5 research outputs found
Children as Protectors: The Conditions of Parenthood in a Political Prison in Iran
Cet article dĂ©crit les relations enfants/parents Ă Evin, lâune des prisons politiques les plus cĂ©lĂšbres de la RĂ©publique islamique d'Iran. On propose un bref compte rendu des Ă©vĂ©nements et des facteurs ayant conduit Ă une rĂ©pression politique sĂ©vĂšre durant les annĂ©es 1980 et, aprĂšs la rĂ©volution, aux huit annĂ©es sanglantes du conflit avec l'Irak. Entre 1981 et 1988, arrestations massives, torture systĂ©matique, emprisonnements de longue durĂ©e et exĂ©cutions sommaires ont crĂ©Ă© un paysage sombre et violent en Iran, contrairement au bref "Printemps de la libertĂ©" qui avait suivi la rĂ©volution de 1979. Lâarticle combine des travaux de recherche et ma propre expĂ©rience de prisonniĂšre politique durant plus de huit ans, dans une approche quâailleurs jâai qualifiĂ©e dâethnographie rĂ©trospective ou dâanthropologie de lâaprĂšs. Mon analyse des formes non-conventionnelles de maternitĂ©s (ou de rapports « familiaux ») en prison s'appuie sur les histoires des quelques enfants avec lesquels j'ai vĂ©cu une partie de mon emprisonnement et de leurs relations avec les adultes, parents, autres dĂ©tenus et personnel pĂ©nitentiaire. Mettant en avant le rĂŽle performatif du langage, je montre non seulement comment la langue, les jeux des enfants â eux-mĂȘmes une forme de langage -, mais aussi le comportement des parents envers leurs enfants et la vie au quotidien telle que nous l'avons vĂ©cue, ont tous Ă©tĂ© influencĂ©s par la condition en prison et la dynamique socio-politique de l'Ă©poque. J'illustre Ă©galement le difficile travail requis pour Ă©tablir une apparence de normalitĂ© et construire des liens familiaux dans ces circonstances si particuliĂšres. Enfin, en situant une rĂ©flexion sur ma propre vie, je montre le travail de mĂ©moire et le retour du passĂ© au «prĂ©sent», Ă la fois comme un don et comme une temporalitĂ© complexe, capables d'influencer et dâinfluer sur ma vie prĂ©sente. Ces rĂ©flexions montrent lâinsĂ©parable relation entre souvenirs, langues et formes de vie, tels quâils voyagent Ă travers le temps et l'espace.This article describes the condition of childhood and parenthood in Evin, one of the most notorious political prisons of the Islamic Republic of Iran. To contextualize, it offers a brief account of the events and forces that led to the severe political suppression of the 1980s. Shortly after the revolution, Iran faced eight years of bloody and long war with Iraq. Meanwhile, between 1981 and 1988 massive arrests, systematic torture, long imprisonments, and summary executions created a gloomy and violent landscape within the country in contrast to briefly lived âSpring of freedomâ that had followed the 1979 Revolution. Combining research and my own first-hand experience as a prisoner of conscience for over eight years, this piece is informed by what I have elsewhere called âanthropology afterwardâ, or âretrospective ethnographyâ. My account and analysis of unconventional kinship in prison draw on the stories of a few children with whom I lived part of my imprisonment and of their relationship with adults, including their parents, other inmates and prison officials. Foregrounding the performative role of language, this piece attempts to show how not only language, but childrenâs game - itself a form of language - and parentsâ behaviors toward their children and one another, or in general life as we lived it, were all influenced by prison condition and the sociopolitical dynamic of the time. I also illustrate the challenging yet creative work that went into generating a sense of normalcy for children and a bond of kinship under such unusual circumstances. Finally, reflecting on my own life, I trace the work of memory and the return of the past as âpresent,â in its double meaning, as gift and as a complex temporality, influencing and projecting my life in and as present. These reflections illuminate the inseparable relation between memories, languages, and life forms as they journey through and across time and space
Co-administration of silymarin and deferoxamine against kidney, liver and heart iron deposition in male iron overload rat model
Background: Tissue iron deposition may disturb functions of the organs. In many diseases like thalassemia, the patients suffer from iron deposition in kidney and heart tissues. Deferoxamine (DF) is a synthetic iron chelator and silymarin (SM) is an antioxidant and also a candidate for iron chelating. This study was designed to investigate the effect of DF and SM combination against kidney and heart iron deposition in an iron overload rat model.
Methods: Male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to 5 groups. The iron overloading was performed by iron dextran 100 mg/kg/day every other day during 2 weeks and in the 3 rd week, iron dextran was discontinued and the animals were treated daily with combination of SM (200 mg/kg/day, i.p.) and DF (50 mg/kg/day, i.p.) (group 1), SM (group 2), DF (group 3) and saline (group 4). Group 5 received saline during the experiment. Finally, blood samples were obtained and kidney, heart and liver were immediately removed and prepared for histopathological procedures.
Results: The results indicated no significant difference in kidney function and endothelial function biomarkers between the groups. However, combination of SM and DF did not attenuate the iron deposition in the kidney, liver and heart. DF alone, rather than DF and SM combination, significantly reduced the serum level of malondialdehyde (P < 0.05). Co-administration of SM and DF significantly increased the serum level of ferritin (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: DF and SM may be potentially considered as iron chelators. However, combination of these two agents did not provide a protective effect against kidney, liver and heart iron deposition