Coadministration of dexamethasone and melissa officinalis has neuroprotective effects in rat animal model with spinal cord injury

Objective: Spinal cord injury [SCI] causes inflammation, deformity and cell loss. It has been shown that Melissa officinalis [MO], as herbal medicine, and dexamethasone [DEX] are useful in the prevention of various neurological diseases. The present study evaluated combinational effects of DEX and MO on spinal cord injury

Materials and Methods: Thirty six adult male Wistar rats were used in this experimental study. The weight-drop contusion method was employed to induce spinal cord injury in rats. DEX and MO were administrated alone and together in different treatment groups. Intra-muscular injection of DEX [1 mg/kg] was started three hours after injury and continued once a day for seven days after injury. Intra-peritoneal [I.P] injection of MO [150 mg/ kg] was started one day after injury and continued once a day for 14 days

Results: Our results showed motor and sensory functions were improved significantly in the group received a combination of DEX and MO, compared to spinal cord injury group. Mean cavity area was decreased and loss of lower motor neurons and astrogliosis in the ventral horn of spinal cord was significantly prevented in the group received combination of DEX and Melissa officinalis, compared to spinal cord injury group. Furthermore, the findings showed a significant augmentation of electromyography [EMG] recruitment index, increase of myelin diameter, and up-regulation of myelin basic protein in the treated group with combination of DEX and MO

Conclusion: Results showed that combination of DEX and MO could be considered as a neuroprotective agent in spinal cord injury

Generation of rat embryonic germ cells via inhibition of TGFbeta and MEK pathways

Embryonic germ [EG] cells are the results of reprogramming primordial germ cells [PGC] in vitro. Studying these cells can be of benefit in determining the mechanism by which specialized cells acquire pluripotency. Therefore in the current study we have tried to derive rat EG cells with inhibition of transforming growth factor-beta [TGFbeta] and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase [MEK] signaling pathways. In this experimental study, rat PGCs were cultured under feeder free condition with two small molecules that inhibited the above mentioned pathways. Under this condition only two-day presence of stem cell factor [SCF] as a survival factor was applied for PGC reprogramming. Pluripotency of the resultant EG cells were further confirmed by immunofluorescent staining, directed differentiation ability to neural and cardiac cells, and their contribution to teratoma formation as well. Moreover, chromosomal stability of two different EG cells were assessed through G-banding technique. Formerly, derivation of rat EG cells were observed solely in the presence of glycogen synthase kinase-3 [GSK3beta] and MEK pathway inhibitors. Due to some drawbacks of inhibiting GSK3beta molecules such as increases in chromosomal aberrations, in the present study we have attempted to assess a feeder-free protocol that derives EG cells by the simultaneous suppression of TGFbeta signaling and the MEK pathway. We have shown that rat EG cells could be generated in the presence of two inhibitors that suppressed the above mentioned pathways. Of note, inhibition of TGFbeta instead of GSK3beta significantly maintained chromosomal integrity. The resultant EG cells demonstrated the hallmarks of pluripotency in protein expression level and also showed in vivo and in vitro differentiation capacities. Rat EG cells with higher karyotype stability establish from PGCs by inhibiting TGFbeta and MEK signaling pathways

impact of laughter yoga on the stress of cancer patients before chemotherapy

Cancer is usually accompanied by considerable stress for the sufferer, and the stress has destructive effects on Chemotherapy treatment process. Therefore, the current research deals with the effect of yoga laughter on the cancer patients' stress before chemotherapy. In this research, as the first step, 37 cancer sufferers, who had been hospitalized in Shohada Tajrish Hospital [Behnam Daneshpoor Charity Organization] and had the requirements necessary for being taken as research samples, were selected for data collection. The mentioned patients were classified randomly in experimental and control groups. Collected data were analyzed by the multi-variable covariance analysis test. The results show there is a meaningful difference in the stress average before and after interference in the test group [p<0.05]. Laughter yoga can decrease the stress in cancer sufferers before chemotherapy

efficacy of stress inoculation training upon the happiness rate and life's quality of old persons

Introduction: The old age is one of the inevitable period of each person's life that correct cognition and reaction toward it can improve [alter] the life's quality. The good life's quality is related to happiness and stress decreasing therefore, the aim of the present study was the determining of the efficacy of stress inoculation training upon the happiness rate and life's quality of old [aged] persons of Mazandaran

Materials and Methods: method research Quasi-experimental and design of pre-test - post-test control group was. the statistical universe of the present study was consist of the all old persons of Mazandaran [223 persons] that lived at boarding - house institutions. after executing the happiness and life's quality questionnaires, 40 person's having the least happiness rate and life's quality, were selected randomly, put into two groups [experimental and control]. In order to gather the data, oxford happiness questionnaire and life quality questionnaire of worldly hygiene foundation were used the instruction program of stress inoculation was done in experiment group at 8 sessions every session, including 60 minutes for two month and After completion of training, two months later both groups [experimental and control] happiness and quality of life questionnaires in the same situation and the same were completed and evaluated

Resulting: The results gained from the study using covariance analysis revealed that the stress inoculation training was meaningful [significant] upon happiness and life's quality for experimental group

Conclusion: therefore, according to the results, the stress inoculation is effective upon the increasing of happiness and life's quality of old [aged] persons

[ sealing ability of different thicknesses of orthograde apical plugs of mineral trioxide aggregate in comparison with gutta-percha and sealer AH26]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sealing ability of different thicknesses of orthograde MTA plugs in comparison with 5 mm gutta-percha. Fifty extracted single rooted human teeth were collected. After root canal preparation, the samples were randomly divided into 4 experimental [n=10] and two control groups [n=5]. In group 1, the apical 5 mm of the canals were obturated using laterally condensed gutta-percha and sealer AH26. Groups 2, 3 and 4 received 2, 3 and 4-mm thick orthograde MTA plug, respectively. Thereafter, the coronal portion of specimens was exposed to the microbial solution containing streptococcus sanguis and the root tips were placed in phenol red lactose broth. The color changes were observed within 60 days. The data were analyzed with Fisher exact test. The leakage was found in all samples [100%] in group 1 and 72.7%, 30.8% and 50% of the samples in groups 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Significant difference was found between 3 mm thickness of MTA plug and gutta percha and sealer [P=0.02]. According to the findings, it seems that 3 mm thickness of orthograde MTA plug had better sealing ability than the other thicknesses of MTA plug as well as the 5 mm of gutta-percha