مجله مطالعات علوم پزشکی
سال سی و یکم شماره 5 (امرداد 1399)

Doxorubicin has been widely used to treat solid tumors and blood malignancies, but its toxicity has limited its application. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effects of lactoferrin against doxorubicin toxicity on the main gonad of rats.

24 Adult male Wistar rats were divided into four groups. Control group received physiological saline intraperitoneally and then orally, the second group received doxorubicin intraperitoneally, the third group received intraperitoneal doxorubicin, oral lactoferrin four hours after drug administration, and the fourth group received oral lactoferrin. The administration was performed weekly. After dissection, the testes of the animal were studied after tissue passage and staining.

There was a statistically significant difference in mean diameter of seminiferous tubules between the control and doxorubicin groups and between the control and doxorubicin + lactoferrin groups (p≤0.05). There was also a statistically significant difference in mean diameter of seminiferous tubules between lactoferrin group and doxorubicin and doxorubicin + lactoferrin groups (p≤0.05). The mean difference between doxorubicin and doxorubicin + lactoferrin groups was also statistically significant (p≤0.05). There was a significant difference between the mean thickness of germinal epithelium between the control and doxorubicin groups and between the control and doxorubicin + lactoferrin groups (p≤0.05). There was also a statistically significant difference between lactoferrin group and doxorubicin and doxorubicin + lactoferrin groups (p≤0.05). Moreover, lactoferrin co-treatment led to a considerable increase of PCNA- and HSP70-positive cells compared to the doxorubicin-only group (p≤0.05).

Lactoferrin can be used to reduce the side effects of doxorubicin on reproductive organs such as the testis.

Echinococcosis is endemic in many sheep-raising areas of the world. Cardiac involvement in patients with hydatid disease is uncommon (<2%). Here, we report a 30-year-old shepherd from Oshnavie, West Azarbaijan who was presented with right hemiparesis and admitted in neurosurgery ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Urmia, Iran because of a large cystic lesion in brain MRI. There was left bundle branch block in ECG and transthoracic echocardiogram revealed a large cyst in the left ventricle. In endemic areas, hydatid cyst should be considered in the differential diagnosis of heterogeneous echogenic lesions even if the serologic tests are negative. This patient was candidate for a cardiac surgery but unfortunately due to the limitations in this city, he was referred to a more equipped center. Patient underwent cardiac surgery in that center and the brain operation was performed a few weeks later.

The anti-cancer effects of insect larvae were demonstrated in cancer cells in traditional medicine. Identification and extraction of anticancer compounds from insects can reduce the problems of cancer patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the anti-proliferative and apoptotic properties of different concentrations of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Tenebrio molitor larvae on breast cancer cells (Mcf-7).

The larvae used in this study were reared at the research insect farm of Razi University. Larvae were frozen and then dried before starting pupation. Their aqueous and ethanolic extracts were derived. Concentrations of 20, 40, 80, and 160 μg/ml of each extract were added to the cell culture. The group without extract was considered as control. Anti-proliferative activity was evaluated by MTT assay and apoptosis by acridine orange-ethidium bromide staining.

Application of ethanolic extract in low concentrations (20, 40 μg/ml) to the culture had the greatest cell cytotoxicity effect compared to aqueous extract with same concentration (p<0.05). In addition, the 40 μg/ml concentration of aqueous extract had a significant effect on cell cytotoxicity in comparison to the 20 μg/ml concentration (p<0.05). However, high concentrations, 120 μgr/ml of aqueous and ethanolic extracts, significantly increased the proliferation compared to the control (p>0.05). Similar results were observed in apoptosis assay.

In conclusion, larval ethanolic extract appeared to have a better effect on cytotoxicity and apoptosis of breast cancer cells in comparison to the aqueous extracts. Investigations for finding new and efficient natural anti-cancer extracts can improve our knowledge about natural-based medicines with fewer side effects.

In this experimental study, the effect of hypotaurine on in vitro fertilization and fertility of oocytes from mice with experimental polycystic ovary syndrome was designed and performed.

In this experimental study, NMRI mice aged 6 to 8 weeks were used. The mice were divided into two groups, control and experimental PCOS. For induction of experimental PCOS, Estradiol Valerate (100 mg/kg, IP) was injected. Then, for ovulation, the injection was performed first with 7.5 IU PMSG in the volume of 0.1 ml and 46-48 hours later with 7.5 IU hCG in the volume of 0.1 ml. Finally, 0/1, 1 and 10 μM curcumin were added to the culture medium of oocytes of PCOS group and development in different groups were evaluated (P <0.05).

Most of the arrested embryos had a high percentage of lysis and fragmentation and the arrested embryos were type I and II. The addition of hypotaurin reduced the rate of lysis and fragmentation and decreased the percentage of arrested embryos. Lesser arrested embryos were type III (P <0.05). This study showed that 1 μM hypotaurin increased fertilization percentage and 10 μM hypotaurin increased the percentage of two-cell embryos and also increased the percentage of blastocytes (P <0.05).

The results showed that addition of certain concentrations of hypotaurin as an antioxidant, improved and increased the fertilization rate and the percentage of two-cell embryos. It can also be helpful in increasing the percentage of blastocysts.

In this study, the critical limit of muscle fatigue was evaluated for patients who use Functional Neural Electrical Stimulation (FNES) rehabilitation devices for walking. These patients do not have voluntary muscle control and have to be artificially stimulated to walk and their fatigue is not recognized in time because of the lack of sensation in their muscles. With the help of this system, it is done more safely and its usage can speed up the training process.

In this study, the time of approaching the critical point of fatigue for Quadriceps muscles in patients with spinal cord injury was investigated. Patients having the injury level between T4-T12 were randomly selected. A system was designed to stimulate the Quadriceps muscle and identify the results before reaching critical fatigue.

By adjusting the electrical stimulation diagrams and the modified electromyogram diagram in the early cycles of quadriceps muscle stimulation, the muscle initially started with a higher slope, but after 5–8 cycles, this difference reached its minimum. This slope difference begins again when approaching the fatigue phase. The voltage required to stimulate the female patients was 180 volts and the male patients needed 225 volts to raise their shins by 60 degrees.

The results of the experiments after the MVIC of quadriceps reached 80% averaged over 290 cycles equivalent to 232 m. There was also a significant relationship between regular use of the device and delay in the onset of muscle fatigue (p <0.001). After repeated testing, all subjects experienced fatigue after a longer period (11% on average).

Preterm labor is a complex process affected by several factors through which cervical failure plays a vital role in some patients. During the pregnancy, the proper cervical function is required to maintain the fetus in the uterus. Softness and shortness of the cervix are two main causes of preterm delivery.  The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the cervical softening and deformation of amniotic sac on mechanical function of the cervix under the organ mechanical environment.

A 3D model of the uterus, cervix, and fetal membrane of a pregnant woman was built based on MR imaging in order to analyze the mechanical function of the uterus and cervix under physiological loading of pregnancy. In this study, to describe the collagenous tissue of the uterus and cervix, a hyperelastic composite material with a neo-Hookean ground substance assuming a continuous random fiber distribution was used. The effect of cervical remodeling on preterm delivery was studied using two types of fibers, pregnant, soft, and deformed, and non-pregnant, rigid and non-deformed. Also, the geometrical effects of amniotic sac have been studied by assuming two different geometries for amniotic sac which are deformed, and non-deformed. Behavior of tissue deformation resulted from stress, changes in the geometry of the organs and the interaction between the uterus, cervix and fetal membrane have been studied using finite element method and patient-specific geometry based on previous experimental and numerical investigations.

The amount of stress obtained at the front part of the internal mouth of the cervix of the basic model, the part where the highest concentration of stress and deformation occurred, as predicted by previous studies is approximately 5 kPa. In other models, the effective stress is less than this value, and is at least equal to 5.3 kPa. The strain rate in the soft cervical model and the deformed amniotic sac was higher than other models because both causes of early delivery exist simultaneously.

The present model shows that changes in the geometry of amniotic sac increase the load on the cervix and initiates the funneling. Funneling is a process in which the initial dilation of the cervix causes the production of chemical signals by the cervix smooth muscle cells causing further cervical dilatation and ultimately cervical insufficiency, which is one of the most important causes of preterm labor.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 8 weeks of aerobic exercise with Nano eugenol supplementation on inflammatory factors of TNF-a and IL-1B and histological changes of dorsal root ganglion in diabetic rats.

25 Wistar 8-week-old male rats were divided into 5 groups: Normal control group, Diabetic control group (Model), Diabetic + exercise group (Model + Exe), Diabetic group + Nano vaginal (Model + Nano), and Diabetic + exercise training + nano eugenol (Model + Exe + Nano). The diabetes model was induced by peritoneal injection of streptozotocin to the respective groups. The eugenol supplement was also gavaged to the supplement groups. Exercise groups also exercised for 8 weeks, 5 days a week (30 m / min).

Induction of diabetes using STZ led to destruction of the tissue and cell alignment in the DRG region. Gene changes also showed that TNF-a and IL-1B inflammatory factors showed a significant increase in the DRG region in the diabetic group compared to the control group (p = 0.001 for both variables). The study of therapeutic modalities also showed that only the diabetic + exercise + nanougenol group showed a significant decrease in TNF-a compared to the diabetic group (p = 0.001).

According to the results of the present study, it seems that the use of nanougenol supplementation along with exercise training may be effective in controlling the neurological damage of diabetes by negatively regulating the inflammatory factor TNF-a, especially in the DRG region.

Chemical toxins such as carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) cause liver dysfunction. In this regard, the hepatoprotective effect of antioxidants against these toxins has been studied previously. Since herbal agents, including Nepeta species, are the major source of antioxidants, the present study aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Nepeta ispahanica (N. ispahanica) against acute liver injury induced by CCl4 in male rats.

In this experimental study, different doses of hydroalcoholic extract of N. ispahanica and Legalone were fed to male rats separately and then acute liver injury was induced by oral administration of CCl4 in liquid paraffin. Liver enzyme activity and lipid peroxidation in liver and plasma, as well as the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH) in liver tissue, were evaluated.

The findings indicated that the 10-day administration of hydroalcoholic extract of N.ispahanica at dose of 500 mg/kg significantly decreased the serum activity of liver enzymes compared to the CCl4 group and significantly decreased liver MDA and increased SOD, CAT, and GSH levels and protected the liver from CCl4 injury.

According to the presented findings, hydroalcoholic extract of N.ispahanica had a partial protection against CCl4-induced liver injury in male rats and this role is probably due to the presence of phenolic and flavonoid compounds.