Journal of Arak University Medical Sciences
Year:2018 | Volume:20 | Issue:11 (128) |Papers Count:13

Background: Several studies have shown that developmental exposure to phytoestrogens causes adverse effects on the reproductive functions. Fennel as a phytoestrogen plant has a rich history in household use and traditional medicine. So, the current study was designed to investigate the effects of in utero and neonatal exposure with fennel on the puberty onset, estrus cycle, reproductive organs and sexual behavior of their offspring.Materials and Methods: BALB/c mice were injected intraperitoneally with 0 (control), 100, 200 and 400 (mg/kg bw) aqueous fennel seed extract (AFSE), daily from day 7 of gestation to postnatal day (PND) 7.Results: Vaginal opening (sign of puberty onset) was advanced in 200 (p<0.01) and 400 AFSE (p<0.001) treated females. A 30 days vaginal smear check indicated that 200 or 400 AFSE treated mice showed a prolonged estrus with decreased proestrus, estrus and metestrus stages and increased and diestrus stage and index. The ovary weight, number of corpora lutea and LH concentration decreased and uterus weight and estradiol concentration increased in the 200 or 400 treated mice in PND 70.400 AFSE (p<0.01) treated females showed lordosis with a low lordosis quotient (LQ) when compared to the control group.Conclusion: These results suggest that developmental exposure to AFSE, due to its estrogenic compounds, it may cause the precocious puberty, disrupted estrus cycle, altered weight of reproductive organs, hormonal imbalance and low lordosis behavior.

Background: High morbidity and limited therapies of hepatic fibro genesis are important factor for better understanding the molecular mechanisms of the disease. Advances in the understanding of the molecular behavior of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) allow the progress of a field dedicated to anti-fibrotic therapy. Melanoma differentiation associated gene-7 (IL-24/mda-7) as a gene induced during terminal differentiation in human melanoma cells, but the inflammatory response of cells to IL-24/mda-7 is not entirely cleared.Materias and Methods: LX-2 cells (a human hepatic stellate cell) were treated by leptin (positive control), media (control negative), or were transfected by empty plasmid and pcDNA3.1/mda-7. The inflammatory state was evaluated through measuring the mRNA expression level of inflammatory molecule, IL-1b. The role of IL-24/mda-7 modulation on inflammatory response was assayed using SOCS1 and SOCS3 gene expressions.Results: The expression levels of IL-1b, SOCS1 and SOCS3 were compared in LX-2 cell line groups. The expression of the IL-1b in the transfected cells was higher than the control cell, but it was not significant. The results indicated that the expressions of SOCS1 and SOCS3 were up-regulated following pcDNA 3.1/mda-7 transfection into LX-2 cells compared to control plasmids (p=0.0179, p=0.0428).Conclusion: The endogenous IL-24/mda-7 exhibited a significant modulatory effect on stellate cells. Therefore, IL-24/mda-7 and relevant signaling pathways could be employed as a target for fibrosis treatment.

Background: Biofilm formation represents one of the major virulence factors of Candida albicans. However, the number of antifungal drugs is limited for the treatment of candidiasis. Combination therapy is one of the most frequently used techniques to alleviate this problem. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of fluconazole and terbinafine alone and in combination on C. albicans biofilm inhibition.Materials and Methods: In this cross- sectional study, 10 clinical isolates of C. albicans were identified from the immunocompromised patients. Antifungal susceptibilities were performed using the CLSI standard reference method. The crystal violet colorimetric method, direct microscopic observation and expression ofHWP1 gene at different concentrations based on MICs were carried out to investigate inhibition of biofilm formation in C. albicans treated alone and in combination with fluconazole and terbinafine.Results: The data indicated that combination of fluconazole with terbinafine exerted synergistic effects with fractional inhibitory concentration index ranged from 0.375 to 1.5. The combination of fluconazole with terbinafine reduced the number of yeast form and inhibited the biofilm formation. Finally, the expression level ofHWP1 was down regulated (p<0.05).Conclusion: These results suggest the possibility of fluconazole/ terbinafine to treat candidiasis with a higher efficiency. In addition, HWP1 gene could be probable target in synergistic interaction of fluconazole/ terbinafine against C. albicans biofilm.

Background: Human need for food is one of the inherent or physiological needs that, along with the ability to eat and drink, is the most important factor of health, survival and longevity. Children with cerebral palsy suffer from severe maladjustment in the nutritional mechanism and the creation of unsafe, even risky, conditions for life, due to deficiencies in the disease. Because of the importance of Eating and Drinking Ability Classification System (EDACS) in the research and treatment of children with cerebral palsy, the purpose of this study was to determine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of this system.Materials and Methods: After the forward and backward translation procedures and investigation of face and content validity, test–retest reliability was assessed between parents and therapists using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC).130 Children (3 to 20 years, mean age 52.35 months and standard deviation 33.96; 73 boys, 57 girls) with various types of CP were classified according to EDACS by both parents and therapists.Results: The test–retest reliability was high and significant; the ICC related to parents and occupational therapists was 0.98, and the ICC related to speech therapists (0.99) was higher than 0.90 that both of them showed high correlation.Conclusion: The Persian version of the EDACS is found to be valid and reliable, and is suggested to be appropriate for the assessment of eating and drinking ability in children with cerebral palsy.

Background: Anxiety and depression are psychological and physiological states that are identified by physical, emotional and behavioral changes. According to studies conducted, there is evidence concerning the effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the emotional, motor, and cognitive functions of humans and animals. In this study, the effect of DHA (2.5 mg/kg) on anxiety and depression behaviors in adult male mice was examined.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 42 adult male mice were randomly divided into 6 groups of 7 mice. The studied animals were divided into control, vehicle (intraperitoneal injection of sesame oil for 14 days) and treated groups (intraperitoneal injection of DHA with 2.5 mg/kg for 1, 3, 5, and 14 days) and then were studied for anxiety and depression behaviors with elevated plus maze and forced swimming tests.Results: The results of this study showed that treatment of docosahexaenoic acid did not have a significant effect on anxiety behaviors on days 1, 3, 5 (p>0.05), but 14-days treatment significantly reduced the duration of immobility time in the forced swimming test (p˂ 0.05).Conclusion: According to the results, it can be said that docosahexaenoic acid in the dose of 2.5 mg/kg does not affect the anxiety behaviors of rodents but it leads to a decrease in depression behaviors.

ackground: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of four weeks exercise prior preparation before Alzheimer's induction on the levels of nerve growth factor and beta amyloid in the hippocampus of Wistar male rats.Materials and Methods: 84 male Wistar rats (8 weeks old) with a weighing average of 20 ± 195 grams from Pasteur Institute of Iran were prepared, and rats were randomly divided to two exercise (4 weeks aerobic training on a treadmill with a gradient of 0 degrees, 5 days a week for 4 weeks) and rest groups. Then, the rats of each group were randomly assigned to 3 sub groups of 14 numbers, injection Ab1-42, control, and non-injected.48 hours after the last exercise session, injections into the hippocampus amyloid beta or Dimethyl sulfoxide were performed. Seven days after surgery, the rats of each group were randomly sacrificed or subjected to behavioral testing. To determine the levels of of nerve growth factor and beta amyloid Sampling was performed from the hippocampus and plasma of animals, a Morris water maze test was used for spatial memory test. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (KS) and analysis of variance were used to analyze the data.Results: The results of one-way analysis of variance showed that there was a significant difference between the levels of amylohyd of hippocampus and NGF in different groups. Also, the results of the probe test for spatial memory showed that the time spent on the target circle in the Ab1-42 injection group was significantly lower than the other groups (p£0.01). Also, the exercise and exercise+sham groups had a significantly better performance than control group.Conclusion: It seems that performing physical activity before induction of Alzheimer's in rats is a kind of countermeasures and preeclampsia with physiological disorders and progression of the disease.

Background: The use of herbal supplements and exercise training for the treatment of diabetic has increased. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of eight weeks high intensity interval training and moderate intensity interval training and Aloe vera intake on serum vaspin and insulin resistance in diabetic male rats.Materials and Methods: During this experimental study, 32 diabetic rats with STZ Wistar were randomly divided into four groups including the control, high intensity interval training +supplement, moderate intensity interval training+supplement and supplement. Training program was planned for 8 weeks and 3 sessions per week. Each session consisted of 6 to 12 periods of 2-minute activity with the intensity of 90% and 60% with one minute rest (speed: 10m/min). In the supplement groups, 300milligrams Aloe vera solution per kilogram of body weight Gavage was given 5 sessions per week for 8 weeks. The data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results: The results showed that high and moderate intensity interval training with supplement has no significant effect on the of serum vaspin (p=0.112). High intensity interval training with supplement had significant effects on insulin in diabetic male rats (0.000).Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, it seems that supplementation of Aloe vera with high intensity interval training can have better effects on serum insulin in diabetic rats.

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the role of rs137852599 single-nucleotide polymorphism in the androgen receptor coding gene on drug resistance against treatment with Enzalutamide in individuals diagnosed with prostate cancer.Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, the ARMS-PCR analysis was conducted on androgen receptor coding gene in 50 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer with drug resistance and on 50 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer without drug resistance. The statistical analyses were performed using the GeNePop server and then the results were investigated by the SISA server.Results: The allele frequencies of A and C alleles in rs137852599 were 0.78 and 0.22 for drug resistant and 0.94 and 0.06 for non-drug resistance groups. The results indicated that there is a meaningful relationship between drug resistance and rs137852599 single-nucleotide polymorphism (p=0.020).Conclusion: The existence of single-nucleotide polymorphisms may result in drug resistance in individuals diagnosed with prostate cancer. Therefore, investigation of the existence of such polymorphisms can be effective in prescription of suitable drugs for these patients.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Iran and breast cancer is the fifth leading cause of death among women. Diagnosis of breast cancer in early stages could increase the lifetime of more than 90% of patients. Human endogenous retroviruses are as heterochromatic parts of the genome, lack any expression. But in several categories of human cancers, including breast cancer, there is a significant increase in the level of HERV-Kenv mRNA.Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, blood samples were collected from 40 breast cancer patients admitted in Baqiyatallah Hospital and 20 healthy individuals to study the increased expression of HERV-Kenv mRNA using specific primers and were tested by RT-PCR.Results: Investigations on the patient and control groups showed that increased expression of mRNA was positive in 60% of patients with breast cancer and negative in all healthy subjects.Conclusion: The results of this study showed that expression of mRNA HERV Kenv in breast cancer was increased. Since enhancement of mRNA HERV-Kenv in the blood of breast cancer patients occurs in of disease, these retro elements could be used as a diagnostic biomarker.

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus is a systemic disease that can lead to lupus nephritis, as one of the most dangerous sign of this disease. In this report, a woman with acute renal failure subsequent from lupus nephritis is introduced.Case report: 27-year-old woman with no history of systemic disease caused by swelling around the eyes of one month, nausea without vomiting, anorexia, dizziness and a 2-month history of hypertension was admitted. ESR in high range, hypertension and dizziness were also observed.Important findings in the laboratory exam were including pre-orbital edema, azotemia, anemia, hematuria, proteinuria, nephropathy normal size, high titers of anti-nuclear antibody, anti-DNA antibodies and lupus anticoagulant was in a field. Renal biopsy was done and the kidney biopsy response was pauci-immune glomerolu, and the patient was treated by pulse corton and hemodialysis.Conclusion: Lupus nephritis as an important complication of systemic lupus erythematosus should be considered, so in patients with acute renal failure, lupus nephritis should be considered, while it isn’t usually observed pausi-immune nephritisin renal biopsy in patient with lupus.