مجله دانشگاه علوم پزشکی مازندران
پیاپی 204 (دی 1400)

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death in young people. Berberine is a flavonoid rich in barberries and many traditional Iranian herbal remedies that could be used in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. These properties make it a viable treatment for neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, this study intended to investigate the neuroprotective activity of berberine in animal model of traumatic brain injury.

Thirty minutes after induction of traumatic brain injury by Marmarou free fall method, Wistar rats received berberine (10, 20 and 50mg/kg i.p.). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was collected from cisterna magna after behavioral tests to evaluate the levels of a proinflammatory cytokine (IL-1β) and anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10).

According to current results, TBI can cause decline in Veterinary coma scale, cerebral edema, Blood-Brain Barrier dysfunction, vesibulomotor impairment, and alteration of cytokines in favor of inflammation in CSF. Nevertheless, administration of berberine in 10 and 20mg/kg can attenuate these findings. Also, beberine (20 mg/kg) effectively increased IL-10 and decreased IL-1β in CSF. All findings were more noticeable at 20mg/kg berberine (P < 0.001).

Our study showed that berberine had neuroprotective effects on the brain and was able to affect the consequences of brain trauma. Also, it is suggested that at least some of these neuroprotective effects are mediated by modulation in the path of inflammatory factors in the brain.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world after cardiovascular disease. In relation to cancerous diseases in developed countries, the prevalence of breast cancer is increasing. Treatment in early stages is of great importance in the recovery of patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic effect of bacterial fractions of Salmonella typhimurium on growth and proliferation of breast cancer cells in vitro.

In this experimental study, the breast cancer cell line MCF7 was used. Different bacterial fractions were prepared by ammonium sulfate method. Interactions between cancer cells and different concentrations of Salmonella typhimurium fractions were studied at 24 and 48 hours. Cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assay.

According to MTT test, bacterial fractions and 80% protein deposition at 24 and 48 hours showed the highest cytotoxicity effect at 24 hours and in 100 μg/ml bacterial lysates and 40 μg/ml of 80% protein deposition. Following the treatment of cancer cells with bacterial lysate, the rate of induction of apoptosis was 67% and necrosis was 7%.

Bacterial fractions of Salmonella typhimurium have high toxicity and lethal effect on breast cancer cells and induce apoptosis. Purification of these compounds could reveal new information on the mechanisms of cell death and cell signaling that could be suggested in the future as a basis to develop alternative cancer treatments.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is ranked as the second most common cancer in men and the third most common cancer in women worldwide. Routine treatments have many side effects and little efficiency. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) on epigenetic changes of some genes involved in CRC progression.

Proliferation rate of cells after 40 s treatment was analyzed using MTT assay. Gene expressions of Beclin-1, Runx3, and AIM2 were measured using Real time PCR and methylation alternations of mentioned genes were evaluated with quantitative Methylation-Specific PCR (Q-MSP).

The viability of CAP-treated C26 cells significantly decreased compared to that of the L929 cells. The viability of C26 cell line decreased to75%, 52.2%, and 34% following 12, 24, and 48 hours of CAP therapy for 40 seconds. CAP therapy decreased the AIM2 expression (fold change=0.12) and increased the Runx3 gene expression (fold change=2.66) in C26 cell line. Also, treatment with CAP decreased the methylation level of Runx3 gene in CAP-treated cells compared with untreated cells (33.45% vs 63.24%).

This study confirmed the selective effect of CAP on cancer cells which is an ultimate goal of cancer therapy approach. Also, CAP treatment was found to affect gene expression and methylation level of critical players of CRC.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common tumor of the head and neck. XRCC1 is a DNA repair gene and there are controversies about the association between XRCC1 gene polymorphism (RS1799782) in pathogenesis and susceptibility to OSCC. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between XRCC1 (rs1799782) gene polymorphism and its dominant allele frequency in OSCC patients and healthy subjects.

In this case-control study, 50 patients and 59 healthy individuals enrolled. Paraffin blocks of patients with OSCC were used to prepare 5-10 µm sections and 5 cc peripheral blood were collected from healthy individuals. Genomic DNA was extracted and evaluated using the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP).

There was a significant difference in the allele and genotype frequency of XRCC1 (rs1799782) between patients with OSCC and control individuals (X2 = 6.530, P = 0.0342). Frequency of T allele was 34% and 19% in OSCC patients and control group, respectively (OR= 2.1962, P= 0.0175). Smoking was strongly associated with TT genotype (OR=20.65: 95% CI: 4.49-10.1)

According to this study, XRCC1 (rs1799782) is effective in pathogenesis of OSCC and the TT genotype has a role in susceptibility to OSCC.

Leishmaniasis is one of the most important infectious diseases caused by different species of the Leishmania, which is a public health problem worldwide. So far, no effective vaccine is introduced for this disease and drug therapy is associated with many side effects. Therefore, this study was designed to identify novel FDA-approved compounds with anti-leishmanial activity.

In this experimental study, proteomics, protein network analysis, and molecular docking were used. Protein profile was identified by LC-MS/MS and protein network analysis was performed using Cytoscape. Processing of the compound structure and molecular docking was performed by HyperChem and AutoDock Vina, respectively. Finally, docking results were interpreted by LigPlot+.

Based on proteomics and protein network analysis, glycosomal malate dehydrogenase was suggested as a potential drug target. Among the compounds, the best docking results were associated with Conivaptan and Avodart with a binding energy level of -10.5 and -10.2, respectively. Also, molecular docking studies showed that the most important bonds involved in drug-receptor binding were hydrogen and hydrophobic bonds.

The current study demonstrated the importance of integrated proteomics, protein network and docking to identify novel compounds with anti-Leishmania properties. According to this study, Conivaptan and Avodart, also approved by the Food and Drug Administration, are effective inhibitors of glycosomal malate dehydrogenase in Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica which meanwhile require further in-vitro and in-vivo experiments.

Sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) is used to assess the severity of the disease and mortality rate in patients admitted to ICU. SOFA requires experiments that are impractical in centers with limited resources. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic value of bedside SOFA (b SOFA) and SOFA scores in mortality of ICU patients.

This cohort study was performed in 60 patients with Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) older than 18 years of age. SOFA and b SOFA scores were recorded at admission, then daily until admission at ICU.

According to the Lin and Bland-Altman agreement coefficient, there was a very good agreement between SOFA and b SOFA scores at days 1, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 20. At days 3, 5, 7, 14, and 19 we observed a good agreement and significant correlation between SOFA and b SOFA scores. Findings showed a moderate agreement between SOFA and b SOFA scores at days 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, but at days 13 and 15 there was a direct relationship between the two scores (P>0.05). Area Under Curve (AUC) method in ROC Curve showed no significant difference in diagnostic value between SOFA and b SOFA scores except at day 17 (P>0.05), indicating acceptable diagnostic value of b SOFA score compared to SOFA score. The sensitivity and specificity of the tools in terms of prognosis were found to be very close at different times showing similar diagnostic values.

The study showed diagnostic accuracy, and high sensitivity and specificity for predicting mortality and strong positive correlation between the two tools, so b SOFA is a suitable alternative due to lower cost with greater ease.

Anthropometric measures are of great importance in evaluating older adult health. This study was carried out to examine five-year changes in anthropometric indices of older adults and its association with demographic characteristics, muscle strength, and comorbid disorders.

This cohort study was conducted during 2011-2016 in people aged 60 years and over participating in the Amirkola Health and Ageing Project (AHAP). The elderly whose anthropometric characteristics were complete in the data bank of AHAP were included in the research by census. Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and anthropometric measures, including height, weight, body mass index, neck, waist and hip circumferences, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were assessed, and five-year changes were calculated.

Among 897 people, significant reductions were seen in height, neck, waist, and hip circumferences, WHtR (P<0.001), and WHR (P=0.031). Change in weight loss was not statistically significant (P=0.152) and body mass index increased (P<0.001). Reductions in height, neck, waist and hip circumferences, and decrease in WHtR were found to be significantly different between women and men (P<0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between the number of comorbidities and five-year changes of height (r=0.104, P=0.002) and hip circumference (r=0.095, P=0.005), and a negative correlation between strength of the arm (r=-0.341, P<0.001) and quadriceps (r=-0.324, P<0.001) muscles and comorbidities.

This study represented a pattern of significant reduction in height, neck, waist, and hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and waist-to-height ratio, and increase in body mass index in older adults, over five years. Furthermore, significant correlations between comorbid disorders and changes in height and hip circumference, and muscle strength were shown.

Poor oral hygiene and falls are common problems that older people encounter. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between oral health and the risk of falls in the elderly hemodialysis patients.

In this cross-sectional study, 400 elderly patients undergoing hemodialysis in hospitals affiliated with Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences were selected by cluster sampling in 2019. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI), and Morse Fall Scale (MFS) which were completed by one of the researchers. Data were analyzed in SPSS V21 applying Chi-square and Univariate and Multivariate logistic regression analysis.

The mean age of patients was 69.18 ± 6.42 years and 50.3% were women. The mean scores for oral health and risk of fall were 41.5 ± 5.3 and 72.15± 31.4, respectively (P<0.001). Univariate logistic regression model showed significant relationships between the risk of fall and the number of teeth (<10) and oral health score (<43.5) (P=0.031). In fact, these two groups were 1.44 times and 1.64 times more likely at risk of falls, respectively,  compared to those with number of teeth >10 and oral health score>43.5.

Elderly hemodialysis patients with poor oral health are more prone to falling. It is suggested that in planning and implementing preventive measures, attention to oral health and dental visits should be on the agenda.

Aminoglycosides (AG) such as Amikacin that are widely used to prevent and treat infections in neonates have nephrotoxic effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of urinary index to Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in diagnosis of tubular renal injury following administration of Amikacin in neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 45 neonates admitted to NICU with confirmed sepsis undergone treatment with Amikacin and Ampicillin and 45 neonates were treated with Ampicillin and Cefotaxime. GFR was calculated using Schwartz's formula (serum creatinine/height * 0.45) and categorized based on Fanaroff table. In both groups, BUN, Cr, and GFR were measured at days one and seven. Data analysis was performed in SPSS.

Two (4.4%) patients in the group treated with Amikacin and Ampicillin and one (2.2%) in the group who received Ampicillin and Cefotaxime developed acute kidney injury (AKI). GFR changes and Cr levels at day seven were not found to be significantly different between septic neonates treated with Amikacin and Ampicillin and neonates treated with other non-aminoglycosidic antibiotics (P>0.05).

There was no difference in incidence of AKI between neonates receiving Amikacin and Ampicillin and those who received Ampicillin and Cefotaxime. Hence, AKI in these neonates requires further evaluations.

Occlusal plane in edentulous patients is lost and needs to be reconstructed. The most common method for reconstructing occlusal plane is to make it parallel to the ala-tragus line. There are disagreements about the posterior reference of ala-tragus line. The aim of this study was to determine the best posterior reference of ala-tragus line (superior, middle and anterior references) for reconstructing occlusal plane.

In this descriptive-analytical study, 150 dentate patients with class I relationship enrolled. Patients were placed 1.5 meters from the camera and their head was in NHP mode and symmetrical to the line perpendicular to the horizon. Fox-plane was placed in contact with central incisors and first molars of maxilla and imaging was performed from the right side of the face. The angles required were then measured using AutoCAD 2020.

There were 75 male and 75 female patients (mean age= 23.05±1.69 years) and the mean OT1-OP angle was 8.75, which was the closest to the mean OT1-AT3 angle (8.85). This finding also was repeated in both men and women. Among all patients, OT1-AT3 angle was found to have the highest proximity to the occlusal plane (61. 33%), 53.34% in men and 69.33% in women.

Inferior point on the tragus of the ear in ala-tragus is the best reference for reconstructing the occlusal plane during construction of a removable denture for male and female edentulous patients.

Urticaria is one of the most widespread skin inflammatory diseases that reduce the quality of life, especially in chronic cases. Considering the very close compatibility of urticaria and angioedema with Shara and Mashara in Persian Medicine, this paper aimed at comparing their signs, symptoms, and etiology and suggests a more comprehensive diagnostic perspective and paves the way for further researches.

This narrative review was conducted using the main manuscripts of Persian medicine and international medical databases using relevant keywords such as urticaria, angioedema, Shara, Mashara, etc. Data were then compared, interpreted, and analyzed.

The symptoms of urticaria and angioedema such as sudden nocturnal pruritus and the causes of increased heat in the body were found to be similar to those of Shara and Mashara. The cascade of inflammatory factors, dilation, and increased permeability of blood vessels can be comparable to sudden movement of the vapor of warm blood to narrowed pores of the skin.

Persian and conventional medicine share similar perspectives on urticaria and angioedema. The food digestion process and function of the body's major organs in production of healthy blood are too important. Therefore, integrating Persian and conventional medicine could be effective in diagnosis and treatment of these inflammatory diseases.

Proactive indicators for occupational health and safety (OHS) can provide necessary information about the potential causes of accidents and the effectiveness of occupational safety and health management systems based on simultaneous examining of work environment, working conditions, and workers' behavior. The present study aimed at assessing safety status in a pottery factory using Elmeri index.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in a pottery factory in Mazandaran province, 2021. OHS performance of the factory was evaluated in 19 workstations using an observation-based Elmeri+ index in six dimensions. Data analysis was conducted in Excel software based on calculating the index score for each unit (%), the average index (%) for dimensions, and the total factory average index (%).

The average total score for Elmeri+ index of the pottery factory was estimated to be 39.07%. Total scores for Elmeri+ index of workstations showed that loading and cementing stations had the lowest scores and security and electrical stations had the highest scores. Of the six dimensions studied, industrial hygiene and ergonomics had the lowest score and workers’ safety behavior had the highest score in different workstations.

The study showed that the pottery factory has poor OHS performance and most of the problems were associated with industrial hygiene. Therefore, establishment of OHS management systems (e.g., HSE-MS, ISO45001) can be effective in regular monitoring and implementing appropriate control strategies in a framework for systematic management of OHS could be of great benefit.

Cognitive performance in workplace encompasses a wide range of work-related psychological activities. Meanwhile, personality traits as a mediating variable has a determining role in mental functions and occurrence of errors. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of urban traffic noise pollution on working memory and sustained attention considering personality features in university students.

This interventional laboratory study was performed in 70 students. Urban traffic noise (Sari, north of Iran) was recorded and then the Cool Edit Pro software was used to check, edit the recorded noise, and prepare an audio clip. The students' cognitive performance were assessed using working memory (n-back task) and psychomotor consciousness task (PVT).

The mean ages of male and female students were 23.63±3.15 and 24.17±4.23, respectively. According to the Wilcoxon test, a significant relationship was seen between cognitive performances before and after exposure to urban traffic noise (P<0.05). In fact, after exposure to traffic noise, the mean reaction time, response time, and the number of incorrect answers in cognitive tests increased by 8.54%, 9.11%, and 60.61%, respectively. Also, there was an inverse significant correlation between neuroticism and reaction time and accuracy (percentage of correct answers) in students' cognitive performance associated with working memory and sustained attention (P<0.05).

Current study can be effective in improving cognitive performance, adopting management strategies in selection of individuals, and establishing a balance between traffic noise and cognitive features in the workplace.

Seizure in children with hydrocephalus is a common neurosurgical problem that may occur after shunting. This study aimed at comparing the preventive effect of phenytoin and levetiracetam in children with shunted hydrocephalus in a referral hospital.

All patients younger than 15 years of age who underwent ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt surgery for hydrocephalus (2016-2020) were included in this retrospective cohort study. The study was carried out in Nemazi Hospital, a referral center for pediatric neurosurgery in southwest Iran.

Seventy four patients received phenytoin and 47 received levetiracetam. There were no significant differences in patients’ mean age and sex (P= 0.753 and P= 0.851, respectively). In post-operation follow-up, 13 patients in the levetiracetam group and 10 patients in the phenytoin group developed seizure that showed a weakly significant difference between the two groups (P=0.046).

According to this study, phenytoin had a better preventive effect on post-shunting seizures. In addition, due to known pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of phenytoin, this antiepileptic drug may be a reasonable choice for seizure prophylaxis in first days after shunting in children with hydrocephalus.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are one of the main therapeutic agents for acid-related diseases. Pantoprazole, with minimal drug interaction, is one of the well-known PPIs. According to various studies, 25-75% of pantoprazole injections have no indications and cause a high burden on health systems. The aim of this study was to investigate the indication and rate of pantoprazole injections in Yazd Rahnemoon Hospital, Iran.

This cross-sectional study was performed in 72 hospitalized patients in invasive care units, and internal and emergency wards between March and December 2019. Demographic and clinical data, risk factors, PPI indication, and doses of utilized pantoprazole were recorded. The rationality of pantoprazole prescription was confirmed by comparing the drug information from up-to-date database under the supervision of a clinical pharmacist in the hospital.

In total, out of 60 patients who received IV pantoprazole, 52.8% could have received the oral form and in 69.4% there was no indication to use IV pantoprazole.

In this study, parenteral form of pantoprazole was not indicated in majority of the patients. Guidelines should be approved to prevent irrational administration of parental PPIs in hospitals.

Coronary artery disease is a major cause of mortality, morbidity, and disability in society and patients incur high expenditure on treatment. Pulp stones are ectopic calcifications of the pulp vessel walls, so, they can have similar pathogenesis as those of other organs and coronary atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between coronary artery sclerosis and dental pulp calcification in panoramic dental radiography.

This case-control study, was performed in 94 patients aged 30-65 years old attending Sari Touba Clinic for coronary angiography. They were divided into two groups: case group with significant angiography results and control group with normal angiography results. Panoramic dental radiographs were obtained and examined for the presence of pulp stone. Data were analyzed in SPSS V16 using Chi-square test.

Findings showed a significant association between coronary artery sclerosis and presence of pulp stone (P<0.05).

Coronary artery sclerosis and dental pulp calcification were found to be significantly associated. Dental radiography could be an early identification method for coronary artery disease.

Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease with skin and joint manifestations. This disease can be associated with ocular complications and reduce vision and quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and type of ocular involvement in patients with psoriasis to prevent unwanted complications by identifying the disease at the right time.

A cross-sectional study was carried out in 40 patients with psoriasis in Semnan Kowsar Clinic affiliated to Semnan University of Medical Sciences, 2019. The participants were selected via census sampling and underwent systemic and ophthalmic examination. Patients aging 10-80 years old with at least 6 months of disease onset were included.

The mean age of patients was 43.33 ± 17.05 years, and there were 17 (42.5%) males and 23 (57.5%) females. The ocular diseases included dry eye (57.5%), posterior blepharitis (50%), conjunctival hyperemia (27.5%), cataract (20%), and anterior uveitis (7.5%). The presence of ocular disease was found to be significantly associated with the duration of psoriasis (P = 0.03).

In this study, ocular surface diseases such as dry eye and posterior blepharitis were common in patients studied and were associated with the duration of psoriasis. Therefore, patients with psoriasis should undergo periodic and regular eye examinations to identify ocular diseases in a timely manner and prevent unwanted complications.

This report describes an 89-year-old woman diagnosed with Philadelphia positive Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in 2007 who was initially treated with 200 mg/day imatinib. The patient demonstrated complete molecular response (CMR) in two tests in 2015 and 2018. During treatment between 2007 and 2019, despite increased dosage of imatinib and switching her therapy to nilotinib, complete hematological response was not obtained. ARMS-PCR was performed to find the possible cause of this failed response and JAK2 V617F mutation was detected. The patient with no BCR/ABL1 transcript showed a relatively good molecular response to nilotinib, although the complete hematological response was not observed. According to our findings, tyrosine kinase inhibitor could not be an effective therapy in this JAK2 V617F-positive MPN patient with a BCR/ABL1 mutation.

Connective tissue diseases, including scleroderma, may be associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. The most common type of lung cancer associated with systemic sclerosis is adenocarcinoma or bronchoalveolar carcinoma, and small cell carcinoma is rare. This reports presents a 54-year-old non-smoker woman with a history of scleroderma who was examined due to aggravation of shortness of breath and cough for the last two months. On radiography and CT scan, a mass was seen in the sub pleural area of the upper right lobe of the right lung, and pathological examination showed small cell carcinoma of the lung. Small cell carcinoma is very rare in non-smokers, therefore, it may be associated with interstitial lung tissue disease in scleroderma.

Olanzapine (2-methyl-4-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-10H-thieno [2, 3-b][1, 5]benzodiazepine) is an antipsychotic drug with poor water-solubility that has a suitable affinity to some receptors. This benzodiazepine derivative is a new (atypical) antipsychotic drug and has a wide range of efficacy, especially in treatment of patients with negative psychiatric symptoms of schizophrenia. Olanzapine is used in psychotic disorders, mood disorders, and acute restlessness in bipolar patients. Its oral absorption is low and about 40% of the drug is metabolized in first-pass hepatic metabolism. This drug has low permeability into the brain related to remove by p-glycoprotein efflux and blood-brain-barrier (BBB) existence. Emerging nanotechnology during recent years demonstrated the tremendous ability of nanoparticles as versatile nanocarrier systems. This emerging technology has raised promising attempts to address the significant impact on decreasing side effects of drugs and their associated defects. Olanzapine can be administrated by different routes. Intranasal delivery of olanzapine to the brain due to lack of blood-brain-barrier in the olfactory system has facilitated its delivery. In this review article, several olanzapine nano-drug delivery systems are listed by reviewing their results, including nanosuspensions, nanoemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), niosomes, transfersomes, nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC), polymeric nanoparticles (PNP), etc.