The Effect of Passive Smoking on Total Antioxidant Capacity of Serum and Saliva in Rats

Objective: Active and passive smoking lead to the production of a number of oxidants and antioxidants with various adverse health effects compromising the immune system. Tobacco use increases the production of free radicals as well. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of passive smoking on total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of serum and saliva in rats.Methods: This experimental study was conducted on 18 rats with an age range of 7-11 weeks weighing 160-200 g; 9 of them were exposed to cigarette smoke 3 times daily for 8 minutes. The 9 controls were not exposed to cigarette smoke. After injection of 0.2 mg/kg midazolam and 0.5  mg/kg pilocarpine, serum and saliva samples were taken from subjects in the exposure and control groups at 0, 15 and 30 days. Serum cotinine was measured using ELISA kit. TAC of saliva and serum was measured using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. TAC values at different time points were statistically analyzed in each group using Repeated Measures ANOVA and compared between the two groups using t-test.Results: At baseline, no significant difference existed between the two groups in terms of serum cotinine concentration but at days 15 and 30, cotinine serum concentration significantly increased in the exposure group. At baseline and 30 days, no significant difference existed between the two groups of passive smoker and non-smoker in terms of serum TAC values but at day 15, serum TAC values were significantly higher in the exposure group. Also, TAC of salivawas significantly higher in the passive smoker group at baseline and at day 15 but at day 30, the difference in this respect between the two groups was not statistically significant.Conclusion: Based on the obtained results, changes in TAC of serum and saliva in rats due to exposure to cigarette smoke were compensated by their immune system activity. However, further investigations are still required in this respect

The Effect of Mir-451 Upregulation on Erythroid Lineage Differentiation of Murine Embryonic Stem Cells

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small endogenous non-coding regulatory RNAs that control mRNAs post-transcriptionally. Several mouse stem cells miRNAs are cloned differentially regulated in different hematopoietic lineages, suggesting their possible role in hematopoietic lineage differentiation. Recent studies have shown that specific miRNAs such as Mir-451 have key roles in erythropoiesis. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, murine embryonic stem cells (mESCs) were infected with lentiviruses containing pCDH-Mir-451. Erythroid differentiation was assessed based on the expression level of transcriptional factors (Gata-1, Klf-1, Epor) and hemoglobin chains (α, β, γ , ε and ζ) genes using quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and presence of erythroid surface antigens (TER-119 and CD235a) using flow cytometery. Colony-forming unit (CFU) assay was also on days 14th and 21th after transduction. Results: Mature Mir-451 expression level increased by 3.434-fold relative to the untreated mESCs on day 4 after transduction (P<0.001). Mir-451 up-regulation correlated with the induction of transcriptional factor (Gata-1, Klf-1, Epor) and hemoglobin chain (α, β, γ, ε and ζ) genes in mESCs (P<0.001) and also showed a strong correlation with presence of CD235a and Ter- 119 markers in these cells (13.084- and 13.327-fold increse, respectively) (P<0.05). Moreover, mESCs treated with pCDH-Mir-451 showed a significant raise in CFU-erythroid (CFU-E) colonies (5.2-fold) compared with untreated control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Our results showed that Mir-451 up-regulation strongly induces erythroid differentiation and maturation of mESCs. Overexpression of Mir-451 may have the potential to produce artificial red blood cells (RBCs) without the presence of any stimulatory cytokine

Frequency of myasthenic crisis in relation to thymectomy in generalized myasthenia gravis: A 17-year experience

BACKGROUND: Myasthenic crisis is the most serious life-threatening event in generalized myasthenia gravis (MG) patients. The objective of this study was to assess the long-term impact of thymectomy on rate and severity of these attacks in Iranian patients. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical records from 272 myasthenic patients diagnosed and treated in our neurology clinic during 1985 to 2002. Fifty-three patients were excluded because of unconfirmed diagnosis, ocular form of MG, contraindication to surgery, concomitant diseases and loss to follow-up. The Osserman classification was used to assess the initial severity of the disease. Frequency and severity of the attacks were compared between two groups with appropriate statistical tests according to the nature of variables. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the predictors of myasthenic crisis in the group of patients without thymoma. RESULTS: 110 patients were in thymectomy group and the other 109 patients were on medical therapy. These two groups had no significant differences with respect to age at onset, gender, Osserman score in baseline and follow up period. 62 patients (28.3% of all 219 patients) had reported 89 attacks of myasthenic crisis. 20 patients of 62 (32%) were in thymectomy group and 42 (68%) were in the other group. There was significant difference between the two groups in number of patients with crisis (P = 0.001; odds ratio = 2.8 with 95% CI of 1.5 to 5.2). In addition, these attacks were more severe in group of non-thymectomized patients as the duration of ICU admission was longer and they needed more ventilatory support during their attacks. Regression model showed thymectomy and lower age at onset as two predictors of decrement in myasthenic crisis rate in non-thymomatous MG patients. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that frequency and severity of myasthenic attacks as important endpoints in evaluation of MG patients. Thymectomy seems to have a preventive role on rate and severity of these attacks

The Effectiveness of Acupuncture on Addiction Severity Index: A Single Case Experimental Design in a Case of Methamphetamine Abuser Patient With Trismus Syndrome

Trismus is one of the side effects of methamphetamine use which is associated with contractions of the jaw muscles. Acupuncture is a traditional and complementary treatment that is effective in reducing pain and psychological indices. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the acupuncture in a case of trismus caused by methamphetamine abuse. The patient was a 31-year-old man with a history of chronic methamphetamine use, reported to have dependence and severe jaw pain. In a single case study and in an ABAB design with multi-baselines, we used acupuncture for 3 weeks to reduce pain and addiction severity index (ASI). Data were analyzed through a generalized estimating equation (GEE). The results showed that there was no signifcant correlation between severity of addiction and pain (P > 0.05). Due to damage caused in the process of production of tyrosine hydroxylase and mitogen-activated protein kinase and the role of these precursors in the production of dopamine as an effective factor in the acupuncture, the effectiveness of this treatment can be limited

Association of deficiency of coagulation factors (Prs, Prc, ATIII) and FVL positivity with preeclampsia and/or eclampsia in pregnant women

Background: Thrombophilia is a pathological state of increased blood coagulability. It causes problems during pregnancy including preeclampsia, stillbirth, repeated abortions, and detached pair. Out of the most prevalent factors causing inherited thrombophilia, protein S (Prs), protein C (Prc), and antithrombin III (ATIII) deficiency, and Factor V Leiden (FVL) mutation could be mentioned. This study aimed to investigate association of these parameters with preeclampsia. Methods: In this case-control study, 142 pregnant women with preeclampsia referred to Obstetric Clinic of Hajar Hospital, southwest of Iran, were assigned to the case group after clinical laboratory tests and according to specialist point of view and 142 pregnant women with normal blood pressure were assigned to the control group. After obtaining consent and completing relevant questionnaire, a 4-cc blood sample was taken from the patients. Coagulation factors and FVL rate were measured and after 6 months patients were followed- up. Data analysis was done by SPSS software using t-test. Results: In view of deficiency of Prs, Prc, and ATIII, no statistically significant association was observed between case and control groups (P>0.05). Statistical t-test indicated that the rate of FVL deficiency in pregnant patients with preeclampsia was significantly different from that in the control group (p=0.03). In addition, the body mass index of case group was significantly higher than that of control group prior to pregnancy (P=0.001). In case group, preeclampsia history contributed to development of current preeclampsia in contrast to control group (p<0.001). The patients of case group were followed up after 6 months in view of blood pressure and all had a normal mean blood pressure at the completion of the study. Conclusion: Measurement of FVL deficiency could help to decrease the unpleasant complications of vascular disorders during pregnancy. But, screening test for pre-eclampsia does not seem necessary to determine the deficiency of coagulation factors, Prs, Prc, and ATIII. © 2014, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). All rights reserved

A comparison of effectiveness of regulation of working memory function and methylphenidate on remediation of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Abstract: Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent and serious disorder affecting such key cognitive components as working memory. Working memory serves to facilitate and check attention in any individual and to focus on those affairs that need to be retained in mind. This study examines whether a combination of the two therapeutic methods of working memory training and Methylphenidate might be more effective in treating ADHD in children aged 6 to 12 years of age than when methylphenidate is applied alone. Method: Subjects of the study are 48 children suffering from ADHD. They were selected by random sampling. The experimental group included 23 children with ADHD who received a combination of working memory training and Methylphenidate, and the control group which included 25 children with ADHD received Methylphenidate only. To check the effects of the intervention, Conners' Parent Rating Scale (CPRS-48) was applied before and after the intervention. After intervention, data were collect d from the remaining samples in the two groups. Data were examined both through descriptive statistical methods and analytic statistical methods, including T-student test and Quantile-Quantile Plots diagram . Results: The study demonstrated that a combination of the cognitive intervention of working memory training and methylphenidate is more effective in alleviating ADHD symptoms rather than when methylphenidate is applied in isolation. In the CPRS pre-test and post-test, the mean difference of the experimental and the control group was 8.39 and 1.88 respectively, indicating that the working memory group has improved more than the control group. Conclusions: The study reveals that the ADHD symptoms were more contained in the test group than the control group due to working memory training . The cognitive intervention through working memory training may be effective in alleviating the severity of disorder measured in the pre-test

Clinical features, demographics, laboratory and imaging data of patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Iran

INTRODUCTION: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is an increasing major global public health threat. Mortality rate varies across countries, therefore conducting studies on this disease in different countries is necessary, and will improve disease management worldwide. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the COVID-19 disease course characteristics in Iran. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of 108 patients with confirmed COVID-19 from Feb 20 to June 20, 2020, at one Hospital in Iran. In summary, we obtained demographic data, clinical, laboratory, and chest CT findings of patients. The statistical analysis evaluated patients in two groups: recovered or died. RESULT: In brief, cough (70/108, 64.8%) and fever (69/108, 63.9%) were the most common symptoms. CT scan findings of patients with COVID-19 showed that bilateral lung involvement was more common in deceased patients than recovered ones (20/26, 76.9% vs. 30/70, 42.8%, p = 0.026). Laboratory findings of routine blood tests including Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), White Blood Cell (WBC), the number of platelets (PLTs) showed a significant difference between the two groups (p <0.05). There were no significant differences in age and gender between the two groups. CONCLUSION: In this study, we described the features of deceased and recovered patients with COVID-19. Our findings suggest that levels of FBS, ESR, WBC, and PLTs, also patterns of lung involvement, existence of underlying disease, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation can be predictors of mortality risk. Further studies are proposed to investigate these characteristics in different populations

Virus-mediated export of chromosomal DNA in plants

Viruses are potential vectors for horizontal gene transfer. Here, studying viral infection of sugar beet plants, the authors report the generation of virus-host circular DNA hybrids and provide a picture of the initial steps in virus-mediated horizontal transfer of chromosomal DNA between plant species

Simultaneous regulation of miR-451 and miR-191 led to erythroid fate decision of mouse embryonic stem cell

Objective(s): Various microRNAs (miRNAs) are expressed during development of mammalian cells, when they aid in modulating gene expression by mediating mRNA transcript cleavage and/or regulation of translation rate. miR-191 and miR-451 have been shown to be critical regulators of hematopoiesis and have important roles in the induction of erythroid fate decision. So, the aim of this study is investigation of the miR-191 and miR-451 roles in the controlling mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) differentiation toward the erythroid lineage.Materials and Methods: mESCs were infected with either pCDH-miR-Off-191 viruses in pCDH-miR-Off-191 group or simultaneously with pCDH-miR-Off-191 and pCDH-miR-451 lentiviruses in simultaneous  group. Then, the expression profiles of erythroid specific transcription factors and globin genes were analyzed using QRT-PCR on day 14 and 21 of differentiation. Flow cytometry analysis was used to evaluate of TER119 and CD235a erythroid specific surface markers. Results: Gata-1, Klf-1, Epor and globin chains were found to be expressed in pCDH-miR-Off-191 and in simultaneous groups. The majority of globin chains showed changes in their expression levels with progression of differentiation from day 14 to day 21. Flow cytometry results showed that miR-451 up- regulation and miR-191 down-regulation is associated with the expression of TER119 and CD235a. Of these two groups analyzed, simultaneous group was most significantly potent in stimulation of erythroid fate decision of mESCs. Conclusion: Together, present data demonstrate that down-regulation of miR-191 alone can enhance the differentiation of mESCs. However, the simultaneous effect of miR-451up-regulation and miR-191 down-regulation is much stronger and can have more practical use in artificial blood production