Effects of aqueous Echinacea purpurea extract on immunogenicity of DNA vaccine encoding M2 gene of Influenza virus

Continuous antigenic variation of Influenza a viruses causes a major concern to develop Influenza vaccine. Conserved antigens are suitable candidates for vaccine production due to its non-requirement to match the designed strains with circulating strains. The M2 gene is conserved among Influenza a viruses and has potential to be considered as a universal vaccine. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of aqueous Echinacea purpurea extract on immunogenicity of DNA vaccine encoding M2 gene of Influenza virus. This interventional study was carried out on female BALB/c mice with 3-4 week age [250-300 gr]. Plasmid DNA encoding M2 gene [pcDNA-M2] of Influenza virus A/New Caledonia/20/99 [H1N1] was transformed into E.coli top10 f' and cultured in LB broth media. Large scale plasmid preparation was done and the concentration was measured by spectrophotometric method. Mice were divided into eight groups and immunized three times with fifteen days apart. Vaccine groups received inactivated Influenza virus or pcDNA-M2, alone or in combination with Echinacea extract. Control groups were injected pcDNA, Echinacea extract, and phosphate buffer. All animals were left to bleed before immunization and at 21 days after the last vaccination and specific anti-M2 antibodies were measured by indirect ELISA. Then the mice were intranasally challenged under an aesthesia with mouse-adapted PR8 Influenza virus and monitored for 3 weeks to evaluate the vaccine regimen efficacy in reduction of mortality rate compared to control groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS-16, One-way ANOVA and Kaplan-Meier tests. The highest specific immune response was obtained in mice received inactivated virus plus extract [P<0.05]. Immune responses in mice inoculated with pcDNA-M2 were significantly higher compared to all control groups mice [P<0.05]. In addition the specific immune responses in group inoculated with pcDNA-M2 and aqueous extract was higher compared to the group receiving only pcDNA-M2 [P<0.001]. The highest survival rate was observed in mice injected with inactivated virus or pcDNA-M2 plus extract. This study showed that pcDNA-M2 induced specific immunity and protected mice against lethal challenge with PR8 Influenza virus. Furthermore, application of Echinacea extract with M2 gene vaccine increased vaccine efficacy

[Conflict management strategies of Lorestan province hospital manager]

Conflict management is regarded as a basic organizational leadership skill in the 21st century. Hospitals as the important centers of the health system need effective methods and appropriate strategies for organizational conflict resolution in order to reach their cardinal objective of communities' health. The present research aims to determine the conflict management strategies used by managers of hospitals affiliated with Lorestan University of Medical Sciences [LUMS]. This study is descriptive-analytic. The study population consists of 177 managers from 13 hospitals affiliated with LUMS. Data was collected through interviews using questionnaire containing demographic questions and Stephen Robin's conflict management questionnaire and was analyzed with SPSS software. Average age of managers was 3 6.47 +/- 6.9 years, their mean years of service were 12.5 +/- 8.2, and their mean years of managerial experience were 5.8 +/- 5.6. Females constituted 53.1% and males constituted 46.9% of the subjects. Identified strategies of conflict management were non-intervention [49.7%], control [44.6%], and solution orientation [5.7%]. Conflict management strategy and sex of managers had significant association [p = 0.36]. Correlation coefficient showed significant association between conflict management strategy and age of managers [p = 0.01]. According to our research results, styles of conflict management are different among managers and many factors influence organizational conflict management. Therefore, determination of conflict management styles is very important in every organization, especially in complex environment of hospitals

[Thyroid dysfunction in perimenopausal women]

There are mild changes in Hypothalamous - pituitary -thyroid axis with aging that may be accompanied with thyroid dysfunctions without clinical manifestation. The aim of this study is evaluation thyroid dysfunction in perimenopausal women. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study that was performed on 100 women at the age of 40-60yr, who had referred to Gynecology and Menopausal clinic of Ghaem hospital, Mashhad University in 2005. At first, a questionnaire including clinical symptoms was completed, then patients were submitted to laboratory tests including T3, T4, T3 RU, TSH, TG [triglyceride], HDL-cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. The information was analyzed by chi2 and fisher exact tests. [P

Comparison of cytotoxic and inflammatory effect of four bonding agents on L929 mouse tlbroblasts

It is of interest in restorative dentistry to maintain the pulp vitality after pulp exposure in traumatized teeth or during cavity preparation. If the tooth is asymptomatic, the exposure site is taken place in a saliva-free environment, direct pulp capping is recommended. Pulp capping agents must be biocompatible. The aim of this study was to compare the cytotoxic and inflammatory effects of four bonding agents on L929 fibroblast. In this experimental study, after culturing and passaging these cells, samples of i Bond, Excite, One Step Plus and SE Bond, were prepared in capillary tubes and inserted in cultures. Cytotoxic effects were determined after 1, 24 hours and 7 days by MTT assay and for detecting the IL-6, fibroblast culture media were collected after 24 hours and assessed by ELISA. Statistical analyses were made using Kruskal-wallis and Mann -whitney U tests. There was a significant difference of cytotoxicity among the groups after 1 and 24 hours [P=0.001, P=0.029 respectively]. However, no significant difference was found. After 7 days, the amount of IL-6 production showed no significant difference among the groups. It was determined that i Bond had the least cytotoxic effects among the other groups. However, all the groups could induce the IL-6 secretion from fibroblasts

Microbiology and antimicrobial resistance in chronic resistant rhino sinusitis with or without polyp after functional endoscopic sinus surgery

The purpose of this study was microbiology of chronic resistant rhino sinusitis with or without nasal polyp in patients undergoing functional endoscopic sinus surgery and antimicrobial resistance testing. In a cross-sectional study during December 2000 to June 2002, 94 CRS patients with or without nasal polyp were sampled through FESS for microbiology culture and In-vivo antimicrobial resistance was tested in both groups. In CRS group with polyps [42 patients], the most common isolated organisms were Staph. coagulase-negative [26.2%], Staph. areous [23.8%], E-Coli [16.7%], Klebsiella [14.3%] and Enterobacter [7.1%]. In CRS group without polyps [52 patients], the most common isolated organisms were Staph. coagulase-negative [25%], Staph. areous [11.5%], Klebsiella [9.6%], E-Coli [7.7%] and Strep. Non-group A [7.7%]. Normal flora grew in 5 cultures [9.6%]. In only one culture of CRS group without polyp, Pseudomonas was isolated. No resistance was reported from gram-positive bacteria against vancomycin and gram-negative rods were sensitive to ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxon and ceftizoxim. Despite of some previous studies, the most common micro- organisms in the cultures of CRS cases, regardless of having nasal polyps or not, were Staph. coagulase-negative, Staph. aureus and gram-negative rods, respectively. The incidence of GNRs in CRS group with nasal polyps is higher which may lead to special antibiotic therapy in them. Increasing in Vivo resistance of these bacteria to antibiotics is problematic and the routine old antimicrobial therapy may not be effective enough to control these pathogens and avoid surgical therapy. However, In Vivo evaluations are recommended to reveal a better interpretation