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Leishmaniasis is an emerging and uncontrolled disease. The use of routine drugs has been limited due to proven side effects and drug resistance. Interestingly, novel approaches such as nanotechnology have been applied as a therapeutic modality. Silver nanoparticles have shown antileishmanial effects but because of their nonspecific and toxic effects on normal cells, their use has been limited. On the other hand, it has been demonstrated that electric pulses induce electropores on cell membranes resulting in higher entrance of certain molecules into cells. There is a hypothesis proposing that use of electroporation and silver nanoparticles simultaneously can induce greater accumulation of particles in infected cells, besides higher toxicity. In this study, after applying electric pulses with different concentrations of silver nanoparticles (SNPs), cell survival rate was determined by standard viability assays. On the basis of these data, 2 μg/ml of SNPs and 700 V/cm with 100 μs duration of electroporation were selected as the non-lethal condition. Promastigotes and infected macrophage cells received both treatments and the survival percentage and Infection Index were calculated. In parasites and cells receiving both treatments, higher toxicity was observed in comparison to each treatment given individually, showing a synergic effect on promastigotes. Therefore, application of electric pulses could overcome limitations in using the antileishmanial properties of silver nanoparticles.

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Background and Purpose: Serum total cholesterol (TC) concentrations are affected by several factors including ethnicity, diet, geographic, and environmental determinants, and are related to another disease, including hypothyroidism, and renal and liver disease. It is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly if associated with high levels of serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The distribution of TC levels within populations may be useful, and the current study aimed to determine the reference values and specific cut points in a population sample from Mashhad, Iran.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, and data was collected from 6518 individuals (2483 men and 4035 women) aged 25–64 year-old living in Mashhad city using a stratified cluster random sampling design.Reference values for borderline and high TC levels in three age groups were obtained using a percentile regression model. Data were analyzed using Quantreg Software Package and R Ver. 3.1.2 Software.Results: Within the population sample, 38% of the subjects were male and 62% of them were female. The mean and standard deviation for age were found to be 47.07±9 years and 45.28±9 years for men and women, respectively. Percentile regression showed that borderline TC levels for men and women aged 25-64 years were 198-216 mg/dl and 176-243mg/dl, respectively. The values for defining high TC levels were also 226-239 mg/dl in men and 202 - 271 mg/dl in women.Conclusion: Our study estimated reference values and cut points for borderline and high TC separately in both men and women, and age-related sub-groups for a population derived from Mashhad. These findings could be used in local policy plans to allocate health resources.