مجله دانشکده پزشکی اصفهان
پیاپی 216 (هفته دوم بهمن ماه 1391)

Microsatellites or short tandem repeats (STRs) are repeating 2-7 base-pair sequences in human genome. They are used to identify individuals in criminal investigations and court cases. This study aimed to determine the frequency of alleles، heterozygosity، and power of discrimination (PD) at four loci out of 13 loci of STRs including CSF1PO، FGA، D18S51، and TPOX in Fars Province، Iran. In the present study، polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were used to evaluate the STRs of 19 criminals in Fars Province، Iran. PD values for CSF1PO، FGA، TPOX and D18S51 were 0. 7852، 0. 9166، 0. 7339، and 0. 8435، respectively. The FGA and D18S51 loci had the highest PD. The most common polymorphism was observed in the FGA and D18S51 loci and the lowest was in the TPOX. The highest expected heterozygosity was observed at loci D18S51 and FGA. TPOX had the lowest heterozygosity. Considering their high PD and polymorphism، FGA and D18S51 are the best loci to identify criminals in Fars Province.

The need for energy in strenuous exercises necessitates increased oxygen consumption and hence increased production of reactive oxygen species. It seems that vitamins C and E supplementation reduces exercise-induced oxidative stress. Therefore، this study aimed to investigate the effects of vitamins C and E supplementation on muscle damage and oxidative stress in female athletes. This four-week randomized، double-blind clinical trial، recruited 64 trained female athletes from gyms in Isfahan، Iran. The subjects were randomly assigned to groups A-D and received vitamin C (250 mg/day)، vitamin E (400 international units)، both vitamins C and E، and placebo. Blood samples were obtained before and after the intervention to measure muscle damage indices، i. e. aspartate transaminase، creatine kinase، and lactate dehydrogenase، and malondialdehyde. Among muscle damage indices، only creatine kinase levels significantly reduced between groups at the end of the study (P = 0. 030). Considering within group differences، creatine kinase significantly decreased in group A (P = 0. 002). No within or between group differences were observed in aspartate aminotransferase levels. Lactate dehydrogenase levels were significantly decreased in group B (P = 0. 020). Significant reductions in malondialdehyde levels were also detected in groups A، C and D (P < 0. 05). According to our findings، vitamins C and E supplementation can be beneficial in reducing muscle damage indices during aerobic exercises.

Cardiovascular diseases، particularly coronary artery diseases، are the first cause of death in Iran. Patients with acute myocardial infarction who were hospitalized in hospitals of Isfahan (Iran) during 2000-09 were identified and followed up for 28 days to determine their survival status. The most frequent and most fatal myocardial infarction types were anterior wall acute myocardial infarction and acute transmural myocardial infarction of unspecified site، respectively. In order to increase survival rates، planners of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches should pay more attention to these two types of myocardial infarction.

Opium is the most commonly abused drug in Iran. However، effects of opium abuse or withdrawal on vascular endothelium are not clear. This study compared endothelial function in addicts، non-addicts، and individuals receiving treatment for addiction. This descriptive، analytic study was conducted in Isfahan (Iran) during 2011. Nitric oxide (NO) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were evaluated in four groups of individuals (addicts، non-addicts، persons receiving methadone maintenance treatment، and those attending drug rehabilitation camps). The mean serum levels of high sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) were 3. 59 ± 1. 20 in non-addicts، 4. 10 ± 1. 25 in addicts، 3. 29 ± 0. 97 ng/ml in subjects receiving methadone، and 5. 33 ± 1. 21 in residents of camps (P < 0. 05). The mean serum levels of NO in the abovementioned groups were 31. 29 ± 4. 68، 22. 51 ± 4. 53، 25. 51 ± 4. 22، and 20. 03 ± 3. 56 ng/ml، respectively (P < 0. 01). Among the four studied groups، opium addicts had the highest levels of CRP and the lowest levels of NO. Therefore، opium results in vascular dysfunction which can be corrected during the withdrawal process.

Mucoadhesive dosage forms including tablets، gels، ointments، patches، and films have received great attention during recent years. They facilitate the topical release and hence better absorbance of the drug. We tried to design miconazole nitrate mucoadhesive films to affect vaginal candidiasis. The prepared polymeric films contained 10 mg miconazole nitrate، mucoadhesive polymers (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 6cps and K15M، chitosan، and Eudragit RL100)، and propylene glycol (PG) as solvent and plasticizer. These films were made by solvent casting method. The films were assessed in terms of various physical and pharmaceutical properties such as thickness، swelling capacity، surface pH، disintegration time، miconazole nitrate loading، in vitro drug release، mucoadhesion، and antifungal effect against Candida albicans compared to miconazole vaginal cream. The mean weight and thickness of suitable films were 0. 022 g and 148 micron، respectively. The highest miconazole nitrate loading was 9. 5 mg. Swelling index، time of disintegration، and adhesiveness of films were acceptable. The films containing hydroxypropyl methylcellulose K15M had a uniform appearance and adequate strength and adhesion with optimum release pattern in five hours.

Preterm premature rupture of membrane (PPROM) is the rupture of the membrane before labor and prior to the 37th week. PPROM is a common complication of pregnancy with numerous adverse effects on both the mother and the infant. Identifying the risk factors for PPROM and methods for its early diagnosis and treatment will dramatically decrease the side effects. This study aimed at evaluating the outcome of pregnancies complicated by PPROM. This descriptive، analytic، cross-sectional study lasted for six months. It included 57 patients who were admitted to Shahid Beheshti Hospital (Isfahan، Iran) due to rupture of membrane in 28th-34th weeks of pregnancy. Patients were physically examined and asked for their history and symptoms. The collected data was analyzed with chi-square tests. The prevalence of PPROM، cesarean section، tachycardia، fever، and more than 15000/ml leukocytosis was 2. 3، 52. 7، 74. 0، 95. 0، and 66. 0 percent، respectively. Distress، sepsis، and death were observed in 21. 0، 3. 0، and 1. 7 percent of the neonates، respectively. No cases of pneumonia or hyaline membrane disease were detected. There was not a significant relationship between sex and PPROM. Our findings were similar to those of previous research. However، considering the importance of PPROM، larger studies in different areas are required for diagnosis and treatment of PPROM to prevent preterm birth.

Influenza A virus is an orthomyxovirus capable of infecting humans. The virus genome consists of eight negative single-strand RNA segments that encode structural and nonstructural viral proteins. M2، a disulfide-linked homotetramer and a membrane-bound protein، is conserved among all influenza A viruses. Therefore، it is an appropriate target for the development of influenza vaccine with broad-spectrum protection. In this study، M2 protein of influenza virus A was expressed in a prokaryotic system.

M2 gene of influenza virus A (New Caledonia/20/99، H1N1) was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specific primers. It was then digested with appropriate enzymes and cloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pQE30. The Escherichia coli (M15) competent cells were transformed with recombinant plasmid (pQE30-M2) and grown in LB broth media overnight after being induced by isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). The media were supplemented with 50 mg/ml ampicillin and 50 mg/ml kanamycin. Expression of the M2 protein was approved by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and western blot analysis.

The results of colony PCR، restriction enzyme digestion، and sequencing revealed that M2 gene was cloned in pQE30 properly in frame to histidine tag. Protein expression was confirmed in western blotting using specific monoclonal anti-M2 antibody.

Experiments in animal models have shown M2-based vaccines to induce broad spectrum immunity against various influenza A viruses. Thus، the M2 protein prepared in this study will be a suitable vaccine candidate to be evaluated in further studies on animal models.