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Background & Objectives: Previous studies demonstrated that selected probiotic bacteria elicit beneficial effects in animals. Probiotic bacteria inhibit pathogens growth in the gut, improve lipid metabolism and activate immune system of animals. In the present study Enterococcus spp were isolated from Iranian traditional cheese and their effects on intestine pathogens (Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium) growth, serum lipids level and activation of immune systems in mice were studied.

  Methods: Iranian cheese samples were collected from Ardabil province. Enterococci spp were isolated using selective culture mediums and identified using API kites. Inhibitory effects of isolated Enterococci on growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and intestine pathogens (Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium) were tested using agar well method . In order to study probiotic activities of isolated bacteria in live animals, NMRI mice were divided into different groups and Enterococci was administrated orally (1 ML/mouse) with doses equal to 2 (6×10⁸ cfu/ml) 3 (9×10⁸ cfu/ml) and 4 (12×10⁸ cfu/ml) MacFarland standard for 2 weeks. After two weeks continues treatment, blood samples were collected from retroorbital sinus and serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and HDL measured using enzymatic method. Interleukins (IL-2, IL-6 and IL-10) levels were measured using ELISA kites.

  Results: Results of this study demonstrated that treatment with faecium species decreases serum cholesterol and increases serum IL-10 level, while it has not showed significant effects on serum levels of glucose, triglycerides, IL-2 and IL-6 (p<0.05). Administration of faecalis species have no significant effects on lipid levels of serum ( p <0.05). Moreover, results revealed that treatment with faecalis species increased IL-6 and IL-10 ( p <0.05). None of the species affected pathogens growth significantly ( p <0.05).

  Conclusion: The results obtained from current study demonstrate that continues treatment with both species can affect immune functions of animal by altering the cytokines profile and treatment with faecium species decreases serum level of cholesterol.

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  Background & objectives: There are growing evidences about relationship between vitamin D metabolism and occurrence of diabetes mellitus. Vitamin D has a role in secretion and possibly the action of insulin and modulates lipolysis and might therefore contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases. This study was aimed to evaluate whether serum vitamin D3 level in patients with diabetes is lower than that in non-diabetics and if its level has any relation to indices of metabolic syndrome.

 Methods: Sixty nine subjects were enrolled in this case-control study (23 diabetic patients with good control of blood sugar, 23 poor control diabetic patients and 23 healthy subjects as control group). Serum 25(OH) D3, Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), (2 hour postprandial blood sugar) BS 2hpp, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol, HDL and HbA1C were measured. We also measured blood pressure, body weight, height and abdomen circumference for individuals. The data were analyzed by Anova, Chi-square and Pearson correlation.

 Results: Serum levels of Vitamin D3 were significantly lower in diabetics compared to non diabetics. (36/5±16/6 v.s. 56/6±19/1 nmol/lit, p<0/001). There was no statistical difference between the group with good control diabetes and poor control diabetes. There was no significant correlation between low serum vitamin D and metabolic syndrome parameters. These findings suggest the need for ongoing evaluation of possible protective role of vitamin D3 supplement in the development of diabetes.

 Conclusions: Based on our results vitamin D deficiency is prominent in patients with diabetes. It appears the vitamin D level should be monitored in diabetic patients.

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  Background & Objectives: Prostatitis is relatively one of the common diseases in elderly men. Treatment of this disease is difficult and because of frequent relapses, it provides complicated problems for patients and the physicians. Detection of reservoirs and determination of prevalence of involved microbes in prostatitis are important in the epidemiology and control of the disease. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium�in patients with prostatitis by sequencing and PCR-RFLP techniques.

  Methods : In this cross-sectional study, 200 paraffin-embedded prostate samples from patients with prostatitis during 2008-2011 were checked for M. gentialium. After cutting the tissues and homogenization, the genomic DNA was extracted and used as template in PCR. Primers targeting a 465 bp regions of 16S rRNA of M. genitalium were used in the assay. PCR products were sequenced and Cac8I, Bbs I, EcoRI, AluI, TaqI endonucleases were used in RFLP analysis.

  Results : Of 200 samples, 4 were positive in PCR. The results of DNA sequencing and RFLP confirmed the amplified genes corresponded to M. genitalium�G37.

  Conclusion : The Mycoplasma genome present in tissue samples of prostate showed this bacterium could be one of the risk factors for prostatitis in men. However large studies and control groups are needed to prove this finding.

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  Introduction and objective: Dicrocoelium dendriticum is a worldwide spread parasite of liver, bile ducts and gallbladder of especially ruminants and humans as well. Identification of specific antigens is useful for early diagnosis of the infection. The goal of this study was the isolation and identification of excretory-secretory and somatic antigens from D. dendriticum by sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)-PAGE and evaluation of humoral immune response against these antigens.

  Methods: The parasites were collected and washed by phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and supplemented by antibiotic for several times. For preparing somatic antigens, parasites were sonicated and centrifuged prior to collect supernatant. For preparing excretory-secretory antigens the viable parasites were transferred to the sterile medium. The samples were centrifuged and supernatants were collected. The sera of infected sheep with different infection degrees were collected too. Somatic and excretory-secretory proteins were isolated with SDS PAGE and stained with coomassie blue. Immunogenicity properties of the resulting proteins were determined using western blot analysis.

  Results: The total extract of somatic antigens analyzed by SDS-PAGE revealed 21 proteins. In mild infection, bands of 130 KDa were immune dominant. In moderate infections 48, 80 and 130 KDa and in heavy infections 48, 60, 80, 130 KDa were detected as immune dominant bands. In excretory- secretory antigens seven bands of protein were detected. In mild infection 130 KDa, in moderate infection 100, 120 and 130 KDa and in heavy infection 45, 80, 85, 100, 120 and 130 KDa were immune dominant bands.

  Conclusion: Probably the most immunogenic protein band during different degrees of infection was 130KDa that can be used for vaccination and inducing immunity.

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  Background & objectives: The leishmaniases are considered among the major infectious diseases affecting public health in several regions. There are many chemical agents which are effective in treatment of visceral leishmaniasis. But, overall treatment of visceral leishmaniasis is often difficult. Thus, identification of new chemotherapeutic agents is important for treatment of disease. Since targeting of the ergosterol synthesis pathway of Leishmania may be useful therapeutically, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of alone or in combination of amiodarone and ketoconazole on Leishmania infantum.

  Methods : To obtain logarithmic promastigotes of L. infantum, the parasites were cultured in BHI medium with FCS 10% together with antibiotics of penicillin and streptomycin and incubated at 24° C. Amastigote forms were obtained in BHI medium supplemented with 20% FCS at pH of 5.5 which incubated in 37° C. L.infantum susceptibility to amiodarone and ketoconazole was evaluated by proliferation of parasites in the absence or presence of these drugs with MTT assay. For evaluation of antiproliferative synergism against promastigotes and axenic amastigotes, fractional inhibitory concentrations (FIC) were calculated. An isobologram curve was constructed too.

  Results: Amiodarone produced a marked reduction in the viability of L.infantum promastigotes and axenic amastigotes. On the other hand ketoconazole induced a dose dependent effect on the parasites proliferation for promastigotes and axenic amastigotes. When the drugs were used in combination, the results indicated clear synergistic as shown by a concave isobologram and FIC value.

  Conclusion: The present study represents the evidence that the combination of amiodarone plus ketoconazole acts synergistically in controlling L. infantume in vitro. It is possible that amiodarone could be used in combination with ketoconazole to combat infection at low doses, thus reducing its side effects such as cardiotoxicity, thyroid dysfunction and pulmonary fibrosis.

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  Background & objectives: Addiction is one of the problems in world threating the social, economic and culture factors. It is essential to have an accurate knowledge about the characteristics of drug users in order to diminish the high-risk behaviors of intravenous drug addicts. This research has been done to assess relationship between individual characteristics and high risk behavior in intravenous drug addicts.

  Method: In this descriptive-analytic research, 360 drug users were selected from different places in Ardabil city and interviewed by a prepared questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical tests including t-test, Pearson correlation and ANOVA with SPSS statistical software.

  Results: The results showed that the age, gender, material status, job position, age of addiction start, age of injection start, injection frequency, injection frequency per day, syringe supply place and the partner’s gender during recent few months had no significant difference compared to drug users with needle sharing and without needle sharing. The educational level of drug users with needle sharing was lower (P=0.037) and the number of new syringe usage per month was also lesser (P=0.001). They predicted to be more likely infected with AIDS (P=0.001) and had a less argument with their partner about using condom, also mostly have not used condom at their last sexual relationship (P=0.001). The average number of their partners during last three months was high (P=0.003) and there was a meaningful relationship between true sense of peril and using condom in drug users with needle sharing group (p=0.001).

  Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between the true sense of danger and the using condom. It is necessary to have an appropriate advertising to increase using condoms among injecting drug users.

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Background & objectives: One of the most important zoonotic parasitic diseases, hydatidosis, is caused by the larval stage of Echinococcous granulosus. Investigations have shown that plants secondary metabolites, such as essential oils have anti parasitic properties. Based on previous reports on antiparasitic properties of Lepidium sativum, in this study we investigated the scolicidal effects of the essential oil (EO) extracted from this plant.

Methods: Lepidium EO was obtained by hydrodistillation method. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed to determine the chemical composition of the EO. Protoscolices were exposed to various concentrations of EO (1, 3, 5, 10 and 15 mg/ml) for 10, 20, 30 and 60 min. Viability of protoscolices was confirmed by 0.1% eosin staining.

Results: A total of 19 compounds representing 95.5% of the total oil, were identified. &alpha;-Thujene (88.86%), Myrcene (2.9%) and P-cymene (1.67%) were found to be the major EO constituents. Based on the results, protoscolices mortality rates at 1, 3 and 5 mg/ml of EO didn’t have a significant relationship with the control group. While, the difference in mortality rate at a concentration of 10 mg/ml of EO in 30 and 60 min was significant. Also, the concentration of 15 mg/ml of EO at all times of incubation had significantly higher protoscolicidal effect. In the present study there was a significant relation between the amount of protoscolicidal activity of different EO concentrations and different incubation times. In other words mortality rates enhanced with increasing concentrations and incubation times.

Conclusion: The results of present study revealed that the EO of Lepidium is rich in &alpha;-Thujene and has a high scolicidal power. This plant may be used as a natural scolicidal agent

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Background & objectives: Polyamines such as putrescine, spermidine, and spermine are ubiquitous in all eukaryotic cells and play an essential role in cell division and differentiation. One way of polyamine biosynthesis is done by ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) which catalyzes the transformation of ornithine to putrescine. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the level of putrescine, spermidine and spermine in protoscolices, hydatid fluid and germinal layer and also to evaluate ODC activity.

Methods: In the present study putrescine, spermidine and spermine levels were investigated in germinal layers, hydatid fluids and protoscolices. To evaluate the activity of ODC, protoscolices were incubated with ornithine and changes in polyamines level were assayed. The samples were homogenized and liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for polyamines measurement.

Results: Based on the results, putrescine was the lowest polyamine and since its level was not increased in protoscolices incubated with ornithine, ODC activity was not detected. Spermidine was the highest polyamine and the results showed that germinal layer contained the highest level of polyamines.

Conclusion: Overall, the results showed that ODC activity was not detected in hydatid cyst and level of polyamines in germinal layers  which contained rapidly proliferating cells was higher than other parts.

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Background & objectives: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common types of hu­man infections and Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia are the main causes of urinary tract infection among the gram negative bacteria. The prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) among these bacteria and hence resistant strains to β-lactam antibiotics have increased in recent decades. Several types of extended-spectrum β-lactamases, such as TEM, SHV and CTX-M have been identified, which are prominently present in the strains of E. coli and K. pneumoniae. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of TEM and SHV genes in E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates of urinary tract infections by using phenotypic and molecular (PCR) tech­niques in microbiology laboratory at medical school of Tabriz Islamic Azad University.
Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 50 isolates of E. coli and 50 isolates of K. pneumoniae collected from uri­nary tract infections from out-patients in Tabriz. Antibiotic sensitivity patterns of isolates were stu­died against 14 antibiotics by disk diffusion test (Kirby Bauer) and also confirmatory tests were performed using combined antibiotic tests. Finally TEM and SHV genes were investigated using molecular methods (PCR).
Results: Twenty five isolates (25%) out of 100 bacterial isolates were identified as ESBL-producing isolates of which 13 isolates (26%) were E. coli and 12 isolates (24%) were K. pneumoniae. The TEM and SHV genes were detected in 2% and 4% of E.coli and 0% and 2% of K. pneumoniae isolates, respectively.
Conclusion: The presence of these genes among our isolates confirmed ESBL genes in these medically important bacteria leading to resistance against β-lac­tam antibiotics which are routinely used in their treatments. The low frequency of the studied genes could be because of the source of our isolates from out-patients which are not generally exposed to antibiotics

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Background & objectives: The present study investigated the effects of royal jelly on lead acetate induced toxicity on sperm parameters, reproductive hormone assay, and bak gene expression in NMRI male mice.
Methods: In this study, fifty four male mice were randomly divided into nine groups: control group (without royal jelly) (n=6); sham group(10 ml normal saline) (n=6); lead group (1000 ppm, oral) (n=6); Group 4: royal jelly (100 mg/kg/day, oral) (n=6); Group 5: royal jelly (250 mg/kg/day, oral)(n=6); Group 6: royal jelly (500 mg/kg/day, oral)(n=6); Group 7: royal jelly (100 mg/kg/day, oral) + 1000 ppm lead (n=6); Group 8: royal jelly (250 mg/kg/day, oral) + 1000 ppm lead (n=6) and Group 9: royal jelly (500 mg/kg/day, oral) + 1000 ppm lead (n=6). On day 35, blood samples were collected from anaesthetized mice by cardiac puncture to assess reproductive hormones and the testes were harvested for determination of sperm parameters and expression bak gene. Sperm parameters including motility, viability, DNA damage, morphology and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels were determined.
Results: The results showed that administration of royal jelly significantly enhanced sperm parameters and all reproductive hormone levels compared to control mice, (p<0.05). Also, treatment with lead acetate caused a significant reduction in levels of all reproductive hormones and a significant diminution in sperm motility, morphology, viability; with an increase in percentage of dead spermatocytes (p<0.05). The co-administration of the 250 and 500 mg/kg/day royal jelly with lead acetate could ameliorate the deleterious effects of lead acetate resulting in a significant increase in sperm parameters and all reproductive hormones and increase the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels (p<0.05). Also, the expression of bak gene in all treated (sham, royal jelly groups) and control groups was significantly lower than the lead acetate group (p<0.05).
Conclusion: In conclusion, our findings suggest that the royal jelly has a beneficial effect on male reproductive parameters following lead acetate induced toxicity in mice.

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Background & objectives: Toluene as a systemic toxin and industrial solvents has different effects on vital organs of the body. There is little mechanistic study of the interactions between toluene and human lymphocytes. In this study, the direct toxicity of toluene and the potential of agents with antioxidant, mitochondrial/lysosomal protective effects to reduce its possible toxicity in human lymphocytes were studied.
Methods: Blood lymphocytes were isolated from healthy male volunteer's blood, using Ficoll Paque Plus followed by gradient centrifugation. In this study, cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, lipid peroxidation (LPO), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), lysosomal membrane damage, glutathione (GSH) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) levels, were determined in blood lymphocytes after incubation with toluene and antioxidant, mitochondrial and lysosomal protective compounds.
 Results: Results showed that toluene reduced lymphocyte viability, increased ROS levels, LPO content, damage to lysosomal membranes, mitochondrial damages and GSH depletion, which these damages were significantly inhibited by dibutyl hydroxytoluene (BHT) as a synthetic antioxidant, cyclosporine A (Cs. A) as an inhibitor of mitochondrial pores, and chloroquine as a lysosomotropic agent.
Conclusion: Results of our study suggest that using of antioxidants, mitochondrial and lysosomal protective agents can be effective in reducing toluene-induced toxicity in exposed individuals.

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Background & objectives: The increased incidence of metabolic diseases (e.g., diabetes and obesity) has seriously affected human health and life safety worldwide. It is of great significance to find effective drugs from natural compounds and exercise to treat metabolic diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of berberine chloride with aerobic training on Liver Gene Expression Nrf2, HO-1 and PPARγ in Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats.
 Methods: In this experimental study,  32 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (n=8): Diabetes (DM), Diabetes-Berberine (BDM), Diabetes-Aerobic Training (TDM), Diabetes-Aerobic Training -Berberine (TBDM). Diabetes was induced by injection of STZ in male rats. Berberine chloride (30 mg/kg/day) were administered orally, by gavage, once a day. Training groups have performed a progressive aerobic running program (at 10-18 m/min, 10-40 min/day, and 5 days/week) on a motor-driven treadmill for six weeks.
Results: There was a significant increase in Nrf2 and HO-1 expression in BDM in BDM (p=0.027 and p=0.038, respectively), TDM (p=0.022 and p=0.028, respectively) and TBDM (p=0.000 and p=0.000, respectively). This increase was also observed in TBDM groups compared to BDM (p=0.034 and p=0.034, respectively) and TDM (p=0.043 and p=0.046, respectively). PPARγ was significantly increased in TDM (p=0.046) and TBDM (p=0.001) groups.
Conclusions: Berberine chloride combination with exercise may possibly inhibit STZ-induced liver damage through up-regulating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and PPARγ.