Adenovirus vectors are the most highly efficient vehicles currently available for gene transfer to mammalian cells. Their ability to transduce both proliferating and non-dividing cells allows in vivo gene delivery, but the wide spectrum of cell types infected by adenovirus necessitates a requirement for targeting, particularly if the transduced gene is detrimental when expressed in inappropriate tissues. Over the past decade, numerous investigators have examined tissue- or tumor-specific enhancer-promoters as a means to transcriptionally target genes delivered by adenovirus vectors. We review here recent developments in adenovirus vectors including improvements in the vector backbone to maintain promoter specificity. In addition, we discuss the regulatory elements directing cell-specific expression of genes encoding telomerase, prostate-specific antigen, probasin, osteocalcin, tyrosinase, alpha-fetoprotein, surfactant B, and mammaglobin. Recent results using these regulatory sequences to target Ad vectors to cancer cells are highlighted.

Purpose To determine the most optimal stage for antioxidant supplementation of culture medium to improve developmental competence, cryotolerance and DNAfragmentation of bovine embryos. Methods Presumptive zygotes were first cultured in presence or absence of β-mercaptoethanol (β-ME), for 8 days. Subsequently, half of the expanded blastocysts developed in both groups were vitrified, warmed within 30 min and post-warming embryos along with their corresponding non-vitrified embryos were cultured for two further days in presence or absence of (100 µM) βME. Results For vitrified and non-vitrified embryos, the best effect was found when βME was added from day 1 of in vitro culture in continuation with post-warming culture period. Day 1-8 supplementation significantly increased the rates of cleavage, day 7 and day 8 blastocyst production. For non-vitrified embryos, βME addition during day 1-8 and/or 9-10 of embryo culture improved both hatching rate and quality of hatched embryos. For vitrified embryos, however, the percentage of DNA-fragmentation (18.5%) was significantly higher (p≤0.05) than that of embryos developed in absence of βME but supplemented with βME during post-warming period (13.5%). Conclusions Exogenous antioxidant increases the chance of embryos, even those of fair-quality, to develop to blastocyst. However, antioxidant inclusion during in vitro embryo development is not sufficient to maintain the redox state of these embryos during the critical period of post-warming embryo culture, and therefore, there should be a surplus source of exogenous antioxidant during post-warming embryo culture.

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Intestinal parasitic infections are endemic worldwide and have been described as constituting the greatest single worldwide cause of illness and disease. The prevalence of Intestinal parasitic infections was estimated to be 5.92 %. Entamoeba coli was the most common parasite followed by Giardia lamblia and Blastocystis hominis. About 5.15 % of samples contained a single parasite and 0.76 % contained multiple parasites. In this study, the prevalence of intestinal parasites especially helminthic infections was low. The study aimed to estimate prevalence of intestinal parasites in Eghbalieh city from Qazvin Province, Iran.

Quinazolinones are a group of heterocyclic compounds that have important biological activities such as cytotoxicity, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal effects. Thiazole-containing compounds have also many biological effects including antitumor, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities. Due to significant cytotoxic effects of both quinazoline and thiazole derivatives, in this work a group of quinazolinone-thiazol hybrids were prepared and their cytotoxic effects on three cell lines were evaluated using MTT assay. Compounds A3, A2, B4, and A1 showed highest cytotoxic activities against PC3 cell line. Compounds A3, A5, and A2 were most active against MCF-7 and A3, A5, and A6 showed good cytotoxic effect on HT-29 cell line. According to the results, A3 efficiently inhibited all cell growth tested in a dose dependent manner. The IC50 of A3 was 10 M, 10 μM, and 12 μM on PC3, MCF-7, and HT-29 cells, respectively.