نشریه دانشگاه علوم پزشکی خراسان شمالی
سال یکم شماره 1 (پاییز 1387)

ntroduction: Increased oxidative stress has been implicated in the mechanisms of delayed neuronal cell death (DND) following cerebral ischemic insult. In this study we investigated whether safranal, an active constituent of Crocus sativus plant, may ameliorate ischemia-induced oxidative damage in rat hippocampus. Male NMRI rats were divided in six groups, namely, sham control, ischemia and ischemia treated with safranal (four groups). Transient global cerebral ischemia was induced by four-vessel-occlusion method for 20 min. Safranal was injected intraperitoneally (727.5mg/kg, 363.75mg/kg, 145.5mg/kg, and 72.75mg/kg body weight) 5 min. prior to reperfusion and administration was continued for 72h after ischemia. Markers of oxidative stress including thiobarbituric acid reactive materials (TBARs) and antioxidant capacity of hippocampus (using FRAP assay) were measured in hippocampus. Transient global cerebral ischemia significantly increased TBARs (P

Back pain with known pathology is highly prevalent in children. On the other hand back pain with unknown pathology is rare in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of different pathology back pain in children.
Study was conducted retrospectively on 55 patients (22 females, 33 males) with back pain who were examined and treated between May 1999 to February 2004 in orthopedic ward of Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad, Iran.
Patients had an aged range of 7-15 years (mean 9/5 years). The diagnosed pathology of back pain was as follows: Vertebral tumors (3 cases), infectious (3 cases), spondylolysthesis (5 patients) deformity of vertebrates (8 patients), Scheuermann, s disease (6 patients), disc hernia (4 patients), spinal dysraphism (3 patients), trauma (12 patients) and unknown diagnosis (non organic) for their back pain (11 patients). Only 11 patients (20%) had back pain with unknown pathology, contrary to adults with up to 70% unknown pathology
Back pain in children has high incidence of definable pathology (80%) and radiographic and laboratory evaluation must be performed in children with back pain.

The aim of this study was to identify the most common clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and response to medications in children with visceral leishmaniosis in Imam Reza Hospital in Bojnourd.
The study was consisted of 30 patients who admitted to the pediatric ward of Imam Reza Hospital with leishmaniosis, since 1999 to 2007. Clinical manifestations, laboratory findings and response to medications were assessed retrospectively. The data were analyzed with the SPSS version 13 software.
Weight loss, lethargy, fever, hepatosplenomegaly and the symptoms of respiratory infections (cough, tachypnea and fever) were the most common clinical manifestations. Anemia, red blood cell reduction, decreased platelet count, lymphocytosis, leucopenia, high ESR and CRP levels, microcytosis, anisocytosis, hypocromia and reticulocytosis, were the most common laboratory finding. Despite of treatment, 7% mortality occurred in patients with this disease which is more than other reports from Iran. The prevalence of this disease in spring and winter is higher than fall and atumn.
Findings such as lymphocytosis, high ESR and CRP levels, reticulocytosis and living in rural areas can help to distinguish leishmaniosis from other differential diagnosis.

Ramadan fasting is a religious duty and an ideological belief; it is a must for all healthy adult muslims. Fasting in Ramadan isn’t concomitant with poor feeling or insufficient intake of food ingredients but fasting is a way to improve the adaption mechanisms in the body. This metabolic adaptation occurs especially for lipid and carbohydrate metabolism during Ramadan fasting. Several studies on effects of fasting on serum biochemical parameters have been done and a variety of hypothesis has developed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of one month Ramadan fasting on healthy men. The participatants were 40 volunteer among the employees of Bojnord University of Medical Sciences with no metabolic disease and/or drug consumption who were committed to do fasting for one month. The duration of study was 28days and each day fasting lasted between 11-12 hours. Blood samples were collected at the end of the firs and the 28th day of fasting for all subjects. Blood sugar (FBS), uric acid, albumin, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride were measured by routine laboratory methods with autoanalyzer. The data were presented as mean±SD and the results were compared with paired student t-test using SPSS version 11.5 and P The results showed that the mean age of subjects was 39.11.602. The serum concentration sugar, uric acid, Triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol at the end of study were significantly decreased (p The results of this research showed that Ramadan fasting has no harmful effects on the healthly adults; moreover fasting decreased both blood lipids and uric acid and improved the level of serum albumin.

ntroduction: One of the most important health problems in human life is decay of teeth. This defect has been increased in developed countries. It has been shown that the concentration of fluoride in drinking water has been related to dental caries and fluorosis. The aim of this study was to determine the fluoride level in drinking water in Zahedan city and to determine the DMFT index and the relationship between this index and fluoride level in 8-12 years old school children.
This is a descriptive, observational and cross-sectional study. Based on sample estimation formula, a total number of 800 students, aged 8-12 years (400 boys and 400 girls) from 16 schools in Zahedan, Iran, were examined and DMFT was recorded. The schools were also randomly selected. The water was collected from 34 different places throughout the city. Samples were in collected in one-liter plastic bottles and fluoride was analyzed according to SPADNS method spectrophetometrically.
The mean DMFT score was 2.41. The maximum rate of DMFT was seen in 9 years old (3.02) and the minimum rate in 12 years old (1.97). The DMF in boys was higher than girls. The fluoride concentration was lower than the standard limit in all of the drinking water samples.
Based on the WHO classification, the DMFT index in Zahedan, is in the second level, that means it need the time to reach WHO aims. The fluoride concentration is lower than the standard limit of drinking water supplies. Therefore extra fluoride should be prepared for children by other sources such as toothpaste, tea and fluoridation of water supplies.

Camellia Sciensis or green tea is a medicinal plant widely used in Assia. Several effects such as: Antioxidant and lowering serum cholesterol concentration have been reported for this plant. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of aqueous extract of green tea onserum level of lipids in rat.
Thirty two male wistar rats aged 2-4 months with 200±10 g weight were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=8). All animals were kept at a 12hr light/dark cycle and received tap drinking water; group A (negative control) was left without any treatment, while groups B (Positive control), C (treatment) and D (preventive) were received 2% cholesterol diet throughout the study. Furthermore group B (positive control) received 100mg/kg/day of the nicotinic acid form the end of six week to the end of study. Group C (treatment group) was also treated with 100 mg/kg/day of the extract from the end of 6 week throughout the study and finally group D (preventive group) was also treated with 100 mg/kg/day of the extract from the start of the study to the end of the experiment. Weight of the animals and blood samples were determined weekly. Serum concentration of total cholesterol, LDL-cholestrol, HDL-cholestrol and triglyceride were determined by routine laboratory enzymatic methods with autoanalyzer. The data were presented as Mean SD and analyzed with ANOVA and Unpaired t-test. P The data demonstrated that in group (C) total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDLC and triglyceride levels were significantly (all P The results of this study demonstrated that the extract of green tea has a hyperlipidemic lowering effect. It may be concluded that daily drinking of a few cups of green tae plus a low lipid diet may reduce the levels of serum lipids. Therefore, it may have a beneficial effect in reduction of some risk factors for diseases related to hyperlipidemia.

Numbers of researches are important index for development in developed countries. Therefore, it seems necessary to pay attention more to research in policy making and planning in each country.
This study is a descriptive study aimed to describe the frequency of obstacles in research based on the view point of the faculty member in the North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences in the year 2007-2008. Considering the low number of the faculty member in the university all of them has been interviewed and filled out the questionnaire. Frequency table and chi square tests were used to show the findings.
Digital information resources deficiency, restrict rules and regulation for ding research, and managerial rules were important research obstacles. In the information resource category, deficiency of the electronic resources, lack of enough laboratory instruments and space were important factors. Among managerial factors deficiency of budget was the most important factor that was expected because the university was new established and developing.
Considering some research activity instead of educational activity for faculty members, engagement the researcher as faculty member to work in research department, facilitate rules and regulation for doing research, improvement of research process, and allocation enough information resources could be effective measures to improve the quality and quantity of researches in the North Khorasan University.

Colon adenocarcinoma is a prevalent cancer throughout the world. The incidence of this cancer is 3.39% of all malignant tumors in khorasan province (North-East of Iran). Although the surgical removal of the adenocarcinoma is the first choice of treatment at the present, however the survival rate is not so good in most patients. It seems that any other approach for the treatment of this cancer with possible eradication of tumor or improvement of its survival rate and duration is of great interest. Alpinia galanga L. is a medicinal plant. Various therapeutic effects such as; antibacterial, analgesic and anti-inflammatory, vasodilatory, neuronal protective and hypoglycemic effects has been reported for this plant. Several studies also have demonstrated anticancer effects, growth inhibitory and cytotoxic effects for Alpinia galanga or its different components. The anticancer effects of these components are due to scavenging of free radicals, inhibition of enzyme activities and inhibition of cytotoxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible effects of aqueous extract of Alpinia galanga on proliferation and growth of HT-29 (Human adenocarcinoma of colon) and L929 (normal mouse fibroblast) cell lines in vitro. Aqueous extract of rhizemes from Alpinia galanga were prepared by soxhelet and both cell lines were studied by morphological and MTT assays. Both HT-29 and L929 cell lines were treated with equivalent of 500, 1000, 1500, 2000 and 2500 µg/ml of Alpinia galanga from the aqueous extract in culture medium for intervals of 24, 48 and 72 hours. Both cell lines were studied under light inverted microscope for morphology, granulation and anchorage independency. At the same time anti-proliferative properties of the extract were determined by MTT colorimetric assay. The results were compared by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey-Kramer and when P values were less than 0.05 the differences were considered to be significant. The results of this study demonstrate that the aqueous extract of Alpinia galanga exerts an inhibitory effect on growth of HT-29 and L929 cell lines. The IC50 for HT-29 and L929 cell lines with aqueous extract at 72 hour were about 1500 µg/ml. In conclusion, these data demonstrate that aqueous extract is effective and exerts inhibitory effect on growth of HT-29 and L929 cell lines. Therefore, it seems that when Alpinia galangal is used for anticancer purposes, another type of Alpinia or different extracts without cytotoxic actions on normal cells may be preferred.