Journal of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences
Year:2016 | Volume:16 | Issue:3|Papers Count:11

Background & objectives: Ritalin is one of the drugs used in the treatment of attentiondeficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study aimed to investigate the comparative effect of Ritalin with grape seed extract on passive avoidance learning in adult male rats.Methods: In this experimental study, 40 adult male Wistar rats divided randomly into 5 groups of 8 rats including control, sham and three experimental groups. The control group received no treatment. The sham group received 1 ml of distilled water per day. At the same time the experimental groups received 100 mg/kg grape seed extract, 1 mg/kg Ritalin or 100 mg/kg grape seed extract together with 1 mg/kg of Ritalin by gavage for 28 days. For measuring the amount of avoidance learning, Shuttle box was used. Data analyzed by ANOVA and consistent Tukey's tests using SPSS-18 software and p<0.05 considered as significant.Results: The results showed that Ritalin decreases the passive avoidance learning, while the grape seed extract alone or together with Ritalin increases passive avoidance learning.Conclusion: The outcome of this research shows that taking Ritalin leads to decreasing passive avoidance learning. However, the simultaneous taking Ritalin with grape seed extract inhibits the Ritalin effect and increasing the learning.

Background & objectives: Most of coronary angiography patients have not enough information about undergoing procedure. This lack of knowledge makes anxiety in patients and thereby changes their vital signs. There is no study regarding the effective education of patients based on their native language. This study was done to investigate the effect of video education in native language on vital signs caused by anxiety of patients undergoing coronary angiography.Methods: This quasi experimental study was done in 2013 on 160 patients undergoing angiography in Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ardabil. Participants were divided into two groups randomly (80 in each group): case (native video education) and control groups. The sheets of hemodynamic variables were completed in determined time intervals for data collection. ANOVA with repeated measures and Chi square were used to analyze the data in SPSS13 software. P-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: The results of repeated measures ANOVA showed significant improvement in vital sign variables except for temperature in both groups over the time (p<0.05). And there was significant difference in the mean vital sign variables in determined time intervals (p<0.05).Conclusion: Video education in native language decreases the vital signs in coronary angiography patients. Therefore the video education especially in native language is recommended for improving vital signs before invasive procedures.

Background & objectives: Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the major causes of vaccine - preventable diseases worldwide. Current pneumococcal vaccines consist of serotype specific capsular polysaccharide antigen and do not offer full clinical protection against pneumococcal diseases. Due to such limitations, a new generation of protein-based pneumococcal vaccines is being developed. The objective of this study was to determine the distribution of gens encoding five protein antigens including pneumococcal histidine triad D and E (phtD, phtE), rlr- regulated gene A (rrgA), Autolysin (lytA) and Pneumococcal surface protein C (pcpC) among pneumococcal isolates collected from nasopharyngeal specimens in healthy children.Methods: A total of 43 pneumococcal isolates were collected from nasopharyngeal specimens of healthy children attending the kindergartens in Ardabil province. The strains were identified using optochin susceptibility and bile solubility testes and further confirmed by amplification of capsular polysaccharide A gene (cpsA). PCR was used for screening the presence of pcpC, phtD, phtE, rrgA and lytA genes.Results: 81.4 % of isolates were found to contain at least one of the tested genes. lytA, pcpC, phtE, phtD and rrgA were detected in 70, 60, 39.5, 35 and 25.5 percent of isolates, respectively. The results showed that the genes were not distributed consistently among the isolates and for obtaining a full coverage pneumococcal vaccine, multiple choices of these antigens should be included.

Background & objectives: KAI1 is a tumor suppressor gene and inhibitor of metastasis in a wide range of malignancies. While it is ubiquitously expressed in normal tissues, KAI1 expression subjects to the down regulation in tumors. The present research aims semiquantitative evaluation of KAI1 mRNA expression in Iranian patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and correlation between expression levels of KAI1 and stage oftumorigenesis, especially metastasis and invasion of CRC as well as pathologic factors of patients.Methods: RT-PCR was done by specific primers for KAI1 and b-actin genes on the 80 tumor tissues and 14 normal tissues as fresh samples which obtained from 80 unrelated patients referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital.Results: According the results, 51.2% and 48.8% of the sample were on and off for KAI1 gene expression, respectively. As a detail, 97.3% of samples in the stage 3 and 4 and 94.5% of metastatic phases samples showed no expression of this gene. Statistical analysis showed that there is a significant difference of the KAI1 expression between four groups of samples; normal, stage 1, 2 and 3 (p<0.05). Also a significant difference was observed between semiquantitative KAI1 expression and degree of spread to regional lymph nodes (p=0.02) as well as semi-quantitative KAI1 expression and metastasis (p=0.000001).Conclusion: A significant difference between semi-quantitative expression of KAI1 and degree of spread to regional lymph nodes (p=0.02) and metastasis (p=0.000001) was observed.

Background & objectives: Hip muscles insufficiency plays a significant role in deterioration of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), which can be manifested as myofascial trigger point (MTrPs) in hip muscles. Then, our purpose was to determine the prevalence of MTrPs in the gluteus medius (GMe) and quadratus lumborum (QL) muscles and to investigate the effect of a therapeutic intervention on pain intensity and hip abductor muscles isometric strength in patients with PFPS.Methods: Forty volunteer subjects (20 patients and 20 healthy) participated in the study.Latent MTrPs in GMe and QL were evaluated and a handheld dynamometer was used to measure peak isometric strength test (PIST) for hip abductors. Patients with PFPS having MTrPs in GMe were randomly divided into either a treatment group (Mean age±SD: 23.2±4.3 years) or control (Mean age±SD: 24.4±4.6 years). The therapeutic intervention included trigger point pressure release (TrPPR) and Kinesio TapingÒ (KT). Pain intensity and PIST for hip abductors were assessed at baseline and after intervention in both groups.Results: There is more significant patients with PFPS having latent MTrPs in GMe and QL than the healthy counterparts (p<0.001). Using TrPPR and KT significantly decreases pain in such patients (p<0.001); however, no significant effect was observed on hip abductors peak isometric strength (p>0.05).Conclusion: Concomitant using of TrPPR therapy and KT method can decrease pain intensity in individuals with PFPS. Further studies are required to understand the underlying mechanisms.

Background & objectives: Shigella spp. are gram negative bacteria that can cause shigellosis in human. It is important in young children as well as elderly and immunocompromised people. Threatening complications can occur in severe cases with multidrug resistance species. It has been observed that Shigella spp. have become resistant to antibiotics like other bacteria. Investigation of resistance to azithromycin, tetracycline and pattern of resistance are the objectives of this study.Methods: Fifty isolates of Shigella spp. which have been collected from three hospitals in Tehran were studied. Isolates identified and confirmed as Shigella spp. by biochemical, serological and molecular methods (ipaH, wbgz, rfc genes). Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed for ampicillin, azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, levofloxacin, minocycline, nalidixic acid, norfloxacin, streptomycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and tetracycline by disc agar diffusion method. Minimal inhibition concentrations were performed for azithromycin and tetracycline.Results: From a total of 50 Shigella spp. isolates, 16% of them were Shigella flexneri and 84% Shigella sonnei. The majority of isolates were multidrug resistant. The most resistance was seen to doxycycline, streptomycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and tetracycline.Resistance to azithromycin was 6% and all of the isolates were susceptible to norfloxacin and levofloxacin. Nine patterns of resistance were revealed to these isolates.Conclusion: High resistance to tetracycline was observed and resistance to azithromycin as an alternative treatment choice was also considerable.

Background & objectives: According to the new theory of cancer stem cells, interruption in the self-renewal pathway of tissue stem cells can cause cancerous tumors. Current work has evaluated the role of self-renewal Oct-4 gene in thyroid tumors.Methods: In this case-control study, the expression of Oct-4 gene has comparatively assessed between cancerous specimens, marginal tissues of tumors and non-tumoral nodules of thyroid using RT-PCR technique.Results: Statistical analysis of data by one-way ANOVA showed that Oct-4 gene is significantly expressed in thyroid papillary carcinomas in comparison with tumor margin and non-tumoral nodules (p<0.05).Conclusion: In conclusion, the dominant expression of Oct-4 gene in thyroid tumoral cells not only demonstrates the cancer stem cell theory but also shows its role in thyroid cancer appearance that can be used in differentiating thyroid papillary carcinomas from non-tumoral nodules as well as demarcation of tumors.

Background & objectives: Epithelial ovarian carcinoma seems to be one of the most lethal cancer types among all gynecological malignancies. The conventional course of therapy includes chemotherapy. Actually most cancers respond to chemotherapy but in the long run drug resistance and side effects cause treatment failure. In addition, milk thistle (silibinin), a plant that has been used from ancient time because of its good effects on different organs, determined to have powerful antioxidant activity. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of silibinin on SKOV-3 cancer cell line after 48 hours of treatment and P21 gene expression which involves in cell cycle progression.Methods: The human epithelial ovarian cancer cell line SKOV-3 was cultured as monolayer in 25 cm2 flask in RPMI-1640 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS).Then the numbers of live cells were calculated using hemocytometer method and the cells were seeded in 96-well flat-bottomed culture plates and treated with different concentration of Silibinin. MTT assay was carried out to determine cell viability. To study P21 gene expression, RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis were carried out and real-time PCR was done.Results: Cell growth was inhibited considerably by Silibinin treated groups compared with control after 48 hours. P21 gene expression was increased as well.Conclusions: According to the results, Silibinin can be used as an effective drug in cancer treatment. More studies on animal models are also suggested.

Background & objectives: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease affecting the central vision and causing irreversible blindness in aging patients. AMD is a complex disease caused by the actions and interactions of multiple genes and environmental factors.Genomic region at chromosome 10q26 may have a bigger role in susceptibility to AMD. Agerelated maculopathy susceptibility 2 (LOC387715/age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2 (ARMS2)) gene at 10q26 is associated with the risk of AMD. Here we studied (A69S) rs10490924 polymorphism of LOC387715 gene in AMD patients from East Azerbaijan province of Iran.Methods: In this case-control study, the association of G>T in LOC387715/ARMS2 (A69S) rs10490924 polymorphism was investigated in 63 patients suffering from AMD and 150 healthy age, sex and ethnicity matched unrelated people as control group from northwest of Iran by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP).Results: Statistical analysis showed high frequency of TT genotype in AMD patients (34.92%) compared to those of control group (6.67%), (p value=0.000 OR=11.9). The frequency of heterozygotes (GT) was 32.67% in control group and 38.1% in the case group (p=0.422). The frequency of homozygotes (GG) was 60.66% in control group and 26.98% in the case group (p=0.000). Genotype analysis of LOC387715 like other studies in Chinese, Japan and a population in Iran revealed significant association in distribution between patients and controls.Conclusion: The data suggest that individuals from East Azerbaijan carrying TT genotype in LOC387715 have 11.9 times more risk of developing AMD compared to those carrying non- TT genotypes.

Background & objectives: The adjacent of residential buildings in the countryside with livestock causes external parasites to be transferred easily and feed on the human hosts. Due to fleas haematophagus nature they are able to transfer pathogens from animal to animal or animal to human and thus they are considered as zoonotic pathogens. Therefore, identification of fleas is necessary.Methods: In the present study 30 infested people with biting signs and 800 sheep and goats were investigated. About 50 fleas from infested people and 160 from animals were collected.Samples were cleared with KOH and recognized based on proper identification keys.Results: Based on the results it seems that sheep and goats were infested with Ctenocephalides canis and Pulex irritans. Out of the 160 studied fleas from sheep and goats 118 (73.7%) were identified as C. canis and 42 (26.3%) as P. irritans. Out of 50 collected fleas from infested people 43 (86%) were identified as C. canis and 7 (14%) as P. irritans.Conclusion: The present report is the first report of man infestation with canine fleas or C.canis. According to climate condition and employment of most of villagers to traditional animal husbandry, it seems that there is a proper condition for external parasites (such as fleas) growth and proliferation. Therefore, studies based on infestation identification and report can be considered for control strategic programs.

Background & objectives: Among gynecologic malignancies, endometrial cancer is the fourth most frequent cause of cancer death all over the world. Paclitaxel is one of the chemotherapy regimens that is used against this cancer. Treatment of tumor with Paclitaxel induces apoptosis, but it is also associated with serious side effects. Thus, it is imperative to search for more effective and safer chemotherapeutic regimens. Silibinin is a milk thistle plant extract that its antioxidant effects against some cancers have been studied. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of Paclitaxel and Silibinin combination on endometrial cancer cell line (Hela).Methods: Hela cell line was cultured in 25cm2 flask in RPMI-1640 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). Then the numbers of live cells were calculated with trypan blue staining method and then the cells were seeded in to 96-well flat-bottomed culture plates and treated with Silibilin, Paclitaxel and Paclitaxel plus Silibilin together with the control without treatment. MTT assay was used to evaluate cytotoxicity of different treatments.Results: After 48 hours of treatment, Paclitaxel and Silibilin combination inhibited cell growth significantly compared with the other groups (p<0.05).Conclusions: It is indicated that combination of Paclitaxel and Silibilin can affect the growth arrest of Hela cancer cell line more effective than other treatments and is needed to be examined in vitro.