A Review on Hematological Factors in Opioid-Dependent People (Opium and Heroin) after the Withdrawal Period

Abstract Background: Long-term use of opioids has acute effects on homeostasis of the body. Discovering the impacts of opioids on hematological parameters of narcotics withdrawal and dependents blood may be helpful in recognizing the homeostasis condition of their body for the useful treatment. Methods: In this study a cross-sectional method was applied. The abusers of opium and heroin for more than two consecutive years were considered as opium and heroin dependent groups, respectively. The dependent people, who passed the 1-month withdrawal period, entered the study as opium and heroin withdrawal groups. In this study, hematological factors of heroin and opium dependent and withdrawal groups were investigated. Findings: The RBC count remained unchanged in all groups. The WBC count had a significant increase in opium dependent group but in heroin dependent group and withdrawal group there was no significant difference. HGB level had a significant increase only in opium and heroin withdrawal groups. The percentage of HCT had a significant increase in all groups. The MCV increased in heroin and opium dependent groups. MCH level increased significantly in heroin and opium withdrawal groups. MCHC level had a significant increase in all groups. Neutrophil and lymphocyte counts in heroin and opium addicted groups significantly decreased. Platelet, neutrophil and monocyte counts significantly increased in opium dependent group. Monocyte countshowed a significant reduction in heroin withdrawal group. Eosinophil count showed no difference in any of the groups. Conclusion: The current study indicated that not only the chronic and long-term use of opium and heroin, also withdrawal of addicted people could change hematological parameters related to human serum. Keywords: Hematological Factors, Serum, Addiction, Addiction Withdrawal, Heroin, Iran

Bilateral hip septic arthritis caused by nontyphoidal Salmonella group D in a 16-year-old girl with COVID-19 : a case report

Introduction and importance Nontyphoidal Salmonella infection can lead to gastroenteritis, enteric fever, and bacteremia. However, joint infections due to this bacterium are rare, and usually associated with immunosuppressive disorders. Case presentation A 16-year-old girl, with a recent history of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) presented with bacteremia, and bilateral hip pain after COVID-19 symptoms. Clinical presentation, laboratory features and imaging showed bilateral nontyphoidal Salmonella septic arthritis. We administered antibiotics, based on antibiotics susceptibility pattern of the isolated Salmonella. Clinical discussion The case is presented because reports of bilateral hip joint infection due to nontyphoidal Salmonella are rare especially after COVID-19. When the patient presents with joint discomfort, the clinician should think infection especially in immunocompromised hosts. Conclusion It illustrates successful management of septic arthritis requires prompt clinical diagnosis, microorganism identification, administration of appropriate systemic antibiotics and hip joint surgery

Effects of electrical stimulation of dorsal raphe nucleus on neuronal response properties of barrel cortex layer IV neurons following long-term sensory deprivation

Abstract: Objective To evaluate the effect of electrical stimulation of dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) on response properties of layer IV barrel cortex neurons following long-term sensory deprivation. Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into sensory-deprived (SD) and control (unplucked) groups. In SD group, all vibrissae except the D2 vibrissa were plucked on postnatal day one, and kept plucked for a period of 60 d. After that, whisker regrowth was allowed for 8-10 d. The D2 principal whisker (PW) and the D1 adjacent whisker (AW) were either deflected singly or both deflected in a serial order that the AW was deflected 20 ms before PW deflection for assessing lateral inhibition, and neuronal responses were recorded from layer IV of the D2 barrel cortex. DRN was electrically stimulated at inter-stimulus intervals (ISIs) ranging from 0 to 800 ms before whisker deflection. Results: PW-evoked responses increased in the SD group with DRN electrical stimulation at ISIs of 50 ms and 100 ms, whereas AW-evoked responses increased at ISI of 800 ms in both groups. Whisker plucking before DRN stimulation could enhance the responsiveness of barrel cortex neurons to PW deflection and decrease the responsiveness to AW deflection. DRN electrical stimulation significantly reduced this difference only in PW-evoked responses between groups. Besides, no DRN stimulation-related changes in response latency were observed following PW or AW deflection in either group. Moreover, condition test (CT) ratio increased in SD rats, while DRN stimulation did not affect the CT ratio in either group. There was no obvious change in 5-HT2A receptor protein density in barrel cortex between SD and control groups. Conclusion: These results suggest that DRN electrical stimulation can modulate information processing in the SD barrel cortex

A Review on Hematological Factors in Opioid-Dependent People (Opium and Heroin) after the Withdrawal Period

Abstract Long-term use of opioids has acute effects on homeostasis of the body. Discovering the impacts of opioids on hematological parameters of narcotics withdrawal and dependents blood may be helpful in recognizing the homeostasis condition of their body for the useful treatment. In this study a cross-sectional method was applied. The abusers of opium and heroin for more than two consecutive years were considered as opium and heroin dependent groups, respectively. The dependent people, who passed the 1-month withdrawal period, entered the study as opium and heroin withdrawal groups. In this study, hematological factors of heroin and opium dependent and withdrawal groups were investigated. The RBC count remained unchanged in all groups. The WBC count had a significant increase in opium dependent group but in heroin dependent group and withdrawal group there was no significant difference. HGB level had a significant increase only in opium and heroin withdrawal groups. The percentage of HCT had a significant increase in all groups. The MCV increased in heroin and opium dependent groups. MCH level increased significantly in heroin and opium withdrawal groups. MCHC level had a significant increase in all groups. Neutrophil and lymphocyte counts in heroin and opium addicted groups significantly decreased. Platelet, neutrophil and monocyte counts significantly increased in opium dependent group. Monocyte countshowed a significant reduction in heroin withdrawal group. Eosinophil count showed no difference in any of the groups. The current study indicated that not only the chronic and long-term use of opium and heroin, also withdrawal of addicted people could change hematological parameters related to human serum

Temperate testers’ efficiency in the screening of tropical and subtropical maize germplasm

Despite much effort, little exotic germplasm has been introduced in temperate maize breeding programs. Tropical and subtropical maize germplasm from CIMMYT is the most genetically diverse in the world and should be useful in widening the genetic base of temperate maize germplasm. Extracting the most suitable material from exotic germplasm is a tough challenge for plant breeding programs. This study aimed to determine the optimal number of testers to screen a maize line derived from tropical and subtropical CIMMYT germplasm. For this purpose, four temperate maize testers (MO17, B73, K47/3, and K18) and nine lines from CIMMYT were crossed. The 36 crosses along with two hybrid checks were assessed in a randomized complete block design with three replications at four maize growing regions in Iran. The GGE biplot procedure and methodology proposed by Fan et al. (2010) were used to analyze the results indicating a possibility of direct use of 2, 3, 4, and 9 CIMMYT lines to improve grain yield in temperate environments. Temperate maize testers B73 and K47/3, which belong to the Reid Yellow Dent heterotic group, were very efficient in selecting superior tropical and subtropical CIMMYT germplasm, whereas testers MO17 and K18 from the Lancaster Sure Crop heterotic group were fairly good and weak, respectively. Actually just one temperate tester could select most, if not all, of the top exotic tropical and subtropical lines, and a second tester would provide backup

Evaluation of Origanum Vulgare L. ssp. Viridis Leaves Extract Effect on Discrimination Learning and LTP Induction in the CA1 Region of the Rat Hippocampus

AbstractObjective(s)The objective of this study was to determine the effect of aqueous extract of Origanum vulgare L. ssp. Viridis (ORG) on discrimination learning and long term potentiation (LTP) in CA1 region of the rat hippocampus. Materials and MethodsA group of adult male Wistar rats weighing 27525 g received aqueous extract of ORG (150, 300, 450 mg/kg/day) by intraperitoneal injection for one week, and the other group received saline (n= 6). A wooden T-maze was used to evaluate the discrimination learning. In electrophysiological experiments, the effect of ORG leaves extract on induction and maintenance of long term potentiation (LTP) in CA1 hippocampus area was determined. LTP was evaluated in CA1 region after high-frequency stimulation (200 Hz) of the Schaffer collaterals. Also, serum antioxidant levels were analyzed in the two groups (n= 4).ResultsStatistical analysis showed significant decreases in the number of total (significantly at the dose of 300 and 450 mg/kg) and wrong (significantly at the dose of 300 mg/kg) entrance into opposite box of T-maze procedure in ORG-treated animals (P< 0.05). In electrophysiological study, the rats which had received ORG (150, 300, and 450 mg/kg) showed an increase in both population spike amplitude (59.7±14.1%, 85±14.7% and 49.3±8.7% respectively, compared to 39±9.2% increase in saline group) and maintenance of LTP in hippocampus CA1 after high frequency stimulation in Schaffer collateral pathway. In serum antioxidant assay, level of antioxidants in ORG groups (300 and 450 mg/kg) remarkably increased in comparison to saline group (P< 0.05 and P< 0.001, in turn).ConclusionOur results suggest that Origanum aqueous extract can improve the learning criteria in rats

Study the Antinociceptive Effect of Intracerebroventricular Injection of Aqueous Extract of Origanum Vulgare Leaves in Rat: Possible Involvement of Opioid System

Objective(s): The aim of study was to investigate the antinociceptive effect of intracerebroventricular (ICV) microinjection of Origanum vulgare (ORG) extract and possible involvement of opioid receptors.   Materials and Methods: Cannula was inserted into left ventricle of male rats. Five days after surgery Tail Flick Latency (TFL) was measured after ICV microinjection of, ORG (1, 3 and 6 μg / rat). Effective dose of ORG was injected ICV in concomitant with morphine (2 mg/kg, IP), naloxone (2 mg / kg, IP) and saline (0.5 μl/rat) and TFL was recorded. Results: The co- administration of ORG extract with morphine showed a significant increase in TFL and naloxone, pretreatment significantly inhibited the antinociceptive activity of ORG and morphine. Conclusion: The aqueous extract of ORG possesses antinociceptive activities in the tail-flick test in a dose dependent manner. ORG - induced antinociception may have been mediated by opioid systems

Clinical and microbiological patterns in critically ill patients with catheter-associated UTI : a report from Iran

Introduction: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are among the most common nosocomial infections with different clinical and microbiological characteristics. We studied these characteristics in critically ill patients. Methodology: This research was a cross-sectional study conducted on intensive care unit (ICU) patients with CAUTI. Patients’ demographic and clinical information and laboratory data, including causative microorganisms and antibiotic susceptibility tests, were recorded and analyzed. Finally, the differences between the patients who survived and died were compared.Results: After reviewing 353 ICU cases, 80 patients with CAUTI were finally included in the study. The mean age was 55.9 ± 19.1 years, 43.7% were male and 56.3% were female. The mean length of infection development since hospitalisation and hospital stay were 14.7 (3-90) and 27.8 (5-98) days, respectively. The most common symptom was fever (80%). The microbiological identification showed that the most isolated microorganisms were Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Enterobacteriaceae (75%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8.8%), Gram-positive uropathogens (8.8%) and Acinetobacter baumannii (5%). Fifteen patients (18.8%) died among whom infections with A. baumannii (75%) and P. aeruginosa (57.1%) were associated with more death (p = 0.005). Conclusions: Although A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa can be the most important pathogens for death, MDR Enterobacteriaceae are still a serious concern as causes of CAUTIs