فصلنامه کومش
سال بیست و پنجم شماره 3 (پیاپی 95، خرداد و تیر 1402)

In all species of Brucella bacteria, the Omp10 gene sequence is conserved. The high antigenic property of this gene product stimulates the host's immune system. Using the probiotic Lactococcus lactis bacterium as a live carrier, in addition to being safe, is suitable for the production of recombinant proteins and gene transfer to eukaryotic cells. Omp10 is one of the surface lipoproteins in brucella’s outer membrane with high immunogenicity which has a substantial role in up-taking nutrition, signaling, adherence, and antibiotic resistance. This protein has antigenic properties and can play an adjuvant role when attached to other antigens. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to create the probiotic bacteria Lactococcus lactis to produce the Omp10 protein of Brucella abortus.

Brucella abortus Omp10 gene with Usp45 peptide signal was synthetically cloned in the pNZ8148 vector. The recombinant vector was first reproduction in Escherichia coli strain TOP10 and then purified by plasmid extraction kit. The concentration of extracted plasmid was measured by nanodrop. The recombinant pNZ8148-Usp45-Omp10 vector was then transformed into Lactococcus lactis bacteria through electroporation. Cloning and gene expression assessment and verification were done by SDS-PAGE, enzyme digestions, and RT-PCR techniques.

The results showed the successful expression of the target gene Omp10 in the Lactococcus lactis probiotic bacteria. The recombinant protein was well expressed in probiotic bacteria.

The present study showed that the Omp10 protein is expressed in the probiotic bacterium Lactococcus lactis transformed by electroporation with the recombinant pNZ8148-Usp45-Omp10 vector. Lactococcus lactis transformed in the present study can be suitable as an oral subunit vaccine to prevent brucellosis in future studies.

Natural products have recently been used as alternative treatments for many diseases. This study aimed to determine the hepatoprotective effect of Ganoderma lucidum (GLE) against liver injury induced by   Doxorubicin (DOX).

Thirty – two male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups. The control group was given only saline by intragastric gavage. DOX group received DOX at the dose of 20 mg/kg intraperitoneally on day 2. The GLE group was given an aqueous extract of GLE at the dose of 500 mg/kg daily by intragastric gavage for 15 days. DOX-GLE group received DOX and GLE with the same protocol as DOX and GLE groups.

In this study, a significant increase in Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) expression and Malondialdehyde (MDA) level in the liver and a significant decrease in the levels of Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in serum were observed in rats that received DOX when compared with the control group. A significant decrease in TNF-α expression and MDA level and a significant increase in the levels of SOD, GPX, and TAC in serum and liver tissue were observed in rats that received GLE with DOX when compared with DOX group (P<0.05).

It is remarkable to say that, the DOX could induce marked toxicity in the liver, and treatment with GLE produced potential improvement of the liver via repression of oxidative stress and inflammatory responses.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women and the second leading cause of death from cancer in women aged 20-59. Correspondingly, tumor markers such as HER-2/neu and PR ER P53 can be used to determine the severity of the disease and how to treat these patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the importance of HER-2 biomarker function in diagnosis and its relationship with other clinical factors in women with breast cancer.

This cross-sectional-analytical study included all breast cancer patients who were referred to Rasht's Besat Clinic between 2018 and 2019, and their breast cancer was confirmed by pathology results. The CVR coefficient was obtained for each question (-0.8 to 1) and the CVI index was above 80%. HER-2 biomarker status was recorded in immunohistochemical evaluation.

In this study, there is also a significant relationship between HER-2 biomarkers with the age of diagnosis, place of residence, marital status, education, exercise frequency, menstrual cycle, age at first menstruation, age at first live birth, history of abortion, history of Breastfeeding, history of the contraceptive hormone, history of smoking, alcohol, drugs, history of breast cancer and non-breast cancer in first and second degree relatives, history of HPV, history of metastasis was not found. A significant correlation was found between HER-2 biomarker and weight, age of first pregnancy, and the number of children.

Based on the results of this study, the expression of HER-2 biomarkers in breast cancer patients increases with increasing weight, increasing the age of patients, and decreasing the number of children.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, which is associated with progressive cognitive disorders and memory loss. Insulin has recently gained more attention for its anti-inflammatory, cognitive, and protective effects. This study aimed to investigate the effect of intranasal insulin administration on cognitive functions and mitochondrial biogenesis in rats treated with streptozotocin (STZ).

In this experimental study, 32 adult male Wistar rats were used. Correspondingly, to induce an animal model of AD, STZ was injected bilaterally in the lateral ventricles (3 mg/rat; 3 μl/ventricle). Morris water maze was used to investigate cognitive disorders and confirm the induction of the AD animal model. Treatment was performed by intranasal insulin administration (2 IU/rat/day; 10 μl/nostril) after STZ injection for 14 consecutive days. Changes in the expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis (PGC-1α, NRF-1, and TFAM) were measured by Real-time PCR technique in the hippocampus.

The results of the study showed that STZ injection led to spatial memory disorder concomitant with a decrease in the expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis in the hippocampus of rats. Whereas, intranasal insulin administration reduced cognitive disorders and increased the expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis in the hippocampus of animals treated with STZ.

Insulin can reduce STZ-induced cognitive disorders by affecting the mitochondrial biogenesis pathway, so it can be considered an important target for reducing cognitive deficits in AD patients.

One of the most destructive side effects of chemotherapy is damage to the reproductive system. Cyclophosphamide (CTX), as one of the most widely used chemotherapy drugs, has toxic and irreversible effects on the ovary. This study aims to investigate the effects of hydroalcoholic extract of proposes on improving the structure and function of rat ovaries damaged by chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide.

This research was conducted on 40 female Westar rats (5 groups of 8), including the sham group; receiving only the basic solvent (proposed solvent), the control group; receiving distilled water intraperitoneal for 14 days and cyclophosphamide once with a dose of 200 mg/kg on the 15th day of pregnancy, groups 3, 4 and 5 including mice that received proposes with a dose of 200, 100 and 50 mg/kg respectively (14 days, intraperitoneal) and cyclophosphamide once at a dose of 200 mg/kg on the 15th day of pregnancy. 24 hours after the last injection, blood was taken to measure the level of serum 17-beta-estradiol hormone. Then, the right ovaries of all animals were fixed in Bouin's solution for histopathological studies, and tissue sections were prepared and stained. After freezing, their left ovary was homogenized and centrifuged, and its supernatant was used to measure the oxidative stress factors TAC and MDA according to the method mentioned in the relevant kits.

The use of the proposed hydro alcoholic extract with doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg inhibits the decrease in the number of ovarian follicles and oocyte diameter, decreases the number of athreptic follicles, increases the amount of 17-beta-estradiol hormone, and increases the level of total antioxidant factor (TAC) and reducing the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the chemotherapy model.

This study showed that the hydro-alcoholic extract of proposes significantly prevents the destructive effects of cyclophosphamide on the structure and function of the ovary.

Pitavastatin is in the statins class and is mainly used for the treatment of dyslipidemia and hypercholesterolemia. According to the anti-inflammatory, angiogenic, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and antiplatelet effects of pitavastatin, in the present study, the protective effects were investigated against the reperfusion injuries and edema in the animal model of local and transient cerebral ischemia.

21 rats were assigned into three groups; sham, control ischemic, and treated ischemic groups. Brain ischemia/reperfusion was induced by 90 min middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) followed by 24-hour reperfusion. Rats received pitavastatin intraperitoneally at a dose of 4 mg/kg immediately after termination of MCAO. Neurological deficit score (NDS), infarct volume, and brain swelling, as an index of edema, were assessed 24 hours after termination of MCAO.

MCAO induced neurological dysfunction (3.28±0.28) and brain infarction in the control ischemic group (299±21 mm3) accompanied by brain swelling (11.83±2.61 %). Administration of pitavastatin in the treated ischemic rats significantly reduced neurological dysfunction (1.57±0.20), brain infarction (117±28 mm3), and brain swelling (4.75±0.80 %). Also, pitavastatin considerably decreased the mortality of rats in the treated ischemic group.

The findings of the present study indicated that pitavastatin, as a potent neuroprotective agent, effectively reduces reperfusion-induced brain injuries and brain edema independently of cholesterol-lowering effects in the experimental model of ischemic stroke.

Obesity is associated with dysfunction in the metabolic processes of heart tissue, and genetic factors are associated with metabolic homeostasis of heart tissue. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of aerobic training and stevia supplements on the expression of the glucose metabolism signaling pathway markers in the heart tissue of obese rats.

For the implementation of this experimental research, 25 male Wistar rats (five healthy adult rats and 20 adult obese male rats) were divided into five groups: control (healthy), obese, obese-stevia, obese-aerobic training, and obese-stevia- -aerobic training. Aerobic exercise was performed on a treadmill, five days a week for eight weeks. Supplemental groups received 250 mg of stevia (per kilogram of body weight) by gavage during the intervention period. After anesthesia, an autopsy was performed and heart tissue was removed. gene expression of mTOR, AKT, PI3K ، IRS2، INSR, and PTEN in heart tissue were measured using Real-Time PCR.

After the intervention, a decrease of mTOR and PTEN gene expression and an increase of IRS2 and PI3K gene expression in heart tissue were observed in all intervention groups compared to the obese group (P=0.001). Also, the increase of AKT gene expression and the decrease of INSR gene expression in heart tissue were prominent in the obese + exercise + stevia group compared to the obese group (P=0.001).

It seems that aerobic training and stevia supplementation can help to improve the factors involved in heart energy metabolism during obesity.

Maternal care is one of the fundamental healthcare domains that undeniably affect community health. Given the importance of gestational weight gain (GWG) as a vital care indicator, this study aims to assess the GWG and identify its determinants.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in the autumn of 2022 and included 400 postpartum women. The study tool was a researcher-made questionnaire whose content validity was approved by experts, and its Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI) were found to be 0.94 and 0.92, respectively. The descriptive results were reported as frequency (percentages) for qualitative variables and mean (standard deviation) for quantitative variables. Moreover, the chi-square test was used to assess the statistical relationship between demographic and background variables with GWG status.

The results indicated that the average GWG was 11.59 kg. Additionally, it was observed that 65% of mothers had a normal weight gain during their last pregnancy, while 17% had a low weight gain and 18% had a high weight gain. The analysis of demographic and background variables revealed that basic health insurance, the type of basic health insurance, borrowing money to pay for health expenses, pre-pregnancy weight status, pre-existing cardiac and renal conditions, gestational diabetes, and experiencing leaking amniotic fluid and hemorrhage during pregnancy is significantly associated with gestational weight gain status (P<0.05).     

The unfavorable state of the GWG index can be attributed to several factors, such as income and employment disparities. Therefore, it is crucial to devise and finance policies to enhance women's health after delivery.

Epidural analgesia seems to be one of the most effective methods of controlling labor pain. However, no comprehensive agreement has been reached regarding its side effects. Therefore, the following study was designed to investigate the clinical maternal and neonatal outcomes.

In a prospective cohort study, from November 2020 to October 2022, 600 primigravid patients were included in two equal epidural analgesia and control groups. The uterine atony, grade 3-4 perineal injury rate, fetal head descent, shoulder dystocia, duration of neonatal hospitalization, cesarean delivery, fever and headache, oxytocin administration, successful breastfeeding, instrumented vaginal delivery, the first-minute Apgar Score were compared between the two groups. The data were analyzed by SPSS-26 with the Chi-square test and T-test.

The duration of the active phase, uterine atony, grade 3-4 perineal injury rate and fetal head descent, shoulder dystocia, duration of neonatal hospitalization, and successful breastfeeding between the two groups were not statistically significant(P-value>0.05). Importantly, the incidence of cesarean delivery, fever, headache, and oxytocin administration was significantly higher in the epidural group (P-value <0.05). Regarding the comparison of neonatal outcomes, the use of instrumented vaginal delivery, the first-minute Apgar Score, and the frequency of hospitalization between the two groups were found to be significantly different (P-value 0.03, 0.02, 0.007 respectively).

Although the probability of emergency cesarean delivery following epidural labor analgesia increases and the first-minute Apgar score decreases, the serious side effects of epidural labor analgesia seem to be few and its use is effective and safe in reducing labor pain.

Vaccines are the most successful and cost-effective public health tools that have helped control, eliminate, or eradicate many infectious diseases, and are the key intervention to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the World Health Organization recommends that to increase the acceptance of vaccination, each country should identify and provide appropriate strategies to increase the motivation and desire of people and also to solve the challenges created to receive the vaccine. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the motivations and challenges of the participants in the COVID-19 vaccination program, particularly with PastoCovac which was jointly developed by the Finlay Institute of Vaccines in Cuba (IFV) and Pasteur Institute of Iran (PII), and to achieve a better understanding of the challenges of vaccination in the Iranian society, and to find ways to increase and strengthen the motivations.

A purposeful sample of people who visited a major urban health center in Semnan were approached for this qualitative study to reach data saturation (30 people) with open questions in a 30-minute interview. Relatively, after conducting the interview, the audio file was listened to carefully and if necessary intermittently by the interviewer and transcribed. The overt and hidden content of data obtained from the statements were checked and then the traditional content analysis was used to develop meaningful clusters of themes.

The main themes of people's motivations identified in the current research include controlling disease and reducing mortality, protecting health and establishing collective safety, improving social and economic conditions, advancing medical knowledge, trust and credibility of the Pasteur Institute of Iran (PII), acceptable possible side effects and The high effectiveness, local production of the vaccine are the unique characteristics of the vaccine, while the obstacles identified are: false and ignorant beliefs, lack of trust in the vaccine, people's fear and worry of side effects, the unique characteristics of the vaccine, lack of universal acceptability, insufficient recognition of vaccine characteristics.

PastoCovac as one of the major vaccines against COVID-19 developed jointly by PII and IFV, was acceptable to the Iranian population in every aspect. PastoCovac, therefore, played an important role in achieving e acceptable levels of safety in the country during the pandemic.

Diabetes-induced neurological disorders could be attributed to changes in the neurotransmitter systems. To determine the effects of diabetes mellitus and physical activity on the brain's glutamatergic and cholinergic systems, the levels of glutamate transporter proteins and acetylcholinesterase activity were investigated in the prefrontal cortex of diabetic animals with/without treadmill exercise.

Adult Wistar rats (5 rats/group) were used in this study. Diabetes mellitus was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg). Control animals received 0.1 M citrate buffer as vehicle. After 14 days, animals were randomly divided into non-exercise and exercise groups. In the exercise groups, animals were subjected to 4 weeks of treadmill exercise (5 days per week). Thereafter, animals were sacrificed and prefrontal cortices were isolated to measure protein levels of astrocytic (GLAST and GLT-1) and neuronal (EAAC1) glutamate transporters and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity.

Animals in the diabetic group had higher GLAST and lower EAAC1 levels (P<0.001) compared to the control group, whereas the level of GLT-1 remained unchanged. In addition, a significant decrease in AChE activity was observed in the diabetic group compared to the control group (P<0.001). Treadmill exercise decreased GLAST level (P<0.05) and increased EAAC1 level and AChE activity to the normal levels in the diabetic group.

Despite no significant effect on the elevated level of GLAST, treadmill exercise was able to restore decreased EAAC1 protein and acetylcholinesterase activity observed in the prefrontal of diabetic animals to the control levels.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are cells that can replicate and differentiate into cells of multiple organs. However, there are challenges regarding their cultivation conditions. Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is the most commonly used culture medium additive for in vitro cultures, despite its undefined composition, potential immunogenicity, and possible prion/zoonotic transmission. For these reasons, significant efforts have been targeted at finding substitutes, such as serum-free media or human platelet lysates (HPL) and fresh frozen plasma (FFP). This study aimed to investigate the effects of the simultaneous use of FFP, HPL, and FBS on the proliferation of MSCs derived from umbilical cord blood and adipose tissues.

In this study, five platelet concentrate bags were obtained from the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization, the branch of Jahrom. Relatively, the Platelet lysate was prepared by repeated freezing/thawing method, and dead cells were separated from platelet lysate by centrifugation. MSCs were isolated from the adipose tissue of five patients undergoing hernia surgery or cesarean, and from the umbilical cord of 10 newborns. The cells were cultured in control (FBS) and experimental (FBS+FFP, FFP+HPL and FBS+FFP+HPL) groups. Cells of MSC phenotype were confirmed by flow cytometric analysis and viability was examined using the MTT assay.

The results showed that the proliferation and viability of mesenchymal stem cells were increased significantly in the FBS+FFP, FBS+HPL, FFP+HPL, and FBS+FFP+HPL groups compared to the FBS group.

In this study, it was shown that FBS+FFP, FBS+HPL, FFP+HPL, and FBS+FFP+HPL had a beneficial effect on the growth and proliferation of MSCs. It seems these biological effects are due to the presence of growth factors and cytokines produced by blood cells. This study confirms that FFP+HPL as a supplement in some culture media may be considered a suitable alternative instead of FBS for the MSC culture media.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease and one of the major public health problems in societies due to its prevalence and complications. This study aims to assess the prevalence of type 2 diabetes complications and their related factors.

This cross-sectional study included 400 diabetic patients (51% males vs. 49% females) in Semnan, Iran in 2023. The study tool was a researcher-made questionnaire whose content validity was confirmed by experts (CVR=0.90 and CVI=0.87). The descriptive results were calculated and reported as frequency (percentage) for qualitative variables and mean (standard deviation) for quantitative ones. Also, due to the qualitative nature of the variables, the statistical relationship between demographic and background variables with the prevalence of disease complications was evaluated using the chi-square test.

The mean age of participants was 51.93 years. According to the results, 19% of patients experienced type 2 diabetes complications, so that 8.5% had neuropathy (95% CI: ±2.73), 8% had retinopathy (95% CI: ±2.65), and 2.75% had nephropathy (95% CI: ±1.60). Among the demographic and background variables, the following items were significantly associated with the prevalence and severity of the complications: education level, employment status, nativity, urban or rural residency, type of basic health insurance, the time elapsed since diagnosis of the disease, the time interval between diagnosis of the disease and commencement of care, disease control status, and place of receiving care (P<0.05).

The findings of the study indicated that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes complications was at an acceptable level compared to the national and international statistics. Moreover, in addition to factors such as the patients’ access to appropriate diagnostic and treatment facilities and improving self-care among patients, some geographical, occupational, and financial factors play a role in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes complications