Daneshvar Medicine: Basic and Clinical Research Journal
Year:2010 | Volume:17 | Issue:86|Papers Count:9

Background & Objective: Social inequality and deprivation is strongly related to basic health status in different societies. Individuals with lower socioeconomic status (SES) experience higher rate of mortality and lower level of life expectancy. Although health status is affected by poverty, but the precise pathways that link socioeconomic status and health remain unclear. The aim of the present study was to produce a model of food deprivation and inequality and unstable social status to evaluate the histopathological outcomes in myocardial cells.Materials & Methods: Fifty four rabbits were randomly assigned into six groups. The effect of free access to diet and social situation, with and without “deprivation” and “changed place or room-mate” was evaluated. Rabbit’s hearts were removed for histopathologic evaluation. For statistical analysis, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used.Results: Relative food deprivation with unstable social status led toaccumulation of lipofusion pigments in the myocardial cells of rabbits (p<0.005; compared with control group). This was significant even when unstable social status was inducted in absence of food deprivation (p<0.05). Unstable social status when combined with food deprivationinduced more lipofusion compared with food deprivation alone (p<0.05). Electron microscope study provided reliable evidence on lipofusion accumulation during the experiment.Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated a relation between inequality in food intake and social status instability with formation and accumulation of lipofusion pigments (representative of oxidative stress and aging phenomenon) in the myocardial cells mostly in rabbits’ left ventricles.

Background & Objective: Preterm delivery is the major cause of morbidity and mortality (except for congenital anomalies) in the neonatal period. These neonates, who have also low birth weights, need special care with expensive handling. This research attempts to clarify the predictor factors of preterm delivery and to determine success rates of education programs in the prevention of preterm delivery.Materials & Methods: In this study, 1117 pregnant mothers who referred to maternal and childhood health units of 36 Shiraz urban health centers were divided to high risk (n=519) and low risk (n=598) groups base on their risk factors. Chi square test and logistic regression models (binary & polytomous response) were used to analyze data.Results: The incidence rates of preterm delivery in the low and high-risk groups were 3.1 and 14.7 percent respectively. Percentages of premature and low birth weight in the low and high-risk groups were 0.7 and 6.5 respectively. The most important factors in decreasing gestational age and preterm delivery were: cervical dilatation of more than 1 cm, premature uterine contractions, multiple pregnancy and smoking (p<0.01). If the program is performed at lower gestational ages it has more significant effect on prevention of preterm delivery (p<0.005). In management of premature labor pain, instructions had significant effect if smoking, multiple pregnancy, and premature uterine contractions were present.Conclusion: We conclude that this preventive strategy helps to lower the incidence of preterm delivery and prenatal mortality rate. This program applied as some of maternal care in high risk pregnant women in Fars province.

Background & Objective: Complaints regarding sleep disturbances are common among older people during hospitalization, and if timely proper interventions have not been taken, adverse complications will be followed. Little information exists about the lived experiences of older people, especially, older women, on this issue. The purpose of this study was to explain older women's experiences of disturbed sleep and the factors affecting it during the hospitalization, and the ways which may improve the sleep and its quality in these patients.Materials & Methods: In this qualitative research which conducted during the year 1388, eighteen participants (all females in the age range of 65-81 years) selected through a purposeful sampling from three university-affiliated hospitals in Tehran. In depth interviews were conducted and continued, until the saturation was achieved. The gathered data analysed using content analysis approachResults: Four main contributing categories were emerged: changes in sleep-wakefulness cycle, environmental factors, individual factors, and the ways of dealing with sleep disturbances. Results showed that through understanding the sleep disturbance and the factors influencing it during hospitalization from the perspectives of older women, the nursing personnel would be able to better evaluate and respond to these patients' sleep needs.Conclusion: Participation of older hospitalized patients in designing and implementing strategies to improve their sleep is recommended.

Background & Objective: Tyrosinase is a widespread enzyme with great promising capabilities. Its outstanding role has to be addressed with considering kinetic, structure and stability issues. Comprehensive kinetics studies on both cresolase and catecholase activities of mushroom tyrosinase (MT) resulted in elucidation of complicated enzyme kinetics. Yet some important aspects of the enzyme structure, mechanism, and behavior have been unresolved. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of cobalt on the kinetic and structure of mushroom tyrosinase.Materials and Methods: This study devoted to explore the MT structure through circular dichroism (CD) and spectroflourimetric techniques. Its true kinetics assessed in the presence of caffeic as substrate and Co2+ in different pHs 6, 7, 8 and 9.Results: Kinetic of MT activation with this metal ion was obeyed from non-essential activation of an enzyme by an activator molecule. Then, the slope and Y-intercept changes in the Lineweaver-Burk plot due to the presence of metal at different concentration are obtained and replotted their inverse vs. inverse concentration of the activator as the secondary plot to find a, b and KA values. The a value (a<1) obtained herein suggests that the binding of the ion to the enzyme can increase the binding affinity of the substrate. The b value (b>1) obtained also suggests that the binding of metal ion to the enzyme can increase the maximum velocity of the enzyme due to the increase of the enzyme catalytic constant (kcat). The optimum activity of the enzyme without the presence of metal ions was carried out in pH=7.Conformational changes of the enzyme through the measurements of its secondary and tertiary structures by CD and fluorescence spectroscopic studies, respectively showed enzyme stability due to the structural changes for Co2+ in pH 9. It is concluded that with this transitional metal ion kinetic pathway of activation follows the general non-essential activation system and its binding may be close enough to the binuclear center to interact allosterically with the substrate binding site. Besides, the enzyme optimum activity not occurred in its optimum stability.

Background & Objective: Nowadays although different methods have been used for regeneration of space bone defects around implants, but there is not any efficient method for non-space making defect. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of Neo-OsІ bone substitute powder covered by Protect membrane for bone regeneration in nonspace making defect around implants.Materials & Methods: In the present study, 12 white rabbits were used. The animals were subdivided into control and experimental groups. In all animals the tibia was exposed and an implant was inserted obliquely in the bone so that a 3 mm defect was left between the implant and bone cortex. In experimental group, the defect was filled with Neo-Os and covered with Protect membrane, whereas in control group no treatment was performed. In each group, three animals were sacrificed following 2 months and the other three after 4 months, and the part of tibia containing the implant was stained with tolouidine blue and processed for histological and histomorphometric studies.Results: In control group after 2 months, bone to implant contact (BIC) was 37±2.94% and after 4 months it was 41±3.74%. In experimental group which was grafted by Neo-OsІ & Protect, the BIC was 75±7.48% and 83±10.03% after 2 and 4 months respectively. In addition, the new formed bone after 2 months was mainly woven bone whereas following 4 months it was predominantly lamellar bone.Conclusion: According to obtained results, Protect membrane and Neo- OsІ can be used for guided Bone Regeneration in non-space making defects around implants.

Background & Objective: It has been established that oxidants have deleterious effects on learning and memory. Lead can also exert such effects through oxidative stress. This research was designed to compare the potential antioxidant effects of Melissa officinalis and vitamin C on learning deficits induced by lead acetate in fetal and neonatal periods.Materials & Methods: Fifteen mated Wistar rats were divided into control and 4 experimental groups as follows; Melissa (M) (1.5% in standard rat food formula), lead (Pb)-exposed (0.2% in drinking water), M+Pb group and a positive control group (Pb+vitamin C). Treatment started from 7th day of gestation and continued during pregnancy and lactation. After that, the learning abilities and memory retention of fourmonth old male offspring were studied using a complex T-maze.Results: There were significant differences between lead-exposed and other groups in the time of goal reaching and the number of errors (p<0.05) while there was no significant difference between the other groups.Conclusion: Since L+M group did not show any significant difference when compared to L+vitamin C group and melissa showed similar effects as vitamin C, it can be considered as a natural antioxidant product.

Background & Objective: Bone tissue is one of the principal tissues in the human body and its transplantation has always been performed. Autogeneic and allogeneic grafts have their limitations including rejection, prolonged surgery time, infections, and possible mortality and also difficulty for repreparation of allograft. For this reason, biomaterials with osteoinductive and osteoconductive properties are quantitatively and qualitatively more appropriate for bone defects. Human endochondral bone matrix gelatin (HECBMG) with a stronger osteoinductive property as compared to other biomaterials and with physical and chemical similariteis to natural bone composition and less stimulation of inflammatory response in host tissue are new and suitable candidates for this purpose. Considering the significance of bone defect repair and stimulation of undifferentiated mesenchymal cells, the goal of this research was to evaluate the cytotoxicity of this biomaterial.Materials & Methods: After preparation and sterilization of HECBMG, the screening of our product for pathogenic agents including microbes, yeast and bacteria was done in blood agar medium. Then, it is divided into 10, 20, 50 mg portions and cultured on 24-well of 100000 mononuclear cells of peripheral blood and they are evaluated after 24, 48 and 72 hours. MTT method was used for evaluation of cytotoxic effect using ELISA reader. Light absorption rate depends on MTT uptake by the cells, indicating vital activity of the cells. The experiment was done 3 times for each of 3 concentrations and its average was reported. For statistical analysis, t test was used.Results: None of the doses that were used were toxic and all of them increased number of the human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.Conclusion: With increasing of HECBMG concentration and passing time, increasing of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells can be observed and it has a statistically significant difference with control group. Therefore, as a conclusion, HECBMG is compatible with human blood mononuclear cells.

Background and Objective: Since cancer treatment is increasingly being provided in outpatient settings, it requires more responsibilities to be understood by cancer care-givers. Pain is one of the most frequent and distressing symptoms experienced by cancer patients and is a primary concern for the family caregivers. Knowledge and experience of the patients’ family is an important factor in pain management. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the degree of knowledge and experience of the cancer patients' family about pain.Materials & Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional research that was done on 100 members of patients’ families using convenience method within 1 year. A questionnaire called "family pain questionnaire" which was adapted from City of Hope in Cancer Research Center in California was used. The face validity and content validity of the questionnaire was examined and its reliability was concluded by test re test and Pearson method (r=0.81). After filling out and coding the questionnaires, data analysis was administrated by descriptive and analytic methods.Results: Eighty eight care-givers stayed with patients more than 12 hours a day and male care-givers stayed more with their patient than females. The mean of care-givers age was 39.98±15.22 years. In addition, 90% of the people who stayed more by the patients had low degree, but they got good grade in knowledge and experience in pain management. The most common cancers were: blood cancer-lung cancer-pancreas cancer -skeletal cancer -liver and Breast cancer –prostate cancer -stomach cancer and colon cancer. The rate of care-giver's knowledge was 55.31±11.84, which was moderate, and the rate of caregiver's experience was 48.25±8.53 which was good. Overall, the mean of 6.5 was taken for all of the care-givers from knowledge and experience in pain management. Males got better score than females regarding the knowledge and experience point.Conclusion: Supporting the education of care-givers and enhance their knowledge and experience is a crucial factor in cancer pain management. According to the level of knowledge and experience of care-givers, basic and continued education programs can improve their level of knowledge and experience in cancer pain management.

Background and Objective: Breast carcinoma is the most common cancer in women. In progressive stages of breast carcinoma, there is more possibility of metastasis to bone but metastasis to jaw is very uncommon, especially to maxilla. The purpose of this case report was to evaluate a case of metastatic breast carcinoma in maxilla and its clinic-pathological appearance.Materials & Methods: The patient was a 33-year old woman with complaint from swelling and pain and luxation of first maxillary molar who referred to oral surgeon. In clinical view of patient, a deep pocket was seen in area and was suggest periodontal disease but in systemic history of patient, left breast carcinoma and metastasis to lung was found out. The treatment was done by mastectomy and chemotherapy. A mixed radiolucent-radioopaque view was found in panoramic radiography. In histopathological appearance, metastatic breast carcinoma was reported and was sent for treatment to oncologist.Conclusion: Clinical and radiographical symptoms of metastatic breast cancer are non-specific in oral cavity and are more similar to odontogenic infection and periodontal disease, but in rare cases, metastatic carcinoma should be placed in differential diagnosis of oral lesions.