ARAK MEDICAL UNIVERSITY JOURNAL (AMUJ)
Year:2009 | Volume:11 | Issue:4 (45)|Papers Count:20

Background: Imbalance between the production of free radicals and the antioxidant defense system causes oxidative stress. The cardamom is the fruit of the Elettaria cardamomum maton which probably has an antioxidant property. Aim of this study is assess of effect of cardamom-tea watery extract on oxidative stress. Methods and Materials: This clinical trial research was carried out on 54 persons. Firstly 5ml venous blood was collected and the parameter of the oxidative stress in their blood was evaluated. Then they were given every day 3 grams of cardamom and 1 gram of tea as like as 100 ml cardamom- tea watery extract for two weeks. After 2 weeks 5 ml blood was collected and the parameters of oxidative stress in their blood serum was evaluted for the second time. The parameters of first and second group of bloods were compared by SPSS software. Results: The mean of total antioxidant capacity of serum before and after cardamom-tea extract were 1.96±0.64mmol/ml and 2.23±0.46 mmol/ml respectively (p=0.009). The mean of lipid peroxidation before and after cardamom-tea were 14.97±3.58 nmol/ml and 12.07±5.91 nmol/ml respectively (p=0/002). The mean of total thiol group before and after cardamom- tea were 0.224±0.200, 0.266±0.166nmol respectively (p=0.141). Conclusion: The cardamom-tea reduces the amount of lipid peroxidation and enhanced the antioxidant markedly. So, the cardamom-tea decreases the amount of oxidative stress in blood. Ther-fore the cardamom-tea in the people diet is usful.

Background: Radiotherapy is one of the cancer treatment methods. Prescribed dose for each fraction is considered based on radiosensitivity of tumoral and normal tissues. Viral agents are the effective factors on tissue sensitivity. This research aimed to determine the effect of ionizing radiation of Cobal 60 on radiosensitivity of Hela cells infected with Measles virus.Methods and Materials: In this study, the radiosensitivity of Hela cells is investigated experimentally and qualitively. The cells have been cultivated in two groups (experimental and blank) and plating efficiency has been obtained. Then 100 l measles virus with serial dilution method was used to induce infection in different ratio for experimental group. After cell growth and passage, the two groups were irradiated with 2Gy gamma radiation of cobalt 60.Results: Results respectively indicated cell death increases up to 5-7%, 15-20% and 50-65%, after 2Gy irradiation by Co 60 for contaminating to Measles in low, moderate and high concentrations. Conclusion: Radiosensitivity of tumoral cells increases when they are infected by viral agent. The result in radiotherapy of cancers showed, in prescribing dose fraction non cancer disease should be considered.

Background: Post operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a very common and distressing complication after surgeries which may result in more serious problems such as incisional hernia wound dehiscence and aspiration. Cataract surgery following increase in intraocular pressure is sensitive to POVN. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of capsicum ointment on Korean acupressure points in reducing PONV and the amont of anti- emetic medications was used. Methods and Materials: This study is a double-blinded clinical trial which was done on 200 patients who were referred to Amir Kabir hospital for cataract surgery. The patients were randomized assigned to two groups, one who received capsicum ointment and the other placebo (vaseline ointment) at the pressure points (K-K9 and K-KD2). After applying the ointments and during the first 12 hours after the operation the patients were assessed for the incidence and intensity of PONV.Results: The incidence of nausea and vomiting during the first 6 and 12 hours was higher in the placebo group in compare to the capsicum group (p=0.001). Nausea scores were also higher in the 6 and 12 hours in the placebo group (p=0.0005). Uses of metoclopramide was significant higher in the placebo group in compare to the capsicum group (p=0.001). There was no significant difference between the two groups for vomiting during first 12 hours ofter opration. Conclusion: Stimulating of both K-D2 & K-K9 Korean acupressure points simultaneously is a simple, noninvasive, cheap and effective method for reducing PONV.

Background: Although the roles of steroid hormones in the activation and maintenance of reproductive function are proved well, emerging evidence indicated that these steroids influence on performance of learning and memory. These effects are complex and vary with task, gender, and age, as well as the regimens of steroid exposure. This study was carried out in order to assess the role of progesterone administration in newborns rats on Morris water maze learning ability after adolescence. Methods and Materials: This experimental study was carried out on 36 newborns Wistar rats. Rats were divided randomly into 6 groups; female progesterone, male progesterone, female sesamoide, male sesamoid rats and male and female control rats. Progesterone groups were treated with a single injection of progesterone (100 mg/kg) and sesamoid groups were received the same volume of sesamoid oil as the progesterone vehicle in day 1 or 2 after brith, 60 days later, spatial memory ability was determined in Morris water maze.Results: The results of this study show that water maze learning can enhance by administration of sesamoid oil in newborn female pups in compared to progesterone and control groups (p<0.05). In addition, adding progesterone to sesame oil reduce water maze learning to control level.Conclusion: The hypothesis that progesterone impaired spatial reference memory in female rats was supported by this experiment.

Background: Pain management is the challenging concepts in health workers. Since neonates have higher pain sensitivity in compare to childhood and adults. The objective of this study was to examine the pain relieving effect of breast feeding during immunization injections in healthy neonates.Methods and Materials: In this control randomized clinical trial, Samples were divided two groups (by age and sex) of 76 healthy 2-4 months old term infants. In breast-fed group, 2 minutes before, during, and 15 seconds after the DPT immunization injection were in mother hug, and in control group as routine of clinic, were lied on the examining table during injection. Appearance of Neonates were observed and assessed by Modified Behavioral Pain Scale (MBPS) during 5 second before immunization to 15 second after it.Results: In breast fed and control group mean of age were 81.53±41.46 and 81.61±40.59 day and for weight were 6.65±1.17 and 6.70±1.14 kg for hight were 64.27±5.5 and 63.38±5.06 cm respectively. There were significant differences in Behavioral Pain Scores of two groups include: facial expression (4 items), cry (5 items), and movements (6 items). (P<0.0001). There is no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups for age, sex and the time of feeding prior to vaccination Conclusion: Regarding to significant difference in behavioral of pain responds in two groups, it is suggested, with simple and safe intervention method of straight breast feeding reduce pain during immunization and muscular injections too.

Background: Medical equipment improvement and tremendous expenditure is allocated costs annually, so that optimum and proper maintenance management of equipment would have outstanding effects on health and treatment of medical training and research economies of the country. Present research was implemented aiming to examine effect of the medical equipment maintenance management systems on the hospital setting expenditures.Methods and Materials: In an interventional research, the model of medical equipment maintenance management system implemented in Imam Khomeini Hospital was examined precisely and based on appropriate software for Vali-e-Asr Hospital was designed. According to the model for all available medical instruments in Vali-e-Asr hospital with usage of more than 5 years (240 medical equipment); all costs were recorded in 2006 and compared with previous year (2005).Results: There wasn't any training for medical equipment operators and for its implementation necessity on 21.7% of equipment in the installation and start up phase with for 83.7% of equipments the operator was not fixed using of medical equipment maintenance management system, the repair events decreased from 78 events in 2005 to 58 events in 2006. Vali-e-Asr hospital recorded costs for maintenance and repair of medical equipment in 2006 was 801765375 Rials(Iran)which decreased to 513212912 Rials (Iran) according to accurate calculation of costs and auditing by medical equipment engineer and shows 36% saving in expenditures by medical equipment maintenance management system.Conclusion: Medical equipment computer–based maintenance, management system implementation and also using of medical engineers potentialities in hospital are necessary.

Background: Hospital readmission rate as a global health problem has increased over the last few decades. Congestive heart failure (CHF) is one of the most common causes of hospital readmission. Little is known about barriers of readmission rate control. The aim of this study was used for data exploring the barriers of readmission rate control. Methods and Materials: A qualitative study was designed with grounded theory approach. Data were gathered with interview. This study was started with proposly sampling and continues with theoretical sampling during 6 months. A convenience sample of 42 people was recruited from two public educational hospitals in Tehran during 6 month. The data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis.Results: Data analysis demonstrated lake of sensitivity on barriers of readmission; incorrect patient’s health believes and expectations; insufficient patient education, drug and diet adherence, and incorrect life style; lack of  active medical system, distrust on physicians and lack of communication; psychological issues and patient - family challenges, were as the barriers of readmission control.Conclusion: This research had shown that the barriers of readmission control recognized by applying Qualitative research method with source triangulation better than the biomedical approach with single source. On the other hand, lack of sensitivity of partcipants on barriers of readmission control is a new finding. So, for controlling the barriers of readmission despite of exploring the barriers, making sensitive of involved people to readmission, is also proposed.  

Background: Arresting in certain step of developing like two cell block, could be the reason of infertility in some couples. Evaluate the effect of ethanol on growth and development of mouse two-cell arrested embryo is aimed of this study.     Methods and Materials: In this experimental study 4-6 weeks old female mice were coupled with male mice following superovulation. Positive vaginal plaque mice were killed 48 hour after HCG injection. Two cell embryos were collected in RPMI medium and cultured in M16 medium and divided in three groups. The 2nd and 3rd groups were exposed to 4oC for 24 hour in order to delay and arrest for cleavage and developmental rate. The 2nd group (2nd control) were incubated immediately, while the 3rd group (experiment) were exposed to % 0.1 Ethanole for 5 minutes and the 1st group (1st control) without any exposure to low temperature were incubated. Results: The developmental rate of embryos exposed to low temperature (4°C) significantly decreased and induce, retardation and arrest (p=0.001). There were not significant difference between the groups mean of cleavage rate, but the mean percent of degenerated embryos between groups have significant differences (p=0.045). The mean percent of morulla were significantly different between groups (p=0.005). The mean percent of blastocyst and hatched blastocyst after 120 hr evaluation have significant differences between others groups (p=0.014) (p=0.001).      Conclusion: Effect of % 0.1 ethyl-alchol on arrested two cell embryos can significantly increase the mean percent of morulla and development of blastocyst and hatching blastocyst stage in compare to control group, without any significant effect on cleavage rate. 

Background: Delay in treatment of acute myocardial infarction has an important effect on developing the myocardial damage and the prognosis of the patients. In this study, interval between the onsets of symptoms until hospitalization was studied on patients who reffered to fatemeh Zahra hospital of Bushehr port.Methods and Materials: This is a cross-sectional analytic study, carried out on 120 patients, with acute heart attack in Bushehr hospital by using a sampling during 9 month period. A questionnaire was used consisted of three sections: first demographic information; second, questions about time Interval between the Beginning symptoms to hospitalization and third questions about cause of delay that it was completed by inteviwe method.Results: Results showed that the total length of time between the onset of symptoms and hospitalization EU was 273/33±259 minutes. There was significant relation between positive family history, past history of CAD, having insurance, chief complain, going to physician clinic before hospitalization and age with the delay timed (P<0.05). The most common cause of delay was lack of knowledge about symptoms and inattention toward their importance. Conclusion: Time Interval between the onsets of symptoms to hospitalization approximately was 4.5 hours that was not acceptable. Findings indicate developing educational approaches to increasing patient’s knowledge is necessary for better understanding of symptoms in the onset of MI that hereby with the delay time reduces.

Background: Sensory signals and intrinsic activity of the neuronal circuits deeply influence on developing the sensory systems in early life. Light deprivation of animals is known as an established method in assessment of environmental signals in development of the nervous system.Methods and Materials: In this experimental study eighteen male rats at 75 days of postnatal age were used. The animals were divided in two groups, one reared in a cycle of 12light/12dark (light reared-LR) and the other keep in darkness since birth through experiment (Light deprived-LD). The animals were trained in a Morris water maze for spatial memory. They must navigate the maze until finding a platform hidden 1 cm below of water. Then, the time required and the distance spent to find the platform were measured for assessment of the animal behavior. Each animal was given 4 trials/day and the experiment lasted for 6 days. This stage was followed by probe and postprobe tests to evaluate how the learning is consolidated. Results: The results indicated that, compared to their LD counterparts, the LR group was superior in finding the platform where they required a noticeable shorter time to hit the platform (p<0.009). Also, animals in the LR group steered a shorter distance to find the target than did the LD animals (p<0.034). While the two groups elicited a considerable difference during the first half of the experiment both LR and LD rats demonstrated a similar behavior over the second half of the study. Conclusion: The light deprivation negatively influences the spatial navigation in water maze so that the visually deprived rats show less ability in searching the maze based on the spatial cues.

Background: Dental plaque is composed of bacterial derived extracellular polysacharide known as glucan which is synthesized by Streptococcus mutans. Natural substances that could inhibit the plaque formation of the bacteria have a significant importance. This investigation has evaluated the honey beeswax extract effect on the Gft production, the key enzyme of S. mutans colonization factor for the first time.Methods and Materials: In this experimental study extraction of the sample conducted with ethyl acetate and methanol solutions in the Clevenger extractor. The ethyl acetate soluble fraction was separated in the first step and after the evaporation of the first solute, the 70% methanol as inactive solvent was added and the water mixture was used as a second solution, then materials were separated with dH2O. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the honey beeswax extract was assessed by Broth diffusion method. Examination of cell adherence (Biofilm Inhibitory Concentration, BIC) was calculated by colony counts from surface scratching of glass slides in the bacterial media that supplied with 1% sucrose. Glucosyltransferase expression was detected by 15% SDS poly acrylamide gel electrophoresis. Results: Concentration of 1mg/ml of ethyl acetate honey beeswax extract was inhibited completely biofilm and it was prevented the production of glucosyltransferase enzyme. The concentration of formation 6 mg/ml of the extract had bacteriostatic effect and 30 mg/ml concentration of this extract had bactericidal for S. mutans (P<0.01). Conclusion: The sub- bacterial concentrotion honey beeswax extract was able to block the major enzyme that contributes to S. mutans biofilm formation.

Background: Aurein 1/2 is a 13-residue peptide with a vast antimicrobial and anticancer activity. Two- dimensional NMR spectroscopy of peptide solubilized in the 70% TFE (2, 2, 2-Trifluoroethanol) indicated an alpha-helical conformation. The mechanism of its action is not yet fully recognized. This study was designed to improve the antimicrobial activity and relationship between subsequence-activity in Aurein 1/2 and its analoges. Analogs of this peptide were designed and synthesized.Methods and Materials: The G1F3/RW and F3W analogs and retro-analog were synthesized with solide phase and purified via HPLC and lyophilized. These analogs were assayed by several methods: amino acid analysis, HPLC, and electrospray mass spectrometry. Then antimicrobial activity of the peptides was assessed by using the standard microdilution susceptibility test.Results: The data demonstrated that G1F3/RW analog had a higher activity and results of test figure of minimum inhibitory concentration for F3W analog had three levels. But the native, F3W analog and retro-analog was inactive.Conclusion: The higher activity of G1F3/RW in compare to F3W may be related to the positive charge of Arg that leading stronger interaction with the negative charges on the membrane surface. The result showed that reversed direction of aurein 1/2 significantly effects on activity of the peptide. It is also suggested inactivation of reto-analog amino acid type, position and size should be cautious for peptides designed as drug because it may be effect to control dimerization and maintenance of antimicrobial activity of the peptide.

Background: Stroke is one of the important causes of death. However the prognostic factors are not clearly defined. There are many evidences which show the role of inflammatory factors during the progression of stroke but the relation of CRP and stroke is still vague. This study was designed to determine the relation between CPR Level and WBS with severity of stroke (according to CNSS score) and volume of infarct in stroke patients. Methods and Materials: This is a cross sectional study performed during the winter and spring of 2007 on 49 patients with stroke hospitalized in Vali-e-Asr hospital of Arak. Clinical examination was done by using CNSS scoring. The CRP and WBC were measured in the first 72 hour of onset of the disease. The CT scanning together with infarct volume estimation was performed at the same time. Results: There was no correlation between the volume of infarct with CRP serum level (r=-0.14, p=0.39) and WBC(r=-0.17, p=0.92. Also there was no correlation between CNSS score with CRP level (r=-0.04, p=0.81) and WBC(r=-0.124, p=0.40) too, but there was a significant correlation between CNSS score and stroke volum in brain CT scan (r=-0.43, p=0.006).Conclusion: According to data in this study there was no correlation between serum acute phase reactant, the volume and severity of infarction.

Background: Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is an uncommon, non-infectious, neutrophilic, ulcerative disease with typically starts with pustules which rapidly evolve to painful ulcers with undermined violaceous borders. The diagnosis of PG is based on clinical features and requires exculusion of other conditions that produce ulcerations. PG is associated with a variety of systemic diseases that the most commonly of them is include inflammatory bowel diseases, leukaemia, myeloma, monoclonal gammopathies, chronic active hepatitis, systemic lupus erythmatous and arthritis. Two cases of PG with haemolytic anemia have been reported and this patient is third one. Case: patien was a 19-year –old girl, with haemolytic anemia from 15 years ago. Who was reffered with an ulcer, 2×3 cm in diameter, on her lower right leg with violaceous border and on her lower left leg with painful haemorrhagic bulla 4×6 cm in diameter. Conclusion: Because, PG in many cases is associated with an underlying disease in these patients, search for finding possible underlying diseases is necessary.