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Stem cell therapy has been introduced as an innovative and promising treatment in Ischemic diseases. Mesenchymal stem cells are considered for cell therapy to some extent due to their immunemodulatory, differentiation potential, feasibility of isolation and proliferation properties. Stem cells, after transplantation, often encounter harsh and hypoxic environment in ischemic tissues, which leads to cell death and decreased therapeutic efficiency. On the other hand, the fate of stem cell viability and differentiation  is still an ambiguous issue in cell therapy regenerative medicine. To overcome this problem, Hypoxic/Ischemic preconditioning has been reported as a powerful tool with beneficial effects on cell survival. The reported master regulator in this process is a transcription factor known as HIF-1α. This study aimed to over-express HIF-1α in mesenchymal stem cells along with eGFP by using lenti viral vectors. Bisistronic expression of eGFP and HIF-1α provides the possibilities of tracking the transplanted cells and mimicking the hypoxic conditions for genetically modified stem cells for future animal model studies.  

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The effects of various methods of probiotic administration in hatchery and on prevention of Salmonella enteritidis (Se) in broiler chicks was investigated. A total of 150 Salmonella free day old chicks (Ross 308) were assigned to five experimental groups including control and four in-hatchery probiotic administration method groups comprised of: in ovo injection, oral gavage, spray and vent lip application. Each group was comprized of 30 chicks. The chicks were challenged by 8 Log CFU Se using oral gavage on 2 days of age. At 1 and 7 days of post-challenge (PC) 15 birds per experimental group were sampled for Se recovery through either one of culture or culture based PCR techniques. Administration of probiotics reduced the number of Se colonized chicks, compared with control as evaluated through either culture or PCR method. These reductions were significant for all the administration routes (P< 0.05), except for the 1 day PC, evaluated by culture method (P> 0.05). Furthermore probiotics were capable of reducing the number of colonized chicks from day 1 to day 7 PC. Vent lip method was evaluated as the most effective route of probiotic administration in prevention of Se colonization, not significantly different from either spray application in day 1 of PC group or from other administration methods in the day of 7 PC (P> 0.05). PCR method was more reponsive in detection of Se as compared to traditional culture method. Administration of probiotics in hatchery finally resulted in reducing the colonization of Salmonella in the alimentary tract of chicks.