Journal of Advances in Medical and Biomedical Research
Volume:20 Issue: 79, 2012

Dopamine receptors and histamine influence anxiety-like behaviors. Furthermore, interaction between histamine and dopaminergic D1 receptors has been demonstrated in the modulation of some behavior. In the present study, we investigated the interaction between histamine and dopaminergic D1 receptors in the dorsal hippocampus in the anxiety behavior. In this experimental study, the elevated plus maze test was used to test anxiety-like behaviors. Mice were anesthetized with intra-peritoneal injection of ketamine hydrochloride, plus xylazine, and two stainless-steel cannuale were placed in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. Two- and one-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs), followed by LSD test, were used for data analysis. All experiments were performed in accordance with the institutional guidelines for animal care and use. Intra-CA1 injection of histamine and D1 dopamine agonist (SKF 38393) and antagonist (SCH23390) induced anxiety. Intra-CA1 injection SKF 38393 or SCH23390 2 min after of effective dose of histamine (10µg/mouse) inhibited anxiogenic effects of histamine. It seems that both histamine and dopaminergic D1 receptors play a part in the modulation of anxiety in the dorsal hippocampus of mice, and that they carry a complex interaction between them.

The increase in the blood concentration of lipids after meals has a significant effect on induction of atherosclerosis. Vaccinium myrtilus has an antioxidant activity, and in this study, we aimed to determine the effects of this plant on atherosclerosis risk factors. In an experimental study, 24 male New Zealand rabbits were randomly designated into three groups of 8 rabbits: Group 1, normal diet; Group 2, a diet containing 1 % cholesterol; and Group 3, a diet containing 1% cholesterol and 2% Vaccinium myrtilus powder. The blood glucose, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), apolipoprotein B (ApoB), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), LDL-C (low density lipoprotein), nitrite, nitrate, fibrinogen, and factor VII, which are considered as atherosclerosis risk factors, were measured before the experiment and 3 hours after feeding. The data were analyzed using One-Way Analysis of ANOVA. The P-values below 0.05 (P<0.05) were considered as significant. Consumption of Vaccinium myrtilus significantly decreased the concentrations of LDL-C, TC, aminotransaminases (AST, ALT), ApoB, and fibrinogen compared to the hyper-cholesterolemic diet group (P<0.05). However, there were no significant differences was found between the group taking Vaccinium myrtilus and hyper-cholesterolemic diet group with regard to the serum glucose, TG, factor VII, nitrite, and nitrate (P>0.05). The results of this study show that acute consumption of Vaccinium myrtilus might have a protective effect on some atherosclerosis risk factors.

Previous studies have shown that morphine consumption during pregnancy may delay the embryo development and/or cause abnormal nervous system function. The present study focused on the effects of maternal morphine consumption on the brain vesicles Prosencephslon and Rhombencephal development in Wistar rat embryos. A total of 12 female Wistar rats (170-200g) were used in this study. After pregnancy, each rat in the experimental group (n= 6) received 0.05 mg/ml of morphine by tap water, while the animals in the control group only received water only. On the 10th day of pregnancy, the pregnant animals were anesthetized by chloroform and the embryos were removed surgically. The embryos were then fixed in 10%formalin for one week, followed by tissue processing, sectioning, and staining with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) for each embryo. The sections were examined for primary brain Rhombencephal and Prosencephslon vesicles, and the brain layer development or thickness was examined by light microscopy and MOTIC software. A severe reduction of the area for Rhombencephal and Prosencephslon was observed in the experimental group compared with the control group. Furthermore, the increase in the brain layer thickness was significantly more apparent in the experimental groups in comparison to the control group (P<0.05). Our results show that oral morphine consumption causes a decrease in the primary brain vesicles. This defect may be the cause of abnormal central neuron system function and development observed in the fetuses born from opioid addicted women.

Previous studies have shown that polymyxin B sulfate and trimthoprim antibiotics are not individually effective on Yersinia enterocolitica and their closely related species. The aim of this study was to evaluate the synergistic effect of above antibiotics on Y. enterocolitica and their closely related species, from the clinical and the natural environment specimen collected in Iran, and compare them with the isolates that that were obtained from the Pasteur institute collection in France. In total, 73 species from Iran and 25 from the Pasteur institute in France were tested. The microdilution method was used for the MIC according to the standard protocol. The synergistic effect was seen in all tested samples. However, the human species from the Pasteur institute were more sensitive than the Iranian human and the environmental species were less sensitive than clinical. The Y. enterocolitica isolates were less sensitive than the related species such as Y. intermedia, Y. fredriksenii, and Y. kristensenii. The synergistic effect polymyxin B sulfate and trimthoprim were more evident on other closely related Yersinia species Y. enterocolitica.

Meditation is commonly perceived as an alternative medicine management tool for psychological diseases such as depression and anxiety disorders. To our knowledge, there is no published study providing an index for estimating meditation's depth from biological signals. Estimating the depth of meditation can be useful in controlling its different levels, and it can be used as a biofeedback technique to help a person achieve the desired state of meditation. In this study, an index for meditation depth is offered using the features of electroencephalogram and heart rate signals. For this purpose, EEG signals in Fz, Cz, and Pz channels, and the heart rate time series of 25 healthy women were collected both before and during the meditations. The algorithm is suggested based on the rational alpha power of EEG signals and the time domain feature of the heart rate to estimate the depth of meditation. The analysis of biological signals using this method suggests that 22 of the 25 participants have experienced the deepest meditation state. Interestingly, 2 of the beginners as well as one expert-mediators could not reach the deepest state by following up the master mediator. These results were in line with the evaluation of the questionnaire. The suggested algorithm has some practical characteristics including: the option of being calibrated for each subject; not requiring high-volume calculations; and it does not take much time.

Propofol is the most frequently used intravenous anesthetic today. One of its side effects is the pain on injection. Various methods such as adding lidocaine, cooling or warming and dilution of the propofol solution have been used for reducing the pain. However, each of these methods comes with a degree of failure. We designed this double-blinded randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effects of ephedrine of the injection pain caused by propofol. Fifty patients, between 20-60 years old and in the ASA physical status I and II, were enrolled in this experimental study and randomly divided into two equal groups. The basal vital signs for all patients were recorded, and 30 seconds prior to the induction of anesthesia, either 70µg/kg of ephedrine (study group) or an equal volume of normal saline (control group) was administered without premedication. Then, 20% of propofol was administered to each patient, and the pain intensity was measured and recorded by both the Verbal Rating Scale (VRS; grading 0-3) and Face Pain Scale (FPS; grading 1-6). The remaining dose of propofol and atracurium were administered. Patients of two groups were similar with respect to age, sex, ASA status, and basal vital signs (P>0.05). The mean degrees of pain severity, in the study and control group were 0.48 ± 0.51 and 1.08 ± 759 by VRS (P = 0.002), and 1.48 ± 0.586 and 2.04 ± 0.841 by FPS (P=0.009), respectively. Based on the results of the present study, also supported by other studies, it seems that administration of ephedrine prior to propofol is a suitable method for reduction of pain from propofol injection.

Newborns often experience pain during routine invasive procedures. Although the pain caused by immunization injections could be controlled, but this procedure in infants is often done without pain relief. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of 20%oral sucrose on the relief of pain from Hepatitis Bvaccine injection in full term infants. In this randomized clinical trial, 60 infant were selected and divided randomly into two groups. In the case group, 2 ml of 20% sucrose were given orally to the infants 2 minutes prior to the intramuscular injection of Hepatitis B vaccine. By contrast, the control group received 2 ml of sterile distilled water instead of sucrose. Infants’ pain levels were assessed with the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) prior to the administration of the sucrose or water, as well as immediately after and 5 minute after the injection. Our findings show that there were no significant differences in the pain levels prior to the injection between the two groups regarding sex, gestational age, birth weight, mode of delivery, and postnatal age. There were also no significant differences in pain severity immediately after the injection between the two groups. However, 5 minute after the injection the average level of pain severity in the 20% sucrose group was significantly lower than the control group (P = 0.012). Oral administration of 20% sucrose does not have an effect on the pain level immediately after intramuscular injection, but it relieves the pain 5 minute after the injection.

There is a strong relationship between trigger points with neck pain and headache. This study aimed to compare the effects of muscle energy technique using low-level laser on reducing neck and shoulder pain and disability in patients with myofascial trigger points in the upper trapezius and levator scapula muscles. This double-blinded randomized controlled trial was performed in Zahedan in 2009. Thirty patients with trigger points in the upper trapezius and levator scapula were randomly assigned to one of the three groups in equal numbers. In the laser group, a low-level Ga-As laser was applied with a pulse duration of 200 ns and 6 J/cm2 dosages. By contrast, in the muscle energy group, we used stretching following post-isometric relaxation, and in the placebo group used low-level laser without an output. A 10-session treatment program was performed for each group. Prior to and following the intervention, We assessed the cervical ranges of motion with a goniometer, and neck and shoulder pain and disability with Neck Disability Index and Shoulder Pain and Disability Index; respectively. Paired t-test and one-way Anova were used for data analysis. The data shows that the neck pain decreased from 8.2 ± 1.2 to 3.5 ± 0.85 in the muscle energy group, and from 8.4 ± 1.4 to 2.6 ± 1.2 in the laser group. The shoulder pain and disability decreased from 102.9 ± 10.7 to 24 ± 10.3 in the muscle energy group, and from 104.7± 11.8 to 22.6 ± 10.7 in the laser group (P<0.05). There were no significant differences seen between the two treatment groups regarding either the neck and shoulder pain or disability or ranges of motion (P>0.05). The results show that low-level laser and muscle energy technique are both equally effective in decreasing the neck and shoulder pain and disability in patients with myofascial trigger points in trapezius and levator scapula muscles.

The purpose of this study was to study the relationship between self-estimated and measured physical fitness among non-athletic young females and males. The target population of this study was all non-athletic male of female students from the University of Guilan. After translating the SPQ standard-questionnaire (Delignieres, 1994) and adjusting some of the questions, the questionnaire was evaluated by the specialists in the context of validity and the Reliability achieved by test-retest (Cronbach Alpha value of 0.84) We then, according to the Odineski table selected 150 male and 170 female students, with the mean: age of 21.83 ± 1.17 and 21.13 ± 1.56 years; height of 173.64 ± 1.56 and 159.29 ± 6.45 cm; weight of 70.66 ± 11.80 and 57.73 ± 10.27 kg; and body mass index of 23.45 ± 3.3 and 22.74 ± 3.7 kg/m2, respectively. The inferential statistics of the t–test and Pearson correlation coefficient were used for data analysis. The results show that male and female students in the study did not have a true self-estimate of their physical fitness, muscular strength, endurance cardio – respiratory, flexibility, and body composition. There were also significant differences between self-estimated physical fitness and the fitness test measures among the male and female students (P<0.001). Compared to the female students, the male students had a better self-estimated image of their physical activity. Based on the fact that the male and female students in the study do not have a true self-estimate of their physical fitness, we suggest that they should be provided with necessary facilities and support in order to encourage them to participate in the physical activity and fitness training programs, which could lead to improvement of their mental and body health status and a better picture of self-estimated physical activity.

Nosocomial infections, with their associated increased hospital mortality and hospitalization costs, are discussed as one of the major health problems in communities. Urinary tract infections are known as the most common nosocomial infection that makes up over 40% of all hospital infections. In this study, the role of antibiotics usage before admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and the frequency of urinary tract infections during ICU stay were studied. This prospective cross-sectional study was done on 353 patients admitted to the ICUs of Besat and Ekbatan Hospitals in Hamedan. Following up their weekly visits to the ICU, the Patients with urinary tract infections were identified during weekly visits to the ICUs, and variables including the type of antibiotic taken prior to the occurrence of UTI, and the organisms causing the infection were recorded. Data analyses were performed by SPSS program Chi-Square and Fisher exact tests. Among the 353 patients studied, with mean age of 51.2 ± 21.9 years, 61 (17%) were suffering from nosocomial UTI. Most of them [19 patients (31.1%)] were over 65 years. The urine cultures were positive in 20% of the patients. Gram-negative and -positive bacteria, and fungi made up 41.7%, 33.3%, 25%of the infection cases, respectively. Eighty-five percent of the cases had received antibiotics prior to developing nosocomial UTI, and 55% of the taken antibiotics belonged to the cephalosporin group. Furthermore, 44% of the cases had taken more than one type of antibiotics. There was a significant relationship between the type of microorganism responsible for the infection and the type of antibiotic taken before admission to the ICU (P=0.011). In this study, the frequency of nosocomial UTI was estimated at 17%, and it was found that taking inappropriate/unnecessary antibiotics before entering the ICU had a significant relationship with occurrence of nosocomial UTI. Therefore, educating the public for avoiding unnecessary consumption of antibiotics seems necessary.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is caused by the entrapment of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel of the wrist. CTS is a rather frequent complication in pregnancy. Thud, the prevalence of CTS is higher in women compared to men. However, the percentage of CTS related to pregnancy is not known in some countries such as Iran. The main aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and severity of CTS in pregnant and non-pregnant women of Boyerahmad township. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study was done during the period of February 2010 to January 2011 in OB&GYN clinics among 2,656 non-pregnant and 1,508 pregnant women. Among the women whom were referred to the OB&GYN specialists, 175 exhibited the clinical symptoms of CTS and were subjected to standard electrodiagnostic studies performed for either ruling in or out CTS by a Physiatrist. The prevalence of CTS in women who had clinical symptoms was 2.7%. The prevalence of CTS in pregnant and non-pregnant women was 3.4% and 2. 3%, respectively. Overall, out of a total of 51 pregnant women who were suffering from CTS, 59.4% had mild, 18.8% had moderate, and 21.9% had severe CTS. Sixty one non-pregnant women had CTS that 73.6% of whom had mild, 20.8% had moderate, and 5.6% had severe CTS. The prevalence of CTS in pregnant women is higher than non-pregnant women. Also the rate of severe CTS is higher among pregnant women.

Biconuate uterin is a congenital anomaly of the mullerian duct that can be associated with many complications. A 34-year-old woman was admitted because of having labor pain. She was using an IUD contraceptive device that was not successful in her case. Because of Breech malpresentation and a previous cesarean section, she was scheduled for cesarean section. During the surgery, the presence of theIUD device in one horn and fetus in the other horn of the two-horn uterus was observed with. An early diagnosis of these disorders could provide the patient with useful information and prevent many unnecessary complications.