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Ticks are important ectoparasites of small ruminants in tropics and subtropics including Iran. They transmit serious zoonotic pathogens such as Babesia and Theileria. These parasites cause major burden on small ruminants jeopardising livelihoods of rural people in Zarrin Dasht County.This study was carried out to investigate the diversity and distribution of hard ticks of small ruminants and their piroplasm infection in a bid to contribute to Theileria and/or Babesia detection and control in Zarrin Dasht County of Fars province, Iran.We examined 751 sheep and goats from 10 sites of the County during four seasons for hard tick infestation. The collected hard ticks (994) were taxonomically identified before being separately confined in microtubes coded to indicate their species and host animals as well as site and date of collection. In total 50 pooled samples were analysed by PCR technique for Theileria and Babesia infection.The identified ticks included Hyalomma marginatum 994/362); 36.4%), Rhipicephalus turanicus 994/352); 35.51%), Hyalomma anatolicum 994/264); 26.6%), Hyalomma dromedarii 994/14); 1.41%) and Hyalomma asiaticum 994/2) 0.2%). Molecular analyses showed that 7 out of 50 pooled sample were infected with piroplasm genome in ticks shared by Theileria ovis (6:50) and Theileria lestoquardi (1:50). Babesia was absent in collected hard ticks.This is the first report on the presence of piroplasm infection in hard ticks of small ruminants in Zarrin Dasht County. Theileria ovis was more prevalent than Theileria lestoquardi but Babesia was absent. Piroplasm infection was detected in Hyalomma marginatum, Hyalomma anatolicum and Rhipicephalus turanicus. Hyalomma marginatum appears to be more competent to vector Theileria spp. This study may contribute to risk assessment and prevention of epizootic theileriosis in the County.

Today, the use of natural products and nanostructures has increased. Given the reports on beneficial effects of various organotellurane compounds on types of visceral leishmaniasis, we decided to investigate the effect of TeO2 NPs on Leishmania major (L. major). Tellurium can cause cell apoptosis in cancer cells without activating the caspase-pathway. TeO2 NPs at first synthesized and the structure was checked by XRD, SEM and EDS tests. The cytotoxic effect of TeO2 NPs against L. major promastigotes, amastigotes and macrophages was assessed by MTT test or counting. The possible apoptosis of L. major by TeO2 NPs was evaluated by flow cytometry test. For in vivo assay, the lesions of infected BALB/c mice with L. major promastigotes were treated with TeO2 NPs, then the lesion size and survival rate were evaluated. The synthesis of TeO2 with tetragonal structure was confirmed by XRD. The combination of nanorods and nanoflakes and the presence of Te were proven by SEM and EDS, respectively. According the effects of nanoparticle on promastigotes and amastigotes, the IC50 values of TeO2 after 72 h of incubation were 15.13 and 52.22 µg/ml, respectively. TeO2 NPs induced apoptosis in about 41% of promastigotes. The ulcer greatly healed and survival rate was higher in treated mice compared to those in control group. Based on the data, favorable anti-leishmanial properties were observed by using TeO2 NPs. TeO2 NPs have cytotoxic impacts on L. major promastigotes and amastigotes in vitro and in vivo and may be regarded as a therapy option.

Leishmaniosis is an insect-borne disease whose clinical manifestations range from skin ulcer to visceral disease. Antimony compounds are currently known to be the main treatment for leishmaniosis, but there are limitations to their use. This study was performed to determine the in vitro and in vivo efficiency of honey on a standard strain of Leishmania major parasite in comparison with glucantime and amphotericin as the first line treatment. Leishmania major was exposed to different concentrations of honey extract at 400, 200, 100, 50, 25, 12.5, 6.25 μg/ml. The effectiveness of honey concentrations was determined by counting the parasite by Neubauer's chamber. Then, using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) colorimetric method, for promastigotes and macrophages then IC50 was calculated. A flow cytometry test was performed and necrosis and apoptosis diagrams were drawn. Next, the effect of the honey on the amastigotes inside macrophage cells was investigated. Finally, for the in vivo experimentation, the parasite was injected in the base of BALB/c mice tails and the resulting wounds were treated with honey. The results of all tests showed that the honey extract at 400 μg/ml concentration had the best effects on all stages. The honey has lethal effects on Leishmania parasite in vitro as well as therapeutic effects on wounds caused by the parasite. Further experiments are recommended to evaluate the performance of the extract on the parasite in volunteer human models.

Background: The extract of myrtle plant contains polyphenolic compounds that show antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-parasitic properties. We aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of aqueous and ethanolic myrtle extract against leishmaniasis caused by L. major in vivo and in vitro conditions. Methods: This study was carried out in Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran in 2018. Aqueous and ethanolic extract of myrtle plant at 6.25 to 400 mg/ml concentrations were tested on Leishmania major promastigotes, non-infected macrophages, and macrophages infected with amastigotes in vitro using counting, MTT and flow cytometry techniques. Then, BALB/c mice were treated with ethanolic, aqueous and a mixture of both extracts of myrtle plant. The treatment was carried out for four weeks. Then, the effectiveness of the herbal medicine was assessed by measuring wounds diameters, mice weights and their mortality rate on weekly basis. Results: The IC50 values of aqueous and ethanolic extracts for promastigotes were 7.86 and 11.66 μg/mL respectively. The IC50 values of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts for amastigotes were 12.5 and 47.2 μg/mL respectively. Flow cytometry indicates 62.88% and 60.16% apoptosis induced by ethanolic and aqueous extract of myrtle plant respectively. The lowest parasitic load was seen in the group treated with ethanolic extract. Conclusion: The lesion sizes for treated groups with extracts were similar to those treated with glucantime. Oral administration instead of injection is another advantage of myrtle plant over glucantime, which makes the herb easy and more practical.

Attractive Toxic Bait (ATB) is a low risk practical method to cockroach control. This study aimed to evaluate efficacy of a newly modified eight-chamber-olfactometer for attractiveness experiments. Different stages of German cockroaches were exposed to carbohydrate-rich and protein-rich foods and their attractions were tested both at ambient conditions and in the modified olfactometer. In the latter method, cockroaches were released into the main chamber of olfactometer and their attraction to food compounds placed in test chambers were recorded as the number of captured cockroaches in test chambers. The direct attractiveness test was performed in plastic pans. Repellency of fipronil insecticide was performed with prepared bait powder using olfactometer. Data were subjected to analysis of variance with Tukey’s Test,P ≤ 0.05. Different notes should be considered when using introduced olfactometer like precision when opening the test chambers valves, the fan speed, placement of cardboard shelter in both test and main chambers, and initial starvation of cockroaches. Roasted peanut, banana and biscuits powder were the most attractive foods for cockroaches. The females significantly preferred roasted peanut and the males significantly preferred banana and roasted peanut. These results were similar to the results of direct attracted cockroaches. The cockroaches have repellency to fipronil but attractiveness of bait with 0.01% concentration was significantly higher than cockroach diet. Generally, three factors should be considered in formulation of ATB like un-repellency of the a.i, attractiveness of bait compositions, and palatability of bait texture. The olfactometer introduced in this study could be used by researchers to study cockroach behaviors.

Background Leishmaniasis is a neglected infectious disease caused by a kinetoplastid protozoan. The disease generally manifests as characteristic skin lesions. Due to the lack of definitive treatment and drugs without side effects, many studies have focused on natural compounds as promising drugs for its treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of larval excretion/secretion products (ES) of Lucilia sericata in crude and fractionated forms on Leishmania parasites under both in vitro and in vivo conditions. Methods In vitro experiments involved evaluation of ES products on both promastigotes and amastigotes inside infected macrophages, whereas in vivo experiments included comparative treatments of Leishmanial lesions of mice using Eucerin-formulated ES products and glucantime. Results The IC50 values were 38.7 µg/ml, 47.6 µg/ml, 63.3 µg/ml, and 29.1 µg/ml for crude ES, over 10 kDa ES-fraction, under 10 kDa ES-fraction, and glucantime respectively. Significant differences were observed between viability percentages of promastigotes treated with crude ES and its fractions compared to negative control (p < 0.0001). Crude ES was more effective on amastigote than other two ES fractions at 300 µg/ml concentration. Macroscopic measurement of lesion sizes revealed that the reduction of lesion size in mice treated with crude ES followed quicker cascades of healing than in those treated with glucantime and fractionated ES. Conclusion The present study showed that larval ES of Lucilia sericata in both crude and fractionated forms are effective on both intracellular and extracellular forms of L. major. It also provided evidence that the larval ES exerts both topical and systemic therapeutic effects on leishmanial lesions of the model animal.

Salvia mirzayanii contains anti-hyperglycemic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anti-leishmanial efficacy of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of S. mirzayanii (both in vitro and in vivo) against Leishmania major. Aqueous and alcoholic extracts of S. mirzayanii were prepared and tested on L. major promastigotes and amastigotes. MTT test was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of the plant against L. major. Flow cytometry was performed to assay apoptosis induced by 50 and 100 μg/ml of extracts on the promastigotes and macrophages. For the in vivo assay, the therapeutic effects of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of S. mirzayanii were tested in BALB/c mice. After 72 h, the IC50 value of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of S. mirzayanii against L. major promastigotes was 6.04 and 4.47, respectively. The inhibitory concentration (IC50) of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of S. mirzayanii to amastigotes were determined to be 47.78 μg/ml and 33.58 μg/ml, respectively. Flow cytometry revealed that the apoptosis of promastigotes using 100 μg/ml of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of S. mirzayanii was 5.81% and 5.39%, respectively, while apoptosis induced at 200 μg/ml were 5.09% and 70.71%, respectively. Lesion size was significantly decreased in in vivo experiments, and the survival rate of the treated mice improved in contrast to the control group. Given the efficacy of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of S. mirzayanii on promastigotes both in vitro and in vivo condition, the plant could be considered as a candidate source for the treatment of leishmaniosis.

Background: The adverse effects and increased resistance of drugs necessities the discovery of novel combination therapy. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effects of Artemisinin plus glucantime or shark cartilage extract on the Iranian strain of Leishmania major (MRHO/IR/75/ER) in vitro and in vivo. Methods: In in vitro experiments, the effects of drugs and their combination in different concentrations (3.12 - 400 µg/mL) on the promastigotes, amastigotes, and un-infected macrophage cells were evaluated. In in vivo experiments, infected BALB/c mice were used as a cutaneous leishmaniasis model to evaluate the effects of the drugs and their combinations with different routes of administrations (namely Artemisinin: oral, ointment, and intraperitoneal; glucantime: intraperitoneal, intramuscular, intralesional, and subcutaneous; shark cartilage extract: oral) on parasite burden, lesion size, and immune system modulation. Results: The results revealed that Artemisinin and glucantime in combination with shark cartilage extract had greater effects on promastigotes than either Artemisinin or glucantime (P < 0.05), and that the combinations also had high cytotoxic effects on promastigotes and uninfected macrophages (P = 0.001). These combinations had more inhibitory effects on amastigotes and infected macrophages than promastigotes. The lesion sizes and parasite burden in the spleen decreased against the combinations of the drugs in different administrations. It was also noticed that the best combination administration route of Artemisinin and glucantime, as strong inducers of INF-γ and Th1 immune response, were ointment and intramuscular, respectively (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The findings indicate that Artemisinin- glucantime or Artemisinin- Shark cartilage combinations are effective inhibitors of L. major. However, further clinical trials are recommended to evaluate the effects of these combinations in human subjects.

Today, the use of natural products and nanostructures has increased. Given the reports on beneficial effects of various organotellurane compounds on types of visceral leishmaniasis, we decided to investigate the effect of TeOTeOThe synthesis of TeOBased on the data, favorable anti-leishmanial properties were observed by using TeO

Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most common meat-born zoonoses that infect all warm-blooded animals and humans. Sheep (Ovis aries) is one of the main reservoirs of T. gondii worldwide, and the infections induce various sequels, such as abortion and stillbirth. The present study aimed to identify the effects of humidity on the prevalence of T. gondii in sheep in high- and low-humidity regions. Heart samples from 200 slaughtered sheep (140 samples from a high-humidity region and 60 samples from a low-humidity region) were collected from Hormozgan Province (south of Iran). The samples were tested by nested PCR targeting the RE gene. Genotyping was performed by the PCR-RFLP method using the SAG3 and GRA6 genes. Some isolates were sequenced and recorded in the GenBank. T. gondii DNA was detected in 10.71 percent of the samples from the highly humid region, whereas no positive samples were detected in the low-humidity region. Genotyping revealed that all isolates belonged to the T. gondii type III genotype. Our study indicated that humidity is an important factor for the prevalence of T. gondii in sheep. Additionally, our study also showed the dominance of type III strain of T. gondii in sheep in the south of Iran.

Background: Head lice infestation constitutes a serious health problem in marginalized areas where schoolchildren and their families are mostly affected. This study aimed to compare 3 lice control protocols approved by Ministry of Health and Medical Education, based on 1% permethrin shampoo, 4% dimethicone lotion and (1:1) vinegar wet combing for the treatment of outpatients of Imam Reza Hospital of Mashhad city (Iran). Materials and Methods: The quasi-experimental before-and-after design was applied to evaluate the effectiveness of protocols, using SPSS software version 16.0. The study involved 154 infested individuals from both sexes during 2015 and 2016. The patients were clustered into 4-age categories; < 5 to >13-year-old and their demographics were recorded. The results were recorded on weekly basis by a hospital-based dermatologist and an entomologist. Application times of permethrin, dimethicone and vinegar were 8-10 min, 8 h and 20-30 min respectively. Results: Age, gender, familly size and hair length were the most significant demographic variants involved in treatments outcomes at P ≤ 0.05. The protocols showed different efficacies a week after intervention keeping the same trend to the end. The dimethicone treated group indicated the highest control levels (86% and 74%). The recovery rates at first endpoint were 86, 64.2 and 60.8%, and at the second endpoint were 74, 45.3 and 45.1% for dimethicone, permethrin and vinegar respectively. Dimethicone was 4.3 times more potent than either of vinegar or permethrin (P

In the present study, we evaluated induced immune responses following DNA vaccine containing cocktail or fusion of LeIF, LACK and TSA genes or each gene alone. Mice were injected with 100 µg of each plasmid containing the gene of insert, plasmid DNA alone as the first control group or phosphate buffer saline as the second control group. Then, cellular and humoral responses, lesion size were measured for all groups. All vaccinated mice induced Th1 immune responses against Leishmania characterized by higher IFN-γ and IgG2a levels compared with control groups (p

There is no effective vaccine for the prevention and elimination of leishmaniasis. For this reason, we assessed the protective effects of DNA vaccines containing LeIF, TSA genes alone, or LeIF-TSA fusion against cutaneous leishmaniasis pEGFP-N1 plasmid (empty vector) and phosphate buffer saline (PBS) were used as control groups. Therefore, cellular and humoral immune responses were evaluated before and after the challenge with Leishmania major. Lesion diameter was also measured 3-12 weeks after challenge. All immunized mice with plasmid DNA encoding Leishmania antigens induced the partial immunity characterized by increased IFN-γ and IgG2a levels compared with control groups (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the immunized mice showed significant reduction in mean lesion sizes compared with mice in empty vector and PBS groups (p < 0.05). The reduction in lesion diameter was 29.3%, 34.1%, and 46.2% less in groups vaccinated with LeIF, TSA, and LeIF-TSA, respectively, than in PBS group at 12th week post infection. IFN/IL-4 and IgG2a/IgG1 ratios indicated that group receiving LeIF-TSA fusion had the highest IFN-γ and IgG2a levels. In this study, DNA immunization promoted Th1 immune response characterized by higher IFN-γ and IgG2a levels and also reduction in lesion size. These results showed that a bivalent vaccine containing two distinct antigens may induce more potent immune responses against leishmaniasis.

Objective: To evaluate immunoglobulin G (IgG) avidity as a useful and reliable technique in diagnosing toxoplasmosis in pregnant women referring to therapeutic centers of Alborz Province (Iran) in 2014, against two other tests, IgG and immunoglobulin G (IgM) antiToxoplasma. Methods: Serum samples (468 in total) were obtained from different therapeutic centers in Karaj City. ELISA method was used to test the anti-Toxoplasma avidity of IgG, IgM and IgG. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistical methods and Chi-square test (P < 0.05) using SPSS 17.0. Results: Anti-Toxoplasma tests of IgM and IgG were positive in 9 and 86 samples respectively. Also, a borderline IgM was detected in 2 suspected samples. In addition, among all positive and suspected samples, 79 cases indicated high titers of IgG avidity, 7 cases were of low titers and 1 case was of a borderline titer. The prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies was 20%. The sera which showed high avidity index was obtained from patients at chronic phase of infection (92%) while those which showed low avidity levels were from patients at acute toxoplasmosis (77.7%). Conclusions: This study clearly showed that acute and chronic phases of toxoplasmosis could be differentiated with the aid of IgG avidity test. This test may also assist in recognizing old and newly acquired infections.

Objective: To study the parasitic contamination of soil in selected areas of Sari, north of Iran. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to identify all available parasites in surface and deep soil. In this study 580 soil samples (278 deep soil and 302 topsoil samples) from 21 different locations were collected from pathways, parks, greenhouses, estates around the city, cemetery, main squares, farmlands, fenced gardens and seashores. Depending on the soil type, two samples were prepared, from surface and deep soil at the depth of 3 to 5 cm. After performing various stages of preparation, including cleaning and washing, smoothing and flotation, parasitic elements were examined microscopically and quantitative parasite counting was done using a McMaster slide. Results: The results showed that the highest rate of parasitic contamination was related to nematodes larvae (26.11%). Other contaminants such as Entamoeba and Acanthamoeba cysts, vacuolization Blastocystis hominis form, oocyte containing sporocysts, Toxascaris eggs, nematoda larvae, Hymenolepis eggs, Ascaris eggs, Fasciola eggs, hookworm eggs, Toxocara eggs, insects' larvae and other ciliated and flagellated organisms were also observed. The results of this study showed that the highest contamination was found in public garden (25.80%) both in surface (29.30%) and in deep soil (21.12%), while the lowest level of contamination was observed in seashore surface soil (4.90%). Conclusions: The results showed that soil can provide a potential medium for the spread of soil transmitted parasitic diseases in the environment; therefore, preventive programs are needed.

Hemoglobin is a porphyrin containing protein with an α2β2 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 th↔at 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 (

Background: The first line treatment against cutaneous leishmaniasis is meglumine antimoniate. This drug is expensive and has serious side effects, including development of drug resistance. Objectives: In this research, because of paucity of information, the apoptotic and leishmanicidal effects of ketotifen and cromolyn sodium, as cell membrane stabilizer drugs, were investigated on standard strain of Leishmania major. Methods: In this experimental study, L. major parasites were first cultured in RPM1 1640 media, supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and antibiotics at 24 ± 1oC. Drug concentrations of 5, 10, 15, and 20 µg/mL were then added to L. major culture at 24-, 48- and 72-hour intervals. The 3 - (4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) -2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) tetrazolium assays were performed to determine parasite viability and drug toxicity. Leishmania major promastigotes were augmented to the in vitro cultured macrophages (J774 cells) and then incubated for 72 hours. Half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) were ascertained by counting the parasites. The inhibitory effect of the drugs were compared with that of glucantime. Flow cytometry was performed in the next step, to evaluate apoptosis. Each test was repeated three times. Results: IC50 values of ketotifen and cromolyn sodium after 72 hours were calculated to be 2.04 and 17.67 µg/mL for promastigotes and 0.12 and 14.79 µg/mL for amastigotes, respectively. The results of MTT assays showed 20% and 35% promastigote viability after 72 hours of exposure to ketotifen and cromolyn sodium at 20 µg/mL concentration. Apoptosis in ketotifen and cromolyn sodium was quantified to be 11.52% and 9.96% in promastigotes and 99.5% and 98.6% in amastigote-infected macrophages, respectively. The results indicated that the drugs induce early and late apoptosis in parasites. All treatments produced results, which differed significantly from the control groups (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Drugs used in this study, especially Ketotifen, showed lower toxicity yet similar anti-leishmanial effects on both forms, as cromolyn sodium did. It could be suggested that further investigations about the in vivo effects of these drugs, as candidates for cutaneous leishmaniasis treatment, are required.

Objective To identify the etiological agent, host and vector of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Kerman City, Southeastern Iran, using nested PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism-PCR techniques. Methods Conducting this cross-sectional study in Kerman City from March to November 2014, we collected and morphologically identified 1 075 sandflies. The phlebotomine sand flies were then molecularly examined for harboring Leishmania parasites and blood meal preference using nested PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism-PCR techniques respectively. Results Phlebotomus sergenti (P. sergenti) and Phlebotomus papatasi were found to comprise 94.3% and 5.7% of catches respectively. Nested PCR assay, applied for kDNA minicircles amplification, detected Leishmania tropica in P. sergenti at the rate of 3.6%. Also, restriction fragment length polymorphism-PCR assay on mtDNA fragments demonstrated that 41.8% of P. sergenti population preferred to feed on human blood rather than other animals. Conclusions This is the first study to provide molecular bases for incriminating P. sergenti as the main vector of Leishmania tropica, the causative agent of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis, in Kerman City. This study emphasized the high predominance, strong anthropophilic behavior and peridomicile adaptation of P. sergenti population in the focus.

This study aimed to provide a systematic review regarding anti- Giardia effect of different Iranian plant extracts used in vivo and in vitro on cysts and trophozoites. Many reports indicated that most of plant extracts used as anti- Giardia were obtained from Liliaceae, Apiaceae, Asteraceae, and Myrtaceae. These extracts included different fractions such as aqueous, alcoholic and chloroform extracts as well as Soxhlet extraction of juice or essence. The findings of this review showed that hydroalcoholic extract of asafoetida, Chenopodium botrys , and chloroformic extract of feverfew ( Tanacetum parthenium ) have the maximum effect (100% efficacy) on in vitro application against Giardia . However, the highest in vivo effect of 100% therapeutic significance was recorded for the extract of Allium sativum at 80 mg/mL concentration. Given the plant species richness of Iran in terms of herbal medicines with fewer side effects, it can be a good alternative to chemical drugs used to treat giardiasis.

Artemisia aucheri Bioss contains flavonoid, coumarin and santonin with antioxidant, antimicrobial and antileishmanial effects. The current study was aimed to comparatively evaluate the effects of spring and autumn extracts of A. aucheri Bioss on Leishmania major both in-vitro and in-vivo conditions.HPLC analysis was used to evaluate the percentages of compounds in spring and autumn extracts of A. aucheri. For in-vitro assay, the effect of different concentrations of spring and autumn extracts of A. aucheri was tested on L. major promastigotes and amastigotes. MTT and flow cytometry methods were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity and probable apoptosis of A. aucheri extracts on L. major promastigotes. On the other hand, for in-vivo assay, the extracts were used as ointments to treat lesions developed on BALB/c mice after 28 days post inoculation of L. major. The diameter of lesions and the survival rates of infected BALB/c mice were measured weekly for a period of two months.The HPLC analysis showed the substance Quercitrin was present in the spring A. aucheri extract but not in the autumn extract. The mean numbers of amastigotes in each treated macrophage with the spring and autumn A. aucheri extracts were 1.2 and 1.8 respectively, which showed statistically significant differences (P 0.05). Flow cytometry revealed that the spring and autumn A. aucheri extracts caused about 32% and 3.78% apoptosis respectively. The inhibitory concentration (IC50) of spring and autumn A. aucheri extracts to amastigotes were determined to be 90 μg/mL and 183 μg/mL respectiovely. In-vivo, the diameter of lesions treated with the spring A. aucheri extract was significantly less (P 0.05) compared to those treated with the autumn extract (2.6 and 7.8 mm respectively). Also, mice treated with spring A. aucheri extract had higher survival rates compared to control group.Given the above results, it can be concluded that spring A. aucheri extract has a greater fatality effect on L. major promastigotes in-vitro compared to the autum extract. In addition, the spring extract has stronger therapeutic effect on lesions caused by L. major in BALB/c mice than the autum extract.

Hemophilia is a rare inherited disorder associated with abnormal repeated bleeding and debilitating joint pain due to deficiency in coagulating factors VIII and IX. This study aimed to provide an updated account on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children with hemophilia in Afghanistan.This cross-sectional study included 65 randomly selected hemophiliacs out of 350 children registered with the Afghanistan Hemophilia Patient Association (AHPA). The patients were 8-16 years old and voluntarily entered the study. Data were collected through a demographic questionnaire and a Persian version of Haemo-QoL Questionnaire (short version) for children aged 8-16 years.The patients' age averaged 12.9 ± 3.9 years with a mean QoL score of 75.9 ± 17.4. The patients were suffering from hemophilia A, mostly the severe type (80%). They were born to low income families (95 %) with high illiteracy rates (50%) and hemophilia family history (90%). Spearman test showed a significant correlation between age and QoL scores (r = 0.8, P = 0.02). One-way ANOVA indicated no significant difference between QoL scores of patients categorized based on hemophilia severity (P = 0.2, F = 1.3), family incomes (P = 0.9, F = 0.01) and parents' levels of education (P = 0.2-0.4, F = 0.82-1.3). The Cronbach alpha for the instrument was 0.82.Regardless of hemophilia severity, Family and Sports were the most impaired domains of QoL. Herein, we have presented the first reliable and updated data on hemophiliacs' demographic characteristics and their quality of life in Kabul.

Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a life threatening viral infection caused by a positive, single stranded RNA virus from the enveloped coronaviruse family. Associated with fever, cough, and respiratory complications, the illness causes more than 15% mortality worldwide. So far, there is no remedy for the illness except supportive treatments. However, the main viral proteinase has recently been regarded as a suitable target for drug design against SARS infection due to its vital role in polyproteins processing necessary for coronavirus reproduction. Objectives: The present in silico study was designed to evaluate the effects of anti HIV-1 proteases inhibitors, approved for clinical applications by US FDA, on SARS proteinase inhibition. Methods: In the present study, docking and molecular dynamic experiments were applied to examine the effect of inhibitors on coronavirus proteinase under physiological conditions of similar pH, temperature, and pressure in aqueous solution. Hex software version 5.1 and GROMACS 4.5.5 were used for docking analysis throughout this work. Results: The calculated parameters such as RMSD, RMSF, MSD, dipole moment, diffusion coefficient, binding energy, and binding site similarity indicated effective binding of inhibitors to SARS proteinase resulting in their structural changes, which coincide with proteinase inhibition. Conclusions: The inhibitory potency of HIV 1 protease inhibitors to cronovirus proteinase was as follows: LPV > RTV > APV > TPV > SQV. Lopinavir and Saquinavir were the most and the least powerful inhibitors of cronovirus proteinase, respectively.

Background Androgenetic alopecia is the main cause of hair loss and common baldness that affects psychological more than physiological aspects of people’s lives. Studies have shown that this multi factorial disorder is initiated by androgens secretion in pubertal period, minerals limitations, autoimmunity, mental stress, genetic predisposition and some alterations in hematological factors. Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the involvement of hematologic parameters in this disease using a case control study design. Methods In this case-controlled study, two groups each of 80 individuals with androgenetic alopecia were voluntarily included in the study based on their medical histories and clinical examinations and subjected to blood tests for routine hematological parameters. The results were then compared and analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Results Our findings indicated that all the parameters for both groups fall in normal ranges (Mean ± SD) but the values for RBC, HGB, MCH, MCHC, WBC, LYM and TIBC were significantly higher in patients than in normal group. The average counts of PLT was significantly lower in patients compared with the normal group. Otherwise, Person’s tests for statistical correlations between two groups indicated that the pattern of correlations were abnormal in patients. Conclusions Our findings indicated the presence of a chronic, immunologic and slowly progressing disorder that causes hair loss, the disease which is in turn triggered in pubertal period upon androgen secretion. We suggest, therefore, that the conditions may be ameliorated by prescription of iron tablet, platelet transfusion and anti-inflammation therapy.

Leishmaniasis is a growing health challenge in many parts of Iran, including Kerman Province. Investigating vector ecology and parasite-harboring capacity is prerequisite to the disease control measures. This study included six provincial sites namely Bam (Bm), Dehbakri (Di), Jiroft (Jt), Mohammad-Abad (Md), Rostam-Abad (Rd) and Darb-e-Behesht (Dt) where sand flies were trapped. The specimens were then identified before being exposed to DNA extraction. PCR-RFLP was used to detect leishmanial infection rates and feeding preference of vectors. Diversity indices indicated that the highest effective numbers of species was in plain sites, whereas, the highest expected numbers of species was in mountainous sites. P. papatasi and P. sergenti showed similar feeding preferences to both human and animal bloods. P. papatasi from indoor catches was found infected with Leishmania major at a 2% rate. The ITS1 gene sequences of isolated parasites were >99% similar to related GenBank haplotypes. Bam and Rostam-Abad remain active foci of both types of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Md and Di are prone to visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Jt is not at risk of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) due to absence of P. sergenti. Sand flies are absent in Dt, probably because of high elevation and cold climate. In conclusion, patterns of climate and ecosystem changes and vector-host-reservoirs interactions must be carefully scrutinized if leishmaniasis is to be controlled in the stricken sites.