Daneshvar Medicine: Basic and Clinical Research Journal
Year:2008 | Volume:15 | Issue:76|Papers Count:15

Introduction: In the present study, was performed to investigate the relationship between toluene(1000 ppm), noise, toluene and toluene along with noise (frequencies 250- 2000 Hz) per auditory Brain Stem response (ABR) on rabbits in which being exposed to this contaminants.Materials & Methods: Three months old, male adult white New Zealand rabbits (1400-1700 g body weight) were used throughout this study. The groups were divided according to type of exposure summarized as follows: group 1, controls (unexposed); group 2, exposed to toluene(1000 ppm); group 3, noise exposure (100 dB SPL, 250HZ, 8 h/day, 5days/week), 100 dB SPL; group 4, toluene (1000 ppm) and noise exposure (250HZ, 8 h/day, 5days/week), group 5, noise exposure (500Hz); group 6 toluene and noise exposure (500HZ), group 7, noise exposure (1000Hz); group 8, toluene and noise exposure (1000HZ); group 9, noise exposure (2000Hz); group 10, toluene and noise exposure (2000HZ). Sound pressure level in the chamber was measured using a Bruel and Kjaer 2231 sound level meter (Denmark) and toluene concentration was measured with gas chromatograph. Rabbits based on their hearing ability were measured by Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR).Results: A low and mid frequencies (250,500 and 1000Hz) auditory impairment was observed following exposure to toluene alone and noise alone. Toluene followed by noise resulted in a higher threshold at all frequencies. The latencies of V wave (5th wave) increased after treatments.Conclusion: Exposure of rabbits to only toluene made hearing impairment whereas toluene and noise exposure (100 dB SPL, 250 Hz - 2000Hz, 8 h/day, 5days/week) were worse than hearing impairment.

Introduction: The high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) is an inexpensive, fast and easy method in comparison with other material analysis methods. Gas chromatography (GC) method usually is used to analysis repellents. In this study HPTLC is used to simultaneous quantitative and qualitative determination of diethyl meta-toluamide (DEET) and dimethyl phthalate (DMP), which are the main elements and active ingredients in current chemical repellents.Materials & Methods: Some defined amounts of commercial form of 3 repellents included trench pomade, Stick Insect Repellent (SIR), which is containing 33% of DEET and DMP60 (dimethyl phthalate 60%) which were dissolved in ethyl acetate solvent, separately. The method employed TLC aluminum plate precoated with silica gel plates (SiO4) 60F245 as the stationary phase. The solvent system consisted of benzene-diethyl ether-hexane (5:3:2, v/v/v) as mobile phase. The multiple level methods used for spotting. Densitometric analysis of repellents was carried out with used of TLC scanner 3 and CATS Software in the absorption / reflection mode at 230 nm.Results: According to the results, the type and amount of active ingredients in DMP60 lotion is 61.8 g (SE=±1.6) per 100 cc of dimethyl phthalate and in SIR, 31.3g (SE= ±0.8) of diethyl meta-toluamide per 100 g. Also the active ingredients in trench pomade were determined as a combination of DMP and DEET by rates of 5.5g (SE= ±0.2) and 25g (SE= ±1) per 100 cc of the repellent, respectively. In this study, the value of Rf for DMP and DEET was calculated 0.71±0.02 and 0.32±0.02, respectively.Conclusion: HPTLC is a suitable method to quantitatively and quantitatively determine repellents which have DMP and DEET active ingredients. Since most of commercial chemical repellents have this active ingredient, Adjusting and setting HPTLC up can be important.

Introduction: Saffron (thread-like reddish colored stigmas of Crocus sativus L. flowers) was used in traditional medicine for cancers and infectious diseases. Recently, anti-tumor, cytotoxic, anti-mutagenesis and antioxidant activities of saffron metabolites, especially its carotenoids (crocins and crocetin), have been reported.Objective: Since the saffron is used as a spice for food flavoring and coloring and it is also used as a traditional herbal drug, in this study the effect of saffron water soluble carotenoids was assessed on cell mediated immune response in a BALB/c mice model.Materials & Methods: Crocus sativus L. stigmas were collected during flowering season and air dried at 25oC in the dark. First, dried stigmas (100 mg) were successively and exhaustively extracted with light petroleum and diethyl ether in a Soxhlet extractor in the dark to remove non-glycosidic carotenoids, lipids, picrocrocin and odor compounds. Then, for separation of water soluble carotenoids, stigma sample was extracted with distilled water in a 10-mL ground-glass stopper tube in a boiling water bath for 20 min. Then, the suspension was centrifuged at 3000 x g and at 10oC for 20 min to separate the vegetable tissue residue. The different doses of extract were injected to six groups of four BALB/c mice. The delayed-type hypersensivity (DTH) response and cell viability (MTT test) were performed to determine cell mediated immunity.Results: Splenocytes that were extracted from treated mice with 10 or 20 mg/kg of water soluble carotenoids of saffron have shown a significant (p<0.05) decrease in cellular viability at the absence of mitogene stimulation in vitro, and a significant decrease was observed in splenocytes cellular viability of mice that have been treated with 20 mg/kg of water soluble carotenoids in the presence of mitogene. In this study, all used doses did not have any significant effect on DTH response (p<0.05).Conclusion: Results of the present study showed that water soluble carotenoids of saffron have a dose-dependent effect on cell mediated immune response. Further studies on other mechanisms such as cytokine patterns are needed for exact evaluation of immunomodulatory effects of saffron carotenoids.

Introduction: Swiss plus dental implant is one of the many different implant systems that have been proposed recently. The aim of this study was to evaluate survival rate of Swiss plus dental implants and surrounding soft and hard tissue based clinical and radiographic parameters.Materials & Methods: In a post perspective observational descriptive study, 106 patients (47 women and 59 men) in age range 21 to 76 year were evaluated clinically and radio graphically. These patients were treated by 271 Swiss plus dental implant which were restored by fixed (205) or removable (58) prosthesis. Clinical and radiographic parameters were measured and recorded around each implant. The data were analyzed by SPSS soft wire and descriptive statistical tests include mean.Results: Implant survival rate was 97.8% until loading and 97% until end of study. There was no fistula or suppuration around soft tissue in clinical evaluation. The plaque index was 0 in 55.9% of implant. The bleeding index was zero in 66% implants. The mean of probing pocket depth was 2.32 mm. The mean of marginal bone loss was 0.77mm. There was significant correlation between marginal bone loss and probing pocket depth (p<0.01) such as between marginal bone loss and plaque index.Conclusion: Within the limitation of this study, survival rate of Swiss plus implants was 97% and was in the range of other successful systems.

Introduction: The experience of psychological, biological and bodily processes related to menstruation mostly because stress, so these signs and their interfering with daily living emphasize attention to this phenomenon.Materials & Methods: Design of this research is causative-comparative. Because of this, 50 female students were selected from one of the high schools of Tehran central area, and 100 female students were selected from one of the universities of Tehran, by voluntary sampling method. Subjects were experienced two times: first time, from before a week of menstruation to first or secondary day after menstruation and second time, during 10 or 15 days after last day of menstruation. Each time, subjects completed “Symptom Checklist-90- Revised”. Data was selected by SPSS and using paired samples t – test.Results: Significant differences were reported in bodily complaint, depression, obsessive compulsive and anxiety facets between menstrual and no menstrual periods, in female students of high schools, and only in bodily complaint facet between menstrual and no menstrual periods, in female students of universities.Conclusion: Reduction of reported psychological facets from female students of the high schools to female students of universities, between menstrual and no menstrual periods, could be explained according to “Response shift theory”. It means that female students of the universities may have more opportunities for adjusting premenstrual symptoms than female students of high schools.

Objective: In this research, the effect of intranasal and subcutaneous BCG vaccination was compared on nitric oxide production by peritoneal macrophages and the load of parasite burden in liver and spleen of infected BALB/c mice.Materials & Methods: Twenty male 6-8 weeks old BALB/c mice were vaccinated with appropriate dose of BCG through intranasal and subcutaneous routs. They received autoclaved Leishmania major plus alum (ALM+alum) subcutaneously one month later. After 21 days mice were challenged with the injection of 105 Leishmania major in the hind footpad and lesion development evaluated weekly. Efficacy of BCG vaccine determined by delayed type hypersensitivity assay. The amount of nitric oxide production in supernatant of macrophage culture was determined by Gries method and the load of parasite in liver and spleen was measured by parasite burden assay at different time periods.Results: Stimulatory effect of BCG on immune system observed in both group vaccinated according to delayed type hypersensitivity response. Three weeks after challenge, nitric oxide production increased in both BCG vaccinated groups. But afterwards, BCG vaccinated groups had a considerable level of variations in nitric oxide production that finally tend to disease overcome in both BCG vaccinated groups. According to results of parasite burden, we found that in spite of the activation of both intranasal and subcutaneous routes of BCG vaccination against leishmaniasis, the infected host failed to overcome disease. In addition there was no significant difference between intranasal and subcutaneous routes of immune stimulation outcome (p£0.05).Conclusion: There was no difference between intranasal and subcutaneous routes of BCG vaccination on nitric oxide production, parasite burden and host resistance. To have a good comparison for these two routes of vaccination, more studies about the kind and population of activated T cells is necessary. However, mucosal route of vaccination has a permanent advantage and can help to the prevention of dissemination of dangerous disease like HIV through infected needles. Mucosal vaccines can replace easily with common vaccination procedure, after efficacy improvement.

Objective: The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of different rated violent computer games regarding to types of personality and gender on salivary Immunoglobulin A (sIgA) changes among Iranian adolescents.Materials & Methods: Two hundred and nine participants (108 girls and 101 boys) were selected by cluster sampling method among first grade students of secondary schools in Tehran. Their age average was 12 years and 7 months (ranged from 12 to 15 years). All subjects were divided in to 9 groups including a control group and 8 experimental groups which played selected electronic games for 40 minutes. Each participant’s salivary sample was collected 10 minutes before beginning and 5 minutes after the end of the game in lab tubes and immediately was sent to biochemical lab for assessing the rate of sIgA (mg/l) by Nephlometric method. All subjects filled out Eysenk personality inventory before the experiment.Results: Data analyzing by repeated measures ANOVA method revealed that sIgA changes (mg/l) are moderated by playing different rated violent electronic games and gender under interaction with level of extroversion. Music moderated sIgA under interaction of gender, too.Conclusion: Decreasing of sIgA in some of games was affected by gender, personality type, and the rate of violence in game’s content.

Introduction: Blood pressure measurement (BPM) is the most common useful part of physical examination and patient assessment. And almost all physician and most of nurses use it for this mean. There are several methods for BPM and the most usefully of them is the standard method, by use of stethoscope and sphygmomanometer via brachial artery. When the upper arm (area from shoulder to elbow) is inaccessible and/or a standard-sized blood pressure cuff does not fit, some healthcare workers use the forearm to measure blood pressure. Nevertheless evidence supporting this practice is limited.Materials & Methods: In this study 80 patients that admitted to Mustafa Khomeini hospital were evaluated by over all 320 times measurements to compare forearm BPM and standard method (half of them by new method and the rest by standard method).Results: In this study forearm mean diastolic BP was 75.2±11.6 in compare with 74.1±13.3 in standard BPM (correlation coefficient: 0.83, p<0.000). Also by paired T test, there was no significant difference between these measurements (p<0.223). Mean systolic BP in forearm BPM and standard method were 127.8±27.8 and 129.5±25.6 consequently (correlation coefficient: 0.95, p<0.000). Also there was no significant difference between them by paired t- test (p<0.094).Conclusion: These findings showed that forearm BPM can successfully used instead of standard method at least in some situations that upper arm or suitable cuff are inaccessible.

Introduction: Detection of enteroviruses and mumps virus nucleic acid in cerebrospinal spinal fluid (CSF) specimens has been demonstrated to improve the management of patients with aseptic meningitis. Then rapid and sensitive diagnostic techniques are desirable.Materials & Methods: Multiplex RT-PCR has the potential to detection both of viruses. This assay is so rapid and sensitive. At first, PCR assay was optimized and then we use it for CSF samples. Production of false negative results was avoided by the inclusion of b- 2-microglobulin primers in the Multiplex RT-PCR assay as an internal control. CSF samples were collected from one hundred patients under the age of 7 years old. The samples were tested for the presence of enteroviruses and mumps virus by Multiplex RT-PCR method. All of the samples were negative in bacterial culture. Overall 35% of the CSF samples were positive for enteroviruses, whereas one percent of CSF samples were positive for both viruses.Results: This technique increases the sensitivity of enteroviruses and mumps virus detection in clinical samples. This diagnostic approach can also be suitable for epidemiological studies. Sequencing of PCR products would be a suitable approach for determination of circulating enteroviruses in the population.Conclusion: This test is a sensitive and fast method (lower than three hours) for simultaneously diagnosis of aseptic meningitis, which could be used for epidemiologic studies.

Introduction: Acne is a common skin disorder, but epidemiological data from the general population in Iran is rare. In this study our purpose was to determine prevalence of acne in girl’s high schools of Mashhad and its relation with some factors as: age at onset of acne, age of menstruation, season, family history of acne, and sites of acne and psychological complications.Materials & Methods: Our study was a cross sectional epidemiological study which schools and students were chosen randomly and 233 students were studied.Results: The overall prevalence of acne was 78.5% (95% confidence interval, CI 73.5-83.7), 23.5% of them had mild acne, 48.1% showed moderate acne and 28.4% of ones had sever acne. The maximum age of onset of acne was 13-15 years. Family history of acne was in 78.7% of cases and irregular menstruation was in 42.9% of cases. Aggravation of acne was 26.5% with menstruation and 31.7% with change of season (spring and summer). About 66.7% of patients manipulated their acne lesions. The most common psychological complication was shame (48.9%). Only 26.2% of students with acne referred to doctor for treatment and maximum duration of treatment was one month.Conclusion: The results show that acne is a common problem in girl high schools of Mashhad and with regard to its physical and psychological complications and poor acne management, educational programs about acne and its treatment in schools is advised.