Qom University of Medical Sciences Journal
Year:2017 | Volume:11 | Issue:10 |Papers Count:15

Background and Objectives: Hippocampus is full of corticosteroid and serotonergic receptors, and have an important role in memory and spatial perception. In this study, the effects of fluoxetine and cyproheptadine, were investigated on learning and orientation memory in rats.Methods: In this study, 30 male adult rats, were divided into 5 groups, including control, under immobilization stress, treatment with fluoxetine, treatment with cyproheptadine and treatment with fluoxetine+cyproheptadine. Immobilization stress was applied by limiting polyethylene. Fluoxetine 20 and cyproheptadine (4 mg/kg bw, were injected intraperitoneally for 2 weeks. At the end of the tretment period, learning and orientation memory, were evaluated using radial arm maze and cross-maze tests. After finishing behavioral tests, serum levels of corticosterone and malondialdehyde (MDA), were measured in hippocampus tissue.Results: In this study, immobilization stress increased the time to find food and decreased frequency percentage compared to the control group. Administration of fluoxetine significantly increased the time to find food and significantly reduced frequency percentage compared to control and patient groups. Co-administration of cyproheptadine and fluoxetine prevented the effects of this drug. Also, in the stressed animals, MDA level increased compared to the control group, but corticosterone level decreased. While, administration of fluoxetine or cyproheptadine increased corticosterone level and decreased MDA level compared to the patient group.Conclusion: The results of this study showed that immobilization stress resulted in impaired learning and orientation memory, decreased corticosterone, and increased MDA. Considering the inhibitory effects of cyproheptadine on the function of fluoxetine in impairment of learning and orientation memory, this drug probably exerts its effects through the serotonergic system.

Background and Objectives: Vitamin E is a nutrient essential for the body. This vitamin as a natural antioxidant, scavenges free radicals in cell membranes and protects unsaturated fatty acids from lipid peroxidation. In the present study, the effect of vitamin E on neurodegeneration induced by intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of streptozotocin (STZ), was investigated in mature adult male Wistar rats.Methods: In this experimental study, the rats were randomly divided into 4 groups of normal control, Alzheimer control rats, and vitamin E (100 and 200mg/kg bw, oral daily) together with STZ. The animals received STZ at a dose of 3ml/cannula, 75mg/ml, ICV, bilaterally, on the 1st and 3rd days. Vitamin E treatment was started 1h before the first dose of STZ and continued for 14 days. Learning and memory behavior was evaluated using passive avoidance test. Data were analyzed by one-factor analysis of variance.Results: STZ treatment decreased step-through latency and increased the time in the dark compartment. Moreover, vitamin E treatment attenuated these changes.Conclusion: The results of this research showed that vitamin E treatment significantly improves STZ-induced cognitive impairment. Therefore, vitamin E can provide protection against aging-induced memory deficit and neuronal damage induced by STZ.

Background and Objectives: Head and neck cell carcinoma cell lines (HN-5) are considered as an appropriate preclinical model for new therapeutic purposes for this type of cancer. Unlike other cancers, Various primary and metastatic HN5 cell lines are available. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-cancer effect of nano zinc oxide (ZnO) on viability of malignant HN5 cell line.Methods: In this experimental study, HN5 cell line was cultured in DMEM medium (containing 10% FBS and penicillin/streptomycin) at 37oC. Then, the effect of different concentrations of ZnO on these cells, were assessed by MTT and DAPI staining. The results were evaluated with completely randomized block design ANOVA.Results: In this study, some concentrations of ZnO were effective in cytotoxicity of HN5 cancer cells. Also, 300mg/ml was the concentration of the studied compound that reduced the highest percentage of cell viability.Conclusion: The results of this study showed that ZnO has ability to induce cytotoxicity in HN5 cancer cell line in higher concentrations (about 300mg/ml), that these findings These findings provide a new perspective on the use nanoparticles in the cancer chemotherapy.

Background and Objectives: Burkholderia pseudomallei is the cause of the melioidosis disease in human, and is transmitted to patients through oral route, inhalation, or skin scratch. This agent is classified as a category B in the classification of biological agents. BLF1 specifically deaminates Gln339 from eIF4A. In this study, the expression of blf1 gene of B. pseudomallei in E. coli and antibody production in mouse, were assessed.Methods: In this experimental study, blf1 gene of B. pseudomallei, was expressed in E. coli. The synthetic gene in pUC57 plasmid was purchased from Nedaye Fan COR. pUC57 plasmid containingblf1 gene with BamHI and SalI restriction enzyme sites, was subcloned in pET28a (+) expression vector and transformed intoE. coli BL21 (DE3). blf1gene expression was induced by IPTG.Results: In this study, blf1 gene in cloned pET28a (+) expression vector, was approved by PCR and enzymatic analysis. Also, the produced recombinant protein was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Then, antibody produced from the mice serum, was isolated and confirmed by ELISA test.Conclusion: Given that BLF1 protein has the ability to stop protein synthesis and the produced antibody was confirmed by ELISA, the BLF1 recombinant protein can be used to treat cancer and as a vaccine candidate against B. pseudomallei.

Background and Objectives: Patellofemoral pain syndrome is a common orthopedic disorder in knee joint, which causes pain and dysfunction. This study aimed to compare the effect of three combined training methods on pain and function in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome.Methods: In this semi-experimental study, 30 individuals were selected from 65 male patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome, and randomly and evenly divided into three groups of experimental group 1, experimental group 2, and experimental group 3. The groups performed their own exercise for 8 weeks. Before and after the trainings, pain and function were analyzed using pain (VAS) and function (WOMAC) questionnaires. Data were analyzed using simple analysis of variance test (p<0.05).Results: ANOVA revealed a significant difference among the three groups in terms of pain (F(2, 27)=47.8, p<0.01) and function (F(2, 27)=44.3, p<0.01). Also, post-hoc test showed a significant difference between experimental group 1 and 2 (p<0.05) and experimental group 1 and 3 (p<0.01) in terms of pain and function, but there was no significant difference between experimental group 2 and 3 for pain and function (p>0.05).Conclusion: Following these exercises, reduction in pain and improvement in function, were observed in the three groups. Also, recovery rate in the experimental group 1 was higher than other groups, therefore, this new method can be introduced for the treatment of patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Background and Objectives: norA efflux pump is one of the mechanisms of ciprofloxacin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus strains, and finding natural herbal compounds with the ability to inhibit efflux pumps is one of the recent challenges. The aim of this study was to determine the inhibitory effect of Artemisa quttensis extract on norA efflux pump gene expression in ciprofloxacin resistantS. aureus strains.Methods: At first, A. quttensis ethanolic extract, was prepared by ethanol solvent. Then, existence of norA efflux pump was detected in 10 ciprofloxacin resistant clinical strains of S. aureus using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Moreover, anti-efflux activity of the extract was determined using ethidium bromide method. Finally, after treatment of isolates with Sub-MIC concentration of the extract, norA gene expression level, was evaluated using real-time PCR method.Results: The PCR results showed that all of the strains had norA efflux pump, and and ethidium bromide method revealed that the A. quttensis extract had inhibitory effect on resistant strains that hadnorA efflux pump. Moreover, real-time PCR results showed that norA gene expression level was down-regulated by Sub-MIC concentrations of the extract in the ciprofloxacin resistant isolates.Conclusion: Considering the anti-efflux pump effect of A. quttensis extract, it seems that this extract has the potential to be used as a native plant in pharmaceutical industries.

Background and Objectives: Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common metabolic diseases and a complex disorder with a strong genetic predisposition, which significantly affects mortality. A series of factors, such as environmental factors and genetic background are involved in the disease. Recently, a new gene associated with type 2 diabetes has been discovered, which is called GFPT2 and is located on the long arm of chromosome 5. Various mutations can alter GFPT2 function and provide risk for diabetes. In this study, the association of GFPT2 gene polymorphism and the risk of type 2 diabetes, was investigated.Methods: In this case-control study, 150 type 2 diabetic patients and 150 healthy individuals, were randomly selected from the research population. GFPT2 gene polymorphism was investigated using PCRRFLP method. Chi-square test was used to determine the balance or imbalance in the two studied groups, the association between polymorphism and incidence of type 2 diabetes.Results: In this study, a significant difference was observed in the genotype distribution of GFPT2 gene in patients with type 2 diabetes in comparison with the healthy subjects [p=0.041, (odds ratio: 2.81 (95%CI: 1.02-5.09)].Conclusion: The results of the present study indicated that there is evidence that there is an association between genetic variant of GFPT2 gene and the incidence of type 2 diabetes. Therefore, further studies are necessary to evaluate the importance of genetic variant in different populations.

Background and Objectives: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gramnegative bacterium, which has the ability to cause opportunistic infections in patients with immunodeficiency. The conditions of the patient as well as the response of infection-producing strain to treatment, can be very effective in infection progression process, so that, infectivity process leads to bacteremia and sepsis, causing a difficult situation. Increasing resistance of this bacterium has prompted researchers to discover an effective agent to suppress the pathogenicity of this pathogen. Since ancient times, herbal extracts have been used to treat various infections. In this study, the antimicrobial effect of methanolic extracts of Achillea Wilhelmsii, Myrtus communis, and Allium sativum, was investigated on Pseudomonas aeruginosa.Methods: In this study, the effect of Achillea Wilhelmsii, Myrtus communis, and Allium sativum extracts, was investigated on 4 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the effect of each extract, was studied using agar dilution method.Results: Among these three extracts, the Allium sativum extract showed the highest antimicrobial activity. Also, observations were indicative of difference in the susceptibility of the studied strains to different extracts, which showed different reactions to each of the extracts based on the origin and antibiotic resistance level.Conclusion: According to the results of this study, extracts are a natural and valuable sources to produce antimicrobial drugs against pseudomonas strains and other resistant pathogenic bacteria.

Background and Objectives: In order to provide better services in physiotherapy centers, factors such as awareness of perception and expectations of service recipients, determination of the gap between these two categories, plays a very important role. This study was conducted with the objective of evaluating the quality of physiotherapy services provided in public and private physiotherapy centers of Zahedan city using SERVQUAL model.Methods: In this analytical cross-sectional study, 480 individuals referred to public and private physiotherapy clinics of Zahedan city in 2015, were selected using stratified random sampling method. Data were collected using SERVQUAL standard questionnaie. Data were analyzed by Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and Spearman correlation coefficient tests.Results: There was a negative quality gap in all five dimensions of quality of services (including tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy) provided in both public and private centers. The highest mean quality gap in public clinic was in the tangibility or physical domain (-0.53±0.36) and in private clinic was in empathy domain (-0.47±0.39), and the lowest mean quality gap in both public and private clinics, was in assurance domain. There was no sinnificant relationship between age, sex, and education level with quality gap in both public and private clinics (p>0.05).Conclusion: The clients’ expectations in all domains of quality of services was higher than their perceptions. Therefore, it is required to improve quality of services in all domains both private and public physiotherapy clinic.

Background and Objectives: Drug resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosastrains has become a worldwide problem, and efflux pumps are one of the major resistance mechanisms in this bacterium. The aim of this study was to identify the mutation inmexA and mexB pumps and to investigate the expression level of mexA pump in the isolates from burn patients.Methods: This study was conducted as a descriptive study on 100 isolates of P. aeruginosa isolated from patients hospitalized in Shahid Motahari Hospital during 2014-2015. Antibiogram tests were performed using disc diffusion (according to CLSI guidelines). The inhibitory effect of carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), was assessed by broth microdilution method. Mutation in mexA and mexB genes, was detected by PCR and sequencing, and the expression level of mexA gene, was evaluated by real-time PCR and 2-DDCT formula.Results: Ninety-five out of 100 isolates of P. aeruginosa, were resistant to imipenem. Sixteen isolates had response to the inhibitory effect, and a 4-fold reduction was observed in MIC results at the presence of this inhibitor. In one isolate, glycine was replaced by aspartic acid at position 257 of mexB protein sequence, but no change was seen in MexA. All isolates hadmexA and mexB genes. Twenty percent of the isolates showed overexpression in mexA gene.Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the antibiotic resistance as a result of overexpression of efflux pump, is of great concern. Hence, infection control by accurate management of drug prescription and identification of resistant isolates, is essential to prevent the spread of resistance.

Background and Objectives: Salmonella is one of the authentic bacteria found in food and raw materials. The existence of this bacterium in food, in addition to causing disease, can lead to drop in production quality and decrease in economic growth of the country. The aim of this research was to isolate and identify Salmonella spp. from local dairy products in Maragheh city.Methods: In this cross sectional study, a total of 100 samples, were randomly selected from local dairy products, including curd, cheese, butter, dough, and ice cream (20 samples of each). First, the samples were cultured and tested by standard method, then, biochemical and serotyping complementary tests, were performed to detect Salmonella bacterium, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using hilA gene primers, was performed for molecular confirmation of the isolates from local dairy products. Antibiogram test was carried out on the obtained isolates.Results: Overall, 3% of all samples, were contaminated with Salmonella. Two Salmonella cases (10%), including B and D serogroups were isolated from 20 local crud samples and 1Salmonella case (5%) of C serogroup, was isolated from 20 local cheese. No Salmonellawas isolated from local butter, dough, and ice cream samples. Among the obtained isolates, the highest susceptibility was related to trimethoprim-solfamethoxazole antibiotic, and the highest resistance was related to nitrofurantoin antibiotic.Conclusion: The results of this study showed that in order to prevent poisoning from local dairy products, pasteurization of milk and its products, personal hygiene compliance, and control of health monitoring of production and distribution centers, are necessary.

Background and Objectives: The goal orientation theory is one of the newest approaches, which has been introduced to the field of motivation psychology in the recent three decades. In the present research, the prediction level of different types of goal orientation, including dominance-approach, dominance-avoidance, performance approach, and performance-avoidance, was investigated using different dimensions of family communication patterns, such as dialogue and conformity domains.Methods: This descriptive-correlational study, was conducted on 300 students (150 females and 150 males) from different universities in asaluyeh city. Elliot and McGregor's Goal Orientation Scale was used to assess goal orientation, and Koerner and Fitzpatrick revised scale (2002) was used to assess dimensions of family communication patterns. The predictive value of each type of goal orientation of two dimensions of dialogue and conformity of family communication patterns, was evaluated using simultaneous multiple regression analysis.Results: In this study, the mean scores of communication patterns of family dialogue and conformity, were obtained 39.66±10.13 and 24.85±9.07. respectively. Also, the mean scores in orientations of dominance-approach, dominance-avoidance, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance, were 15.34±4.15, 12.79±3.87, 14.35±4.149 and 13.89±3.495, respectively. Family dialogue predicted the goal orientations of dominance-approach, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance; and family conformity predicted dominance-avoidance, performance-approach, and performance avoidance.Conclusion: Findings of this research indicated that improvement of family dialogue is predictive of the goals of dominance- and performance-approach in children; whereas, emphasis on family conformity predicts the goals avoidance- and performance-approach.