A Comparative Study of 660 nm Low-Level Laser and Light Emitted Diode in Proliferative Effects of Fibroblast Cells

Background: In recent years the use of low-power lasers has been widely used in medicine. With the introduction of affordable LED light, clinical application of LED light has become more and more popular. However, some researchers believe that because of the lack of coherence of the LED light, it can be different   in biological effects in comparison to laser. In this study, we compared the biological effects of low level laser to those of LED light. Methods: Human skin fibroblast cell line Hu02 was irradiated with low level laser and LED light with a wavelength of 660 nm, power output of 35 mW and in continuous mode and the control group was not irradiated.  The biological effects were compared through the analyzing of cell proliferation, production of reactive oxygen species within the cell and the rate of cell division.Results: Our findings showed that production of reactive oxygen species within the cell was linearly increased both in the LED and laser light irradiated cells. However, laser light is more increment in comparison the LED light. The MTT results showed that laser light at low energy density (less than 5 joules per square centimeter) was increased the rate of cell proliferation after 24 hours. Although, the rate of cell division was increased in energy density of 1 J/cm2 compared to the control group, but this increasing was not statistically significant.Discussion: The findings indicated that the coherence properties of laser light provided more energy for the cells, and in a constant energy density, laser light created more oxidative stresses in compared with LED light.

Barriers, Facilitators, Process and Sources of Evidence for Evidence- Based Management among Health Care Managers: A Qualitative Systematic Review

BACKGROUND: Evidence-based management (EBMgt) improves managerial decisions as a bridge from theory to practice. For reason that it has a critical impact on organization performance. The purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting EBMgtamong managers.METHODS: The following electronic databases were used: PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, ProQuest, Embase and Scopus. In addition, we searched Google Scholar, Emerald, Academy of Management (AOM), and the website for the Center nfor Evidence-Based Management (CEBMa) for articles related to EBMgt. We used data sources published up to September 2017, without language restriction. We appraised the methodologicalquality of studies using the checklists of SRQR and MMAT. The synthesis involved interpretative analysis based on the principles of meta-synthesis.RESULTS: Of 26,011 identified studies, 26 met the full inclusion criteria. Of the 26 studies assessed, the frequency of qualitative studies and mixed-methods were 20 and 6, respectively, and the quality of 3 studies was weak. A total of 23 studies from 7 countries were included: Canada (n=8), USA (n=6), Australia (n=4), UK (n=3), Iran (n=1, Brazil (n=1); none were from Africa. Meta-synthesis findings of 23 studies identified four main factors: facilitators (5 main themes), barriers (5 main themes), sources of evidence (4 main themes), and the process of decision making in EBMgt (1 main theme).CONCLUSIONS: EBMgt is crucial to improve the quality of management decisions, and hence, to improve service delivery, effectiveness and efficiency. Furthermore, to increase the benefit and utilization of EBMgt, training organizations and research institutes must more actively involve managers in setting research plans

Thymoquinone recovers learning function in a rat model of Alzheimer’s disease

Objective: Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by accumulation of amyloid beta in the hippocampus. In recent decades, herbal medicine has been widely used to treat many neurodegenerative disorders,as in comparison to conventional drugs, herbal remedies exert minimal side effects. Here, the effects of thymoquinone, as the main active component of Nigella sativa, on passive avoidance memory in rat model of Alzheimer’s disease, were evaluated. Materials and Methods: Hippocampal injection of amyloid beta (Aβ) was used to induce Alzheimer’s disease in male Wistar rats, followed by intra peritoneal administrations of 5 and 10 mg/kg thymoquinone on a daily basis for 4 weeks. Animals were subjected to fear learning behavior in passive avoidance test and histopathological analysis of the hippocampus was done. Shuttle box test was used to evaluate the condition studying memory. Thioflavin-S and Hematoxylin and Eosine staining were done to confirm Aβ plaque formation and to evaluate the effect of thymoquinone on the pyramidal cells in the hippocampal CA1 region. Results: Amyloid beta caused cognitive dysfunction reflected by increasing initial and step-through latency along with plaque formation and degeneration of pyramidal cells in the hippocampus. Thymoquinone administration ameliorated this effect by significant reductions in plaque formation in CA1 region of the hippocampus and increased latency time. It also increased the number of surviving neurons in the hippocampus. Conclusion: It seems that thymoquinone improved learning function in a rat model of Alzheimer’s disease. Thus, thymoquinone could be possibly used as an anti-neurodegenerative agent for protecting hippocampal neurons against neurotoxic effects of Aβ in patients with Alzheimer’s disease

The comparison of the apoptosis effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles into MDA-MB-231 cell line in microgravity and gravity conditions

Objective (s): Gravity could affect some system features and perform directly as an organizing field factor. Recent investigations have examined the titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) in biomedical applications, mostly in the cancer treatment field. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of simulated microgravity combined with TiO2 NPs in MDA-MB-231 cells proliferation for the first time. In other words, this study examined the utility of the microgravity environment in nano-therapy. Materials and Methods: The MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell line and TiO2 NPs were purchased. The 2D clinostat was applied for the simulation of the microgravity. The morphological studies, MTT cytotoxicity assay, Acridine orange/Ethidium bromide double staining studies and flow cytometry analysis were utilized.Results: The MTT assay, the morphological studies, Acridine orange/Ethidium bromide double staining studies and flow cytometry analysis confirmed the apoptosis-inducing effect of microgravity in combination with TiO2 NPs. The IC50 of simulated microgravity in the presence of TiO2 NPs was determined to be 130 µM. Furthermore, MDA-MB-231 cells exposed to microgravity adopted a different phenotype. Conclusion: Based on our observation, although the relative mechanisms need to be explored further, microgravity can strictly affect the TiO2 NPs effects on MDA-MB-231 cells. The significance of this study lied in the fact that simulating microgravity can be a powerful physical cure for cancer therapy and open new horizons for the studies in the field of biology, biophysics, and medicine

The Effect of Microgravity Condition on Expression of VEGFR-2 Gene in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC)

Abstract Background: Endothelial cells are very sensitive to mechanical force including microgravity and the morphological and functional changes in them are believed to be at the basis of weightlessness-induced cardiovascular deconditioning. It has been shown that the proliferation, migration, and morphological differentiation of endothelial cells play critical roles in angiogenesis. So far, the influence of microgravity on the ability of endothelial cells to foster angiogenesis remains to be explored in detail. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of microgravity condition on VEGFR-2 and CD34 genes expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in angiogenesis. Materials and Methods: In this study, HUVEC cells were purchased from Pastor Institute. We used a clinostat to simulate microgravity condition for 2, 24 and 72 hours. Real time PCR technique was used for gene expression analysis after extraction of RNA from cells. Results: Our results showed that microgravity for 72h leads to a significant increase (6 times compared with control group, p0.05) with microgravity. Conclusion: Based on the results, microgravity has positive effect on angiogenesis and can be used to generate vascules for cell therapy of ischemic diseases and atherosclerosis

Thymoquinone ameliorates some endocrine parameters and histological alteration in a rat model of polycystic ovary syndrome

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common form of the endocrine disease which is associated with metabolic dysfunction. PCOS and type 2 diabetes mellitus are related in multiple aspects and are similar in many pathological features. Anti-diabetic effects of Nigella sativa and protective effects of it on reproductive system have been suggested in some reports. Objective: The aim of current study was to evaluate the effects of thymoquinone, the main components of Nigella sativa, on PCOS model of rats. Materials and Methods: Intraperitoneal injection of estradiol valerate for 25 days was used to induce PCOS in Wistar rats, followed by intraperitoneal administration of 8 and 16 mg/kg thymoquinone for 30 days. Rats were divided into 5 groups; control, sham or PCOS, experiment-1 (PCOS and 8 mg/kg thymoquinone), experiment-2 (PCOS and 16 mg/kg thymoquinone), and metformin (PCOS and metformin administration, 100 mg/kg) groups. All of the animals were subjected to serum biochemical analysis of blood and histopathological study of ovaries. Results: Estradiol valerate induced PCOS while administration of thymoquinone recovered it. The body weight, ovarian morphology, and ovulation had been improved and the serum biochemical parameters including glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, luteinizing hormone, and follicle stimulating hormone were reversed after thymoquinone intervention. Conclusion: Our data suggest that thymoquinone has improvement effects on an ovarian function and ovulation in the PCOS rat model. Therefore, thymoquinone and Nagilla sativa could be used as a protective agent and as an adjunct treatment in PCOS patient

The Evaluation of VE-Cadherin Gene Expression in Serum of Iranian Women With Breast Cancer

Background & Objective: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers and the second leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide, in both developed and developing countries.  Vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin is endothelial specific adhesion molecule located at junctions between endothelial cells and its association with various cancers has been proven. The aim of this study was to evaluate the VE-cadherin gene expression in serum of Iranian women with breast cancer in order to identify a biomarker for its prediction. Materials & Methods: After serum isolation from blood samples of the patients and controls, extraction of RNA and synthesis of cDNA were done. Gene expression was measured using real-time PCR technique. Results: Our results showed that the expression of VE-cadherin was increased significantly in patients compared to control samples. However, there was no relationship between its expression and grade of the tumors. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, expression of this factor can be used as a marker for study and follow-up of breast cancer patients. Furthermore, considering the role of this factor in angiogenesis and metastasis, it can be used as a target for intervention therapy