29 research outputs found
Effect of Dipyridamole Injected for Myocardial Perfusion Imaging on Blood Glucose Concentration; A Preliminary Study
Introduction: Dipyridamole inhibits adenosine reuptake and increases cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP) levels in platelets, erythrocytes and endothelial cells, all of which influence blood glucose. Acute hyperglycaemia reduces endothelium-dependent vasodilation and suppresses coronary microcirculation; which, in theory, can alter the outcome of a radionuclide scan.
Aim: The present study was conducted with the aim to investigate the changes in blood glucose level of patients receiving dipyridamole for cardiac scan.
Materials and Methods: A total of 293 patients (85 men and 208 women, age: 60.59±10.43 years) were included in the study. Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG) was measured before and 8 min after dipyridamole (0.568 mg/kg) injection during myocardial perfusion imaging. The data in different groups were analysed by paired t-test.
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esults: There was not a significant difference between first (106.89 ± 19.21mg/dL) and second (107.98 ± 17.57 mg/dL) FBG measurements (p= 0.293). However, when the patients were grouped based on the quartiles of first measurement, there was an increase in FBG following dipyridamole injection in the first quartile (mean difference: 7.15±21.27 mg/dL, p<0.01); in contrast, FBG levels showed a significant decrease after dipyridamole administration in the 4th quartile (mean difference: -9.53±18.20 mg/dL, p<0.001). The differences in 2nd and 3rd quartiles were negligible. The patients were divided into normal, ischemic and fixed lesions based on the outcome of scans, then the possible correlation of dipyridamole-induced FBG alteration and scan results were investigated. There were no significant difference between the FBG values before and after dipyridamole injection and the final outcome of scan.
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onclusion: The effects of dipyridamole on blood glucose highly depend on the initial blood glucose level
A new approach in compatibilization of the poly(lactic acid)/thermoplastic starch (PLA/TPS) blends
tIn this study, a new compatibilizer was synthesized to improve the compatibility of the poly(lacticacid)/thermoplastic starch blends. The compatibilizer was based on maleic anhydride grafted poly-ethylene glycol grafted starch (mPEG-g-St), and was characterized using Fourier transform infraredspectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and back titration techniques. Theresults indicated successful accomplishment of the designed reactions and formation of a starch coredstructure with many connections to m-PEG chains. To assess the performance of synthesized compati-bilizer, several PLA/TPS blends were prepared using an internal mixer. Consequently, their morphology,dynamic-mechanical behavior, crystallization and mechanical properties were studied. The compatibi-lizer enhanced interfacial adhesion, possibly due to interaction between free end carboxylic acid groupsof compatibilizer and active groups of TPS and PLA phases. In addition, biodegradability of the sampleswas evaluated by various methods consisting of weight loss, FTIR-ATR analysis and morphology. Theresults revealed no considerable effect of compatibilizer on biodegradability of samples
Assessment of the maximum uptake time of 99mTc-DMSA in renal scintigraphy in rat
Introduction: The optimal imaging time of a radionuclide scintigraphy is the time at which the organ of interest has the maximum
uptake of the injected radionuclide. This study was performed to investigate the maximum uptake time of 99mTc-DMSA in rat renal
scan.
Methods: Renal scintigraphy was performed with 3 mCi of 99mTc-DMSA. Planar images were acquired every 20 minutes for 8 hours
post-injection using a small-animal SPECT.
Results: Activity and the count rate per pixel (CRPP) of the kidneys peaked 1 h post-injection, plateaued for about 1 h, and declined
time-dependently. Kidney to background ratio (KBR) reached to 61.7% at 1 h after injection and remained almost constant afterwards.
Conclusion: The kidneys had maximum emission and CRPP between 1 to 2 h after 99mTc-DMSA injection, whereas there was no
significant difference between the KBRs after 1 h. Our results showed that image acquisition of 1-2 h post-injection is recommended
for renal scintigraphy with DMSA in rat
A comparative study on the physicochemical and biological stability of IgG1 and monoclonal antibodies during spray drying process
Background: The main concern in formulation of antibodies is the intrinsic instability of these labile compounds.
To evaluate the physicochemical stability of antibody in dry powder formulations, physical stability of IgG1 and a
monoclonal antibody (trastuzumab) during the spray drying process was studied in a parallel study and the efficacy
of some sugar based excipients in protection of antibodies was studied.
Results: The SDS-PAGE analysis showed no fragmentation of antibodies after spray drying in all formulations. The
secondary structure of antibodies contained 40.13 to 70.19% of β structure in dry state. Also, CD spectroscopy showed
the similar secondary structure for trastuzumab after reconstitution in water. ELISA analysis and cell culture studies were
conducted in order to evaluate bioactivity of monoclonal antibody. Formulations containing combination of excipients
provided maximum tendency of trastuzumab to attach to the ELISA antigen (86.46% ± 2.3) and maximum bioactivity
when incubated with SKBr3 cell line (the cell viability was decreased to 65.99%± 4.6). Incubation of formulations with
L929 cell line proved the biocompatibility of the excipients and non-toxic composition of formulations.
Conclusion: The IgG1 and trastuzumab demonstrated similar behavior in spray drying process. The combination of
excipients containing trahalose, hydroxypropyl beta cyclodextrin and beta cyclodextrin with proper ratio improved the
physical and chemical stability of both IgG1 and monoclonal antibody
The role of serotonin in memory: interactions with neurotransmitters and downstream signaling
Abstract Serotonin, or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), is
found to be involved in many physiological or pathophysiological
processes including cognitive function. Seven distinct
receptors (5-HT1–7), each with several subpopulations,
have been identified for serotonin, which are different in
terms of localization and downstream signaling. Because
of the development of selective agonists and antagonists
for these receptors as well as transgenic animal models
of cognitive disorders, our understanding of the role of
serotonergic transmission in learning and memory has
improved in recent years. A large body of evidence indicates
the interplay between serotonergic transmission and
other neurotransmitters including acetylcholine, dopamine,
γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate, in the neurobiological
control of learning and memory. In addition,there has been an alteration in the density of serotonergic
receptors in aging and Alzheimer’s disease, and serotonin
modulators are found to alter the process of amyloidogenesis
and exert cognitive-enhancing properties. Here, we discuss
the serotonin-induced modulation of various systems
involved in mnesic function including cholinergic, dopaminergic,
GABAergic, glutamatergic transmissions as well
as amyloidogenesis and intracellular pathways
Indomethacin-Enhanced Anticancer Effect of Arsenic Trioxide in A549 Cell Line: Involvement of Apoptosis and Phospho-ERK and p38 MAPK Pathways
Background. Focusing on novel drug combinations that target different pathways especially apoptosis and MAPK could be a rationaleforcombinationtherapyinsuccessfultreatmentoflungcancer.Concurrentuseofcyclooxygenase(COX)inhibitorswith arsenictrioxide(ATO)mightbeapossibletreatmentoption.Methods.CytotoxicityofATO,dexamethasone(Dex),celecoxib(Cel), andIndomethacin(Indo)individuallyorincombinationwasdeterminedat24,48,and72hrsinA549lungcancercells.TheCOX-2 gene and protein expression, MAPK pathway proteins, and caspase-3 activity were studied for the most cytotoxic combinations. Results. The IC 50s of ATO and Indo were 68.
Comparison of 99mTc-DMSA renal scintigraphy with biochemical and histopathological findings in animal models of acute kidney injury
Biochemical and histological assays are currently
used for the diagnosis and characterization of kidney
injury. The purpose of this study was to compare technetium-
99m-labeled dimercaptosuccinic acid (99mTc-
DMSA) renal scintigraphy, as a non-invasive method, with
common biochemical and histopathological methods in
two animal models of acute kidney injury. Nephrotoxicity
was induced either by gentamicin (100 mg/kg/day for one
week) or unilateral ureteral ligation (UUO). Renal
scintigraphy was performed 1 h after intravenous injection
of 99mTc-DMSA (3 mCi). Furthermore, plasma levels of
blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, sodium, and
potassium were determined using an autoanalyzer. At the
end of experiments, kidneys were excised for the measurement
of activity uptake (mCi/gr) using a dose calibrator
as well as histopathological examinations with
hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. There was a significant
decrease in 99mTc-DMSA uptake in both gentamicin
(P value = 0.049) and UUO (P value = 0.034)
groups, and it was more significant in the former. The
levels of BUN and creatinine increased in both gentamicin
and UUO groups, while the levels of sodium and potassium
remained unchanged. Furthermore, a strong correlation was
found between DMSA uptake and histopathological findings.
Scintigraphy with 99mTc-DMSA is capable of
detection of kidney injury in both gentamicin and UUO
groups. Moreover, a significant correlation was found
between scintigraphy parameters and histopathological
findings. This suggests 99mTc-DMSA as a non-invasive
method for the evaluation of kidney injury induced by
drugs or anatomical disorders
Antiepileptic Treatment Is Associated with Bone Loss: Difference in Drug Type and Region of Interest
effects of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) on bone mineral density
(BMD) are well addressed, but data on children, especially concerning
new antiepileptic medications, are scarce. This study
aimed to reveal the impact of these drugs on the BMD of ambulatory
patients with epilepsy. Methods: BMD and detailed
clinical information were obtained on 108 patients and 38 controls
using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. The patients were
categorized into 2 groups: enzyme-inducing AEDs (EIAEDs) and
non-EIAEDs. Also, the patients were classified as being in either
a monotherapy or a polytherapy group. All patients completed
a 63-item questionnaire. In this study, the raw value of BMD,
T score, and z score of the spine, neck of femur, total hip, and
forearm were analyzed. Results: Patients receiving AEDs showed
diminished lumbar BMD, compared with controls (P , 0.05),
regardless of the type of AED (EIAEDs or non-EIAEDs). In addition,
there was a significant decrease in femoral neck BMD in
patients receiving EIAEDs (0.922 6 0.161, P , 0.05) but not in
those treated with non-EIAEDs. Patients undergoing carbamazepine
monotherapy (33 patients) showed diminished lumbar
and femoral neck BMD, whereas those receiving valproate (22
patients) or undergoing polytherapy showed a BMD similar to
that of controls in all studied regions of interest. There was no
notable change in BMD in the Ward triangle, trochanter, or total
hip in either the EIAED or the non-EIAED group. Conclusion: AED
therapy, especially in patients on new-generation medication, is
associated with low bone density. It is hoped that the presented
data stressing several clinical and diagnostic points will stimulate
a high index of suspicion to facilitate early diagnosis an
Bone mineral density is not related to angiographically diagnosed coronary artery disease
Based on data, there may exist an association between low bone mineral density (BMD) and atherosclerosis.
Thisstudy aimed to investigate the association between BMD and coronary artery disease (CAD). In
this study the possible association of BMD with CAD in 65 men with CAD and in 49 men with normal angiography
as well as in 51 women with CAD and in 51 normal women was investigated. Both spinal and
femoral BMD values for men were higher than those of women (P<0.05). Neither femoral nor spinal BMD
values were different in patients with or without CAD. In addition, BMD values were not associated with
the severity of CAD. Body massindex (BMI) was positively correlated with BMD both in men and women,
whereas age and anti-diabetic treatment were linked with lower BMD in women. In conclusion, in this
study CAD was not related to low BMD. However, BMI was an independent predictor of diminished BMD
Impact of Ramadan fasting on intraocular pressure, visual acuity and refractive errors
Introduction: Fasting evidently influences a variety
of physiological parameters that can impact the
ocular system. Among these modifications are
alterations in insulin secretion, sympathetic
activity, free fatty acids, lipid profile, melatonin,
cortisol, electrolytes and catecholamines. In this
study, we investigated the possible alterations
in intraocular pressure (10P), visual acuity and
refractive errors during Ramadan fasting.
Methods: 10P, visual acuity and refractive errors
of both eyes of volunteers were measured on the
first and last days of Ramadan (once in the morning
and evening). Body weight was measured so as to
estimate the amount of dehydration. Data from
the two examinations was analysed using one-way
analysis of variance. A p -value of less than 0.05 was
considered statistically significant.
Results: 58 healthy, fasting male volunteers with
a mean age of 40.7 +/- 7.1 years participated in
the study. Statistical analysis demonstrated no
difference in 10P, visual acuity or refractive errors
on the first and last days of Ramadan, or within a
single day (from morning to evening).
Conclusion: Our results reveal that Islamic
Ramadan fasting does not profoundly affect
physiological 10P, refractive error or visual acuity
values in healthy volunteers. However, more
detailed investigations using animal models should
be designed to evaluate whether fasting has a
pivotal influence on pathological conditions.
Keywords: body weight, intraocular pressure,
Ramadan fasting, refractive errors, visual acuit