Investigating the effects of aqueous extract of asafoetida resin on the serum level of insulin and blood glucose in type 1 diabetic rats

زمینه و هدف: دیابت نوع اول از نظر بالینی یکی از شایع ترین بیماری های غدد درون ریز می باشد. امروزه در درمان دیابت گرایش به سوی داروهای گیاهی که دارای عوارض جانبی کمتری نسبت به داروهای شیمیایی هستند، روز به روز گسترش می یابد. این مطالعه با هدف بررسی اثرات عصاره صمغ آنغوزه بر سطح سرمی انسولین و گلوکز خون در موش های صحرایی دیابتی انجام شد. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه ی تجربی آزمایشگاهی، 28 سر موش صحرایی به طور تصادفی در چهار گروه شاهد سالم، شاهد دیابتی، دیابتی 1 (تزریق انسولین)، دیابتی 2 (تزریق عصاره ی صمغ آنغوزه) تقسیم شدند. انسولین و گلوکز خون در اولین، پانزدهمین و سی امین روز اندازه گیری شد و مورد مقایسه قرار گرفت. یافته ها: در گروه های هیپرگلیسمیک نسبت به گروه شاهد سالم، در روزهای 1، 15 و 30 انسولین خون کاهش و گلوکز خون افزایش یافت (05/0

Consumer involvement profiles: An application of consumer involvement in mobile industry

This paper investigates consumer involvement profile among people who intend to purchase mobile devises. The study considers the effects of various factors influencing on purchase intention including consumers’ personal characteristics such as age, gender, income as well as some external factors including advertisement. The study uses a questionnaire in Likert scale, originally developed by O’Cass (2000) [O’Cass, A. (2000). An assessment of consumers' product, purchase decision, advertising and consumption involvement in fashion clothing. Journal of Economic Psychology, 21, 545-576.]. The questionnaire has been distributed among 385 people, randomly who purchased mobile devices from a mall in city of Tehran, Iran. Using Pearson correlation test, the study has concluded that oral advertisement as well as consumer purchase involvement have positive and strong relationship with consumer’s purchase intention. In terms of age, people aged 20-30 maintained the highest purchase intention. In addition, in terms of gender, men had more purchase involvement than women did

The effect of aqueous extract of Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. leaves on liver enzymes' activity, oxidative stress parameters and liver histopathology in male diabetic rat

Background: Avicennia marina has antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties. This study was conducted to examine the effect of aqueous extract of A. marina on liver enzymes' activity, oxidative stress parameters and liver histopathology in diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 28 male rats were allocated into the equal groups of control, diabetic control and experimental diabetic 1 and 2. The diabetes in diabetic control and experimental diabetic groups was induced using an intraperitoneal injection of 120 mg/kg alloxan. The experimental diabetic groups received the aqueous extract of A. marina (100 and 200 mg/kg, i.p.) in alternate days for one month. Sterile distilled water was injected to the animals of control and diabetic control groups. At the end of the treatment period, serum levels of ALT, AST, GGT and ALP were measured. Then, levels of SOD, GST, CAT and MDA were measured in the liver tissue. The liver sections were prepared and examined by an optical microscope. Results: Results showed that administration of the A. marina extract (100 and 300 mg/kg, ip) to the diabetic rats significantly decreased the serum levels of liver enzymes and tissue level of MDA. Also, the activity of the liver tissue's antioxidant enzymes was increased (P<0.05). The A. marina extract dose-dependently decreased liver damages in diabetic rats. Conclusion: Administration of the A. marina extract improves liver tissue oxidative stress indices and decreases the serum level of liver enzymes. Also, A. marina extract improves liver tissue injuries induced by diabetes

The microsurgical management of a brainstem compression resulted from an embolized cerebral tentorial dural arteriovenous fistula

Intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) are abnormal connections between an arterial feeder and a dural venous sinus or leptomeningeal vein with the nidus located within the dural leaflets. In this article we report an uncommon event which is a hematoma inside a dilated draining vein formed after embolization of tentorial DAVF causing pressure on the brain stem and removed surgically. A 47 years old male with a history of ventriculoperitonial (V-P) shunt 2 years ago and embolization of arteriovenous malformation 15 years ago, presented to our hospital having symptoms due to tentorial dural arteriovenous fistula (TDAVF) fed from branches of external and internal carotid arteries. Two sessions of transarterial embolization were performed with total occlusion. Six months later, he was admitted to the hospital with gait unsteadiness, swallowing difficulties and confusion. Brain MRI revealed a hyperintense heterogenous mass like a pouch from thrombosed draining veins with a localized hematoma compressing the brainstem and causing these symptoms. A small hematoma was seen and removed microsurgically. The patient was improved clinically and was discharged home after 5 days. Neurointerventionalist must be aware when deciding to occlude TDAVMs as there is a risk of venous varix formation and rupture if incompletely occluded. Surgical intervention is sometimes needed to alleviate the hazardous compression on the brain stem and other vital structures. © 202

Genetic study of 45 big hearing loss pedigrees and GJB2 gene mutations frequency in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province, Iran, 2008

Background and aim: Hearing loss is the most common sensorineural disorder in human. Despite the contribution of several different genes in causing deafness, mutations in the GJB2 gene have been involved in deafness in many populations. This study aims to investigate genetic epidemiology and frequency of GJB2 gene mutations in 45 big deaf pedigrees. Methods: In this genetic epidemiology study we have investigated 45 big deaf pedigrees concerning inheritance patterns, consanguinity and diversity of deafness severity among siblings using data collected by questionnaires and audiograms. We examined also the frequency and profile of GJB2 gene mutations in 45 probands using direct sequencing strategy. Results: Our study revealed 73% of consanguinity in the deaf pedigrees studied. The most common type of first cousins marriage was found between first cousins who were the children of two brothers. We found autosomal recessive and X-linked recessive pattern in 94-97% and 3-6% of the pedigrees studied respectively. Regarding molecular analysis, GJB2 mutations were found in 11% of population studied including 35delG, 167delT, 299-300delAT and 363delC. Conclusion: A high rate of consanguineous marriage determined in this study could raise the rate of autosomal recessive patterns up to 94-97% of the overall pedigree and would be the main cause to prepare the way for congenital deafness. This study revealed a low contribution of GJB2 gene mutations in causing deafness in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province

Short-term efficacy of epidural injection of triamcinolone through translaminar approach for the treatment of lumbar canal stenosis

Background: Epidural steroid injection is a non-operative minimally invasive procedure for pain relief in spinal canal stenosis. However, there is no significant consensus regarding its efficacy. Objectives: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of translaminar injection of triamcinolone in lumbar canal stenosis. Methods: In a retrospective study, we included 111 patients with MRI-confirmed spinal canal stenosis who were irresponsive to 12 weeks of conservative treatment and underwent epidural injection of triamcinolone through the translaminar approach. Outcome measures were routinely checked before the intervention and four weeks after the intervention, which included the Visual Analog scale (VAS) for low back pain, VAS for lower-limb pain, and Oswestry Disability index (ODI). Results: The study population included 32 (28.8) males and 79 (71.2) females with the mean age of 61 ± 13.4 years. The mean ODI, VAS for low back pain, and VAS for lower-limb pain significantly improved at the final evaluation session (P < 0.001, P = 0.001, and P < 0.001, respectively). The levels of improvement in ODI, VAS for low back pain, and VAS for lower-limb pain were considerably more in patients with single-level involvement (P < 0.001, P = 0.04, and P < 0.001, respectively). Improvement of lower-limb VAS was negatively correlated with age (r =-0.400, P < 0.001) and BMI (r =-0.525, P < 0.001). The ODI improvement was also negatively correlated with BMI (r =-0.569, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Epidural injection of triamcinolone through the translaminar approach could be regarded as an efficacious method for the alleviation of pain and disability in patients with spinal canal stenosis. © 2020, Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine

Drought or/and Heat-Stress Effects on Seed Filling in Food Crops: Impacts on Functional Biochemistry, Seed Yields, and Nutritional Quality

Drought (water deficits) and heat (high temperatures) stress are the prime abiotic constraints, under the current and climate change scenario in future. Any further increase in the occurrence, and extremity of these stresses, either individually or in combination, would severely reduce the crop productivity and food security, globally. Although, they obstruct productivity at all crop growth stages, the extent of damage at reproductive phase of crop growth, mainly the seed filling phase, is critical and causes considerable yield losses. Drought and heat stress substantially affect the seed yields by reducing seed size and number, eventually affecting the commercial trait ‘100 seed weight’ and seed quality. Seed filling is influenced by various metabolic processes occurring in the leaves, especially production and translocation of photoassimilates, importing precursors for biosynthesis of seed reserves, minerals and other functional constituents. These processes are highly sensitive to drought and heat, due to involvement of array of diverse enzymes and transporters, located in the leaves and seeds. We highlight here the findings in various food crops showing how their seed composition is drastically impacted at various cellular levels due to drought and heat stresses, applied separately, or in combination. The combined stresses are extremely detrimental for seed yield and its quality, and thus need more attention. Understanding the precise target sites regulating seed filling events in leaves and seeds, and how they are affected by abiotic stresses, is imperative to enhance the seed quality. It is vital to know the physiological, biochemical and genetic mechanisms, which govern the various seed filling events under stress environments, to devise strategies to improve stress tolerance. Converging modern advances in physiology, biochemistry and biotechnology, especially the “omics” technologies might provide a strong impetus to research on this aspect. Such application, along with effective agronomic management system would pave the way in developing crop genotypes/varieties with improved productivity under drought and/or heat stresses