Journal of Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences
Year:2017 | Volume:5 | Issue:3 |Papers Count:8

Background & Aim: The pollution of water with pharmaceutical compounds can cause problems in the ecosystem. Antibiotics have special importance due to their inducing bacterial resistance. The aim of this study was to optimize the sono-nanocatalytic process using Fe2O3 for removal of Penicilin antibiotic by response surface methodology.Methods: The study was based on the practical laboratory method in order to evaluate the effect of independent parameters such as pH, the dose of nanoparticles, reaction time, the initial concentration of the antibiotic and Frequency sound waves on the rate of penicillin removal. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) was selected to follow the performance for Penicilin antibiotic removal. In order to achieve the optimal experimental conditions, response surface methodology (RSM) model was designed and used.Results: The results of data analysis showed that the catalyst dose and reaction time had greatest impact on the COD removal efficiency of Penicilin. Also, optimum removal conditions based on the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and model was achieved at pH, frequency of sono waves, initial concentration of the antibiotic, catalyst dose and reaction time equal 3, 35 KHz, 10 mg/l, 0.3 g/L and 53 min, respectively. Under these conditions, a COD removal efficiency equal to 95.51% was achieved.Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the sono-nanocatalytic process in the presence g-Fe2O3 nanoparticles has a high efficiency on the COD removal (Penicilin antibiotic) from aqueous environments.

Background & Aim: Infections and outbreaks caused by multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii are prevalent and have been reported worldwide over the past twenty or more years. Beta-lactamase genes including bla PER, bla VEB and bla CTX-M confer resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics and tetA and tetB are responsible for resistance to tetracycline in such bacteria.Methods: A total of 65 isolates of A. Baumannii from clinical samples were collected. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by the disk diffusion method according to the CLSI guideline and the presence of bla OXA-51 tet A, tet B, bla VEB, bla CTX and bla PER were screened via the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).Results: The isolates were 100% resistant to gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, piperacillin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime and tetracycline. Resistance to minocycline and imipenem stood at 89% and 85%, respectively. All isolates were identified as multi-drug resistant (MDR). The genes tet A, tet B, bla VEB, bla CTX and bla PER were detected in 75.3%, 43%, 35.3%, 76.9% and 61.5% of isolates, respectively.Conclusion: This study revealed the high prevalence of antimicrobial resistance genes amongst Acinetobacter baumannii and thus confirms the need for isolating and identifying them in clinical laboratory and hospital settings.

Background and aim: Human Papilloma Virus plays an important role in some of human malignancies and causes alterations in normal expression levels of cellular microRNAs. In this paper, we evaluated the effects of such changes on Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma tumor samples at gene expression profile level.Methods: in this descriptive-analytical study, gene expression profiles of 36 tumor samples were compared in two groups: with or without virus. Differentially expressed genes among the two groups were judged in terms of their ability in segregating the tumor samples and also their overlap with Gene Ontology Biological Function categories. Furthermore, using hierarchical clustering analysis and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis methods, the effect of confirmed cellular targets of 11 reported cellular microRNAs on the gene expression profiles of our samples was assessed.Results: Unlike unsupervised methods, differentially expressed genes, including 47 and 7 unique induced and suppressed genes, respectively, discriminated perfectly the two sample sets in a hierarchical clustering analysis (P=0.0001). These genes were primarily engaged in regulation of cell cycle (FDR adjusted P£0.05). Targets of induced cellular microRNAs were found enriched in virus-positive set (FDR adjusted P£0.05). Among analyzed cellular miRNAs, hsa-miR-155-5p and hsa-miR-221-3p change the gene expression profile of tumor samples significantly (FDR adjusted P£0.05).Conclusion: deregulating expression levels of cellular microRNAs, HPV is capable of affecting the gene expression profiles of Head and Neck Squamous cell Carcinoma tumors. It is suggested to confirm the results of this study using experimental methods.

Background and Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of hydro-alcoholic extract of Curcuma longa (C.L E) and Nigella sativa (N.S E) with Vitamin C on renal-oxidative damage in rats.Methods: 40 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups (n=8) as follows: A Control group with plain drinking water and intervention groups including positive control groups with Vitamin C (100 mg/kg), the N.S E (200 mg/kg) group, the C.L E (1000 mg/kg) group and N.S E and C.L E group (receiving 200 and 1000 mg/kg, respectively), all dissolved in drinking water and fed during the 35 days of the experiment. At the end of this period, the renal tissues were removed and oxidation-reduction markers were investigated.Results: N.S E (P<0.001), C.L E and vitamin C (P<0.01) decreased serum creatinine and BUN levels in comparison to the control group. Not only were the levels of total thiol higher in the Vitamin C (P<0.001), N.S E, C.L E (P<0.05) and N.S E and C.L E (P<0.01) groups compared to the control group, but also the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was more elevated in Vitamin C and N.S E and C.L E groups (P<0.01). Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations in the N.S E and C.L E, N.S E (P<0.001) and Vitamin C (P<0.05) groups were lower than those in the control group.Conclusion: In the current study, it was found that N.S E and C.L E have a significant effect on the improvement of renal oxidative stress, which is comparable to Vitamin C. A higher synergistic effect of N.S E and C.L E suggested that they are more effective combined than when used separately.

Background and Aim: In the field of health, due to the limited resources and sensitivity of the subject of treatment, performance evaluation gains more importance. The objective of this research is to evaluate the performance of the Nohomdey and Razi hospitals of torbat Heydarieh city based on the PABON LASSO model and to compare efficiency indicators of these units with national standards.Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was carried out in two torbat Heydarieh city’s medical training and social security hospitals. The data was collected from the medical records unit of the relevant hospitals. SPSS19 and EXCEL software were used to analyze the data and plot the PABON LASSO chart. One-sample t-test was used for comparative comparisons.Results: The average Bed Occupancy Rate, Bed Turnover Rate and Average Length of Stay in the study period were 73.83, 131.33times, and 2.3 days, respectively. In the first year of the study, the medical training hospital located in District 1 and the Social Security Hospital in District 3, and in the second year, the medical training hospital between District 3 and 4 and the Social Security Hospital in District 2 were studied.Conclusion: The mean of bed turnover and average length of stay in the two hospitals was far better than the national standard. However, it is suggested that in order to improve the quality of clinical services continuous studies be carried out.

Background & Aim: Nucleolin is one of the most abundant proteins in the nucleolus that is overexpressed on the surface of the plasmic membrane of cancer cells. It has been suggested that nucleolin is a new and promising candidate for effective targeted active-targeted delivery of nanoparticles with anti-nucleolin AS1411 aptamer (hereafter Apt), as a single-strand DNA, into a variety of high nucleolin-expressing cancer cells compared to low nucleolin-expressing cell lines.Methods: In this study, doxorubicin (Dox), as a chemotherapy drug with a fluorescence nature, was entrapped into the Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) -based nanoparticles (NPs). Next, these NPs were conjugated to Apt and the targeting ability of these Apt-NPs was investigated by flow cytometry and cytotoxicity analysis.Results: As a result, more rapidly internalization of Apt-NPs into C26 and C6 cancer cells was verified compared with L929 as a low nucleolin-expressing cell line. Similarly, the Apt-NPs increased the cytotoxicity effect of Dox compared with NPs and free Dox solution alone.Conclusion: We think that Apt-NPs, as a ligand, first bind to nucleolin and that the receptor-ligand complex is then incorporated into the cells through receptor-mediated endocytosis pathway. In conclusion, the Apt-NPs were found to be a promising targeted delivery system for therapeutic purposes.

Background& Aim: Psychological adjustment after divorce is one of the important related issues to divorce. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of group therapy based on acceptance and commitment to improving women' s psychological adjustment and reducing loneliness after the divorce.Methods: The study population consisted of all divorced women that were referred to counseling centers for psychological problems in Tehran by 2016. Among the clients of zone eight of city of Tehran, 30 women were selected and were assigned to two groups. This study is a semi experimental with pre-post-test and control group. The obtained data were analyzed by MANCOVA methods in software SPSS21.Results: Based on the MANCOVA results, group therapy based on acceptance and commitment has been affective in improving Psychological adjustment and dimensions of abandonment, anger and grief (P=0.01).Conclusion: Acceptance and commitment therapy guides clients to acceptance of suffering and commitment to goals instead of avoiding experience. Awareness of the thoughts and feelings of loneliness and being in the here and now are lead to improve the adjustment.

Common cellular and molecular mechanisms are not only involved in the development of neuropathic pain caused by neurological damage but also in the occurrence of the tolerance/hyperalgesia phenomenon caused by chronic use of opioids. It seems that the activation of the neuroimmune system in the brain and spinal cord is one of the most important mechanisms involved in the initiation and maintenance of neuropathic pains and reducing the antinociceptive effect of morphine after nerve injury. Plus, it also plays an important role in the development of tolerance/hyperalgesia due to chronic opioid consumption. Glial cells, especially microglia, are resident immune cells in the nervous system and get activated in response to many exogenous and endogenous factors. When activated, glial cells undergo structural and functional changes and can secrete various inflammatory factors such as IL1b, IL6 and TNFa. These changes increase the irritability and spontaneous firing of neurons, which play an important role in creating and maintaining neuropathic pain as well as reducing the analgesic effect of opioids and bringing about the onset of opioid tolerance/hyperalgesia phenomenon. In this review, we have tried to observe recent studies on the role of the neuroimmune system of the brain and spinal cord in the development of neuropathic pain and of opioid tolerance/hyperalgesia. In our view, a prevention of activation or a diminished activity of the neuroimmune system via appropriate drug compounds can be useful as a new strategy in the treatment of neuropathic pain and in the decrease of morphine tolerance/hyperalgesia, which will in turn result in an increase of the clinical efficacy of opioids.