مجله دانشگاه علوم پزشکی شهید صدوقی یزد
سال سی‌ام شماره 12 (پیاپی 196، اسفند 1401)

As the world's population increases, the incidence of infertility is increasing, and infertility is now considered to affect 8–12% of couples worldwide. Assisted reproductive technology (ART) such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is revolutionizing the field of reproductive medicine and strives continuously to provide infertile patients with access to appropriate and efficient treatments. However, some causes leading to total/low fertilization rate in ART have been addressed. Phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ) is the main sperm-specific factor responsible for triggering oocyte activation (OA). Therefore, PLCζ abnormalities, including low and absent expression as well as its mutation has been described as one of the fertility rate inducers resulted from the oocyte activation deficiency and sperm parameters abnormalities and failed IVF and ICSI cycles. In this review article we have aimed to focus on the latest information of the PLCζ published data in the Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct and PubMed databases and resulted in the failed IVF and ICSI and recurrent ICSI and IVF failure. In addition the investigations on PLCζ gene and its coded protein in the animals have been also reported.

Studies have shown that the change in PLCζ expression and its mutations can cause a decrease in the fertilization rate due to egg activation defects and abnormalities in sperm parameters and failure in ART.

In recent years, the health-giving properties of probiotics have attracted the attention of many researchers. Probiotics are vital microorganisms that can play a useful role in improving human health if they are used consistently and adequately. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are the most common probiotic bacteria that are introduced as the normal flora of the body. Probiotics can have a beneficial effect on improving human health by inhibiting or reducing pathogenic microorganisms. They can play an effective role in the treatment and prevention of various diseases such as constipation, oral and dental diseases, cancer, diarrhea, Helicobacter pylori infection and similar diseases. The purpose of this study is to review probiotics and their impact on preventing and improving human health.

Based on the studies, it can be concluded that the continous and sufficient consumption of probiotics can prevent and improve human diseases.

Maxillary sinus drains through the primary maxillary ostium into the infundibulum, then flows through the hiatus semilunaris into the middle meatus and communicates with the nasal cavity. The maxillary sinus ostium is located approximately at the most superior part of the medial wall of the sinus. Accessory maxillary ostium (AMO) may play a role in sinusitis, but the effect of heredity or environment on the presence or absence of AMO is unknown.The aim of this study was to assess the primary and accessory maxillary ostium.

In this descriptive-cross-sectional study, 130 Cone Beam Computed Tomography scans (260 sinuses in total) from the maxilla of patients referred to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, School of Dentistry of Isfahan Azad University were examined in Isfahan City, Iran (in the year 2021-2022). Measurements were performed in the coronal section by On Demand 3D software. Statistical analysis was performed by T-Test, Exact fisher, Shapiro-Wilk and Spearman tests through SPSS statistics version 16.

The mean diameter of primary maxillary ostium was 1.33 ± 0.45 on the right and 1.33 ± 0.5 on the left, respectively. AMO was observed in 64% of the left sinuses and 38.5% of the right sinuses. Increased sinus mucosal thickness was seen in 26% of the right sinuses and 28% of the left sinuses, and finally Mucous Retention Cyst in 9% of the right sinuses and 8% of left sinuses, respectively.

Primary maxillary ostium size was not statistically significant related to the variables of age, sex and the presence of AMO, but on the right side, the average primary maxillary ostium size is less if there is increase in the thickness of the sinus mucosa than when there is no increase in the thickness.

Diabetic nephropathy is a common complication in the patients with diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of six weeks of high-intensity interval training on TGF-b1 and SMAD7 gene expression in kidney tissue of elderly diabetic male Wistar rats.

In this study, 36 male 21-month old Wistar rats, with the weight of 340 to 390 grams were randomly divided into three groups: healthy control, diabetes, and diabetes- training. The training group, performed high-intensity interval training five times per week for six weeks, healthy and diabetic control groups have not done any exercises. 24 hours after the last training session, rats were sacrificed and kidney tissues were extracted to examine TGF-b1 and SMAD7 genes expression by Real-Time PCR method. To determine the difference among the groups, one-way analysis of variance with Tukeys Post hoc test was used at the significant level of P<0.05. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS software version 16.

The results showed that six weeks of high intensity interval training led to a significant decrease in TGF-b1 gene expression in kidney tissue compared to the diabetic group (P=0.001). In addition, a significant increase in SMAD7 gene expression in kidney tissue was observed in the diabetes- training group compared to the diabetes group (P=0.008).

According to the findings of the present study, it seems that high-intensity interval training can probably exert protective effects against nephropathy by reducing the expression of the TGF-b1gene and increasing the expression of the SMAD7 gene in kidney tissue. Because this research was conducted on elderly diabetic rats, it is suggested to check and confirm this training method in diabetic human models.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) causes successive changes in the stomach wall, which starts with inflammation of the stomach mucosa and in some cases leads to stomach cancer. The leoA gene, by encoding GTPase, plays a vital role in the pathogenicity of this bacterium in the gastric mucosa. The secretory vesicles produced by the leoA gene release poison and stimulate the immune system in the host's body. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the gene vaccine pEGFP-C2-leoA on the expression changes of cytokines such as IL6, IL4, and interferon-gamma in inflammation caused by Helicobacter pylori infection in a mouse model.

In this interventional experimental study, recombinant plasmid (pEGFP-C2-leoA) was produced, propagated, and extracted through transformation into susceptible bacterial cells. Then, suitable concentrations of 1% chitosan nanoparticles solution were prepared for injection into the quadriceps muscle of BALB/c mice. Finally, the gene expression and changes of the mentioned cytokines were measured by Real-Time RT-PCR method, the obtained results were statistically analyzed by SPSS version 16 software; One way ANOVA test and subsequent LSD test, as well as independent t-test, were used to check the existence of correlation and the significance level of the data.

After the injection of the vaccine into the quadriceps muscle of mice during the treatment period, cytokines IFNᵧ (<0.038) and IL6 (<0.049) showed a significant increase in expression. On the other hand, cytokine IL4 and the leoA gene also showed a significant decrease in expression (>0.042).

Based on the results, the leoA gene cloned in the expression vector pEGFP-C2 has the ability to express and produce the specific protein product of this gene in eukaryotic cells, and according to the results obtained in the animal model and the immune characteristic obtained in this research it is shown that the final construct pEGFP-C2-leoA has the necessary potential to investigate immunogenicity in a human model as a gene vaccine.

Torsion of spermatic cord induces ischemic-reperfusion injury which leads to testicular dysfunction, apoptosis of germ cells, ROS generation and infertility. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a rich source of growth factors and anti-inflammatory cytokines. In this study, the effects of PRP on spermatogenesis and sperm chromatin condensation after ischemia-reperfusion injury were evaluated.

Forty adult male mice were procured in the study. Control group, torsion/ detorsion group, negative control group: torsion/ detorsion surgery with intra testicular injection of culture medium, treatment group: torsion/ detorsion surgery with intra testicular injection of PRP. After one cycle of spermatogenesis, histomorphometric evaluation was performed by PAS staining and sperm chromatin condensation was assessed by aniline blue staining. Data was analyzed by using SPSS Statistics and ANOVA followed by Tukey test.

The mean number of spermatogenic cells, Sertoli, Leydig, Myoid, Johnson score and mean diameter and thickness of germinal epithelium were significantly decreased following ischemia-reperfusion injury. Mean thickness of seminiferous tubules basement membrane as well as sperm percentage with residual histone increased after ischemia-reperfusion injury (P <0.001). After PRP treatment, there was a significant improvement in the histological structure of the tubules, cell viability, and sperm chromatin condensation (P <0.001). While, a significant difference was observed in comparison with control group.

PRP can partially ameliorate the complications of ischemia-reperfusion injury through its growth factors and anti-inflammatory cytokines involved in angiogenesis and antioxidant activity.

Accidental ingestion of caustic substances can cause serious damage to the digestive system. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the incidence of esophageal stricture within one year after accidental ingestion of caustic substances and its relationship with the first endoscopic findings in children.

The present study was a retrospective and cross-sectional study that has been conducted for 3 years on children with accidental ingestion of caustic substances referred to Shahid Sadoughi Hospital in Yazd City (August 2015-2015). Demographic information, type and amount of ingested material, initial symptoms, initial endoscopic findings and degree of esophageal tissue burn were recorded and the patients were followed up for one year. Finally, the data were analyzed by SPSS version 22 software.

In this study, 55 children were evaluated, their average age was 3.19 years. Participants consisted of 23 (41.8%) girls and 32 (58.2%) boys. Children had ingested pipe openers chemicals (30.9%), bleach liquid (29.1%) and  hydrochloric acid (12.7%), respectively. Initial endoscopic findings were normal in 45.5% of children, and the most damage was grade IIb and IIa. The incidence rate of esophageal stricture in month later was 47.3%, and in the year later, the total incidence of stricture and GOO was 27.3% (16.4% of esophageal stricture and 7.3% of stricture and GOO).

The present study showed that esophageal injury following the accidental ingestion of caustic substances is common in children, and the presence of symptoms in the patients at the beginning of the visit can be associated with higher grade injuries, and the occurrence of stricture is more common after severe injuries.

The purpose of the present study was comparing the effects of Lipoherb with metformin on metabolic changes and sex hormones of rats with polycystic ovary syndrome

Thirty female Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups (n=6). Group (1): received normal saline for 56 days, group (2): received letrozole (1mg/kg) for 28 days and normal saline for the next 28 days, group (3): in the first 28 days, they received letrozole carrier and in the next 28 days, they received Lipoherb (320 mg/kg), group (4): they received letrozole (1mg/kg) for 28 days and Lipoherb (320 mg/kg) in the next 28 days, group (5): they received letrozole (mg/kg) for 28 days and metformin (250 mg/kg) in the next 28 days. Letrozole at the dose of 1 mg/kg for 28 days induced polycystic ovary syndrome. At the beginning and at the end of the experiment, fasting blood sugar level, lipid profile and sex hormones were measured by ELISA method.

 Blood sugar in the letrozole plus metformin group was significantly lower than letrozole group (P<0.01). The amount of serum triglyceride and LDL cholesterol in the group that received letrozole and Lipoherb were significantly decreased compared to letrozole group (P>0.05). In the same group, total cholesterol concentration also decreased significantly compared to other groups (P>0.01). The serum level of estrogen in the group received Lipoherb was significantly lower compared to letrozole group (P<0.05).

Compared to metformin, Lipoherb had more ability to correct the metabolic symptoms of rats with polycystic ovary syndrome. However, the hormonal effects of Lipoherb did not differ significantly from the hormonal effects of metformin in polycystic ovary syndrome.