Astronaut intestinal health may be impacted by microgravity, radiation, and diet. The aim of this study was to characterize how high and low linear energy transfer (LET) radiation, microgravity, and elevated dietary iron affect colon microbiota (determined by 16S rDNA pyrosequencing) and colon function. Three independent experiments were conducted to achieve these goals: 1) fractionated low LET...

PURPOSE To study the morphology of the murine optic nerve (ON). METHODS Eyes of C57/Bl6 and BalbC mice were studied by light and electron microscopy. Microvascular castings of the ON region were prepared by transcardial injection of liquid plastic and studied with a scanning electron microscope. Immunohistochemistry was performed using antibodies against glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)...

Cardiomyocytes in pulmonary veins (PVs) have been reported in rodents and humans. In humans they were related to atrial arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation (AF). To investigate histological similarities and differences in PV cardiomyocyte localization and distribution, we performed comparative light and electron microscopic studies on humans, rats and mice, and generated a transgenic mou...

BACKGROUND Tissues undergoing a chronic inflammatory process, such as the synovium in rheumatoid arthritis, are characterized by the infiltration of lymphocytes of different subsets and activation of monocyte/macrophages. Interleukin-1 (IL-1), a monocyte/ macrophage product that stimulates synovial fibroblasts to produce matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), prostaglandins, and other cytokines, als...

recent studies show that synthetic glucocorticoids alter testicular homeostasis, in this regard, the influence of betamethasone as a glucocorticoid widely used on histological changes, epididymal sperm counts and fertility was explored in male mice. the study sample (50 mice) was allocated to 3 treatment groups, placebo and a control group. control group was no injected. only normal saline was ...

there are more than 350 million individuals with hepatitis c in the world. one of the important problems in vaccine project is development of effective and suitable adjuvant in human vaccines. at present research we applied human βhsp90 protein as an adjuvant in recombinant hcv vaccine design. the thermal vector of pgp1-2 was used for human heat shock protein 90 expression. this protein injecte...

The effect of fetal and maternal genotype on embryo survival was studied in two lines of mice from the same base population: line E, selected for high embryo survival, and line CN-, selected for small litter size. Embryos were collected at 3.5 days postcoitus from normally mated donors of both lines and were transferred to the uteri of 2.5-day pseudopregnant recipients from each line. The numbe...

BACKGROUND Radiotherapy has many side effects on fertilization in young women. Radiation can lead to ovarian failure in women who underwent abdomen or pelvic radiotherapy. OBJECTIVE This study helps us to investigate ovarian response of NMRI female mice to ovarian stimulating hormones (PMSG, HCG) after whole-body gamma irradiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS 45 pregnant mice were divided into tw...

Background: Research studies on reproductive mechanism of laboratory animals are essential for further advancement of assisted reproductive techniques (ART). One of these studies includes the assessment of in-vitro development of pre-implantation embryos. The objective was to compare the cleavage rates and morphology of in-vivo formed 2 to 8 cell embryos and blastocysts with in-vitro culture of...