Internal Medicine Today
Year:2013 | Volume:19 | Issue:1 (59)|Papers Count:13

Aims: The Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is the only vaccine available against tuberculosis. The BCG strain used in Iran as the vaccine is not specified. The purpose of the present study was to confirm and make a qualitative control for BCG vaccine in Iran and to determine the genetic polymorphism of the given strain.Methods: Twenty eight lyophilized BCG vaccines (Pasteur Institute, Iran) with different batch numbers were collected over a year (2011-12) and transferred under the temperature condition of 4°C to the laboratory. Three strains of vaccine were selected randomly out of each batch number. The DNA was extracted using CTAB method. DNA samples were kept at -20oC. Of four primers, RD14 and DU1 genes were used for PCR. The sequence of RD16 region in BCG strains was determined using DNA analyzer ABI3730XL using Chromas and Mega4 software. VNTR typing was done for six genic positions.Results: All strains were positive in terms of their culture on the medium. In all BCG strains under study, DU1 duplication in the bacteria’s chromosome was observed. None of strains had RD14 gene. All RD16 regions had similar sequence with RD16 region in the genome of Pasture1173p2 strain. The number and size of repeated units for six gene positions including MIRU4, MIRU24, MIRU26, MIRU40, VNTR1895 and VNTR11b in 28 strains of different BCG in the vaccine samples were respectively (2×77)+122, (2×54)+393, (5×51)+285, (2×54)+354, (4×57)+281 and (3×69)+67.Conclusion: BCG strain using in Iran is the very Pasteur 1173p2 and may be used as vaccine.

Aims: Considering the numerous side effects of common analgesic drugs, finding proper analgesic drugs is important. The Scrophularia is a plant that contains appropriate antiinflammatory compounds. In this study the analgesic effect of diclofenac drug and ethanolic extract made of aerial parts of Scrophularia Megalanta was studied in male rats by formalin inflammatory model.Methods: Using 48 male rats and applying the formalin test pain model, the pain behavior was examined by intraperitoneal injection of 25, 50, 100 and 200mg/kg concentrations of extract in four treatment groups with diclofenac and control groups. Observation of pain behavior was done for each 15 seconds and total of 60 minutes after the formalin injection and the collected data was calculated for each rat averagely. The findings of different groups of the test at two acute and chronic stages was separately analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey tests using SPSS 15 software.Results: Both acute and chronic phases of pain resulting from the formalin injection were observed in all groups. In the acute phase, administration of 50mg (p<0.05), 100mg (p<0.01) and 200mg (p<0.001) doses ofScrophularia Megalanta extract decreased the symptoms of pain compared with the control group. Likewise, in the chronic phase, administration of the extract in all used doses caused a significant reduction in pain compared to the control group, especially at minutes 15-40 of the test which was greater in doses of 100 and 200mg.Conclusion: Peripheral injection of the ethanolic extracts of Scrophularia Megalanta has central and peripheral anti-analgesic effect.

Aims: Refractive surgery is considered as one of the methods of refractive defects’correction. Cornea refractive surgery techniques can cause correction of refractive defects through making some changes in the corneal’s curvature, thickness and shape factor.Therefore; the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of refractive surgery on corneal base thickness and curvature as well as visual acuity.Methods: In this cross sectional study, 38 patients within the age range of 18 to 48 years old, who went to the Zahedan Alzahra Hospital for refractive surgery, were randomly selected. Refreactive defect was determined by retinoscopy method using cycloplegic drug for each patient. In the subsequent referrals of patients, which were a day, week, month, three months and 6 months after the surgery, the visual acuity of each patient was measured again. By collection of data in SPSS 15.5 software, they were analyzed using paired T-test, Pearson correlation and repeated ANOVA statistical tests.Results: A significant difference was observed between the mean of visual acuity at different times after surgery. Likewise, a significant difference was observed between the thickness and refractive power of corneal at five points under study before surgery and 6 months after the surgery. In myopia, myopic astigmatism and hyperopy groups, there was no significant difference between corneal thicknesses at five studied points. However, there was a significant difference between the corneal powers in the given five spots.Conclusion: Mean visual acuity improves after surgery over time and visual acuity with the presurgery correction is higher compared with that of postsurgery.

Aims: In subjects with flatfoot (also called pes planus), the arch supports (or foot orthoses) are used as a protective treatment. Considering the importance of the compensation of flatfoot in athletes, this study was conducted aiming at investigating and comparing the effect of foot orthoses with and without medial wedge on the energy consumption in runners with flatfoot.Methods: This quasi-experimental research of convenience non-probability sampling type was done on 20 athletic men suffering from flexible flatfoot on two sides in 2009. Subjects were selected from among the athletes referring to Enqelab sport complex using nonrandomized method. Subjects’ feet were examined to determine and diagnose the presence of any flatfoot based on their arcs. Following the preparation of the arch support fitting for each subjects with and without medial wedge, the amount of oxygen consumption, maximum amount of consuming oxygen and the maximum Heart Rate (HR) were measured. Data was analyzed using SPSS 11 software. Moreover, pair T-test was used to compare the results before and after the intervention.Results: The amount of oxygen consumption using arch support with medial wedge (4488.30±78.31) and without medial wedge (4604.60±67.83) had a significant difference (p=0.038). The maximum amount of consuming oxygen of the subject using arch support with medial wedge (54.37±6.62) and without medial wedge (63.60±6.53) had also a significant difference (p=0.024). The difference of the maximum Heart Rate (HR) with medial wedge (153.24±4.29) and without medial wedge (164.48±6.15) was significant (p=0.018).Conclusion: Adding medial wedge to foot orthoses can be helpful to decrease energy consumption during running in athletes.

Aims: The pain resulting from episiotomy affects mother’s quality of life. Aloe vera and Calendula persicahave been used for a long time to cure different diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Aloe vera and Calendula ointments on episiotomy incision’s pain intensity compared with that of hospital routine care (Betadine).Methods: This clinical trial was conducted from October to December, 2010 in Lolagar hospital in Tehran, Iran.111 primiparous women, referred to the hospital for normal delivery, who were episiotomized, were selected using random allocation sampling method.After obtaining informed written consent and explaining the privacy of the research, subjects were assigned to one of the three groups of those who used Aloe vera ointment, those who used Calendula ointment and control group, before delivery. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire which included personal profile, demographic factors, and midwifery and neonatal factors. Data was analyzed using SPSS software 16 and ANOVA and chi-square tests.Results: Mean pain intensity before intervention (p=0.850), four hours after intervention (p=0.622) and 8 hours after intervention (p=0.107) did not reveal any significant difference in three groups. Mean pain intensity, five days after the episiotomy showed a significant difference. There was a significant difference between the number of sedatives taken in third, fourth and fifth days after delivery among three groups.Conclusion: Using Aloe vera and Calendula persica ointment significantly reduces the intensity of the pain resulting from episiotomy and the need to sedative.

Aims: The effect of menstrual cycle and its factors on the health is a significant part in the women studies. In each phases of menstrual cycle, different physiological and hormonal changes occur in females’ body that all affect their performance capacity. This study was undertaken aiming at investigating the effect of menstrual cycle on growth hormone and aerobic power in non-athletic girls.Methods: This causative cross-sectional post hoc was conducted clinically on the population of 15 to 17 year old girls in Ghom, Iran, who were studying in high schools of the given city in 2010-11 and 15 students were selected using purposive cluster sampling.Subjects referred to the specialized laboratory in three different menstrual cycles including menstruation or menstrual bleeding phase (the third day), follicular phase (the twelfth day) and luteal phase (the twentieth first day) for measurement of growth hormone. Data was analyzed using SPSS 17 and LSD persuasive test.Results: The mean of growth hormone level in different phases of menstruation, follicular and luteal had a significant difference (p<0.001). However, the mean of aerobic power revealed no significant difference (p>0.05).Conclusion: In spite of the lack of effect on the aerobic power, different phases of menstrual cycle affect the level of growth hormone in the non-athletic girls of 15-17 years of age; however, it doesn’t impose any limitation on aerobic exercise in practice.

Aims: Administration of ketamine causes neurodegenration in immature rats’ brain and memory impairment during their growth. Considering the importance of hippocampus in bringing about memory as well as the widespread use of ketamine in anesthesia, the present study investigated the effect of chronic treatment of ketamine administration on the cells in hippocampus’s CA1 region.Methods: Ten Wistar male rats (250-300g) were divided into two control and ketamine groups. Control group received normal salin1cc and ketamine group received ketamine drug Intraperitoneally by dose of 30mg/kg for 5 days. After trans-cardial perfusion, animals’ brain was removed and after the preparation of tissue blocks and brain sections, healthy cells of CA1 region of hippocampus were counted. Finally data was analyzed using SPSS 16 software and student T-test.Results: Administration of ketamine caused an increase in the pyknotic cells in the hippocampus’s CA1 region, indicating the significant decrease in the healthy cells (95.50±3.57) in ketamine group compared with control group (203.17±11.57; p<0.001).Conclusion: Ketamine administration leads to cell death in hippocampus’s CA1 region.

Aims: Epilepsy is one of the common neurological disorders. Today, there are many drugs for treatment of this disease, which most of these chemical drugs have harmful effects on patients’ health. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of dill (Anethum graveolens) seeds on the pentylenetetrazole-induced chemical kindling.Methods: This experimental study was conducted on 50balb/c male mice weighting 25-35g. Mice were divided into five groups of 10. Three experimental groups received hydroalcoholic extract of dill seeds by three concentrations of 150, 300 and 600mg/kg of the animals’ body weight. Positive control group received diazepam (3mg/kg) instead of the extract. Likewise, negative control groups received sterile normal saline (6mg/kg) instead of the extract. In order to exactly compare the different concentrations of the drug and extract on the times after injection on the paroxysm values, ANOVA and supplementary Tukey test as well as SPSS 18 software were used.Results: At doses of 150 and 300mg/kg, dill had desirable inhibitory effect on the epileptic behavior of animals at different days (p<0.01). Moreover, at dose of 600mg/kg, it favorably inhibited the mice’ epileptic movements (p<0.01).Conclusion: The hydroalcoholic extract of dill seeds has antiepileptic (anti-seizure) effect at dose of 600mg/kg on mice.

Aims: Diabetes is the source of stress for people suffering from the disease. Diabetesrelated stress has numerous negative psychological effects. This study was conducted aiming at determining the role of type D personality in the effect of stress on HbAlc and cortisol secretion.Methods: the present correlational study which was a retrospective research, was conducted in 2011 and 2012 on all women with type II diabetes, who were member of Yazd Diabetes Research Centre, 80 patients were selected by multistage cluster sampling. They completed some questionnaires including the depression scale, anxiety scale (DASS), stress as well as type D personality questionnaires. Then, their fasting blood was tested and the effect of stress and personality type on HbAlc and cortisol level was evaluated. Data was analyzed using SPSS 18 software and statistical tests including Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise regression analysis.Results: There were significant relationship between stress and personality type; cortisol and HbAlc; and cortisol and HbAlc. Based on the results of the regression analysis, stress factor by itself (p=0.001), and together with personality type (p=0.001) had effect on HbAlc. Moreover, stress factor by itself (p=0.002), and together with personality type (p=0.001) had effect on cortisol level. Stress and personality type scales explained 0.312 of the HbAlc variance and 0.28 of the cortisol variance.Conclusion: Stress and personality type are correlated with the level of cortisol serum and HbAlc. Moreover, personality type acts in line with the increase in the impact of stress on patients with diabetes.

Aims: Asthma is an airway complex disease defined by reversible airway narrowing and obstruction, airway hyper-responsiveness, airway chronic inflammation, and airway tissue remodeling. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of canola oil on the total count and various types of leukocytes (white blood cells) in rats with experimental asthma.Methods: In this experimental research, 36 Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups: negative control, positive control, asthmatic treated by 0.5ml/kg canola oil per day and asthmatic treated by 0.7ml/kg canola oil per day. At the end of the experiment, animals were bled from the heart and the total number and percentage of white blood cells were measured and evaluated. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 16 software and the comparison of the groups was made by ANOVA statistical test.Results: the total count of white blood cells decreased in the experimental group 2 compared to the positive control group (p<0.05). Percentage of lymphocytes increased in experimental group 2 compared to the positive control group (p<0.01). Neutrophils percentage decreased in experimental group 2 compared to the positive control group (p<0.001). Eosinophils percentage decreased in the groups treated by canola oil compared to the positive control group (p<0.001).Conclusion: Canola oil decreases some of asthma complications including the changes in the total counts and percentage of various types of white blood cells in rats with experimental asthma.