Factors associated with smoking contemplation and maintenance among Iranian adolescents

Background: Evidence is scarce on which factors contribute to cigarette and waterpipe contemplation and no previous study has examined the factors associated with waterpipe maintenance.

Aims: This study aimed to determine the factors associated with cigarette and waterpipe smoking contemplation and maintenance among Iranian adolescents.

Methods: Factors including depression, risky behaviour, family conflict, attitude to smoking acceptability and self-efficacy were examined using a questionnaire for 5500 adolescents at the smoking contemplation or maintenance stage.

Results: Students with depression had nearly double the chance [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.41–2.72] of cigarette smoking contemplation. Risk takers had odds of 2.13 [95% CI: 1.51–2.94] and 1.49 [1.22–1.85] of cigarette and waterpipe [hookah] smoking contemplation, respectively. Those facing family conflict had odds of 1.87 [95% CI: 1.38–2.53] and 1.53 for cigarette and waterpipe smoking contemplation, respectively. The contemplation odds for students with more positive attitude to smoking acceptability were 2.12 [95% CI: 1.51–2.97] and 1.72 for cigarette and waterpipe smoking, respectively. Higher self-efficacy was associated with lower cigarette and waterpipe smoking contemplation. Risky behaviour was related to smoking maintenance. A more positive attitude to smoking acceptability was related to higher waterpipe maintenance [odds ratio = 1.57 95% CI: 1.03–2.40].

Conclusions: Depression, attitude to smoking acceptability and risky behaviour are factors associated with smoking contemplation and maintenance.

Down-regulatory effects of mir-211 on long non-coding rna sox2ot and sox2 genes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Objective: MicroRNAs [miRNAs] are a class of non-coding RNAs [ncRNAs] that tran-scriptionally or post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression through degradation of their mRNA targets and/or translational suppression. However, there are a few reports on miRNA-mediated expression regulation of long ncRNAs [lncRNAs]. We have previ-ously reported a significant upregulation of the lncRNA SOX2OT and its intronic coding gene, SOX2, in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma [ESCC] tissue samples. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of induced overexpression of miR-211 on SOX2OT and SOX2 expression in vitro

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, we performed both bioinformatic and experimental analyses to examine whether these transcripts are regulated by miRNAs. From the list of potential candidate miRNAs, miR-211 was found to have complementary sequences to SOX2OT and SOX2 transcripts. To validate our finding experimentally, we transfected the NT-2 pluripotent cell line [an embryonal carcinoma stem cell] with an expression vector overexpressing miR-211. The expression changes of miR-211, SOX2OT, and SOX2 were then quantified by a real-time polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR] approach

Results: Compared with mock-transfected cells, overexpression of miR-211 caused a significant down-regulation of both genes [P<0.05]. Furthermore, flow-cytometry analysis revealed a significant elevation in sub-G1 cell population following ectopic expression of miR-211 in NT-2 cells

Conclusion: We report here, for the first time, the down-regulation of SOX2OT and SOX2 genes by an miRNA. Considering the vital role of SOX2OT and SOX2 genes in pluripotency and tumorigenesis, our data suggest an important and inhibitory role for miR-211 in the aforementioned processes

Expression status of UBE2Q2 in colorectal primary tumors and cell lines

Background: Activation of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in various malignancies, including colorectal cancer, is established. This pathway mediates the degradation of damaged proteins and regulates growth and stress response. The novel human gene, UBE2Q2, with a putative ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme activity, is reported to be overexpressed in some malignancies. We sought to investigate the expression levels of the UBE2Q2 gene in colorectal cell lines as well as in cancerous and normal tissues from patients with colorectal cancer

Methods: Levels of UBE2Q2 mRNA in cell lines were assessed by Real-Time PCR. Western blotting was employed to investigate the levels of the UBE2Q2 protein in 8 colorectal cell lines and 43 colorectal tumor samples

Results: Expression of UBE2Q2 was observed at the level of both mRNA and protein in colorectal cell lines, HT29/219, LS180, SW742, Caco2, HTC116, SW48, SW480, and SW1116. Increased levels of UBE2Q2 immunoreactivity was observed in the 65.11% [28 out of 43] of the colorectal carcinoma tissues when compared with their corresponding normal tissues. Difference between the mean intensities of UBE2Q2 bands from cancerous and normal tissues was statistically significant at P<0.001 [paired t test]

Conclusion: We showed the expression pattern of the novel human gene, UBE2Q2, in 8 colorectal cell lines. Overexpression of UBE2Q2 in the majority of the colorectal carcinoma samples denotes that it may have implications for the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer

Effect of opium dependency on burn healing in a rat model: an experimental study

This study aimed to investigate the effect of opium dependency on the healing of third-degree burns in rats. Twenty-four rats were randomly divided to experimental and control groups. In the experimental group, opium was added to the drinking water for 21 days at increasing concentrations. The control group did not receive opium. To prove dependency on opium in the rats, nal-oxone was injected intraperitoneally. Full-thickness burn wounds were inflicted by applying an iron cuboid preheated to 94°C to the flank of all rats for 20 s. On day 14 after burn injury, full-thickness biopsies were taken. Blind histopatho-logic evaluation was performed to assess length and thickness of the re-epithelialization area, number of neutrophils, fibroblasts, mononuclear cells and new vessels, and percentage of tissue in repair [neutrophilic exudate, and granulation and fibrous tissue]. Findings were analyzed using SPSS software. The wound surface area was 95 +/- 43.35 mm[2] in the control group and 120.4 +/- 50.12 mm in the experimental group [p = 0.224]. The [2] findings show that opium de-pendency has no significant effect on the healing of burn wounds in rats except for the number of monocytes on day 14 [p < 0.05]. Morphine dependency does not seem to be as effective on third-degree burn healing

[ effects of hemovac on short- term outcome of Lichtenstein herniorrhaphy]

Many patients with inguinal hernia are operated and hemovac is used to drain extra fluids from the surgery site. In this study, we compared the results of surgery in patients operated with hemovac vs. who had not hemovac. In a randomized clinical trial, 86 patients with inguinal hernia were assigned into two groups. Patients were operated by Lichtenstein method and hemovac was used in one group. The short- term outcome was compared between two groups. Severity of pain in hemovac group was mild in 20 cases, moderate in 16 and severe in 5, and in non hemovac group was mild in 19 cases, moderate in 20 and severe in 2. Severity of scar in hemovac group was mild in 21 cases, moderate in 20 and severe in 2, and in non hemovac group was mild in 25 cases, moderate in 16 and severe in 2. Inflammation in hemovac group was mild in 23, moderate in 20 and nobody had severe inflammation, while in non hemovac group was mild in 31 cases, moderate in 11 and severe in 1. There were no significant differences in pain, scar and inflammation among groups with and without hemovac. Using hemovac in inguinal hernia repair does not have effect on the healing of surgery site

Synthesis and evaluation of a new radiolabeled bombesin analogue for diagnosis of GRP receptor expressing tumors

Bombesin [BN], a 14-amino acid neuropeptide, shows high affinity for the human GRP [gastrin releasing peptide] receptors, which are overexpressed by a variety of cancers, including prostate, breast, pancreas, gastrointestinal, and small cell lung cancer. Aim was to prepare [6-hydrazinopyridine-3-carboxylic acid [HYNIC[0], D-Tyr[6], D-Trp[8]] - BN [6-14] NH[2] that could be easily labeled with[99m]Tc and evaluation of its potential as an imaging agent. Synthesis of the peptide amide was carried out onto Rink Amide MB HA [4-Methylbenzhydrylamine] resin. A bifunctional chelating agent [BFCA] was attached to the N terminal peptide in solid-phase. [99m]Tc labeling was performed by addition of sodium pertechnetate to solution that include [HYNIC[0], D-Tyr[6], D-Trp[8]] Bombesin [6-14] NH[2], tricine, ethylenediamine-N,N'-diaeetic acid [EDDA] and SnCl[2]. Radiochemical evaluation was carried out by reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography [HPLC] and instant thin layer chromatography [ITLC]. In- vitro internalization was tested using human prostate cancer cells [PC-3] with blocked and non-blocked receptors. Biodistribution was determined in rats. [99m]Tc/tricine/EDDA-HYNIC[0], D-Tyr[6], D-Trp[8]] bombesin [6-14] NH[2] was obtained with radiochemical purities >98%. Results of in-vitro studies demonstrated a high stability in serum and suitable internalization. Biodistribution data showed a rapid blood clearance, with renal excretion and specific binding towards GRP receptor-positive tissues such as pancreas. In this study, labeling of this novel conjugate with [99m] Tc easily was performed using coligand. The prepared [99m]Tc-HYNIC-BN conjugate has promising characteristics for the diagnosis of malignant tumors