Impact of exercise endurance training on pur gene expression and cardiac function

Introduction: Endurance training has significant effects on the renewal of heart tissue, including myosin heavy chain (MHC) proteins. On the other side, Purine-rich element-binding protein β (pur) decreases the αMHC gene expression. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of exercise endurance training on pur gene expression in the heart of Wistar rats. Methods: Fourteen rats have been kept under controlled conditions and after familiarizing with training protocol, they were divided into control groups and experimental groups. The experimental group performed a 10-week treadmill running program for 30 min/day, 5 days/week. 48 hours after the last training session, the rats were anesthetized and the heart and their left ventricle were taken out and pur expression was measured using real time PCR method. All data were analyzed using t test. Results: In this study, the results of M-mode echocardiography showed that endurance training led to cardiac hypertrophy. After endurance training, the heart weight, especially the left ventricular weight significantly increased. The pur gene expression significantly decreased in the left ventricular tissue of endurance-trained rats. Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that endurance training has considerable effects on heart size and pur gene expression. The pur gene also repressed MHC gene expression; it seems that the changes in heart structure related to MHC gene expression

Parkinsoǹs disease and emerging of imaging tools for prognosis and diagnosis applications

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronicdegenerative neurological disease, characterized by a range of motor (bradykinesia, rigidity, and tremor) and non-motor (fatigue and depression) symptoms in PD, each of which will affect a particular patient to varying degrees in the limbs resulting in the postural instability. A clearer explanation of the association of nondopaminergic structures with PD, could potentially provide valuable insight into non-motor symptoms experienced by subgroups of cases and hopefully rationalize the therapeutic options for the management of these disabling complications

Future of molecular imaging and role of nanotechnology and chemistry in ultrasound method for disease treatment

Resembling most other techniques for medical imaging, ultrasound (US) changed radically that have ameliorate its spatial and temporal resolution, provided three-dimensional data, and permitted evaluation of dynamic physiologic processes similar to blood flow or tissue motion. The possibility of targeting US conflict agents to disease-related markers and for non-invasively evaluating the molecular profile of disease in animal models was strongly established. The technique is now being applied as a high-Throughput research tool that can define pathophysiological processes in both the spatial and temporal domains. Early steps are presently under achievement in the direction of the advance of targeted agents appropriate for clinical use of this useful method

Radioprotective effects of Silymarin, a natural medical herb, in modulation and prevention of radiation induced damages

Radiotherapy is the most common cancer treatment modality applying ionizing radiation. In majority of the cases, RT necessarily affects on normal tissues around the tumor. Silymarin is one of the most important chemical ingredients of the milk thistle. Silymarin composed of six flavonolignans that Silibinin, with 40-50%, is the most one. In view of the innumerable beneficial effects of silymarin in the management of ROS-mediated diseases, it was felt that silymarin could act as a promising radiation countermeasure agent. In this review paper we introduce Silymarin as herbal radioprotectors

Efficacy of multidetector-row computed tomography as a practical tool in comparison to invasive procedures for visualization of the biliary obstruction

Introduction: Recently, multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) has been introduced into clinical practice. MDCT has become the noninvasive diagnostic test of choice for detailed evaluation of biliary obstruction. Aim: the main objective of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of MDCT compared to invasive procedures for detecting biliary obstruction causes. Material and Methods: Since February 2009 until May 2011 fifty biliary obstruction patients based on clinical, laboratory or ultrasonographic findings, were evaluated by Multidetector-row computed tomography. The causes of biliary obstruction, which was identified using MDCT were classified into three categories: calculus, benign stricture, and malignancy. Final diagnosis was conducted based on percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, biopsy, or surgery. The MDCT diagnosis and were compared with the final diagnosis. Results: A correct diagnosis of causes of biliaryobstruction was made on the basis of MDCT findings for 44 of the total 50 patients. Two patients with chronic pancreatitis were incorrectly diagnosed with a pancreatic head adenocarcinoma on the basis of MDCT findings. One patient with biliary stone was incorrectly diagnosed with a periampullary adenocarcinoma on the basis of MDCT findings. The Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of MDCT in the diagnosis of causes of biliary obstruction were 94.12% and87.87% and94.6% respectively. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study MDCT has an excellent image quality, providing valuable information about the biliary tree and other abdominal organs. The use of advanced image processing, including maximum intensity projection and multiplanar reconstruction (especially coronal or sagittal reformatted images), allows superior visualization of the biliary tree and vascular structures. Three-dimensional reconstruction images complement axial images by providing a more anatomically meaningful display of the lesion and its relationship to adjacent structures, and accurate determining the craniocaudal extent of the lesion. High accuracy, wide availability and ease of use, make the MDCT the imaging modality of choice for evaluation of biliary obstruction. © 2016 Abdolmajid Taheri, Ayoob Rostamzadeh, Alireza Gharib and Daryoush Fatehi

Epidemiology of traumatic spinal cord injury: The substantial role of imaging methods

Background and aims: One of the most common injuries around the world is the traumatic injury of the spine and spinal cord with unknown worldwide situation of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) affecting on the effectiveness of preventive policy programs. In addition, because of possibility of making paralysis, the potential injury to the spine could be one of the most important traumas and a major cause of disability. Methods: This research is a review study. Initial studies had focused on the descriptive epidemiology, considering incidence rates, age, gender, race, etiology and level and completeness of injury, but the recent researches are focusing on identifying of the high-risk groups, making awareness, establishing trends, predicting the needs, and thus contributing to effective health care planning of this condition. Results: An important part of the prognosis, diagnosis and management of acute and chronic spinal trauma could be diagnostic medical imaging. While spinal cord and soft-tissue injuries could be evaluated better by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); spine fractures could be characterized better by computed tomography (CT). Conclusion: Imaging using CT and MRI is essential in the management of acute/chronic spinal cord injuries. The problem could be that due to fear of clinicians from missing occult spine injuries, they ask radiographs for almost all injured patients. It is recommended that a National Registry for spinal cord injuries be established by the national Ministry of Health, so that the etiological pattern of spinal cord injuries in the world can be known

Role of magnetic nanoparticles in targeted drug delivery for central nervous system

Introduction: The treatment of neurological disease, such as brain cancer or neurodegenerative diseases, is one of the most difficult challenges in medicine. The major limitation in this therapy is caused by asthenia of some drugs injected to the blood vessel to reach the main tissue of brain. There are three substrate obstacles that adjust molecular exchange in junction between blood and neurotic tissue or its steep spaces: the brain endothelium which makes blood-brain barrier (BBB), the arachnoids epithelium which makes intermediate substrate of meninges and the choroid plexus epithelium, which secretes cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Methods: In recent years, some significant researches showed that magnetic nanoparticles (through conjugation of iron oxide NPs with hydrophilic polymer coatings of dextran) can be administered for impressive systemic and territorial transfer of therapeutics to the CNS. Nanoparticles also have the potential to revolutionize conventional imaging techniques. Conventional epitomize condition lack the association of high delicacy and high spatial precision required for molecular imaging. Results: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has high resolution, but lacks sensitivity to molecular signals, while high sensitivity nuclear medicine modalities such as Individual photon ejaculation calculated tomography and position emission tomography (PET) provide superb sensitivity, at the cost of reduced spatial resolution. Using nanoparticles in some conditions such as MRI can amazingly enhance delicacy, presenting the potential for high resolution molecular imaging. MRI has high spatial resolution, is non-invasive in nature and offers multiplanar tomographic capabilities. Nanoparticles can be managed to have magnetized specifications that can be acquired by MRI at low condensations and at the same time include lingads which target specific molecules. Iron oxide nanoparticles have been widely researched for MRI, as there are several types, namely magnetite (Fe3O4) and hematite (α-Fe2O3), among which magnetite is very promising, because of its proven biocompatibility. For molecular imaging purposes, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) need to bind to a range of drugs, proteins, enzymes, antibodies, or other molecular targets. In conclusion, using magnetized nanoparticles as a drug delivering system is still determined by its biocompatibility and optional aiming to the favorable cell or tissue under the guidance of external magnetic field (MRI scanner). Conclusion: Advances in current technologies and the expansion of magnetized nanoparticles as medicine transfer device to transfer medicine to tumor hypoxic zones have fast tracked in the past decade and led to the development of various magnetic nanoformulations such as liposomes, metallic, and polymeric nanoparticles. This technology will not only minimize invasive methods, nut also decrease side effects to intact fiber which are two primary concerns in conventional cancer therapies. The field of magnetic drug delivery is still at infancy, and combination of better magnetized medicine transfer device and association of multifunctional ligands are being continuously investigated so as to carry it from the bench-top to the clinic. Until Then the worries about the omission and long term toxicity remain barriers to clinical entry

Prognosis and diagnosis of the Alzheimer's disease in early stages by new magnetic resonance imaging techniques

A large number of people have dementia all over the world, mainly suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The worldwide prevalence of dementia is expected to increase up to 24 million, and would to double every 20 years through to 2040, resulting in an expensive burden of disease. The overlap between clinical groups and the longitudinal stability of the technique which currently may limit its clinical application in this context. The advent of new specific treatments for dementia will doubtless stimulate further research into the use of in vivo MRS as a clinical and scientific technique. Future technological developments may allow biochemical features of the underlying pathology in neurodegenerative disease

Medical imaging modalities: Prevention of unnecessary orders and non-optimized radiation exposure

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses a constant magnetic field and radio waves, a non-invasive method for examining tissues, organs and the skeletal system. The advantages and disadvantages of MRI is not fully understood. In the computerized tumor (CT) scan, as an invasive method, the x-rays of the body is used for tomography; which different x-ray attenuation coefficient in tissues as well as the reconstruction of images could affect on the scanning of the patient and the received amount of radiation by the patient. However, compared to other radiographical diagnostic methods, CT scan could lead to the exposure of the patients against substantial radiation dosage, which may have several radiobiological effects such as delayed effects of radiation (possible effect) with the result of a variety of cancers, chromosomal failures and potential genetic abnormalities in the future generations. It is recommended that these tests would prescribe for the patients with greater accuracy and caution; with application of magnetic dosimeter for monitoring exposure of people who working with MRI (as its application for X-ray and CT scan)

Effects of cell phone radiation on migration of granule cells in rat cerebellum

Introduction: There are a growing number of cell phone devices and they are one of the most popular sources for electromagnetic waves. However, there are many concerns regarding their biological effects on the body, especially the central nervous system. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of cell phone radiation on histology of the cerebellar granular cells in the neonatal rat. Materials and methods: We selected some Wistar rats. Then, we randomly divided their newborns into four groups. One of the groups was control and the other three were experimental groups. Groups I, II, and III were exposed to radiation from cell phone (with a distance of 10 cm from the rats) for a duration of 30 minutes, 2 hoursand 8 hours, respectively. After killing of the rats and preparing histological sections, we counted the granular cells of the cerebellum using Motic software. We measured the thickness of granular layers with Nickon software. Then, after data collection, statistical analysis was conducted using Tukey and Anova tests. Results: Results showed that cell population in internal granular region significantly decreased in group III. Also, results indicated a reduction in the external granular layer thickness in group III. Furthermore, cerebellar weight to body weight ratio in group III was significantly reduced as compared with the other groups. Conclusion: Results of this study showed that cell phone electromagnetic radiation can reduce the number of internal granular cells of the cerebellum and the external granular layer thickness is reduced