Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences
Year:2023 | Volume:33 | Issue:222 |Papers Count:5

Background and purpose: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have useful effects in treatment of sepsis, but the effects of co-injection of EPC and MSC for the treatment of sepsis have not yet been investigated. This study investigated the therapeutic effect of MSC+EPC in reducing the systemic inflammatory response in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced sepsis in mice. Materials and methods: In this experimental study, mouse bone marrow MSCs and EPCs were isolated and their surface markers were investigated using flow cytometry. Four groups of mice (n= 12 per group) were included in the study. The control group had no treatment, group II received LPS intraperitoneally, group III received PBS buffer after LPS inoculation, and group IV received EPCs+MSCs after LPS inoculation. The serum and tissue levels of IL-1β, , TNF-α, , IL-6, and IL-10, and the serum levels of CRP and hepatic enzymes were determined by commercial kits. One-way ANOVA and post hoc test were used for comparison between groups. Results: The surface markers of MSCs and EPCs were confirmed by flow cytometry. The co-injection of MSC+EPC significantly decreased the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (P<0. 001), increased the concentration of anti-inflammatory cytokines (P<0. 001), and increased the survival rate (P<0. 01). Mice treated with MSC+EPC represented a significant decrease in liver enzymes (P<0. 05), pulmonary edema (P<0. 01), and CRP level (P<0. 05) compared to the mice with LPS-induced sepsis. Conclusion: Co-injection of MSC and EPC leads to a reduction of the inflammatory response. This study provides promising results for the treatment of sepsis.

Background and purpose: Radiation therapy is one of the most important methods in treatment of cancer. Targeted metal nanoparticles (NPs) play an effective role in reducing ionizing radiation side effects through increasing the effect of ionizing radiation on cancer cells and controlling the harmful effect of radiation on healthy cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of targeted folic acid gold NPs (GNPs) using linker bovine serum albumin in the absorption and sensitivity of gold NPs in HeLa cervical cancer cells compared to non-targeted gold NPs. Materials and methods: In this study, GNPs were conjugated with folic acid by bovine serum albumin as the linker. The binding of bovine serum albumin and folic acid to GNPs was investigated by infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Toxicity was measured by the MTT method and based on the results, the GNPs’,non-toxic concentration was determined. The effect of targeted synthesized GNPs on their absorption and sensitivity were evaluated on HeLa cells. Results: The non-toxic concentration of GNPs was 12 μ, g/ml. Incubation of the cells with this concentration was performed for 2, 4, and 24 hours and it was observed that in 4 hours, the absorption rate of targeted GNPs was about 4 times higher than that of non-targeted GNPs. The radiosensitization ratios of targeted and non-targeted GNPs in the studied cancer cells relative to the control group (without NPs) exposed to 6 MV photon radiation were 1. 32±, 0. 02 and 1. 19±, 0. 02, respectively. Conclusion: The use of bovine serum albumin linker to target GNPs has a significant effect on increasing the absorption of GNPs and the effect of ionizing radiation on HeLa cells under 6 MV photon beams.

Background and purpose: Gingivitis is an inflammatory disease of the gums caused by accumulation of dental plaque. It can become a chronic periodontal disease if plaque spread below the gum line. The most common pathogens that contribute to periodontal disease include Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Candida albicans. Due to the side effects of common treatment by chlorhexidine mouthwash, novel treatments to fight such microbes are much of interest. This study aimed at comparing the antimicrobial effect of herbal mouthwash containing the extracts of nut-grass and thyme and chlorhexidine mouthwash on common periodontal pathogens. Materials and methods: First, Cyperus rotundus and Thymus vulgaris were collected, powdered, and the hydro alcoholic extract of the mixture of two plants and the methanol extract of each plant were taken. Then, a mouthwash containing combined extract of the two plants was prepared using different exipients. To evaluate the antimicrobial effect of the extracts, S. mutans, S. pyogenes, and C. albicans were used. After determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), the effect of mouthwash on S. mutans biofilm formation and degradation was investigated. Results: The MIC of the mouthwash formulation against S. mutans, S. pyogenes, and C. albicans were 0. 625, 0. 039, and 2. 5 mg/ml, respectively. The MBC of the mouthwash for each microorganism was 1. 25, 0. 078, and 10 mg/ml, respectively. The herbal mouthwash significantly inhibited biofilm formation compared to the positive control (P<0. 05) which showed no significant difference compared to the negative control (P>0. 05). Findings showed no significant difference in biofilm destruction between the herbal mouthwash and the positive control (P>0. 05). Conclusion: The prepared herbal mouthwash showed significant antimicrobial and antibiofilm effects, and was much more effective in preventing biofilm formation than the standard treatment by chlorhexidine.

Background and purpose: Leukemia is one of the most common and deadly diseases which is an important health problem. The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) using the penalized splines model and comparing that with the Cox proportional hazards model. Materials and methods: This is a longitudinal survival research that used data from patients referred to Tehran Imam Khomeini Hospital between 2011 and 2014 and followed until 2016. Patients' information was collected through census, using a researcher-made checklist based on their files. Furthermore, the patients' latest status was obtained via phone calls. All medical records of the patients referred to Amir Al-Momenin hospital in Maragheh and diagnosed with prostate hyperplasia and underwent prostatectomy between 2014 and 2019 were examined taking a census. Kaplan-Meier nonparametric method was used to assess the 5-year survival rate, and Cox's semiparametric model was used to determine the risk factors in subgroups. Then, the penalized spline regression model was fitted using the R software version 4. 2. 2. Results: The average age of patients was 36. 29±, 16. 01 and 36. 7% of the patients were men. Half of the patients died, and 12. 7% experienced recurrence. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia affected 34. 7% of the patients, whereas acute myeloblastic leukemia affected 63. 3%. The 5-year-survival rates for patients with ALL and AML were 18% and 29%, respectively. Age, white blood cell count, platelet count, and hemoglobin levels were found to be significantly associated with patients' survival (P<0. 05). Conclusion: Leukemia is seen at young ages in Iran, so, early detection and treatment of the disease can play a critical role in improving the survival of patients.

Background and purpose: Counseling services in Iran are required to understand the motivations for childbearing to provide better services. This study was conducted to investigate the confirmatory factor analysis of the Childbearing Questionnaire (CBQ) in Iranian men and women. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, 398 married women of reproductive age (15-49 years of age) and 390 men, whose wives were at similar age were recruited. They were selected from Mashhad healthcare settings using multi-stage cluster sampling. The participants completed the CBQ. The reliability of the CBQ was assessed by test-retest and Cronbach's alpha. The validity of the scale was evaluated applying confirmatory factor analysis. SPSS V19 and Amos-21 were used for data analyses. Results: Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the test-retest reliability indicated satisfactory reliability of the CBQ in terms of positive childbearing motivation and negative childbearing motivation. The original model did not show acceptable fit. After removing eight factors with low loading and two correlated error terms, the modified model was found to have adequate fitness. Conclusion: This study showed that some of the positive and negative motivations have changed due to cultural values of the Iranian society and are different compared with those of the western societies. This study supported the use of CBQ as a valid instrument in assessing childbearing motivations in Iran.