methods: Extraction of air-dried powder of aerial parts of E. foeminea was carried out with methanol. The bioactive compounds in the extract were determined using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The anti-cancer effect of the extract was determined by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay against various types of normal and cancer cell lines. Serial concentrations of plant extract were used, ranging from 7.812 to1000 μg/mL. Doxorubicin (DOX) served as standard drug. The... 

Background: Skeletal muscle mass, which is regulated by a balance between muscle protein synthesis and degradation, is an important factor for movement to meet everyday needs, especially in pathological conditions and aging. The purpose of the present investigation was to compare the alterations of the gene expression involved in muscle protein synthesis and degradation signaling pathways induced by two exercise training protocols. Methods: Eight weeks old Wistar rats have been assigned to the present experimental study, which was conducted from August 2018 to October 2018 at the animal laboratory of Tehran University. They were randomly divided into two resistance and endurance training... 

Aim: In this study, a nanosponge structure was synthesised with capability of encapsulating curcumin as a model polyphenolic compound and one of the herbal remedies that have widely been considered due to its ability to treat cancer. Methods: FTIR, DSC and XRD techniques were performed to confirm the formation of the inclusion complex of the nanosponge-drug. Results: DSC and XRD patterns showed an increasing stability and a decreasing crystallinity of curcumin after formation of inclusion complex. Encapsulation efficiency was 98% (w/w) and a significant increase was observed in loading capacity (184% w/w). The results of cytotoxicity assessments demonstrated no cell toxicity on the healthy... 

The feasibility of employing the biological activated carbon (BAC) process to debilitate azo dye Carmoisine by Klebsiella spp. was investigated. Plate assay revealed the capability of Klebsiella spp. for removal of Carmoisine via degradation. Kinetic parameters were measured for Carmoisine debilitation by Klebsiella spp. using the suspended anaerobic process. Two types of granular and rod-shaped activated carbon were used to form the biological beds in order to study the Carmoisine debilitation in batch processes. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were used to indicate the colonization and biofilm formation of bacteria grown on activated carbon... 

Herein, an efficient and sustainable one-pot, four-component access to rhodanine-oxindole derivatives is achieved by a reaction between primary amines, carbon disulfide, ethyl chloroacetate, and cyano-substituted alkenyl oxindoles. The reaction was conducted without any harsh conditions as well as exhausting workup in polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a green solvent at room temperature and delivered rhodanine-oxindole products in high yield. This publication is the first easy protocol to be reported for the rapid construction of new rhodanine-oxindole derivatives at room temperature without harsh conditions and via multicomponent reaction. © 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC  

Gating of mechanosensitive (MS) channels is driven by a hierarchical cascade of movements and deformations of transmembrane helices in response to bilayer tension. Determining the intrinsic mechanical properties of the individual transmembrane helices is therefore central to understanding the intricacies of the gating mechanism of MS channels. We used a constant-force steered molecular dynamics (SMD) approach to perform unidirectional pulling tests on all the helices of MscL in M. tuberculosis and E. coli homologs. Using this method, we could overcome the issues encountered with the commonly used constant-velocity SMD simulations, such as low mechanical stability of the helix during... 

Introduction: The role of Hippo signaling pathway, which was identified by genetic studies as a key regulator for tissue growth and organ size, in promoting physiological cardiac hypertrophy has not been investigated. Methods: Fourteen male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to the exercise and control groups. The exercise group ran 1 hour per day, 5 days/week, at about 65%-75% VO2max on the motor-driven treadmill with 15ºslope, and the control group ran 15 min/d, 2 days/ week at 9 m/min (0ºinclination), throughout the eight-week experimental period. Forty-eight hours after the last session, hearts were dissected and left ventricles were weighed and stored for subsequent RT-PCR analysis.... 

Introduction: B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein 1 (BLIMP1) encoded by the positive regulatory domain 1 gene (PRDM1), is a key regulator in T cell differentiation in mouse models. BLIMP1-deficiency results in a lower effector phenotype and a higher memory phenotype. Methods: In this study, we aimed to determine the role of transcription factor BLIMP1 in human T cell differentiation. Specifically, we investigated the role of BLIMP1 in memory differentiation and exhaustion of human T cells. We used CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) to knock-down BLIMP1 and investigated the differential expressions of T cell memory and exhaustion markers in BLIMP1-deficient T cells in comparison with... 

Determination of effective transport properties of droplet-hydrogel composites is essential for various applications. The transport of ions through a droplet-hydrogel composite subjected to an electric field is theoretically studied as an initial step toward quantifying the effective transport properties of droplet-hydrogel composites. A three-phase electrokinetic model is used to derive the microscale characteristics of the polyelectrolyte hydrogel, and the droplet is considered an incompressible Newtonian fluid. The droplet-hydrogel interface is modeled as a surface, which encloses the interior fluid. The surface has the thickness of zero and the electrostatic potential ζ. Standard... 

During the last few decades, nanotechnology has established many essential applications in the biomedical field and in particular for cancer therapy. Not only can nanodelivery systems address the shortcomings of conventional chemotherapy such as limited stability, non-specific biodistribution and targeting, poor water solubility, low therapeutic indices, and severe toxic side effects, but some of them can also provide simultaneous combination of therapies and diagnostics. Among the various therapies, the combination of chemo- and photothermal therapy (CT-PTT) has demonstrated synergistic therapeutic efficacies with minimal side effects in several preclinical studies. In this regard,... 

We have investigated the pathways of stability for NHCs derived from azole, di-azole, n-tetrazole, and ab-tetrazole (1a, 2a, 3a, and 4a, respectively), at the M06/6-311++G** level of theory. Optimization and vibrational frequency calculations of ground states (GS) and transition states (TS) are performed to identify Gibbs free energies and nature of stationary points, respectively. Two possible pathways of stability for 1a-4a are compared and contrasted which entail dimerization through hydrogen bonding (HB) and covalent bonding (CB). The CB pathway comprises head to head (HH) and head to tail (HT) dimerizations. Plausible reaction profiles are illustrated for 1a-4a along with the mechanism... 

The early diagnosis together with an efficient therapy of cancer is essential to treat cancer patients and to enhance their quality of life. The use of nanostructures, as a newer technology, has demonstrated proven benefits as efficient cancer theranostic agents in numerous recent studies. Having a tunable surface plasmon resonance, gold nanostructures have been the subject of many recent studies as excellent imaging and photothermal therapy agents. However, the potential cytotoxicity and weak stability of gold nanostructures necessitate further modifications using biocompatible materials for biological applications. Based on the composition of the final structure, these gold-based hybrid... 

Open-pore titanium scaffolds were fabricated by sintering of compressed mixtures of TiH1.924 and urea. Spherical and irregular shaped space holders were used to investigate the effect of pore shape on cellular behavior. After removal of the space holder, the shape of the spacers was replicated to the pores. Average diameter of the pores was in the range of 300-600 lm. SEM images showed that titanium hydride resulted in higher surface roughness and larger micro porosities than pure titanium. In vitro evaluationswere carried out by using MTT assay, measuring alkaline phosphatase activity and alizarin red staining in flow perfusion bioreactor for cell culture. Observations revealed excellent... 

We report the development of a metastasis-on-a-chip platform to model and track hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)–bone metastasis and to analyze the inhibitory effect of an herb-based compound, thymoquinone (TQ), in hindering the migration of liver cancer cells into the bone compartment. The bioreactor consisted of two chambers, one accommodating encapsulated HepG2 cells and one bone-mimetic niche containing hydroxyapatite (HAp). Above these chambers, a microporous membrane was placed to resemble the vascular barrier, where medium was circulated over the membrane. It was observed that the liver cancer cells proliferated inside the tumor microtissue and disseminated from the HCC chamber to the... 

The NF-κB family includes some transcription factors which have important functions in the regulation of immune responses, therefore participating in the pathophysiology of inflammatory conditions such as peripheral neuropathies. We have quantified expression of a number of NF-κB-related transcripts in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) versus healthy subjects. These transcripts have been previously shown to be functionally related with this family of transcription factors. Expressions of ATG5, DICER-AS1, PACER, DILC, NKILA and ADINR have been increased in both CIDP and GBS patients compared with controls. However,...