Studies in Medical Sciences
Year:2010 | Volume:21 | Issue:3|Papers Count:14

Background and Aims: Propolis (bee glue) is a resinous secretory product obtained from honeybees (Apis mellifera carnica). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of ethanol extract of propolis (EEP) collected from West Azarbaijan apiaries against dermatophytes and non dermatophitic fungi.Material and Methods: In this study antifungal activity of propolis on Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum, Microsporum nanum, Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Epidermophyton floccosum, Candida albicans, Aspergillus nijer, and saccaromyces serevisiae were compared with that of nystatin as standard antifungal drug. Two susceptibility testing techniques (Micro-broth dilution method and Agar-well diffusion method) were used to evaluate antifungal activity of EEP against these micro-organisms. Moreover, the chemical composition of propolis was determined by the method of Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS).Results: The ethanol extract of propolis has an inhibitory effect on all tested fungi and the MIC of propolis was 62.5-500 mg/ml and 62.5-125 mg/ml for dermatophytes and non-dermatophytes, respectively. Twenty-six compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The Chemical composition of EEP included considerable amount of flavonoids.Conclusion: According to the results obtained from the present work, it was concluded that EEP has a suitable application in pharmacy, cosmetics, health and food industry. These antifungal properties would warrant further studies on the clinical applications of propolis.

Background and Aims: Researchers believe that there is an interaction between personality and sexually high risk behaviors. The purpose of this research was to study the personality trait in high risk sexual behaviors of students. This study aimed to answer the questions about the availability of a relation between personality traits and high risk sexual behaviors and kind of these scales.Materials and Methods: In this study, all students who referred to AIDS counseling center in Red Crescent community during 6 months that had sexually high risk behavior were selected and matched with one group of normal students in demographic characteristics. The data were collected in two parts: demographic data and five factor model personality inventory. Hotelling T test was applied in data analysis.Results: The findings showed that the sexual high risk group students had significant differences in neuroticism, flexibility, openness, and conscientiousness.Conclusion: It is concluded that there is a special personality structures in vulnerable students that are involved in sexually high risk behavior and a sever pattern of these traits are seen in sexually high risk behavior subjects.

Background and Aims: Nocturia is a common symptom of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It may be treated with a blockers and 5 a reductase inhibitors, but in some patients, nocturia remains. In this study we assessed the short term and long term effects of oral desmopressin in patients with nocturia due to BPH.Materials and Methods: Twenty three adult men with BPH and bothering nocturia (³2voids/night) were treated with oral desmopressin at bedtime. Exclusion criteria included active urinary tract infection, history of myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, angina and hyponatremia. Patients received desmopressin tablets (0.1, 0.2, or 0.4 mg) during a three week dose titration period and after one week washout period the effective drug dose continued for 1 year. Clinical responses in patients were evaluated after 6 to 8 weeks and 1 year.Results: All patients improved with this treatment. Nocturia episodes decreased from a mean of 4±0.36 episodes/night before treatment to1.17±0.28 episodes/night after treatment (P<0.0001). Hyponatremia did not occur in short term but in long term follow up, hyponatremia occurred in one patient.Conclusion: Oral desmopressin tablets provide an effective and well tolerated treatment for nocturia due to BPH.

Background and Aims: This research was carried out for evaluation of the effects of combined aerobic exercise with vitamin C+E supplementation on plasma levels of CRP, IL-6 and F2 Isoprostane concentrations in obese sedentary women.Materials and Methods: This study included 40 sedentary and healthy obese women that were selected randomly and were divided into four groups of 10 subjects as follows: aerobic training group (G1), 10 vitamin supplementation group (G2), combined (exercise with vitamin) group (G3), and control (G4) group. Pre and post protocol blood and urine samples were collected and the rate of CRP, IL-6 and F2-Isoprostane concentrations were measured. Exercise programs within the range of 60-70% of your maximum heart rate were performed for 90 minutes 3 to 5 sessions a week. The subjects of vitamin group and combined group received vitamin E, and C for 29 days and the subjects of exercise and control groups took placebo during the same period. After the training course blood and urine samples were taken from the subjects.Results: Interaction effects of exercise and vitamin supplementation had significant impact on reduction of CRP and F2-Isoprostane means (p<0.05). Despite the significant effect exercise and supplementation on mean changes in IL-6, this interaction was not a major factor in restricting upstream inflammation signals (p>0.05).Conclusion: Based on research results, aerobic exercise plus vitamin C+E supplementation by reducing body fat percent and restricting upstream inflammation signals decreased cardiovascular risk factors and oxidative stress in obese sedentary women.

Background and Aims: It is essential to inspect intestinal parasitic infections in developing countries regularly for designing control measures.Materials and Methods: Duplicate stool specimens and scotch tape slides from 405 primary school attending students of Barandooz Chay region of Urmia were collected and examined for presence of intestinal parasites by wet mount and formalin-ether (stool specimens) and Graham (scotch tapes) methods in Parasitology Laboratory of Urmia Faculty of Medicine.Results: Overall intestinal parasitic prevalence was 42.5%. The prevalence of Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba coli, Blastocystis hominis, Iodamoeba butschlii, E. vermicularis and Hymenolepis nana was 20.5%, 14.6%, 13.3%, 2.5%, 10.6% and 0.2% respectively. No statistic relation was proved between these infections and having tap water facility at home or family population (except for E. vermicularis) but there was a distinct relation between parents’ education level and family population.Conclusion : According to relatively high prevalence of parasitic infections in the study field, it is necessary to increase hygienic and educational measures.

Background and Aims: The Current investigation aimed to present episodic memory function and short-term memory in people with epilepsy and healthy subjects.Materials and Methods: This descriptive comparative study was conducted on 15 epileptic and 15 healthy people. Both groups were homogeneous on age, intelligence, sex, and education level. M emory assessment tools were a number of subtests, including the Word List Test (WLT) for short-term memory, and verbal learning test for episodic memory. The data were analyzed with T and ANOVA Test.Results: There was a significant differences between short term memory and episodic memory function in people with epilepsy and healthy ones (P<0.001).Conclusion: Short-term memory function in people with epilepsy was lower and episodic memory function was higher in these patients compared with healthy individuals.

Background and Aims: Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease that more than 12 million people suffer from it currently. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is still an important public health problem in many parts of the world. No satisfactory treatment of the CL has been reported yet.Materials and Methods: The therapeutic effect of an indigenous ointment under code of H.H.1125 was evaluated in Balb/c and C57BL/6 mice model that experimentally infected with L.major .The mice were infected with 2×106 L.major promastigotes (MRHO/IR/75/ER) at the base of the tail and then divided into three groups. The mice were treated twice a day for 30 days.Results: The findings indicated that 80% of Balb/c mice in the test group were cured but there were no sign of healing in two other groups (P<0.05). In C57BL/6 the sign of infection appeared as a nodule and at the end of therapeutic period 100% of the mice were healed.Conclusion : These results suggest that H.H.1125 is suitable for clinical studies and may represent an alternative formulation for topical treatment of CL.

Background and Aims: Superovulation and in vitro fertilization are widely used in laboratory mice. Different strains of mice have inherent genetic differences that cause them to respond differently to these technologies. In this study, we investigated the effects of superovulation on two different mouse strains.Materials and Methods: In this basic study, two strains of female mice, Balb/C and NMRI, were superovulated using PMSG and hCG. The resulting oocytes were counted and characterized morphologically and then fertilized in vitro. The following day, two-cell embryos were counted and the results were analyzed statistically.Results: The response to the superovulation treatment varied among strains and ranged from 0 - 20 (Balb/c) to 0-60 (NMARI) normal oocytes per female. The number of oocyte (p<0.00) and dead oocyte (p<0.05) showed significant differences between two strains. The other items including fragmented and granular oocytes, and two-cell embryo didn't show significant differences.Conclusion: This study showed the effect of mouse strain response to superovulation. NMARI strain showed a better response to superovulation and in vitro fertilization than Bab/c.

Background and Aims: Cardiac arrest is the most common emergency with grave consequences but the high mortality can be easily prevented most of the times by some very simple maneuvers and skills. This condition can be easily managed by knowledge and practice of resuscitation skills. This study was performed to evaluate the knowledge of undergraduate medical students on Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ACLS).Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted using responses to a questionnaire regarding BLS and ACLS by 61 medical students. The knowledge about standardized cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was evaluated using a written multiple choice test, 20 questions about BLS and 20 questions about ACLS. The results were analyzed with SPSS version 15.Results: The findings showed a severe lack of information about CPR in this group of medical students. The average scores of the BLS and ACLS tests among the students were 9.68±2.96 points from 20 questions and 8.36±2.98 points respectively. Their awareness about BLS was significantly higher than ACLS (p=0.016).Conclusion : Our results showed that medical students’ knowledge about CPR was not sufficient. Inclusion of this course in the undergraduate curriculum will increase the awareness and application of this valuable life saving maneuver.

Background and Aims: Chronic dyspepsia is associated with Helicobacter pylori infection and motility disorder. Whether curing the infection actually improves the symptoms or no, remains highly controversial. In this study, we compared four regimes for eradication of H. pylori and its results on improvement of gastrointestinal symptom.Materials and Methods: This was a clinical trial which was performed on 160 volunteers from May 2007 to May 2008. Sixty five of them were excluded from our study. Using GIS score, each patient was given a score. In patients with positive Rapid Urease Test, we started the H. Pylori treatment by four regimes (triple therapy for 7 or 10 days, quadruple therapy for 1 or 3 days). The success of the treatment was confirmed by UBT test. In each group the response to treatment was recorded.Results: Among 95 cases in this stud y, 10.5 % of the patients received quadruple therapy for one day, 22.1% for 3 days, 42.1% received triple therapy for 7 days, and 25.3% for 10 days. The eradication of H. Pylori was confirmed in 64.3% of the cases by UBT (after 6 weeks). The rate of eradication in 7 and 10 day regimes were 70% and 79.2% and in one and three days regimes were 30% and 61.9% respectively (P=0.041%). The mean GIS recovery score before and after treatment was significant (p=0.03).Conclusion: Although GIS score improvement didn't differ significantly in different therapeutic regimes, the best symptom improvement was recorded for patients with successful eradication.

Background and Aims: Breast cancer after skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in women and is not preventable, but early detection through mammography improves treatment options, success, and survival. Breast cancer is the third most common malignant neoplasm in Iran (10% of all cancers). The aim of this study was to determine the age of patients and the stage of breast cancer at the time of diagnosis.Materials and Methods: This study examined the demographic characteristics and clinical presentation of all cases in the Hematology and Oncology Clinic of Imam hospital in Urmia. A questionnaire was used to collect data from patients' medical files and phone call contact and then analyzed.Results: There were 118 patients, three men and 115 women (21-76 years of age). The mean and median ages at diagnosis were 49.49 and 48 years of age, respectively. Most of the patients (35.5%) were diagnosed between 40 and 49 years of age. There were 21% locally advanced or metastatic 47.5% axillary lymph node involvement, 11% no axillary lymph node involvement and 20% unknown axillary lymph nodes status. First menstruation has been occurred in 90% under age 16 yr and in 28% before age 14. First full term pregnancy of 100% was before age 35, 95% before age 30 and 81% before age 25 and 9% have had no pregnancy. 6.77% had family history of breast cancer.Conclusion: In this region, breast cancer is diagnosed in earlier years of age and advanced stages. It is necessary to increase public awareness about breast cancer by women, and facilitate early detection of diseases especially by periodic clinical breast examinations.

Background and Aims: According to the clinical guidelines on chronic kidney disease with hypertension, combination therapy with multiple renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) blockers have been recommended as standard first-line therapy. To date, dual and triple blockade of the RAAS has been evaluated. The aim of this study was comparing three (ACEI+ARB+b blocker) and two (ACEI+ARB) directional inhibitions of RAAS in treatment of diabetic nephropathy.Materials and Methods: In an experimental interventional study, 103 diabetic patients without ESRD were recruited in Tabriz Sina Hospital during a one-year period. The patients were randomized in two groups: group A received triple blockade of RAAS with ACEI+ARB+b blocker, and group B received dual blockade with ACEI+ARB (and placebo). Basal and post treatment parameters including blood pressure, urine albumin, serum BUN, Cr, Na, K, HbA1C, and GFR were compared.Results: Both study groups were matched for age, sex and duration of diabetes mellitus. Decrease of blood pressure, albuminuria, BUN, and Cr was more significant in group A compared with group B. The GFR rose more significantly in group A compared with group B. The frequency of hyperkalemia was significantly higher in group A.Conclusion: Triple blockade of RAAS is more efficient that dual blockade in prevention of diabetic nephropathy however, meticulous selection of patients should be considered because of higher risk of hyperkalemia.

Background and Aims: Uremic pruritus is commonly experienced by patients suffering from advanced chronic renal failure who already are on renal replacement therapy. Gabapentin may be effective in treatment of uremic pruritus. This study aims at comparing gabapentin and antihistamine in treatment of uremic pruritus and its psychogenic problems.Methods and Materials: In a double-blind randomized clinical trial, 40 patients with uremic pruritus were randomized in two 20-patient groups in Tabriz Sina Hospital during a 12-month period. Both groups were matched for laboratory serum findings including Ca, P, PTH and Hb. One group received gabapentin (group G) and the other group received hydroxyzine (group A) for 4 weeks. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used for determining the severity of pruritus at baseline and after intervention. HRQOL questionnaire was used for determining the quality of life.Results: There were 11 males and 9 females with the mean age of 46.2±12.4 years in group G and 9 females and 11 males, with a mean age of 45.6±12.4 years in group A (p=0.880). Decrease of pruritus severity was more significant in group G. All domains of quality of life were significantly improved better in patients receiving gabapentin compared with group A. Pruritus remained in 10% of patients in group G and in 80% of patients in group A (p<0.001). Complications were documented in 35% of patients in group G vs. 50% in group A (p=0.337).Conclusion: Gabapentin is more effective than antihistamine in treating uremic pruritus and its psychogenic problems with no significant side effects.