مجله دانشکده پزشکی اصفهان
پیاپی 358 (هفته دوم دی ماه 1394)

Among the various methods of cancer treatment, the method is more considered which has the most toxicity on the cancerous cells and the minimal side effects on patients’ healthy cells. Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds which due to their biochemical and therapeutic effects have attracted scientists’ attention. This study aimed to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of apigenin as a flavonoid in anti-tumor immunity and tumor-growth inhibition.

This study was carried out on Balb/c tumor-bearing mice, aged from six to eight weeks. First, the optimized dose of apigenin was determined through delayed-typed hypersensitivity (DTH) test. Then, breast cancer tumor were induced through tissue transplant method and after 12 days of treatment, their spleen lymphocyte proliferation and spleen lymphocyte cytokine production were assessed via measuring the amounts of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and gamma interferon (IFN-γ).

Apigenin caused an increased delayed-typed hypersensitivity (P < 0.05), decreased tumor volume (P < 0.05), increased the IFN-γ level (P < 0.05) and decreased the IL-4 level (P < 0.05). As well as the lymphocyte proliferation in apigenin-treated mice increased significantly in comparison to the control group (P < 0.05).

Apigenin can cause an increased delayed-typed hypersensitivity in Balb/c female mice and decreased tumor-growth in tumor-bearing mice and can alter the cytokine ratio to IFN-γ. Increase of IFN-γ and decrease of IL-4 in apigenin-treated mice show that apigenin can switch the mouse immune system towards Th1 and cell-mediated immune responses. Considering this issue can be expected that apigenin is a proper drug for cancer treatment.

Abstract

Limited data are available linking diet-related practices to functional dyspepsia (FD). We aimed to investigate the Relationship between the meal frequency and prevalence of functional dyspepsia among a large sample of Iranian adults.

In this cross-sectional study, 4763 individuals of general adult population in Isfahan, Iran, were asked to report how many main meals and snacks they consumed each day. Frequency of total meals was defined by summing up the frequency of main meals and snacks and participants were categorized into 4 categories of < 3, 3-5, 6-7 and ≥ 8 meals/day. The symptoms of functional dyspepsia were assessed using a validated Persian version of Rome III questionnaire. Functional dyspepsia was defined as bothersome postprandial fullness, early satiation, and/or epigastric pain or epigastric burning.

Compared to those who had one main meal/day, individuals who had consumed 3 main meals/day had a lower chance for early satiation (Odds Ratio: 0.44; 95% Confidence Interval: 0.21-0.90). In Addition, compared to those that never consumed snacks, individuals who had consumed 3 to 5 snacks/day were 39% less likely to have functional dyspepsia (OR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.40-0.92), 42% lower odds of postprandial fullness (OR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.34-0.98) and 43% lower chance of epigastric pain (OR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.34-0.97). After adjustment for potential confounders, including diet-related behaviors, individuals with 6-7 total meal and snacks/day had lower odds of functional dyspepsia (OR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.31-0.82) compared with those with less than 3 meal and snacks/day. Such inverse association was also seen between the meal and snack frequency and early satiation (OR: 0.32; 95% CI: 0.16-0.63) and postprandial fullness (OR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.29-0.98).

We found an inverse association between the meal and snack frequency and prevalence of functional dyspepsia and its components. Prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.

The effect of mood disorders on cognitive and metacognitive processes and large association of dysfunctional attitudes with longer periods of bouts of depression is proven. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on reducing symptoms and adjusting dysfunctional attitudes in patients with bipolar disorder, in order to reach an adjuvant treatment for medical treatments in such patients.

In this quasi-experimental study with pretest, posttest and control group, 30 patients, 10 men and 20 women, selected through convenience sampling from psychiatric clinics in Isfahan, Iran. They were diagnosed to have bipolar disorder (types I or II), according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR), received standard medical treatment with mood stabilizers and were randomly put in two groups. Test group received medical treatment along with cognitive-behavioral therapy (10 individual sessions) and the control group received only medical treatment. Young’s mania rating scale (YMRS), bipolar depression rating scale (BDRS) and dysfunctional attitudes scale (DAS) were used before and right after the termination of treatment. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance and covariance test.

Controlling the covariate variables, differences between the medians of test and control groups for all three variables of symptoms of mania, depression and adjustment of dysfunctional attitudes were significant (P < 0.01 for all).

Cognitive-behavioral therapy as an adjuvant psychological treatment can be effective in reducing symptoms and adjusting dysfunctional attitudes in patients with bipolar disorder. Therefore, providing regular protocols of cognitive behavioral therapy and adding them to medical treatment of these patients and also comparing the effect of this therapy and other psychological treatments is suggested for future studies.

Neural crest cells, as vertebrate-specific multipotent migratory stem cells, play a vital role in development of many embryonic organs. These cells dispart from the dorsal part of developing neural tube and then, migrate to different parts of the body, contributing to the formation of verity structures. In the head region of vertebrate, a population of neural crest cells migrates to the pharyngeal arch and periocular mesenchyme and makes critical contribution to the developing ear and eye. Understanding the contribution of neural crest cells in formation of these important sense organs is relevant both for basic science knowledge and human clinical concern. As there was no comprehensive review on neural crest cells function in ear and eye developing, we aimed to review the studies on the role of neural crest cells in development and formation of ear and eye.