ARAK MEDICAL UNIVERSITY JOURNAL (AMUJ)
Year:2014 | Volume:17 | Issue:5 (86)|Papers Count:10

Background: Considering to the frequency of occurrence of hypoglycemia in diabetes, alternative substrates for glucose play an important role in maintaining brain metabolism. The aim of the present study was to investigate the long-term effects of endurance training on brain lactate uptake during hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetic rats.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, seventy-two male Wistar rats were equally divided into four groups: Control, Trained, Diabetic control and Diabetic trained. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneally injection of streptozotocin. After 8 weeks of endurance training, Hypoglycemia was induced by an intraperitoneally injection of insulin. One-half hours after hypoglycemia, lactate (4mmol/kg) was injected intraperitoneally into animals. Animals were killed at intervals of 10, 20, and 30 min after injection, plasma and brain concentration of lactate and glucose were measured.Results: A significant difference was found for plasma lactate concentration at intervals 20 (p< 0.05) and 30 (p<0.05) between healthy groups and also between diabetic groups (p<0.05). Thirty minutes after injection, significant increase in brain lactate concentration was found between control and trained (p<0.05) and control diabetic and diabetic trained (p<0.05). Brain/plasma ratio of lactate had a similar pattern with brain lactate concentration. Increase in brain lactate concentration had no effect on decreased level of brain glucose concentration.Conclusion: Endurance training can increase the brain lactate uptake of diabetic rats during hypoglycemia.

Background: Early, complete, and stable coronary revascularization is the main criteria for standard treatment in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of integrilin as glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitor in treatment of STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial study, 106 STEMI patients who complained of acute chest pain and were referred to Amir Al Momenin hospital, Arak, entered the study. Patients were randomly divided into two equal groups. The first group was treated with integrilin immediately before angioplasty. The 2nd group was treated with conventional percutaneous coronary intervention.Results: After receiving treatment and undergoing angioplasty, TIMI Frame Count was equal to 15.7±8.04 in the 1st group and 14.2±5.4 in the 2nd group which showed no significant difference between them (p=0.4). Ejection fraction in patients receiving integrilin was significantly more than control group in first (p=0.043) and third month (p=0.012) after treatment.Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, it seems that using integrilin in standard time, causes long-term benefits for patients and reduces damage to the heart wall.

Background: Cancer stem cells are subpopulation of cancer cells that show self-renewal potential and the capacity to differentiate into diverse populations comprising a tumor. One of the characteristics of CSCs is their ability to form floating spheroids under anchorage-independent conditions in a serum-free media. The aim of this study was isolation of colon cancer stem cells by sphere formation assay and characterization of them in human colonic adenocarcinoma HT-29.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, colon CSCs markers including CD44 and EPCAM in spheroid and HT-29 cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. The expression levels of stemness genes in both spheroid and HT-29 cells were investigated using real-time PCR. Tumorigenic potential of spheroid cells was evaluated usingin vivo xenografts assay.Results: Our data showed over 92% of spheroids were CD44+/EpCAM+, while HT-29 cells only have expressed 37% of CD44/EpCAM markers. In compared with the HT-29 cells, expression levels of ‘‘stemness’’ genes, like Sox2, Oct4, Nanog, C-myc, and Klf4 were significantly increased in spheroid cells (p<0.05). Further, As little as 2500 spheroid cells were sufficient to obtain tumor growth in nude mice, while 1x106 of HT-29 cells was needed to form tumor.Conclusion: Our data suggest that spheroid formed by colon cancer cell lines highly enriched in CSCs and showed increasing expression of stemness genes and tumorigenic in nude mice.

Background: Human b-defensin 126 (12kDa) is a small cationic glycoprotein that is highly rich of cysteine.DEFB126 gene is located on the subtelomeric end of 20p1.3 in human. High expression of this protein is reported in epididymis. This polypeptide coats the plasma membrane of sperm during epididymal transit. It is likely that b -defensin 126 might have role in unexplained male infertility since it involves in sperm maturation and capacitation. The current research designed to investigate if there is relation between b -defensin 126 gene mutation and unexplained male infertility.Materials and Methods: In this case- control study we followed a two cytosine nucleotides deletionof b -defensin 126 gene in 35 Iranian men with unexplained infertility and 40 fertile men with normal spermogeram as control group. Standard PCR, SSCP (Single strand conformational polymorphism), and sequencing were used to detect genetic alteration of b -defensin 126. ELISA was performed for the assessment of the protein expression on sperm cells.Results: Analysis of genetic data revealed 28.6% homozygote deletion in unexplained infertile men while this deletion was detected in 7.5% of controls. The deletion frequency was statistically higher in infertile patients than normal control group (p<0.05). The protein expression was less in men with del/del genotype compare to the other genotypes (p<0.005).Conclusion: Our study shows that this common sequence variation of b -defensin 126 takes part in impairment of male reproductive function. Consequently, men with the del/del genotype are significantly less fertile than men who carry the wild type allele.

Background: Planning of educational programs to inform the people about the prevention of diseases such as cancers is necessary. This study was conducted to determine the effect of educational interference based on HBM on practices of women about gastric cancer.Materials and Methods: In this semi-experimental study, 88 women participated from Arak.The subject were randomly divided in two groups, experimental group and control group (each group includes 44 women). Inclusion criteria were absence of cancer, Iranian nationality, age over 18 years, living in the city. Data collected with a questionnaire based on HBM and performance checklist about colorectal cancer prevention was used in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the educational program. Intervention was done in 1 month consist of 3 session each session 45 minutes. Three months later data were recollected and analyzed.Results: In this study, the mean age in case and control group was 38.3±9.6 and 36.3±11.1 years respectively, with no significant differences (p=0.381). Average scores of knowledge and practice in experimental was 72.8±13.06 and 30.81±6.2 respectively group before the intervention, which was 88.05±12.2 and 65.3±8.9 respectively after the intervention (p<0.05). Moreover before of intervention susceptibility, severity and percieved benefit about practice of mothers was moderate but after intervention the entire items between experimental and control groups was significantly different (p<0.05).Conclusion: Finding of this research confirms the effect of Health Belief Model on prevention from gastrointestinal cancer in women of Arak.

Background: Brucellosis is a major cause of zoonosis disease and is endemic in hamadan Province in Iran. The purpose of this study was to isolate Brucella species from brucellosis patients and identify different species of this bacterium in order to determine the prevalence of the species.Materials and Methods: This study was descriptive- cross sectional and fifty blood samples were obtained from brucellosis patients with clinical symptoms. The samples were cultured in BACTEC system and incubated for 14 days. Then, the samples were cultured on Brucella agar and biochemical tests were done for identification of bacteria. Finally, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) applied for confirmation and isolated identification with specific primers.Results: Seven Brucella strains were isolated from 50 blood samples of the patients with brucellosis by blood culture and PCR. The PCR results on blood specimens showed 4 positive in spite of the negative results of blood culture. PCR and biochemical methods revealed that all the 11 isolated bacteria were Brucella Melitensis.Conclusion: This study was designed to evaluate PCR technique as a diagnostic tool for brucellaspp in comparison to conventional techniques. This study showed a high prevalence of brucellosis due to Brucella Melitensis in Hamadan Province and efforts in this region should be aimed at the eradication of this bacterium.

Background: Saprolegniasis is an important aquatic fungal disease that causes severe damages at different growth stages of aquatic animals.Saprolegnia parasitica has been identified as an important pathogen in aquaculture. This study was investigated the activity of antifungal methanolic extracts of Foeniculum vulgare, Achillea millefolium, Satureja hortens is, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, as well asArtemisia annua essential oil against S. parasitica in comparison with formalin.Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, Saprolegnia parasitica originated from rainbow trout’s farm effluent. Phenotypic identification was performed and amplification of ITS rDNA region was adjusted by using of two general primers like ITS1 and ITS4, subsequently sequencing by use of internal primer were performed. The antifungal effects of the plants were investigated based on broth microdilution method and compared by formalin.Results: The results of sequencing verified the obtained fungus is S. parasitica. In broth microdilution method, the essential herb Artemisia inhibited the growth of S. parasitica at a concentration of 128 mg/ml (MIC=128 mg/ml). At the same concentration, however, it did not show any fungicidal activity (MFC ³ 2048 mg/ml). Methanolic extracts of the plants fennel, yarrow, Savory, and cinnamon displayed no direct effects on S. parasitica Conclusion: Based on the results obtained in the present study, Artemisia can be classified as a powerful antifungal essential plant. The essence of Artemisia performed more effectively compared to formalin for the growth inhibition of S. parasitica.

Background: Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) has estrogenic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and traditionally used for treatment of infertile women. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women, which affects 5-10% of them in their reproductive age. This study has examined the effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Fennel on female Wistar rats with PCOS.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 30 rats (200±20 gr), was injected 2 ml of estradiol valerate subcutaneously and 6 rats were considered as control (intact). After 60 days, the rats were divided into control, sham and experimental groups. Rats in experimental group were treated with 250, 500, 1000 (mg/kg BW) of in traperitoneal injections extract of Fennel for 10 days. Serum FSH, LH and Testosterone were measured by ELISA and serum levels of these hormones between treatments all groups were compared using One-Way ANOVA at a significance level of p<0.05.Results: The data suggests that extract of Fennel can increase serum concentrations of FSH and decrease LH and Testosterone in treatment groups. As FSH is 500 and 1000 mg/kg levels of doses, LH and Testosterone in dose 1000 mg/kg have shown statistically significant differences compared to control groups.Conclusion: Considering the increasing positive effect of extract of Fennel on serum concentration of FSH and decreaseing LH and Testosterone in rats with PCOS, this compound might be considered for treatment of the patients.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common inflammatory arthritis.Keratoconjunctivitis sicca, scleritis, and episcleritis are ocular complications of this disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate Sjogren’s syndrome in subjects with rheumatoid arthritis.Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, ninety patients diagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis that followed up in rheumatology clinic of Rasool Akram hospital for six months and no definite cause was found for their dry eye, enrolled in the study. Rheumatoid arthritis activity was evaluated by DAS28 index and the severity of dry eye was assessed by Japanese dry eye diagnostic criteria.Results: Mean activity of disease according to DAS28 was 2.9±1.56 and 88.9% of patients had dry eye based on Japanese dry eye diagnostic criteria. Twelve patients (13.3%) had secondary Sjogren's syndrome. SSA antibody was positive in 13.3% patients and 10% patients had positive SSB antibody. There was significant correlation between rheumatoid arthritis activity based on DAS28 and severity of dry eye according to Japanese dry eye diagnostic criteria in the both Sjogren (p=0.045) and non Sjogren groups (p=0.001).Conclusion: We found significant correlation between rheumatoid arthritis activity and dry eye in the both sjogren and non-Sjogren groups. Most of rheumatoid arthritis subjects do not have Sjogren’s syndrome but dry eye is common even in rheumatoid arthritis patients without Sjogren' s syndrome.

Background: Radiocephalic arteriovenous fistula (AVF) at wrist is the vascular choice for dialysis. In the absence of a suitable vein in the wrist, elbow brachiocephalic fistula is the next choice.In this study to create an arteriovenous fistula in antecubital area, we turned to the proximal radial artery in comparison to brachial artery in antecobital area for dialysis.Materials and Methods: We reviewed 124 patients in clinical trial study that candidated for placement of AVF for dialysis in antecubital area. To create AVF, proximal radial artery in 62 patients and brachial artery in 62 other patients selected as the artery of choice, then patients followed based on complications, steal syndrome, primary failure and mean time to prepare for dialysis.Results: The mean time of maturation of AVF in brachial group was 41 days and in radial group was 43 days. Primary dysfunction in brachial group was 6 cases (10%) and in radial group was 5 cases (8%).Steal syndrome in radial group was not seen but in brachial group 2 cases (3%) were seen.Conclusion: According to the primary success, steal syndrome and mean time of maturation of these two arteries had no significant statistic differences, but like other previous studies, this study emphasizes on usefulness and less complications. On the other hand, due to the anterior anatomical position and allowing the release of the artery, it causes easy technique for creating AVF anastomosis to the antecubital arteries and its branches.. Therefore, this study recommends use of this artery in creation of AVF in antecubital area.