ABSTRACT
Cisplatin is an anti-cancer drug used in chemotherapy. The side effects of this drug include anoretic, nausea, decrease in genital gland function, azoospermia and oligospermia. Tribulus terrestris has many compounds mostly, that caused antioxidant and protective properties. The purpose of the present study to investigate protective effect of hydro-alcoholic extract Tribulus terrestris on cisplatin cytotoxicity on sperm viability and count in mice. Cisplatin and Tribulus terrestris extract were given to 30 mice for a period of 4 days. The mice were weighted and after anesthesia, their epididymis was taken out and sperm viability and sperm count were investigated, Student t-test was applied for the statistical analysis. The results show that cisplatin alone leads to a reduction in body and epididymis weight, and sperm count and sperm viability compared to the control group [p<0.05]. In the group that used cisplatin along with Tribulus terrestris extract, as the dose of extract increased, the body and epididymis weight, sperm count and viability sperm increased in compared to the cisplatin group. It seems, the existing compounds in Tribulus terrestris extract can control active metabolites caused by cisplatin and the destructive effect of this drug. Prescribing Tribulus terrestris extract along with cisplatin can possibly be beneficial and effective due to the anti-oxidant characteristics of Tribulus terrestris and also its effect on reducing harmful metabolites
ABSTRACT
Suicide has constituted a critical public health problem for many decades. The number of completed suicide is traditionally high in Iran. The objective of the present study was to describe the patterns of methods of suicide among registered deaths due to suicide in Hamada, western Iran In this cross-sectional study, all completed suicide cases [n=146] were included from March 2004 through March 2005 based on Hamadan's Forensic center registered deaths because of suicide. Supplementary data were gauged through a questionnaire from the attempters relatives. All statistical analyses were performed using version 13 of the statistical software package SPSS and an alpha level of .05 for all statistical tests. Prevalence of completed suicide was 8.3 per 100,000 in Hamadan, Iran. From 146 cases, the male-to-female ratio was 7.1:1. Average age of cases was 33.9 yr [Min=10, Max=94] across all age groups, males show consistently higher completed suicide rates than females. Of the 69.2% were from urban population versus 30.8% form rural population. The most common method of suicide was hanging [78.1%]. Other common methods were poisoning [11.6%], and self-burning [6.2%]. Suicide rate in Hamadan is high among males through hanging which can be due to substance dependency and unemployment