The effect of different levels of osmolality and pH of lactose extender on the viability of Bactrian camelspermatozoa was investigated. Semen was collected from 10 Bactrian camel bulls using modified bovineartificial vagina. In experiment I, the extenders consisted of 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13% lactose with respectiveosmolalities of 290, 333, 350, 376 and 419 mOsm/kg and the pH of 6.9. In experiment...

In this study, polyethersulfone based nanofiltration membranes were modified by air plasma generated through dielectric barrier discharge to increase the membrane hydrophilicity aiming to improve the separation and antifouling characteristics. The effect of plasma time on the physico-chemical and separation properties of membrane was investigated. The PES nanofiltration membranes were fabricate...

Pore-forming toxins (PFTs) are secreted proteins that contribute to the virulence of a great variety of bacterial pathogens. They inflict one of the more disastrous damages a target cell can be exposed to: disruption of plasma membrane integrity. Since this is an ancient form of attack, which bears similarities to mechanical membrane damage, cells have evolved response pathways to these perturb...

Antioxidant properties of ghrelin have been demonstrated in recent studies. In the present study, theeffects of chronic administration of ghrelin on the motility and plasma membrane integrity of rat spermatozoa during incubation at 37ºC were investigated. Thirty 45-day-old male Wistar rats were divided into control and treatment groups. Rats in the treatment group were daily injected subcutaneo...

Background: Selection of human spermatozoa prior to assisted reproduction is currently based on motility and morphology. Recently, Zeta method has been introduced for normal sperm selection based on sperm surface charges. In addition, one of the features of apoptosis is the externalization of phosphatidylserine (PS), which are normally present on the inner leaflet of the sperm plasma membrane. ...

Brown spot disease caused by Alternaria alternata (Fr.: Fr.) Keissl is a serious problem forproduction of tangerines and tangerine hybrids in Iran. The Tangerine pathotype causes brownspot disease on young leaves and immature fruits of limited varieties of mandarins and tangerines(Citrus. reticulata Blanco). Specificity in the interaction between tangerine and the pathogen isdetermined by a hos...