ARAK MEDICAL UNIVERSITY JOURNAL (AMUJ)
Year:2016 | Volume:19 | Issue:5 (110)|Papers Count:10

Background: One of the most important effective environmental factors in shaping personality disorders is childhood abuse experiences. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between childhood abuse experiences with dark triad traits of personality among university students.Materials and Methods: This descriptive- analytical study was a correlational study. The statistical population included all university students in Islamic Azad university of Urmia branch in year 2015. Totally, 400 students were selected through randomly cluster sampling method. All of them completed the questionnaires of childhood abuse experiences and dark triad traits of personality. Data were analyzed by using the SPSS-19 software and by Pearson’s correlation and multivariate regression method.Results: Physical abuse had a negative significant relationship with narcissism (r=-0.099) and had a positive significant relationship with psychopathy (r=0.248) and Machiavellism (r=0.189). Emotional abuse had a positive significant relationship with narcissism (r=0.089), psychopathy (r=0.164) and Machiavellism (r=0.245). Sexual abuse had a negative significant relationship with narcissism (r=-0.108). Neglect abuse had a positive significant relationship with narcissism (r=0.157) and had a negative significant relationship with psychopathy (r=-0.208) and Machiavellism (r=-0.171). Also, childhood abuse experiences significantly predicted 7.6 percent of variance of narcissism, 7 percent of variance of psychopathy and 6.7 percent of variance of Machiavellism (p≤0.05).Conclusion: According to findings of this research, counselors and therapists must consider the symptoms of these variables and design appropriate programs based on them to prevent shaping dark triad traits of personality.

Background: Circulating microRNAs are promising biomarkers in diagnosis and assessment of cancerous patients. Quantitative Real-time PCR assay is a sensitive test for evaluating the levels of miRNAs expression. Nevertheless, there is no concurrence on selecting appropriate reference genes for qPCR analysis of miRNAs in circulation. Therefore, the current study aimed to select a suitable reference gene for normalizing the RT-qPCR assay results in plasma samples of patients with gastric cancer.Materials and Methods: Based on previously published studies, three molecules SNORD47, U6 RNA, and miR-103 were selected as the candidate reference genes. After RNA extraction from plasma samples of 40 patients with gastric cancer and 40 healthy individuals, expression levels of these molecules were evaluated using Real-time PCR method.Results: The results showed that the developed assays are able to diagnose their specified targets by a suitable linear range. By comparing patients and control groups, although the expression levels of miR-103 molecule were not equal between the two groups (p=0.017), SNORD47 and U6 RNAs had similar expression levels. However, the variations of SNORD47 expression were lower that U6 RNA.Conclusion: Based on the results of the current study, the SNORD47 molecule has a stable expression levels in plasma samples of patients with gastric cancer and normal individuals and can be used as an appropriate reference gene for normalizing the quantitative data of qPCR assay.

Background: because of the side effects of chemical drugs, using plant drugs was considered during recent decades. Based on previous studies, various concentrations of plant extracts can reduce ileum contraction caused by KCl and carbachol. Therefore, in this study, the role of muscarinic receptors in anti-spasmolytic activity of hydroalcohlic extract of parsley (petroselinum crispum) seed in adult male rat's ileum was investigated.Materials and Methods: The distal part of Wistar rat’s ileum was separated and its contractions were recorded under 1 gr stretching and 37oC temperature in the bathroom containing the solution of Tyrode by Isotonic method. The ileum tissue was inserted in separately in first group affected by KCl and parsley seed, in the second group affected by KCl and carbachol with concentration 10-2 mg/ml and after that parsley seed, the third group affected by carbachol with concentration 10-2 mg/ml and then the extraction of parsley seed and the fourth group affected by scopolamine with concentration 10-3 M and after that KCl and then the extraction of parsley seed.esults: Non-cumulative concentrations of extract reduced the ileum contraction caused by KCl (60mM) in a concentration-dependent form (p<0.001). There was a significant difference between the effect of extract in the presence of carbachol and extract concentration 0.2 mg/ml (p<0.01). There was no significant difference between the effect of extract in the presence of carbachol without stimulating tissue by KCl (60mM) with extract concentration 0.2mg/ml (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between the effect of extract in the presence of scopolamine with extract concentration 0.2mg/ml (p<0.05).Conclusion: This study showed that the hydroalcholic of parsley seed extract has a relaxatory effect on rat’s ileum. Carbachol with KCl has a synergistic effect on smooth muscle contraction of the ileum wall and muscarinic receptors do not involve in the inhibitory function of parsley seed extract.

Background: Schizophrenia is a chronic debilitating psychiatric disorder affecting 1% of the population worldwide. As for key role of free radicals in the development of this disease and that Quince leaf is a natural source of antioxidant substances, this study was aimed to evaluate the protective effects of Quince leaf extract on locomotor activity and anxiety-like behaviors by an intraperitoneal injection of ketamine in male mice in a ketamine model of schizophrenia.Materials and Methods: In the experimental research, male adult mice were divided into six groups including: control, Sham (received water orally and saline intraperitoneally), psychosis group (received 10 mg/kg/day ketamine i.p. for 10 days) and treated psychosis groups (received 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg/day). Treated groups received hydroalcoholic Quince leaf extract orally for 3 weeks before injection of ketamine. Extract gavages continue for 5 days after the last ketamine injection. Locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavioral changes were measured in the open- field test.Results: The results showed that chronic administration of ketamine increases horizontal locomotor activity and anxiety like behaviors (p≤0.001) and pretreatment of Quince leaf extract effectively decreases horizontal locomotor activity (p<0.001) and increases duration that spends in middle area of Open field (p<0.01) and vertical ocomotor activity (p<0.001).Conclusion: The results of this research showed that chronic administration of Quince leaf extract improves locomotor disorder and induced anxiety- like behaviors by having antioxidant properties in a ketamine model of schizophrenia.

Background: Immunotoxin (IT) is a directed toxin containing two distinct sections (immune and toxin parts) covalently bond using specific chemical or peptide linkers. The aim of this study is to produce a recombinant and hybrid protein containing diphtheria toxin (DT) and granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF).Materials and Methods: According to the structure of the first commercial recombinant immunotoxin (Ontak, hybrid protein containing DT fused interlukine2), gene encoding of DT and GCSF was amplified using specific primers and plasmid template of pET-IDZ3 (pET21 harboring the gene encoding ontak immunotoxine) and pET-GCSF (pET23 harboring G-CSF), respectively. The DT-GCSF fusion protein produced using soeing PCR and specific primers. Finally, pET-DT-GCSF construction prepared using subcloning of DT-GCSF into pET21a (+) and confirmed by sequencing, SDS-PAGE and western blot technique.Results: Gene encoding of DT-GCSF inserted into NdeI/EcoRI site of pET21 and the construction of strain producing DT-GCSF recombinant immunotoxin was confirmed using customary methods.Conclusion: The cytokine fusion protein, DT-GCSF, could be used for the inhibition of GCSF receptor bearing cancer cells.

Background: Determining the level of manual ability of children with cerebral palsy has significant role in scheduling care and providing supportive services by organizations such as the a social welfare office. Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) is responsible for this critical matter. In Mazandaran Province, the prediction of manual ability is intuitive and is done without tools.This study aimed to investigate the consistency between operational therapists prediction of future manual function of children with cerebral palsy and MACS scale.aterials and Methods: This study was designed as a cross sectional trial. The study population consisted of 12 occupational therapists working in Mazandaran’s rehabilitation center under the social welfare office. Firstly, occupational therapists chose 100 children with cerebral palsy and classified their future manual ability into five levels according to their prediction. Then the researcher classified the children based on MACS scale. Finally, the amount of prediction consistency between therapists and researcher was statisticaly analyzed.Results: The weighted kappa coefficients of MACS scale were 0.671 in first level and 0.747 in fifth level that show good agreement in these two levels. This coefficient was 0.417 in third leve and 0.444 in forth level that shows fair agreement. The weighted kappa coefficient was 0.358 in second level that indicates slight agreement.Conclusion: With prediction consistency between operational therapists and researcher, MACS is used as a suitable means for classifying the level of manual ability in children with cerebral palsy and predicting their needs to adaptive and auxiliary devices by occupational therapists in rehabilitation centers and social welfare offices.

Background: Endometriosis disease is considered as a common disease dependent on androgen hormones. Androgens have different effects on endometrial growth. Androgen receptor as a signal transduction pathway could have a key role in regulating the process. Over hundreds of mutations leading to resistance gene function in androgen receptor (AR) has been recorded. Among these, the seuaence of CAG repeat in exon 1 had the largest share of studies related to the disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the AR gene CAG repeat variations in Iranian women with endometriosis.Materials and Methods: In this study, 100 women with endometriosis and 100 healthy women as controls were selected. Exon 1 was amplified using PCR. Products of PCR were studied to determine CAG repeat variation in acrylamide gels.Results: The number of CAG repeats in each group was determined between 18-26 repeats (mean±standard, 18.35±3.3).Conclusion: According to the results of this study, no significant differences were found between the two groups of healthy women and women with endometriosis. The number of CAG repeats in each group was determined between 18-26 repeats which indicates a lack of relationship between CAG repeat diversity and endometriosis. According to the information, this study was conducted on patients with endometriosis in iran for the first time, although studies with larger sample are needed.

Background: The study on rats showed that some of cytokines and proteins which were produced by macrophages and other cells, plays a critical role in regulating of ABCA1 expression. But, in this area, the study in human subjects, especially subsequent physical activity has not performed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between lymphocytic ABCA1 protein with IL-10 and TNF-a cyrokines subsequent eight weeks interval combined exercise training (ICET) among overweight and obese boy adolescents.Materials and Methods: In this semi- experimental study, 28 students (16.93±1.89 yr, 88.07±9.98 kg and 28.35±2.55 kg/m2) were randomly selected and assigned into training (n=13) and control (n=15) groups. Exercise protocol was ICET (8WK, 4 d/wk, 70 min/d). Cell hemolysis and sensitive Elisa method was used for evaluating ABAC1 protein T-student tests and Pearson correlation were used to analyze the data.esults: The survey changes of post to pre-test of ABCA1, IL-10 and TNF-a showed that there was a positive significant correlation between lymphocytic ABCA1 protein with IL-10 (r=0.43, p=0.032) and a negative significant correlation with TNF-a (r=-0.53, p=0.012) (p<0.01) after eight weeks training. Also, after exercise, ABCA1 level was significantly increased but the levels of in creased IL10 and decreased TNF-a were not significant.Conclusion: Due to the increased lymphocytic ABCA1 protein concentration and the correlation between variables following training, the results prove that TNF-a and IL-10 may have negative and positive regulatory effects on lymphocytic ABCA1 protein expression, respectively.

Background: Hysterectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures. Only after cesarian section, hysterectomys considered as second major surgical procedure. Problems such as severe pelvic pain, irregular or heavy bleeding and uterine cancer are cases that hysterectomy is used to care them. Abdominal pain after abdominal hysterectomy is one of the most common complaints of patients undergoing this type of surgery. This study aimed to compare the effects of bupivacaine into the subcutaneous tissue and skin ketamine to control pain after surgery in patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy under general anesthesia.Materials and Methods: This study is a randomized, double-blind clinical trial involving 99 women candidating for TAH referred to Taleghani center in Arak who were divided into three groups. The average duration of analgesia and pain and pain score were recorded.Results: The average duration of analgesia in ketamine group, in the bupivacaine group and in the placebo group was 65.1±8.8, 65.4±8.7, and 57.6±5.5, respectively. According to p≤0.01, there was a significant difference between the three groups. The duration of analgesia in the placebo group was significantly lower than ketamine and bupivacaine groups, while that between ketamine and bupivacaine in terms of the average duration of analgesia, no significant difference was observed.Conclusion: The results of our study indicate that the use of bupivacaine and cutaneous ketamine is effective in reducing postoperative pain in patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy and further doses of ketamine and bupivacaine single dose resulted in a significant reduction of postoperative pain in patients compared to the placebo group.

Background: Breast cancer is one of the major causes of cancer- related death and the most common solid malignancy in women worldwide. Chemerin as a new adipokine has an inflammatory activity that initiates inflammation via chemotaxis of immature DCs and macrophages. This study aimed to evaluate the level of chemerin in patients with breast cancer.Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study that was performed as a case- control study, we enrolled 45 patients with breast cancer in Vali-asr hospital from June to December 2015 (age range, 18-60 years) and 40 healthy volunteers as a control group (age range, 22-56 years). The patients with invasive breast were selected before mastectomy. The level of serum chemerin was measured by ELISA kit.Results: The results showed that the mean serum chemerin level in the breast cancer patients (1536 ±608 ng/L) was significantly lower than the normal individuals (1919±544 ng/L), (p=0.04). There is no correlation between the level of chemerin with body weight, stage of disease, duration of disease and the number of white and red blood cells.Conclusion: With due attention to the inflammatory role of chemerin, decreasing the serum chemerin level in patients with breast cancer may be related to the consumption of chemerin in the inflammatory responses or immunosuppression by tumor. The low level of chemrerin may be suitable for tumor growth and progression.