Journal of Kerman University of Medical Sciences
Volume:27 Issue: 1, Jan-Feb 2020

Liver is the most important organ of drugs and xenobiotics metabolism and any damage to the liver is associated with dysfunction of this organ. This study was carried out to find the possible additive effect of the co-administration of Cinnamomum zeylanicum (cinnamon) and Zingiber officinale (ginger) extracts on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver damage in rats.
Forty-two male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 7 groups (n=6). Group I: Normal control, Group II: Control of the extract (25 mg/kg of cinnamon extract and 125 mg/kg of ginger extract), Group III: CCl4 control, Group IV: 50 mg/kg of cinnamon extract; Group 5: 250 mg/kg of ginger extract; Group VI: As in group II, a combination of 25 mg/kg cinnamon extract and 125 mg/kg ginger extract, and group VII: 100 mg/kg of silymarin (as the standard drug). These treatments were performed daily for 14 days. On the fourteenth day, all groups received 1ml of CCl4 along with olive oil (1:1 v/v), except for the groups I and II. The last two groups received only olive oil.
Intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 into rats significantly increased the levels of liver enzymes, bilirubin, and malondialdehyde (MDA), and decreased total antioxidant and total protein levels compared to the control group (P<0.001). Pre-treatment with a combination of cinnamon and ginger extracts significantly improved these factors.
The results of this study showed that co-administration of cinnamon and ginger extracts is more efficient in protecting liver from the damaging effects caused by CCl4.

Recently, cartilage tissue engineering is the best candidate for regeneration of cartilage defects. We evaluated the potential of fibrin and PLGA/fibrin scaffolds in providing a suitable environment for growth and chondrogenic differentiation of human adipose derived stem cells (hADSCs) in the presence of icariin. The Three-dimensional (3-D) PLGA scaffold was prepared using the solvent casting/salt leaching technique and the hybrid scaffold was fabricated by fibrin. hADSCs were isolated from human adipose tissue. 3-D PLGA/fibrin scaffolds were seeded with cultured hADSCs and analyzed 14 days later, Monolayer culture was used for the control group. The viabilities of cells in different groups were assessed by MTT. The expression of chondrogenic related genes, hypertrophic marker and Fibrotic marker were quantified by RT-PCR. MTT results show that viability in the control group was significantly higher than those in the Fibrin and PLGA/Fibrin groups. Also viability in the PLGA/Fibrin group affected by icariin was higher than that in Fibrin group. The results of the real-time PCR showed that SOX9, Agg, Coll 2, and Coll 1 gene expression in the fibrin and PLGA/fibrin groups were significantly higher than those in the control group. Coll 10 gene expression in the fibrin group was higher in comparison to the control group but not significantly. type SOX9, Coll 2 and Coll 1 gene expression in the fibrin group was significantly lower compared to the PLGA/fibrin group. The study reveals that the corporation of PLGA with fibrin is an effective way to potentially enhance articular cartilage regeneration of hADSCs in the presence of icariin.

Lichen planus is a T-cell mediated autoimmune and chronic inflammatory disease that affects the skin and the mucous membrane. The results of numerous studies on oral mucosa have confirmed the effects of sex hormones on oral mucosa and the expression of estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR), and androgen receptors. Lichen planus is a common disease in middle-aged women. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the expression of ER and PR in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP).

The participants consisted of sixty-six women. The biopsy specimens of these patients were stained via immunohistochemical staining for the detection of estrogen and progesterone markers.

Despite low levels of sex hormones following menopause, ER and PR levels were lower in menopausal patients with lichen planus compared to the control group. The results also showed no significant difference in the percentage and severity of ER and PR expression in healthy non-menopausal women, menopausal women with OLP, non-menopausal women with OLP, and healthy menopausal women.

Low ER and PR levels in oral mucosa of the OLP patients suggest a more pronounced role of receptors on the surface of immune cells than mucosal cells in the pathogenesis of OLP. Maladaptive feedback of sex hormones was involved in the case group.

Malaria infection is still one of the most important public health concerns globally. The aim of this study was to evaluate retrospective epidemiological study of malaria in Khash City, Sistan and Baluchestan Province of Iran from 1999 to 2016.

This was a retrospective study, which collected official data of 26-year trend of malaria in Khash, Sistan and Baluchestan Province of Iran.

The data showed that over 26 years, 5015 cases of malaria were identified in Khash; the highest number of cases was reported in 1995 with 846 patients and the lowest number was in 2016 with one patient. A total of 419 patients were Iranian (52.2%) and 383 patients (47.8%) were non-Iranian including: Afghans (323 patients, 40.3%) and Pakistanis (60 patients, 7.5%).  During 17 years, 279200 blood slides for malaria were prepared in Khash of which 5014 slides were found to be positive. The highest and lowest ABER were in 2003-2004 (63.69) and 2016-2017 (0.30), respectively. Plasmodium vivax was identified as the main and dominant causative agent of disease in all infected patients.

The results revealed a significant decline in malaria incidence rate in Khash. However, based on Iran’s vast borders with malaria endemic countries (Afghanistan and Pakistan) and illegal immigrants coming from these nations to country, the risk of malaria outbreaks must be considered seriously and the control and/or screening programs should be conducted constantly until the complete elimination of the infection.

The incidence rate of head and neck cancer in the world is about 560,000 new cases a year. Larynx cancer is the most common malignancy in head and neck in Iran. The most common head and neck carcinoma is the malignancy of squamous epithelial cells. This study was conducted to determine the survival rate of patients undergoing nonsurgical treatment methods for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma in Kerman, Iran.
This retrospective study was conducted on patients with squamous cell carcinoma of larynx following nonsurgical treatment, who were referred to a radiation therapy center in Kerman, Iran, from 2003 to 2015.The likelihood of survival of patients based on the age, sex, stage of disease, non-surgical treatment, laryngeal preservation, as well as survival without progression and recurrence of the disease was determined.
Mean age of the studied patients was 56.56 years. The patients had a mean survival rate of 52.92 months, mean disease free survival rate of 47.60 months and mean progression free survival rate of 11.29 months. The survival rate was higher in patients undergoing RT, followed by those undergoing CCRT and CT-RT (P<0.001). The patients had a one-year disease free survival rate of 69%, a three-year disease-free survival rate of 57% and a five-year disease-free survival rate of 44% and had a one-year progression free survival rate of 13% as well as a three- and a five-year progression free survival rate of 18%.
Overall survival rate was significantly different based on the type of non-surgical treatment, gender and the stage of cancer.

The relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and poor oral hygiene has longbeen proven. Colonization of Porphyromonas gingivalis in the oral cavity can play an important role in rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a relationship between rheumatoid arthritis disease and the presence of P. gingivalis.
sixty patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 75 controls with matched age, sex and smoking and oral health status were selected. Provided samples from dental plaque were assessed for the presence of P. gingivalis by using bacterial culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Results of bacterial culture and PCR showed no significant difference between rheumatoid arthritis patients and control group in terms of the presence of P. gingivalis (P = 0.9 and P = 0.1, respectively). There was also no relationship between the number of bacterial copies and the activities of rheumatoid arthritis.
Findings showed that there was no significant relationship between the presence of P. gingivalis in dental plaque and rheumatoid arthritis.

GABAergic drugs can modulate the rewarding properties of morphine. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of isoniazid, as a GABAergic agent, on the rewarding effects of morphine.
Eighteen groups of female mice (eight per group) were used in a conditioned place preference (CPP) study. On the conditioning phase of the CPP procedure, ten groups of the animals received morphine (0, 0.75, 1.5, 3, 5, and 10 mg/kg, s.c.) or isoniazid (0, 25, 50, and 75 mg/kg, i.p.) to induce CPP. Then, the effects of isoniazid on the acquisition and expression of morphine-induced CPP were evaluated. In the expression experiment, four groups of mice were conditioned with an effective dose of morphine (5mg/kg, s.c.). Then, the animals received saline or isoniazid (25, 50, and 75 mg/kg) one hour before the test, intraperitoneally. In the acquisition experiment, the other four groups received intraperitoneal saline or isoniazid (25, 50, and 75 mg/kg, i.p.) one hour before receiving the effective dose of morphine (5mg/kg, s.c.) on conditioning phase. On the test day, these animals received no treatment.
Morphine but not isoniazid induced a significant CPP in mice. Morphine or isoniazid alone did not change the locomotor activity of the animals on the test day. Isoniazid pretreatment could significantly inhibit both the acquisition and expression of the morphine-induced CPP. Isoniazid also did not influence the locomotor activity of the animals in the expression and acquisition experiments.
Isoniazid may have a therapeutic application in morphine addiction.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease which is correlated with overweight, obesity, and insulin resistance. Recently, the use of probiotics has been suggested for these patients as they have considerable outcomes. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of GeriLact on patients with NAFLD.
In this randomized clinical trial, 61 patients with NAFLD were recruited and randomly assigned to groups receiving GeriLact, 500 mg, twice per day, or placebo (with the same dose) for sixty days. Weight, body mass index (BMI), lipid profile, fasting blood sugar (FBS), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), and sonographic grading were evaluated before and at the end of the study.
In the GeriLact group, there was a significant decrease in ALT (p=0.002) and AST (p<0.001) levels, while the placebo group showed a significant decrease only in ALT level (p=0.01). There was a significant decrease in cholesterol levels in the intervention group compared to the placebo group (p=0.01), but there were no significant changes in FBS, triglycerides, LDL, and HDL levels between the two groups. The fatty liver grade was improved by 63.6% in the intervention group and by 46.4% in the placebo group.
The results showed that probiotics caused significant improvement in ALT, AST, and cholesterol levels but had no effects on FBS, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Overall, treatment with GeriLact was found to be effective, safe, with low cost and well-tolerated in the long term use by the patients.

Hemangiomas are the most common tumors of infancy and infantile hemangiomas are the most common vascular tumors. The etiology of this tumor is unknown. Hemangiomas commonly occur in the skin followed by the deep tissues (intramuscular) and rarely within bones.

Hereby, the case of a 6-month-old girl whose whole left lower limb from thigh to ankle was involved with Hemangioma is reported. She had thrombocytopenia in lab data and abnormal coagulations profile. Biopsy was performed and treatment started base on diagnosis (Hemangioma). One month later, the swelling mildly decreased and platelet count raised.

Small hemangiomas do not need any treatment and are resolved spontaneously. However, gross or complicated hemangiomas need medical or surgical treatment. Propranolol, systemic glucocorticoids, vincristine and interferon alfa are alternative agents for medical treatment. Finally, surgical techniques, such as resection or amputation of limb, may still be the mainstay of treatment for lesions that do not respond.

Granular cell tumor is a rare benign non-encapsulated tumor that mostly presents in oral cavity. Breast localization is uncommon and occurs in about one per 1000 cases of breast cancers. It mainly affects premenopausal women showing the possible role of estrogen and progesterone levels in the progression of this tumor. Granular cell tumor is a great emulator of the invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast clinically and radiologically, and the definite diagnosis especially in fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a great challenge. Granular cell tumor almost always has a benign clinical behavior and malignant transformation is seen in less than 1% of cases, which requires additional therapy other than local surgical resection. Here, we report a rare case of benign granular cell tumor of breast that should be differentiated from other breast neoplasms especially invasive carcinomas.

Staphylococcus hominis has been recently emerged as an opportunistic hospital-associated pathogen. The aim of this study was to characterize the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern, biofilm formation, and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) types among clinical isolates of S. hominis obtained from pediatric infections. Totally, twenty- two clinically significant S. hominis isolates, mostly from blood samples, were examined for antibiotic resistance, SCCmec typing, and biofilm formation.   Multiresistance was observed in 86 % of isolates. Among mecA positive isolates (77%), SCCmec type I (28%), III (22%), IV (22%), and non-typeable ones (28%) were detected. More than half of the isolates (54.5%) did not produce biofilm. No significant association was found between biofilm formation and the presence of ica operon. As S. hominis isolates were not strong biofilm producers, biofilm formation cannot be considered as much as important multidrug resistance.in the pathogenesis of isolates.