[Comparison between the effects of ethanolic extract of Artemisia annua and chloroquine on Plasmodium berghei in white mice]

Considering the importance of using native and traditional herbal medicines in the treatment of malaria, we made a comparison between the effects of an ethanolic extract of Artemisia annua and chloroquine on Plasmodium berghei in Sourian mice. In this study 50 Sourian mice were divided into 10 groups, each group consisted of five mice. The evaluation was done according to the Peters test. Nine of ten groups were infected with P. berghei. The first 6 groups were given extracts of Artemisia annua at different concentrations. The seventh and eighth groups received chloroquine and placebo, respectively. The ninth group received no treatment [control group].The tenth group was not infected with Plasmodium berghei and did not receive any treatment and was used for determination of accidental mortality of the mice. In each group, the levels of parasitaemia were determined on the 4[th] and 7[th] days, and compared with those of the control group. To find the most effective concentration, the test was repeated with 55 mice divided into 11 groups using limited spectrum of drug concentrations. We used SPSS software and T-test for data analysis. The results indicated that Artemisia annua extract at the concentrations of 1100 and 1300 mg/kg significantly decreased P. berghei parasitaemia in the infected mice, but at the concentration of 1100 mg/kg Artemisia annua had less toxicity [P<0.05]. According to the results of this study Artemisia annua at the concentration of 1100 mg/kg showed considerable effect on P. berghei

Infants' exposure to aflatoxin M1 from mother's breast milk in Iran

The occurrence of aflatoxin Ml [AFM1] in milk, especially breast milk, is a valuable biomarker for exposure determination to aflatoxin B[1] [AFB[1]]. In the present study, the risk of exposure to AFM[1] in infants fed breast milk was investigated. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] was used for the analysis of AFM[1] in breast milk samples from 132 lactating mothers referred to four urban Mothers and Babies Care Unit of Hamadan, western Iran. AFM[1] was detected in eight samples [6.06%] at mean concentration of 9.45 ng/L. The minimum and maximum of concentration was 7.1 to 10.8 ng/L, respectively. Although the concentration of AFM[1] in none of the samples was higher than the maximum tolerance limit accepted by USA and European Union [25 ng/kg] however, 25% had a level of AFM[1] above the allowable level of Australia and Switzerland legal limit [10 ng/L]. Lactating mothers and infants in western parts of Iran could be at risk for AFB[1] and AFM[1] exposure, respectively. Considering all this information, the investigation of AFM[1] in lactating mothers as a biomarker for postnatal exposure of infants to this carcinogen deserves further studies in various seasons and different parts of Iran

Prevalence of trichomonas vaginalis infection in Hamadan city, Western Iran

Infection with Trichomonas vaginalis is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases [STDs] in humans. The prevalence of infection in Iran has been reported between 2 to 8%, depending on deferent socio-cultural conditions. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of T. vaginalis in women referred to gynecologic clinics in Hamadan city, West of Iran. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 750 women who referred to Gynecologic clinics in Hamadan from November 2010 to July 2011. Vaginal samples were obtained from them and examined by wet mount and culture methods for the detection of T. vaginalis. Sixteen out of 750 vaginal swab specimens [2.1%] were culture positive for T. vaginalis and 13 of these positive specimens [1.7%] were wet mount positive. Only 12 of 42 patients who were clinically diagnosed as having T. vaginalis infection, confirmed by culture method. Five hundred and fifty of the participants women [73.3%] had at least one of signs and symptoms of trichomoniasis. No statistical correlation was observed between clinical manifestations and parasitological results [p>0.05]. This study showed low prevalence of T. vaginalis infection in the study population. Since clinical signs of trichomonal vaginitis are the same of other STDs, a confirmatory laboratory diagnosis is necessary. Wet smear as well as culture are sensitive for detection of T. vaginalis

Contact lens-associated acanthamoeba keratitis in Iran

Acanthamoeba keratitis is a vision-threatening infection caused by pathogenic species of the genus Acanthamoeba. In this study, 13 Acanthamoeba keratitis cases were diagnosed among 52 keratitis patients. To confirm the identity of Acanthamoeba at the genus level, a PCR-based method was used, and their pathogenic potential was determined using in vitro cytotoxicity assays on human corneal epithelial cells. Twelve [92.3%] of Acanthamoeba keratitis patients were contact lens wearers; among them eleven [91.7%] wore soft contact lenses. 11/13 [84.6%] isolates were axenised in liquid culture medium, of which 10 [90.9%] isolates disrupted corneal cells. Nine [69.2%] isolates showed Acanthamoeba sp. group II, and four [30.8%] showed group III morphology. To our knowledge this is the first report of determination of Acanthamoeba pathogenicity in Iran. This study confirms the importance of determination of pathogenic potential of Acanthamoeba isolates for clinical purposes