Journal of Research in Applied and Basic Medical Sciences
Volume:7 Issue: 1, Winter 2021

 In recent years, the emergence of multidrug resistance in gastric cancer has been a major challenge in treatment of gastric cancer. To deal with the problem, studies and researches were conducted on Sclareol and have turned up the anti-cancer effect of the compound and have also determined the molecular mechanism of it to some extent. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the substance extracted from Salvia Officinalis called Sclareol on MDR-1 gene expression and consequently on the rate of P-glycoprotein in human gastric cancer cell line MKN-45.

Cell line MKN-45 was purchased from the Pasteur Institute of Iran and cultured in complete RPMI 1640 Medium with Fetal Bovine Serum, with 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 μM concentrations of Sclareol treatment for 5 hours. The rate of expression of MDR-1 gene was assessed by Real Time-PCR method and that of P-GP was assessed by Western blotting method.

The expression of MDR-1 gene was significantly reduced at doses of 20, 40 and 60 μmol of Sclareol, while at doses of 80 and 100 μmol there was not seen much effect (p <0.0001). Also, P-glycoprotein showed a very high decrease at doses of 40 and 60 μmol of Sclareol, but no decrease was seen at doses of 80 and 100 μmol (p <0.0001).

From the results of this study, it seems that doses between 20 and 60 μmol of Sclareol can be useful in reducing drug resistance, but doses above 60 mmol do not have such an effect.

 The COVID-19 pandemic forced healthcare workers to use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) or at least wear gowns, gloves, and face masks during their working shifts. Previous research reports some problems such as headaches and itching due to the new working conditions. The present study was conducted to determine the possible physiological changes related to wearing face masks, in the current ongoing situation, among healthy hospital workers.

A questionnaire was administered to hospital personnel requesting them to measure their oxygen saturation level (SpO2) and heart beats per minute (BPM) before and after their shifts. They used a pulse oximeter available in their hospital. Eighty-two hospital workers completed their forms, reporting their pre- and post-SpO2 and BPM measurements.

Statistically, the comparison of data (before and after shifts) indicated a significant decrease in SpO2 (98.68±1.56 versus 97.57±1.76, p<0.01) and an associated significant increase in BPM (82.86±7.21 versus 93.14±5.00, p<0.001). Also, there was no significant difference (p>0.05) between the mentioned responses for those who used N-95 masks (10 persons) and those who used surgical masks (72 persons).

Although these changes were all in the reference range for healthy subjects, these fluctuations in the long term can cause physiological and psychological stress among hospital staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 In recent years, wound infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus have substantially grown. Lack of easy access, medications expensive, side effects, and in particular the development of drug resistance, the use of biological materials are proposed as an alternative solution. The recent study was aimed to evaluate the topical effect of Dianthus essential oil on cutaneous excisional wound healing in mice infected with S. aureus.

 Materials & Maethods:

 This study was performed on 36 mice (weight 25±3 g). After general anesthesia, 0.5 mm circle wound was created with biopsy punch between the shoulder, and immediately 50 γ of the suspension containing 107 CFU/ml S. Aureus was applied to the wound. Then tested animals, grouping in three groups of 12 mice each (control, treated with ointment 2% and 4%). During the project, image was obtained on days 3, 6, 9 and 12 images for assessment of wound area, and in 3, 7 and 14 from wounds in order to histopathology assessment.

The results of the wound size showed that the wound area decreased significantly in the treated groups (p< 0.05) compared with the control group. On histological examination, a significant (p< 0.05) reduction was observed in the migration of immune cells, the migration of fibroblasts and fibrocytes into the wound, the collagen synthesis and secretion. In addition, the thickness of the epithelium thickest increased in the treatment groups compared with the control group (p< 0.05).

Based on the results of this study, topical application of Dianthus essential oil, especially at higher therapeutic doses, can be considered a viable option for treatment of infected wounds by the bacteria S. aureus.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is one of the most common hematologic neoplasms leading to immunosuppression. It is characterized by absolute lymphocytosis with clonality of mature B cells. Therefore, they are vulnerable to various infections especially COVID-19. Little is known about the COVID-19 infection when it unmasks CLL.We reported a 90-year-old man who presented with signs and symptoms of anorexia, weakness, and loss of consciousness, and lymphocytosis which in further workup COVID-19 confirmed with real-time PCR. Due to lymphocytosis, peripheral blood smear (PBS) and flow cytometry were performed and CLL was diagnosed. His lymphocyte count increased to 1.5-fold during hospitalization. The patient recovered after 11 days as the symptoms were alleviated.Lymphocytosis is an unexpected finding in patients diagnosed with COVID-19 infection, and an increase in lymphocytes may indicate other conditions. In these cases, secondary causes of lymphocytosis, such as malignancy or other infections, should be considered

Quality of life of infertile couples is affected by changes happening in their life. Knowledge about the quality of life, marital adjustment, and underlying factors of infertile couples is an important part of social health information. Such information can be used for developing health promotion programs by family counselors. The aim of this study was to predict the quality of life of infertile couples based on marital adjustment, factors related to infertility, and background characteristics.

In this descriptive-analytic study, 131 women and 79 men referred to an infertility center in East Azerbaijan were recruited using a convenience method. Data were collected using the infertile women’s quality of life and Spiner’s marital adjustment questionnaires. Regression analysis was used for data analysis via the SPSS16.

The mean age of the female and male participants were 35.74 ± 6.11 years and 32.45 ± 5.72 years, respectively. Of variables with a p-value less than 0.1 that entered the regression analysis, marital adjustment, gender, and insurance accounted for 78% of the observed variance in the quality of life of the infertile couples.

It was revealed that the variables of this study had important impacts on the infertile couples’ quality of life. Therefore, holding consultation programs and conducting more studies are necessary for improving the couples’ quality of life and promoting sexual and marital adjustment in infertile couples. Removing underlying problems by interventional studies are suggested to modify couples’ quality of life.

 The main goal of vaccination in a campaign is to strengthen the immunity of people. The study aims to assess the vaccination coverage rate of the campaign, the efficiency of social mobilization, and parental awareness.

A prospective cross-sectional study was carried out in Msallata city from 8 Jan to 16 Mar 2018. Data collection was associated with children who belonged to the targeted age group. The source of data was from parents being met randomly in different public areas. The vaccines given in the campaign were bOPV for children below 6 years of age and MMR for children within the age range of 3-5 years. The questions to know the parental response and effectiveness of social mobilization.

1194 children were scanned for receiving bOPV vaccine, and 637 for receiving MMR vaccine through the campaign. The coverage rate of bOPV was 92.5%, while MMR was 93%. The main reasons for unvaccinated healthy children (89 unvaccinated children) were unsatisfied parents to SIAs (36%), busy in jobs (37%), and no idea about the campaign (27%), while 11 of the unvaccinated children were sick. Parents who heard late after launching the campaign were 63%. Campaign information to parents was from TV (30%), health officers (16%), Facebook (16%), and SMS (13%) (P-value <0.05). Parents' satisfaction with the campaign was very high (95%).

The study demonstrated that the campaign was close to achieving the target coverage rate (95%). Accurate preparation and appropriate microplanning with trained staff will contribute to vaccination.

ABO blood group antigens are well known genetic risk factors for various diseases. These antigens were reported as a non-modifiable risk factor for the development of hypertension independent of conventional modifiable risk factors. These findings were based on populations with pre-existing hypertension; however, such a relationship was rarely evaluated in normal healthy subjects.

This cross-sectional study consisted of 400 healthy adolescents (203 males and 197 females) aged 17 to 25 years. The slide agglutination method was used for the determination of ABO blood typing. A standardized mercury sphygmomanometer was used for recording BP. Pulse Pressure (PP) and Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) were also calculated. JNC-8 guidelines were used for calculation of the prevalence of elevated BP across ABO groups. ANOVA test was used to compare BP values in ABO blood groups. Chi-square correlation was used to assess frequency distribution of ABO blood groups among hypertensive and normal subjects.

Blood group B was most prevalent (35.2%) in our study. The highest average values of SBP DBP, PP, and MAP were recorded in blood group AB. The observed differences in the mean values of BP indices across ABO blood groups were statistically insignificant. Maximum subjects with elevated blood pressure were found in blood group A (n=12;10.81%) but no significant association was observed between ABO blood groups and elevated blood pressure.

Tendencies for developing elevated BP levels have no significant association with ABO blood groups in young healthy subjects of any gender.

 Throughout recent years, the study of unconscious visual processes has increased. Sufficient reductions of the stimulus presentation time are ways to achieve conditions of unawareness. Tachistoscopic experiments are used for this purpose. The recognition of affective word in tachistoscopic is due to the activation of the unconscious state. The main question in the present study was whether affective visual stimuli recognition during a computerized presentation could be influenced by unconscious interference.

The samples of 20 to 30 years were presented with affective and non-affective visual stimuli on the computer for one millisecond only.

Results showed a significant difference between the recognition of affective and non-affective visual stimuli. Also, the spiritual and religious stimuli in comparison to other stimuli were significant as affective visual stimuli. Therefore the effectiveness of visual stimuli was an important variable. The results indicated a significant difference between males and females for recognizing non-affective visual stimuli.

It seems that inhibition in the subjects to recognize the affective visual stimuli could be due to inhibition in the retrieval processing in-memory system. According to results, males were better than females on the recall of prose passage details after listening to a single spoken presentation. This could also be related to the fact that males process faster and at a more superficial level than females.