Tehran University Medical Journal

Background: Heroin is a simple derivative of morphine that is the most used drug in Iran among opioids. Its harmful effects on body organs have been studied. Considering the important effects on the genital system and fertility, studying the effects of heroin on testes seems to be necessary.     

Methods: In this study a total of 30 male mice (Balb/c) were selected and divided into 5 groups of control (Intact, sham I, sham II), experimental I and experimental II. After addiction of the experimental groups to heroin via intra peritoneal injection, the histological structures of testes were studied microscopically.

Results: Histological study of heroin on testes showed that the thickness of the basement membrane of the germinal epithelium and reduction in cell accumulation around some of the seminiferous tubules. Irregularity in spermatogonia, spermatocyte and spermatid, increased distance and degeneration in seminiferous tubules were observed. Increasing connective tissue between seminiferous tubules, decreased number of leydig cells, with a hypochromatic cytoplasm and reduction in their secretory granules, and congestion of testical tissue were also observed.

Conclusion: The results of this study show that heroin used in Iran can result in changes in the structure of testes. Consequently using heroin can influence the reproductive system.

Background: Human plasminogen is a plasma glycoprotein synthesized mainly in the liver. Conversion of plasminogen to plasmin by plasminogen activators is a key event in the fibrinolytic system. In this study, we investigated the effects of two anti-human plasminogen monoclonal antibodies, A1D12 and MC2B8 on Glu-plasminogen activation in presence of u-PA, t-PA and streptokinase.

Methods: Producing of Hybridoma antibodies was performed by fusion of spleen cells from BALB/C mice immunized with Glu-plasminogen and NS1 myeloma cells. Antibody binding to Human Glu-plasminogen was assessed using an ELISA assay. Activation of plasminogen was determined by measuring plasmin generation using the chromogenic substrate S-2251 and the effect of monoclonal antibodies, A1D12 and MC2B8 on plasminogen activation in solution was then evaluated. Initial rates and kinetic parameters of plasminogen activation in the presence of monoclonal antibodies were calculated. The effect of the monoclonal antibody MC2B8 on the rate of plasmin hydrolysis was measured. The effect of F(ab&apos)2 fragment of A1D12 on u-PA catalyzed-plasminogen activation also compared with the effect of the whole antibody in this reaction.

Results: ELISA assay showed that the antibodies reacted well with antigens. A1D12 increased the maximum velocity (Vmax) of plasminogen activation by each of the three plasminogen activators and MC2B8 decreased it. In all activation reactions, the KM value of plasminogen activation did not significantly change in the presence of antibody A1D12 whereas antibody MC2B8 increased the KM value of plasminogen activation by u-PA, fibrin monomer dependent t-PA and streptokinase. Monoclonal antibody MC2B8 had no significant effect on plasmin hydrolysis rate of synthetic substrate S-2251. Activation rate of plasminogen by u-PA in the lower concentration of F (ab)2 fragment of A1D12 was identical to activation in the presence of the whole antibody.

Conclusion: The binding of the A1D12 F(ab) region to Glu-plasminogen increases the catalytic efficiency of plasminogen activation by plasminogen activators. Therefore, it may be useful to apply clinically A1D12 for the therapy of thromboembolic events such as myocardial infarction by humanizing the F(ab) fragment of the A1D12 antibody. Inhibition pattern of antibody MC2B8 obey the mixed type of enzyme inhibition by binding the antibody probably at, or near, the cleavage site of Glu-plasminogen.

Background: Regarding the immunomodulatory effects of lactobacillus bacteria, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of oral administration of Lactobacillus reuteri, as probiotic bacteria, on natural killer cell cytotoxicity and tumor-specific lymphocyte proliferation in Balb/c mice with breast adenocarcinoma.

Methods: A total of 30 female mice, aged 6- 8 weeks and with a weight of approximately 17- 19 g, were randomly divided into two groups of 15 mice. The case group received Lactobacillus reuteri at a dose of 2.7× 108 bacteria in half a milliliter of sterile phosphate buffer saline (PBS) and the control group only received PBS. The probiotic group received the regimen for two weeks prior to tumor transplantation, as they did for 30 days after transplantation with three-day intervals and durations of seven days. For the evaluation of natural killer cell cytotoxicity and also tumor-specific lymphocyte proliferation response, LDH and BrdU assays were performed respectively according to the manufacturers' instructions.

Results: The study showed that the mice in the case group which were receiving Lactobacillus reuteri had statistically significant differences in the replication of tumor -specific lymphocytes, natural killer cell cytotoxicity and delayed hypersensitivity responses Compared to the mice in the control group.

Conclusion: Daily consumption of probiotics seems to regulate the immune system and consequently it can be helpful in people with cancer. Moreover, consumption of probiotics in healthy individuals can also boost the efficiency of the immune system against a variety of abnormalities.