Internal Medicine Today
Year:2014 | Volume:19 | Issue:4|Papers Count:11

Aims: The liver is one of the most important body organs. It helps metabolism in rest, exercise and recovery stages using enzymes. The purpose of this study was to survey responses of the markers of liver function (AL, AST, ALP, Tb) and Hb to a single bout of aerobic exercise at different intensities in normal untrained males. Methods: This semi-experimental and causal cross–sectional post hoc study was conducted on the population of 19- 21 year old males in Kerman University, Iran. 56 untrained adolescent males were randomly divided into one control group and three experimental ones, the experimental groups exercised for 30min. on a cycle ergometer with corresponding rage of 60, 70 and 85 percent of maximal heart rate. Fasting blood samples were collected at pre and post exercise stages, and the data were analyzed with one way ANOVA and Tukey test (HSD).Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference in ALP between the moderate and high intensity groups with control group (p<0.05). Yet, the differences among the experimental groups were not significant. Also, there were significant differences (P<0.05) in Hb, between the control group and all three experimental groups. In addition, there were significant differences between low and moderate experimental groups with high experimental group. However, the differences between low and moderate experimental groups were not significant. The results also showed that there were not significant differences among four groups in AST, ALT, and Tb.Conclusion: The duration of a single bout of cycling aerobic exercise with high, moderate and low intensities in none of the exercise groups damaged the liver cells.

Aims: Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy; and papillary carcinoma is the most common thyroid cancer. There are different biologic markers which are used for prognosis determination one of which is a cell binding molecule, E-cadherin. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of E-cadherin expression in papillary thyroid cancer and its relation with gender, tumor size, and lymph nodes involvement.Methods: This study was performed on 73 tissue samples from patients with papillary thyroid cancer who referred to Mostafa Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, Iran (2005- 2008). The method of staining for determination of E-cadherin expression was immunohistochemistry. We evaluated the size of tumor, lymph nodes involvement, and their relation with E-cadherin expression.Results: The mean age was 41.85±16.65 years. 67% of samples were positive for E-cadherin and 21.9% had lymph nodes involvement. The mean size of patients’ tumor was 3.86±2.38 cm. There was not any significant relationship between E-cadherin expression and tumor size and gender but there was a significant and reverse relationship between E-cadherin expression and lymph nodes involvement (P<0.05).Conclusion: Concerning of the role of the E-cadherin in patient prognosis, it seems that as proportion of E-cadherin decreases in tumor cells, the probability of lymph nodes involvement increases. More studies in this area with patients’ follow-up are recommended.

Aims: Growth factors are associated with a change in body composition and chronic diseases such as; cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the individual and concomitant effect of water-based exercise and oral Zingiber officinale supplement on Changes in growth factors and estrogen in overweight women with breast cancer.Methods: In a semi-experimental study, Forty obese women diagnosed with breast cancer (76±9 kg, fat mass 41.8±4 percent) participated. Subjects were randomly assigned into groups; placebo, water-based exercise, Zingiber and water-based exercise+Zingiber groups. Subjects in the Zingiber group and combined group orally received 4 capsules contained 750 mg of zingiber flour for 6 weeks. The water-based exercise program were collected at a progressive intensity and time, ranged from 50 to 75 percent of heart rate reserve, for 6 weeks. Fasting blood sampling was collected at the pretest and post-test.Results: Although, the Zingiber and or the water-base exercise resulted in a reduction in IGF-1 and estrogen levels and a increase in IGFBP-3 levels, changes in the index following the combined intervention (exercise in water+Ginger supplements) were more pronounced compared with pre-test and the control group. However, there was the significant difference only in IGFBP-3 levels between water-base exercise and Zingiber supplementation groups (p=0.046).Conclusion: Our findings indicate a protective effect of the nondrug strategies such as exercise in water and anti-inflammatory herbal factors in the pathogenesis of growth and metabolic responses in overweight women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Aims: Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L) is Iranian native and one of the most important vegetables in herbal medicine that has many properties such as anti-scurvy, treating intractable cough, blood purifier, a sedative for thirst, anti-fever, useful in healing burns as well as anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of purslane herb extract on electrophoretic pattern of blood protein in mice.Methods: In this experimental study, to investigate the effects of extract of purslane on the blood protein levels in mice, 40 adult mice of Balb/C were selected and divided randomly into five groups of eight which were used for 20 days during the experiment. The groups included control and placebo, and three experimental groups receiving Hydro-alcoholic extract of Purslane were prepared in 50,100 and 200 mg/kg/doses of body weight. At the end of the experiment, all mice were bled and the immune system proteins and total protein levels were measured. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Duncan.Results: Our results indicated that a significant decrease in albumin concentration at 50 mg/kg can be seen. The highest amount of total protein and concentration of alpha-2 belong to the group of 100mg/kg extract dose (P<0.05). Conclusion: It seems that purslane extract without antigenic stimulation could strengthen the immune system. On the other hand, the increase in serum globulins means that the purslane extract can have increasing impact on the activity of the immune system in mice.

Aims: Gastric adenocarcinoma is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Most epidemiological studies have indicated the role of H. pylori infection on increased risk of gastric adenocarcinoma. The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of this microorganism in gastric cancer in different regions of the stomach and to compare it with non malignant lesions.Methods: Samples were obtained from 50 confirmed cases of gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent gastrectomy during the years of 2007-2008 at Ghaem and Omid hospitals of Mashhad. Gastric tissue of 50 patients who underwent endoscopy without gastric cancer was obtained as control samples. All patients were matched with regard to age and sex. The urease test and histology were used for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection. The prevalence of H. pylori was compared between the two groups. The data analysis was performed using SPSS version 16. through t student, Chi-square test, and Fisher exact tests.Results: The prevalence of H. pylori infection in gastric adenocarcinoma group was 92% and in the control group was 60%. The prevalence of H. pylori infection in gastric adenocarcinoma patients was 100% in the antropyloric region and 95% in the body of the stomach.Conclusion: There is a significant correlation between Helicobacter pylori infection and risk of gastric adenocarcinoma.

Aims: One of the risk factors for heart diseases is hyperlipidemia. Research has shown that the flavonoid and antioxidant are effective in removing hyperlipidemia.Methods: The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of alcoholic extract of zataria multiflora with atorvastatin on blood lipid profile. 56 Wistar male rats were divided into 7 groups each of which included 8 animals which were treated for 4 weeks with 7 dieting systems. The groups were: Group 1 (Control I): Normal diet and unlimited water and food; Group 2: Daily normal food + 3g/kg corn oil as a means for cholesterol; Group 3 (Control II, hypercholestrolemia): Usual daily food + 2g/kg cholesterol dissolved in 3g/kg corn oil; Group 4: Treated like group 3 but with increased 10 mg/kg Atorvastatin as an anti-fat; Groups 5, 6, and 7: Treated like group 3 but received 100, 200 & 300 mg/kg Z.M. extract, respectively. After 4 weeks, and at the end of the experiment, following 14 hours of starvation, the rats got anesthesia with chloroform and the blood sample was taken from the heart. The blood was collected in test tubes and transferred to the laboratory. After determining the factors of TG, TC, LDL, VLDL & HDL, the data were analyzed with SPSS software employing ANOVA (F-test).Results: It seems that corn oil and cholesterol increased the blood fat factors significantly. As was expected, Group 4 showed a reduction in these factors; Groups 5, 6 & 7, which received Z.M. extract, decreased the blood fat factors significantly, except that HDL increased significantly.Conclusion: Results of this study showed that the extract of Zataria multiflora has anti hyperlipidemia effects and can be used as a herbal medicine in controlling the blood cholesterol.

Aims: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has a strong potentiality in the field of medicine for the improvement of life style. Mobile phone technology, as an integral element of ICT, and because of the wireless system wide spread usage, and ubiquitous availability, can facilitate long distance delivery of medical recommendations. The effectiveness of short message service (SMS) usage in the education of patients has been demonstrated by numerous studies. Yet, adequate attention has not been paid to the use of this widely available and inexpensive tool in Iran. Hence, this study is aimed at evaluating the impacts of using SMS on improving metabolic control of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in Iran. Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial. A total of 81 type 2 diabetes patients were randomly assigned into two groups of experimental (n=43) and control (n=38). Educational SMS was sent to the mobile phones of experimental group only. The data were collected through a demographic, physiologic and metabolic characteristics list. The data were collected at the baseline of the study and after 3 months of intervention and were analyzed by SPSS-17 software using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The results of this study showed that the experimental group, compared with the control group, improved significantly in HbA1C (p=0.024), LDL (p=0.019), cholesterol (p=0.002), BUN (p≤0.001).Conclusion: The findings showed that intervention using SMS via mobile phone was effective in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Thus, further studies are recommended for a wide usage of distance education with mobile phone.

Aims: Teucrium polium is used in Iranian traditional medicine for different diseases. In the present study, protective effect of Teucrium polium L. extract was investigated on bromobenzene-induced hepatotoxicity in mice.Methods: This experimental study was performed on 48 male albino mice. The animals were randomly divided into six groups. Groups 1 and 2 received normal saline and extract of Teucrium polium (500 mg/kg) orally for 10 days, respectively; group 3 received bromobenzene (0.36 ml/kg, ip) only on the 10th day; groups 46- received ethanolic extract orally in doses of 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg, respectively, during 10 days and bromobenzene (0.36 ml/kg, ip) on the 10th day 1 hour after the last dose of extract. Blood and liver samples were collected 24 hours after bromobenzene injection. Then, serum activity of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and directed and total bilirubin were measured. Finally, the biochemical findings were matched with histopathological verifications, the significance of the differences between groups was compared with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s posttesting with P-values <0.05.Results: The results showed a significant increase in liver enzyme activity by bromobenzene. The treated groups with Teucrium polium showed significant decrease in liver enzyme activity in doses of 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg (p<0.05). Histological observations also confirmed the results.Conclusion: The results revealed that hydroalcoholic extract of Teucrium polium has protective effect on liver toxicity induced by bromobenzene.

Aims: Tonsillectomy is the most common surgical procedures in the field of ear, nose and throat which has symptoms such as pain, bleeding, air ways obstruction and nasopharynx stenosis. The accuracy of the selection procedure with parental education and nursing interventions reduce the incidence of complications. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two methods of electrocautery tonsillectomy and tonsil twisting in patients.Methods: This comparative study based on convenience sampling was performed on 60 patients with two methods of electrocautery tonsillectomy (30 persons) and twisting tonsils (30 persons). Demographic questionnaire, a visual numeric pain scale, and a tonsillectomy questionnaire were completed by the researcher during and after surgery. The data were analyzed through SPSS version 16 using Chi-square, Mann-Whitney, and Pearson correlation.Results: Mann-Whitney test showed that the two methods revealed statistically significant differences between the duration of the surgical procedure (p=0.000), postoperative pain (p=0.000) and the amount of intra operative bleeding (p=0.000). However, the results did not show any statistically significant difference between the costs of treatment (p=0.633), stay in hospital (p=1.000), postoperative bleeding (p=1.000) and medication prescription (p=0.317) There were.Conclusion: The study results show that the tonsil twisting method had tonsil bleeding with 1.9 to more than electrocautery method and Pain in electrocautery method more than tonsil twisting method.