Showing papers by "Farzad Kobarfard published in 2010"

Heavy metals contamination of table salt consumed in iran.

Abstract: Lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic are the most important heavy metals which may cause health risks following consumption of contaminated foods. Table salt is one the mostly used food additive with unique place in food consumption. Although purified table salt is expected to have lower level of contamination, some Iranians still prefer to use rock salt. Use of rock salt for food purposes has been banned by Iranian health authorities. In this study, heavy metal contamination of table salt consumed in Iran has been investigated. One hundred samples of rock and refined table salts were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometeric methods for the presence of toxic heavy metals. The mean concentration of tested tracer metals including Cd, Pb, Hg and As was 0.024, 0.438, 0.021 and 0.094 µg/g, respectively. The concentrations of tested heavy metals were well below the maximum levels set by Codex. However, no statistically significant difference was found between contamination of rock salt and refined salt to heavy metals.

Antiglycation Activity of Otostegia persica (Burm.) Boiss

Abstract: Diabetes mellitus is a common endocrine disorder characterized by hyperglycemia and long-term complications affecting the eyes, nerves, blood vessels, skin and kidneys. Increased glycation of proteins and accumulation of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEPs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. Glycation and AGEP formation are also accompanied by the formation of free radicals via autoxidation of glucose and glycated proteins. Compounds with combined antiglycation and antioxidant properties may offer therapeutic potential. Since the antioxidant activity of different extracts and fractions of aerial parts of Otostegia persica has been evaluated and this plant is used as an antidiabetic agent in Iranian traditional medicine, we evaluated the antiglycation activity of this species. Here, we report the isolation of known compound 3´, 7-dihydroxy-4´,6,8-trimethoxy-flavone for the antiglycation properties of this plant.

Tuberculosis & traditional medicine: fighting the oldest infectious disease, using the oldest source of medicine

Abstract: Tuberculosis (TB) is the oldest documented infectious disease. Fragments of the spinal column from Egyptian mummies from 2400 B.C. shows definite pathological signs of tubercular decay. The term phthisis (consumption) appears first in Greek literature. Hypocrates identified phthisis as the most widespread disease of the times around 460 B.C. Exact pathological and anatomical descriptions of the disease began to appear in the seventeenth century. In 1720, the English physician Benjamin Marten in his publication, "A New theory of consumption", mentioned that TB could be caused by wonderfully minute living creatures". The introduction of the sanatorium cure provided the first really step against TB. Hermann Brehmer a botany student suffering from TB, was instructed by his doctor to seek out a healthier climate. He traveled to the Himalayan mountains where he could pursue his botanical studies while trying to rid himself of the disease. He returned home cured and began to study medicine. In 1854, he presented his doctoral dissertation under the title, "Tuberculosis is a Curable Disease". This step became the blueprint for the development of sanatoria. In 1882, Robert koch discovered a staining technique that enabled him to see Mycobacterium tuberculosis. By this means the deadliest enemy of humanity had been visualized and the war against this enemy was officially declared. The measures available to physicians were still modest. Improving social and sanitary condition and adequate nutrition were all that could be done to strengthen the body's defenses against the TB bacillus. Sanatoria provided a significant improvement. A further important development was provided by the French bacteriologists Calmette and Guerin, who used specific culture media to lower the virulence of the bovine TB bacterium, creating the basis for the BCG vaccine. Then in the middle of world war II came final break through, the greatest challenge to the bacterium that had threatened humanity for thousands of years: chemotherapy. Compounds such as sulfonamides and penicillins were ineffective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The first successful chemotherapeutic agent against M. tuberculosis was introduced to clinic by Selman A. Waksman and his team in 1944: streptomycin, purified from streptomyces griseus, showed a strong inhibitory effect on M. tuberculosis with relatively low toxicity. A succession of anti-TB drugs appeared in the following years: p-aminosalicylic acid (1949), isoniazid (1952), pyrazinamide (1954), Cycloserine (1955), ethambutol (1962) and rifampin (rifampicin in 1963) were introduced as anti-TB agents.

Reduction of percutaneous absorption of toxic chemicals by dendrimers.

Abstract: Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer, a reactive nanoparticle, was investigated as a potential protectant against percutaneous absorption of chemicals. Permeation of furfural (model toxicant) through rat skin from a 1-mg/mL solution was studied in the absence and presence of PAMAM dendrimer, which was applied either as 1, 4, and 6 mg/mL in furfural solution (cotreatment) or 2.2 mg/cm2 deposited on skin surface before furfural application (pretreatment). Furfural flux, about 70 μg/cm2/h in untreated samples, was decreased by PAMAM dendrimer in a concentration-dependent manner up to 12 times with the cotreatment methods and 2.3 times with the pretreatment method, indicating PAMAM’s protective ability against cutaneous toxicants.

Preclinical pharmacokinetics of KBF611, a new antituberculosis agent in mice and rabbits, and comparison with thiacetazone.

Abstract: Thiacetazone (TAZ), one of the oldest known antituberculosis drugs, causes severe skin reactions in patients co-infected with tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). KBF611 is a new fluorinated thiacetazone analogue that has shown strong antituberculosis effects. In order to provide valuable information for subsequent preclinical development, pharmacokinetics of KBF611 and its analogue (TAZ) were studied and compared in two animal species (mice and rabbits) following intravenous and oral administration, and pharmacokinetic parameters were characterized. According to the calculated parameters, KBF611 showed a more favourable pharmacokinetics profile than TAZ in terms of half-life (0.89 h compared with 0.57 in mice, p < 0.05, and 2.71 compared with 0.98 in rabbits, p < 0.001) and volume of distribution (1.45 l kg(-1) compared with 0.86 l kg(-1) in mice, p < 0.05, and 1.01 l kg(-1) compared with 0.41 l kg(-1) in rabbits, p < 0.001) for tuberculosis therapy. In rabbits, the oral bioavailability of KBF611 was markedly lower than mice (39% compared with 82%), which may be attributed to a higher presystemic metabolism in rabbit liver. The results of in vivo studies on the metabolism of KBF611, supported by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis, showed that the incorporation of a fluorine atom to the TAZ structure made the molecule susceptible to N-deacetylation, a pathway not seen in TAZ metabolism. In summary, KBF611 could be considered a suitable candidate for further preclinical and clinical evaluation.

New trends of doping in sport.

Abstract: Drugs are designed and developed for medical purposes and they are intended to be beneficial to the human physiological system. However, it is well recognized that drugs could have unwanted side effects which could sometimes be harmful to the patient’s health. Therefore, regulatory authorities all over the world insist on sophisticated and strict scientific and clinical assessment of any drug introduced for medical uses. However, the competitive nature of sport sometimes encourages the athletes to use drugs illicitly with the intention of producing an unfair advantage over their rivals but in these cases, no detailed studies are conducted to assess the benefits and dangers of such application of drugs. It is thus a necessity to control the misuse of drugs in sport, currently referred to as doping. The first action in this regard was taken in 1967 by International Olympic Committees (IOC), by publishing the list of banned substances and methods which comprised five groups: sympathomimetic amines, stimulants of CNS, narcotic analgesics, anti-depressants and major tranquillizers. Anti-depressants and major tranquillizers were removed from the list one year later. In 1976, after the winter Olympic games in Innsbruk, anabolic steroids were added to the list. In 1984 the use of exogenous testosterone was controlled, based on a test that measured the ratio of testosterone and epitestosterone levels in urine. Not only the use of prohibited substances were controlled, but the use of pharmacological, chemical and physical manipulations were also controlled in 1988 after it was revealed that probenecid was effective in reducing the urine concentration of many anabolic steroids. At the same time the use of diuretics and blood transfusions were prohibited. The next major change was in 1989 when the use of a number of hormones was banned including human chorionic gonadotropiroin (HCG), ACTH and human growth hormone (hGH). Erytropoietin (EPO) was added to the list of prohibited substances in 1990. In 1999, the IOC held an international conference on doping and the outcome was the formation of the world Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), an organization which is supported by both sport and governmental authorities. WADA published its first list of prohibited substances in 2004 and it continues to do so on a yearly basis. Adding new compounds or new class of compounds to the prohibited list is a rather complex process based on careful monitoring of the reports by WADA-accredited laboratories and consulting with independent research groups all over the world. Regardless of this process, it is clear that the addition of new substances or new class of substances to the prohibited list is the result of advances and successes in the field of drug discovery. As we are witnessing a shift from classic small molecules towards recombinant drugs in therapeutic arena, the same trend is observed in misuse of drugs in sport. Advances in recombinant DNA technology have created one of the most powerful tools in current doping arsenal. Recombinant erythropoietin and hGH are currently being abused, but have been fortunately detectable by employing isoelectric focusing and immunoassay tests. The detection is technically difficult due to the extent of similarity between the recombinant proteins and their endogenous counterparts. On the other hand the emergence of gene therapy as a result of recent advances in genetics science has raised concerns over the possibility of genetic enhancement of athletes, commonly referred to as “gene doping”. In response to this potential misuse of gene therapy, WADA declared that the non-therapeutic use of cells, genes, genetic elements or the modulation of gene expression having the capacity to enhance athletic performance, is prohibited. EPO, hGH, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-delta (PPAR delta) and myostatin inhibitor genes have been identified as primary targets for gene doping. Besides making the competitions unfair, gene doping puts the athletes health in great danger. Risks associated with gene doping fall into two main areas: First, the product and the procedures for delivery of the product are risky. The production of viral vectors requires considerable purification and testing for replication-competent viruses. Secondly, the uncontrolled expression of the genes may itself be harmful. At present, detection of doping in sport is based on two approaches. The main and currently most important approach is the detection of the specific substance itself and the second approach is the detection of the consequences of administering the doping agent. Recombinant proteins such as EPO and hGH can be detected by analysis of the isoforms of these hormones. However, genetic modifications will be very difficult to detect. For example, expression of antisense reagents within muscles to reduce the levels of myostatin will be hard to detect, as levels of circulating myostatin are low in man. Detection of transferred genetic materials may pose a problem, as current doping detection relies on urine and blood samples and it is generally considered that any form of tissue biopsy would be unacceptable. Since no actual abuse of gene doping has been documented so far, the prospects for gene doping remains essentially theoretical at present. However, this field as a whole should continue to be closely monitored. Despite the risks associated with untested gene-doping procedures and products, it seems quite possible that some athletes will be tempted to experience this type of doping. In order to pre-empt any possible exploitation of gene doping and recombinant drugs, extensive research is clearly required in these fields to ensure that competent and reliable methods are developed for the containment of these new trends of drug and therapeutic abuses in sport.

The Comparison of Efficacy and Persistency of Aluminum Chloride Hexahydrate Iontophoresis with Topical Application of It in Primary Palmar Hyperhidrosis

Abstract: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Sweating greater than the physiological needs of the body is hyperhidrosis. The patient who suffers from palmar hyperhidrosis faces social, occupational and psychological problems. Topical application of aluminium chloride hexahydrate on affected area was considered as effective treatment for palmar hyperhidrosis. But no study has been published yet about the iontophoresis of this solution for treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and persistency of aluminum chloride hexahydrate iontophoresis with topical application of it on the patients with primary palmar hyperhidrosis. METHODS: This clinical trial study was performed on 12 patients aged 20-32 years. Iontophoresis of aluminium chloride hexahydrate was applied on experimental hand for 30 minutes in 4 sessions and topical aluminium chloride hexahydrate was applied on control hand with the same dose and duration. Before treatment Gravimetry and iodine starch test were performed to evaluate the rate of sweating production. All patients filled out Dermatology Life Quality Index questionnaire to determine amount of impairment in quality of life. All patients underwent a pretreatment and post treatment evaluation at 3 days, 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks after the treatment. FINDINGS: Sweating rate significantly decreased in experiment group 3 days later from 0.46±0.02gr to 0.10±0.01 gr, 1 week later to 0.19±0.03 gr, 2 weeks Later to 0.21±0.05 gr, 3 weeks later to 0.26±0.10 gr and 4 weeks later to 0.27±0.15 gr (p<0.05) and in control group decreased 3 days later from 0.54±0.18 gr to 0.10±0.08 gr, 1 week later to 0.22±0.15 gr, 2 weeks later to 0.28±0.12 gr, 3 weeks later to 0.35±0.20 gr (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The results indicate that iontophoresis of Al cl3 induced reduction of sweating rate for at least 1 month without any side effects. The persistency of effects in this method is longer than topical application of Al cl3.