Samples were taken in March 1999 at the Aquaculture Center of S. Marjani, southeastern part of the Caspian Sea, Iran. Juveniles were raised for 18 months to sizes ranging between 1,500 g and 2,100 g (mean weight 1,850 g ± 129, n = 60; total length range = 60.4 to 71.6 cm (mean 66.1 ± 2.58, n = 60). Fish were raised in circular fiberglass ponds. After a growing period of over one year, experimentals may have been unintentionally exposed to contaminated feed and were subsequently fed with the presumed infected feed batch for fifteen days. Some changes in swimming behavior, feed uptake, and an overall weakness were observed in the test series similar to what has been identified in the cultured fish. Clinical investigations included hemorrhagy in the head, abdominal placoids and curvature of spinal column as well as yellow spots in the pectoral areas. Therefore, a clinical study was initiated and the aflatoxicosis syndrome was recognized by clinical observations when fish were exposed to contaminated food. Aflatoxicosis caused 8.6 percent mortality, while during a period of 40 days the fish lost 7 percent of weight (AGR = -3.2). Huso huso regained weight after 75 days when feeding the fish with an uncontaminated commercial feed.

The number of aquatic species currently under domestication efforts is rising rapidly, due to the development of commercial aquaculture. For domestication and the establishment of a sustainable aquaculture industry, the control reproduction processes of fish in captivity, and to acquire high quality seed, is necessary. The fish reproductive cycle is separated in gametogenesis (of growth) and oocyte maturation and spermiation (of maturation). These are controled by the reproductive hormones of the brain, pituitary and gonad. Environmental and endogenous physiological information reach neuroendocrine system that regulates pituitary and gonadal functions. The most commonly reproduction dysfunctions in cultured fish are the unpredictability of final oocyte maturation (FOM) in females, and the lack and less quality of sperm in males. These problems are due to the fact that the fish in captivity does not have the same conditions in the spawning grounds, and as a result, there is a failure of the proper hormonal regulation. Failure of the pituitary to release gonadotropin (GTH-II), one of the hormones involved in the regulation of reproduction, is the result of unsucssesful ovulation. Actually two type of GTH are identified. They are differing from structural and chemical roles. GTH-I also name as FSH, involve in vitellogenesis or spermatogenesis (initial stage of gametogenesis), and GTH-II name as LH are involve in FOM and spermiogenesis and spermiation.The control role and function of the hormone involve in reproduction are described and reviewed in the present paper.

Background:Implantation of joint prosthesis, either in the knee or in the hip, may cause some problems such as an infection, so that a timely treatment is essential. In this respect, discovering a marker detecting the incidence of an infection is one of the requirements of arthroplasty. The present study was conducted to determine variations of two markers in arthroplasty and infection incidence in Iranian patients.Materials and Methods:This prospective study was carried out in Isfahan’s educational treatment centers from 2009 to 2011 on patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) surgical operations. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was measured by Sed rate device (Lena) and C-reactive protein (CRP) by autoanalyzer device (Erba) with the unit of ng/dL. The patients underwent ESR and CRP tests the day before operation, the day of operation, and 1, 2, 5, and 15 days and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after operation.Results:Mean ESR increased during the first 5 days then decreased gradually lasting for 3 months. After 1 year it increased to a level higher than before the operation. The variations in ESR values were 19.1 ± 12.9 before the operation and 21.14 ± 10.8 after 1 year with significant difference (P < 0.001). The level of CRP had an upward trend from the first day after operation and reached its maximum on the second day, then had a downward trend up to 1 month after the operation; however, it did not reach its preoperative level during 1 year.Conclusion:ESR and CRP and their variations can be suitable factors to detect probable infections in patients undergoing TKA and THA operations.

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The relative effects of heat-shock parameters on the induction of first-cleavage suppression of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) eggs were examined. Eggs of females with scattered scales were fertilized with sperm that had been irradiated with gamma-ray cobalt-60. Fertilized eggs were exposed to heat shock at different temperatures (39, 40, 41 °C) for periods of 1–3 min at 0.5-min intervals, initiated at 41, 44, or 47 min post fertilization in a factorial design. The use of three treatment factors made it possible to analyze the main effects and all possible combinations of the three factors. The highest percentage of mitotic gynogenetic diploids (mitotic-G2n) (up to 10.6% survival at the feeding larva stage relative to the total number of inseminated eggs) was obtained from the groups treated at 40 °C for 2 min at 44 min post fertilization (ambient temperature 21 °C). Optimum duration was observed to be 2.5–3 min at 39 °C and 1–1.5 min at 41 °C. The embryos were developed under hatchery condition, while larvae were reared in a flow-through system with natural feeding. Isozyme and scale pattern analysis performed on putative mitotic-G2n individuals both proved that their genome is of maternal origin.

Fingerlings of 3 to 5 g weight of Huso huso were obtained from the Propagation Center of S. Rajaei sturgeon fish farm of Sari at the southern coastal part of the Caspian Sea, Iran. These fingerlings have been raised in small tanks first and then transferred to large circular fiber glass tanks supplied with ambient freshwater ranging in temperature from 12-27ºC (according to the annual temperature cycle).The stages of gonad development were investigated through histological techniques while sex steroid hormones were determined by radioimmunoassy(RIA) using the "Diagnostica" kit for 17β-estradiol(E 2 ) and Kavoshyar product for progesterone (P) and testosterone (T) determinations.Immature ovaries consisted exclusively of stage I and II follicles. In progressive developmental stages, external changes were distinguishable. This phase appeared for the first time in the gonads from some fish taken at 1.5-years of age(size about 60cm and weights of 1500 ± 190g). In males, these stages were observed somewhat later (at about 2-years of age). Maturing stages that corresponded to stage III were recognized in fish of 2.5-years to 5year of age.The estradiol level was relatively low up to one year old fish. The E 2 , T and 17,20β-P values were 0.23 ng ml -1 , 0.8 ng ml -1 and 10 pg ml -1 , respectively. At the end of the second year, serum levels were still low with 17,20β-P and E 2 reaching 2.2pg ml -1 and 0.55 ng ml -1 , respectively.It was possible to distinguish females at this stage but not males yet. Later, at an age of 2.5 years, both males and females entered the maturing stages (stage III) and gonads were already distinguishable by visual inspection.