Research in Medicine
Year:2017 | Volume:41 | Issue:3 |Papers Count:12

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, non-coding short RNAs (~22 nucleotides) that can downregulate gene expression by repression of translation, mRNA degradation, or transcriptional repression. miRNA misregulation has been implicated in pathogenic alterations such as cancer. In order to investigate the microRNA functions in gene regulation and/or to modulate their expression in pathogenic conditions, microRNAs are overexpressed by using plasmid or synthetic RNA duplexes designed to mimic the miRNA of interest.Materials and Methods: Mouse fibroblast cells were cultured in DMEM containing 10% FBS, 100 U/ml penicillin, and 0.1 mg/ml streptomycin. Lipofectamine 2000 reagent (Invitrogen, 11668-027) was used for transfection according to the manufacturer’s instructions. RNA was extracted from cells and tissues using Qiazol (Qiagen, Germany), according to the manufacturer’s protocol. 2 mg RNA samples were reverse transcribed to cDNA using microRNA-1 specific stem loop and random hexamer primers and MLV reverse transcriptase. q-PCR was performed with the ‘SYBR Green I Master Mix’ kit.Findings: miR-1 expressing plasmid (pPRO-miR-1) was transfected into fibroblast cells. Quantitative real time PCR determination showed that Cdk9 expression was inhibited in transfected cells compared to control. Similarly, downregulation of Cdk9 was also observed following transfection of 22 nucleotides mature double stranded miR-1. Interestingly, transfection of synthetic 22 nucleotides mature single stranded miR-1 (miR-1-3p) induced Cdk9 expression in the fibroblast cells.Conclusion: Unlike miR-expressing vector or synthetic RNA duplexes designed to mimic the miRNA of interest that can downregulate gene expression, synthetic 22 nucleotides mature single stranded microRNA probably induces gene expression in a locus-specific manner.

Backgrond: Todays, there are considerable efforts to find plant substances as new drugs in cancer therapy. Scrophularia striata plants are a well-known in traditional medicine in Iran. This prompted us to investigate the antitumor effects of Scrophularia striata (an Iranian species) extract on human colorectal cancer (HT29) and normal (HEK 293) cell lines.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, an extract of Scrophularia striata was prepared by maceration method. Then, the cytotoxicity effect of different concentrations of the Scrophularia striata extract was an analysis by MTT assay on HT29 and HEK293 cells and IC50 for extracts was determined. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software. The resulting data were analyzed using ANOVA test.Findings: Results of this study showed a significant cytotoxicity activity of Scrophularia striata extract against HT29 cells in a dose-dependent manner. So, Scrophularia striata extract at a concentration of 10 mg/ml to 0.1 mg/ml have toxic effects on the HT29 cells (p<0.05). However, this extract doesn’t have any cytotoxic effect on normal cells. Conclusion: The Scrophularia striata extract has toxic effects on tumor HT29 cell line, so it can be used as an anticancer drug with specific concentration and low side-effects.

Backgrond: The physical, hormonal, mental, and emotional changes combined with dysfunctional sexual beliefs lead to decrease the quality of sexual life in pregnancy. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of modification of dysfunctional sexual beliefs on the promotion of quality of pregnant women sexual life in Besat hospital.Materials and Methods: Quasi experimental method was used on one group of 34 pregnant women in Basat Sannandaj hospital, Kurdistan province, west of Iran, in 2014. Data gathering tools were: demographic questionnaire, dysfunctional sexual beliefs questionnaire and quality of the female sexual life questionnaire. The educational intervention included 4 sessions of 90 minutes. All questionnaires were answered once before intervention. After the last session of intervention dysfunctional sexual beliefs questionnaire was answered once again and quality of sexual life questionnaire was answered 4 weeks after the last session of intervention once again.Findings: Education had no significant effect on feeling ashamed about intercourse during pregnancy as well as bad body image, but some of dysfunctional sexual beliefs decreased significantly, such as beliefs which made women think that sexual intercourse is harmful for the fetus (P=0.001). Also education had an overall positive effect on dysfunctional sexual beliefs and quality of sexual life (P=0.001).Conclusion: Modifying dysfunctional sexual beliefs during pregnancy (by educating) will cause a decrees in these beliefs and improvement of quality of sexual life.

Backgrond: Considering the importance of the Klotho gene and cytokine proteins and the existence of some research on the effect of exercise on these proteins, the present study was carried out to examine the effect of aerobic training on Klotho protein, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha inflammatory factors in rats.Materials and Methods: For this purpose 12 male rats with an average weight 170g±5g and the age of eight weeks were divided into two groups: control (N=6) and experimental (N=6) groups. The experimental groups trained on a treadmill for 8 weeks and 3 sessions per week. 48 h after the last training session, both groups of rats were slaughtered ethically and kidney tissue was extracted. Klotho, IL-6 and TNF-a proteins of kidney tissues were measured and counted using by the western blot method.Findings: The Klotho protein (P=0.05) significantly increased in training rats compared with the control group. Also the IL-6 protein (P=0.05) significantly decreased in training rats compared with the control group. While the TNF-a protein (P=0.42) did not show a significant difference.Conclusion: Aerobic training might increase the Klotho protein, on the other hand can also decrease the levels of IL-6 protein secreted by the kidney. So it can be said that probably aerobic training may delay aging symptoms and may decrease in inflammatory responses.

Backgrond: Today world faces the crisis of aging population. Dementia can be considered as one of the most important diseases of elderly. Psychophysiological researches about dementia can attract our attention us to more objective findings. Changes in baseline skin conductance in patients suffering from Schizophrenia were revealed in previous studies. Regarding common neurodegenerative base between Dementia and Schizophrenia, such skin conductance changes may also be seen in patients with Dementia and there are few researches about this. The purpose of this study is to compare the level of electrical conductivity of the skin conductance level (SCL) between elderlies with dementia and those without dementia.Materials and Methods: A case control study was conducted in the care center of elderlies, after examination and using CDR, 34 patients with dementia and 34 non-demented were selected and the later considered as the control group. The baseline skin conductance of these two groups was measured by Skin conductance measurement channel of biofeedback device and values of baseline skin conductance were compared between groups using t test. Findings: Members of the groups had similar personal characteristics. Comparison of baseline skin conductance showed 0.260±0.251 ms in patients with dementia and 0.600±0.425 ms in non-demented that there is significant (p<0.001).Conclusion: Baseline skin conductance level in patients with dementia is significantly less than that in the control group. Investigation of SCL in different dementia subtype will help use a better understanding of brain function.

Backgrond: The aim of current research is to evaluate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy, fatigue and anxiety in patients with breast cancer.Materials and Methods: The study is based on single subject multiple baseline. The target population included all patients with breast cancer in Tehran province affected by fatigue and anxiety. Among them, three female patients in 30-50 age group were selected according to convenience sampling. Fatigue severity scale and Beck anxiety inventory were applied to measure fatigue and anxiety respectively. In the study, the patients were treated with acceptance and commitment therapy method during 12 sessions and each session was around 90-120 minutes. The participants were assessed at third and sixth sessions as well as after intervention and 1-month follow-up.Findings: The results showed that patients at pre-treatment had high fatigue and anxiety, which were reduced significantly during treatment and the treatment gains were maintained 1-month follow-up. Fatigue severity scale and Beck anxiety inventory were applied to measure fatigue and anxiety respectively. In the study, the patients were treated with acceptance and commitment therapy method during 12 sessions and each session was around 90-120 min. The participants were assessed at third and sixth sessions as well as after the intervention and 1-month follow-up. Conclusion: Acceptance and commitment therapy is an effective method for breast cancer patients who have fatigue and anxiety.

Backgrond: Gastric cancer is the first most common cancer death in Iran. There have been many efforts in finding the most effective proteins in this cancer. Using the proteins identified in gastric cancer, combined with advanced computational tools in analyzing biological networks, we have developed a rational method in order to identify candidate proteins associated with this cancer.Materials and Methods: In this study, The analytical procedure is performed with quantitative view. At the beginning, we extracted the available studied proteins using a comprehensive literature search, Important proteins in gastric cancer were extracted from the available scientific articles, then the protein interaction databases were searched using Cytoscape MiMI plugin in order to draw the interaction network. Using the Centiscape plugin more key nodes were identified and the Degree, Stress, Betweenness and Closeness were examined. We next added the available expression data and recalculated the parameters.Findings: Our beginning list was 72 known proteins involved in gastric cancer, after creating a comprehensive network using the earlier mentioned tools and databases a network with 1673 nodes was created. Examining the GO term using the BINGO plugin most of the proteins were involved in the regulatory processes (65007, 50789, and 50794). Results in the network core index showed that HNF4A and TAF1 were the major key proteins in the protein interaction network, which can be greatly involved in the development of gastric cancer.Conclusion: The proteins identified in this study can be used as diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets used in gastric cancer. The process presented in this study can be used to identify key targets in other diseases as well.

Backgrond: The breast cancer is the second cause of death worldwide. Understanding of the molecular pathology of breast cancer can provide useful information about new treatment routes. HER4 gene considered as a molecular preprognostic marker in cancers recently. So the purpose of this research is studying of HER4 gene expression in breast cancer patients.Materials and Methods: In this study 70 samples of paraffin blocks of 35 samples from breast cancer patients and 35 normal samples were collected. After slicing and deparaffinization, RNA of samples was extracted and then cDNA synthesis using of M-MuLV enzyme and Oligo dt and Random hexamer primers were done. Statistical analysis of research by Graph Pad prism software with the t-test procedure was done. Findings: Results of Real-time PCR showed HER4 gene expression decreased in most samples compared to normal ones and It was determined that gene expression has the inverse relation to progression in cancer stage. Therefore, in the samples with first and second stage HER4 gene expression increased 1.11 (P value 0.048) compared with normal ones and in the third and fourth stage HER4 gene expression 0.624 (P value 0.048) decreased. Conclusion: According to the results, the study of HER4 gene expression may have a role as a diagnostic marker in breast cancer. In addition, these data can be effective in identifying and diagnosing of disease in early stages.

Backgrond: Actually Acinetobacter baumanii (A. baumannii) is the most common cause of nosocomial infection. Recent studies detected some classes of integrons in A. baumannii multi-Drug resistance (MDR) isolates. Integron classes introduced the most important pathway for the dissemination resistance genes and the emergence of MDRs species in Acinetobacter. The aims of the study were to determine the prevalence of integron genes in A. baumannii strains isolated from patients hospitalized in Sari hospitals in north of Iran. Materials and Methods: A descriptive study was performed on 260 clinical samples from different parts of three hospitals in Sari, Mazandaran province, north of Iran, during 1993-94. These strains detected by biochemical methods and antibiotic test resistance based on disc agar diffusion (DAD) method according to CLSI guidelines. All  of the A. baumannii positive samples were evaluated for the presence of class 1, 2, and 3 integron genes by PCR method.Findings: A total of 104 isolates of Acinetobacter Bumanni confirmed the incongrence of integron 1 and 2 was 63.5% and 53.8% respectively, and incongon 3 was not found. 36.5% of the sample has both types of integrin 1 and 2. According to the results of disc diffusion, the highest resistance to cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin and ampicillin sulbactam was 90%, and the greatest susceptibility to 97.1% of clostin discs was evaluated.Conclusion: It seems that the high prevalence of introns and its significant relation with the resistance to most antibiotic classes is of concern.