The emergence of new, more pathogenic viruses necessitates elucidation of factors that promote viral evolution. Aging, a potential factor, is associated with increased susceptibility to viral infections. We used the enterovirus coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) to investigate the effects of host age on pathogenicity and viral gene sequence. Old mice infected with a normally amyocarditic strain of CVB3, ...

RATIONALE The gap junctional protein connexin (Cx) 45 is strongly expressed in the early embryonic myocardium. In the adult hearts of mice and humans, the expression mainly is restricted to the cardiac conduction system. Cx45 plays an essential role for development and function of the embryonic heart because general and cardiomyocyte-directed deficiencies of Cx45 in mice lead to embryonic letha...

background: the vascular function of angiotensin ii-type-2 receptors in adults is controversial. we sought their location and function in mouse aortic rings at young and old mice. materials and methods: male c57bl mice (aged 4 and 14 months) were killed by co2. the descending thoracic aorta was cleaned and dissected into rings. aortic rings were mounted in krebs’ solution at 37 °c and then setu...

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the possible protective role of melatonin on the apoptosis of germ cells in chemotherapy-induced spermiotoxicity. Materials and Methods: Male adult NMRI mice were divided into four groups. Then each group were divided into two subgroups of a and b. Group 1 (control): mice received vehicle (ethanol 1%) for 5 days; Group2 (Busulfan): mice recei...

Background: GSH is the main intracellular antioxidant and its level is important for protecting cell from oxidative stress. BSO inhibits GSH synthesis and cause oxidative stress. The study is designed to investigate the effect of BSO induced oxidative stress on testicular histology, semen parameters and sperm fertility. Materials and Methods: The adult male mice were divided into two groups of ...

Background: Vitamin E is believed to be the primary component of the antioxidant system in spermatozoa. There is a relationship between activity of these antioxidant and function of sperm. Vitamins E and C which are belong to non-enzymatic antioxidant are used as a supplemented drug to improve sperm quality and male fertility. The present study was carried out to investigate the positive effect...

Bcl6 protein has been detected in testicular germ cells, mainly spermatocytes, of normal mice, but its physiological role is largely unknown. The number of spermatozoa in the cauda epididymis of adult Bcl6-deficient (Bcl6-/-) mice is lower than that of Bcl6+/+ mice. We have found numerous apoptotic spermatocytes at the metaphase I stage with induction of Bax protein in adult Bcl6-/- testes. Dev...

background: over the past several years, mammals have been successfully cloned by either the splitting of an early stage embryo or nuclear transfer of adult somatic cells (nt) into oocytes. although it has been 15 years since the generation of the first cloned mammals from somatic cells by nt, the success rate for producing live offspring by this technique is low regardless of the cell type and...

background and objectives: acantholimon bracteatum (girard) boiss (plumbaginaceae) is used in variety of diseases including hepatic ailments in the west regions of iran. in the present study, the hepatoprotective effect of the methanol extract (me) of a. bracteatum on formaldehyde (fa) induced liver injury has been investigated in adult male mice. methods: fifty six adult male mice were divided...