SPIO-Annexin V, a potential probe for MRI detection of radiation induced apoptosis

Finding a suitable method for rapid, accurate and reliable estimation of absorbed dose has high priority in management of the radiation exposed persons. Shortly after radiation exposure, apoptosis is a major detriment in proliferative tissues such as the hematopoietic system. Therefore, quantification of apoptosis in these tissues could be useful for rapid estimation of radiation exposure. Annexin V [ANX] is considered as a biological probe for detection of apoptotic cells. The aim of the present study is to investigate the potential suitability of apoptosis quantification for estimation of radiation exposure. In order to determine the biological distribution of ANX within the mice body after radiation exposure, mice whole body irradiated with 2, 4, 6 and 8 Gy [60Co gamma rays]. Ten hours later, ANX conjugated with super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles [SPIO-ANX] was administered intravenously and magnetic resonance imaging was conducted 3 hours later. Average signal intensities in the regions of interest [ROIs] of the femur bone marrow, liver and testis were calculated and normalized to parafemoral muscle signals. SPIO-ANX accumulated in bone marrow of irradiated groups and significantly decreased the normalized mean of signal intensity for bone marrow in comparison with control group [p< 0.01]. Tracing and quantification of SPIO-ANX in bone marrow can be used as an indicator for radiation exposure. However, development and optimization of the assay are necessary for discrimination between different radiation doses

[Effect of calcium and magnesium ions in the billard salt solution on sperm motility in rainbow trout [Oncorhynchus mykiss, walbaum 1792]]

There are different activating salt solutions for sperm induction of rainbow trout [Oncorhynchus mykiss] under artificial spawning condition, although some uncertainties are associated with the performance. This study was conducted to consider the effects of different concentration of calcium and magnesium ions and change of pH in the Billard salt solution on sperm motility of rainbow trout. Four-year old broodstocks [n=10] of rainbow trout were randomly selected and adapted to the same experimental condition for two weeks. Experimental solutions were also prepared in triplicate by separately adding 1, 2, and 3 mmol calcium and magnesium to the Billard solution. Another three solutions were also prepared with pH adjustment from 9.0 in the Billard solution to 8.0, 8.5, and 9.5. The broodstocks were then transported to the hatchery and artificially spawned. The collected sperm from all broodstocks were mixed for eliminating the effect of genetically differences between the fishes. Finally, the rainbow trout sperm mobility in the experimental treatments was determined in triplicate and compared by the Billard solution as the control treatment. Sperm mobility of rainbow trout in all treatments was significantly more than the control [p<0.01]. The maximum mobility with 105.0 +/- 6.7 s was obtained in the 1 mmol calcium treatment, while the lowest level was found in the Billard treatment [31.33 +/- 4.50 s]. Between the experimental treatments, calcium had the most effect on the sperm mobility of rainbow trout, although no significant differences was observed on the sperm mobility between 3 mmol calcium and 3 mmol magnesium treatments [p<0.01]. A downward trend in sperm mobility was found by increasing the pH of activating solutions with the highest and lowest sperm mobility in the pH of 8 and 9.5 treatments, respectively. The findings of the present study demonstrated that modification of activating salt solutions using each doubly charged ions of calcium and magnesium and the pH adjustment could improve the reproduction efficiency and hatching rate in the hatcheries of rainbow trout

[Effect of resistance exercise on protein content and mRNA expression of NT 4/5 in rat slow and fast muscles]

Trophic factor family plays a key role for neuromuscular system healthy. This study was carried out to determine the effect of one session of resistance exercise on protein content and mRNA expression of NT4/5 in rat slow and fast muscles. In this experimental study, sixteen adult male rats randomly were allocated into resistance exercise [T] and control groups. The resistance training protocol consisted of climbing a 1-meter-long ladder, with a weight attached to a tail sleeve. Quantitative Real time RT-PCR for NT-4/5 expression and ELISA Kit for protein assay were used. Resistance training significantly decreased mRNA expression and increased protein of NT4/5 in soleus muscle [P<0.05]. Significant alteration was not detected in flexor hallucis longus muscle. One session of resistance training can alter protein and mRNA of NT-4/5 in skeletal muscle and this alteration was dependent on muscle type

[ effect of high intensity interval training [HIIT] and pilates on levels of irisin and insulin resistance in overweight women]

Effects of Phenotypic changes in adipose tissue due to training are a new theory. However, the cellular - molecular mechanisms for these phenotypic changes are not yet clearly understood. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of high intensity interval training [HIIT] and Pilates on levels of Irisin and Insulin resistance in overweight women. This study was a Quasi-experimental research with a pre-post testing. Twenty-one overweight women, aged >/= 29.55 years were divided into two groups: High intensity interval training [N=12] and Pilates [N=9] groups. The first group performed one session of Vo2max testing for 30 s [15 s the with 120% of maximum aerobic speed and 15 s rest], while second group performed one session of Pilates. Following the second blood sampling, data analysis was performed with p values<0.05 considered significant. Results of this study show that Irisin levels increased significantly after exercise only in the HIIT group [P=0.039, t11= 2.3]. Immediately after exercise insulin resistance increased and decreased respectively in the HIIT and Pilates groups, but changes were not statistically significant [P>0.05]. Based on the findings, levels of Irisin increase in overweight women, whereas those of insulin resistance do not

[Effect of a cardiac rehabilitation program on clinical and paraclinical findings of patients with ischemic heart disease]

Ischemic heart disease [IHD] is predicted to be the most common cause of death worldwide by 2020. Cardiac rehabilitation [CR] as a secondary preventive measure can reduce the cardiac risk factors, mortality and morbidity, and improve the quality of life in such patients. This study aimed to investigate the effect of an 8-week CR program on clinical and paraclinical findings of patients with IHD. This clinical trial was performed on IHD patients referred to Kashan Shahid Beheshti hospital. Patients were allocated the two groups [rehabilitation and control]. The rehabilitation group received an 8-week rehabilitation program; the clinical and paraclinical evaluations were performed before and after the program. This study showed that body weight, BMI, HDL, TG, FBS, resting heart rate and the systolic and diastolic blood pressure, quality of life, exercise capacity, maximal oxygen uptake during exercise and the numbers of recurrent hospitalization were significantly improved in the rehabilitation group [P<0.001]. The rehabilitation program had no effect on the platelet count, frequency and duration of chest pain, total cholesterol, and LDL. Using an 8-week cardiac rehabilitation program can be beneficial in the management of IHD patients and ultimately can reduce the risk factors of the heart diseases, improve the quality of life and reduce the risk of disease exacerbation

[ effect of glutamine supplement on changes in HSP72, cortisol and plasma glucose after exercise]

Glutamine plays a key role in cell protection following stress, by causing a simultaneous increase in hsp72 expression, which is dependent on glutamine metabolism and its relation with cortisol levels and gluconeogenesis. To assess the effect of glutamine supplement ingestion on hsp72, cortisol and glucose plasma changes after exercise, 28 soccer players were divided in four groups; the control, supplement, supplement-exercise and the exercise groups.0.5 g/kgBw supplement and placebo consumed 5 ml/kgBw volume of water one hour prior to the exercise protocol, which included 3 stages of 20 minutes running [80% HRmax intensity] with 5 minute rest periods between each stage. Baseline, and pre, post and 90 minutes after exercise, blood sampling was done and cortisol, glucose and hsp72 levels were measured using RIA, Enzymatic, and Elisa tests respectively. Data was analyzed with MANOVA and Bonferoni post hoc tests, P

[Serum digoxin level among patients referred to Kashan cardiovascular clinic during 2009-10]

Considering that the Digoxin's therapeutic level is very close to its toxic level, it is important to determine the digoxin dose. Digoxin serum level is affected by multiple pharmacokinetic factors. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the serum digoxin level and its relation with the initial dose and other related factors in patients referred to Kashan cardiovascular clinic. This cross-sectional study was carried out on 125 patients for whom digoxin was prescribed for at least one month. The patients were excluded in the case of having simultaneous history of thyroid disease and other antiarrhythmic drugs. Serum digoxin, creatinine and potassium level and also the demographic characteristics of the patients for the first time were checked out. The mean age of patients was 63.7 +/- 13.42 years. Sixty-six [52.8%] cases were male. The most common reason for drug implication was systolic dysfunction [63.2%] and the most common cause of systolic dysfunction the coronary artery disease [56.61%]. Most patients [70.4%] had a glomerular filtration rate [GFR] between 30-90 ml/min. Moreover, Fifty-nine patients [47.2%] with the highest frequency in treatment group were treated with 3.5 tablets per week. Serum digoxin level was significantly associated with the age and GFR [P=0.001 and P=0.008, respectively], but not with gender, potassium level and the reason for drug use and left ventricular ejection fraction. The main factor in determining the digoxin dose is the patient's GFR that includes all pharmacokinetic variables of drug plasma level

[Optimization of gene expression and purification of Legionella pneumophila peptidoglycan associated lipoprotein recombinant protein]

There are many problems with most of the available diagnostic tests used to diagnose Legionella pneumonia, including inadequate sensitivity and specificity, and inability to provide a result in a clinically useful time period. Legionella pneumophila PAL protein has been considred as a target for detecting of Legionella infection from urine specimen, because it is conserved sequence and is secreted into the urine. The aim of this study was to optimize expression and purification of L. pneumophila PAL protein. In this experimental study, optimizing of 5 parameters [cell density, induction time, growth temperature, IPTG concentration and type of medium] was performed. After expression, periplasmic extract was prepared and recombinant PAL protein purified using Ni2+-charged resin column. Finally, recombinant PAL protein was verified by Western blotting. In terrific broth medium, the optimum condition of r-PAL protein induction was occurred at an OD600 of 0.6, 1mM IPTG concentration and 15 hours incubation at 25°C Recombinant periplasmic PAL protein was highly purified [>80%] using Ni-NTA column. Western blotting analysis showed that recombinant PAL protein was also specifically recognized by anti-His6-peroxidase antibody. By purification of recombinant PAL protein in purity greater than 80% it can be used to evaluate its capacity in diagnosis of Legionella infection and preparation of diagnostic kit

[Effect of concurrent, strength and endurance training on hormones, lipids and inflammatory characteristics of untrained men]

Introduction: Concurrent training or the simultaneous performance of several types of exercise [strength and endurance training], has more positive effects on body composition and cardiovascular system, than training with either mode alone The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of three different training regimes [endurance, resistance and concurrent] on the hormone [cortisol and testosterone], lipid [LDL, HDL, TG, TC], and inflammatory [TNF-alpha] indexes of previously untrained subjects

Materials and Methods: Twenty nine sedentary men students [age 24.89 +/- 1.21yrs, height 175.87 +/- 6.52 cm, weight 68.44 +/- 5.50 kg] were randomly divided into the Endurance [E; n=10], Strength [S; n=9], and the Concurrent[C; n=10] groups. The training programs were performed for 10 weeks, 3 times per week in the three groups

Results: Body mass decreased in E group. Significant increases in squat and bench press exercises 1RM occurred after training in the S and C groups [P

Conclusion: Our results indicate that strenght training leads to increase in the plasma levels of the proinflammatory cytokine [TNF-alpha] and cortisol in untrained men, immunomodulatory effects which may be related to the training load of the S training program. It appears that combining the E and S training [concurrent training], neutralized the single effects of this these training types. Concurrent training can also be used for normalization of lipid profiles

[ influence of circuit resistance training intensity on ghrelin to obestatin ratio of plasma in healthy young women]

Ghrelin and obestatin are orexigenic and anorexigenic peptides, respectively, which are believed to be important in the regulation of energy homeostasis and body weight control. The purpose of this study was to clarify the possible mechanisms of resistance training in energy homeostasis and weight control. Twenty-seven female college students, age 22 +/- 1.54 yr, and body mass index 20.76 +/- 1.86 kg/m2 [mean +/- SE] were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. Subjects performed circuit-resistance training protocol with 40% and 80% 1 RM for 4 weeks. Circulating levels of total ghrelin, obestatin, ghrelin to obestatin ratio and glucose were measured before and after 4 weeks intervention for all subjects. One-way ANOVA revealed a higher and significant [P<0.05] post- training change in circulating levels of ghrelin to obestatin ratio as well as plasma obestatin concentrations significantly decreased [P<0.05] in the 80% IRM group. It seems that resistance training-induced energy deficit in the 80% IRM group resulted that ghrelin precursor goes to the production of ghrelin. Thus, obestatin secretion is reduced and ghrelin to obestatin ratio is increased to stimulate food intake behavior, compensating for lost energy sources and eventually restoring the body's energy balance

[Effects of circuit resistance training on plasma ghrelin levels in young women]

Ghrelin, an orexigenic peptide secreted from stomach mucosa, affects feeding behavior and plays an important role in energy balance and glucose homeostasis. Ample evidence indicates that resistance exercise is a key component of exercise recommendations for weight control. The purpose of the current study was to determine the effects of resistance training [4 weeks] on resting levels of plasma ghrelin, glucose, insulin and estrogen. Twenty-seven female college students, aged 221 +/- 1.54 years, height 162.66 +/- 5.05 cm, BMI 20.76 +/- 1.86 kg/m[2] and fat percent 20.95 +/- 2.08% [means +/- SE] were randomized into two, the experimental [40% and 80% 1RM] and the control groups. Subjects performed circuit-resistance exercise protocol with 40% and 80% 1RM, 4 d/wk for 4 weeks. Blood samples were collected 24 hours before and 48 hours after the training program. One-way ANOVA revealed that although no significant differences were observed in circulating levels of plasma total ghrelin [P=0.88], glucose [P=0.1] and insulin [P=0.66] in the experimental group when compared to the control group, a significant negative correlation [R=-0.4, P=0.05] was found between plasma estrogen and total ghrelin levels. It seems that because of a non significant increase in plasma ghrelin levels in the present study, there was no weight change of subjects during the training program and the short duration of the training program. However, the total ghrelin sub-fractions, acylated and non acylated, may have changed

[Effect of vitamin-mineral supplementation on oxidative stress and plasma cytokine response after strenuous training in female elite swimmers]

This study aims at investigating the effect of vitamin-mineral supplementation on oxidative stress and plasma cytokine response after strenuous training periods in female elite swimmers. Twenty-four elite female swimmers volunteered to participate in this study and were randomly divided into two groups, the experimental [Vitamin-mineral supplemented] and the control [Placebo]. Both groups were in a monthly swimming programs, 3 times a week, for a total of 4 weeks and swimming, almost 3.5 to 4 km/d. Blood sampling was done before and after the training period to assess inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNF-alpha, and also MDA. 100 m crawl records were measured at the beginning and the end of the training period. Results showed that inflammatory cytokines decreased significantly in the vitamin-mineral supplemented group, and MDA decreased, though not significantly, in this group. There was no significant change between the groups. No significant change was observed in swimming performance in either groups. In conclusion, ROS was found to affect exercise-induced cytokine production, in which vitamin-mineral supplementation was found to play an effective role

Effects of antioxidant supplementation on oxidative stress and muscle injury in elite female swimmers after a strenuous training period

Reactive oxygen species [ROS] are produced due to prolong and intensive exercises, such as intense swimming training, leading to cell injury. Antioxidant supplementation seems to reduce exercise-induced oxidative stress. This study aimed to investigate the effects of antioxidant ? vitamin-mineral ? supplementation on oxidative stress and muscle injury indices after a strenuous training period in elite female swimmers. Twenty-four elite female swimmers [aged 12.93 +/- 1.22 years, weight 45.80 +/- 10.39 Kg, height 153.1 +/- 12.9 cm], members of Tehran and Karaj Swimmimg Clubs, volunteered to participate in this study. They were randomly divided into two groups: a vitamin-mineral-supplemented [n=12] and a control [n=12] group. Both groups participated in streneous swimming sessions for a period of 4 weeks [3 times a week, each time swimming 3.5 to 4 km]. Blood samples were taken before and after the period to determine muscle injury indices, such as aspartat aminotransferase [AST], creatine kinase [CK], lactate dehydrogenase, and myoglobin, as well as malon dialdehyde [MDA]. In addition, 100m crawl records were determined at the beginning and at the end of the period. Paired sample and independent t- tests were used for data analysis. Results showed that some of the muscle injury indices, namely, CK and AST, decreased significantly in the vitamin-mineral-supplemented group [p=0.011 and 0.04, respectively]. The decrease in MDA was not statistically significant. Inter-group comparisons showed a difference only with regard to CK [p=0.021]. No significant differences [intra- and inter-group comparisons] were observed in swimming performance. ROS affects exercise-induced muscle injury indices. Vitamin-mineral supplementation can have a beneficial role in such injury

Frequency of rotavirus infection in children with acute gastroenteritis in jahrom, south of Iran

Rotavirus is a major cause of acute diarrhea in children worldwide. It is an important cause of death among young children in developing countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of rotavirus infection in children less than five years old hospitalized for gastroenteritis in Jahrom. One hundred and two stool samples were collected from children less than 5 years old hospitalized for acute diarrhea during October 2006-February 2007 in Motahary hospital, Jahrom, south of Iran. All samples were tested for rotavirus antigen by commercial enzyme linked immunoassays [ELISA] and latex agglutination test. Sixty nine stool samples [67.6%] were positive for both ELISA and latex agglutination. The mean age of the patients was 14.38 months [range 2-60 months]. There was no significant difference between the patients with positive and those with negative tests for rotavirus in duration of admission, fever, vomiting, gender, and stool examination. Thirty-three percent of the patients had abnormal increased blood urea nitrogen that was normalized after hydration. Rotavirus was an important cause of acute gastroenteritis in young children less than 5 years old in our hospital. Dehydration, azotemia, and electrolyte disturbances were the major problems in those patients

[Attenuation correction in myocardial perfusion SPECT using sequential transmission - emission scanning with 99mTc]

Nowadays, Imaging of the myocardial perfusion [MPI] using the single photon emission tomography [SPET] in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease, especially myocardial ischemia, is of great importance. In contrast to the coronary artery angiography, MPI is non-invasive, less expensive and more physiological. Unfortunately, this image is affected by the some artifacts. These artifacts lead to decrease image diagnostic accuracy and increase false positive cases. One of the most important effective artifacts is due to attenuation. These attenuation artifacts are caused by the left breast tissue in women, diaphragm in men and the chest wall in both sexes. Because of the inherent non- uniform attenuation map in the thorax region, this problem is very complex. The aim of this study is to correct attenuation artifact with a simple method that is available and very easy to use. In this study we used transmission scanning by 99mTc in the sequential views and an attenuation map was created. After attenuation correction of the original images with attenuation map, non corrected and corrected images were compared with angiography results to apply attenuation correction based on functional findings. Results show that new artifacts are created and experiences of physicians in the impression of the images is critical. Finally, the sensitivity of images increased from 86.20% to 96.42%, the specificity decreased from 85.71% to 54.54% and the diagnostic accuracy decreased from 86% to 78%. Attenuation correction can produce new artifacts, which can influence the way scans are interpreted. It seems that attenuation correction of the images, need special experience. Lack of enough experience in attenuation correction techniques, can comprise the diagnostic accuracy of images

new approach for quantitative evaluation of reconstruction algorithms in SPECT

In nuclear medicine, phantoms are mainly used to evaluate the overall performance of the imaging systems and practically there is no phantom exclusively designed for the evaluation of the software performance. In this study the Hoffman brain phantom was used for quantitative evaluation of reconstruction techniques. The phantom is modified to acquire tomographic and planar image of the same structure. The planar image may be used as the reference image to evaluate the quality of reconstructed slices using the companion software developed in MATLAB. The designed phantom is composed of 4 independent 2D slices that may be placed juxtapose to form the 3D phantom. Each slice was composed of objects of different size and shape [for example: circle, triangle, and rectangle]. Each 2D slice was imaged at the distances from 0 to 15 cm from the collimator surface. The phantom in 3D configuration was imaged acquiring 128 views of 128_128 matrix size. Reconstruction was performed using different filtering condition and the reconstructed images were compared to the corresponding planar images. The modulation transfer function, scatter fraction and attenuation map were calculated for each reconstructed image. Since all the parameters of the acquisition were identical for the 2D and the 3D imaging. It was assumed that the difference in the quality of the images was exclusively due to reconstruction condition. The planar images were assumed to be the most perfect images that could be obtained with the system. Comparing the reconstructed slices to the corresponding planar images yielded the optimum reconstruction condition. The results clearly showed that Wiener filter yields superior quality image among the entire filter tested. The extent of the improvement has been quantified in terms of universal image quality index. The phantom and the accompanying software were evaluated and found to be quite useful in determining the optimum filtering condition and mathematical evaluation of the scatter and attenuation in tomographic images

[Feasibility of using Statistical tests in evaluation of non-uniformity]

Non-uniformity test is essentially the only required daily QC procedure in nuclear medicine practice. Noise creates statistical variation or random error in a flood image. Non-uniformity on the other hand does not have statistical nature and may be regarded as systemic error. The present methods of non-uniformity calculation do not distinguish between these two types of error. The Jarque-Bera and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests were examined as alternative methods in calculation of non-uniformity in flood test images. Using the Monte carol method, uniform and non-uniform flood images of different matrix sizes and count density were generated. The uniformity of the images was calculated using the present and proposed methods. The results were also tested using 1300 planar images of 128x128 matrix size. The proposed methods were more accurate and sensitive to non-uniformity at low count density. However, their precisions were less than the conventional methods. There were no significant differences between these procedures at high count density. The integral and differential uniformity do not distinguish between noise always present in the data or in occasional non-uniformity. In a uniform intact flood image, the difference between maximum and minimum pixel count [the value of integral uniformity] is much more than recommended values for non-uniformity. After filtration of image this difference decreases but still remains high. The proposed methods are more sensitive to non-uniformity at low count density and may be used as alternative methods in daily uniformity test

[Comparison of acceptance tests for SPECT systems in Tehran]

Acceptance test is a necessary procedure after SPECT system installation. The goal of this test is to reveal system's present condition, to compare it with manufacturer's specifications and also as a base for later tests. This study investigated four SPECT systems in Tehran. All of the quality control tests are performed on the basis of NEMA and IAEA recommendations and by a same group. These tests include intrinsic spatial resolution, intrinsic energy resolution, temporal resolution, intrinsic linearity, maximum count rate, pixel size, intrinsic and extrinsic uniformity, sensitivity, reconstruction spatial resolution with and without scatter and centre of rotation. Results of this investigation show that three systems have minimum acceptance conditions, but the fourth one due to it's suboptimal energy resolution and spatial resolution lacked the required specifications for acceptance. It was shown during the next six months after installation that this system showed frequent impairments and even had been out of service for a while. However, other systems did not show any considerable problems. The acceptance test is an essential step after installation of any SPECT system. If there is no considerable deficits at the initial acceptance test of a SPECT system, it won't become troublesome for a long time

Alternative methods for evaluation of non-uniformity in nuclear medicine images

Non-uniformity test is the most essential in daily quality control procedures of nuclear medicine equipments. However, the calculation of non-uniformity is hindered due to high level of noise in nuclear medicine data. Non-uniformity may be considered as a type of systematic error while noise is certainly a random error. The present methods of uniformity evaluation are not able to distinguish between systematic and random error and therefore produce incorrect results when noise is significant. In the present study, two hypothetical methods have been tested for evaluation of non-uniformity in nuclear medicine images. Using the Monte Carol method, uniform and non-uniform flood images of different matrix sizes and different counts were generated. The uniformity of the images was calculated using the conventional method and proposed methods. The results were compared with the known non-uniformity data of simulated images. It was observed that the value of integral uniformity never went below the recommended values except in small matrix size of high counts [more than 80 millions counts]. The differential uniformity was quite insensitive to the degree of non-uniformity in large matrix size. Matrix size of 64'64 was only found to be suitable for the calculation of differential uniformity. It was observed that in uniform images, a small amount of non-uniformity changes the p-value of Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and noise amplitude of fast fouries transformation [FFT] test significantly while the conventional methods failed to detect the non-uniformity. The conventional methods do not distinguish noise, which is always present in the data and occasional non-uniformity at low count density. In a uniform intact flood image, the difference between maximum and minimum pixel count [the value of integral uniformity] is much more than the recommended values for non-uniformity. After filtration of image, this difference decreases, but remains high. Both proposed methods were more sensitive to the non-uniformity at a much lower count density