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Effect of Omega-3 on Rat Sperm DNA Methylation and Histological Structure of Testis after Treatment with Bleomycin, Etoposide and Cisplatin (BEP)
Get PDFBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: During the cancer treatment course, in addition to the destructive effects on the tumor cells, chemotherapy also damages healthy tissues and disrupts the balance of oxidant and antioxidant levels. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of omega-3 on sperm DNA methylation and histological structure of rat testis after treatment with combination chemotherapy using bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin (BEP).
METHODS: In this experimental study, 40 male rats were randomly divided into four groups of control, BEP, BEP+omega-3 and omega-3 (n=10). The control group was treated with 0.9% normal saline intraperitoneally for 18 weeks. The second group (BEP) first received 0.9% normal saline intraperitoneally for nine weeks. Then, it received BEP at 5.1 mg / kg for nine weeks, received etoposide and cisplatin at 5.7 mg/kg through gavage on days 1-5 of each week, and then received bleomycin at 75 mg/kg on days 2 of each week. The third group was gavaged with 0.9% saline for 9 weeks and then, orally received 300 mg/kg/day omega-3(capsule containing 1000 mg, 18% EPA and 12% DHA) for 9 weeks and in BEP + omega-3 group treated with BEP based on the same method and then orally received 300 mg/kg omega-3 as an antioxidant for the second nine weeks daily. Sperm DNA methylation and histological structure of rat testis including seminiferous tubules and basement membrane thickness were respectively evaluated by immunofluorescence staining and Periodic acid – Schiff (PAS) after 18 weeks of treatment in all groups.
FINDINGS: The mean percentage of sperm DNA methylation in the BEP-treated group (52.22±3.11) was significantly decreased compared to the control group (81.80±2.92) (p<0.001). However, the mean percentage of sperm DNA methylation increased significantly with omega-3 use after treatment with BEP (67±2.18) compared with BEP group (p<0.01). In light microscopy of testicular tissue, the number of spermatogonial cells (44.95±1.56), primary spermatocytes (47.60±1.45) as well as the epithelial thickness of seminiferous tubules (145.5±5.64) and basement membrane (7.07±0.29) decreased in the BEP-treated group in comparison with control group (p<0.001). However, the use of omega-3 after treatment with BEP significantly improved the number of germ cells and epithelial thickness of the seminiferous tubule and basement membrane (p<0.01).
CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, omega-3 as an antioxidant can improve the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy drugs and it is recommended to be used for cancer patients after chemotherapy to reduce the cytotoxicity of these drugs
Comparison of the Effect of Peer-led Education and Education by the Healthcare Personnel on Awareness, Attitude and Performance of Lettered People toward Organ Donation
Get PDFBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Lack of donation is one of the major limitations of organ transplantation. Promoting organ donation requires increased awareness and creation of a positive attitude through training in specific ways. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of peer-led education and education by healthcare personnel on awareness, attitude and performance of lettered people in regard with organ donation.
METHODS: This case-control clinical trial was performed on 120 lettered people who were randomly assigned to three groups of 40, including peer-led, healthcare personnel and control groups. The two intervention groups underwent training sessions. Before and after the intervention, the data were collected and compared using questionnaires in three groups in three areas of awareness, attitude and performance.
FINDINGS: Most of the lettered people (58.33%) were female. 61.66% had a bachelor's degree and 60.83% were teachers at elementary school. There was a significant difference in the mean scores of awareness, attitude and performance toward organ donation in the two intervention groups before the intervention (in peer-led group were 11.52 ± 2.12, 92.05 ± 10.24, and 1.87 ± 1.42 and in healthcare group were 11.30 ± 3.00, 90.73 ± 10.92, and 1.38 ± 1.29, respectively) and after the intervention (in peer-led group were 15.47 ± 1.13, 98.78 ± 5.70, and 3.53 ± 0.50 and in healthcare group were 15.13 ± 1.49, 96.95 ± 5.52, and 3.05 ± 0.81, respectively) ( P < 0.05). The mean score of attitude and performance of the lettered people in the peer-led group was significantly higher than the other groups (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that peer-led education is a more effective method than education by healthcare personnel to promote and institutionalize organ donation
Trends in the Causes of Maternal Mortality in Iran and other Countries in the Region During the Years 1990 – 2016
Get PDFBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Understanding the causes and frequency of maternal mortality and their occurrence over time is the first important step in policymaking to reduce maternal mortality. The purpose of this study was to compare the trends in the causes of maternal mortality in Iran and other countries in the region including 30 countries.
METHODS: In this longitudinal, retrospective cohort study, the trends in causes of maternal mortality between 1990 and 2016 were evaluated. The study data were collected from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) website and a secondary analysis was performed using Multilevel Linear Regression Models. In this study, "time" is the independent variable and "percentage of causes of death" is the dependent variable.
FINDINGS: Among the direct causes of death, hemorrhage, despite a significant decreasing trend, was the most important cause of maternal mortality in Iran with a coefficient of 0.28 (CI = -0.25, -0.31, p<0.001). Other direct causes of death, including hypertension, infection, abortion and ectopic pregnancy, labor obstruction, and uterine rupture and death due to delays, all showed a significant decreasing trend during the annual period with regression coefficients of 0.17, 0.16, 0.15, 0.13, and 0.02, respectively (p<0.001). After hemorrhage, indirect causes and deaths due to other reasons were respectively ranked as second and third causes. The trends in almost all causes of death in Iran have declined significantly over this period compared to other countries in the region.
CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that the trends in all causes of maternal mortality has decreased significantly in Iran over the past 26 years, but this decline was lower compared to other countries in the region
Exploring the effect of adding low dose human chorionic gonadotropin on oocyte maturation in women undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection: A randomized control trial
Get PDFBackground: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of adding low dose human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on oocyte maturity and hyper-stimulation syndrome in women undergoing Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI).
Methods: In a randomaized clinical trail, 150 eligible patients undergoing a long GnRH agonist protocol were randomly divided into three groups of 50 women. The women in the first group received recombinant FSH alone (rFSH). The women in the second group received rFSH by 100 IU hCG daily. All participants in the three groups received rFSH by 200 IU hCG daily. The mean numbers of mature oocytes retrieved (MII oocytes) for normal responders as the primary outcome, and the occurrence ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) as the secondary outcome were measured for each group. A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.
Results: There was no significant difference in the comparison of the incidence of mature oocytes formation among the three groups. The number of OHSS was significantly lower in third group compared with those of the other groups (6% vs 14% and 18%, respectively; P = 0.03).
Conclusion: The addition of 200 hCG to recFSH throughout the stimulation in a long GnRH agonist protocol only benefited a lower number of OHSS
The effectiveness of low trans-fatty acids dietary pattern in pregnancy and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus
Get PDFBackground: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common disorder in pregnancy. The association of trans fatty acids (TFA) intake and risk of GDM have been reported; It remains unclear whether dietary TFA can influence GDM risk. We examined the effect of low TFA dietary intakes during pregnancy on risk of GDM. Methods: This randomized controlled trial was performed on 800 pregnant women who were randomly divided into 393 intervention and 407 comparison groups with gestational age ≥7 weeks. In the intervention group, the diet of pregnant women was designed in such a way that their daily intake of TFA content was less than1 but in control group, the daily intake of TFA content was not changed. The dietary intake was assessed using a 24-hour dietary recall questionnaire for three non-consecutive days at the beginning of the pregnancy before week 7, and at 13, 25 and 35 weeks. Diagnosis of GDM was performed using a 3-hour glucose tolerance test with 100 g glucose at 24-28 weeks of gestation. Results: 14 women in the intervention group (5) and 31 women in the control group (8) were diagnosed with GDM. Chi-square test did not show any significant difference between two groups (P=0.08). Cox model was used and the variables were examined in four multivariate models that none of the modals showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding the incidence of GDM. Conclusion: It seems that the diet with low trans-fatty acid content has no effect on the incidence of GDM
Relationship of social capital with overweight and obesity among female health care workers
Get PDFBackground: The epidemic of obesity has turned into a major global health challenge. Environmental and social factors such as social capital, can significantly affect obesity. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship of social capital with overweight and obesity among female health-care workers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018 on 680 female health-care workers who were randomly selected from healthcare settings affiliated to Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and the Workplace Social Capital (WSC) questionnaire. The SPSS Version 21 was employed to analyze the data through conducting the independent-sample t and the chi-square tests as well as the linear and the logistic regression analyses at a significance level of less than 0.05. Results: Linear regression analysis revealed that age, marital status, satisfaction with economic status, and structural social capital were significant predictors of body mass index (P<0.05). Moreover, logistic regression analysis indicated that weak social capital increased the odds of overweight/ obesity by 1.3 times (OR=1.345; 95 CI: 0.643–2.812) and weak structural social capital significantly increased the odds of overweight /obesity by almost four times (OR=3.757; 95 CI: 1.628–8.671; P=0.002). Conclusion: Social capital, particularly structural social capital, is a significant predictor of body mass index and a protective factor against obesity among female health-care workers. Further studies are needed to determine the paths through which social capital affects obesity- and overweight-related behaviors.
Serum Irisin level in patients undergoing different Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease
Get PDFBackground: Irisin is a myokine that regulates energy metabolism by inducing browning of adipose tissue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between irisin level and biochemical parameters of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients in stage 2 and stage 4. Methods: The research was a cross-sectional study; the study population included patients with CKD who were over 18 years of age, included 90 individuals with CKD, of these participants, 45 were in the second stage of the CKD while the other 45 subjects were in the fourth stage. Serum irisin concentration plus the level of glucose (Glu), urea, creatinine (Cr) and hemoglobin (Hb) were measured. Results: In the present study, the serum irisin level of patients in stage 4 was significantly reduced (13.00 ng / ml) compared with patients in stage 2(21.41 ng / ml). Conclusion: With the progression of CKD from stage 2 to stage 4, parameters such as serum Cr, TG, LDL, FBS, BUN and urea levels significantly increased. Inversely, factors such as irisin, GFR, Alb, HDL and Hb levels significantly decreased. These findings suggest that irisin may be involved in the regulation of biochemical factor levels in CKD patients through the progression from stage 2 to stage 4
Anticancer properties of chitosan on osteocarcinoma , breast cancer and cervical cancer cell lines
Get PDFBackground: Cancer refers to the abnormal growth of cells and is still the most common cause of morbidity in world. The purpose of this study was to determine cytotoxicity effect of high molecular weight (HMWC) and low molecular weight of chitosan (LMWC) on three cancerous cell lines MCF-7, HeLa and Saos-2 with different histological origin. Methods: The anticancer property of two types of chitosan on three cancerous cell lines and human fibroblast as normal cell was evaluated by cytotoxic activity and apoptosis induction .The cells were treated by different concentration of chitosan and viability was determined by MTT assay after 24, 48 and 72 h .Mode of death was determined by Annexin V staining assay for apoptosis and analyzed by flow cytometry. Results: While both types of chitosan were more efficient in inhibiting cell proliferation of three cancerous cell lines, fibroblast cells showed somehow more compatibility with chitosan .Viability of cells was reduced concentration-dependently to 70-90 of the untreated cells as control. There were no significant differences between the effect of both types of chitosan on all cell lines. Flow cytometry analysis showed necrosis more observable with MCF7 while the apoptosis pattern of death was more in Saos-2 and HeLa. Also higher viability with both types of chitosan was seen in fibroblast as normal cells. Conclusion: While chitosan is compatible with normal diploid fibroblast cells, it shows anticancerous effect against 3 cancerous cell lines. Furthermore, it seems that the molecular weight of chitosan does not affect its anticancerous property
Evaluation of the Capability of Carbon Dioxide Greenhouse Gas Absorption Using Nano Bio-Activated Carbon of Crataegus Sanguinea Core
Get PDFBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Considerable increase in carbon dioxide gas in the Earth's atmosphere has caused several problems such as increasing the temperature of the earth, droughts and sudden changes in the climate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the capability of carbon dioxide as greenhouse gas absorption using activated nanobiocarbon from the Crataegus Sanguinea core.
METHODS: In this experimental study, the carbon dioxide gas penetration time in three subgroups with pressure (5,10,15 bars), flow (5,10,15 ml/min) and temperatures (20,30,60 °C) at concentrations of 0 to 1 gr / ml through a carbon dioxide gas capsule in a fixed bed column filled with 2 g of adsorbent synthesized by a carbon dioxide gas sensor. The synthesized nano-biocarbon adsorbent from the Crataegus Sanguinea Core was pyrolysed at a temperature of 300 ° C and activated at 600 °C. The research data were examined with pseudo -first-order and pseudo-second-order models.
FINDINGS: Significant increase in gas infiltration time was observed at 15 bars pressure (86.71±0.09 min, p0.98 on empirical data from absorption.
CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that increasing pressure and decreasing temperature and flow increase the time of carbon dioxide penetration onto synthesized adsorbent
Validating the Dosimetric Parameters of INTRABEAM Intraoperative Radiotherapy Machine
Get PDFBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: One of the methods for treating breast cancer is radiotherapy using low-kV X-rays in which a dedicated device called INTRABEAM is used along with a few spherical applicators for breast radiation. Due to the single-session nature of this treatment, evaluating the accuracy of the device used for treatment is essential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the dosimetric parameters of the INTRABEAM system with spherical applicators and validate the reported results for clinical use in intraoperative radiotherapy for breast tumors.
METHODS: In this study, dosimetric parameters including percentage depth dose curve (PDD), transfer function (TF) and anisotropy were determined by MCNPX Monte Carlo Simulation Tool and practical dosimetry was done by Gafchromic EBT2 film. The results were quantitatively compared with the results reported by manufacturer of the device (Carl Zeiss) to evaluate the accuracy of the reported data for this treatment system.
FINDINGS: The mean difference when comparing PDD curves was 1.7% and the mean difference between the compared TF values was about 2%. The anisotropy values obtained by Monte Carlo Simulation and Gafchromic EBT2 film were also within the range recommended by the manufacturer.
CONCLUSION: Based on the results, it can be concluded that the dosimetric parameters reported by the manufacturer for spherical applicators of the INTRABEAM system are valid for designing the treatment and radiotherapy for patients