Journal of Research in Applied and Basic Medical Sciences
Volume:6 Issue: 3, Summer 2020

 The use of some active factors in diet is regarded as an attractive approach to prevent and to treat certain types of cancers. Accordingly, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of PUFAs oral administration along with chemotherapeutic agent on the level of cellular apoptotic regulatory proteins in cancer cells of individuals with gastric cancer in order to identify the apoptotic changes.

This study was a Clinical Trial in which the target group consisted of the patients with gastric cancer who were recognized for the first time and cured under chemotherapy. Thirty-four patients were chosen and categorized randomly into two groups. Case group includes the patients taking PUFAs along with the chemotherapeutic agents. In control group, individuals were under the same chemotherapy protocol without taking PUFAs. Biopsy samples of tumor were taken from the patients before and after chemotherapy. The Bcl-2, Bcl-XL Bid, and Bad gene expression were determined by Real-Time PCR. Also, those proteins upon biopsy samples were surveyed by Frozen Section method.

In case group, Bcl-2 and BclXL gene expression and protein levels decreased significantly in comparison with those of the control group. While Bid and Bad gene expression and protein levels increased significantly in comparison with those of the control group.

The results of this study showed that use of PUFAs as supplement with Cis-platinum may be useful to stimulate more pro-apoptotic proteins in gastric cancer cells. Consequently, this offers an effective treatment to patients with gastric cancer to respond to chemotherapy.

 Disorders of lipid profile and inflammatory markers are the most important factors that cause cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the effect of a six-week resistance training with and without vascular occlusion on changes in fibrinogen, lipids, and lipoprotein levels in young girls.

A total of 36 female students of physical education with an average age of 20.51 ±1.39 years and BMI of 23.32 ± 2.79 kg/m2 were divided into three groups: resistance training without occlusion (exercise at 75% of one-repetition maximum or 1 RM), resistance training with vascular occlusion (exercise at 30% of 1 RM with a fastening tourniquet around the proximal arm), and a control group. Both training exercise groups performed a six-week training program consisting of three sessions per week. Then, creatine kinase (CK) levels, lipid profiles, and blood fibrinogen were measured by photometric, enzymatic, and ELISA methods, respectively.

After six weeks of resistance training, CK levels were significantly different in both training groups (p < 0.05). Fibrinogen (FIB), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), and cholesterol (COL) decreased significantly in both treatment groups compared to control group, but these changes were not statistically significant between the three groups (p > 0.05).

In our research, resistance training could probably improve cardiovascular health and metabolic states to change the fat as a kind of prevention against such diseases, hence, promotion of women's health should be taken into account.

The nerve autograft is the clinical gold standard in bridging nerve injury gaps, but it has severe disadvantages. The human umbilical vein (HUV) is suitable for multiple vascular reconstructive usages. The purpose of the present survey was to assess nerve regeneration by human amniotic fluid (AF) in the HUV channel.

In this study, 32 adult male rats (250-300g) were randomly divided into four groups: HUV+AF, HUV+normal saline (NS), Autograft, sham surgery. A centimeter gap in the sciatic nerve was grafted by autograft or HUV. Nerve regeneration was examined on days 28 and 90 after surgery by sciatic function index (SFI), electrophysiological assessments, histology, and immunohistology staining.

On days 60 and 90 after surgery, the SFI in the groups of autograft and HUV+AF was more than HUV+NS group (p <0.05). On the 90th day, the average nerve conduction velocity (NCV) and the number of myelinated axons in autograft and HUV+AF groups were significantly more than HUV+NS group (p <0.05).

The results of this study display that the HUV+AF may have beneficial effect for the treatment of peripheral nerve damages.

 Candida albicans is the most common fungal pathogen of human infections. C. albicans is responsible for significant mucosal infections such as vulvovaginitis in women. Azoles inhibit the cytochrome P450 14α-lanosterol demethylase, as a part of the ergosterol biosynthetic pathway is encoded by the ERG11 gene. Some mutations in ERG 11 could cause resistance to azole drugs.  Detection of the mutations of the gene in the present study helped us to explain drug resistances in some vaginal isolates of C. albicans and other Candida species.

A multicenter, experimental study was conducted at Cellular and Molecular Research Center and Kowsar Gynecology Center affiliated to UMSU from October 2016 to July 2017. Women with symptomatic vaginitis (20-45 years old) were asked to take part in the study. 192 women allowed vaginal swabs to be obtained. For the identifications, culture on SGA4% and CHROM agar Candida were conducted followed by PCR-RFLP. A disc diffusion method was performed based on the standard guideline of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) to determine level of susceptibility against fluconazole and clotrimazole (most current use for the treatment of VVC). DNA extraction and PCR amplification of the ERG11 gene were performed.

As we showed in the Table (1), 69.1% of all Candida isolates carried the ERG11 gene. It was detected in 49(68.1%), 5 (55.6%), and 7(77.8%) cases of C. albicans, C. krusei, and C. glabrata, respectively.  Among the C. albicans isolates resistant to Clotrimazole, 8(53.3%) had ERG11 gene while 7(46.7%) did not. Among all the C. glabrata isolates resistant to Clotrimazole, 40% carried ERG11 while 60% did not show the gene. Also, ERG11 gene was detected in 50% of the isolated C. glabrata. ERG11 gene was observed in 53.3% of C.krusei isolates resistant to Clotrimazole and 52% of those of resistant to Fluconazole.

As an approximate finding, Azole resistance in the present study could be attributed to mutations in ERG11 gene

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a type of plasma cell malformation accounting for 10% of the blood cancers with unknown ethiopathology. MM causes changes in inflammatory proteins. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and YKL-40 in patients with stage I MM.

This case-control study was performed on 28 patients with stage I MM including 14 males and 14 females with mean age of 62.11 ± 6.71 years and 40 individuals as controls including 20 males and 20 females with mean age of 60.25 ± 4.81 years matched in both age and sex. Serum concentrations of inflammatory factors including IL-6, TNF-α and YKL-40 were measured using the sandwich Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method and the data were analyzed using SPSS software.

The serum levels of IL-6 in patients with stage I MM (7.42±5.89 pg/ml) were significantly higher compared to the control group (1.67±1.08 pg/ml); (p< 0.0001). Also, the serum levels of YKL-40 in the patients (45.86 ± 9.14 ng/ml) were significantly higher compared to the control group (35.87 ± 11.2 ng/ml); (p <0.0001). Also, the levels of TNF-α (8.02±1.75 pg/ml) were slightly high compared to the control group (7.77 ± 1.91 pg/ml); (p=0.419).

According to the results in MM, inflammatory proteins such as YKL-40 andIL-6 are the major growth factor of the myeloma cells and help their survival.

 Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) results from fat accumulation in the liver (liver fat >5% of liver weight). The excess of lipids in hepatic steatosis primarily consists of triacylglycerol and cholesterol esters. De novo hepatic lipogenesis from excessive dietary carbohydrate intake is the most consistent underlying pathogenic agent of NAFLD. Hypercholesterolemia that mostly associates with NAFLD has been recognized as the most important risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). In other words, reducing the hepatic cholesterol synthesis in NAFLD patients prevents risk of developing atherosclerosis and CHD. HMGCR is the rate-controlling enzyme pathway, responsible for cholesterol biosynthesis. De novo cholesterol synthesis by inducing the expression of HMGCR; activates the SREBP2. PPARα activation significantly lowers hepatic SREBP2 and HMGR mRNA levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Fenofibrate and Biochanin A, as PPARα agonists, on mRNA levels of SREBP2 and HMGR in HepG2 cells exposed to high glucose concentration.

HepG2 cells were used in this study. The induction of steatosis was performed by high glucose concentration. Cytotoxicity of Glucose, Fenofibrate, and Biochanin A were assessed in separate experiments for HepG2 cells. Some biochemical parameters such as intracellular total cholesterol, HMGCR, ALT, and AST activity were measured. SREBP2 and HMGR mRNA levels were examined by real-time RT-PCR.

Results of our study indicated an inhibitory effect of Fenofibrate and Biochanin A on the mRNA levels of SREBP2 and HMGR in HepG2 cells which were treated by high glucose concentration. Additionally, a decreased level of intracellular total cholesterol concentration was accompanied by decreased HMGCR activity.

Based on the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that Biochanin A could be a useful agent in the prevention of de novo hepatic cholesterol synthesis and development of hypercholesterolemia; which is the main cause of CHD

 Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the most important pathogenic bacteria causing nosocomial and opportunistic infection with the high rate of antibiotic resistance. The aim of the present work was to study the antimicrobial resistance pattern of Acinetobacter isolates recovered from patients admitted to Imam Khomeini Hospital and identifying the related risk factors. Also, in this study, the efficacy of different combined antimicrobial therapy against A. baumannii was evaluated.

In this retrospective study, a total of 108 medical records related to patients admitted to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ardabil province from 2011 to 2013 was entered into the study. For each patient, demographic, bacterial culture, and antibiogram data were obtained and analyzed.

Results indicated that pulmonary infections were the most common clinical source of Acinetobacter infection. The highest rate of resistance (100%) was related to ceftizoxime, chloramphenicol, furazolidone, nitrofurantoin, cephalothin, cephalexin, ticarcillin, piperacillin, amoxicillin, and aztreonam followed by ceftazidime, imipenem, co-trimoxazole, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, and cefixime (80%). The lowest rate of resistance was seen against polymyxin B, ampicillin/sulbactam and meropenem. Our results indicated that 86.9 % and 91.7% of isolates were resistant to ceftriaxone and imipenem, respectively. Since carbapenems are the drug of choice and the last-resort agent for the treatment of MDR strain of A. baumannii , this high resistance level would be a serious concern.

The epidemiological survey will be helpful in controlling infections in hospital environment and prescribing proper antimicrobial agents.

 Viral hepatitis B is a substantial contributor of dreadful liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and imposes ponderous burden on the ministry of health around the world. There are no adequate data on the prevalence of Hepatitis-B surface antigen (HBsAg) among Afghan refugees, especially in one of their favorable host countries, Iran. This seroprevalence study aimed to estimate the prevalence rate of HBsAg among Afghan refugees to schedule much more efficient preventive measures.

In the current cross-sectional study, data were gathered for a total of 488 Afghan refugees referred to Mehr Medical Diagnostic Laboratory from April 2014 to January 2018. Initial information including age, sex, and education status were extracted. Collected samples from the patients were conducted using the General Biological Corporation (GBC) ELISA Kit to detect seronegative or seropositive HBsAg cases. Following all data were analyzed by SPSS version 16 software.

Sixteen cases with positive HBsAg were detected in 488 Afghan patients referred to the Mehr Laboratory from April 2014 to January 2018. The overall prevalence of HBsAg was calculated 3.3% (2.3% in females and 1% in males). The highest frequencies of HBsAg were associated to the age group of 21 to 30 years with 1.2% and none education level group with 1.8%.

According to the outcome of current study, free vaccination, treatment and screening seropositive individuals in borders will be applied to assist the design and management of preparatory preventive strategies.