Journal of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences
Year:2012 | Volume:12 | Issue:2 (44)|Papers Count:15

Background & Objectives: Contrast media-induced nephrotoxicity is one of the most common causes of acute renal failure and promotes both increased morbidity and greater healthcare costs.several mechanisms by which contrast media induces renal injury. These include renal vasoconstriction and direct effect of the contrast agents and reactive oxygen metabolites production. L-carnitine facilitates the transfer of long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria. By this mechanism carnitine maintains low pools of fatty acid (acyl) -coenzyme a compounds, which are potentially toxic. However some of the actions of L-carnitine may be opposite to the toxic effects of contrast media. This study examined wheter administration of L-carnitine ameliorates contrast media-induced renal injury in rats.Methods: Fifty Sprauge-Dawley rats, weighting 140-230 gr were assigned to one of five treatment groups: group A (control) rats were given normal saline injections daily for 4 consecutive days, group B rats were given contrast media (diatrizoate meglumine) 1cc/kg/d, group C rats were given meglumine 1cc/kg/d and carnitine 200mg/kg/d, group D rats were given meglumine 1cc/kg and carnitine 80mg/kg/d, and group E rats were given carnitine 200mg/kg/d. Four days after injections, the rat were killed and their kidneys and blood samples were prepared for pathological and biochemistry examination. Histological scoring of renal cortical pathology was performed.Results: In rats that were given meglumine and no carnitine, renal function tend to be lower than in control group (p=0.001). Among rats injected with meglumine, those given 200mg/kg/d of Lcarnitine had higher creatinine clearances at day 4 than the rats not given carnitine (p=00.04).Renal cortical histopathology changes were milder with meglumine and L-carnitine, particularly at 200mg/kg/d.Conclusions: In rats receiving meglumine, daily L- carnitine injections, particularly at 200 mg/kg ameliorates the severity of renal cortical proximal tubular necrosis and maintain greater renal function.

Background & Objectives: Excess body fat percentage is one of the risk factors in the progression of chronic diseases. Anthropometric indices of obesity are screening tools to determine subjects at risk of cardiovascular disease all over the world. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between abdominal obesity and the early stage of atherosclerosis by Carotid Intima- Media Thickness (CIMT) on women.Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 100 healthy women aged 18–50 year.Anthropometric indices were measured and calculated according to standard protocol. Cut off points for waist circumference (WC), waist to hip ratio (WHR) and waist to height ratio (WHtR) were 88 cm, 0.8 and 0.5 respectively Carotid Intima- Media Thickness was determined by using non-invasive ultrasound as an indicator of early stage of atherosclerosis.Subjects with mean CIMT£0.8 mm and CIMT>0.8 mm were considered as "normal subjects" and "subjects at risk", respectively.Results: Average age of subjects was 30.96±8.1 and the mean of WC, WHR, WHtR and CIMT were 95±0.17, 0.87±0.08, 0.61±0.11 and 0.63±0.15, respectively. All abdominal anthropometric indices significantly associated with mean CIMT. Waist circumference with cut off point of 88 Cm had sum of sensitivity and specificity higher than WHR and WHtR.Conclusion: Waist circumference index with cut off point of 88 cm is better than WHR and WHtR to identify subjects at high risk of atherosclerosis.

Background & Objectives: Breast cancer is among the most frequent disorders among the world. BRCA1 gene was known as a tumor suppressor gene which its loss could be resulted in various destructions in genome. Therefore, changes occurred in its expression level could lead to increasing the effects of oncogene activity on breast cells.Methods: RT-PCR and Q-RT-PCR were used for detecting BRCA1 expression status among 27 primary affected breast cancer patients. The association between its expression status and histopathologic data had been evaluated by statistical assays.Results: Eighty-five percent of patients showed BRCA1 expression and this expression as well as its quantity had significant associations with tumor grade. It was found that tumors with low levels of BRCA1 expression tend to have higher grades.Conclusion: BRCA1 has an important role in suppressing breast tumorogenesis.Corresponding to some of the previous reports, our findings revealed the role of decreasing in BRCA1 expression level as one of the factors which allows tumors to progress.

Background & objectives: In endemic area, chemically fighting with carrier of kala azar disease is one of the main ways for reducing disease, and ficam is one of the toxins that is appropriate to eliminate mosquitoes and is from health poison among the pesticides.Therefore, by considering the lasting in nature, using ficam can greatly destroy disease carrying mosquitoes.Methods: In this cross-sectional study the rate of effect ficam on different vectors species were examined in Meshkinshahr city. First two infected villages, as cases and controls, and 10 households from each village selected and 1000 m2 from the case village was spraying with ficam than 0.3 g/m2. Then, using sticky traps set in the distances were attempted to identify species and Fon (per 2 villages).Results: In the rate of 524 sand fly predating in this study included 70.5% Phlebotomus Kandelakii, 5% F. Papatasi, 7.5% F. Major, 7.5% F. Balcanicus, 9.5% F. longidoctus. In the case village was spraying and, respectively, 3- 15- 30- 45- 60-75 and 90 days after spraying at about 79.5%- 69.5%- 83%- 90%- 93%- 100% and 100 % sand fly vanished.Conclusion: According to this study can be said that ficam poison with the survival of three months in nature and with average of lethality coverage of appropriate terms of season to prevent from disease Kla-azar and eliminate sand flies and as a poison, appropriate of health before starts up the season of carriers activity. And ficam poison can be used in the whole of region and country.

Background & objectives: There are growing evidences about relationship between vitamin D metabolism and occurrence of diabetes mellitus. Vitamin D has a role in secretion and possibly the action of insulin and modulates lipolysis and might therefore contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases. This study was aimed to evaluate whether serum vitamin D3 level in patients with diabetes is lower than that in non-diabetics and if its level has any relation to indices of metabolic syndrome.Methods: Sixty nine subjects were enrolled in this case-control study (23 diabetic patients with good control of blood sugar, 23 poor control diabetic patients and 23 healthy subjects as control group). Serum 25 (OH) D3, Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), (2 hour postprandial blood sugar) BS 2hpp, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol, HDL and HbA1C were measured. We also measured blood pressure, body weight, height and abdomen circumference for individuals. The data were analyzed by Anova, Chi-square and Pearson correlation.Results: Serum levels of Vitamin D3 were significantly lower in diabetics compared to non diabetics. (36.5±16.6 v.s. 56.6±19.1 nmol/lit, p<0.001). There was no statistical difference between the group with good control diabetes and poor control diabetes. There was no significant correlation between low serum vitamin D and metabolic syndrome parameters.These findings suggest the need for ongoing evaluation of possible protective role of vitamin D3 supplement in the development of diabetes.Conclusions: Based on our results vitamin D deficiency is prominent in patients with diabetes. It appears the vitamin D level should be monitored in diabetic patients.

Background & objectives: Considering the widespread use of walnut in the cooking of foods and medical applications, the present study evaluate possible effects of alcoholic extract of Walnut on FSH, LH and testosterone concentration in adult male rats.Methods: In this experimental study 40 adult male Wistar rats weighing 250-300g were used and divided into five groups, eight rats per each group. Control group do not receive any treatment. Organic solvent was administered as placebo to sham group, three experimental group, that receive different doses of alcoholic extract of walnut, 10-20 and 50 (mg/ kg/Intraperitoneally) respectively, were fed daily and serum levels of FSH, LH and testosterone were measured. All data were analyzed by SPSS 16 and one way ANOVA test.Results: In comparison with control group, only in group treated by 50 mg/kg of walnut extract, FSH and LH concentration increased significantly (P<0.05). Concentration of testosterone in experimental groups (20 mg/kg and 50mg/kg dose of extract) showed significant statistical difference compared with other groups (P<0.05).Conclusion: According to results of this study, alcoholic extract of Walnut affect pituitary testis axis and increase GnRH and LH secretion rate, therefore enhance reproductive activity in male rats.

Background & Objectives: Visual impairment included mild visual loss to total blindness that depends on the definitions different results achieved in various studies in all over the world.These kinds of studies will be helpful for social and health problems because some of the causes of blindness are preventable and curable at early stages.Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study. In this study, 300 patients older than 40 years with CF visual acuity or less had been surveyed, and information related to the patients recorded in questionnaires. The patients diagnosed by expert physician and recorded data were analyzed by descriptive statistical methods.Results: 57% of patients were male and 43% were female, and 41% were urban and 59% rural. The most common cause of visual impairment regarding to the definitions in this study was cataract (57%) and primary glaucoma (16%), uveitis (61%), corneal disease (6%), ARMD (4.33%), diabetic retinopathy (4%) and refraction disorder (myopia) were respectively after cataract and central retinal artery obstruction with 0.66% had the less prevalence. At all, retinal disease with 15% of prevalence was in third place of the major causes of visual impairment. Cataract was the cause of 43.9% of visual impairment in men and 74.4% in women. Glaucoma (24.6%) was the second cause in men and third common cause of visual impairment in women with 4.7% and comparing with men has lower prevalence.Conclusion: In this study cataract and glaucoma were the main causes of visual impairment, same as global studies, respectively. In this study prevalence of glaucoma in men was more than the prevalence in women and appears to be related to the fact that women are more sensitive to their health status comparing with men and they go to ophthalmologists sooner than men. With knowing that glaucoma will be controllable with appropriate treatments at the early stage and irreversible visual loss will be prevented.

Background & Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective effects of Crocin on rat high fat diet-induced hepatic steatosis model.Methods: For this purpose, male rats were given either standard diet as control, high fat diet for induction of hepatic steatosis and high fat diet plus Crocin through gavage at different doses (25, 50 and 100 mg kg-1/day) for protection of liver steatosis, at a period of 4 weeks in different experimental groups and compared considering serum lipid profile, serum biomarkers of liver tissue injury, hepatic antioxidant activity and liver histopathological changes. The serum levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, very low density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein for determination of deleterious metabolic effects, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase for determination of hepatocyte injury, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin for assessment of biliary function, malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione content for assessment of liver free radical activity, the enzymatic activities of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase as indicators of antioxidation in liver tissue, were measured. Finally, the biochemical findings were matched with histopathological verifications.Results: After 4 weeks, high fat diet caused deleterious metabolic effects, including hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia and liver dysfunction. Rats fed high fat diet alone showed increased activities of hepatocellular enzymes in plasma, significant decline in antioxidants, and elevated lipid peroxidation indices in liver. Crocin treatment significantly reduced elevated markers of liver tissue injury and malondialdehyde, and brought back the liver antioxidants and the over accumulation lipids in serum towards normal. Histopathology of the liver confirmed the changes induced by high fat diet and the heptoprotective effect of Crocin.Conclusions: Crocin exerts protective effects against hepatic steatosis in rats fed with high fat diet possibly through its antioxidant actions.

Background & Objectives: Establishing Counseling Centers for Behavioral Illnesses (CCBIs) is a practical solution for preventing AIDS, sexually-transmitted diseases, and drug abuse in countries that have successfully implemented prevention programs. More efficient management models can help such centers better achieve their goals using the inevitably limited existing resources. The main goal of this study was to design a domestic model for resource management at CCBIs.Methods: In this descriptive-comparative study, a form was designed to gather relevant data from countries being studied. Based on the study goals, gathered data were organized into comparative tables, based on which the primary model was designed. A questionnaire was used to test and validate the primary model. The model was finalized by collecting the opinions of 30 experts, faculty members, and managers from the Ministry of Health and Universities of Medical Sciences using the Delphi technique.Results: All countries studied had used their resources for managing prevention and treatment programs for AIDS and other behavioral diseases despite existing challenges. In most countries studied, the clinics were decentralized and counseling and contraception services were also provided in rural areas. Besides, such services were often integrated with primary care clinical services. Occasionally, internet-based, online counseling was also used.conclusion: The present investigation showed participation of non-governmental organizations, provision of all services free of charge, integration of services into primary care clinics, continuing education for the personnel of CCBIs, establishing special centers for high risk groups such as sex workers, school-based health education, launching educational websites, and absorbing international aid can all contribute to improvement of resource management and performance at CCBIs.

Background & Objectives: The monoclonal antibody cetuximab binds to EGFR and thus provides an opportunity to create both imaging and therapeutic modalities that target this receptor. The potential of cetuximab as a radio immunoconjugate was investigated and quality control tests (in vitro and in vivo) were performed as a first step in the production of a new radiopharmaceutical.Methods: Cetuximab solution was dialyzed and concentrated using an Amicon Ultra-15 filter.Purified antibody was labeled with lutetium-177 using the acyclic bifunctional chelator, DOTA-NHS, and radio immunoconjugates were purified by PD10 columns. Radiochemical purity and stability in buffer and human blood serum were determined using thin layer chromatography. Integrity of the radiolabeled complex was checked by SDS-PAGE.Preliminary biodistribution studies in normal mice model performed to determine radio immunoconjugates distribution up to 72h.Results: The radiochemical purity of the complex was 98±1%. The stabilities in phosphate buffer and in human blood serum at 96 hours post-preparation were 96±2 % and 78±4%, respectively. All of the samples, controls and radiolabeled antibodies, showed a similar pattern of migration in the gel electrophoresis. Biodistribution of Lu177-cetuximab was evaluated in normal mice and the highest ID/g% was observed in the blood (13.2±1.3% at 24 hours) and the liver (9.1±1.3% at 24 hours).Conclusion: Our results show that DOTA-cituximab can be labeled with 177Lu. Lu177-cetuximab has sufficient stability and retains its integrity. The new complex could be considered for further evaluation in animals and possibly in humans as a new radiopharmaceutical for use in radio immunotherapy of cancers.

Background & Objective: Today obesity and depression are two important diseases which are growing all over the world and threat the human health. That how much these two affect each other is a major health question. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and depression in female students of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences.Method: In a descriptive study 230 female students were selected through classified random sampling and their height and weight were measured. To measure the rate of depression a Beck test, and to analyze the data a descriptive method, and finally to indicate the relationship between BMI and depression Pearson correlation through SPSS15 software were used.Results: 40% of the students in the depression test were in the normal level, 29% had mild depression, 24% moderate depression and 7% severe depression. In addition 77% of the students, regarding body mass index were in an acceptance level, 14% were overweight and 9% were underweight. Pearson correlation method showed that there was a positive significant relationship between BMI and depression among female students (p£0.01).Conclusion: The prevalence of depression in female students of university is 60% and the prevalence of obesity is 14% and there is positive significant relationship between BMI and depression.