Jundishapur Scientific Medical Journal
Year:2017 | Volume:16 | Issue:6 |Papers Count:11

Background and Objective: Patients with Mild CognitiveImpairment (MCI) demonstrate inadequacy in compensatorytechniques and lacking motor control while falling; hence it appearsthat cognitive and motor deficiencies are inter-related. The aim ofthis study was to investigate the progressive dual-task effects onmotor performance, cognitive status and fall risk between olderadults. Subjects and Methods: This study is semi experimental with pre– and post-test design. The subjects were selected from communitydwelling elderly adults with mean age of 75. 65 y (range, 65– 90). Both groups (20 with MCI and 20 Healthy) participated in 12 weeksof intervention with progressive dual-task training, which entailedsitting, standing and transforming practices. Results: Examinations after 12 weeks showed that interventioncaused improvements in cognitive status, postural control, and fallrisk in both older adults with and without MCI. The MCI groupexperienced more positive changes in cognition, while the normalgroup had the most evident effects in fall risk and performance inFunctional Reach (FR) test. Conclusion: This finding supports the previous results whichimplied the positive effects of dual-task training on cognitivevariables are associated to biological variations which arise duringexercise training. We also suggest that the physical benefits ofprogressive dual-task training (e. g. flexibility) are overriding thecognitive changes. In future research, the pathophysiology andfurther clinical implications should be investigated.

Background and Objective: The increase of HbF in some beta-thalassemia and sickle cell patients ameliorates the disease severity. Therefore, understanding the reasons behind the increasing of fetal hemoglobin is needful. The molecular explanation of fetal hemoglobin increment might be correlated with the genes which play a regulatory role in expression of beta-globin cluster genes. In this study, the likelihood of polymorphisms of BCL11A and HBS1L-MYB regions to cause HbFelevation was studied. Subjects and Methods: In this investigation, 50 thalassemia patients with high level of fetal hemoglobin and 50 healthy individuals as control group were selected from Khuzestan. The allele frequency of rs28384513, rs766432, rs11886868 and rs4895441 polymorphisms were assessed by using PCR-RFLP and PCR-sequencing methods. Results: The frequency of C allele in rs766432 (A/C), C allele in rs11886868 (C/T) and A allele in rs28384513 (A/C) were significantly high among the patients with increased level of HbF. Whereas, the frequency of rs4895441 (A/G) polymorphism had no significant differences compared with the patients with high level of HbF and control group. Conclusion: Based on this study, rs766432 (A/C), rs11886868 (C/T) and rs28384513 (A/C) polymorphisms are correlated with HbF increased and they can be used to predict the clinical features of fetus in case of bearing the major or intermediate forms of thalassemia. However, to confirm these results these markers need to be studied by applying a larger number of samples.

Background and Objective: Body composition and balanceare always one of the main factors of health and quality of lifeamong the people. The purpose of this study was to compare theeffect of resistance training with TRX and Traditional on somefactors of body composition and balance in Sedentary men. Subjects and Methods: In This semi-experimental study, thirtySedentary men (age = 29/33± 3. 23 and BMI = 26/03± 1. 24)participated and randomly divided to TRX group (n = 15) andtraditional group (n = 15). Befor and after eight weeks oftraining, body composition (weight, BMI and percentage ofbody fat) and balance in three position (two legs, right leg andleft leg) with Biodex stability system evaluated. Results: It was not observed any difference between groups inbody composition (P>0/05); but the weight, BMI andpercentage of body fat in traditional group and only percentageof body fat in TRX group significantly decreased (P<0/05). According to between group results, the overall balance of twolegs and left leg and also ML balance of two legs, right leg andleft leg in TRX group was significantly better than traditionalgroup (P<0/05). While, ML balance of two legs and right leghad significant improvement only after TRX training (P<0/05), after traditional training, it was observed a significant decreasein overall and AP balance of right leg (P<0/05). Conclusion: It is consider that to compare with traditionalresistance training, resistance training with TRX can be moreeffective in balance (not in body composition).

Background and Objectives: More than 80% of diabetic subjects die of cardiovascular complications. One of the problems in diabetics is vascular arterial stiffness. The aim of present study was to investigate the effect of eight weeks aerobic training on blood pressure, HbA1c and arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. Subjects and Methods: Twenty-two diabetic women were randomly divided into the experimental (n=11, age: 51± 6. 2 yrs, BMI: 32. 4± 5) or the control (n=11, age: 52. 3± 5. 6 yrs, BMI: 29. 4± 3. 9) groups. The experimental group performed aerobic exercise program for 8 weeks at the intensity of 50– 80% of maximum heart rate, 3 sessions per week. Blood samples were taken 24 h before and 48 h after the experimental period. Arterial stiffness evaluation under standard conditions was also performed using VaSera-VS-2000 (Fukuda Denshi Co., Japan). Results: Intra-group analysis showed that systolic blood pressure, HbA1C, CAVI index significantly decreased in the experimental group. The analysis of covariance also showed a significant difference between groups in CAVI index (P≤ 0. 05). Conclusion: Overall, aerobic exercise could influence the factors affecting the compliance of vessels as well as factors related to the glycosylation, lowering blood pressure and indicators of arterial stifness (CAVI) and thus can be used as a suitable strategy in this regard.

Backgound and Objective: Cancer stem cells assume to be responsible for increasing cancer properties such as migration, and drug sensitivity. A lot of studies revealed signaling pathways are enhanced in cancer stem cells. Melanoma is well-known as heterogeneous cancer and its severity in treatment. These can be attributed to the existence of cancer stem cells. In this study, we first aimed to separate cancer stem cells (cancer stem-like cells) by sphere formation, characterized them, and second examine the expression of Wnt and Notch signaling pathway genes related to adherent cells. Subjects and Methods: Adherent cell were cultured in the non-adherent condition with serum-free media; spheres obtained, then sphere formation, clonogenic assay, expression of CD133 and Nestin proteins, Nanog, NESTIN and Oct4 genes as stem related genes were assessed in comparison to adherent cells. In addition, Notch and Wnt signaling pathways genes in both adherent and spheres cells evaluated. Results: Sphere formation, clonogenic capacity, expression of Nestin protein, but not CD133 were increased in sphere cells in comparession to adherent cells. They also overexpressed β-catenin, cyclinD1, and c-Myc as Wnt down-stream genes, Notch1, HES1 as Notch down-stream genes, Nanog, and NESTIN as stem-related genes. Conclusion: These results suggest that sphere culture model could be a proper experimental method to separate cancer stem-like cells. Our data also support two important pathways are overactivated in melanoma cancer stem-like cells which must be considered in targeting therapy.

Background and Objective: Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive cocci that causes many diseases, such as food poisoning, risky shocks. Entrotoxins are the most important toxins of the bacteria. Among them, enterotoxin type B is the most common and important ones which is a super antigen. The aim of this study was the cloning and recombinant expression of seb gene in order to achieve a stable construct for the protein production and further use as a vaccine candidate in future investigations. Subjects and Methods: seb gene was analyzed for rare codons and gene optimaztion was performed using bioinformatic softwares. Enzymatic digestion was performed to confirm the presence of the seb gene into pET28a(+) expression vector. Recombinant expression of SEB was induced by IPTG following cloning confirmation. Then, protein purification was done under non-denaturing conditions using a nickel chromatography column. Protein confirmation was performed by Western blotting analysis. Results: Codon adaptation index (CAI) of the native gene was 0. 68, while the optimized sequence had a CAI of 0. 82. Percentage of codon having high frequency distribution was improved to 57%. Restriction analysis confirmed the cloning of the seb gene into pET28a vector. The results showed that the cloning of seb gene in pET28a(+) vector was performed in an appropriate position between expected restriction sites. In addition, SEB had a good and significant expression after induction by IPTG. The total yield of purified protein was 22mg/L. Western blotting showed specific reactivity of recombinant protein with anti-his tag antibody. Conclusion: Stable recombinant construct containing seb gene was constructed and appropriate recombinant expression of the protein was observed. So, this protein could be used in future studies as a vaccine candidate against SEB toxin of Staphylococcus aureus.

Background and Objective: Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α ) as a pro inflammatory cytokine and interlokin-10 as an anti-inflammatory cytokine have an important role in the development and the prevention of the systemic inflammation and incidence of obesity-induced diseases such as Coronary artery disease respectively. The purpose of this study was determining the effect of eight weeks of swimming training with garlic intake on serum levels of IL-10 and TNF-α in obese male rats. Subjects and Methods: During this experiment 28 Wister male rats with obesity )250-300 grams (were divided into four groups (control, supplement, training, training + supplement) randomly. The training groups swam for 8 weeks, 3 sessions per week and 60 minutes each session. The supplement groups received a solution of garlic extract in dose of 1 milliliter per kilogram of body weight for 8 weeks. Blood samples were taken 48 h after the last training session and the levels of IL-10 and TNF-α were measured. Statistical methods: One-way ANOVA were used for data analysis. Results: The results showed that eight weeks training and garlic consumption significantly increased the levels of IL-10 and significantly decreased TNF-α in experimental groups (P<0. 001). No significant correlations were found between the levels of IL-10 and TNF-α (P>0. 05). Conclusion: Implementing 8 week of swimming training with garlic intake may have a positive effect on inflammatory factors by increasing IL-10 and decreasing TNF-α .

Background and Objective: Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli is a pathogen that can be transmitted to humans through food products and causes dangerous diseases such as hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome in humans because of shiga toxin production. Materials and Method: In this research, 256 samples of fresh vegetables including lettuce, cabbage and eating herbs were prepared from 4 vegetable wholesale centers in the city of Ahvaz during 8 months. After primary enrichment, Sorbitol negative colonies grown on CT-SMAC medium were subcultured on differential culture media and confirmed as E. coli by specific biochemical tests. Confirmed strains were then investigated by E. coli O157: H7 antiserum. Finally, the presence of stx2, stx1, eaeA and hlyA genes was evaluated in sorbitol negative strains using multiplex PCR. Result: 8 E. coli O157 (3. 1%) bacteria were detected, only 2 isolates were identified as E. coli O157: H7. After multiplex PCR it became clear that 4 isolates contained stx1 gene, 2 isolates stx2 gene, 1 isolate stx1 and eaeA genes, 1 isolate stx1, eaeA and hlyA genes and 1 isolate stx1 and hlyA genes. None of the isolates contained all four genes. Conclusion: The presence of E. coli bacteria in vegetables is problematic for public health and can cause food-borne diseases.

Background and Objective: Relative marriages are one of the major factors in emergence of genetic disorders and disabilities, and it affects individual’ s performance. Since marrages among relatives is common in our country, the study aimed to compare motor fitness and anthropometrical characteristics of teenager boys with nonrelative and relative parents. Subjects and Methods: In this Ex post facto research, 80 teenage boys of Arak city aged 14, 15, 16, 17 consisted of 20 people in non-relative groups and 20 people nonrelative groups were chosen from a targeted multi-stage cluster from Arak schools. The tool for gathering data, questionnaire of individual information, motor fitness test including: standing long jump and medicine ball throw, 36 meters running and ruler, 4×9 m shuttle run, BESS and test angel, Minnesota handing/eye and hand coordination. Anthropometric measuring tools consisted of tape measure, scale and stadiometer. For data analysis, Kolmogorov Smirnov, and for statistical operation, SPSS software version 17 was used. Results: Relative marriage of parents has a significant effect on moving readiness and anthropometric features of teenagers (p=/05). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that marrages among relatives has negative effects on moving readiness and anthropometric among teenage boys.

Background and Objective: Consuming herbal supplements for preventing obesity is cheaper and safer in comparison to chemical drugs. Considering the anti-obesity effect of Cinnamon, in this study, effects of two different doses of aqueous Cinnamon extract on weight and biochemical indices related to metabolic syndrome were investigated in rats under high-fat diet. Subjects and Methods: Thirty two male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: Control (normal diet), high-fat diet group (high-fat diet with 60% additional fat), 2 high-fat diet groups treated with 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg of extract. Treatment was done daily for 20 weeks by gavage. Then, dissection was performed and blood samples were taken from the heart. Weights of internal organs and omental fat were measured, and biochemical tests were performed. Results: One hundred mg/kg dose of extract, reduced BMI and omental fat in comparison to the high-fat diet group. Both doses of extract reduced leptin level in comparison to the high-fat diet group. Dose of 100 mg/kg prevented the weight reduction of pancreas. Conclusion: In the present study, anti-obesity effects of 100 mg/kg dose of extract was observed which may be an evidenceof positive effects of low doses of extract. Aqueous Cinnamon extract can be used as a flavor with meals.