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A Gram-negative, non-endospore-forming, rod shaped, strictly aerobic, moderately halophilic bacterium, designated strain M9B(T), was isolated from the hypersaline lake Aran-Bidgol in Iran. Cells of strain M9B(T) were found to be motile and produce colonies with an orange-yellow pigment. Growth was determined to occur between 5 and 20 % (w/v) NaCl and the isolate grew optimally at 7.5-10 % (v/w) NaCl. The optimum pH and temperature for growth of the strain were determined to be pH 7.0 and 35 °C, respectively, while it was able to grow over pH and temperature ranges of 6-8 and 25-45 °C, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on the comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain M9B(T) is a member of the genus Marinobacter. The closest relative to this strain was found to be Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus MBIC 1303(T) with a similarity level of 97.7 %. DNA-DNA hybridization between the novel isolate and this phylogenetically related species was 13 ± 2 %. The major cellular fatty acids of the isolate were identified as C16:0, C19:1 ω6c, C18:1 ω9c and C16:1 ω9c. The polar lipid pattern of strain M9B(T) was determined to consist of phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine and three phospholipids. Ubiquinone 9 (Q-9) was the only lipoquinone detected. The G+C content of the genomic DNA of this strain was determined to be 58.6 mol%. Phenotypic characteristics, phylogenetic analysis and DNA-DNA relatedness data suggest that this strain represents a novel species of the genus Marinobacter, for which the name Marinobacter persicus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Marinobacter persicus is strain M9B(T) (=IBRC-M 10445(T) = CCM 7970(T) = CECT 7991(T) = KCTC 23561(T)).

We addressed the question of whether injection of Amyloid beta (Aβ)(1-40) in the rat brain is associated with pathology in the hippocampus, and if genistein has any protective effect against the neuronal damage caused by Aβ(1-40). Genistein is a plant-derived compound with a structure similar to that of the female sex hormone estrogen and it was recently shown that pretreatment with a single dose of genistein ameliorated learning and memory deficits in an (Aβ)(1-40) rat model of Alzheimer's disease. Here, we report that injection of the amyloid peptide into the hippocampus of rats led to formation of Aβ(1-40) positive aggregates close to the lateral blade of the dentate gyrus (DGlb). We also observed the following in the hippocampus: extensive cell death in the DGlb (P<0.0001), CA1 (P=0.03), and CA3 (P=0.002); an increased number of iNOS-expressing cells (P=0.01) and gliosis. Genistein given to rats by gavage 1h before injection of Aβ(1-40) inhibited the formation of Aβ(1-40) positive aggregates in the brain tissue and led to increased number of nNOS(+) (P=0.0001) cells in the hippocampus compared to sham-operated genistein-treated controls. Treatment with genistein also alleviated the extensive astrogliosis that occurred in Aβ(1-40)-injected hippocampus to a level similar to that observed in sham-operated rats. We conclude that the neurons in the DGlb are most sensitive to Aβ(1-40), and a single dose of genistein can ameliorate Aβ(1-40) induced pathology., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: General concern is that the pregnancy rate is higher with GnRH-agonist as a protocol of pituitary suppression. GnRH-antagonist protocol provides a shorter period of administration and an easy flexible protocol., Objective: In this study, the outcomes of GnRH agonist and antagonist in ICSI cycles are compared in normo responder patients., Materials and Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 300 normoresponders undergoing ICSI were randomly divided to GnRh agonist (n=150) and GnRh antagonist (n=150) groups. The main outcome measurements were chemical, clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates (PR)., Results: The mean duration of stimulation were 9.6±1.6 and 8.2±1.6 days in agonist and antagonist groups respectively (p=0.001). The mean number of MII oocyte retrieved in agonist and antagonist groups were 7.7±4.0 and 6.9±4.3 respectively (p=0.03). There was no significant difference between two groups regarding mean number of gonadotrophin ampoules, follicles, occytes, total embryos and good quality embryos, OHSS incidence, and abortion rate. Chemical pregnancy rate was 35.3% in agonist and 39.3% in antagonist group. Clinical pregnancy rate was 35.3% in agonist and 34% in antagonist group. Ongoing pregnancy rate was 45 (31.3%) in agonist and 44 (29.3%) in antagonist group. There was no significant difference between two groups in pregnancy rates., Conclusion: In this study antagonist protocol was shown to be an easy, safe and friendly protocol in Iranian normoresponder patients, having similar outcomes with standard agonist protocol but shorter period of stimulation.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder characterized by increased β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition and neuronal dysfunction leading to impaired learning and recall. Ageing, heredity, and induced oxidative stress are among proposed risk factors. The increased frequency of the disease in women also suggests a role for estrogen in development of AD. In the present study, effects of the phytoestrogen genistein (10mg/kg) on learning and memory impairments was assessed in intrahippocampal Aβ(1-40)-injected rats. The estrogen receptor antagonist fulvestrant was injected intracerebroventricularly in a group of Aβ-lesioned rats. The Aβ-injected animals exhibited the following: lower spontaneous alternation score in Y-maze tasks, impaired retention and recall capability in the passive avoidance test, and fewer correct choices and more errors in the RAM task. Genistein, but not genistein and fulvestrant, significantly improved most of these parameters. Measurements of oxidative stress markers in hippocampal tissue of Aβ-injected rats showed an elevation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitrite content, and a reduction of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Genistein significantly attenuated the increased MDA content but did not affect the nitrite content or SOD activity. These results indicate that genistein pretreatment ameliorates Aβ-induced impairment of short-term spatial memory in rats through an estrogenic pathway and by inducing attenuation of oxidative stress., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Sympathetic nervous system stimulation, which releases noradrenalin, influences the nociceptive activity that develops after tissue injury. The alpha2-adrenergic agonist, clonidine, produces analgesia through a central mechanism but also inhibits noradrenalin release at terminal nerve fiber endings., Methods: In this study the effects of some 1-(4-aryl-2-thiazolyl)-3,5-disubstituted-2-pyrazolines (compounds 1a-1e) as analogues of clonidine with some modifications were studied by writhing test, a visceral pain model in mice., Results: Compounds 1a and 1c induced significant reduction in writhing response when compared to control. Regarding the dose-response relationship of compounds 1a and 1c, it is evident that the activity of these compounds is in direct proportion to their dose and all compounds show activities comparable to clonidine. In addition compounds 1a and 1c, having methoxy and nitro groups respectively at para position of 4-aryl showed better antinociception than compounds having similar groups in meta position namely 1b and 1e. This might be due to better interaction of these compounds with the alpha2-receptors., Conclusions: The antinociceptive properties of these newly synthesized compounds is comparable to clonidine. Further studies are needed to explore the differences in the efficacy and safety of synthesized compounds.