Slahadin Ahmadi

Impaired brain insulin signaling is a risk factor for the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). FoxO1 and HMGA1 transcription factors are involved in the pathogenesis of both type 2 diabetes (T2D) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study aimed to assess the effect of vanadyl sulfate (VS) on impaired memory and hippocampal FoxO1 and HMGA1 RNA expression in sporadic AD (sAD) model in rats. Thirty-two male Wistar rats (250 ± 10 g) were divided into sham, AD, and VS 0.5 and 0.75 treated groups. The animals were subjected to two bilateral intracerebroventricular (icv) injections of either citrate buffer or streptozotocin (STZ) at 72-hour intervals. The VS-treated groups were treated with either 0.5 or 0.75 mg/ml oral VS for 3 weeks. The target quadrant entry latency, path length, and time and distance traveled in the target quadrants were assessed with the Morris water maze (MWM). Hippocampal tissues were analyzed for FoxO1 and HMGA1 RNA expressions. Group differences and group‒time interactions were analyzed via mixed two-way repeated-measures ANOVA. VS treatment in icv STZ rats restored impaired spatial memory. Hippocampal FOXO1 and HMGA1 RNA expressions were significantly lower in VS-treated and sham groups compared to AD control. VS can restore impaired spatial memory in sAD rats, possibly via the repression of FoxO1 and HMGA1 RNA expression in hippocampus.

The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effects of vitamin D3 supplementation and aerobic training on regulating the autophagy process in rats with type 2 diabetic induced by a high-fat diet and streptozotocin. A total of 40 Wistar rats were divided into five groups: normal control (NC), diabetic control (DC), diabetic + aerobic training (DAT), diabetic + vitamin D3 (DVD), and diabetic + aerobic training + vitamin D3 (DVDAT). The rats underwent eight weeks of aerobic training with an intensity of 60% maximum running speed for one hour, along with weekly subcutaneous injections of 10,000 units of vitamin D3. The protein levels of different autophagy markers were assessed in the left ventricular heart tissue. The results showed that the protein levels of AMPK, pAMPK, mTOR, and pmTOR were significantly lower in the DC group compared to the NC group. Conversely, the levels of ULK, Beclin-1, LC3II, Fyco, and Cathepsin D proteins were significantly higher in the DC group. However, the interventions of aerobic training and vitamin D3 supplementation, either individually or in combination, led to increased levels of AMPK, pAMPK, mTOR, and pmTOR, and decreased levels of ULK, Beclin-1, LC3II, Fyco, and Cathepsin D (p < 0.05). Additionally, the aerobic capacity in the DAT and DVDAT groups was significantly higher compared to the NC, DC, and DVD groups (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that type 2 diabetes is associated with excessive autophagy in the left ventricle. However, after eight weeks of vitamin D3 supplementation and aerobic training, a significant reduction in excessive autophagy was observed in rats with type 2 diabetes.

The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by endophytic bacteria have a significant role in the control of phytopathogens. In this research, the VOCs produced by the endophytic bacteria Streptomyces sp. B86, Pantoea sp. Dez632, Pseudomonas sp. Bt851, and Stenotrophomonas sp. Sh622 isolated from healthy sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) and sea beet (Beta maritima) were evaluated for their effects on the virulence traits of Bacillus pumilus Isf19, the causal agent of harvested sugar beet root rot disease. The gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed that B86, Dez632, Bt851, and Sh622 produced 15, 28, 30, and 20 VOCs, respectively, with high quality. All antagonistic endophytic bacteria produced VOCs that significantly reduced soft root symptoms and inhibited the growth of B. pumilus Isf19 at different levels. The VOCs produced by endophytic bacteria significantly reduced swarming, swimming, and twitching motility by B. pumilus Isf19, which are important to pathogenicity. Our results revealed that VOCs produced by Sh622 and Bt851 significantly reduced attachment of B. pumilus Isf19 cells to sugar beetroots, and also all endophytic bacteria tested significantly reduced chemotaxis motility of the pathogen toward root extract. The VOCs produced by Dez632 and Bt851 significantly upregulated the expression levels of defense genes related to soft rot resistance. Induction of PR1 and NBS-LRR2 genes in sugar beetroot slices suggests the involvement of SA and JA pathways, respectively, in the induction of resistance against pathogen attack. Based on our results, the antibacterial VOCs produced by endophytic bacteria investigated in this study can reduce soft rot incidence.

The potential benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) supplements on exercise-induced apoptosis are not clear. In a crossover randomized study, 11 men (age 62.8 ± 2.2 y) performed an acute bout of resistance exercise and underwent one-week supplementation with either 20 grams BCAA or 2700 mg omega-3/day. Subjects performed the same exercise after supplementation protocols. Following a three-week washout period, subjects switched groups. Circulating levels of soluble Fas ligand (sFasL), cytochrome c, Bax, BCL-2, and NF-kB were measured before and immediately after exercise sessions. sFasL, cytochrome c, and Bax increased after exercise. Simple main effect of time on sFasl was significant in control trial but not omega-3 and BCAA trials. There were no differences in NF-kB and BCL-2 between control and supplement trials. This study showed that adding omega-3 fatty acids or BCAA to the dietary regime of old men could partially attenuate resistance exercise-induced apoptosis.

Asthma is one of the diseases which has a high prevalence in developed and developing countries. The relationship between asthma and obesity has always been focused by researchers. In this field, adipokines, especially adiponectin and leptin have highly attended by the scientist. The aim of this study was to determine the serum level of adiponectin, leptin and the leptin/adiponectin ratio in asthmatic patients and its relationship with disease severity, lung function and BMI (body mass index). In this cross-sectional study, 90 asthmatic women admitted to the tertiary referral hospital in Kurdistan province - Iran, were examined. First, BMI was measured and then pulmonary function tests were performed in all asthmatics patient. Forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC, were measured. At the end, blood samples were collected and serum level of adiponectin and leptin were measured by ELISA method. Serum leptin and leptin/adiponectin levels correlated positively with asthma severity and BMI (p=0.0001), but there was no correlation between adiponectin level with asthma severity and BMI (p>0.05), also serum leptin and leptin/adiponectin levels inversely correlated with FEV1 and FVC in patient (p=0.0001). Asthma is linked with obesity, and there is an association between asthma severity and BMI with serum leptin and leptin/adiponectin levels, but our results do not support a significant role of adiponectin in obesity or asthma.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of oral branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation before resistance exercise on plasma levels of amino acids, cortisol, insulin, and serum creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase. Ten active female students in a double-blind crossover design randomly were assigned to a BCAA supplement or a placebo group. Both groups performed 5 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions at 50% of the 1-repetition maximum. Plasma leucine and isoleucine levels were increased whereas glutamine and phenylalanine were decreased at the end of exercise in the S group. BCAA supplementation did not affect plasma insulin, cortisol, serum creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase levels. These results suggest that in resistance exercise, BCAAs may support an insulin-independent anabolic state, but it cannot prevent muscle damage.

Background: Exercise order affects repetition performance and acute hormonal responses to resistance training (RT) programs. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the acute effects of two different resistance exercise orders (REO) on number of repetitions and serum Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1), testosterone and cortisol levels in normal-weight and obese men. Materials and Methods: 25 untrained college-aged men were assigned to either obese (n = 11) or normal-weight (n = 15) groups. Subjects performed two REO protocols in 2 exercise groups. In the first group subjects began with large-muscle group and progressed to small-muscle group (Protocol A), while in the other group subjects performed the same exercise but in reverse sequence (Protocol B). Each activity was performed in 3 consecutive sets of 10 repetitions maximum to near fatigue. Results: REOs did not affect number of repetitions in none of the groups. The average rating of perceived exertion was higher for protocol B in both groups. IGF-1 and testosterone increased immediately post exercise for both protocols and in both groups, however immediately post exercise increase in IGF-1 and testosterone were lower in obese group. Cortisol response to REO was weaker in obese group. Conclusions: Performing large muscle group exercises first in RE training and progressing to small muscle group produced greater anabolic hormonal response relative to reverse sequence in normal-weight young adult men. Anabolic hormonal response to REOs was blunted in the obese group. Keywords: Acute Exercise; Hormone Responses in Exercise; Strength Training; Obese

Objective: The present study was designed to compare the effects of resistance, endurance, and combined endurance / resistance exercises on plasma lipid and lipoprotein profile in healthy untrained middle-aged men. Methods: Healthy middle-aged staff of Islamic Azad University of Sanandaj were randomly assigned to eight weeks of three-times weekly endurance training groups (ET, 30.67±1.1 years, n = 10), resistance training (RT, 31.75±1.1 years, n = 10), combined endurance resistance training (ERT, 30.38±1.1 years, n = 10) and control (c, 30.38±1.1 years, n = 10). Subjects of ET, RT and ER groups underwent endurance (E), resistance (R) and combined endurance / resistance (ER) training respectively. Control group subjects remained sedentary during the period of the study. Plasma lipids and lipoproteins were measured at baseline and at the end of the study. Results: Apolipoprotein B (apo B) decreased significantly (p =0.05) in ERT group. Triglyceride (TG) and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) decreased significantly (p =0.05) in both ERT and ET groups. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) increased significantly in RT group (p =0.05). Lipoprotein lipase, total cholesterol and apo A levels did not change significantly in none of the trained groups. Conclusion: Based on the results of the current study, ERT is the mode of choice for correcting plasma TG, LDL and apo B abnormalities, while RT works better for boosting HDL.