Evaluation of the effects of preconditioned human stem cells plus a scaffold and photobiomodulation administration on stereological parameters and gene expression levels in a critical size bone defect in rats.

We assessed the impact of photobiomodulation (PBM) plus adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) during the anabolic and catabolic stages of bone healing in a rat model of a critical size femoral defect (CSFD) that was filled with a decellularized bone matrix (DBM). Stereological analysis and gene expression levels of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), and stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF1) were determined. There were six groups of rats. Group 1 was the untreated control or DBM. Study groups 2-6 were treated as follows: ASC (ASC transplanted into DBM, then implanted in the CSFD); PBM (CSFD treated with PBM); irradiated ASC (iASC) (ASCs preconditioned with PBM, then transplanted into DBM, and implanted in the CSFD); ASC + PBM (ASCs transplanted into DBM, then implanted in the CSFD, followed by PBM administration); and iASC + PBM (the same as iASC, except CSFDs were exposed to PBM). At the anabolic step, all treatment groups had significantly increased trabecular bone volume (TBV) (24.22%) and osteoblasts (83.2%) compared to the control group (all, p = .000). However, TBV in group iASC + PBM groups were superior to the other groups (97.48% for osteoblast and 58.8% for trabecular bone volume) (all, p = .000). The numbers of osteocytes in ASC (78.2%) and iASC + PBM (30%) groups were remarkably higher compared to group control (both, p = .000). There were significantly higher SDF (1.5-fold), RUNX2 (1.3-fold), and BMP4 (1.9-fold) mRNA levels in the iASC + PBM group compared to the control and some of the treatment groups. At the catabolic step of bone healing, TBV increased significantly in PBM (30.77%), ASC + PBM (32.27%), and iASC + PBM (35.93%) groups compared to the control group (all, p = .000). There were significantly more osteoblasts and osteocytes in ASC (71.7%, 62.02%) (p = .002, p = .000); PBM (82.54%, 156%), iASC (179%, 23%), and ASC + PBM (108%, 110%) (all, p = .000), and iASC + PBM (79%, 100.6%) (p = .001, p = .000) groups compared to control group. ASC preconditioned with PBM in vitro plus PBM in vivo significantly increased stereological parameters and SDF1, RUNX2, and BMP4 mRNA expressions during bone healing in a CSFD model in rats.

Evaluating HER2 Gene Amplification Using Chromogenic In Situ Hybridization (CISH) Method In Comparison To Immunohistochemistry Method in Breast Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: In patients with breast cancer, HER2 gene expression is of a great importance in reacting to Herceptin treatment. To evaluate this event, immunohistochemistry (IHC) has been done routinely on the basis of scoring it and so the patients were divided into 4 groups. Lately, as there have been disagreements about how to treat score 2 patients, chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) and florescence in situ hybridization (FISH) are introduced. Since CISH method is more convenient than FISH for gene amplification study, FISH has been substituted by CISH. AIM: The current study is conducted in order to investigate whether using CISH is a better method comparison to IHC method for determines HER2 expression in patients with breast cancer in. METHODS: In this cross-sectional descriptive analytical study, information of 44 female patients with invasive ductal breast cancer were gathered from Imam Reza and Omid Hospital in Mashhad. IHC staining was done for all patients in order to determine the level of HER2 expression, and after scoring them into 4 groups of 0, +1, +2 and +3, CISH staining was carried out for all 4 groups. At the end, results from both methods were statistically evaluated using SPSS software V.22.0. RESULTS: The average age of patients was 50.2 with the standard deviation of 10.96. Using IHC method was observed that 2.6% (1 patient), 26.3% (10 patients), 65.8% (25 patients) and 5.3% (2 patients) percentage of patients had scores of 0, +1, +2 and +3. On the other hand, CISH method showed 36 patients (90%) with no amplifications and 4 (10%) with sever amplifications. In a comparative study using Fisher's exact test (p = 0.000), we found a significant relation between IHC method and CISH method indicating that all patients showing severe amplifications in CISH method, owned scores of +2 and +3 in IHC method. CONCLUSION: According to the present study and comparing the results with similar previous studies, it can be concluded that CISH method works highly effective in determining HER2 expression level in patients with breast cancer. This method is also able to determine the status of patients with score +2 in IHC for their treatment with herceptin.

Osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells on gum tragacanth hydrogel.

Currently, natural polymer based hydrogels has attracted great attention of orthopedic surgeons for application in bone tissue engineering. With this aim, osteoinductive capacity of Gum Tragacanth (GT) based hydrogel was compared to collagen hydrogel and tissue culture plate (TCPS). For this purpose, adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AT-MSCs) was cultured on the hydrogels and TCPS and after investigating the biocompatibility of hydrogels using MTT assay, osteoinductivity of hydrogels were evaluated using pan osteogenic markers such as Alizarin red staining, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, calcium content and osteo-related genes. Increasing proliferation trend of AT-MSCs on GT hydrogel demonstrated that TG has no-cytotoxicity and can even be better than the other groups i.e., highest proliferation at day 5. GT hydrogel displayed highest ALP activity and mineralization when compared to the collagen hydrogel and TCPS. Relative gene expression levels have demonstrated that highest expression of Runx2, osteonectin and osteocalcin in the cells cultured GT hydrogel but the expression of collagen type-1 remains constant in hydrogels. Above results demonstrate that GT hydrogel could be an appropriate scaffold for accelerating and supporting the adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of stem cells which further can be used for orthopedic applications.

Histological and gene expression analysis of the effects of pulsed low-level laser therapy on wound healing of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with poor wound healing. Studies have shown accelerated wound healing following pulsed low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in non-diabetic animals. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of pulsed LLLT on wound healing in streptozotocin-induced diabetic (STZ-D) rats. We divided 48 rats into two groups of non-diabetic and diabetic. Type 1 DM was induced in the diabetic rat group by injections of STZ. Two, full-thickness skin incisions were made on the dorsal region of each rat. One month after the STZ injection, wounds of the non-diabetic and diabetic rats were submitted to a pulsed, infrared 890-nm laser with an 80-Hz frequency and 0.2 J/cm(2) for each wound point. Control wounds did not receive LLLT. Animals were sacrificed on days 4, 7, and 15 post-injury for histomorphometry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) gene expression. Pulsed LLLT significantly increased the numbers of macrophages, fibroblasts, and blood vessel sections compared to the corresponding control groups. Semi-quantitative analysis of bFGF gene expression at 48 h post-injury revealed a significant increase in gene expression in both non-diabetic and diabetic rats following LLLT (the ANOVA test). Pulsed LLLT at 0.2 J/cm(2) accelerated the wound healing process in both non-diabetic and diabetic rats as measured by histological characteristics and semi-quantitative bFGF gene expression.

Estimation of cranial capacity and brain weight in 18-22-year-old Iranian adults.

OBJECTIVE: Cranial capacity, brain weight and cerebral index are important measurements in the study of racial differences. Clinically, an analysis of cranial capacity and weight exposes another aspect of growth and development and permits critical evaluation of unusually large, small, or misshapen crania. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Brain weight and cerebral index were estimated in 772 normal 18-22-year-old (320 males, 452 females) Iranian people of different socioeconomic groups, using linear dimensions of the head (using Lee-Pearson's formula) measured with spreading caliper and auricular head spanner. RESULTS: Cranial capacity, brain weight and cerebral index in males were 1343.45+/-102.37cm3 (mean+/-S.D.), 1390.47+/-105.95g, and 2.17+/-0.27% respectively. Cranial capacity, brain weight and cerebral index in females were 1163.02+/-115.76cm3, 1203.73+/-119.81g, and 2.25+/-0.31% respectively. CONCLUSION: It was shown that neurocranial volume and weight of male is higher than female. Also, the results are different from previous studies in Western countries which may be a result of racial, topodemic, and socioeconomic variations. Finally, we propose the new "cerebral quotient" for anthropometric measurements.

Anatomy and anthropometry of human stapes.

Twelve human stapes from temporal bones fixed by formalin were extracted. Different dimensions were measured by an electronic microscope with an accuracy of microm. These dimensions were as follows: (1) maximum diameter of stapes head parallel to the axis of footplate, 1088 microm (range, 857-1277 microm); (2) distance of main nutritional foramen to head surface, 398 microm (range, 250-833 microm); (3) stapes head to shoulders, 757 microm (range, 571-1000 microm), head to foramen, 1047 microm (range, 785-1500 microm), and head to lateral surface of footplate, 2612 microm (range, 1892-3400 microm); (4) anterior crus width at shoulder, 398 microm (range, 333-500 microm); minimum width of anterior crus, 251 microm (range, 214-350 microm); (5) posterior crus width at shoulders, 386 microm (range, 285-600 microm); minimum width of posterior crus, 191 microm (range, 142-300 microm); (6) maximum width of footplate near anterior crus, 371 microm (range, 321-500 microm), maximum width of footplate near the posterior crus, 411 microm (range, 357-611 microm), minimum width of footplate, 228 microm (range, 178-388 microm); (7) maximum width of ossicle, 2298 microm (range, 1928-3050 microm); (8) angle between crura, 19.5 degrees (range, 15-24 degrees ); and (9) diameter of foramen at the end of curve, 1343 microm (range, 1071-1888 microm).

Anthropometry of Internal Acoustic Meatus / Antropometría del Meato Acústico Interno

Knowledge of the normal dimensions and local anatomy of the internal acoustic canal (IAM) is necessary during evaluation of temporal bone trauma, congenital anomalies, affecting the individual nerves, and some neuro-otologic surgeries. The purpose of this study was therefore to characterize the anthropometry of the IAM. We made the following measurements in 14 normal temporal bones of Iranian male skulls from individuals 35 to 60 years of age (average of 50): Height and width of the middle portion of the IAM (mean 4.04 and 3.69mm), Height and width of the fundus of the IAM (mean 2.86 and 2.43mm), inferior and superior length of the IAM (mean 8.39 and 10.75mm).This study provides baseline information that maybe used to evaluate the congenital anomalies of the IAM. These data may also be helpful in the presurgical evaluations of the patients undergoing surgeries involving the IAM.

El conocimiento de las dimensiones normales y de la anatomía local del meato acústico interno (MAI) es necesario durante la evaluación del trauma del hueso temporal, anomalías congénitas que afectan a nervios individuales y algunas cirugías neurootológicas. El objetivo del trabajo fue caracterizar la antropometría del MAL Las siguientes mediciones las realizamos en 14 huesos temporales normales de individuos iraníes masculinos, de 35 a 60 años de edad (promedio 50 años): altura y ancho de la porción media del MAI (4,04 y 3,69mm), altura y ancho del fondo del MAI (2,86 y 2,43mm), largo inferior y largo superior del MAI (promedio 8,39 y 10,75mm). Este estudio entrega información básica que puede ser usada para evaluar anomalías congénitas del MAL Estos datos también pueden ayudar en evaluaciones prequirúrgicas de pacientes que serán sometidos a cirugías que involucren el MAL.