ARAK MEDICAL UNIVERSITY JOURNAL (AMUJ)
Year:2011 | Volume:14 | Issue:3 (56)|Papers Count:16

Background: Some plant extracts, including species of Santolina have antibacterial effects and they can be used as antimicrobial agents in treatment of infections. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate the compounds of essential oil and the anti-microbial properties of its essential oil and extract.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, yarrow plant in late spring was collected from Sistan region in 2008. The compounds of the essential oil were analyzed by GC/MS. In this study, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and diameter of inhibition zone of growth for the standard strains of Staphylococcus aureus, E.coli, P.aeruginosa, and Candida.albicans were determined through disk diffusion and agar-well diffusion methods and dilution in the liquid medium, respectively.Results: Camphor was the major compound of the essential oil. The standard strains of Staphylococcus aureus presented the greatest sensitivity to the stem extract and leaf extract in MIC> 0.573 and MBC> 1.146, respectively and to the flower extract in MBC> 1.663 and MIC> 0.831, respectively. In addition, it presented an intermediate sensitivity to standard strains E.coli with MBC> 2.293 and MIC> 1.146, respectively to the stem and leaf extract and MBC> 6.650 and MIC> 3.325 respectively to the flower extract. However, the standard strains of Candida albicans and P.aeruginosa did not show a significant sensitivity to the extracts. Also, the essential oil of this plant in comparison with the extracts did not have any significant antimicrobial effects.Conclusion: The plant extracts, especially stem and leaf possess anti-bacterial effects. But further investigations are needed for determining its exact mechanism.

Background: Old, obese, and sedentary individuals are at risk for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Exercise improves metabolic anomalies associated with such diseases, but the effects of caloric restriction in coupled with exercise on such high- risk groups are not known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 12 week lifestyle modification program on C- reactive protein and metabolic syndrome parameters in middle-aged obese/overweight men.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study with pretest - posttest design, 21 sedentary men were randomly assigned to 12- week caloric restriction (CR) [~500kcal] (age: 45.59± 4.90, BMI: 30.02± 1.73, CR, n=10) or exercise+caloric restriction group (EX+CR) [~500kcal] (age: 45.23± 5.6, BMI: 29.84± 1.60, EX+CR, n=11). Body composition, cardiovascular risk markers, and C- reactive protein were measured pre and post intervention.Results: After 12 weeks of intervention, significant reduction in body weight, abdominal fat (visceral, subcutaneous), insulin resistance, blood lipid profile, and C- reactive protein were observed in EX+CR group (P>0.05), Whereas, in CR group only significant improvement were observed in body weight and insulin resistance index (P>0.05).Conclusion: Lifestyle interventions incorporating diet to exercise improve insulin resistance, systemic inflammation, and other cardiovascular risk factors in middle-aged obese/overweight men.

Background: Bacterial cellulose synthesized by acetobacter xylinum is a harmless microbial product with unique characteristics as an ideal dress that many studies have been done on. The aim of this study was to consider the capability of this product in absorption and release of tetracycline hydrochloride.  Indication of this capability can pave the way for supplying a new dressing containing antibiotic from bacterial cellulose.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, cellulose sheet was initially impregnated on aqueous solution of tetracycline hydrochloride. Then the release process was considered in diluted water and normal saline. Ultra violet spectrophotometry method was applied to the detection of the antibiotic during absorption and release processes.Results: The results of data analysis demonstrated that bacterial cellulose has a great potential in absorption of tetracycline hydrochloride and can release it in a wet environment.Conclusion: Considering the advantages of bacterial cellulose over traditional dressings, the results of this study can provide the ground for further research on supplying an ideal dressing containing antibiotic from this microbial product.

Background: Vibrio cholera toxin B (CTB) subunit is the pentameric non-toxic portion of cholera toxin (CT) which is responsible for the holotoxin binding to the GM1 ganglioside receptor present on nucleated cells. this study was to produce, purify, and verify recombinant CTB (rCTB) subunitin prokaryotic system.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, rCTB expression vector (pET-28a) which could be induced in E. coli (BL21) was designed and synthesized. Then the recombinant expression strains containing the result of IPTG interaction were induced and the rCTB was generated on small and large scales. The rCTB produced through Ni2+-charged resin, after refolding and free of possible CTA contaminants, was extracted. After purification, rCTB was verified by Western blotting.Results: The results indicated the level of purification to be about 480µg of purified active pentameric rCTB for each liter of the induced culture. Also, Western blotting analysis showed that recombinant CTB is strongly and specifically recognized by polyclonal antibodies against the cholera toxin.Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrated that E.coli is an available host for production of CTB. In addition, the designed host and vector can be used in large scale production of this protein.

Background: Noticing the importance of measuring physical activity in medical investigations, this study was conducted to analyze the validity and reliability of the researcher-made Physical Activity Questionnaire (AFPAQ) of Azad and Fesharaki, so as to achieve a suitable tool. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the sample population all army men selected through two-stage cluster sampling according to Morgan samples table. After investigating content validity, confirmatory and explanatory factor analysis, Pearson correlation (using general health questionnaire (GHQ) and test-retest coefficient were used to examine construct and predictive validity, respectively. Data analysis was done using SPSS software version 15 and Amos version 16.Results: This study was done on 724 subjects including 54 (7.3%) women and 685 (92.7%) men. The CVR coefficient was 60% for this study. Also, explanatory factor analysis showed three factors, including physical activity at work, physical activity at leisure time, and exhaustion with 45% total variance and 71% Kaser-Meyer-Olkin Index. These factors were also confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis (AGFI=0.963, RMSEA=0.053). The reliability of the questionnaire was %40 and %70 using Cronbach’s Alpha and test-re-test method, respectively. Conclusion: Since validity and reliability indexes of the questionnaire were reported desirable, AFPAQ can be considered a valid and reliable questionnaire for measuring physical activity.

Background: The UN report on the 41% increase of cesarean labor and its risks in Iran in recent years on the one hand and its association with cognitive and psychological factors on the other motivated us to identify the involving variables so as to control unnecessary cesarean sections. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of fear of pain and related psychological variables (pain catastrophizing, catastrophic cognition, childbirth attitude, depression-anxiety-stress, and experience of pre-menstruation (PMS) in prediction of cesarean labor.Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 300 pregnant women from Atieh private and  Shahid Akbar Abadi public Hospitals (150 participants from each) were selected and matched by variables, such as age, level of education, month of pregnancy, previous experience of deliveries, tendency to cesarean, type of hospital, and having PMS. To collect data, a battery of questionnaires, including fear of pain, pain catastrophising, catastrophic cognition, childbirth attitude, and depression-anxiety-stress (DASS) were used. The results were analyzed through correlation coefficient and logistic regression.Results: Education, previous experience of deliveries, month of pregnancy were not significant but such variables as the tendency to cesarean, type of hospital, and  age were significant (P<0.05). Such variables as pain catastrophizing, catastrophic cognition, and childbirth attitude were significant but other variables, including fear of pain , depression-anxiety-stress, experience of PMS were not significant (P>0.05).Conclusion: Such variables as the experience of cesarean, type of hospital, and age as well as pain catastrophizing, childbirth attitude, and catastrophic cognition are significant variable in prediction of cesarean labor in pregnant women.

Background: The purpose of this study was to review the effect of a mobilization exercise and strengthening program with dynamic splint on prevention of repeated shoulder dislocation in professional athletes.Materials and Methods: In this retrospective quasi experimental study, 18 athletes with mean age of 25 years suffering from repeated anterior shoulder dislocation with effective trauma were reviewed in a mobilization and strengthening program with dynamic splint of shoulder. The results were evaluated by Constant Shoulder Score (CSS), descriptive analysis, and t- test.Results: The decreased range of motion in shoulder joint in abduction and external rotation in comparison with healthy shoulders was 36 degrees. The training program had a significant effect on reduction on repeated anterior shoulder dislocation. In radiology, 3 cases of premature arthritis which had restriction in external rotation were observed.Conclusion: Rate of instability after mobilization and strengthening program with dynamic splint was low but due to the restriction that dynamic splint induces in external rotation of shoulder joint, this program should be done by professional athletes in a way that in the final stages of the training program splints are used less.

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of health education according to health belief model (HBM) on the adoption of preventive behaviors of infection with giardia lamblia by primary school students in Arak.Materials and Methods: In a randomized quasi-experimental case study, 1200 students were randomly divided into two equal groups of test (instruction) and control (non-instruction). The sample size for giardiosis identification tests included 300 students, who had been equally and randomly selected from the control and test groups. Health education was according to HBM and its impact on the students' lifestyle-related patterns of behavior was considered.Results: Paring nails in the test group, significantly increased after education while it decreased significantly in the control group. The number of students who carried a glass for drinking slightly increased, but it remarkably decreased in the control group.  The number of students who applied soap after using the restrooms remarkably increased in both the test and control groups. The relationship between not paring nails and infection with giardia lamblia was statistically significant. Additionally, after education, the ratio of reduction of infection with giardia lamblia in the test group to its increase in the control group was statistically significant.Conclusion: Preventive behaviors significantly improved and appeared influential in the reduction of infection with giardia lamblia. Thus, using a HBM in prevention of parasitic infections along with instructing the parents are suggested for prevention of parasitic infections.

Background:Hypotension is one of the common complications of spinal anesthesia. Ephedrine with sympathomimetic effects is the selective vasopressor in obstetric. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of different doses of ephedrine on hypotension due to spinal anesthesia. Materials and Methods: This randomized double-blind clinical trial included 120 parturient patients with ASA Ι and П scheduled for cesarean section under spinal anesthesia at Fatemy Hospital of Hamedan in 2008.The patients were divided into three groups. Immediately after spinal anesthesia, the patients randomly received 10 mg ephedrine, 20 mg ephedrine, or placebo intravenously. Then vital signs were recorded every minute for 5 minutes and after delivery every 10 minutes till the end of the surgery. Results: Incidence of hypotension in 10 mg ephedrine, 20mg ephedrine,  and placebo groups was 37.5,12.5, 85%, respectively (P<0.001 ). The difference in the prevalanceof hypotension was significant between the three groups (P<0.05).Based on Chi2 test, the prevalence of hypotension in 20 mg ephedrine group was less than 10 mg ephedrine group, and in the 10mg ephedrine group it was less than the placebo group (P<0.05).Conclusion: Intravenous injection of 10mg and 20mg ephedrine to parturient patients undergoing cesarean section reduces the incidence of hypotension, though thisdecrease is more significant with 20 mg ephedrine.

Background: Mother and newborn's health is one of the important indexes in health services of every country and one of its main assessment indexes is the number of normal deliveries in each country. Identifying the effective factors in labor helps the right selection of patients the process of delivery. The main goal of this study was to assess the association between fetal sex and unsuccessful labor process which result in cesarean section.Materials and Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted on 1537 pregnant women admitted for delivery to Taleghani Hospital of Arak during 6 months. Data were catch through a check list consisting of obstetric history, physical examination, labor process, and lab tests coupled with interview and observation. The results were analyzed through Chi2, chance ration analysis, and t-test. Results: Of the 1537 pregnant women, 74% had normal delivery and 26% underwent cesarean section. Of all infants, 35.1% of those delivered by normal vaginal delivery and 13.4% of those delivered by cesarean section were male sex while 38.9% of the infants in the normal delivery group and 12.6% of those in the cesarean group were female. These results did not show any association between fetal sex and type of delivery. Overall, 36.5% of the deliveries done through cesarean section were due to dystosia (18.1% male and 18.4% female) (P=0.934). Also,14.3% of the newborns delivered through cesarean sction due to fetal distress were male and 10.8% of them were female (P=0.162) while 10.5% of newborns delivered through cesarean section due to meconium were male and 8.5%  of them were male (P=0.359).Conclusion: It appears there is no association between fetal sex and labor disorders which result in cesarean section.

Background: Research has shown that healthy individuals with no known cardiovascular risk factors who experience a stressful life are likely to develop cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, stress can be one of the most important risk factors involved in cardiovascular diseases. This study evaluated the possible effects of chronic stress induced by obligatory swimming and noise on coronary arteries histological changes. Materials and Methods: In this experimental trial, male Wistar rats were exposed to two different types of chronic stresses, including physical obligatory swim stress and psychological noise stress. After the last stress session, the rats were examined in terms of the ratio of the vessel lumen diameter to outer diameter, ratio of media diameter to outer diameter, ratio of adventitia diameter to outer diameter, and ratio of wall thickness to outer diameter of vessels.Results: Obligatory swimming stress and noise stress each significantly increased the ratio of media diameter to the outer diameter of vessels (P<0.001) and decreased the ratio of vessels lumen diameter to the outer diameter (P<0.05). Swimming stress and noise stress induced increases in the ratio of wall thickness to the outer diameter of vessels (P<0.01, P<0.05, respectively). In addition, swimming stress significantly increased the ratio of adventitia diameter to the outer diameter of vessels (P<0.05).Conclusion: These findings suggest that chronic stress can induce coronary vessel remodelling which results in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are directly influenced by some specific psychological behaviors accompanied by stress and anxiety that in the long run increase cardiovascular diseases risk and bring about some complications. This study was carried out to examine the effects of relaxation and distraction training on anxiety reduction in cardiac patients,.Materials and Methods:  In this experimental study, sixty 40-65 year old patients with cardiac diseases were selected by convenience random sampling procedure and were randomly assigned to different experimental groups: 15 patients received relaxation training, 15 patients received distraction training, 15 patients received both relaxation and distraction training, and 15 patients stayed in the waiting list group. All participants completed STAI-S and STAI-T before and after the training program. Data were analyzed by factorial analysis of variance with repeated measures.Results: The results indicated that instruction of anxiety reduction techniques significantly decrease cardiac patients’ anxiety. There were no significant differences between the two genders. Also, there were no significant decreases between different educational levels and types of diagnosis in the anxiety reduction.Conclusion: Noticing the decrease in anxiety due to relaxation and distraction in patients hospitalized with cardiac diseases, the use of these techniques in all stages of prevention and treatment of coronary heart diseases seems necessary.

Arterial baroreceptors are located in the carotid and aortic arteries and play a pivotal role in rapid control of cardiovascular system. The purpose of this article is to review the effects of baroreceptors stimulation on heart rate at rest and during exercise and cerebral blood flow rate in young and middle aged male and female individuals. There is ample evidence indicating that the arterial baroreflex remains functional during exercise by readjustment which is in direct relation to the intensity of exercise. These adjustments might be done through somatosensory afferents from peripheral regions of the body, pathways obeying central command neurons, or vasopressin and oxytocin pathways that converge into the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS). Cerebral blood flow autoregulation is a process by which cerebral blood flow is maintained at a fixed rate despite fluctuations in cerebral perfusion pressure. Similar to that in young individuals, this mechanism, despite fluctuations in baroreceptors sensitivity, stabilizes cerebral blood flow rate in a certain range in middle-aged individuals, although with aging the absolute cerebral blood flow rate decreases in both genders. In addition, it has also been shown that after termination of carotid baroreceptors stimulation, heart rate increases which is known as postvagal tachycardia (PVT). It seems that two components, adrenergic and non-adrenergic, are involved in PVT.

Background: Systemic and hemodynamic complications associated with stereotactic and Mayfield pin insertion pain and is one of the major problems in neuro-anesthesiology. The aim of this study was to decrease patients' hypertensive response to pain and stressful condition of the disease which may bring about problems during operation.Materials and Methods: In a randomized, double-blind clinical trial, thirty 16-65 year old ASA I and II patients at Al-Zahra Hospital of Isfahan were analyzed between September 2008 and November 2009. The level of pain according to VAS of pain was obtained from the patients in three stages: After pin insertion (stage 1), while returning from MRI (stage 2), and at the end of the procedure (stage 3) and recorded in the questionnaire. Data were analyzed through SPSS software.Results: The mean VAS of pin insertion pain for lidocaine in the three stages was 5.46, 5.00, and 2.46 and for bupivacaine was 5.76, 3.76 and 1.40, respectively (P<0.005). This indicated a significant difference between lidocaine and bupivacaine.Conclusion: As stereotactic operations take 3 to 3.5 hours on average, the use of bupivacaine instead of lidocaine is highly recommend during pin insertion.