[Histopathological findings in necrotic spaces developed with doxorubicin and 150 kHz ultrasound at low intensity and a combination of these two methods on adenocarcinoma tumor breast cancer in BALB/c mice]

Background: breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Chemotherapy works on active cells. Active cells are cells that are growing and dividing into more of the same type of cell. Cancer cells are active, but so are some healthy cells. Also, scientists work constantly to develop ways of providing treatment with fewer chemotherapy side effects

Objectives: the aim of this study was antitumor effect of simultaneous low-intensity, 150 kHz ultrasound, in combination with the reduced dose of anticancer drug Doxorubicin [DOX] on breast adenocarcinoma using murine model [BALB/c]

Methods: twenty-five female BALB/c mice were used in this study. The tumor was implanted under the breast skin of mice. Mice were divided into five groups, namely control, sham, drug [IV injected of 2 mg/kg of DOX], drug [IV injected of 1 mg/kg of DOX] + US [150 kHz for 15 minutes] and exposure to ultrasound [150 kHz for 15 minutes] alone. The data were analyzed employing ANOVA using SPSS software V.13 and complementary test of Tooki was done

Results: it was shown that, after injection of DOX, exposure to ultrasound at 150 kHz the necrotic spaces in adenocarcinoma tumors compared to control and sham groups have meaningful variance [p<0.001]. There was also a significant difference [the bigger the necrotic spaces] between the drug+US group and drug treated group [p<0.05], It should be mentioned that the dose of DOX in drug+US group was reduced to 1mg/kg

Conclusions: the co-administration of DOX and low-intensity ultrasound provided a more effective treatment than the drug alone in murine adenocarcinoma breast cancer. The combined treatment appeared to produce synergistic effects that could prove potentially useful in reducing the side effects of DOX by lowering the required effective dose of the drug while increasing the efficiency of the therapy as a whole

Isolation of erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae from aborted lambs in Iran: a case report

Ewe abortion and neonatal mortality are serious problems to sheep farmer. The objective of this paper was to report isolation of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae from aborted fetuses in a flock in Tehran, Iran. Abortion occurred in 10% of ewes in the flock. The fetuses were well developed and pinpoint, necrotic-like lesions were recorded on the placental cotyledons, whilst the intercotyledonary areas appeared normal. E. rhusiopathiae was isolated in pure culture and heavy growth were seen in abomasumal fluid, lungs, heart and liver of fetuses and vaginal discharge of the aborted ewes. The grown bacteria were identified using conventional bacteriological technique and Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae was confirmed. On the basis of the available evidence, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae might be one of the ovine abortion causes in Iran

[Evaluation of biocompatibility implantation of the Persian Gulf's coral in femoral defect of rabbit]

Coral from different areas has been used for bone graft substitute yet the assessment of the Persian Gulf coral is left unnoticed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Persian Gulf coral as a bone graft substitution in repairing bone defects. Unilateral drill hole defect] 4 mm X 1.5 cm[was created in greater trochanter of femur in 12 rabbits and implanted with coral in experimental group. The drill hole remained empty in control group. Radiographs were obtained immediately after surgery and at 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 9 weeks post-implantation. Later, the rabbits were sacrificed at the end of 9th week for histopathological studies. Radiographs taken at 9th week showed that the implants were being resorbed and the empty spaces were reduced in size by new bone formation. Histopathological studies on samples collected from the site of implantation were indicative of enormous multinuclear giant cells infiltration at 9th week while progressive degeneration of coral and regeneration of new bone at the site of defect was obvious, simultaneously. New bone replacement almost covered 40% of the areas at the site of artificial defect. There was no rejection of implants among the experimental group. Our data showed that processed coral has the potential to be regarded as a bone substitute for reconstructive bone surgery and could be used as a suitable scaffolding material

Cardiovascular disease risk factors, metabolic syndrome and obesity in an Iranian population

As part of the Isfahan Healthy Heart Program, we evaluated the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors in Iranians with generalized and abdominal obesity. We carried out a crosssectional study on 3694 participants aged >/= 19 years. Overall, 36.6% of men and 35.9% of women were overweight; 11.2% of men and 28.1% of women were obese. Mean body mass index [BMI], waist circumference [WC] and waist/hip ratio [WHR] increased with age up to 65 years. Total serum cholesterol, triglycerides and 2-hour post-load plasma glucose increased with BMI, WC and WHR in both sexes. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 19.8% in females with normal BMI, 48.1% in overweight females and 63.2% in obese females. In males, corresponding values were 3.7%, 18.0% and 40.1%

[Burn death rate among hospitalized patients in Zare' teaching hospital of Mazandaran medical University, Sari, Iran [2002-04]]

Burning is a general health problem and is also a global injury as well as a very serious sanitary issue in industrial and developing countries. In its severe form, burning can claim lives. It seems essential in every society to analyze burning, to study the causes of burning, treatment outcomes and the death rates, etc. to find proper preventive measures. In this cross-sectional study, the medical records of all patients who were hospitalized and finally deceased during the years 2002 and 2004 in Zare' teaching hospital, Sari, were examined. Some variables including the age span average, the degree and percentage of burning, patients' residence, gender, the cause of burning [i.e. boiling water, fire, acids and explosives], average hospitalization period, surgery and also the abundance of self - burning attempts were examined. This study indicate that during these 3 years the total number of those who died from burns was 506 [23.4%]. The residential places were in Mazanderan province [41.7%], Golestan province [41.4%], and Gilan province [10.2%]. The abundance of burning ranges as below: The 2 and 3 degree of burning at 91.8%. Regarding the percentage of burns, 31.7% of abundance pertains to burning at 90% and more. The greatest external causes leading to burns are petrol, gas, and gas oil at 57.9%. Also, the percentage of burns does not have much influence on death rate among 50 - year - olds and older people. This study indicated that the importance of death between burned patient in special sex and age. To establish hospitals, some issues must be considered as: distance, transportation, route dangers, characteristics of area, existing epidemiological survey, and finally the epidemics and event statistics

[ epidemiological and clinical assessment of admitted burned pregnant women in Shahid Mottahary Hospital burn center between January 1998 and October 2003]

Treatments of burn pregnant women is a difficult task because the vulnerable fetus is highly dependent on the health of the mother. This study was conducted to determine the epidemiology, etiology, clinical assessment and outcome of pregnant patients between January 1998 and October 2003. A 6-year retrospective descriptive study of burns in pregnant women hospitalized at Mottahary hospital [burn center] in Tehran was performed. A short structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The questionnaire covered demographic information, etiology, clinical manifestations, and outcomes. 74 [5%] of the 1480 women of reproductive age who were admitted for burn treatment during this period were pregnant. The mean age of 74 patients was 22.54 years [SD = 4.78] with a range of 16-35. The majority of the women [50%] were between 20 and 30 weeks of gestational age. The most common cause of burn was kerosene fire 52 [70%]. Most of the women 50 [68%] suffered from severe burns with TIBC>40%. 49 [66%] mothers and 50 [67.5%] died as a result of the burn damages. Burn size, TIBC, follow up of clinical manifestations for pregnant women, fetus and performance of proportional treatment protocols were the strongest predictor of mortality for mother and fetus

Videothoracoscopic left splanchnicectomy in a patient with intractable pain due to advanced pancreatic cancer

Severe upper abdominal pain is a dominant and distressing feature of advanced pancreatic cancer. We performed videothoracoscopic left splanchnicectomy in a patient with intractable upper abdominal pain due to advanced pancreatic cancer. Pain was reduced significantly after the operation and the patient enjoyed consistent pain relief during the postoperative follow-up. The adequacy of the analgesic management improved, the patient did not require opioids. Unilateral left thoracoscopic splanchnicectomy is a simple, minimally invasive, effective, and safe procedure that can be recommended as the method of choice for the management of intractable pain due to advanced pancreatic cancer