Qom University of Medical Sciences Journal
Year:2010 | Volume:4 | Issue:3|Papers Count:11

Background and Objectives: Previous studies have shown that morphine consumption during pregnancy may delay embryo development or cause the nervous system to function abnormally. The present study focused on the effects of maternal morphine consumption on fourth ventricle and choroid plexus development in Wistar rats.Methods: Wistar rats weighing between 170 and 200 grams were selected for this study. The experimental group after pregnancy received 0.05mg/ml of morphine in their drinking water daily. The control group received only tap water. On day fourteen of pregnancy, the pregnant animals were anesthetized by chloroform and the embryos were removed surgically. The embryos were fixed in 10% formalin for 4 weeks. Then, tissue processing, sectioning and staining hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) were applied on the embryos. The sections were examined for fourth ventricle and choroid plexus development by light microscope and MOTIC software.Results: The results of the study indicated the choroid plexus area in the experimental group increased. Moreover, the fourth ventricle area reduction in the experimental group was significant in comparison with that in control group.Conclusion: This study showed that oral morphine consumption has can decrease the fourth ventricle and increase choroid plexus area. This defect may delay the functioning and development of central neuron system. such as, changes observed in the fetus born by opioid addicted women.

Background and Objectives: Dysmenorrhea affects women’s quality of life; moreover it results in physical, mental, social and economical problems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of acupressure at the third point of liver channel (liv3) on quality of life in female students of Tehran Teaching Training (Tarbiat Moallem) Center with primary dysmenorrhea.Methods: This single-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 194 female students of Nasibeh Tarbiat Moallem center in Tehran who had had inclusion criteria. In the first cycle, the severity and duration of pain and quality of life were determined. Therefore, the participants were randomly assigned to either experimental or control group. In the second, third and fourth cycles, acupressure at liv3 and placebo point during 3-7 days before menstruation for 20 minute were carried out. In the fourth cycle, participants completed SF-36 questionnaire after menstruation again. Data-gathering Instruments used in this study included wrong-Baker faces pain scale, Beck-21 questionarre, SF-36 questionnaire, clock, Acuhealth tens pro 900 set, force guage. Data were analyzed with SPSS 16 and x2 test, Man Whitney U, independent and paired test. P values were set as 0.05 (p<0.05).Results: There was no significant difference in mean quality of life dimension between two groups in the first cycle (p>0.05) but there was a significant difference in mean quality of life dimension between two groups in the fourth cycle (p<0.05). The comparison between the first and the fourth cycle in two group showed a significant difference in all dimension (p<0.05) but there was not any significant difference between two cycles in Role Emotional functioning dimension in experimental group (p>0.05). Moreover, there was no significant difference between two cycles in Role Emotional functioning and social functioning dimensions in experimental group (p>0.05).Conclusion: with regard to the results of this study, acupressure at liv3 point is suggested as useful, effective, cheap and available treatment for primary dysmenorrhea

Background and Objectives: Patients with major b-Thalassaemia-due to their constant need for blood transfusion-are at the risk of blood-transmitted diseases such as hepatitis B, C and HIV. Moreover, the residual risk of blood-transmittable viruses in window period during blood donation remains un-detected in antibody screening test. In the study the prevalence of hepatitis B, C and HIV were examined in patients with major b-thalassaemia.Methods: This descriptive study was performed on 142 patients with major b-thalassaemi in city of Qom in 2007. At first, a questionnaire was filled by each patient. It elicited demographic ،information including age, sex, frequency of blood transfusion per year, time of diagnosis, history of vaccination and …. Then blood samples of patients were tested to detect serum markers including HBsAg, Anti-HCV, Anti-HIV with Eliza method. Positive EIA results of HBSAg and Anti-HCV were confirmed respectively with neutralization, RIBA and Blot tests.Results: Out of 142 patients with major b–thalasseamia in this study, 76 (53.5%) were male and 66 (46.5%) female. The average age of patients was 14.3 years and 3% of patients were married. The average age of diagnosis of disease was 10.9 years. 63% of patients had received the vaccine. Among 142 patients, one was seropositive for HBSAg and 19 for anti HCV. There was no case of HIV positive.Conclusion: The results showed the prevalence of hepatitis C in patients with major b-Thalassemia in Qom to be relatively low (13.38%), but it seems that screening the blood donors effectively decreases the prevalence and incidence of infection.

Background and Objectives: Sulphate ion is one of the main ions available in natural and waste water. The high rate of sulphate in drinking water causes health problems such as irritation and digestive problems and makes water taste bitter. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficiency of sulphate ion removal from drinking water through Electrocogualation process (EC) using plate aluminum electrodes.Methods: This study was conducted as a pilot plant using one glass tank in the volume of 1.3liter containing 6 plate aluminum electrodes. These electrodes were attached to a power supply in a mono-polar and parallel arrangement in order to switch the alternating current to the direct one. That is, each electrode was attached to positive and negative poles directly and alternately. The tank was filled with synthetic water containing sulphate ion with the concentration of 350 & 700mg/L. Percentage of sulphate ion removal in potential range of 10, 20 and 30 V, reaction times of 40, 20 and 60min and pH 7.0, 3.0 & 11.0 were measured.Results: In this study the maximum efficiency of sulphate ion removal was in the electrical potential of 30 V, reaction time of 60min and pH 11.0. With increase of ion concentration, the time needed to achieve a suitable efficiency of removal increased, that is, it indicated the direct effect of pH and difference of electrical potential on removal of sulphate ion through EC process.Conclusion: The results of this research show that Electrocogualation technology can be introduced as a suitable and promising technique to remove sulphate ion from aqueous environments using plate aluminum electrodes.

Background and Objectives: Cannabinoids are a class of psychoactive compounds that produce a wide array of effects in a large number of species. In the present study, the effects of bilateral intra-CA1 injections of an a2-adrenergic receptor agents, on WIN55,212-2 state-dependent learning were examined in adult male Wistar rats.Methods: The animals were bilaterally implanted with chronic cannulae in the CA1 regions of the dorsal hippocampus, trained in a step-down type inhibitory avoidance task, and tested 24h after training to measure step-down latency.Results: Post-training intra-CA1 injection of WIN55,212-2 (0.25 and 0.5mg/rat) induced impairment of memory retention. Amnesia produced by post-training WIN55,212-2 (0.5mg/rat) was reversed by pre-test administration of the same dose of WIN55,212-2 that is due to a state-dependent effect. Pre-test intra-CA1 injection of clonidine (0.5 and 0.75mg/rat, intra-CA1) improved post-training WIN55,212-2 (0.5mg/rat, intra-CA1)-induced retrieval impairment, while pre-test intra-CA1 injection of yohimbine (1mg/rat, intra-CA1) 2min before the administration of WIN55,212-2 (0.5mg/rat, intra-CA1) inhibited WIN55,212-2 state-dependent memory.Conclusion: These results suggest that a2-adrenergic receptors of the dorsal hippocampal CA1 regions may play an important role in Win55,212-2-induced amnesia and WIN55,212-2 state-dependent memory.

Background and Objectives: Burnout is caused by high-stress jobs and could induce somatic, psychological disorders and negative attitude to professional actives so that this condition causes poor relationship with the patient. This study aimed at investigating burnout in senior medical students of Kashan University of Medical Sciences.Methods: This research was a cross sectional study carried out on all senior medical students (N=56) in 2008. Data were obtained by two questionnaires including demographic questionnaire and Maslach burnout Inventory. They were then analyzed using SPSS software and Chi square Test.Results: The findings showed that the majority of medical students (91.1%) had burnout and only 8.9% of them had not burnout. Severe burnout was in 16% of students. There was not any significant relationship between burnout and sex, age, smoking, duration of education, interest in medical course and marital status P<0.05.Conclusion: The results of the study showed that burnout is common problem in senior medical students and need special consideration. Therefore medical students should be encouraged to seek help and adequate facilities by holding workshops of life-skill training and coping with stress. However, burnout should be paid special attention in medical students by counseling centers of University for prevention of consequences.

Background and Objectives: Agitation and headache in patients recovering from anesthesia can be attributed to several causes among them are drugs administered pre-and intra-operatively, physical problems such as painful surgical procedures and finally some unusual complications like subarachnoid hemorrhage after orbital decompression, all of which deserve to be considered in these cases presenting poor consciousness and headache in the recovery.In this study, we reported a rare case of subarachnoid hemorrhage.Case Report: The patient was a 23 year-old woman with a known case of graves’ ophthalmopathy wishing to undergo orbital decompression surgery who, then, showed severe headache and agitation in recovery. Subsequent evaluation revealed that its main cause was subarachnoid hemorrhage due to meningeal intrusion.

The Natural killer (NK) cells are a subset of lymphocytes comprising around 10% of total lymphocytes in peripheral blood. Due to their role in the innate response, NK cells provide a ‘first line of defense’ against infectious agents and cancer and are also thought to play a role in autoimmunity. The killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) are regulatory surface molecules, found on NK cells and on a subset of T lymphocytes.The genes for KIR are present on chromosome 19 in the leukocyte receptor complex and show a major difference for both the type and number of KIR genes present among different ethnic groups. They have been divided into two groups of 2D or 3D, depending on the number of external immunoglobulin domains. The presence of a long cytoplasmic tail with two immune tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs (ITIM) allows the transduction of inhibitory signals and characterizes the inhibitory KIRs (2DL and 3DL), whereas the presence of short cytoplasmic tails corresponds to the activating KIR receptors (2DS and 3DS).These polymorphic receptors interact with specific motifs on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules, modulate NK cytolytic activity. Some KIRs are known to interact with HLA-C molecules of target cells, HLA-Bw4 molecules and HLA-A3/11. For some KIRs the corresponding ligands are still unknown.