Razi Journal of Medical Sciences
Year:2012 | Volume:19 | Issue:101|Papers Count:14

Background: Adiponectin is one of the adipokines derived from adipose tissue. It is involved in the regulation of glucose metabolism, Insulin Resistance (IR) and obesity-related disorders. Adiponectin in patients with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) has a different expression. This study was performed to assess the serum levels of adiponectin in PCOS patients considering the high prevalence of insulin resistance in this patients and its relation with body mass index, fasting insulin and fasting glucose to evaluate Methods: This case-control study was performed on 45 PCOS patients and 45 controls being matched in regards to age and BMI. Adinopectin level was measured by ELISA. FBS and insulin were measured by glucose oxidase and ELISA method, respectively. Insulin resistance was determined by HOMA-IR.Results: Serum adiponectin level in PCOS subjects and healthy women did not differ statistically. There was no significant difference between fasting insulin and fasting glucose levels in PCOS subjects and healthy women. However, HOMA-IR in PCOS subjects was significantly higher than healthy women. There was a significant negative correlation between adiponectin level and BMI (p=0.035) and fasting glucose (p=0.019). However, after separation of the two groups there was no correlation between adiponectin and BMI.Conclusion: Despite the relationship between adiponectin levels and BMI, and as no relation is observed with PCOS, the role of this adipokine in the syndrome is unlikely. Thus, apparently increase in the amount of adiponectin will not be effective in preventing the syndrome.

Background: According to studies conducted by the World Health Organization, every year nearly 25 million neonates are born with Low Birth Weight (LBW). Many researches show that LBW infants who stay alive, suffer from physical, mental and social problems more than the appropriate birth weight infants. Although developmental assessment of neonates is very difficult in the first days of life, it is important to diagnose and treat the problems at an early stage. The present study was done to compare the motor behaviors between normal and LBW neonates.Methods: This research was a cross sectional study in which 80 neonates were randomly allocated into LBW (40) and normal birth weight (40) groups. Motor behaviors of neonates were evaluated with Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) on the first day of life. All measurements were taken with the same equipment and by the same person. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 18 and Independent T-test.Result: Results demonstrated that general tone (p=0.01), motor maturity (p=0.001) and pull to sit (p=0.005) showed significant differences between two groups.Conclusion: According to the findings of the current study, LBW neonates show more immature motor behavior than neonates with normal weight and are at lower level. It seems that these neonates may be at risk of motor impairments and require intensive care and earlier supplementary intervention.

Background: Delayed diagnosis of critical and cyanotic congenital heart diseases in asymptomatic newborns can lead to significant morbidity and mortality in this age group. The aim of this study was to determine the utility of hand and foot oxygen saturation as a screening test for the early detection of critical and cyanotic congenital heart diseases in asymptomatic newborns in the first day of life.Methods: In this cross-sectional study during a 6 month period we performed hand and foot pulse oximetry in 1506 term and healthy newborns in Shabihkhani Maternity Hospital. Babies with functional oxygen saturation below 95% in either right hand or right foot were considered abnormal and a second saturation measurement was performed 2 hours later. If the repeated measurement was again below 95% they were referred for performing an echocardiogram. The data was analyzed by SPSS version 11.Results: During the study period a total of 1506 newborns were screened; of whom 1406 cases had SPO2≥95% in both extremities (mean %97.12±2.20 in right hand and mean %96.9±2.13 in right foot) and 100 babies had SPO2<95% (mean %93.35±3.17 in right hand and %92.41±3.01 in right foot). The mean SPO2 in the right foot was lower than the right hand in the both groups. The second saturation measurement was performed 2 hours later on 100 newborns with SPO2<95%, of whom 29 had persistent low saturation who were referred for echocardiography. Six asymptomatic babies out of 29 had critical and cyanotic congenital heart diseases (incidence of 4/1000 live births). These diseases were: transposition of great vessels, truncus arteriosus, total anomalous pulmonary venous return and tetralogy of fallot. There was a meaningful correlation between right foot SPO2 and echocardiography results in newborns with these types of congenital heart diseases (p=0.004) Conclusion: According to the significance of diagnosis of congenital heart disease, pulse oximetry screening along with clinical examination could help in the early detection of critical and cyanotic congenital heart diseases in asymptomatic newborns. Performing right foot pulse oximetry seems to be adequate for screening, because in all the circumstances it was lower than hand saturation.

Background: Accumulative evidences suggest that any change in brain neurotrophins can be involved in brain development and function. However, little is known about age related alteration of the neurotrophins. In this experimental study, we investigated the adulthood changes in the locomotor activity and the levels of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) and Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF) in selected brain regions of mice.Methods: In this experimental twelve adult mice at 4 and 6 months of age were used and open filed test was performed to determine animal's locomotor activity. Hippocampus, cerebellum and cortex of the animals were isolated under deep anesthesia, and levels of NGF, BDNF and total protein were measured from extracts of tissues at the end of 4th and 6th months of age.Results: Animals with 6 months of age were significantly hyperactive. We found a significant reduction for NGF in hippocampus (35.7%, p=0.002), cerebral cortex (31.8%, p=0.012), cerebellum (51.8%, p=0.001) and for BDNF in hippocampus (11.2%), cerebral cortex (29.6%). However, BDNF level significantly increased in cerebellum (2.25 fold, p=0.003) with age rising from four to six months. BDNF level were the highest in the hippocampus at the age of 4 months.Conclusion: These results suggest that the sustained decrease of NGF and BDNF proteins in brain regions may be involved in the adulthood brain development.

Shafieian6 Background: Prevalence of HIV and hepatitis among injecting drug users who use shared needle is greater than those drug users that generally prefer not to use each other's needles. The aim of this study was to explain the cause of utilization of shared needle among injecting drug users of Ahwaz city in 2010.Methods: This article was part of a qualitative study which has been performed by the content analysis method and sampling‐based target on the injecting drug users of Ahwaz. The data were collected with semi‐structured individual depth interviews and analyzed by the constant comparative method of analysis. A total of 39 semi‐structured interviews were done with drug injectors. Informed consents were obtained from all of the participants. Participants were asked about the cause of utilization of shared needle, history of imprisonment and disease. After the first interview, continuous analysis of data was implemented and continued until data saturation.Results: After analysis and coding of data the cause of utilization of shared needle for injection among participants were: inaccessibility and limitations for preparing syringe, lack of subjects’ awareness of the dangers of shared needle, hopelessness and tending to die through shared needle, self‐deception and self‐justification.Conclusion: Considering the increasing number of injection drug users and the risk of diseases transmitted through shared needle as well as to control addiction and transmission of blood‐borne diseases such as HIV in country it is essential to improve harm reduction programs, provide sterile syringes and injection equipment as well as train injecting drug users and help them to quit addiction.

Background: Diabetes is associated with increased inflammatory biomarkers and decreased paraoxonase-1 activity and total antioxidant capacity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of hazelnut on hs-CRP, total antioxidant capacity and paraoxonase-1 activity in type 2 diabetes.Methods: In an 8-week randomized clinical trial, 50 patients were assigned to either the control or intervention groups. Hazelnuts replaced 10% of total daily calorie intake in the intervention group.Blood samples were obtained at the start and at the end of week 8. Dietary data were obtained using 24-dietary recall and were analyzed by Nutritionist IV software. All data were analyzed by SPSS version 15.Results: Compared with baseline, total antioxidant capacity decreased in both groups, but at the end of the study, there were no statistical differences between two groups. Also, no differences were observed in Fasting blood sugar (FBS), paraoxonase-1 activity and hs-CRP levels.Conclusion: Hazelnuts consumption had no effect on FBS, hs-CRP, total antioxidant capacity and paraoxonase-1 activity in type 2 diabetic patients.

Background: The etiology, pathophysiology and treatment of Peyronie’s disease remain unknown. Few medical therapies have positive effect on this condition. However, penile curvature is the major symptom of Peyronie’s disease, which can be treated by surgical reconstruction. There are many surgical techniques for correcting penile deformity but there is the lack of a gold standard procedure. We present a surgical technique to correct penile deformity in Peyronie’s disease.Methods: In this case series study, we treated 14 patients with stable Peyronie’s disease with significant curvature that precluded intercourse. We excised the fibrous area and the gap was covered with a graft removed from the crural segment of the corpora cavernosa.Results: In 3, 6 and 12 months follow-up there were straightening of penis in 92.8, 92.8 and 78.2% of patients and acceptable erectile function in 100, 92.8 and 85.7%, respectively. Thirteen and eleven of 14 patients were satisfactory with the cosmetic and functional result of surgery, respectively. No severe perioperative complication was noted.Conclusion: Present technique may be considered as a treatment option in patients with curvature due to Peyronie’s disease. Tunica albuginea auto graft from crural segment seems to be an appropriate grafting material for this technique.

Background: Among the trophic factors in CNS, the role of neurotrophins for their multiple actions is more pronounced. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of two weeks light aerobic running on protein levels of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and the specific receptor of TrkB, relying on the more transparent role of exercise on synaptic and neurogenerative modification.Methods: This experimental study was conducted with the animal model. Twelve adult male wistar rats, 8 weeks of age, were selected as subjects (with mean body weight of 200-225 gr). The animals were randomly divided into 2 groups of control (n=6) and runner (n=6). In runner group, animals were allowed to run on treadmill at a speed of 12 m/min daily for 30 minutes for 2 weeks. Twenty four hours after the last session of exercise, the animals were sacrificed and the hippocampus of both sides of hemisphere removed. Changes in protein levels were determined with ELISA technique.Results: Statistical analysis by independent sample t test showed that between the runner and control groups there was a significant difference (p£0.05) statistically and running significantly increased the protein levels of BDNF and TrkB in the hippocampus of rats.Conclusion: Increase in these factors shows the effect of exercise as a positive moderating factor in the growth and survival of neuronal and synaptic plasticity.