The Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute (romanized: Mo'asseseh-ye Tahqiqât-e Vâksan va Seromsâzi-e Râzi) is an Iranian pharmaceutical company. It is located in the Hessarak district in Karaj, Iran. The Institute was built as a national center with the purpose of countering epidemics in domestic animals during Reza Shah era. Further departments were installed, including those dedicated to human medicines. In modern years, the Institute has focused primarily on nanomedicine and biotechnology.The Institute is known for its anti-venom serums derived from snake and scorpion venom. It hosts some reference pharmaceutical laboratories with regional or state scopes.
Background and Aims:This study aims to examine the prevalence and progression of coagulation disorders in adult COVID-19 patients and evaluate the effect of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on coagulation markers. Methods:This retrospective study included 1885 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, aged 20 to over 90 years, from January 23, 2020, to March 9, 2021, across 23 centers in 13 provinces in Iran. Patients were categorized into three epidemiological peaks corresponding to different pandemic waves and SARS-CoV-2 variants (wild-type, B.1.36, and B.1.1.413). Data collection and statistical analysis adhered to the Iranian Center for Disease Control guidelines, with laboratory assessments focusing on hematologic and coagulation markers, including prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), platelet (PLT) count, and Hemoglobin (Hb). Parameters were assessed to monitor coagulation dynamics and thrombotic risk over time and across epidemic waves. Estimated marginal means enabled evaluation of biomarker fluctuations by time and sex. Results:The majority of patients were below 70 years of age, with hypertension and diabetes as common underlying conditions. The study revealed a trend of increasing white blood cells, neutrophils, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and PLTs during the initial week. Conversely, hemoglobin and lymphocytes exhibited a downward trend. PLT, lymphocyte, and neutrophil levels were not significantly affected by sex, age groups, or different peaks. Notably, hospitalized patients exhibited prolonged PT and aPTT. Overall, 81.1% of patients recovered, while 18.9% succumbed to the disease. Conclusion:This multicenter study provides valuable insights into the coagulation dynamics of COVID-19 patients, highlighting specific coagulation disorders associated with SARS-CoV-2. The findings emphasize the importance of monitoring coagulation markers for effective patient management and treatment decisions. Understanding how genetic and non-genetic factors influence outcomes is crucial for comprehensive care. Standardized data collection across centers strengthens the study's reliability.
Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly contagious disease with the potential to cause massive losses in the global poultry industry. This study evaluated the efficacy of three commercial live ND vaccines based on genotypes I and II (enterotropic) on mortality and viral shedding in specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens challenged with circulating virulent Newcastle disease virus (vNDV) of genotype VII. Forty one-day-old SPF chickens were randomly divided into four experimental groups (n = 10) and vaccinated (one dose ≥ 106 EID50) with one of three enterotropic ND vaccines (E1, E2, or E3) or received phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) as the control on the 8th day of age. At 28 days of age, the chicks were intramuscularly challenged with genotype VII (GVII) vNDV. Blood samples were collected before the challenge (at 28 days of age) and at 7 and 14 days post-challenge (dpc) to measure serum antibody titers against NDV using the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test. Cloacal and oropharyngeal swabs were taken on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 10th dpc to evaluate viral shedding. The vaccinated groups showed significantly higher antibody titers and protection rates compared with controls (P < 0.05). At 28 days of age, the E2 group had a higher antibody titer compared to E3 (P < 0.05); however, no significant difference was noted between the vaccinated groups at 35 and 42 days of age. All vaccinated chickens showed significantly higher protection in the challenge test compared to the control group; where the E2 group acknowledges the complete protection (70
Background Perinatal exposure to high-fat and/or high-fructose diets affects offspring metabolic programming, increasing the risk of metabolic disorders such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In addition, re-exposure to these diets during adulthood exacerbates metabolic disturbances, indicating an interaction between early-and later-life diets in disease development. Therefore, the present study was designed to assess the effects of high-fat, high-fructose (HFF) diet exposure during the perinatal period and adulthood on hepatic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, pyroptosis, and NAFLD development, as well as to evaluate the potential therapeutic effects of 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA). Methods Male rat offspring were randomly assigned to six groups based on perinatal and adulthood diets: normal diet during both periods (N-N), normal perinatal diet with adulthood HFF diet (N-HFF), perinatal HFF diet with normal adulthood diet (HFF-N), perinatal and adulthood HFF diet (HFF-HFF), perinatal and adulthood HFF diet with DMSO treatment (HFF-HFF-DMSO), and perinatal and adulthood HFF diet with 4-PBA treatment (HFF-HFF-4PBA). Metabolic parameters, inflammatory markers, oxidative and ER stress indicators, a pyroptosis marker, and hepatic histological parameters were evaluated. Results Exposure to the HFF diet during the perinatal period and adulthood induced insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, hepatic oxidative and ER stress, inflammation, pyroptosis, lipid droplet accumulation, and NAFLD development. Treatment with 4-PBA improved all adverse effects caused by HFF diet exposure during both the perinatal and adult periods in offspring. Conclusion These findings highlight the importance of dietary interventions during critical developmental windows and suggest ER stress inhibition as a promising therapeutic approach for NAFLD.
The rapid rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens poses a major challenge to global healthcare, reducing the effectiveness of conventional antimicrobial therapies and necessitating innovative treatment strategies. Probiotics have emerged as promising biotherapeutic agents due to their ability to modulate the gut microbiome, inhibit pathogen colonization, produce antimicrobial compounds, and enhance host immunity. Recent advances suggest that integrating probiotics with nanotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI) may provide a powerful approach to combat MDR infections. Nanotechnology-based delivery systems improve probiotic stability, gastrointestinal survival, controlled release, and targeted delivery, thereby enhancing therapeutic efficacy. Meanwhile, AI-driven tools facilitate microbial profiling, strain selection, resistance surveillance, predictive modeling, and formulation optimization. The convergence of probiotics, nanotechnology, and AI offers a personalized and adaptive strategy for preventing and managing MDR infections while minimizing the selective pressures that drive antimicrobial resistance. This review highlights the potential of this emerging tri-modal approach as a next-generation solution against MDR pathogens.
Clostridial infections are major causes of mortality in domestic ruminants. This study aimed to isolate and molecularly characterize Clostridium species from suspected cases of clostridial diseases in cattle and sheep in Mazandaran, northern Iran. Forty samples, including intestine, liver, skeletal muscle, and soil, were collected and subjected to anaerobic culture, histopathological examination, and multiplex PCR targeting species-specific and toxin genes. Histopathological results revealed severe intestinal villous degeneration, hepatic necrosis with vascular congestion, and emphysematous changes in skeletal muscles. Out of 40 samples, 47.5% were positive for clostridial species, yielding 32 isolates. The predominant species detected were C. septicum (31.25%) and C. perfringens type A (31.25%), followed by C. chauvoei (18.75%), C. novyi type B (9.37%), C. novyi type A (3.12%), C. perfringens type D (3.12%) and other clostridia (3.12%). Mixed clostridial infections were detected in 27.5% of total samples. Clostridium perfringens type A and C. septicum were detected in different sample types including intestine and soil, as well as liver (C. perfringens type A) and muscle (C. septicum). Clostridium chauvoei was recovered from skeletal muscle and intestinal samples, whereas C. novyi was restricted to liver samples. No isolates of C. haemolyticum or C. perfringens types B, C, E, F, or G were detected. These findings demonstrate the importance of molecular assays for accurate identification of clostridia particularly in cases of mixed infections. They also highlight the potential importance of C. septicum and C. perfringens type A in clostridial diseases in northern Iran, emphasizing the need for region-specific surveillance and vaccination.
