Cadmium toxicity can disturb brain chemistry leading to depression, anxiety, and weakened immunity. Cadmium disturbs the neurotransmitter dopamine, resulting in low energy, lack of motivation, and depression, which are predisposing factors for violence. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ameliorative effect of grape seed extract (GSE) on the brain of 40 male albino rats after exposure to cadmium chloride (Cd) toxicity. The rats were separated into either the control group, the Cd group, the GSE group, or the GSE and Cd mixture (treated) group. The cerebrum showed evidence of degeneration of some nerve fibers and cells. Fibrosis, vacuolations, and congestion in the blood vessels were demonstrated. Satelletosis was located in the capsular cells. Immunohistochemical expression of Bax was strongly positive in the Cd group and decreased in the treated group. These histopathological changes were decreased in the brain tissue of the treated group, but a few blood vessels still had evidence of congestion. Cadmium administration increased the level of MDA and decreased MAO-A, acetylcholinesterase, and glutathione reductase (GR), while the treatment with GSE affected the alterations in these parameters. In addition, cadmium downregulated the mRNA expression levels of GST and GPx, while GSE treatment normalized the transcript levels. The expression of both dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine transporter was downregulated in the rats administered cadmium and the addition of GSE normalized the expression of these aggression associated genes.

No abstract

Table of contents O1 Regulation of genes by telomere length over long distances Jerry W. Shay O2 The microtubule destabilizer KIF2A regulates the postnatal establishment of neuronal circuits in addition to prenatal cell survival, cell migration, and axon elongation, and its loss leading to malformation of cortical development and severe epilepsy Noriko Homma, Ruyun Zhou, Muhammad Imran Naseer, Adeel G. Chaudhary, Mohammed Al-Qahtani, Nobutaka Hirokawa O3 Integration of metagenomics and metabolomics in gut microbiome research Maryam Goudarzi, Albert J. Fornace Jr. O4 A unique integrated system to discern pathogenesis of central nervous system tumors Saleh Baeesa, Deema Hussain, Mohammed Bangash, Fahad Alghamdi, Hans-Juergen Schulten, Angel Carracedo, Ishaq Khan, Hanadi Qashqari, Nawal Madkhali, Mohamad Saka, Kulvinder S. Saini, Awatif Jamal, Jaudah Al-Maghrabi, Adel Abuzenadah, Adeel Chaudhary, Mohammed Al Qahtani, Ghazi Damanhouri O5 RPL27A is a target of miR-595 and deficiency contributes to ribosomal dysgenesis Heba Alkhatabi O6 Next generation DNA sequencing panels for haemostatic and platelet disorders and for Fanconi anaemia in routine diagnostic service Anne Goodeve, Laura Crookes, Nikolas Niksic, Nicholas Beauchamp O7 Targeted sequencing panels and their utilization in personalized medicine Adel M. Abuzenadah O8 International biobanking in the era of precision medicine Jim Vaught O9 Biobank and biodata for clinical and forensic applications Bruce Budowle, Mourad Assidi, Abdelbaset Buhmeida O10 Tissue microarray technique: a powerful adjunct tool for molecular profiling of solid tumors Jaudah Al-Maghrabi O11 The CEGMR biobanking unit: achievements, challenges and future plans Abdelbaset Buhmeida, Mourad Assidi, Leena Merdad O12 Phylomedicine of tumors Sudhir Kumar, Sayaka Miura, Karen Gomez O13 Clinical implementation of pharmacogenomics for colorectal cancer treatment Angel Carracedo, Mahmood Rasool O14 From association to causality: translation of GWAS findings for genomic medicine Ahmed Rebai O15 E-GRASP: an interactive database and web application for efficient analysis of disease-associated genetic information Sajjad Karim, Hend F Nour Eldin, Heba Abusamra, Elham M Alhathli, Nada Salem, Mohammed H Al-Qahtani, Sudhir Kumar O16 The supercomputer facility “AZIZ” at KAU: utility and future prospects Hossam Faheem O17 New research into the causes of male infertility Ashok Agarwa O18 The Klinefelter syndrome: recent progress in pathophysiology and management Eberhard Nieschlag, Joachim Wistuba, Oliver S. Damm, Mohd A. Beg, Taha A. Abdel-Meguid, Hisham A. Mosli, Osama S. Bajouh, Adel M. Abuzenadah, Mohammed H. Al-Q...

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood behavioral disorders characterized by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. In Saudi Arabia the prevalence of combined ADHD is 16.4 %. ADHD etiology is not clear and not completely understood. There are several evidences for involvement of dopaminergic, serotonergic and noradrenergic neurotransmitter systems in the pathogenesis of ADHD. Monoamine Oxidase A (MAOA) is involved in the degradation of all three of these neurotransmitters. Dopamine Transporter 1 (DAT1) plays an important role in controlling blood levels of dopamine. The aim of the present study is to investigate the association between ADHD and polymorphisms of MAOA 30 bp-promoter VNTR and DAT1 40 bp 3' UTRVNTR in Saudi population. PCR technique was employed to detect polymorphisms of MAOA and DAT1 genes in a sample of 120 ADHD subjects and 160 controls. Alleles and genotypes frequencies for both of MAOA and DAT1 polymorphisms were compared among ADHD subjects against controls. Association between ADHD and alleles as well as genotypes for each studied polymorphisms was tested by odds ratio (OR) test and the magnitude of this association was estimated by 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI). A significant association was found between two MAOA genotypes 3/4 and 3/2 with ADHD (P < 0.01, OR = 3, 4.9) as a risk effect. No significant association was found with MAOA alleles. Among DAT1 polymorphisms two alleles (7 and 11 repeats) (P < 0.01, OR = 2.5 and 3.3) as well as two genotypes (11/11 and 11/7) (P < 0.01, OR = 4, 3) showed significant association with ADHD as a risk effect. On the contrary, 9 and 10 repeats revealed significant association as a protective effect as well as 10/10 and 10/9 genotypes. These findings support the hypothesis that some of the MAOA and DAT1 polymorphisms have a causative role in the development of ADHD in the Saudi population. Another polymorphism did not give rise to support this hypothesis. This is the first report investigated the association between MAOA and DAT1 polymorphism at molecular level in Saudi Arabia population as well as Arab world. Therefore further studies are needed to generalize obtained results at Saudi Arabia.

Taif-roses are a famous rose type that cultivated in Taif region and well known with their deep and intensive fragrance in the Arabian World. Despite of the great economical importance of Taif-roses for the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, their genetic origin has not been yet elucidated. The present study was mainly aimed to assess the genetic relationship between Taif-roses and some rose genotypes that grown in some kingdom neighboring countries using molecular markers and aromatic amino acids contents. Three Taif-roses genotypes namely Hada, Shafa-1 and Shafa-2 were compared to nine different rose genotypes that are grown in Egypt and Syria. Out of 12 RAPD, 8 ISSR and 8 SSR primers used, clear and repeatable band profile of 8, 6 and 7 primers was obtained from the three markers, respectively. Total of 111, 64 and 15 bands with polymorohism of 96.4, 90.6 and 93.3% were obtained using RAPD, ISSR and SSR, respectively. The discriminating power of the three markers has led to efficient grouping of the 12 rose genotypes using Unweighted Pair Group Method (UPGMA). Among the 12 genotypes, Syrian-Gory rose shown the highest genetic similarity of 75, 92 and 65% with the three Taif-roses genotypes Hada, Shafa-1 and Shafa-2, respectively. The established dendrogram was clearly separated the 12 rose genotypes into four major groups in which the three Taif-roses genotypes were clustered in the same group with the Gory rose-Syrian genotype. Moreover, the data revealed that among the studied rose genotypes, the contents of aromatic amino acids in Syrian-Gory rose and the Taif rose-Hada was the highest and followed by the Egyptian Balady rose 1. While Dutch rose 1, 2, 3 and Dutch tulip 1, 2 were recorded to be the lowest. Together, these results indicate that Taif-rose has closed genetic relations to the Gory rose-Syrian cultivated in Syria. Additionally, a reproducible protocol for In vitro propagation, of Taif-rose genotype (Hada) was developed.