Breast Cancer: A preventable disease

With regard to high cancer incidence, as one of the major mortality causes worldwide, following human societies industrialization in recent years breast cancer, dealt with in the present article, has got a particular impact on women who possess a pivotal role in family and society. Thus, adoption of effective diagnostic procedures in the early stages of the disease is very important, which must be considered as a substantial component of the strategies aimed at women’s health promotion and decreasing of breast cancer mortality rate. Meanwhile, women’s education and their awareness promotion and advising them to carry out different methods of breast cancer screening in the early stages of the symptoms, as preventive measures, play important roles. The present review article attempts to study prevalence and epidemiology of breast cancer, its risk factors and its different stages of prevention

Study of Blood Utilisation in Vali-e Asr educational hospital in Birjand Iran: Short Communication

Background and Aim: Efficiency of blood request and transfusion, if purposeful, can prevent wasting of blood in hospital wards and as a result, decrease overload on the blood bank and spare various expenses..The aim of the present descriptive study was to assess the efficiency of blood utilization in Vali-Asr educational hospital in Birjand in order to take an effective step to make medical centers aware of the coordination required between blood need and blood request. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive and cross-sectional study. Blood requests in 16 wards of a hemovigilance based hospital program over the first 4-months of 2013 were included. The cross-match transfusion ratio (C/T), the transfusion index (TI), and transfusion probability (T %) were calculated. Results: Out of 2201 cross-matched blood units only 1394 units were transfused into 624 patients. . C/T T% and TI . were 50% and >0.5 respectively. The most C/T was in the maternity ward and the least belonged to ENT ward. In both of these wards C/T and TI were more than normal. Results: In total for 1617 patients ordered blood with the mean age of 41.55 + 23/94 years. Out of 2201 cross-matched blood units only 1394 units were transfused for 624 patients. The overall C/T ration, TI index and T% were 1.5, 1.3, and 60.1% respectively. Conclusion: The overall C/T ratio and TI index obtained in this study are considered to be optimal compared with the standard figures of C/T5. However, blood utilization model in some wards like gynaecology was not appropriate, indicating a more effective guideline for blood order

Zinc enhances the expression of morphine-induced conditioned place preference through dopaminergic and serotonergic systems

The antidepressant-like effects of zinc (Zn) have been documented in some animal models of depression. In addition, antidepressants may reduce the abuse potential of opioids by affecting their rewarding effect. Hence, this study was performed to investigate the effect of Zn on the expression of morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in male rats. We used an unbiased CPP paradigm for investigating the effect of Zn. The intraperitoneal (i.p.) and intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administrations of Zn (5-20 mg/kg, i.p., and 10 nmol/rat, respectively) with or without morphine did not induce conditioned place aversion (CPA) or CPP during acquisition phase. However, the same i.p. and i.c.v. administrations of Zn induced morphine-like CPP in the expression phase. Pre-treatment with dopamine receptor antagonists (SCH23390, sulpiride, and haloperidol) and serotonin receptor antagonists (WAY100135, ketanserin, and ondansetron) reversed the enhancement effect of Zn on the expression of morphine-induced CPP (especially 20mg/kg, i.p. and 10 nmol/rat, i.c.v.). These findings suggest that acute i.p. and i.c.v administration of Zn might enhance the rewarding properties of morphine through involvement with dopaminergic and serotonergic neuronal systems

The effects of different levels of peppermint alcoholic extract on body-weight gain and blood biochemical parameters of adult male Wistar rats

Introduction: Peppermint is an efficient medicinal plant for the treatment of diseases, and it also can be used to produce raw materials in the pharmaceutical industry. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of various levels of peppermint alcoholic extract on body-weight gain and blood biochemical parameters in adult male Wistar rats. Methods: This experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design (CRD). Fifty adult, healthy, male Wistar rats (ages of 2.5–3 months; weights of 190–210 g) were allocated randomly into five groups. T1 was the control group in which the rats received 0.3 ml of distilled water). Groups T2, T3, T4, and T5 received 75, 150, 300, and 600 mg/kg of peppermint extract, respectively. The rats received daily pretreatment by oral gavages for 21 days. We recorded body weights at the beginning and at the end of the study to determine the changes in the body weights. Blood samples were collected for the measurement of glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, albumin, globulin, and total protein. Statistical analysis of the data was done by SAS software. The data statistically analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), which was conducted through Dennett’s multiple comparison post-test. Results: The results indicated that the rats treated with peppermint gained more weight (p < 0.05) and also decreased the serum concentrations of triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL, and glucose in T3, T4 and T5 than the other groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Peppermint extract had a positive effect on body-weight gain and some blood parameters in adult male Wistar rats. The findings showed that peppermint is a crucial substance at high temperature, and future research should be focused on determining the details of the mechanisms involved in producing the observed effects of peppermint extract

Protective effects of atorvastatin on myocardium in hypertensive rats

Background and Aim: Previous studies have shown that arterial hypertension induces cardiac hypertrophy and myocardial oxidative stress. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of treatment by atorvastatin, as an antioxidant, to prevent myocardial oxidative stress and cardiac hypertrophy in hypertensive rats. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 20 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four equal groups, including sham, sham treated, hypertensive, and hypertensive treated. The rats were made acutely hypertensive by aortic constriction above the renal arteries. After 21 days, the carotid artery pressure of the subjects was recorded and, under anaesthesia their hearts were removed and weighed. Then, the left atrium of each was excised. After tissue homogenation, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, as well as glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels of myocardium were determined through biochemical methods. Results: In the hypertensive groups, mean arterial hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy (heart weight/body weight, g/kg) increased70% and 76%, respectively. Aortic constriction significantly increased arterial pressure and cardiac hypertrophy index respectively SOD and CAT activities were significantly lower than in the sham animals ,P<0.05.Besides, arterial hypertension decreased GSH content of myocardium by 59% ,but it increased MDA level by 62%. Finally, it was found that atorvastatin treatment only prevented from the reduction of CAT activity. Conclusion: Arterial hypertension induces cardiac hypertrophy concomitant with oxidative stress in rat myocardium. Treatment with atorvastatin can prevent hypertension-induced oxidative stress

Effect of Co-administration of Astragalus hamosus L. ethanolic Extract and Metformin on Reproductive Parameters in Diabetic Male Rats

Background and purpose: The seeds of Astragalus hamosus L. are prescribed for many therapeutic purposes in Traditional Persian Medicine. The present study aimed to investigate the combined effects of metformin and ethanolic extract of Astragalus hamosus L. (AH) on glucose and reproductive parameters in diabetic male rats. Materials and methods: Ethanolic extract of AH was prepared using maceration method. Diabetic male Wistar rats were orally treated with 500 mg/kg metformin (MET500), 150 mg/kg AH, (AH150), 300 mg/kg AH (AH300), and combination of metformin and AH (MET+AH150 and MET+AH300) for 28 consecutive days. Then, fasting blood glucose (FBG), plasma testosterone, sperm quality (count, motility, and viability), testis histopathology, and testicular lipid peroxidation (MDA) were evaluated. Results: Compared with the untreated diabetic group, AH treatment significantly improved testosterone level, sperm count, motility, and viability and decreased testicular MDA (all P0.05). AH co-administration with metformin significantly potentiated the beneficial effects of metformin on testosterone (P<0.01) and testicular lipid peroxidation at both doses (P<0.001). While AH co-therapy with metformin at the maximum dose (300 mg/kg) synergistically improved metformin effects on testis morphology (all P<0.05), it could not show a positive combined effect on sperm parameters. Conclusion: AH has no antidiabetic effect and its co-therapy with metformin does not alter the hypoglycemic effect of metformin. However, this combination therapy has a synergistic effect on regulating lipid peroxidation, testosterone level, and testicular histological alterations in diabetic rats

Microscopic isolation and characterization of free living amoebae (FLA) from surface water sources.in Birjand, the capital city of the South Khorasan

Background and Aim: Free living amoebae (FLA) are amphizoic protozoa that are widely found in various environmental sources. They are known to cause serious infections in human and animal nervous systems. . The aim of the current study was to determine the presence of Acanthamoeba spp in surface water sources in Birjand city employing microscopic culture analysis based on morphology features of the amoebae. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 50 samples of surface water sources in Birjand city. including . parks pools, public squares, waterfronts, and water stations were collected and .transferred to the laboratory and were passed through nitrocellulose filter paper. The remained elements in the filters were cultured on non-nutrient agar (NNA) with 100μl Escherichia coli suspension. After a few weeks of using morphological features,the amoeba grown were identified. Results: Out of the total of 50 samples cultured on non-nutrient agar (NNA), 19 (38%) samples.were morphologically polluted with Acanthamoeba spp,. In 2 samples (4%) a colony of Vahlkampfiidae were observed. Conclusion: The results indicated that a significant percentage of surface water sources in Birjand city was contaminated with Acanthamoeba spp. It is necessary for physicians, therefore, to take into account the diseases caused by these infectious agents. Besides, local regional health professionals should take into consideration the potential role of surface stagnant water sources in transferring these infectious agents. Placing warning signs in areas contaminated with these infectious agents seems a useful measure

survey of myocardial perfusion scan findings using Tc99 m in patients referred to Birjand nuclear medicine in 2012

Background and Aim: As more people are at risk of cardiovascular diseases the demand for screening them is increasing. Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI),due to not being aggressive, is used for the detection of coronary diseases and ,moreover, for the finding of the extent, severity, and location of ischemia. In the present study,myocardial perfusion scans were assessed. Materials and Methods: The present descriptive-analytical study was done on 350 patients who had been referred to Birjand nuclear medicine center during the second half of 2011. The necessary data was collected by the means of a questionnaire addressing demographic information, personal and family history of diseases, cardiac abnormalities, blood pressure, diabetes, and the type of heart lesions. The obtained data,then, was fed into SPSS software (V:19) and statistical analysis was performed. Results: Mean age of the cases was 57.1±11.8 years. Women consisted 58.6% of them,86.6% were citizens,and . 34% had a familial history of. Heart lesions were diagnosed in 40% out of which 85% had ischemic problems and 15% suffered myocardial infarction.Relative frequency of in men was higher compared to women (P<0.001).It was found that there was a significant relationship between and diabetes (P<0.05).But, no significant relationship was found between and their types with age, habitation, and familial ties. Conclusion: The present study showed that myocardial perfusion imaging, as a non-aggressive method in diagnosing heart lesions, can be helpful

Beneficial effects of Spirogyra Neglecta Extract on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory factors in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of oral supplementation of Spirogyra algae on oxidative damages and inflammatory responses in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats