Armaghane Danesh
Year:2013 | Volume:17 | Issue:5 (71)|Papers Count:12

Background & aim: striae gravidarum is a form of scarring of the skin during pregnancy and there are always some challenges to its prevention and treatment. This study was conducted todetermine the effects of Teak cream on the severity of striae gravidarum.Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on 100 primigravidas who were referred to health centers of Tehran. The participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (consuming Teak cream) or control group (using placebo). A Canon Camera was used to photograph the presence of Striae gravidarum in both groups during 37-40 weeks of pregnancy.Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square test.Results: Striae had emerged among 64%of those using Teakcream and 60% of those in the control group but the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05).Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the use of Teak cream in pregnancy is not effective in reducing the occurrence of striae gravidarum.

Background & Aim: The effective method of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome treatment is lifestyle modification. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a twelve-week aerobic exercise on Ovarian Androgens and Body Composition of women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.Methods: In this clinical trial, 20 obese patients (BMI>25 kg/m2) and 20 lean patients (BMI<20 kg/m2) with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome were selected. Lean and obese patients were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention group participated in a 12 week, 3 sessions per week with intensity 65-80% of maximal heart rate for 25-30 minutes of aerobic exercise, while this intervention was not performed in the control group. BMI, WHR, LH, FSH, prolactin and iestosterone hormones were measured before and after the intervention. The data were analyzed using the Paired and independent T tests.Results: BMI decreased significantly after exercise in obese group (P<0.0001). The reduction of prolactin was not significant after exercise in both lean and obese groups (P>0.05). LH/FSH significantly decreased after exercise in the lean group (P=0.049).The testosterone concentration was significantly decreased after exercise in both lean and obese groups (P<0.05).Conclusion: A period of exercise with body weight loss and reduction of BMI can contribute to the decline of testosterone concentration, decrease of LH/FSH ratio, improvement of metabolic condition. It prevents the increasing of prolactin and also the side effects of hyperandrogenism.

Background & aim: Hypothyroid goiter, like other chronic diseases, can affect the patients’ quality of life (QOL). This study aimed to examine the effect of Orem’s Self-care Model Application on QOL of patients with hypothyroid goiter.Methods: In this interventional study, 70 patients with hypothyroid goiter referred to healthcare clinics of Yasuj were randomly divided into experimental and control groups (n=35). Data were collected by a questionnaire, evaluating self-care, according to Orem’s Model, and the SF-36 questionnaire, measuring the QOL at baseline and 3 months following intervention. For intervention, patients received Orem’s Self-care instructions adjusted to their self-care needs during eight 45-minute sessions. Data were analyzed by using paired and independent t-tests.Results: In the experimental group, mean of QOL was 43.28±17.26 before and 79.64±11.86 after intervention. Paired t-test showed that the difference between pre and post intervention scores is significant (P=0.001). In the control group, however, there was no significant difference in QOL before and after intervention. After intervention, eight domains of QOL in experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group.Conclusion: This study revealed that applying Orem’s Self-care Model could improve the quality of life in patients with hypothyroid goiter.

Background & aim: Hepatitis B Virus is one of the most important viral hepatitis which includes eight genotypes based on genetic variations in the gene encoding virus RNA polymerase. Clinical picture, treatment response and prognosis of HBV infection is genotype dependent. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine the HBV genotypes in HBsAg-positive individuals..Methods: This experimental study was conducted on one hundred and sixteen HBsAg positive individuals referred to the health centers of Shahrekord, Iran, in 2011. Firstly, the viral nucleic acid was extracted from serum samples and subsequently, the samples were subjected to Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Finally, genotyping was carried out on the positive samples, using Real-time PCR with type specific primers and probes. The data were analyzed using the chisquare test.Results: 23 out of 116 (19.8%) of the HBsAg-positive individuals were positive for HBV DNA.17 out of 23 (73.9%) and 6 out of 23 (26.1%) of the patients were found to be infected with HBV genotypes of D and C, respectively.Conclusion: Same as other regions of Iran, genotype D,, is the dominate genotype of HBV in Shahrekord, Iran. However, genotype C may be one of the other common genotypes in this region.

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Background & aim: Hirsutism can esthetically cause significant psychosocial consequences in hirsute women. Different methods, so far, have been applied for hair removal, and the Cool Intense Pulsed Light (CIPL) system is one of them. The aim of this study was to determine the effect and side effects of the CIPL method on removing the hairs of the chin area in hirsute women.Methods: This is a interventional study in which 30 women suffering from hirsutism referred to a dermatologist's clinic in Yasuj, Iran were participated during 2009-2010. A convenience sampling method was used for data collection. Subjects underwent the Cool Intense Pulsed Light method over 6 months, one session per month. To compare the effect of the applied intervention, number of hair on the chin area were compared before and after the intervention Collected data were analyzed by the SPSS software using descriptive and analytic statistics such as t-test, paired t-test and ANOVA, considering a=0.05.Results: The duration of affliction with hirsutism was 1-15 year. The mean number of hairs of the chin area before and after the intervention were 288.2±229.2 and 56.4±43.8 respectively. Paired T-test analysis revealed that the difference is significant (p=0.001). None of the participants reported any specific problems related to the applied intervention.Conclusion: treatment efficacy of CIPL for hirsutism was 80 percent. However, we suggest further studies to confirm these findings.

Background & aim: Taraxacum officinaleis a herbaceous perennial plant which has many pharmaceutical effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of this plant on blood cell counts in mice.Methods: In this experimental study, 50 mature female mice were divided into 5 groups, each group including ten adult female Balb/C mice. The control group did not receive any extract. while the placebo group received 0.5 cc of normal saline, every other day. The three treatment groups intraperitoneally received 50, 100, 200 mg/kg/2day doses of hydro alcoholic extract for 20 days.Normal saline was administered to the control group. WBC, RBC, HB, HCT, platelet and other cells of the animals were counted using full automated cell counter. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA.Results: The number of RBC and the rate of Hb in three doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg were significantly increased (p<0.05) in all three treatment groups as compared with the control group.The number of WBC in three doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg increased, but it was significant in 200 mg/kg dandelion treated group as compared with the control group (p<0.05).The rate of platelet in three doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg significantly decreased as compared with the control group (p<0.01).Conclusion: The study confirmed the dose dependent efficacy of dandelion extract on RBC and WBC.

Background & aim: Chronic otitis media surgery is the most common procedure in the field of otology in developing countries. Subtotal and total tympanic membrane perforation with inadequate anterior remnant is associated with higher rate of graft failure. This study aimed to evaluate the anatomical and functional outcomes of a modified underlay myringoplasty technique.Methods: In the present prospective clinical study, 45 patients with subtotal or total tympanic membrane perforation and inadequate anterior remnant underwent tympanoplasty (+/- mastoidectomy). Anterior tip of the temporalis fascia was secured in a mucosal pocket on the lateral wall of Eustachian tube orifice. Data on graft take rate, preoperative and postoperative hearing status and intraoperative findings were analyzed. The anatomical and functional findings of this procedure were analyzed by paired t-test.Results: A graft success rate of 91.1%, without lateralization, blunting, atelectasia or epithelial pearls was achieved in this study. About 24 % of patients had an air bone gap within 25db before intervention, which increased to 71% postoperatively. (P<0.001).Conclusion: It seems that the current technique could be a convenient and suitable method for cases with subtotal or total tympanic membrane perforation and inadequate anterior remnant.

Background & aim: Nervous system is one of the organs that suffer from the side-effects of diabetes. This study investigated the effect of Juglans regia ethanolic leafextract on lumbo-sacral spinal cord in 18 and 20 days old fetus of diabetic mother rats.Methods: A total of 16 Sprague Dawley female rats became diabetic by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg). The animals were randomly divided into four groups. Rats in all groups became pregnant by natural mating. In their first day of pregnancy, they received walnut leaf extract at a dose of 250 mg/ kg. After formation of the nervous system, two fetuses were obtained after anesthezing animals on 18th and 20th gestational days. The animals were euthanized, their birth weight were recorded and the lumbo-sacral spinal cord samples were taken and fixed. Tissue sections were prepared by routine procedures and different histological parameters were examined. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA.Results: Significant decrease in the transverse diameter, vertical diameter, and the number of neurons in the spinal cord gray matter of the spinal cord at days 18 and 20 of pregnancy in the diabetic group compared to other groups was observed (p£0.05) and a significant difference in the number of neurons in the spinal cord white matter was observed on day 18 of pregnancy (p£0.05).Conclusion: This study confirmed the ameliorative effects of ethanolic extract of walnut leaves in controlling the metabolic disorders in diabetic pregnancy on the fetus's central nervous system.

Background & aim: Lipocalin-2 is a novel adipokine which is highly expressed in adipose tissues that closely link with obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of eight weeks of resistance versus endurance training on lipocalin-2 levels in non-athlete male students.Methods: In this clinical trial, 30 healthy male students were selected and divided into three groups including control group, resistance and endurance training groups.Resistance training performed three d/wk at an intensity corresponding to 65-80% of one-repetition maximum, 8-12 repetitions and 2-4 sets for 8 weeks. Endurance training group, underwent an 8- an intensity corresponding to 65, 80% maximum week intervention with a frequency of 3 d/wk at heart rate for 20-38 minutes. Expressing lipocalin-2 plasma levels in samples were measured before and after intervention. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA.Results: Plasma level of lipocalin 2 in the control group before and after intervention, were; 11.1±4.5 & 13.05±2.04, mg/L, respectively. The plasma level of lipocalin 2 in the endurance training group, were 22.7±8.3 and 17.7±6.8, while these level were 22.2±6.2 & 19.9±6.5 in the resistance training group. The differences between three groups were not statistically significant (p>0.05).Conclusion: This study showed that eight weeks of endurance and resistance exercise training has no effect on lipocalin-2 plasma levels.

Background and aims: One of the most important side effects of substance abuse and dependency is brain dysfunction, especially abnormality in cognitive activities. This study was conducted to compare the functions of patients with substance dependency with normal people.Methods: In this study, 50 patients with substance dependency were selected using easy sampling method and same number of people were selected as the control group, using neighborhood area sampling. The WAIS scale was used for assessing the functions of both groups in cognitive activities. The data were analyzedusing SPSS software, version 17.Results: In all of the WAIS subscales (only Digit span), functions of the patient group were significantly less than the normal group. The means and standard deviations of verbal performance and total IQs of the normal group were 39.38±7.56, 85.38±8.38, 83.18±9.51 respectively and 32.22±6.91, 76.54±6.91 and 75.66±7.6 in the patients group.Conclusion: The results showed that dependency to substance could affect the function of patients in cognitive performances.