Journal of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences
Year:2012 | Volume:14 | Issue:1|Papers Count:14

Background and aims: Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive platelet-derived sphingolipid that is involved in regulation of proliferation, differentiation, hypertrophy and antiapoptosis of cells and activation of satellite cells. The purpose of present study was to examine the effect of resistance training on S1P levels of plasma and skeletal muscles in male Wistar rats.Methods: Twenty four 8-week-old male Wistar rats were used in this study. The initial body weight of rats was 190 to 250 gr. All animals were maintained in pairs in an environmentally controlled room at 22oC, 12: 12-h photoperiod cycle and allowed normal cage activity. The animals were fed standard rat chow and water ad libitum. After a week of acclimation to the animal facility, the rats were assigned randomly to a control (N=12) or training (N=12) group. Resistance training was done using a 1 meter height ladder with 2 cm grid with an 85 degree incline, and weights attached to rat's tails. The content of sphingosine-1- phosphate (S1P) present in the chloroform layer was determined by means of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).Results: Resistance exercise training increased the total content of S1P in FHL (fast-twitch) (P=0.003) and soleus (slow-twitch) (P=0.008) muscles and plasma (P=0.001) in comparison with control group.Conclusion: It is concluded that resistance exercise training strongly affects the S1P content in fast and slow twitch muscles and plasma.

Background and aims: Knee pain is one of common cause that patients refer to orthopedic clinics and has several reasons. One group is reversible and other is irreversible. Excessive Q-angle composes of 10% causes of knee pain reasons and is recovered (90%) by physical therapy. This study was conducted for evaluation of correlation of knee pain with excessive Q-angle and comparing both sexes and ages groups.Methods: 100 patients (50 men and 50 women) in a simple convenience study were enrolled in this research. Q-angle and pain scale (VSA) were measured and then Q-angle deviation in both sexes and ages groups analyzed using ANOVA, t-test. Spearman test with SPSS17 software.Results: The correlation between severity of knee pain and Q-angle in general population and in both sex was significant using of Spearman’s test. There was no significant correlation between different ages and Q-angle. There was significant relationship between Q-angle in men and women (P<0.05).10% of men, 18% of women and 14% of general population refered to orthopedic clinic had Q-angle greater than normal range.Conclusion: Higher level of Q-angle in females might be related to anatomical differences and high level of estrogen, multiparity, malnutrition, genetical differences and exceesive activity, in females.

Background and aims: More than sixty one substances have been found in Cannabis sativa which are called cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are involved in all stages of memory. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of leaves aquatic extract of Cannabis sativa on the neuronal density of CA1, CA2 and CA3 of Hippocampus in rats.Methods: In this experimental study twenty four male Wistar rats (weight 300-350 g) were divided into two experimental and one control groups. Cannabis sativa was extracted with Soxhlet apparatus. Aquatic extract was injected introperitonealy (I.P.) in experimental groups with two dosages (50 mg/kg and 25 mg/kg) for three weeks. After one month, animals were decapitated and their brains were dissected, fixed in 10% formalin, sectioned in 7μm thickness and stained by hematoxin-eosin (HE). By applying dissector techniques and systematic random sampling scheme the neuronal density of CA1, CA2 and CA3 of Hippocampus were estimated. Then, the numerical density in each group compared with control group using t-test and ANOVA statistics and Tukey test by Minitab 13 software.Results: Neuronal density average of CA1 area in control, experimental 1 and 2 groups were 37396±553, 10081±233 in CA1 and 10986±382, CA2 area 33045±449, 14648±284 and 17147±378 and in CA3 area 26324±437, 10469±215 and 13829±359 respectively. Statistical analyses showed significant decrease (P<0.001) in the CA1, CA2 and CA3 of Hippocampus neuronal density in experimental groups compared to control group.Conclusion: Aquatic extract of Cannabis sativa leaves has canabinoids substances that may effectively increase dopamine release and inhibit the production of impulse and induce neuronal degeneration in Hippocampus leading to reduction of the neuronal density of Hippocampus.

Background and aims: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) accompanied with obesity and insulin resistance. Many findings have showen that fat tissue has an important role in creating and resisting of various disorders in PCOS. On the other hand, thyroid has an obvious and dominant role in metabolism (specially in the metabolism of lipids and carbohydrates). Both PCOS and thyroid diseases are accompanied with disruption in function of hypothalamus –pituitary –gonad axis. This study aimed at finding the relationship between antithyroid antibodies and polycystic ovarr syndrome.Methods: In this descriptive analytical study two groups of 54 women with the age ranges of 15 to 45 years from Shahrekord, Iran were selected and consecutively were entered the study. The first group (control group), did not have any thyroid disease, systemic disorders or PCOS based on the history, physical examinations and blood tests and they did not use any medicine. The second group (patients groups), did not have any thyroid diseases and systemic disordersbased on the history, physical examinations and blood tests but they had PCOS. Antithyroid antibodies in both groups were measured and compared using K2, t test and ANOVA.Results: There was no significant difference in the prevalence and levels of antithyroid antibodies between PCOS group and control subjects (P>0.05). The level of (T3) and (T4) was significantly higher in polycystic ovary syndrome than in control group (P<0.05).Conclusion: It does not seem that to be more prevalent than in the healthy women and it is unlikely that they have an important role in pathophysiology of the disease.

Background and aims: Studies have shown that half of the mothers complain severe or intolerable labor pain. Because of the side effects of pharmacological pain killers on mothers and neonates, those medications are used lower than non pharmacological methods in these days. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of lavender essence inhalation on labor pain.Methods: In this randomized clinical trial study, 120 pregnant women were selected by convenient sampling method and devided in two groups of 60. Conducted cool vapor of essential oil of lavender was used in case group and the control group used only cool water vapor. Written consent was obtained and pain was estimated once before and 3 times after intervention. Analytical statistics such as t-test and X2 were used.Results: The results showed that difference in the labor pain before and after intervention in lavender group was 0.81±2.48 and in control group was 0.90±1.90 and the difference was significant (P=0.03).Conclusion: This study showed that aromatherapy could be a suitable alternative complementary medicine for labor pain.

Background and aims: Thalassemia is one of the most common human genetic diseases that affects quality of life. The present research attempted to investigate the effect of Partnership Care Model on the quality of life of school-age children with b-thalassemic.Methods: Present experimental study was performed on 72 thalassemic children who were randomly divided into two equal groups, intervention and control (36 each). The questionnaires of demographic data and children’s Quality of Life inventory (peds-QOL) were used as instrments. After gathering data in the pre-test stage, participant Care Model was implemented for children and parents in the intervention group according to its four steps (Motivation, Readying, Involvement and Evaluation) for two months. The post test was carried out three months after the intervention.Results: There was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in the terms of demographic characteristics and QOL (P>0.05). After the intervention, independent t test showed a significant difference between the means of peds QOL dimensions between groups (P<0.001). Moreover, the paired t-test showed a significant difference in the peds QOL dimensions of the intervention group before and after intervention (P<0.001).Conclusion: Overall, our findings revealed that the Partnership Care Model was effective on the increasing quality of life in the school-age children with b-thalassemia.

Background and aim: Identifying the problems and difficulties related to rural areas can be useful and effective in future planning. Since looking into the current situation is the first step in planning economical, social and cultural development, this study was carried out with the aim of investigating aspects of health, cultural and social conditions of the rural population of Chaharmahal va Bakhtiary province, Iran.Methods: In this descriptive-cross sectional study 1638 family guardians were chosen through simple sampling. Around 90 villages were chosen for this research (the same area in which the Tarhe Hejrat was carried out in the year 2008). The data was gathered using multi-sectional questionnaires (Cronbach’s Alpha 89%) with 47 questions including demographic information, state of education, employment, financial state, family planning, diet, hypertension, smoking and personal hygiene and was analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results: Unemployment in the rural areas was 31.6%.86% had their own homes, 30% had a personal car and 87% had bathrooms in their homes. 43.22% wished to emigrate. The awareness of problems arising from not paying attention to family planning was 75.74% and the most practiced method was using oral contraceptive pills (45.1%). The biggest amount of red meat (46.09%), chicken (36.23%) and fish (62.56%) intake was 1 to 5 times a month. The amount of people suffering from hypertension was 26.25%. Knowledge of the side effects of smoking was 91.81% and the average age of smokers was 57.81±14.51. Families with a child aged fewer than 10 who had been in an accident were 16.65% and males had the most accidents (70%).Conclusion: The social, cultural and health status of the people living in the country-side in the province is not at its optimal level in certain aspects. Finding the causes however, requires more research.

Background and aims: Considering the conflicting results related to the resistance exercise-induced cardiovascular and inflammatory response, the present study was conducted to compare the effects of static and dynamic resistance training on some functional cardiovascular indices, plasma lactate and peripheral blood leukocytes in healthy untrained women.Methods: In a quasi-experimental design, twenty healthy untrained volunteers (Female, aged 20-25 years and BMI 20-25 Kg/m2) in two random homogeneous groups were participated in an exhaustive static (40% of maximum voluntary contraction) or dynamic leg press resistance exercise (40% one repetition maximum with 45 to 55 repetitions). Heart rate, blood pressure, rate-pressure product (RPP) along with plasma lactate and peripheral blood leukocytes counts were determined immediately before and after the resistance exercises. Data were expressed as mean (±SD) and analyzed by paired and independent t-tests at a£0.05.Results: Indices were significantly increased after the both resistance exercises (P<0.05). Moreover, the change range in heart rate, RPP (but not systolic blood pressure), plasma lactate and peripheral blood leukocytes counts of the static group were significantly higher than those of the dynamic group (P<0.05).Conclusion: According to the present findings, it can be concluded that the undesirable alterations in functional cardiovascular indices along with fatigue (plasma lactate) and inflammatory indicators (peripheral blood leukocyte counts) in the static resistance leg press are higher than those in the dynamic leg press. Therefore, the dynamic resistance exercise can be a more suitable method than static resistance exercise for development of muscular strength and endurance in untrained women.

Background and aims: ICUs are faced with increasing rapid emergence of antibiotic- resistant bacteria, which influenc patient mortality. This study was conducted to compare the trend of antimicrobial resistance among microorganism's agents of ICUs nosocomial infections in two periods of 6 months with an interval of 12 months.Methods: In this descriptive analytic study, 322 obtained clinical specimens (including urine, tracheal aspirated materials, blood, wound, synoartrial fluid and chest tube secretion) from 205 hospitalized patients in ICU of Kashani ward Shahrekord, Iran was investigated during two periods of 6 months (second half of 2006 and first half of 2008). Patients with acute inflammatory responses were included in the study. The antibiograme was performed using Disk diffusion method with following disks: ceftriaxone, ceftizoxime, ceftazidime and ciprofloxacin, carbenicillin, norfloxacin, gentamycin, amikacin and co-trimaxazol.Results: The most and less common collected specimens were tracheal discharge (58.6%) and synovial fluid (0.3%) respectively. Overall 24.5% of cultures were positive. (58.2% of tracheal discharge and 0.3% of synovial fluid). Klebsiella and Pseudomonas were the most common isolated bacteria. With an interval of 12 months the resistance trend of isolated bacteria to ceftizoxime, ciprofloxacin and carbenicillin changed from 62.5%, 19%, 100% to 88%, 55%, 71% (P<0.05). There was an increased sensitivity to gentamycin in second period of study.Conclusions: Considering the increasing trend of resistance to ceftizoxime, ciprofloxacin, we recommend them in the case of positive culture and antibiograme. Antibiotic usage in ICU ward must be controlled more effectively and each ICU needs to have a program for antibiotic resistance surveillance.

Background and aims: Fatty liver disease is a kind of fat accumulation in the liver cells which uncontrolled subjects have a trend to parenchymal fibrosis and cell death. This study aimed to investigate the effect of eight weeks elected aerobic exercise on the levels of AST, ALT enzymes and liver parenchyma of male patients with fatty liver, aged 20 to 45 years in Shooshtar, Iran.Methods: In this study, 24 patients referred to sonography clinics of Shooshtar, Iran with the diagnosis of fatty liver disease were selected randomly and divided to control and experimental groups. The serum ALT and AST were measured and liver sonography was done befor intervention in both groups. After eight weeks aerobic exercise with intensity of 50 to 70 VO2 Max in case group, the tests were performed for both groups. Descriptive analysis and t-test were performed using SPSS.Results: the results showed that ecogenesity of liver parenchyma was decreased in the post-test in comparison to pre-test (83.2%) and the serum AST and ALT of experimental group were decreased in comparison to control group (P<0.05).Conclusion: It can be concluded that eight weeks aerobic exercise has significant effects on the fatty liver disease.

Background and aims: A cardiovascular disease has been the leading cause of death worldwide in the last decades. Inappropriate changes in dietary patterns, including increased consumption of refined carbohydrates with high glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) are the most important environmental risk factors in increasing cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to review the current evidence on the association between dietary GI and GL and mortality from various cardiovascular diseases.Methods: A literature search in PubMed was done with the use of “Glycemic index”, “cardiovascular disease” and “mortality” as keywords. So far, few studies have been performed in this area. Findings from these studies have been taken into account in this review. All available studies were prospective investigations performed among humans.Results: Findings from the current evidence suggest no significant association between dietary GI, GL and cardiovascular mortality. The only significant finding we reached in the literature was about middle-aged and older Japanese women; where a positive significant association was reported between dietary GI and GL and mortality from ischemic stroke [RR: 2.45; CI:95% (1.01-5.92)].Conclusion: It is concluded that reaching a definite conclusion based on current evidence is difficult. More information is required to determine the definite association between dietary glycemic index and glycemic load and mortality from various cardiovascular diseases.

Background and aims: Nephritis is one of the most dangerous presentations of SLE. Lupus in pregnancy can increase maternal and fetal mortality. In this report a pregnant woman with lupus nephritis is presented.Case report: A thirty year old woman in 30th week of pregnancy was admitted to internal medicine ward for evaluation of peripheral edema and hypertension. Important findings of her laboratory exam were: azotemia, hematuria, proteinuria, anemia, large size kidneys, active urine sediment, pleural and pericardial effusion, ascites, high titer of ANA, anti dauble strand DNA and lupus anticoagulant. Renal biopsy was done, pulse of methyl prednisolon prescribed and hemodialysis was started. After delivery, pulse of cyclophosphamide was also given and her renal function improved.Conclusion: The patient had not history of rheumatologic disease and the first presentation of lupus was severe nephritis during pregnancy. Fortunately, the response of patient to the treatment was good. After about 3-years follow-up, patient’s renal function is normal and her son seems healthy.