فهرست مطالب بهاره امین

Breast cancer is the second common cancer in women at worldwide. Furthermore, patients with breast cancer generally use complementary  and integrative medicine such as homeopathy. It has been shown that homeopathic remedies such as Sepia, Phosphorus and Pulsatilla have great effects in the various diseases such as some of the cancers. However, the cytotoxicity effects of these compounds have not been studied for breast cancer cell lines such asMCF-7. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic effects of these homeopathic remedies on breast cancer cell line. 

Materials & Methods

Breast cancer cells (MCF-7) were cultured in DMEM medium and treated with different potencies (30 and 200) of remedies for 24, 48 and 72 h. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay.

The findings indicate that none of the tested compounds had cytotoxicity effect on MCF-7 cancer cells.

This study shows that Sepia, Phosphorus and Pulsatilla as the three of homeopathic remedies have not in vitro cytotoxic effects on breast cancer cell line, and it seems that further studies on different cell lines and also in vivo studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Postpartum depression is a common public health problem in the first year after birth. Low mood, feeling guilty, loss of appetite, difficulty in falling asleep are some symptoms of this condition. Depression can cause serious problems for the child, mother and family. This study was performed with aim to determine the effect of Citrus aurantium on postpartum depression in women. This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 49 mothers referred to the Sabzevar health and treatment centers in 2017. Participants had the score of 14-28 on the Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition (BDI-II), and their depression was confirmed by a psychiatrist through interview. They were randomly (with random blocking method) assigned to the treatment group (orange blossom 500 mg/Bid+ fluoxetine 20 mg) and control group (fluoxetine 20 mg plus placebo). Treatment was started on week 8 after delivery and continued for 8 weeks. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 16) and Kolmogrov-Smirnov, Chi-square, Independent and paired t‑test and Mann–Whitney test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. The mean score of depression after the intervention in Citrus aurantium group was 9.2±4.02 and in control group was 17.12±3.56; there was a significant difference between two groups (p>0,001). Also, after the intervention, 15 women (62.5%) in Citrus aurantium group and 1(4%) in control group were without postpartum depression. The use of Citrus aurantium along with fluoxetine in the treatment of mild to moderate postpartum depression is more effective than fluoxetine alone. So, it can be used as an alternative in treatment of postpartum depression.

Background and Purpose: Chronic neuropathic pain caused by damage or disturbance of the functioning of the somatosensory system are one of the major health problems and many people suffer from such diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Umbelliprenin (UMB) on the symptoms of neuropathic pain in chronic constriction injury model (CCI) of neuropathy in adult male rats. 24Wistar rats (250±20g) were randomly divided into 3 groups: sham, CCI and CCI+UMB (100μg/rat) groups. UMB was injected intrathecaly one day before surgery, and 3 days after surgery. Von Frey and Hot-Plate tests were performed one day before surgery and on days 2, 4, 7, 10 and 14 after surgery. The results were reported as mean and SEM (P

Common cellular and molecular mechanisms are not only involved in the development of neuropathic pain caused by neurological damage but also in the occurrence of the tolerance/hyperalgesia phenomenon caused by chronic use of opioids. It seems that the activation of the neuroimmune system in the brain and spinal cord is one of the most important mechanisms involved in the initiation and maintenance of neuropathic pains and reducing the antinociceptive effect of morphine after nerve injury. Plus, it also plays an important role in the development of tolerance/hyperalgesia due to chronic opioid consumption. Glial cells, especially microglia, are resident immune cells in the nervous system and get activated in response to many exogenous and endogenous factors. When activated, glial cells undergo structural and functional changes and can secrete various inflammatory factors such as IL1β, IL6 and TNFα. These changes increase the irritability and spontaneous firing of neurons, which play an important role in creating and maintaining neuropathic pain as well as reducing the analgesic effect of opioids and bringing about the onset of opioid tolerance/hyperalgesia phenomenon. In this review, we have tried to observe recent studies on the role of the neuroimmune system of the brain and spinal cord in the development of neuropathic pain and of opioid tolerance/hyperalgesia. In our view, a prevention of activation or a diminished activity of the neuroimmune system via appropriate drug compounds can be useful as a new strategy in the treatment of neuropathic pain and in the decrease of morphine tolerance/hyperalgesia, which will in turn result in an increase of the clinical efficacy of opioids.

According to the epidemiological studies, manifestations of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are different in various parts of the world. Calprotectin, a complex of two S100A8 and S100A9 proteins, is one of the major mediators of inflammation in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. This study was aimed to investigate the genetic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of calprotectin in ulcerative colitis and crohn’s disease patients and its association with the disease behaviors. One hundred and sixty six patients with inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or crohn’s disease) were included in the study. A volume of 2 mL venous blood samples were collected and DNA samples purified. The target regions of calprotectin genes, including S100A8 (rs3806232) and S100A9 (rs3014866) were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. The relationship between polymorphism of calprotectin and age, sex, extension, flare, disease severity (according to the administered drugs), extra intestinal manifestations (arthritis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, eye and skin involvement), dysplasia, colon cancer and were evaluated. Analysis of data showed that CT genotype of S100A9 and TT genotype of S100A8 were the most common genotypes (P < 0.05). Majority of patients with arthritis showed CC genotype of S100A9 (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed between the age, sex, incidence of extra intestinal manifestations and calprotectin genotype. TT genotype of S100A8 gene had a significant relationship with patients received the second-line drugs including corticosteroids and azathioprine (P < 0.05). Although, a significant association was not observed between patients with 1 to 2 flare in a year and calprotectin genotypes in our study, but 3 times annual flares were significantly more common in CC genotype of S100A9 gene than the other genotypes (P < 0.05). Our study results suggest genetic polymorphisms of calprotectin could affect IBD features including disease severity (based on the drugs needed to control the disease), extra intestinal manifestations (arthritis) and disease flare. This is, to our knowledge, the first investigation on the genetic polymorphisms of calprotectin in the inflammatory bowel diseases. Further investigation is really needed to confirm the role of calprotectin genotypes in the development of inflammatory bowel disease and their relationships with disease activity and features.

Acne vulgaris is a chronic and prevalent usually self-limited disorder. Topical medication is the main route for acne therapy. In this disorder the most widely used topical preparations are antibiotics such as Erythromycin and keratolytic agents such as Tretinoin. Excellent results with minimal side effects may be achieved by a fixed combination of Tretinoin and Erythromycin. This combination therapy increases efficacy and a faster response in the treatment of acne may be achieved. The purpose of this work was to assess a suitable formulation of Erythromycin and Tretinoin in a topical gel base. UV spectrophotometer analysis was chosen for Erythromycin and Tretinoin assay. This method was adapted to assay Erythromycin and Tretinoin in their combination. The proposed method for Erythromycin was the formation of a complex with O-nitrobenzaldehyde, in glacial acetic acid and in the presence of hydrochloric acid, which manifested maximum absorbance at 486 nm. For the measurement of Tretinoin, the absorption peak at 355 nm in acidic ethanol-water-isopropyl alcohol (IPA) mixture was suitable. In order to formulate the Erythromycin and Tretinoin in a gel base, gelling agents, plasticizers, solvents, cosolvents such as carbopol, HPC, HPMC, ethanol, propylene glycol (PG), isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and water have been used. By using tertiary diagrams, the most proportionate percentage of gel constituents have been determined. The formulations have been controlled for rheological, organoleptic properties and physical and chemical stability under several conditions (4, 25, 40°C). The release of drugs from the gels was studied using Franz diffusion cell and the best formulations were chosen. Drug release rates followed Higuchi’s law. The results indicated that Erythromycin and Tretinoin could be formulated in a gel base with a suitable release profile and presented to pharmaceutical market.