Background: The aim of this study was investigation of the effects of Nigella sativa (NS) seeds on hypothyroid pregnant rats and their progenies. Materials and Methods: Hypothyroidism was induced by propylthiouracil (PTU) 0.03% in drinking water. Female rats were divided into seven groups: control, PTU, PTU-NS (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg), and NS (100 and 400 mg/kg). All treatments were done 20 days before mating and during pregnancy. The weight of rat dams and progenies, number of progenies and serum T4, estradiol and prolactin (PRL) levels in rat dams were measured for all groups. Results: Serum T4 in all PTU-NS groups before mating was significantly increased versus PTU group. Body weight of rat dams before mating in all groups of PTU-NS was increased versus PTU group by P < 0.001, P < 0.05, and P < 0.001, respectively and in NS 100 and NS 400 was increased versus control group (P < 0.001). The number of offspring was significantly decreased in PTU and PTU-NS versus control group. The weight of progenies in NS 400 was higher than control group (P < 0.001) and was increased in PTU-NS 200 and PTU-NS 400 versus PTU group by P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively. Serum PRL level in rat dams in control, PTU, and PTU-NS groups were not statistically different between groups but significantly increased in NS 400 group when compared to control group. Estradiol levels were not significantly different in rat dams at 5 days after delivery. Conclusion: These results demonstrated that feeding of rat dams with NS extract before mating has positive protective effects on progenies. These effects may be due to antioxidant properties of NS in reducing oxidative stress and thyroid damages induced by PTU.

Background: Resistance of Leishmania species to antimonial drugs has increased. Hence, in the present study Leishmania major isolates were collected from patients with resistance phenotype and the presence/absence of resistance to Glucantime was investigated. Materials and Methods: Samples were taken from 10 cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) patients who had not responded to chemotherapy with Glucantime. Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to identify the isolated species. Stationary phase promastigotes were added to the grown, adhesive J774 macrophages. Values obtained from standard strain were compared with the test cultures after exposure to the medicine. In vivo, the effects of Glucantime were assessed by comparing the sizes and the parasite burden of the lesions on mouse model. Results: The results of amplified band on agarose gel demonstrated all samples were L. major. After exposure to medicine, a reduction of intracellular amastigotes to half was detected. In vivo, the parasite was eliminated in 90% of mice with lesions caused by both isolates of patients and standard L. major, and their lesions became smaller significantly. Conclusion: Pentavalent antimonial (SbV) salts are the main component of chemotherapy against leishmaniasis. However, the medicine has been found ineffective. In the present study, isolates from patients with no response to treatment had no significant difference from the standard L. major strain (as the sensitive strain). Therefore, in patients with resistance phenotype to Glucantime, the parasites did not actually have intrinsic resistance, i.e., environmental and host factors prevented the successful treatment of the disease.