Journal of Arak University of Medical Sciences

Pulmonary Function and Haematological Factors in Workers Exposed to Asbestos in Asbestos-Cement Plant

Azam Afaghi

Background: The current paper set out to investigate the level of asbestos fiber and asbestos body in sputum and assayed of haematological factors, liver enzymes and pulmonary function test in asbestos exposed group.

Materials and Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted with a total number of 100 subjects. The case group included 50 male workers with the age range of 25-60 who had at least worked for five years in the asbestos-cement factory. Control subjects consisted of 50 people who had no history of occupational exposure to asbestos. Lung function tests were measured with a portable calibrated vitalograph-PFT spirometer. liver enzymes were assayed with Pars Azmoon kits. Counts of red blood cells and white blood cells were assayed with a cell counter. We used light polarizan microscope to study the level of asbestos fiber and asbestos body in sputum.

Results: Asbestos fiber observed in sputum sample of workers and type of asbestos fiber is chrysotile. Asbestos bodies were found in only 10% of the workers. Decrease (but not significant) in lung function factors (FVC, FEV1, FVC/FEV1) had been seen in the workers in compare with control group. WBC, Eosinophil, neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte and liver enzymes levels were significantly higher (but in normal range) in workers as compared with the control group.

Conclusion: Presence of asbestos fiber and asbestos body in workers sputum samples showed workers exposure to asbestos and reduced level (insignificant) of lung function factors and increased level of leukocyte may be indicated pulmonary inflammation. These results also suggested that occupational exposure to asbestos dust may perturb liver mal function parameters

Effect of Pentoxifylline on Biomechanical Indices in Acute Phase of Skin Wound Healing in Diabetic Rats

Saeid Babaei

Background: It is expected that affected people with diabetes will increase to 439 million in 2030, 15% of them are affected with chronic leg ulcer disease. Increasing number of researches implicate the positive influence of pentoxifylline (PTX) on the skin wound healing. Pentoxifylline is a xantin derivative that modifies or inhibits inflammatory factors, reduces blood viscosity, improves peripheral blood currency and increases oxygenation of tissues the In this study the effect of Pentoxifylline (PTX) on skin biomechanical indices in acute phase of skin wound healing in diabetic rat is in considerable interest.

Materials and Methods: It is an experimental- interventional study in which fourteen adult male wistar rats were divided into experimental group (n=7), receiving pentoxifyllineintraperitoneally and control group (n=7) receiving distilled water (DW). Diabeteswas induced by intraperitoneal administration of streptozotocin in both groups then full thickness incisional wound (20mm length) in identical pattern was made on the dorsum of rats. After 15 days a band of skin (4×60mm) containing wound was extracted and used to evaluate skin biomechanical indexes (work up to maximum force-Nm and Tensile strength= Rm-N/mm2). Results were analysed by SPSS software version 19 and K-S, Levens Test and Student SampleT-Test were used.

Results: Pentoxifylline administration improved skin biomechanical indices after 15 days after skin incisional wound. Differences between experimental and control’s indices were significant (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Pentoxifylline accelerated wound healing and improved tensile strength of skin in diabetic rats of experimental group.

Investigate the Relationship Between Respiratory and Inflammatory Markers in 14-16 Year’s Old Active Boys: Effect of One Bout of Incremental Physical Activity

Bahman Ebrahimi Turkmani

Background: The aim of this research was to determine the relationship between inflammatory markers (Fibrinogen, C-reactive protein (CRP) and Creatine kinase (CK)) and respiratory responses FEF25-75% (Forced expiratory flow in 25-75 percent) and FEV1 (Forced expiratory volume in one second) in 14-16 year’s Urmia city boys in response to an incremental physical activity.

Materials and Methods: The subjects were boys of 14-16 years among 24 healthy participants. These groups divided into two groups randomly, one group as trained one (n=12) and the othes as control group. Blood sample was taken in baseline and after Modified Balke Protocol in trained group, And the blood sampling was taken in baseline and 48 hours later in control group. respiratory responses were measured immediately after Modified Balke Protocol.

Results: CRP and Fibrinogen significantly increased in trained group (p<0.001) and this group had high level of these markers compared with control group (p<0.001). The association between CRP with FEF25-75% and fibrinogen with FEF %25-75 and CK with FEF 25-75% in trained group was significant (p&le0.05).

Conclusion: The results of this study show that incremental physical activity increased inflammatory factors in active children. Incremental exercise shows a strong relationship between some inflammatory markers and respiratory parameters in adolescents 14-16 years old.

Indole-3-Carbinol Induces G1 Cell Cycle Arrest in Pre-B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cell Line

Majid Safa

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common type of cancer in children. Currently, chemotherapy is the most effective method of leukemia cancer treatmentwhich has many side effects. New strategies in cancer therapy utilizecompounds that specifically target aberrant signaling pathways in order to reduce toxic sideeffects Indole-3-carbinl (I3C) found in vegetables has multiple anti-cancer properties because of its ability to modulate multiple cellular signaling pathways. In this study the molecular mechanism of the action of indole-3-carbinol on pre- B ALL cells was investigated.

Materials and Methods: In current study, NALM-6 cells were treated with different concentrations of I3C at specific times. Analysis of cellular DNA content was performed by flow cytometry for evaluation of cell cycle status. The protein expression of p21, p53 as well as c-Myc proteins was determined by Western blot in I3C-treated cells.

Results: Cell cycle histogram analysis showed that I3C significantly increased the percentage of G1 cells compared with non-treated cells (control)(p<0.05). The western blot analysis also indicated I3C significantly up regulated p21, p53 expression and down regulated c-Myc expression (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The G1 arrest induced by I3C is associated with down-regulation of c-Myc and up-regulation of p53 and its downstream target p21.

Association Study of IL16 Gene Polymorphism with the Risk of Sporadic Alzheimer’s Disease

Hamid Reza Khorram Khorshid

Background: Interleukin-16 (IL16) is an important regulator of T cell activation and was reported to act as achemo-attractant agent. There are evidences that IL16 can control the neuroinflammatory processes in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study was performed to show whether the IL-16 genepolymorphism, rs11556218 is associated with the risk of sporadic AD in Iranian population.

Materials and Methods: Totally, 148 AD patients and 137non-dementia controls were recruited in this case-control study. Genotyping of rs11556218 T/Gpolymorphism was performed by PCR-RFLP method using the NdeI restriction enzyme.

Results: Statistical analysis of rs11556218 genotypes showed a protective effect against AD in the heterozygote genotype (p=0.001, OR=0.16(0.1-0.28)). Frequency of rs11556218 allele T was higher in patients than controls (p=0.001, OR=0.32(0.21-0.49)).

Conclusion: Our results indicate thatrs11556218 polymorphism has a protective role in the development of sporadic AD in Iranian population.

The Effects of Temperature Changes on Human Prion Protein Conformation Using Molecular Dynamic Simulation

Mohammad Reza Dayer

Background: Prion diseases are neurodegenerative disorders which ultimately results in the death of their victims. They are caused by structural transformation of cellular prion (PrPC) to its &beta-rich and anomalous isoform (PrPSc) and the accumulation of amyloid fibrillar deposits in the central nervous system. The precise mechanism underling this conversion is yet to be well understood. This study aimed to investigate the effect of non physiological temperatures on the misfolding mechanism of the human prion protein.

Materials and Methods: The crystal structure of human prion protein (90-231), (PDB code: 2Lej) in pdb format was used as a starting structure in this study. Three model structures of this coordinate structure were used separately to simulate PrPC at 27 , 37 and 47 . Molecular dynamic simulations were then performed using double-precision MPI version of GROMACS 4.5.5 for 10 ns and the results were analyzed using SPSS software, SPDBV and VebLab programs.

Results: The change of temperature from 37 to 27 or 47 induced significant structural changes to PrPC. These tempratures caused PrPC to attain a more folded and less flexible tertiary structure compared to its native structure at 37 . They, also, reduce protein-solvent hydrogen bonds and therefore increasing access of hydrophobic solvent to PrPC which may be behind the lower water solubility of PrPC and its increased resistance to proteolytic degradations.

Conclusion: This study shows that changes of temperatures accelerate structural changes of PrPC and reduce its solubility while rendering it vulnerable to transition into PrPSc.

Relationship Between Structural Changes of Hemoglobin with Oxidative Status of Plasma in Diabetic Hemodialysis Patients

Hadi Ansari Hadipour

Background: There is a relationship between diabetes, dialysis and oxidative stress. The aim of this study was the comparison of structural changes in Hb, oxidative damages in plasma proteins, and antioxidant capacity in diabetic hemodialysis patients with those of control subjects.

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, blood samples obtained from diabetic hemodialysis patients and control group. Oxidative damages in plasma proteins were determined by carbonyl assay and antioxidant power of plasma was performed by FRAP assay. Conformational changes in Hb were detected by spectrophotometric analysis. Blood glucose, urea, creatinine and uric acid in patients were determined usnig routine laboratory methods. Statistical analysis were performed by using regression analysis and t-test in SPSS20 software.

Results: This study showed a significant correlation between carbonyl content of plasma proteins and optical density of Hb at 630 and 275 nm which corresponds to structural changes in Hb. ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), as an index of total antioxidant capacity of plasma was found to be enhanced significantly in diabetic patients receiving hemodialysis (from 1019.62±129 to 1354.54±129 molare, p<0.05).

Conclusion: The results obtained in the present study showed that inducible factors in diabetic hemodialysis patients contribute to plasma antioxidant activity and probably responsible for prevention of carbonyl formation and oxidative damages in hemoglobin.

Evaluating Effects of Light Deprivation on Synaptic Plasticity of Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus Neurons in Rat

Mahmoud Salami

Background: Environmental signals have a crucial role in development of brain’s structure and function during critical period of brain development. Gt was valuated the devebpmental effeck in developmental effect of visual deprivation on synaptic plasticity of Dentate Gyrus neurons was evaluated.

Materials and Methods: This experimental study was carried on 2 groups (n=48) rats kept in standard 12-hour light/dark condition (Light Reared-LR) or in complete darkness (Dark Reared-DR) since birth throughout the study. Each group, in turn, was divided into 3 groups of 2, 6 and 10 weeks old subgroup (n=8 for each). Stimulating the perforant path, field potentials were recorded in the Dentate Gyrus area for 30 minutes. Then, the tetanic stimulation was applied to the Schaffer collaterals and the field potentials were pooled for 120 minutes post-tetanus in all animals.

Results: The basic responses of the LR animals decreased and the amplitude of the DR rats increased, across aging. After the LTP induction, amplitude of responses increased in all groups but the amount and stability of them were lower dark reared in animals than the LR ones.

Conclusion: Change in environmental visual signals impairs basic response and LTP induction in neurons of Dentate Gyrus area of hippocampus.

The Role of C-Fibers in the Morphine Effects on Paw Inflammatory Edema in Rat

Masoud Fereidoni

Background: Since the anti-inflammatory effects of usual doses of morphine (10mg/kg) is proved, and also, regarding to the role of C-fibers in the release of substance P and CGRP and progression of inflammation were found, and the other hand, the excitatory effects of very low doses of morphine (1µg/kg) on C-fibers have also been reported, present study has examined the role of C-fibers, usual and very low doses of morphine in presence or reduced C-fibers on paw edema induced by sub plantar injection of formalin.

Materials & Methods: In this study, male Wistar rats (180-200g) were Categorized into two groups. One as vehicle (which received neonatal capsaicin vehicle, C-normal) and experimental (which received neonatal capsaicin, C-lesion). Each category contains three groups which were treated by saline, 10 mg/kg and 1µg/kg of morphine (i.p). In each group, paw edema volume induced by injection of 0.05 cc of 2.5% formalin, was acquired by plethysmometric test.

Results: In C-normal groups, morphine showed an anti-inflammatory effect at the dose of 10mg/kg (p<0.01) and pro-inflammatory effect at the dose of 1µg/kg (p<0.01). Reduction of C-fibers in C-lesion groups diminished the inflammation induced by formalin (p<0.001). Also in these groups, 10 mg/kg dose of morphine showed a more potent anti-inflammatory effects (p<0.001) and the pro-inflammatory effects of 1µg/kg dose of morphine reduced (p<0.001).

Conclusion: C-fibers by releasing substance P and CGRP can play an important role in inflammation induction in injured tissue. The results showed that, the reduction of these fibers can lead to inflammation reduction. So, the presences of C-fibers are so important in inflammation induction and edema.

In Vitro Effects of Erythropoietin Stimulated Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells on Osteoblastic Differentiation

Mohammad Mosleh Abadi Farahani

Background: Hematopoietic stem cell transplants are routinely used to treat patients with cancers and other disorders of blood and immune systems. Osteoblasts constitute part of the stromal cell support system in marrow for hematopoiesis by participating in the formation of the HSC niche. It is believed that interaction between hematopoietic cells and bone forming osteoblasts regulate each other’s function. It is established that acute blood loss in animal models activates bone formation and niche development because of EPO stimulation. In this experimental study we have examined the co-culture of HSCs derived from cord blood which treated with EPO in vitro, on osteoblastic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells.

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study MSCs isolated from bone marrow and co-cultured with CD 34+ CD38- HSCs isolated from cord blood. These co-cultured cells were treated with different doses of erythropoietin for 14 days, after that RNA were extracted from MSCs and analysed with RT-PCR to evaluate the expression of osteopontin and osteocalcin. Alizarin red and alkaline phosphatase staining were done for osteoblastic differentiation.

Results: Osteopontin and osteocalcin were expressed in MSCs. Cellular staining were positive for osteoblastic differentiation. Differentiated cells expressed osteoblastic markers.

Conclusion: These data suggest that EPO regulates the osteoblastic differentiation from bone marrow MSCs in vitro.