• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.295-298
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• 2016

Background: Breast cancer is a very common health problem in Iranian women. The HER2-neu gene is a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase with homology to members of the EGF receptor family. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between HER2-neu oncogene status with prognostic factors of breast cancer in Kermanshah province, Iran. Materials and Methods: Relationship between HER2-neu and prognostic factors of 130 cases of breast cancer were evaluated during two years in Imam Reza hospital in Kermanshah, Iran. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the T-test and Mann-Whitney U non-parametric test using SPSS 19. Results: The mean age for the patients was $46.0{\pm}8.0years$, all being female. Among the predictive factors for breast cancer were family history, stage of disease, involvement of the lymphovascular system, number of involved lymph nodes in axillaries, grading and hormone receptor status with HER2-neu oncogene had direct correlation and between factors, tumor location, patient age and histological characteristics and HER2-neu oncogene had no significant relationship. We found significant correlation between HER2 with ER and PR and also HER2 with ER, PR negative. Conclusions: HER2-neu is risk factor that can be a good prognostic and also predictive factor. For these reasons, we recommend that it be evaluated for all types of BC.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.346-357
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• 2024

This study was carried out to screen the antifungal activity against Colletotrichum acutatum, Colletotrichum dematium, and Colletotrichum coccodes. Bacterial isolate GP-P8 from pepper soil was found to be effective against the tested pathogens with an average inhibition rate of 70.7% in in vitro dual culture assays. 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis result showed that the effective bacterial isolate as Bacillus siamensis. Biochemical characterization of GP-P8 was also performed. According to the results, protease and cellulose, siderophore production, phosphate solubilization, starch hydrolysis, and indole-3-acetic acid production were shown by the GP-P8. Using specific primers, genes involved in the production of antibiotics, such as iturin, fengycin, difficidin, bacilysin, bacillibactin, surfactin, macrolactin, and bacillaene were also detected in B. siamensis GP-P8. Identification and analysis of volatile organic compounds through solid phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME/GC-MS) revealed that acetoin and 2,3-butanediol were produced by isolate GP-P8. In vivo tests showed that GP-P8 significantly reduced the anthracnose disease caused by C. acutatum, and enhanced the growth of pepper plant. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis of pepper fruits revealed that GP-P8 treated pepper plants showed increased expression of immune genes such as CaPR1, CaPR4, CaNPR1, CaMAPK4, CaJA2, and CaERF53. These results strongly suggest that GP-P8 could be a promising biocontrol agent against pepper anthracnose disease and possibly a pepper plant growth-promoting agent.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.66
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• pp.186-196
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• 2023

Dyglomera^® is an aqueous ethanol extract derived from the fruit and pods of Dichrostachys glomerata. A previous study has revealed that Dyglomera regulates adipogenesis and lipolysis by modulating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation and increased expression levels of lipolysis-related proteins in white adipose tissue of high fat diet-induced mice and 3T3-L1 adipocyte cells. To further investigate mechanisms of Dyglomera, additional studies were performed using 3T3-L1 cells. Results revealed that Dyglomera downregulated adipogenesis by inhibiting the protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway and reconfirmed that it downregulated gene expression levels of proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ, CCAAT enhancer binding protein α, sterol-regulation element-binding protein-1c. Dyglomera also reduced adipokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1β, and interleukin 6 by regulating leptin expression. Moreover, Dyglomera promoted beige-and-brown adipocyte-related phenotypes and regulated metabolism by increasing mitochondrial number and expression levels of genes such as T-box protein 1, transmembrane protein 26, PR domain 16, and cluster of differentiation 40 as well as thermogenic factors such as uncoupling protein 1, proliferator-activated receptor-gamma co-activator-1α, Sirtuin 1, and PPARα through AMPK activation. Thus, Dyglomera not only can inhibit adipogenesis, but also can promote lipolysis and thermogenesis and regulate metabolism by affecting adipokine secretion from 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

• Mycobiology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.311-318
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• 2015

Culture filtrates of six different edible mushroom species were screened for antimicrobial activity against tomato wilt bacteria Ralstonia solanacearum B3. Hericium erinaceus, Lentinula edodes (Sanjo 701), Grifola frondosa, and Hypsizygus marmoreus showed antibacterial activity against the bacteria. Water, n-butanol, and ethyl acetate extracts of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) of H. erinaceus exhibited high antibacterial activity against different phytopathogenic bacteria: Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, R. solanacearum, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, X. campestris pv. campestris, X. axonopodis pv. vesicatoria, X. axonopodis pv. citiri, and X. axonopodis pv. glycine. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that water extracts of SMS (WESMS) of H. erinaceus induced expressions of plant defense genes encoding ${\beta}$-1,3-glucanase (GluA) and pathogenesis-related protein-1a (PR-1a), associated with systemic acquired resistance. Furthermore, WESMS also suppressed tomato wilt disease caused by R. solanacearum by 85% in seedlings and promoted growth (height, leaf number, and fresh weight of the root and shoot) of tomato plants. These findings suggest the WESMS of H. erinaceus has the potential to suppress bacterial wilt disease of tomato through multiple effects including antibacterial activity, plant growth promotion, and defense gene induction.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.309-312
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• 2019

Spargana were collected from human and frogs in Liaoning and Hubei Provinces, China. PCR amplification and direct sequencing of A cox1 fragment was PCR-amplified from genomic DNA extracted from 7 specimens (5 from humans and 2 from frogs). The cox1 fragment (390 bp) showed 97-100% similarity to the reference sequence of S. erinaceieuropaei and 88-89% to the reference sequence of S. decipiens. There were 1-12 bases different between these worms, but no obvious genetic variation (0-3.3%) to the references. There was little difference of cox1 gene between sparganum samples of humans and frogs (1-3%). This study is the first report on S. erinaceieuropaei spargana from humans in Liaoning and Hubei Provinces.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.327-336
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• 2010

Cysteine proteases have been known as a critical factor in plant defense mechanisms in pineapple, papaya, or wild fig. Papain or ficin is one kind of cysteine proteases that shows toxic effects to herbivorous insects and pathogenic bacteria. However, resistance to bacterial soft rot of plants genetically engineered with cysteine protease has been little examined thus far. We cloned a cysteine protease cDNA from Ananas comosus and introduced the gene into Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa) under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. The transgene was stably integrated and actively transcribed in transgenic plants. In comparisons with wild-type plants, the $T_2$ and $T_3$ transgenic plants exhibited a significant increase in endo-protease activity in leaves and enhanced resistance to bacterial soft rot. A cDNA microarray analysis revealed that several genes were more abundantly transcribed in the transgenic than in the wild type. These genes encode a glyoxal oxidase, PR-1 protein, PDF1, protein kinase, LTP protein, UBA protein and protease inhibitor. These results suggest an important role for cysteine protease as a signaling regulator in biotic stress signaling pathways, leading to the build-up of defense mechanism to pathogenic bacteria in plants.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.147-155
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• 2009

Oryza grandiglumis Chitinase IVa (OgChitIVa) cDNA encoding a class IV chitinase was cloned from wild rice (Oryza grandiglumis). OgChitIVa cDNA contains an open reading frame of 867 nucleotides encoding 288 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular weight of 30.4 kDa and isoelectric point of 8.48. Deduced amino acid sequences of OgChitIVa include the signal peptide and chitin-binding domain in the N-terminal domain and conserved catalytic domain. OgChitIVa showed significant similarity at the amino acid level with related monocotyledonous rice and maize chitinase, but low similarity with dicotyledoneous chitinase. Southern blot analysis showed that OgChitIVa genes are present as two copies in the wild rice genome. It was shown that RNA expression of OgChitIVa was induced by defense/stress signaling chemicals, such as jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, and ethephon or cantharidin and endothall or wounding, and yeast extract. It was demonstrated that overexpression of OgChitIVa in Arabidopsis resulted in mild resistance against the fungal pathogen, Botrytis cinerea, by lowering disease rate and necrosis size. RT-PCR analysis showed that PR-1 and PR-2 RNA expression was induced in the transgenic lines. Here, we suggest that a novel OgChitIVa gene may play a role in signal transduction process in defense response against B. cinerea in plants.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.183-188
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• 2012

In this study, we examined the estrogenic activity of bavachin, a component of Psoralea corylifolia that has been used as a traditional medicine in Asia. Bavachin was purified from ethanolic extract of Psoralea corylifolia and characterized its estrogenic activity by ligand binding, reporter gene activation, and endogenous estrogen receptor (ER) target gene regulation. Bavachin showed ER ligand binding activity in competitive displacement of [$^3H$] $E_2$ from recombinant ER. The estrogenic activity of bavachin was characterized in a transient transfection system using $ER{\alpha}$ or $ER{\beta}$ and estrogen-responsive luciferase plasmids in CV-1 cells with an $EC_{50}$ of 320 nM and 680 nM, respectively. Bavachin increased the mRNA levels of estrogen-responsive genes such as pS2 and PR, and decreased the protein level of $ER{\alpha}$ by proteasomal pathway. However, bavachin failed to activate the androgen receptor in CV-1 cells transiently transfected with the corresponding receptor and hormone responsive reporter plasmid. These data indicate that bavachin acts as a weak phytoestrogen by binding and activating the ER.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.4863-4867
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• 2015

Background: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), characterized as estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 Her2 negative and accounting for 10-17% of all breast carcinomas, is only partially responsive to chemotherapy and suffers from a lack of clinically established targeted therapies. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the patterns of treatment and clinicopathology figures in Kurdish patients with triple-negative breast cancer, and to compare these to other reports. Materials and Methods: Between 2001 and 2014, 950 breast cancer patients were referred to our clinic. There were 74 female patients with TNBC, including 70 patients was invasive ductal carcinoma entered into our study. ER and PR positivity was defined as positive immunohistochemical staining in more than 10% of tumor cells. Immunohistochemistry assay with anti-HER2 antibodies was used to identify HER negative (0 and 1+) or positive (2+ and 3+). HER2 gene amplification was determined by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Overall survival (OS) was plotted with GraphPad Prism 5 Software using Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests for comparison of results. Results: The mean age in the first diagnosis for 70 patients with triple TNBC and invasive ductal carcinoma was 49.6 years that range of age was 27-82 years. All of the patients were female. Of 70 patients, 23 patients had metastasis. Thirty-two patients (45.7%) were treated with tamoxifen and 39 (55.7%) with radiotherapy. Three-year, 5-year and 10-year OS rates for all patients were 82%, 72% and 64%, respectively. Conclusions: The OS in our West Iran TNBC patients is less than reported elsewhere. However, treatment with combination of tamoxifen plus radiation increases the OS and reduces the mortality rate.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.997-1006
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• 2018

As shown during the 2009 pandemic H1N1 (A(H1N1)pdm09) outbreak, egg-based influenza vaccine production technology is insufficient to meet global demands during an influenza pandemic. Therefore, there is a need to adapt cell culture-derived vaccine technology using suspended cell lines for more rapid and larger-scale vaccine production. In this study, we attempted to generate a high-growth influenza vaccine strain in MDCK cells using an A/Puerto/8/1934 (H1N1) vaccine seed strain. Following 48 serial passages with four rounds of virus plaque purification in MDCK cells, we were able to select several MDCK-adapted plaques that could grow over $10^8PFU/ml$. Genetic characterization revealed that these viruses mainly had amino acid substitutions in internal genes and exhibited higher polymerase activities. By using a series of Rg viruses, we demonstrated the essential residues of each gene and identified a set of high-growth strains in MDCK cells ($PB1_{D153N}$, $M1_{A137T}$, and $NS1_{N176S}$). In addition, we confirmed that in the context of the high-growth A/PR/8/34 backbone, A/California/7/2009 (H1N1), A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2), and A/environment/Korea/deltaW150/2006 (H5N1) also showed significantly enhanced growth properties (more than $10^7PFU/ml$) in both attached- and suspended-MDCK cells compared with each representative virus and the original PR8 vaccine strain. Taken together, this study demonstrates the feasibility of a cell culture-derived approach to produce seed viruses for influenza vaccines that are cheap and can be grown promptly and vigorously as a substitute for egg-based vaccines. Thus, our results suggest that MDCK cell-based vaccine production is a feasible option for producing large-scale vaccines in case of pandemic outbreaks.