نشریه دانشور پزشکی
پیاپی 156 (آذر و دی 1400)

The association between screening markers in the first trimester of pregnancy and an increased risk of pregnancy complications has been reported. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between serum levels of PAPP-A and free βhCG in the first trimester with pregnancy complications.

During a prospective study on 200 pregnant women referred to Shahid Mostafa Khomeini Hospital in Tehran from July 2020 to March 2021, due to anoploid screening in the first trimester at 11-14 weeks, serum levels of PAPP-A and free β-hCG were measured. After providing the information, written consent was obtained and demographic and pregnancy information and test results were recorded. All subjects were followed up until delivery. Weight at birth and in case of abortion, preterm delivery, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, information was recorded. The relationship between PAPP-A and βhCG in the first trimester with pregnancy complications was statistically analyzed using Fisher's exact test.

18.5% (n=37) had gestational diabetes, 9.5% (n=19) had preeclampsia, 5% (n=10) had preterm labor, and 1.5% (n=3) had abortion. There was no statistically significant relationship between PAPP-A with gestational diabetes (P=0.782), preeclampsia (P=0.059), preterm delivery (P=0.350) and low birth weight (P=1.000). Between serum β-hCG level and gestational diabetes (P=0.271), preeclampsia (P=0.365) and preterm delivery (P=1.000) and low birth weight (P=0.241), statistically significant relationship does not exist.

There is no significant relationship between serum   PAPP-A and βhCG levels with preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm delivery and low birth weight.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of exercise on cellular and molecular mechanisms (regulation of calcium and cell growth) of heart tissue.

The research method was experimental and for this purpose, 24 male Wistar rats with a weight range of 200±20 g and age of eight-weeks were prepared and randomly divided into three groups: control, intense periodic training and continuous training. Intense periodic training protocol; 30 minutes of intermittent running and sub-maximum continuous group (30 to 60 minutes) were performed five days a week for 8 weeks. Gene expression of the desired variables was measured in cardiac tissue.

There was a significant difference between the eight-weeks of intense and sub-maximum intermittent training compared to the control group in the amount of gene expression changes in all three variables (TGF-ß1, SERCA2a, PI3K)(p<0.05). Intermittent and continuous exercise (both relative to control) leads to a significant increase in  TGF-1 gene expression in the heart of male Wistar rats. The results showed that the amount of PI3K enzyme in the sub-maximal continuous and intense periodic training had a significant increase compared to the control group, there was no difference between the severe periodic group and the control group and there was no significant difference between the two training groups in the amount of SERCA2a.

According to the findings of the present study, higher training intensity can better perform cellular and molecular regulation, which requires more research in the future. The findings of the present study have been cautiously expressed and further research is needed in the future.

The World Health Organization has identified health literacy as one of the biggest determinants of health. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of health literacy and barriers to accessing health information in clienteles to Shahid Mostafa Khomeini hospital.

This cross-sectional study was performed on 385 referrals to Shahid Mostafa Khomeini hospital in 2020. The collection tool is a questionnaire containing three parts including individual and demographic questions, questions to assess the level of health literacy and questions to assess barriers to accessing health information). The data collected in this study were analyzed using SPSS 22 software. Significance level in this study was less than 0.05.

From the total number of participants 55.1% were women and the mean age of the subjects was 41.69 ± 15.44. About 67.8% of the participants were the inadequate health literacy group. There was a significant relationship between health literacy level and age, gender, education and marriage of the participants (P < 0.0001). “No health center near home”. Was the most frequently reported barrier in both groups. The best variables for predicting health literacy, gender, and barriers to accessing health information were “Don’t know how to take care of self ",” Don’t know how to use the internet ", “Information wouldnot help to make decisions”.

According to the findings of the present study, people with adequate health literacy account for a small percentage; therefore, health policy makers should make more efforts and plans to increase health literacy in society, especially in the elderly or less educated.

Diabetes is a common metabolic disease that leads to impaired hepatic glycogen synthesis. The present study investigates the effect of eight weeks of intense intermittent exercise (HIIT) and caffeine consumption on glycogen synthase (GYS2) expression and liver glycogen levels in diabetic rats.

In an experimental clinical-intervention study, 50 streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were divided into 5 equal groups of control (C), diabetic (D), supplemental diabetic (D + CAF), diabetic with exercise (D + T), supplement and exercise (D + CAF + T). The training program consisted of eight weeks, 5 sessions per week (6 to 12 2-minute sessions with an intensity of 85-90% of the maximum speed) and 70 mg/kg of caffeine were injected five days a week. After anesthesia, liver tissue was extracted and the expression levels of (GYS2) and liver glycogen were assessed. Data analysis was performed by independent t-test and two-way ANOVA at a significant level of (P<0.05).

Induction of diabetes significantly reduced hepatic glycogen and GYS2 expression (P<0.001). Also, caffeine consumption (P<0.01) and HIIT (P=0.024) both significantly increased GYS2, which had a greater effect of caffeine with a 44% effect size. Also, HIIT (P=0.529) and caffeine (P=0.761) neither alone, nor in combination (P=0.12) caused a significant increase in hepatic glycogen.

According to results, it is possible to suggest HIIT and caffeine consumption as an effective intervention to improve (GYS2) expression. However, a clear statement requires further research in this area.

In this study, using evaluation of the expression of two specific proteins of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, GRP78 and CHOP in the striatum and substantia nigra (SN) in the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) animal model of Parkinson’s disease (PD), the role of this stress was evaluated in the progress of Parkinson's disease (PD). 

6-OHDA was injected into medial forebrain bundle. Behavioral tests were carried out in the second, forth, sixth and eighth weeks after the toxin. In the eighth week, the brain of some rats was perfused and immunohistochemical (IHC) assessments were performed to evaluate the survival of dopaminergic neurons in SN and also the expression of GRP78 and CHOP in striatum. The brain of other rats was freshly removed and the expression of GRP78 and CHOP in SN was evaluated using western blotting.

The severity of behavioral symptoms increased progressively in 6-OHDA- treated rats and reached to maximum in the eighth week. IHC assessments revealed that more than 80% of dopaminergic neurons in SN were lost in these rats. These assessments also showed that only 5% of the cells in striatum of control rats expressed GRP78 and CHOP. On the other hand, about 42% of these cells in 6-OHDA- treated rats expressed these proteins. Furthermore, expression of GRP78 and CHOP in SN of 6-OHDA- treated rats increased 400% as compared to control rats.

ER stress involves in progress of 6-OHDA-induced parkinsonism in rat indicating this stress may have a role in progress of PD in human beings.

Cell therapy is one of the most challenging methods in the world in repairing burn wounds. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of chitosan hydrogel containing adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells on burn wound healing in an animal model.

This study was performed experimentally using 24 Wistar rats. Burn wounds were created on the skin of rats and the animals were divided into two groups (control treated with normal saline) and the group treated with Chitosan hydrogel containing adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells. The healing process of burn wounds was evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively after treatment on days 7, 14 and 21 compared to the day 0. The data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance.

Concentration of 10% chitosan had no significant cytotoxic effect on mesenchymal stem cells and had proper consistency and clarity and SEM microscopy showed suitable porosity in chitosan. The expression of specific markers in mesenchymal stem cells and their potential for differentiation into adipocytes and bone cells confirmed the mesenchymal nature of the cells. Wound area on days 7, 14 and 21 in the chitosan-treated group containing mesenchymal cells was significantly smaller than the control group.

Mesenchymal stem cells transferred by chitosan to the wound site cause accelerated healing of burn wound and therefore, it is important to evaluate the use of this dressing in the healing of burn wounds in patients.

Influenza is an acute respiratory disease with high infectivity. Therefore, educating health delegates as executive arms of health system can be effective in preventing spread of disease in society. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of health education with health belief model on influenza A (H1N1) prevention behaviors in health delegates of Bakhrez city.

This is a quasi-experimental study that was carried out on 104 Bakhrez health delegates who were available and randomly divided into intervention and control groups of 52. The instrument used was a researcher-made questionnaire based on the health belief model that was designed based on 5 Likert scale. The intervention group was trained in a 5 session workshop and finally data from both groups were collected and compared two months after the intervention with chi-square and ANCOVA test.

After training, the mean scores of health belief model constructs in the intervention group increased; so, that preventive behaviors before the intervention increased significantly from 10.73±2.07 to 13.86± 2.70 after the intervention (p<0.001).

The educational program based on the health belief model along with active follow-up on the adoption of H1N1 influenza prevention behaviors is effective in health ambassadors; so, it is recommended that programs based on the health belief model be used to teach influenza prevention behaviors.

Differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSC) has studied in different cell lines. Variety of biochemical and topographic signaling could influence and change cells differentiation and proliferation of a special cell line. The aim of this study was to evaluate potential differentiating of BMMSC to neuronal-like cells.

Freezed casting and freezed drying scaffolds of gelatin/polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) with iron nanoparticles (MNPs) and without iron nanoparticles (MNPs-free) was used as a three-dimensional topographic structure. BMMSC differentiation to neuronal-like cells by neurogenic culture was done in 20 days. BMMSC proliferation was studied by MTT assay. Gene expression of specific neuronal markers was studied by immunohistochemistry methods. In this study, one-way ANOVA, post hoc Tukey and Mann-Whitney nonparametric tests were used. 

Gelatin PLGA- MNP freezed casting scaffold containing Fe nanoparticles provides a suitable structure for differentiation into neuron-like cells. The results of cell survival (Mean 0.7600 and standard deviation 0.02000 after 72 hours) and gene expression (Mean 79.00 and standard deviation 1.000) showed that the rate of cell proliferation on freezed casting scaffolds containing nanoparticles is higher than that of freezed drying scaffolds (P<0.001).

Freezed casting gelatin PLGA-MNP scaffold could be an appropriate choice for repair and regeneration of nervous system.