Armaghane Danesh
Year:2009 | Volume:14 | Issue:3 (55)|Papers Count:15

Introduction & Objective: Rosmarinus officinalis L. as a member of the Lamiaceae family and lysozyme as a natural antibacterial agent is important in food microbiology, because of its characteristics. The aim of the present study was to determine the chemical composition and anti-listerial activity of Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil (REO) alone and in combination with lysozyme for enhancement of anti-listerial activity of both substances.Materials & Methods: Rosmarinus officinalis L. was purchased from a local grocery store at Shahrekord and was identified by the Institute of Medicinal Plants, ACECR. The air-dried aerial parts were subjected to hydrodistillation using a Clevenger apparatus to obtain essential oil and yielded oil was analyzed by GC/MS.Antibacterial activity (on basis of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of REO was studied separately and in combination with unheated lysozyme (L) and heat-treated lysozyme (HTL) on Listeria monocytogenes at different pH (5, 6 and 7) by a microbroth dilution assay. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS software.Results: In the current study, 98.05% of constituents of the essential oil were identified. The major components were a-pinene (14.06%), 1,8-cineole (13.62%), verbenone (11.2%), camphor (10.51%), borneol (7.3%), 3-octanone (7.02%), camphene (5.46%) and linalool (5.07%). The inhibitory action of REO was stronger at lower pH especially 5 (MIC=225 m/mL). Inhibition by L at pH 5 was 640 m/mL but no inhibition was seen at pH 7. HTL resulted in more effective inhibition than L, especially at pH 5 and heattreatment 80oC (MIC: 160 m/mL).Conclusion: Combination of L + REO and particularly HTL + REO was led to enhancement of bacterial inhibition. It was concluded that REO by the identified chemical composition was effective alone or in combination with L or HTL on Listeria monocytogenes as a food-borne pathogen.

Introduction & Objective: Cancer occurs when cells divide uncontrollably. These abnormal cells can invade nearby tissues or travel to distant sites by entering the bloodstream or the lymphatic system. Cancer Incidence rate in the last 50 years has been constantly increased. Hope is a significant factor and essential element in cancer disease treatment that has many effects on compatibility with conditions, especially in suffering and disappointing period’s. Hope has a significant role in increasing the quality of life and effects different stages of the disease. The aim of this study was to increase and promote the hope factor in cancer patients.Materials & Methods: This is a controlled randomized trial study which was carried out at the chemotherapy section at Qods Hospital in Sanandaj, Iran, in 2007 on 50 cancer patients. The HHI questionnaire was used and completed both before and after the intervention on both the case and control groups (each group consisted of 25 patients). The Hope promoting intervention for patients in the case group was a face-to-face method and was individually conducted by the PBL method.Results: There was no significant difference between the case and control group before the hope intervention promotion (p=0.78). Significant difference was found after promoting the hope intervention in the mean score of both groups (p<0.008).Mean score of the case group increased by 4.32 after the intervention. Significant difference was found between the hope mean score in the case group, before and after the intervention (p<0.000).Conclusion: The hope promoting interventions were effective in increasing hope in cancer patients. So, for cancer patients, increasing the quality of life, giving educational services, and hope promoting programs are needed, which should b accomplished by suitable methods, for instance, PBL or by patients active participation in the programming process.

Introduction & Objective: Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a source of Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSC) and progenitor cells that can reconstitute the hematopoietic system in patients with malignant and nonmalignant disorders. Mesenchymal stem cell-derived from umbilical cord blood (UCB) have been differentiated to some kind of cells, such as osteobblast, adipoblast and chondroblast in Vitro.This study examined the differentiation of Umbilical Cord Blood (UCB) derived stem cells to functional hepatocytes.Materials & Methods: The present study was an experimental study which was carried out in the Payam-e-Noor University of Tehran in cooperation with Hamedan University of Medical Sciences in 2008. Umbilical cord blood (UCB) was obtained from Fatemieh hospital (Hamadan, Iran). Stem cells were isolated from the cord blood by combining density gradient centrifugation with plastic adherence. When the isolated cells reached 80% confluence, they differentiated to hepatocyte like cells. The medium which was used was consists of DMEM and 10% Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) supplemented with 20 ng/mL Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF), 10 ng/mL basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF) and 20 ng/mL Oncostatin M (OSM).The medium was changed every 3 days and stored for Albumin (ALB), Alpha Fetoprotein (AFP), Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), and urea assay.Finally PAS stain was done to study Glycogen storage in the differentiated cell.Results: Measurement of biochemical factors in different days showed that concentration of albumin (ALB), alpha fetoprotein (AFP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and Urea gradually increased. Also, PAS staining showed the storage of glycogen in these cells.Conclusion: Stem cell-derived from human umbilical cord blood (HUCB) is a new source of cell types for cell transplantation therapy of hepatic diseases and under certain conditions these cells can differentiate into liver cells.

Introduction & Objective: Dysmenorrhea is a common gynecologic disorder which at least fifty percent of women experience through their reproductive period. The most important cause of primary dysmenorrhea is the enhancement of prostaglandins production and its role in the appearance of the pain. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of[1]acupressure and vitamin E in reduction of the severity of pain in primary dysmenorrhea.Materials & Methods: This was a randomized clinical trial study to compare the effect of the pressure point Sanyinjiao medication and vitamin E on dysmenorrhea. In this study, 100 female students between 18 t0 22 years of age were recruited. The students were randomly allocated into two groups: pressure medication group, and vitamin E group. In the first cycle, no treatment was used. But during the next two cycles, with the start of pain in the pressure medication group, the Sanyinjiao point was pressured for 20 minutes and in the Vitamin E group, each subject used one pill of Vitamin E (200 units), daily. The necessary data was collected by questionnaire and Andrish- Millsom scale of dysmenorrhea. Mann-Whitney, Fridman, Wilcoxon, chi-square and t-test were used for data analysis.Results: The present study revealed that there was a significant difference in the rate of pain during the cycles in both groups. There was a significant difference in pain intensity for each group before and after the treatment (P<0.05). Significant difference was found between two groups in the duration of pain in second months (P<0.05).Conclusion: The findings showed that acupressure at Sanyinjiao point can be used as an effective, available, cost effective intervention for reducing pain in dysmenorrheal.

Introduction & Objective: Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) is a perennial herbaceous essence oil bearing plant which belongs to the Lamiaceae family. This plant is a valuable and important herb which has many therapeutic properties. Recent investigations have shown its excellent anti-irritable bowel syndrome effects. Other properties of this plant are anti-inflammatory, analgesic, promote menstrual flow, antipyretic, antiseptic and anti-rheumatoid effects.This investigation was conducted to study the antibacterial properties of peppermint essence oil, as well as determining the content and composition of essential oil.Materials & Methods: In order to study the effect of the antibacterial activity of the essence oil of peppermint, this experimental study was conducted in 2009 at Hamedan University of Medical Sciences. The aerial parts of the peppermint were harvested in summer when it was in the full blooming stage of the plant. The collected aerial parts were then dried in the shade. The essence oil of the aerial parts was extracted by hydro-distillation technique using Clevenger apparatus and was analyzed by the capillary GC and GC/MS method. Anti bacterial properties of the essence oil on four pathogenic bacteria were determined by using broth dilution and well diffusion agar methods. The collected data were analyzed by the SPSS version 11.5 software, using the independent t-test.Results: The essence oil of peppermint showed the maximum anti bacterial effect on E. coli and the minimum effect on S. aureus and P. aeuroginosa. The essence oil content of aerial parts was 0.69% (w/w) based on dry weight. The amount of menthol which is the main constituent of the oil and as an antiseptic component was 47.9%.Conclusion: Results of this study revealed that the essential oil of peppermint is rich in menthol and can be considered as an antibacterial agent in drug and food industries.

Introduction & Objective: Pterygium is a wing-shaped fold of conjunctiva and fibrovascular tissue invades the superficial cornea.The occurrence of pterygia is strongly correlated with UV exposure, although dryness, inflammation, and exposure to wind and dust or other irritants are also important factors. Pterygium is usually asymptomatic, but it can cause photophobia, tearing, and foreign body sensation. It can also decrease vision by inducing with the regular and irregular astigmatism. Unfortunately, the recurrence rate is high; averaging approximately 40% in various studies. Recurrences generally occur rapidly, within 2 to 3 months of surgery. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of subconjunctivaly injection of mitomicin-C in preventing the recurrence of pterygium.Materials & Methods: This study was a simple randomized clinical trial which was carried out at Imam Sajjad Hospital of Yasuj, Iran. In this study, 157 eyes (48 men, 64 women) with primary pterygium were allocated in intervention (83 eyes, 54 patients) and control (74 eyes, 58 patients) groups. The mean age of the patients was 48. In the inversion group we injected .1 ML of mitomycin C .2% subconjunctivally in to the pterygium body, 1 month before pterygium excision. After the pterygium was excised, the bare sclera was covered by sliding adjacent superior conjunctiva in both groups. The follow up period was 3 months.Recurrence was defined as the postoperative re-growth of fibrovascular tissue crossing the cornea. The data was analyzed by the SPSS software using Fisher's exact test and Chi-square test.Results: The recurrence rate was 1.2% (1 eye) and 9.45% (7 eyes) in intervention and control groups, respectively, with significance difference between groups (P=0.027). The mean degree of astigmatism was improved with surgery in both groups.Conclusion: Both subconjunctival mitomycin C injection before pterygium excision and conjunctival auto graft are safe and are effective treatments in reducing of pterygium recurrence.Regarding the reduction of pterygium recurrence after subconjunctivaly Mitomicin-C injection, it can be concluded that this method is an effective treatment in pterygium surgery.

Introduction & Objective: Dorema aucheri (Apieaceae) contains chemical compounds including flavonoids and coumarins.Flavonoids have estrogenic properties and coumarins have antiandrogenic properties. The compounds are very effective on the HPG axis. In the present study, the effect of Dorema aucheri alcoholic extract on LH, FSH, testosterone and DHT hormones on adult male rats were determined.Materials & Methods: This was an experimental study in which male adult rats were chosen and divided into 5 groups: control group which did not received any extract, sham groups which took distilled water, experimental groups, which orally took 100, 200 and 400 mg per kg of the Dorema aucheri extract for 28 consecutive days. Then the animals were weighed and the blood sample of each group was taken and used for measuring of the serum concentration of FSH, LH, DHT and testosterone. The collected data were analyzed by the SPSS software using ANOVA and ttest.Result: The results revealed no differences in the average weight of the body and concentration of FSH hormone in the experimental group compared with the control and sham group. However significant difference was found between the concentration of LH, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in the experimental group compared with the rest groups. Concentration of testosterone in the minimum dosage of extracts showed significant increase while significant decrease was seen in the higher dose. Significant increase was seen in the concentration of LH in all doses. DHT serum concentration in the minimum dose showed significant decrease while significant increase was seen in higher dosage.Conclusion: It seems that the flavonoids compound of Dorema aucheri extract caused the LH hormone to increase prolactin.Using the extract increases the LH hormone and inhibition of aromatase and 5 alfa reductase enzymes cause the testosterone and DHT hormone to increase in higher dosage.

Introduction & Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of food guide pyramid education on the knowledge of 5 to 6 year-old children in kindergarten in Shiraz, Iran, using play and show methods.Materials & Methods: 62 children, 5 to 6 years old, were selected from one of the districts of Shiraz pre-schools by random cluster sampling. Subjects were divided into two groups. One group was educated by show and the other group by play and drawings.However, in both groups, they were educated using the same subjects about the food guide pyramid. The results were recorded by some tests before and after the intervention and were analyzed by the SPSS software using two sample t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test.Results: In both groups, after being taught about food guide pyramids, their knowledge about the number of food groups and recognizing them were improved (P<0.001). In both groups, their knowledge about the priority of any good and bad snack improved after the intervention, but this increase was significant only in the drawing and playing group (P<0.05).Conclusion: In a happy environment, children can gain good capacities for nutrition education and also playing and drawing can provide good interactions. Therefore, this method can be a useful choice for informing the children.

Introduction & Objective: Depression is a prevalent psychiatrical disease and among the most disabling psychiatrical health problems in various societies. It has been estimated that, till the year 2020, depression will be the second prevalent disease after cardio-vascular disease and will include 15% of the human diseases. This study was carried out to determine the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Mentha piperita (complement treatment) on patient's depression severity.Materials and Methods: This is a triple blind random clinical trial research carried out on depressed patients referred to the Shahid Mofateh Clinic of Yasouj city during 2007-2008. The patient's depression severity was evaluated by Beck questionnaire and they were divided into 5 groups as random allocation and each group consisted of 24 persons. Then, Hydroalcoholic extract of Mentha piperita was given to four groups at the rate of 10.0mg, 50.0mg, 100.0mg and 200.0mg respectively per day and the fifth group received placebo. The treatment was continued for a period of two months. After this period, again the depression rates of patients were evaluated with the help of same questionnaire and were compared with the rates before the intervention. Collected data were analyzed with the help of descriptive tests, x2 statistical tests, one way variance analyzed and variance with repeated measurements.Results: The results of the study indicated that the highest anti depression effect was seen in those patients who received 100.0mg and 200.0mg of the extract and the lowest rate allocated to the groups of 50.0mg, placebo group and 10.0mg respectively.Statistical analysis using repeated measurements confirmed the difference at the level of 0.1 between the mean of depression rate of the five research groups before and after intervention (p=0.078).Conclusion: Based on the results of the current study, spearmint juice at the rate of 100.0mg and 200.0mg can be used as supplement in treatment of depressed patients. However, more studies are needed to find out the proper dose of the extract.

Introduction & Objective: Organic solvents have a broad range of application in industry. Hepatotoxicity of different organic halogenated solvents like carbon tetrachloride has been verified in numerous studies; however, studies investigating the association between the occupational exposure with aromatic organic solvents like benzene, toluene & xylene and hepatic toxicity are limited. The goal of this study was to review the long term effects of exposure with mixture of aromatic organic solvents, in higher amounts of permissible level, on hepatic system.Materials & methods: This is a cross sectional study which was conducted in an automobile plant. Workers employed in the painting saloon were considered as cases and workers in assembly as controls. A questionnaire, containing demographic data like age and years of employment, was completed for each of 349 workers. After considering exclusion criteria, liver enzyme level (AST, ALT & ALP) of 163 case workers was compared with 186 controls. Concentration of mixture of organic solvents in painting saloon was twice and a half as much of the permissible level. The collected data was analyzed by the SPSS software, using T score, K2 and Linear Regression.Results: The Mean level of ALP in case group was significantly higher than the control group (P<0.001). For AST and ALT the mean was higher in the case group but this difference was not statistically significant. Increase in ALP level had a significant association with BMI (P<0.001) and smoking (P=0.007); yet, no significant relation was seen with age and years of employment.Conclusion: Our study suggested that exposure with mixture of aromatic organic solvents, in higher amounts of permissible level, can cause mild functional liver damage (cholestatic type). So, it is recommended to use liver function tests, especially ALP, for screening of workers exposed to mixture of aromatic organic solvents, for preliminary detection of hepatic dysfunction.

Introduction & Objective: Knowledge and attitude about sex are very important elements in sexual dysfunction. The aim of the present study was to study the effectiveness of sexual cognitive behavioral therapy on improvement of sexual knowledge, sexual attitude, and sexual self-confidence in women.Materials & methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with pre- and post test and a control group. Thirty married women were selected through simple random sampling method and assigned into experimental and control groups. The Sexual knowledge questionnaire (Ann Hooper); the Sexual Self-Confidence Questionnaire (Ann Hooper) and the Sexual Attitude Questionnaire (Khushabi & Valaie) were used for data collecting. The experimental group received sexual cognitive-behavioral therapy while the control group was in the waiting list.Results: The results showed that interventions were effective in women sexual knowledge (p<0.0001), sexual attitude (P<0.0001), and sexual self-confidence (P<0.0001).Conclusion: It was concluded that sexual cognitive-behavioral therapy could improve female sexual knowledge, sexual attitude and sexual self-confidence.

Introduction & Objective: Brachytherapy using I-125 radioactive seeds in removable episcleral plaques (EP) is often used in treatment of ocular malignant melanoma. Some radioactive seeds are fixed in a gold bowl-shaped plaque. The plaque is sutured to the sclera surface corresponding to the base of the intraocular tumor, allowing for a localized radiation dose delivery to the tumor.Minimum target doses as high as 85Gy are directed at malignant tumor. The aim of this study was to develop a Monte Carlo simulation of an ocular plaque in order to calculate the resulting isodose distributions.Materials & Methods: The MCNP-4C Monte Carlo code is used to simulate the plan of an episcleral plaque treatment. A 20-mm Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study (COMS) plaque with 3, I-125 seed of model 6711 was used. Resulting dose distributions, including central axis dose and off-axis dose profiles, were calculated in a water phantom with 12mm radius. The calculated dose distributions were compared to the corresponding dose measured by Knuten et al., 2001.Results: Central axis dose calculations represent a rapid dose fall off, which is an important factor in selection of appropriate eye plaque for management of tumors with known dimension.Calculated off-axis dose profiles show decreased dose uniformity at distances close to the plaque. Increasing of distance from the plaque resulted in increasing of the dose uniformity.Conclusion: Monte Carlo simulation of eye plaques can be used as a useful tool in process of design, development and treatment planning of ocular radioactive plaques.

Introduction & objective: Unilateral Twin Ectopic Pregnancy is very rare and only 100 cases have been reported till now. Bilateral Twin Ectopic pregnancy is the rarest type of Dizigotic twin pregnancy. We have reported a case of Bilateral Twin ectopic pregnancy with live simultaneous llntra Uterine Pregnancy that its prevalence is unclear. We didn’t find any similar cases in the literature.Case: The patient was a 34-year-old woman with intermittent crampic pain in both abdominal lower quadrants for 2 days. The patient had a history of abortion and also a secondary infertility and HMG Injection. The ultra-sonography showed a 12 week pregnancy uterus with bilateral ovarian cyst where one of them was ruptured and a large amount of fluid in pelvic cavity was seen.Therefore, a decision was made for surgery. During operation, two much dilated non ruptured area in left falopian tube and two ectopic pregnancies in the right fallopian tube were seen which one of them was ruptured.Conclusion: Considering the ectopic pregnancy, when encountering women in reproductive age is necessary and any pregnant woman with abdominal pain must be considered for.