Fascioliasis is an endemic disease in Iran and triclabendazole (TCBZ) is using for treatment of domestic animals and infected people.Excretory-secretory products (ESP) play an important role in the host biochemical defense by means of activities of detoxifying and antioxidant glutathione S-transferase (GST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes respectively.Therefore, the aim of this comparative study was to evaluate fasciola protection against TCBZ drug by detection of enzymatic activities, GST and SOD, in TCBZ treated Fasciola hepatica / Fasciola gigantica and control ESP samples. F. gigantic and F. hepatica helminthes were collected and cultured within buffer media (TCBZ treated and untreated or control) for 4 h at 37oC. Three TCBZ treated and 1 control ESP samples for each species were collected, centrifuged and supernatants were stored at -20oC. ESP samples protein concentrations were measured by Bradford method.SOD and GST enzymes activities of ESP samples were estimated photometrically. To determine the statistically significant difference between ESP of treated and control samples, t-test was conducted. ESP protein bands were detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE).Protein concentrations in treated F. hepatica and F. gigantica ESP samples were estimated 204.88, 428, 130.4 and 288.2, 488.2, 308.2 mg/ml respectively. Protein concentrations in control samples were estimated 488.18 and 124.8 mg/ml respectively. SOD enzyme specific activities level in treated F.hepatica and F. gigantica ESP samples were determined 0.14, 0.31, 3.96 and 11.11, 13.54, 19.95 U/mg/protein respectively. SOD activities level in control samples were detected 70.69 and 10.92 U/mg/protein. GST specific activities level in treated F.hepatica and F. gigantica ESP samples were calculated 25.3, 85.5, 37.3 and 1823, 1314.3, 1320.8 U/mg respectively. GST activities levels in control samples were detected 98.6 and 1083.9 U/mg/protein respectively. Statistical analysis reveal the significant different between proteins concentrations, GST and SOD enzyme specific activities of TCBZ treated ESP samples of F. gigantic in comparison to the control samples (P<0.05), however, is not significant for treated F. hepatica and control ESP samples (P>0.05).There is no difference between SDS-PAGE results of treated and control samples. Based on the results of the present work, significant increase of enzymatic activities of GST and SOD in TCBZ treated F. gigantica ESP, it seems, the protection of this species against drug is higher than F. hepatica.

Background: To evaluate the immunological properties of Leishmania major excreted- secreted (E-S) products on the progress of leishmaniasis in susceptible BALB/c mice.Methods: Promastigotes of the Leishmania major were cultured and E-S products were collected during the culture preiod. Groups of BALB/c mice (n=12) were immunized with E-S products or whole antigen. Animals were challenged with promastigotes of stationary phase culture, then mortality was followed up to 6 months. In another group of animals drainage lymph nods cells were removed and cultured for cytokines assay.Results: Activity of acteylcholinesters (AChE) and acid phosphatase (ACP) incresed time dependently. Using SDS-PAGE two major protein bands of 110 and 75 kDa were seen on the gel. Wound diameter in group receiving 24 h E-S products was significantly lower than the other experimental groups (P< 0.05). During the first 4 months of the follow up no mortality was seen in this group, but mortality was started in the second months of the challenge in other groups. The IL-4 and IL-10 level in whole Ag group were significantly higher than the other groups. In cells from animals receiving 24 h E-S products the IL-2 level was significantly higher than the other experimental groups (P< 0.05). Also the IFN g level was significantly higher both in 24 h E-S and whole Ag groups (P< 0.01).Conclusion: The 24 h E-S group corresponded with small wounds, dominant Th1 cytokines response and low level of mortality.

Objective(s): Gastric ulceration is induced by various forms of stress like surgery, ischemia and trauma. The female sex has more resistance to stress and the gastrointestinal lesions happen fewer than male sex. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of estradiol and progesterone on the gastric acid and pepsin levels following traumatic brain injury (TBI) induction.Materials and Methods: Diffuse TBI was induced by Marmarou method in female rats. Rats randomly assigned into 9 groups: intact, OVX (ovarectomized rat), Sham+OVX, TBI (intact rats under TBI), TBI+OVX (ovarectomized rats under TBI) and treated OVX rats with vehicle (sesame oil), E2 (estradiol), P4 (progesterone) or E2+P4 combination. The acid content and pepsin levels of each gastric washout sample were measured 5days after the TBI induction.Results: There was no significant difference in gastric acid output between groups either after TBI induction or after treatment with E2 or P4 or E2+P4. Gastric pepsin levels were increased in Sham+OVX, TBI (P<0.001) and TBI+OVX (P< 0.05) compared to intact group. Gastric pepsin levels were significantly lower in E2 and E2+P4 treated rats than vehicle treated group (P< 0.01). P4 treatment increased gastric pepsin level compared to TBI+OVX group (P< 0.05) and this increment was higher than rats that were treated with the E2 and E2+P4 (P<0.01).Conclusion: These results suggest that protective effect of estradiol and E2+P4 combination against mucosal damage after TBI, might be mediated by inhibition of pepsin secretion.

Background: Fasciola hepatica is one of the most important helminthes parasites and triclabendazole (TCBZ) is routinely used for treatment of infected people and animals. Secreted protease enzymes by the F. hepatica plays a critical role in the invasion, migration, nutrition and the survival of parasite and are key targets for novel drugs and vaccines. The aim of study was to determine the protease activity of excretory- secretory products (ESP) of F. hepatica in the presence of TCBZ anthelmintic.Methods: F. hepatica helminthes were collected and cultured within RPMI 1640 [TCBZ treated (test) and untreated (control)] for 6 h at 37 oC. ESP of treated and control were collected, centrifuged and supernatants were stored at -20 oC. Protein concentrations were measured according to Bradford method. Protease enzymes activities of ESP samples were estimated by using sigma's non-specific protease activity assay. ESP protein bands were detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate poly acrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE).Results: Mean protein concentrations in control and treated of ESP samples were determined 196.1±14.52 and 376.4±28.20 mg/ml, respectively. Mean protease enzymes activities in control and treated were 0.37±0.1 and 0.089±0.03 U/ml, respectively. Significant difference between proteins concentrations and protease enzymes activities of two groups was observed (P<0.05). SDS-PAGE showed different patterns of protein bands between treated and control samples.Conclusion: The TCBZ reduced secreted protease enzymes activities and possibly effects on invasion, migration, nutrition and particularly survival of the parasite in the host tissues.

Objective: Estrogen replacement therapy remains current as a therapeutic approach to treat menopausal symptoms and may significantly affect hormone-producing cells in the female pituitaries. The aim of this study was to examine the histological parameters of pituitary mammotrophs and prolactin secretion after chronic estradiol treatment in ovariectomized adult female rats, reflecting premature menopause.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, adult female Wistar rats were divided into non-ovariectomized (C), ovariectomized (OVX) and estradiol-treated ovariectomized (OVX+E) groups. Estradiol dipropionate [0.625 mg/kg body mass per day] was administered for four weeks, while the C and OVX groups received vehicle alone. Mammotrophs were identified by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) immunohistochemical procedure, while prolactin concentrations were measured by the non-isotopic two-step assay (Delfia) method. Comparison of the differences between groups was performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukay (honest significant difference) HSD test.Results: Ovariectomy caused significant (P<0.05) decreases in mammotroph optical density (OD), volume density (VV) and number per mm2 by 29, 27 and 34%, respectively, in comparison with the C females. In the OVX+E group, significant (P<0.05) increases in OD, cell volume, VV and number of mammotrophs per mm2 by 181, 15%, 5.8-fold and 5.2-fold, respectively, were observed when compared to OVX animals. The serum prolactin concentration in OVX females was significantly (P<0.05) decreased by 14% in comparison to the C group, while in OVX+E females, prolactin levels were significantly (P<0.05) increased by 53% compared to the OVX controls.Conclusion: Estradiol supplementation in ovariectomized females is followed by stimulatory histological and secretory changes of the mammotrophs. These results could serve as indicators of possible prolactinome development upon estradiol application in premature menopausal subjects.

Background: Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease resulting from complex interactions between genetic, hormonal, environmental and oxidative stress and intrinsic inflammatory components. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential association of the 763C>G polymorphism in the secretory phospholipase A2 group IIa gene (PLA2G2A) with the risk of endometriosis in Iranian women.Materials and Methods: Ninety seven patients with endometriosis along with 107 women who were negative for endometriosis after laparoscopy and laparatomy, and served as the control group, were enrolled for this cross-sectional study. Samples were genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method.Results: Multivariate analysis was used to examine the association between the risk of endometriosis and the763C>G polymorphism of PLA2G2A. Genotype distributions of PLA-2G2A were significantly different between patients and the controls (p<0.001, OR=0.22, 95% CI=0.21-0.39). Correlation analysis showed that there was a significant association between the normal homozygous genotype and susceptibility to endometriosis (p<0.001).Conclusion: The present study suggests that the 763C>G polymorphism of PLA2G2A plays an important role as an independent factor in the risk of endometriosis in Iranian women.