Advanced Biomedical Research
Volume:7 Issue: 6, Jun 2017

Little information is available about chemical components of the Cousinia genus. A primary cytotoxicity screening on Cousinia verbascifolia showed moderate cytotoxic activity against OVCAR‑3 ovarian and HT‑29 colon cancer cells. Therefore, the aim of this study is a phytochemical investigation to identify the compounds responsible for this bioactivity.

Extraction was done through percolation and fractionations by reverse phase column chromatography and normal column chromatography. Using standard 3‑(4,5‑dimethylthiazol‑2‑yl)-2,5‑diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay Fr.b8 with moderate cytotoxicity was selected for identification of major components. Fr.b8 was subjected to polyamide column chromatography. More purification was done using a new modified recycle high‑performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with flow splitter.

Two known compounds: Apigenin (flavone) and caffeic acid (phenolic acid) were obtained from phenolic bioactive fraction for the first time from this plant.

Apigenin and caffeic acid with known antitumor and matrix metalloproteinase inhibitory effects seem to be the bioactive components responsible for moderate cytotoxicity of phenolic fraction. Recycle HPLC following with flow splitting is a new method useful for isolation of closely eluted compounds in HPLC chromatogram.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD), are chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. A combination of environmental factors and interactions with a genetic predisposition are suggested to play an important role in the etiology and pathogenesis of the IBD. Glutathione S‑transferases (GSTs) are multifunctional enzymes involved in the cellular oxidative stress handling. Possible associations between GSTs gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to UC and CD have been reported in different population. The relationship between GSTM1 and GSTT1 deletion polymorphisms and susceptibility to UC and CD were investigated in the Iranian population.

The study was performed in 106 IBD patients and 243 age‑ and sex‑matched healthy Iranian controls consulting the IBD registry center of the Motahari Clinic, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran, between 2011 and 2013. GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotyping were performed using multiplex polymerase chain reaction and differences in the distribution of gene polymorphisms were analyzed statistically between the studied groups.

Statistically significant higher frequency of GSTM1 null genotype was observed in IBD patients (P = 0.01) and in the subgroup of patients with UC (P = 0.04) compared to healthy controls, whereas this was not true for CD patients. No significant association was found between GSTT1 gene polymorphism and UC or CD.

Absence of GSTT1 functional gene does not play an important role in the pathophysiology and development of IBD, UC, and CD in Iranian population whereas GSTM1 null genotype could be considered as a possible genetic predisposing factor for more susceptibility to IBD and UC.

Cancer is a term for a large group of different diseases, all involving uncontrolled cell growth. Many of Euphorbiaceae plants have been traditionally used for the treatment of ulcers, tumors, warts, and other diseases. In addition, in the last decade, there are studies showing cytotoxic effects of different species of Euphorbia on tumor cell lines. In this study, we attempted to determine if Euphorbia turcomanica possess any cytotoxic activity.

Solvents extracted the plant powder with various polarities by a maceration method, and qualitative phytochemical analyzes were carried out on them to identify the constituents. On the other hand, the possible cytotoxicity of different extracts on Hela and HT‑29 tumor cells was measured by 3‑(4,5‑dimethylthiazol‑2‑yl)‑2,5‑diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and 50% reduction in cell survival was considered as a cytotoxic effect. Analyze of variance followed by Student‑Newman‑Keuls test was used to see the differences among the groups.

Phytochemical analysis of E. turcomanica showed the presence of flavonoid, alkaloid, anthraquinone and tannin in plant aerial parts. Methanol‑water, acetone, dichloromethane, methanol, and heptane extracts of E. turcomanica significantly reduced viability of Hela cells (P < 0.05) with inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50) of 50, 90, 230, 420, and 450 µg/ml, respectively. While methanol‑water, dichloromethane, methanol, ethyl acetate, and heptane extracts were cytotoxic with IC50 of 43, 115, 125, 250, and 390 µg/ml, respectively (P < 0.05), on HT‑29 cells.

It can be concluded that E. turcomanica is a good candidate for further study toward cytotoxic agents.

Trimetazidine is a fatty oxidation inhibitor, leading to shifting of energy substrate from fatty acid oxidation toward glucose oxidation that leads to the reduction of oxygen requirement. The aims of the present study were to elucidate the effects of trimetazidine on psychomotor performance and vigilance on normal healthy volunteers.

A total of 234 subjects (age 22–25 years) were recruited in this study. The volunteers were randomizing into two groups with 117 volunteers in each group. Group I received an inert starch capsule served as a control, and Group II received trimetazidine tablet 15 mg/day. The duration of therapy was 5 days. Test procedure was done at 9.00 a.m. on the psychomotor tester. Before the drug administration, prescore values were recorded and then after 5 days of therapy, the postscore values were recorded.

The placebo did not demonstrate a significant effect on all psychomotor performances and flicker‑fusion elements (P > 0.05). Trimetazidine therapy produced a highly significant effect on all components of psychomotor performances and flicker‑fusion parameters (P < 0.001) compared with pretreatment era.

We conclude that trimetazidine improves psychomotor performance and vigilance in normal healthy volunteers through advancing total reaction time and critical flicker‑fusion frequency

Knee pain, is one of the most common causes of patients’ referring to physiatric clinics, and several factors, are involved in its creation. One of these factors is pes anserine bursitis (PAB) for which various treatment methods are used. This study aims to investigate the effect of this method on reducing chronic pain in these patients.

This clinical trial was conducted in 2013‑ 2014 on patients with PAB referring to academic, physical medicine clinics. The patients with chronic PAB (pain duration more than 3 months), who were refractory to conservative treatments, were randomly divided into two 20‑member experimental groups (extracorporeal shock wave therapy [ESWT] and sham ESWT). Pain scores of all patients were measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) (total and present pain indexes [TPIs and PPIs]) before intervention, immediately after intervention (3rd week), and after 8 weeks. The pain scores were then compared and statistically analyzed.

In the ESWT group, the mean patient pain score of the VAS and TPI in MPQ were significantly lower than in the sham ESWT group immediately after intervention (3rd week): P =0.02, P = 0.04 respectively; and 8 weeks after the end of treatment: P =0.01, P = 0.000. Moreover, the PPI in both groups had significantly decreased over time, although in ESWT group this decrement was significantly more than sham ESWT group (P < 0.001).

The results showed that ESWT could be effective in reducing the pain and treating PAB.

Diabetic patients are more susceptible to cutaneous fungal infections. The higher blood sugar levels cause increasing the cutaneous fungal infections in these patients. The main objective of this study was to find the frequency of fungal infections among cutaneous lesions of diabetic patients and to investigate azole antifungal agent susceptibility of the isolates.

In this study, type 1diabetes (n = 78) and type 2 diabetes (n = 44) comprised 47 cases (38.5%) with diabetic foot ulcers and 75 cases (61.5%) with skin and nail lesions were studied. Fungal infection was confirmed by direct examination and culture methods. Antifungal susceptibility testing by broth microdilution method was performed according to the CLSI M27‑A and M38‑A references.

Out of 122 diabetic patients, thirty (24.5%) were affected with fungal infections. Frequency of fungal infection was 19.1% in patients with diabetic foot ulcer and 28% of patients with skin and nail lesions. Candida albicans and Aspergillus flavus were the most common species isolated from thirty patients with fungal infection, respectively. Susceptibility testing carried out on 18 representative isolates (13 C. albicans, five C. glabrata) revealed that 12 isolates (10 C. albicans and two C. glabrata isolates) (66.6%) were resistant (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] ≥64 mg/ml) to fluconazole (FCZ). Likewise, eight isolates (80%) of Aspergillus spp. were resistant (MIC ≥4 mg/ml), to itraconazole.

Our finding expands current knowledge about the frequency of fungal infections in diabetic patients. We noted the high prevalence of FCZ‑resistant Candida spp., particularly in diabetic foot ulcers. More attention is important in diabetic centers about this neglected issue.

An orbital defect causes severe facial asymmetry and disfigurement that result in an immense emotional trauma to the patient and is also associated with economic, esthetic, and psychological problems. A prosthetic replacement is the treatment of choice in helping individual to return to his normal life by producing an acceptable and lifelike appearance. This case report describes the critical areas of fabrication of ocular prosthesis for a patient with missing right eye due to trauma to eye ball in an accident. Patient had given a history of surgical enucleation of the eye 15 days after ocular trauma. A polymethyl methacrylate ocular prosthesis was planned. The technique described in this case report presents the use of both custom‑made and stock eye shell in an attempt to include the benefits of both. A novel attempt was made to simulate eye movements and exact color matching to that of contralateral eye to provide a better and functional ocular prosthesis to the patient.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive brain tumor, which has a poor prognosis despite the advent of different therapeutic strategies. There are numerous molecular biomarkers to contribute diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of response to the current therapy in GBM. One of the most important markers that are potentially valuable is immortalization-specifi c or immortalization-associated marker named “hTERT messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)” the key subunit of telomerase enzyme, which is expressed in more than 85% of cancer cells, in spite of the majority of normal somatic cells. In this study, we investigated the effects of resveratrol (RSV) on this mRNA marker level, leading to cancer progression.

U-87MG cell line was obtained from Pasteur Institute of Iran and treated with various concentrations of 0–160 μg/mL of RSV and at different time points (24, 48, and 72 h). To evaluate viability of U-87MG cells, standard 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay was performed. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used for comparative and quantitative assessment of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) mRNA copy number versus control–untreated group.

The results of our investigation suggested that RSV effectively inhibited cell growth and caused cell death in dose-dependent (P < 0.05) and not in time-dependent manner (P > 0.05), in vitro. Interestingly, quantitative RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that at half inhibition concentration, RSV dramatically decreased mRNA expression of hTERT, the catalytic subunit of telomerase enzyme, which leads to prevention of cell division and tumor progression.

With regard to downregulation of this immortalization-associated marker, RSV may potentially be used as a therapeutic agent against GBM.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic and Gram-negative pathogen that is used as the most important factor in burn wound infections, and due to the rapid acquisition of multidrug resistance (MDR), it causes high mortality rates in these sectors. Thus, diagnosis and assessment of antibiotic resistance patterns are very important in these patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate antibiotic resistance pattern and determining P. aeruginosa MDR.

In this study, phenotypic, biochemical, and polymerase chain reaction tests were used to identify P. aeruginosa from 120 wound burn samples that 96 samples were detected to P. aeruginosa species. In the next step, according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute standard guidelines, antibiogram test was performed by disk diffusion method for amikacin, ciprofl oxacin, norfl oxacin, gentamicin, cefepime, aztreonam, meropenem, colistin, ceftazidime, and piperacillin-tazobactam antibiotics. Antibiotic data were analyzed by WHONET software; fi nally, the rate of antibiotic resistance and MDR strains was determined.

The highest antibiotic resistance belonged to amikacin (94.8%) and norfl oxacin (90.6%); in contrast, colistin (8.3%) had the lowest and the MDR strains were MDR (95.8%) and extensively drug resistance (XDR) (87.5%).

In this study, there was MDR with an alarming rate including MDR (95.8%), XDR (87.5%), and pan-drug resistance (0%). As a result, given antibiotics to patients should be controlled by the antibiogram results to avoid increasing MDR strains.

A large number of stroke patients are not the perfect candidate for craniotomy and invasive procedures, so providing an alternative and noninvasive method, which is applicable in terms of costs and facilities, is necessary. Thus, the present study aimed to determine the effects of mannitol 20% on outcome of the patients with nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in patients admitted to Isfahan’s Al-Zahra Hospital during 2012 and 2013.

This is a clinical trial study which is conducted during 2012–2013 in Isfahan’s Al-Zahra Hospital. In this study, 41 patients suffering from ICH received mannitol 20% for 3 days, and volume of hemorrhage and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of patients were controlled every 12 h. The collected data were analyzed via SPSS software.

The mean ICH volume was 22.1 ± 6.3 ml in pre intervention and 38.4 ± 19.3 ml in post intervention, and according to the t-paired test, before and after treatment the difference was signifi cant (P < 0.001). Hemorrhage volume was stable in nine patients (22%), it increased in 25 patients (61%), and decreased in seven patients (17.1%). The mean index of GCS before and after treatment was 11.85 ± 1.6 and 9.37 ± 2.65, respectively. Moreover according to t-paired test, the difference was signifi cant before and after treatment (P < 0.001). During using mannitol, the GCS index was stable in eight patients (19.5%), it increased in eight patients (19.5%) and decreased in 25 patients (61%).

Mannitol injection was not effective in reducing hemorrhage size, and its use is not recommended, also, further studies in this fi eld have been proposed.

Quinazolinon as an important class of heterocycles is attractive in medicinal research areas due to their wide range of biological effects. Cytotoxic activities of the quinazolinone derivatives in various cell lines including: HeLa, L1210 (mouse lymphocytic leukemia) and HT29 (human colon adenocarcinoma) were reported.

In this study, a number of newly made tricycles quinazolinone derivatives such as fused pyridazino-quinazolinones and fused pyrrolo-quinazolinones were evaluated on two cancerous cell lines, melanoma (B16F10) and prostate (PC3) using the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide colorimetric assay.

The results of cytotoxicity evaluations indicated that almost all of the compounds at the concentrations of 10 and 100 μM showed signifi cant differences in viability in comparison with negative control at 48 h exposure (P < 0.05). However, during 24 h exposure some of the compounds showed cytotoxicity activity.

Results showed that both cell lines were sensitive to synthesized compounds and longer duration of exposure (48 h) had better results compared to that of 24 h screening.