Aflatoxicosis is a cause of economic losses in broiler production. In this study, the effect of one commercial nanocompound, Nanocid (Nano Nasb Pars Co., Iran) was evaluated in reduction of aflatoxin effects on the growth and performance indices in broiler chickens suffering from experimental aflatoxicosis. For this, a total of 300 one-day-old broiler chicks (Ross strain) were randomly divided into 4 groups with 3 replicates of 15 chicks in each separated pen during the 28-day experiment. Treatment groups including group A: chickens fed basal diet, group B: chickens fed 3 ppm productive aflatoxin in basal diet, group C: chickens fed basal diet plus 2500 ppm Nanocid, and group D: chickens fed 3 ppm productive aflatoxin and 2500 ppm Nanocid, in basal diet. Data on body weight, body weight gain (BWG), feed intake, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were recorded at weekly intervals. Also cumulative data were assessed. Results showed, although supplement of Nanocid to conventional diet had no effect on performance but addition of Nanocid to diet containing 3 ppm aflatoxin increased significantly the cumulative BWG, cumulative feed consumption and decreased FCR in the last 2 weeks of experimental period. The improvement in these performance indices by supplement of Nanocid to diet containing aflatoxin showed the ability of Nanocid to diminish the inhibitory effects of aflatoxin.

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In recent years, some outbreaks of skin lesions suspected to be avian pox were observed in the backyard poultry in different parts of western areas in Iran. Consequently, 328 backyard poultries with suspected signs of avian pox virus infection were sampled. All birds showed nodular lesions on unfeathered head skin and/or fibronecrotic lesions on mucus membrane of the oral cavity and upper respiratory tract. For histopathological analysis, the sections of tissue samples from cutaneous lesions of examined birds were stained with H&E method. For PCR, after DNA extraction a 578-bp fragment of avian pox virus from 4b core protein gene was amplified. Results showed 217 and 265 out of 328 (66.1 and 80.7%, respectively) samples were positive for avian pox virus on histopathological and PCR examination, respectively. In this study, the samples that had intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies on pathologic examination were PCR positive. This study revealed that PCR is a valuable tool for identification of an avian pox virus and that the frequency of pox infection in backyard poultry in western areas of Iran is high.

This experiment is designed to investigate the positive effects of commercial nanosilver compound on blood parameters in experimental aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens. For this, 270 one-day-old broiler chickens were randomly divided into six treatment groups with three replicates. The experimental groups were group A: chickens fed with basal diet; group B: chickens fed with 3 ppm productive aflatoxin in basal diet; groups of C, D, E and F received Mycoad (2.5 g/kg diet), Mycoad (2.5 g/kg diet) + productive aflatoxin (3 ppm), Nanocid (2500 ppm), and Nanocid (2500 ppm) + productive aflatoxin (3 ppm) in basal diet, respectively. Results revealed that some of the blood parameters such as mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration lymphocytes, neutrophils, basophils, monocytes, and eosinophils percentage were not affected in this experiment; whereas, hemoglobin percentage and white blood cell (WBC) count in all the groups fed with 3 ppm aflatoxin except nanocid + aflatoxin decreased significantly (p < 0.05). There are no significant differences between the groups that received nanocid + aflatoxin and mycoad + aflatoxin in hemoglobin percentage and WBC count parameters. The red blood cell count and hematocrit in chickens received aflatoxin were significantly lower than other groups (p < 0.05). Therefore, this study suggests that nanocid similar as mycoad can be useful in reducing the adverse effects of aflatoxin on blood parameters in chickens affected with aflatoxicosis.

The pathogenicity of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) strains is, in large part, due to shiga toxin (Stx) genes (Stx1 and Stx2) and/or intimin (eae) gene. The purpose of this study was to analyze the role of domestic canaries (Serinus canaria domestica) as a reservoir of Stx and intimin producing strains of E. coli. For this study, a total of 50 cloacal swabs were collected from 50 healthy domestic canaries. Cloacal swabs were cultured and tested using standard methods of microbiology. After primary identification of E. coli, DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction was performed using specific primers for Stx1, Stx2 and eae genes. In this study, three of 50 samples were found to be Stx2 positive. In the present study, nine (18%) of 50 canaries tested were positive for eae gene. Only 2% of total canaries tested were positive for simultaneous Stx and eae genes. By considering the presence of Stx genes in E. coli isolated from cloacal contents of canary, this hypothesis expressed that the canaries may be the carriers of virulence genes that can risk human health. Canary was considered to be a reservoir of Stx and intimin genes and make these birds important vehicles for the spread of zoonosis infection.

Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as colon cancer, rectal cancer, or colon cancer is one of the important mortal cancers of the gastrointestinal tract in Iran and worldwide. Interleukin 18 is one of the cytokines that causes inflammation and plays a real role in the inhibition of CRC development and evaluation of its rate is significant in cancer patients. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the IL-18 gene expression and its serum levels in Iranian CRC patients compared to healthy people. A total of 35 serum samples and 24 complete blood cells (CBCs) from CRC patients and as well as 20 control samples (healthy people) were collected from Al-Zahra hospital (Isfahan city, Iran) and serum and RNA specimens were isolated for molecular and serological investigations. The expression level of IL-18 gene and its serum level for comparison in both CRC patients and healthy people groups were evaluated by quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (q-RT-PCR) technique and ELISA assay. The comparison of IL-18 gene expression and its serum level in blood of the CRC patients and healthy people using realtime PCR and ELISA techniques were showed that this cytokine level was increased significantly in cancer patients (p < 0.05). According to the significant role of IL-18 as a pro-inflammatory cytokine in developing inflammation of gastrointestinal tract and cancer and increasing of this cytokine expression in the results of our research in CRC patients compared to the control subjects, for diagnosing or pre-screen of CRC and other cancer patients, it would be better IL-18 expression level is check in laboratories.

It is concluded that nucleostemin expression could not be specific in a certain type of cells in colon cancer cell line HT29 and controlling strategies in colon cancer must not be focused on one certain type of colon cancer cells as main expressing nucleostemin gene.

Objective: This study was aimed to investigate the association between polymorphisms in MTHFR gene and Vitamin B12-dependent homocysteine metabolism.Methods: Hyperhomocysteinemia has been implicated as a risk factor for complications in pregnancy including abortion, preeclampsia, and placental abruption. Several epidemiological studies have investigated the associations of MTHFR C677T polymorphism with hypertension or hypertension in pregnancy. However, the results were controversial. Numbers of 100 samples from healthy pregnant women as control criteria and 100 samples from fertile women have been collected. Due to research on MTHFR polymorphism, special primers have been designed. The research on MTHFR polymorphism has been done by restriction fragment length polymorphism assay.Results: The results demonstrated 9.26% have been registered for heterozygous individuals and the homocysteine level of homozygous individuals was 41.18% (higher than the normal level). The results showed a significant difference in the homocysteine levels of homozygous individuals and the homocysteine levels of healthy individuals (p=0.004). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the homocysteine levels of heterozygous individuals and the homocysteine levels of healthy individuals (p=0.34). Similarly, a significant difference in the B12 levels in blood of homozygous individuals and the homocysteine levels of healthy individuals have been showed (p=0.00).Conclusion: The mutation of gene MTHFR C677T causes an increase of the homocysteine level, decrease of the level of folic acid and B12 vitamin in heterozygous individuals but a relationship among homocysteine level, the level of folic acid and B12 vitamin not found.