KOWSAR MEDICAL JOURNAL
Year:2008 | Volume:13 | Issue:1|Papers Count:15

Objective: Evaluation of oxidative stress indices in rat brain following acute administration of three doses of paraoxon.Materials and Methods: Male Wistar rats (200-250 g) were randomly divided into four groupsIncluding: control, and three experimental groups receiving different doses (0.07, 0.35, and 0.7 mg/ kg) of paraoxon (intraperitoneally). Four hours after injection, brain tissue was quickly removed under ether anesthesia. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured.Results: CAT and SOD activities significantly increased at doses 0.35 and 0.7 mg/kg of paraoxon. Significant reduction in GSH content was observed at 0.7 mg/kg of paraoxon. MDA concentration showed no significant changes.Conclusion: Present findings indicate that acute exposure to paraoxon induces free radical production. Increased antioxidant activity and reduced glutathione content of brain are indicators of activation of systems protecting the cells by detoxification of free radicals.

Introduction: stress is a wide range word with abroad meaning, which could be considered as any cause of changes in internal milieu. Previous studies have consisted the role of stress in some disease including diabetes mellitus.Aim: relationship between gestational life stress and the thymus size was studied in this experiment.Material and Methods: 21 female Wistar rats (w: 250-300) were used in this experiment. Animals were divided in to three groups (control: 7, noise stress: 7, immobilization stress: 7). Experimental groups after mating with male rats were exposed to their, relative stress (15 min /day; 15 consecutive days). On 19 the embryonic day, all pregnant rats were anesthetized by ether and the embryos were pulled out surgically .the embryos fixed in buen fixative solution for 48 hours.After this time, the weight and length of the embryos were calculation by digital balance and cullies respectively. The embryos then were prepared for histological possessing and H&E staining .results were evaluated by mean MOTIC software and optic microscope.Results: our data showed that the embryos weight and length were not statistically different in all groups. In contrast, the thymus size in experiment groups was significantly reduced with respect to the control.Discussion: although the uncontrolled stress did not affect the weight and length of the embryos, reduction of thymus size could be considered as a good reason for embryos affective from gestational stress. Because of the reduction in thymus size, it could be predicted that the embryos experience some immune problems after birth.

Introduction: Recent studies suggest that intermittent and prolonged normobaric hyperoxia (HO) results in ischemic tolerance to reduce ischemia brain injury. In this research attempts were made to see the changes in excitatory amio-acid transporters (EAATs) and NF-kB activity following intermittent HO and ischemia preconditioning. Method: Rats were divided into two experimental groups, each of 21 animals. The first group was exposed to 95% inspired HO for 4h/day for 6 consecutive days (intermittent HO; InHO). The second group acted as controls, and was exposed to 21% oxygen in the same chamber (normobaric normoxia or room air; RA) continuously for six days (intermittent RA; InRA). Each main group was subdivided to MCAO-operated (middle cerebral artery occlusion), sham-operated (without MCAO), and intact (without any surgery) subgroups. After 24h, MCAO-operated subgroups were subjected to 60min of right MCAO. After 24h reperfusion, neurologic deficit score (NDS) were assessed in MCAO-operated subgroups. Immediately and 48h after pretreatment, blood sampling for assessment of serum TNF-a levels were subjected. Then, the effect of intermittent HO and ischemia on NF-kB activity and EAATs expression were measured. Result: Preconditioning with intermittent HO and ischemia decreased NDS and upregulate EAAT1, EAAT2, and EAAT3 and increase NF-kB activity significantly. Conclusion: Although further studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms of ischemic tolerance, InHO and ischemia seems to partly exert their effects via increase upregulation of glutamate transporters and NF-kB activity.

Objective: In our previous study we reported that the cultivation of Candida albicans in liquid YPG medium revealed a kind of esterase activity. The objective of current study has been the evaluation of quantitative and qualitative differences concerning the enzymatic activity of the esterase among clinical isolates of the fungus.Materials and methods: Clinical isolates of C.albicans which maintained on Sabouroud dextrose agar by repeated sub culturing were cultured in YPG for 48 h to induce esterase production. Then, the yeast cell harvested by centrifugation and braked down by glass perlen. Esterase activity of cytoplasmic liquid assayed by a colorimetric method and five synthetic substrates used to evaluate qualitative differences.Results: The examined isolates were showed esterase activity against used substrates but there were some of considerable quantitative and qualitative differences among them. The average value of enzyme activity had inverted relation with the carbon number of substrates´ carboxyl residues. These average values were 14.4, 8.45, 0.94, 0.42, and 0.75 Units (mmol/mg protein/min) for a-naphtyl acetate, a-naphtyl acetate, a-naphtyl caprylate, a-naphtyl laurate, and a-naphtyl palmitate respectively. Conclusion: Modulation of the esterase activity among clinical isolates of C.albicans can be pssibility to find relevance of the yeast strains for epidemiological objectives.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to isolate MSCs using either low or high cell-seeding density culture system and to compare the cells produced in two systems in terms of their morphology, differentiation potential as well as the expression of some cell surface antigens. Materials and Methods: The bone marrow cells from Balb/c mice of 6-8-weeks old were cultivated at 2.5×106 cells/cm2. Primary culture was then tripsinized, cultured either at 50 cells/cm2 as low density culture systems or at 8×104 cell/cm2 as high density culture system. The passaged-3 cells from either system were further examined and compared in terms of morphology, differentiation potential and the expression of some surface antigens including CD135, CD44, CD31, Thy1.2, CD11b, CD45, CD34, Vcam1, Sca-1, and c-Kit. Results: In contrast to high–density culture system, in low density one, a few colons were produced and the culture contained more fibroblastic cells. According to the differentiation results, in contrast to high density system, more percentage of the cells being produced in low density culture system has been differentiated into bone and adipose cells. Furthermore, CD135, CD34, CD31 and Vcam were not appeared on the cells of low density system and Thy 1.2 surface antigen was not expressed on the cells of high density culture system. All these differences were statistically significant. Conclusions: Taken together, it seems that low density culture system is an appropriate method to isolate and expand murine mesenchymal stem cells.

This cross sectional study has been performed on 180 samples which were taken from patients who suffered from nosocomial infections in Sina hospital, during the years 2004-2005. In this study, the susceptibility of four micro-organisms including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter, Klebsiella and Ecoli to the antimicrobial agents including Imipenem, Cefepime, Ceftazidime, Ciprofloxacin and Ceftriaxone were determined by E-test and Disk diffusion methods.The most common sample and microorganism were blood (n=66, 36.7%) and Klebsiella (%46.7) respectively.The most common nosocomial infections were unknown septicemia (%22.8), pneumonia (%22.2) and UTI (%18.3). Imipenem was found the most active also effective agent (%83.70).Comparison between results from E-test and disk diffusion methods, for determining of susceptibility and resistance of all microorganisms to all antibiotics, showed that both methods are approximately similar.In this study, high resistance to the antimicrobial agents was seen by comparison with other studies. According to increase in the rate of antimicrobial resistance, especially in the third generation of Cephalosporins, it is necessary to be more careful about prescribing empirical drugs.

Objectives: Chlamydophila pneumoniae is one of the common causative agents of respiratory system infections. The present study aims to find out the role of Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection in infectious exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Material & Methods: 65 nasopharyngeal swab specimens of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients were studied using fluorescent antibody staining with Chlamydia specific conjugated antibody and with fluorescent microscopes. The patient’s data was analyzing by using SPSS Softwear (version 13).Results: A total number of 65 COPD patients (as defined by the American thoracic society), 53 (81.5%) male and 12 (18.5%) female were included in the study.46 (70.7%) subjects had COPD in exacerbation period, 19 (29.3%) were stable COPD patients. We found 4 positive cases of Chlamydophila infection (6.15%), 3 of which (2 men and 1 woman) belonged to the exacerbation group and 1 to the stable COPD patients.Conclusion: Data analysis revealed that there wasn't any significant correlation between Chlamydophila infection and COPD exacerbation. (P= 0.848)

Objective: to evaluated the activation of Catalase and Super oxide dismutase in veteran's plasma with long-term complication due to sulfur mustard. Material and methods: the activititon of catalase and super oxide dismutase measuered by cohen and Paoletti in the plasma of patients and control groups and these enzymes compared between these groups, respectively.Results: there was a significant difference (p=0.01) between two groups according to catalase activity. Also, there was not significant differences between this groups according superoxide dismutase activity (p=0.339). Conclusion: According to our finding activation of Catalase may be lead to progressive inflammation and lung injury due to sulfur mustard.

Purpose: This study is quasi experimental study whose objective generally was to compare the effect of cord blood drainage and oxytocin injection into the umbilical vein in the duration of third stage of the labor.Materials & Methods: 180 women in the course of a normal pregnancy with no complications and normal vaginal delivery were selected randomly and divided in three groups (n=60) including drainage, oxytocin and control groups. All three groups received equally proper routine care in the delivery room, further the second group after completion of birth of fetus had the cord blood drained by the researcher and the third group also, after the completion of the birth of fetus received 10 units of oxytocin diluted in 10 ml of saline through the umbilical vein. The data were analyzed with SPSS and Analysis variance, T tests and Fisher test were used for all statistical tests. Results: The drainage of the placental blood from the cord hasn’t effect on the duration of the third stage of the labor. Yet oxytocin injection into the umbilical vein significantly reduced the duration of the third stage of the labor. To compare two intervention groups showed that the oxytocin group had a shorter third stage of labor.Conclusion: The injection of oxytocin into the umbilical vein is a safe procedure that can cause placental separation and delivery, thus preventing the need for manual removal for some women.

Boron (B) atomic number 5, is the only non metal of the group IIIA elements in the periodic table. Recent evidences indicate that it may be an essential nutrient for animals and humans. Foods of plant origins such as nuts, dried fruits, legumes, fresh vegetables and fruits are major sources of this element. Given that boron supplementation may affect plasma steroid hormones, its supplementation effect on hormones production and sperm parameters was determined on two infertile males. Supplementation resulted in an increase in plasma testosterone and estradiol concentrations and consequently improvement on the correction of abnormal forms of sperm cells in one case and improvement on the motility in the second case and significant elevation of the number of sperm cells in both individuals.It appears that boron influences steroid hormones synthesis and may help to improve the condition of male infertility and sperm parameters, which requires further study and clarification.