Long-Term Exposure of Lead Acetate on Rabbit Renal Tissue

Background: Lead has been widely used in different industries for ages. It is one of the heavy metals, highly poisonous even at low doses, and has biochemical, physiological and behavioral side effects on human and animals. It has been shown that lead has toxic effects on different tissues such as neural and genitourinary tissues, cardiovascular systems and blood. Therefore, high attention has been paid to its environmental pollutions. Objectives: Although many histological and biochemical studies have reported about the effects of lead on the renal tissue, there are a few studies about the ultrastructure and morphometric effects of lead on the kidney. Hence, the aim of this study was the evaluation of morphology and morphometrics of rabbit renal urinary barrier ultrastructure following long-term exposure to lead acetate. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 20 male New Zealand rabbits were divided into control and test groups (10 in each). The test group was injected intraperitoneally with chronic dose (8.5 mg/kg of body weight) of lead acetate and for the control group the same volume of normal saline was used, every other day for 10 weeks. After anesthetizing, the biopsies of renal tissues were taken for light and electron microscopic morphometric and morphologic analyses. Results: Long-term exposure to lead acetate caused histopathology effects including dilatation, congestion, nuclei heterochromatic effects, increase in diameter of renal tubules and urinary barrier thickness in rabbit renal tissue. Conclusions: Quantitative and qualitative results of long-term lead acetate exposure showed many histopathology side-effects, especially in the urinary barrier. Keywords: Kidney, Lead Acetate, Morphologic, Morphometric, Urinary Barrier, Glomerul

Increased Expression of Transforming Growth Factor-beta and Receptors in Primary Human Airway Fibroblasts from Chemical Inhalation Patients

The widespread use of sulfur mustard (SM) as a chemical warfare agent in the past century has proved its long-lasting toxic effects. Despite a lot of research over the past decades on Iranian veterans, there are still major gaps in the SM literature. Transforming growth factor (TGF-beta), a cytokine that affects many different cell processes, has an important role in the lungs of patients with some of chronic airway diseases, especially with respect to airway remodeling in mustard lung. Primary airway fibroblasts from epibronchial biopsies were cultured, and gene expression of TGF-beta 1, TGF-beta 2, TbR-I and TbR-II in fibroblasts of SM injured patients and controls were investigated. Expression of TGF-beta s and receptors was measured by RT-PCR. Protein level of TGF-beta 1 was surveyed by western blot. Our findings revealed that expression levels of TGF-beta 1, TGF-beta 2, TbR-I and TbR-II were upregulated in the airway fibroblasts of SM exposed patients in comparison with control samples. TGF-beta 1 expression was shown to be markedly increased in primary lung fibroblasts of chemically injured patients. Our novel data, suggested that over-expression of TGF-beta molecule and receptors in primary airway fibroblasts of mustard gas injured patients may be involved in progression of airway remodeling of these patients

Efficacy of compound therapy by ginseng and ciprofloxacin on bacterial prostatitis

Objective: Genitourinary tract infections play a significant role in male infertility. Infections of reproductive sex glands, such as the prostate, impair function and indirectly affect male fertility. The general aim of this study is to investigate the protective effect of Korean red ginseng (KRG) on prostatitis in male rats treated with ciprofloxacin (CIPX). Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, we randomly divided 72 two male Wistar rats into 9 groups. The groups were treated as follows for 10 days: i. Control (no medication), ii. Sham (normal saline injection into the vas deferens and oral administration of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), iii. Ginseng, iv. CPIX, v. CIPX+ginseng, vi. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) (UPEC), vii. UPEC+ginseng, viii. UPEC+CIPX, and ix. UPEC+ginseng+CIPX. The rats were killed 14 days after the last injection and the prostate glands were removed. After sample preparation, routine histology was performed using hematoxylin and eosin staining. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) method was used to determine the presence of apoptotic cells. Results: The severity score for acinar changes and inflammatory cell infiltration in the UPEC+CIPX group did not significantly different from the UPEC group. However this score significantly decreased in the UPEC+CIPX+ginseng group compared to the UPEC group. Apoptotic index of all ginseng treated groups significantly decreased compared to the UPEC and CPIX groups. Conclusion: These results suggested that ginseng might be an effective adjunct in CIPX treatment of prostatitis. The combined use ginseng and CIPX was more effective than ginseng or CIPX alone

The effect of education intervention based on the theory of planned behavior on the intention of third-level driving license applicants to observe safe driving behaviors

Abstract Background and Purpose: Road accidents are one of the leading causes of death and disability in the world. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior Observing safe driving behaviors in applicants for licenses in Khorramdarreh city of Zanjan province. Materials and methods: The present study was an experimental study which is from April 2020 to Aug 2020 It was performed in Khorramdarreh city of Zanjan province. 100 applicants for driver's license using random sampling method in the form of experimental and control groups participated in the study. Training program in three months included six Groups discussion session in groups Five to seven of people For Forty-five to sixty minutes and three times face-to-face training session For fifteen minutes with the focus on identifying high-risk driving behaviors. The importance of observing safe behaviors, positive and negative consequences, external and mental barriers was observing safe behaviors. Research tools demographic characteristics questionnaire and scale for measuring the structures of planning behavior theory. chi-square, independent and paired t-tests and analysis of covariance were used to analyze the data. Results: The mean age of participants was 30.61±6.55 years. Before the educational intervention between the two experimental groups And there was no significant difference in control in terms of TPB -related structures But after training, the results showed analysis of covariance applicants' attitude score (from 16.40±4.22 to 29.60±3.36 , P <0.05), Abstract norms score (from 10.08±2.85 to 15.52 ± 2.06 ,P <0/05), Perceived behavioral control score (from 15.30±1.97 to 21.24±2.50 ,P <0.05), And intention score (from 18.68±6.90 to 35.68±5.51 ,P <0.05), In the applicants for driving licenses, the participants in the experimental group significantly improved. Discussion: Application of the theory of programmed behavior can be effective in training drivers to observe safe behavior and in designing educational interventions, emphasis should be placed on model constructs or the same psychological antecedents related to safe driving behavior. Keywords: Attitude, safety, Driving, Accident, Health education, Self-efficac

siRNA therapeutics in the treatment of diseases

siRNAs are a class of dsRNAs, 21-23 nucleotides in length, which are able to silence their target genes through enzymatic cleavage of target mRNA. The sequence-specific gene-silencing by siRNA can be used as a new therapeutic approach for treatment of a variety of diseases that are incurable by conventional drugs. Many efforts have been made to overcome the problems related to delivery, stability, off-target gene silencing and immunostimulatory effects of siRNA. Different studies have carried out done to improve in vitro and in vivo delivery of naked or formulated siRNAs. In this review, different aspects of using siRNA as a new class of drugs will be discussed

Umbilical Cord Prolapse

International audienc

Human Urogenital Myiasis Caused by Lucilia sericata(Diptera, Calliphoridae) and Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Diptera,Sarcophagidae) in Markazi Province of Iran

We report a case of human urogenital myiasis in an 86-year-old rural man with a penil ulcer and numerous alive and motile larvae from urethra and glans penis. Entomological studies on adult flies showed the larvae were Lucilia sericata  and Wohlfahrtia magnifica. The clinical presentation and treatment strategies are discussed

Study of lead effect on liver parenchymal cell of fetal rats by electron microscope

To study the lead effect, we selected 14 females rats in which we had observed vaginal plague after mating, and divided them into a group of 8 female rats as the case group and 6 females as the control group. As drinking water the case group was given 0.13% lead acetate solution and the control group pure distilled water. Immediately after parturition the pups were killed and their livers removed. A small part of the liver was fixed in glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide in order to be studied with transmission electron microsope. The fixated parts were dehydrated and embed in Epon 812. using ultramicrotomoe, we prepared semithin seclions of the tissues, stained them with toludine blue, and studied them under light microscope. Further more we prepared thin sections of the tissue to be placed on grids coated with formvar. These sections were stained by uranyl acelate and lead citrate. Electron microscopic study was performed on them. Results: T.E.M. study showed the swelling and blebbing of nuclear envelop and endoplasmic reticulum and mithochondria of hepatocytes

Nuclear factor kappa B1/RelA mediates the inflammation and/or survival of human airway exposed to sulfur mustard

Context: Sulfur mustard (SM) is known as an effective chemical agent and was used in the 1980s during the Iran-Iraq war against Iranians. At the present time, there are more than 40,000 people suffering from pulmonary lesions due to mustard gas in Iran. Though much is known about the gross pathology of SM damage, the molecular and cellular basis for this pathology is not well understood. Objective: One of the most important protein groups involved in inflammatory responses is nuclear factor.B protein (NF-kB1) family. They belong to the category of DNA-binding protein factors necessary for transcription of many proinflammatory molecules. In our research, we examined the role of NF-kB1/RelA in the pathophysiology of the lung. Materials and methods: We investigated 10 normal individuals and 20 SM induced patients. Expression of NF-kB1/RelA in controls and the SM exposed samples was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction and localization of NF-kB1 protein was detected by immunohistochemistry staining. Results: Our results revealed that expression levels of NF-kB1 and RelA were upregulated 0.64-6.50 fold and 0.83-8.34 fold, respectively, in the SM exposed patients in comparison with control samples. Discussion and conclusion: As far as we know, this is the first finding of induction of NF-kB in patients exposed to SM. NF-kB1/RelA may play a major role in inflammation induced by mustard gas or even in cell survival in the bronchial wall of affected patients