ARAK MEDICAL UNIVERSITY JOURNAL (AMUJ)
Year:2019 | Volume:22 | Issue:5 |Papers Count:15

-thalassemia syndromes are the most prevalent quantitative hereditary hemoglobinopathies in the world. One of the most debilitating complications in thalassemia patients is osteoporosis and osteopenia which predisposes them to skeletal pain and pathologic fractures. Osteoporosis was more prevalent in patients with thalassemia intermedia compared to thalassemia major. . . .

Background and Aim Among the plants with multiple healing properties and a long and common history of use in Iranian traditional medicine, is dog-rose plant with the scientific name of “ Rosa canina” that belongs to the Rosaceae family. This study aimed to review the effectiveness of Rosa canina in treatment of different body organs and tissues and emphasizes its therapeutic mechanism. Methods & Materials This is a review study. About 176 papers published from 2010 to 2018 were extracted from PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar, Ovid, MagIran, and SID databases using related keywords and entered into study. Ethical Considerations Ethical issues (including plagiarism, misconduct, data fabrication, falsification, double publication or submission, redundancy) have been completely observed by the authors. Results Different studies had indicated the importance of Rosa canina as a medicinal plant protecting liver, lowering glucose and lipid levels, and having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The highest flavonoid activity in the Rosaceae family is related to Rosa canina. The use of herbal extracts in the treatment of common diseases, such as diabetes, fatty liver, urinary tract and Alzheimer's, has been recommended. Conclusion High qualitative and quantitative diversity of effective ingredients, ease of access, absence of adverse effects of consumption and endemic nature of Rosa canina plant make it necessary to use it for the control and treatment of common human diseases.

Background and AimGentamicin antibiotic has some side effects such as nephrotoxicity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the post-treatment effects of using hydroethanolic extract of Origanum Vulgare (OV) on nephrotoxicity caused by gentamicin. Methods & MaterialsIn this study, 32 male Wistar rats were divided into four groups of control (n=8), gentamicin (n=8; 100 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally for 8 days and gavage of distilled water for 2 days), OV extract group (intraperitoneal injection of normal saline for 8 days and using 40 mg/kg OV extract by gavage for 2 days), and gentamicin+ OV extract (intraperitoneal injection of gentamicin 100 mg/kg/day for 8 days and using 40 mg/kg OV extract by gavage for 2 days). The concentration of urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium and osmolarity were measured in plasma and urine samples. The right kidney was used to measure Malondialdehyde (MDA) and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP). Ethical Considerations This article was obtained from a research proposal approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Arak University of Medical Sciences (Code: IR. ARAKMU. REC. 1394. 284) Results Post-treatment administration of hydroethanolic extract of OV significantly decreased the concentration of urea, creatinine, absolute sodium excretion, relative sodium and potassium excretion, and MDA levels but significantly increased creatinine, urine osmolality and FRAP levels. Conclusion Oral administration of OV extract as post-treatment method improved nephrotoxicity caused by gentamicin use by reducing oxidative stress of oxygen free radicals and lipid peroxidation in the affected kidneys.

Background and Aim Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is the most commonly occurring leukemia in adults, accounting for about 30-25% of total leukemia. One of the important etiological causes of this leukemia is the disruption of the Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-kB) signaling pathway. The two proteins of Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand (APRIL) and B-Cell Activating Factor (BAFF) play a role in the pathogenesis of this leukemia by affecting the NF-kB signaling pathway. In this study, due to the effect of miRNAs in regulating many cellular processes, the prediction of the prominent miRNAs targeting APRIL and BAFF transcripts in B-cell CLL patients was evaluated using specific and different bioinformatics programs. Methods & Materials Afterwards retrieving the sequences of APRIL and BAFF proteins from the NCBI website, by using several programs including miRanda, TargetScan, miRWalk, DIANA and miRDB with different algorithms, the prediction of miRNAs targeting these genes was investigated. Ethical Considerations This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Arak University of Medical Sciences. Results Based on the scoring system of bioinformatics programs, “ hsa-miR-145-5p” and “ hsa-miR-185-5p” were identified as miRNAs targeting APRIL gene, while “ hsa-miR-424” and “ hsa-miR-497” were miRNAs targeting BAFF gene. They were suggested for the practical studies in future. Conclusion Based on the important role of APRIL and BAFF genes in the normal process of cell death and B-cell evolution, it seems that the mi-RNAs predicted by bioinformatics programs using different algorithms can be used as a diagnostic molecular biomarker to identify B-cell CLL patients.

Background and Aim recombinant DNA technique is a powerful and appropriate method for the production of protein biopolymers with specificity in amino acid sequence and spatial chemistry. Elastin-Like Polypeptide (ELP) is a biocompatible, biodegradable and non-immunological biopolymer used in various biotechnology studies. The ELP tag is a cheap, fast and non-chromatographic technique for purifying target proteins. In this study, pET expression vector was designed for the combination of ELP gene sequences and target recombinant protein in order to produce recombinant fusion protein with the ELP tag. Methods & Materials MOD gene was transformed to E. coli-BL21 (DE3) cells after designing and synthesis among the XbaI and XhoI restriction sites in the pET-32a (+) vector of the clone. Then, colonies were isolated based on plasmid size and examined by cutting using restriction enzymes. The final recombinant colonies was verified using polymerase chain reaction method and DNA sequencing. Ethical Considerations The Research Ethics Committee of Arak University of Medical Sciences approved all ethical considerations ofworking on laboratory animals (Code: 92-146-11). Results Replacing the MOD sequence in the pET-32a vector (+) eliminated the components expressing the fusion tags (Thioredoxin, Histidine, and S-tag), the identification site of protease enzyme (tobacco etch virus), and multiple cloning site. In addition, it added specific restriction enzyme identification sequences of ELP gene and target gene. As a result, in the optimized pET-MODvector, 466 nucleotides reduced in size and the secondary structure was improved. Conclusion Considering the improvement of spatial structure and reduction of pET-MOD vector size, as well as the possibility of the fusion of recombinant protein with the ELP tag, it is possible to use this vector for ELPyation of the target protein.

Background and Aim Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable disease that can change individuals' lifestyle. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program on functional disability of patients with MS. Methods & Materials The is an experimental study with pre-test/post-test/follow up design using control group. The study population consisted of all male and female patients with MS living in Neyshabur county, Iran. Of these, 47 were selected using a convenience sampling technique and randomly assigned into two groups of intervention (n=22) and control (n=25). The intervention group received MBSR therapy for 8 sessions, while the control group received no intervention. The follow-up was performed after one month. Subjects’ functional disability was measured by using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS v. 21 software usingrepeated measurements Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Ethical Considerations This study obtained its ethical approval from the Research Ethics Committee of Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences (code: IR. NUMS. REC. 1397. 004) Results The results of univariate ANOVA showed the significant effect of time and the interaction effect of time and group on functional disability of samples. The results of between-group ANOVA a significant difference between the intervention and control groups in functional disability (p <0. 05). Pairwise comparison of the interaction effect of time and group showed a significant difference between the pre-test, post-test and follow-up scores (P = 0. 001), but no significant difference was reported between the posttest and follow-up scores. Conclusion The MBSR program could reduce the functional disability in patients with MS due to ease of treatment, faster patient education, and the short duration of intervention sessions. .

Background and Aim The flavin reductase DszD enzyme is a key enzyme for providing required reduction potential in the bacterial desulfurization process. Considering the low speed of desulfurization process because of low catalytic power of this enzyme, it is necessary to increase the catalytic power of flavin reductase for industrial use of this enzyme as biocatalyst. Methods & Materials The three-dimensional structure of the flavin reductase DszD enzyme was predicted by a CPHmodel server and its amino acid sequence was searched in the protein data bank to identify the homologue molecules. Based on the alignment of the amino acid sequence and the model molecules, the key residues at the flavin mononucleotide substrate were identified. The key residue of asparagine at position 77 was replaced with phenylalanine using the site-directed mutagenesis method. Ethical Considerations This study with research ethics code IR. NIGEB. EC. 1398. 6. 24 A has been approved by research ethics committee at National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran. Results The cloning and expression of each of the wild-type and mutant genes were performed separately. The catalytic power of the produced wild-type and mutant enzymes were compared. The catalytic activity measurements showed that the mutant enzyme had a 2. 5 fold increase in catalytic power. Conclusion Replacing phenylalanine with asparagine at position 77 of flavin reductase DszD enzyme leads to an increase in enzyme catalytic power to increase the speed of bacterial desulfurization process.

Background and Aim The widespread application of crude oil and its products has caused numerous environmental pollutions. This study aimed to isolate, identify, and determine a bacterial strain’ s potential of oil degradation isolated form oily sludge. Methods & Materials After preparing the oily sludge in the sterile containers and cultivating in Bushnell-Haas medium, 24 distinct bacterial colonies were obtained. After performing biochemical and molecular tests, the “ Acinetobacter radioresistens strain KA2” with the highest growth rate and crude oil degradation was selected. Then, degradation of various concentrations of crude oil at different PHs (5, 6, 7, 8 and 9), bacterial adherence to hydrocarbons and emulsification index of the selected strain were measured. Total petroleum hydrocarbons were determined by gas chromatography. Ethical Considerations This study has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Islamic Azad University of Kermanshah Branch (Code: 19250587962001 ). Results The results indicated that the removal efficiency of crude oil at concentrations of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5% were 65. 24, 76. 14, 53. 81, 31. 84, and 25. 21%, respectively. Crude oil removal at pH values of 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 was 42. 4, 69. 16, 65. 24, 59. 41 and 48. 24%, respectively. Bacterial adherence to hydrocarbons and emulsification index of the isolated strain were calculated to be 13. 69 and 59. 14%. Conclusion The isolated bacterium is an efficient strain in treating the crude oil and petroleum compounds.

Background and Aim There is a high correlation between depression and anxiety in children which are also related to laterality. This study aimed to compare generalized anxiety and social anxiety in sinistral and dextral children with depression symptoms. Methods & Materials This is a study with a causal-comparative design. The study population consisted of all primary students (fourth to sixth grade) of Arak Province in Iran. A convenience sampling method was used to select study samples. Prior to study, following questionnaires were completed: Children's Depression Inventory, Brief Scale of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale for Children and Adolescents. Then, those with depression score of 19 and higher were assigned into two groups of sinistral (n=31) and dextral (n=35), and compared in terms of generalized anxiety and social anxiety. Ethical Considerations This study obtained its ethical approval form the Research Ethics Committee of Arak University of Medical Sciences (Code: IR. ARAKMU. REC. 1397. 298). Results The results of multivariate analysis of variance showed a significant difference in two study variables between groups (P=0. 001). Moreover, based on the results of univariate analysis of variance, sinistral children had higher generalized anxiety compared to dextral children; however, they were not significantly different in terms of social anxiety. Conclusion Considering the higher vulnerability of depressed sinistral children to anxiety disorders, they are more likely to need specific ways of preventing and treating depression and generalized anxiety disorder.

Background and Aim American College Of Emergency Medicine (ACEM) guideline has a recommendation for early diagnosis of head injuries following mild trauma. In this study we examined the prediction power, sensitivity, and specificity of this clinical guideline in the need for computed tomography (CT) scan Methods & Materials This cross-sectional study was performed for 6 months on patients over 18 years old referred to the emergency department of Vali-e-Asr Hospital in Arak who met ACEM criteria for head CT scan for suspected mild trauma. Demographic characteristics, clinical symptoms, trauma mechanism, physical injuries caused by head trauma, and history of drug abuse were recorded. The consciousness level (Glasgow Coma Scale) was checked every two hours. Patients underwent treatment if there was a pathology in CT images, and those with no clear pathology were discharged after 6 hours and, followed up by phone for two weeks, and in case of any abnormality in the level of consciousness, they were reexamined by CT scanning. Ethical Considerations This study has an ethical approval obtained from Arak University of Medical sciences (Code: IR. ARAKMU. REC. 1396. 227). Results 500 patients, 335 male (67%) and 165 females (33%) with the mean age of 46. 39± 2. 01 years were studied; the sensitivity the ACEM guideline for predicting the need for CT scan in patients with mild head trauma were 100% with a specificity of 3. 46% (for the second recommendation, the sensitivity was 100% with a specificity of 6. 7%) which indicated that the test was highly sensitive to diagnosing the patients, but its specificity was low. Conclusion The ACEM guideline had high sensitivity to predicting the need for CT in patients with mild head trauma, but had very low specificity which makes it an unacceptable criterion for rejecting or performing CT scan in these patients.

Background and Aim Exercise improves sensitivity to insulin by reducing some adipokines including chemerin. However, the effect of endurance exercise and high-intensity intermittent exercise on chemerin level and insulin resistance in obese male rats is still unknown. Methods & Materials In this study 27 male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups of sedentary control (n=6), endurance exercise (n=8), high-intensity intermittent exercise (n=8) and untreated obese control (n=5). Both endurance and high intensity intermittent exercise groups performed exercises for 8 weeks. The plasma level of chemerin was measured by ELISA method. Ethical Considerations This study obtained its ethical approval form the Research Ethics Committee of Sport Sciences Research Institute (Code: IR. SSRI. REC. 1398. 55). Results The chemerin level was significantly reduced in the endurance group compared to the untreated obese control group (P<0. 01), but it had no significant change compared to the sedentary control group. Moreover, the plasma level of chemerin in the high-intensity intermittent group was not significantly different from that of untreated obese control group and sedentary control group (P>0. 05) and chemerin level reduction in the endurance group was significant compared to the high-intensity intermittent group (P<0. 05). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the insulin resistance reported in high-intensity intermittent group compared to that of endurance group (P>0. 05), but its difference in high-intensity intermittent and endurance training groups was significant compared to that of untreated obese control and sedentary control groups (P<0. 05). Conclusion Both endurance and high-intensity intermittent exercises can reduce insulin resistance which can be due to the reduction of chemerin plasma level and weight loss.

Background and Aim Male Androgenic Alopecia (MAA) is one of the most common causes of hair loss in men. Minoxidil solution is one of the most commonly used medications for MAA treatment; however, it has several cutaneous side effects including itching, scaling and erythema, which cause the discontinuation of its consumption. Methods & Materials In this double-blind randomized clinical trial, 51 males with MAA were treated with 5% minoxidil solution and 7% chamomile extract. At the same time, 49 patients as controls were matched with this group and treated with 5% minoxidil solution alone. Both groups were treated and followed up for 6 months. Ethical Considerations This study has received its ethical approval from the Research Ethics Committee of Arak University of Medical Sciences (code: IR. ARAKMU. REC. 1395. 456) and is a registered clinical trial (Code: 2017042420258N41). Results In both groups, the severity of itching and scaling gradually decreased. in the control group, erythema increased, while in the chamomile group, erythema also decreased. All three side effects of itching, scaling and erythema were lower in the group treated with chamomile extract and minoxidil solution than in the group used minoxidil solution alone. Conclusion It seems that simultaneous administration of 7% chamomile extract and 5% minoxidil solution leads to a reduction in the severity and duration of cutaneous side effects caused by minoxidil solution use in treatment of MAA. It can increase the patient's compliance to the treatment and eventually the chance of MAA treatment.