Healthy and Unhealthy Dietary Patterns Are Related to Depression: A Case-Control Study

OBJECTIVE: Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability around the world. The relationship between depression and dietary patterns has been reported in a few studies but with controversial results. This study aimed to investigate this relationship in an Iranian population. METHODS: In our study, 330 depressed patients (cases) and healthy people (controls) (1:2) were individually matched according to age, sex and area of residence. New cases of depression were recruited from two psychiatric clinics in Tehran. Interviewers went to each patient's residential area, and invited qualified individuals to participate in the study as controls. Food intake over the past year was collected using a validated semi quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Dietary patterns were determined by the principal components method. Binary logistic regression was used to test the effect of dietary patterns on depression. RESULTS: We identified two major dietary patterns by using factor analysis: the healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns. We categorized the scores of these patterns to quartiles. After adjusting for non-depression drug use, job, marital status, children number, and body mass index, the relations of depression and quartiles of two dietary patterns are significant (p=0.04 & p=0.01, respectively). Compared with participants in the lowest quartile, those in the highest quartile had significantly lower odds ratio (OR) for depression in healthy dietary pattern, and higher OR for depression in unhealthy dietary pattern. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns may be associated with the risk of depression. The results can be used for developing interventions that aim to promote healthy eating for the prevention of depression.

Translating and evaluating psychometrics property of hand hygiene questionnaire-Persian version

Background: Since hand hygiene is a key strategy for infection control, considering appropriate instrument for evaluating health care providers' hand hygiene is essential. In this study, translation process and evaluating reliability and validity of hand hygiene questionnaire [HHQ] is described

Methods: HHQ was translated into Persian with combined method. In this cross-sectional study, the questionnaire was given to 60 nursing students in sixth semester. The internal consistency, test-re-test reliability, convergent construct validity of the questionnaire were measured. The data were analyzed by SPSS software, 16th version

Results: The cronbach's alpha of HHQ was 0.80. Intra class correlation coefficient ranged from 0.70-0.85 and standard error of measurement was low. There were no significant statistical differences between test and retest. Also convergent construct validity of HHQ was optimal

Conclusion: The results indicated that validity and reliability of HHQ-Persian version were appropriate and satisfactory. It can be used for nursing students; however, for other health care providers further evaluation is essential

[ Effect of Metformin on spatial learning and memory in streptozotocin Rat Model of Alzheimer's Disease]

Background:Alzheimer's disease [AD] is closely associated with impaired insulin signaling in brain, suggesting it to be a brain-specific form of diabetes and so termed as "type 3 diabetes". Therefore investigating the role of pharmacological agents that can improve neuronal insulin resistance merit attention in treatment off AD. Metformin is one of the most widely used against peripheral insulin resistance. In present study, we aimed to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of metformin on spatial learning and memory of streptozotocin [STZ] Rat Model of AD.

Materials and Methods: 56 Female wistar rate [200-250gr] were divided into 6 groups [n=6]: control, sham operated, STZ, STZ +Saline [0.2ml], STZ +Metformin [50, 100, 200mg/kg, i.p. for 10 day]. For induction of AD, STZ [3 mg/kg,] were administered bilaterally into latral ventricles. All rates were tested spatial learning and memory in the Morris water maze.

Results: our results show that pre-training injection of Metformin improves spatial learning and memory in STZ Rat Model of AD in a dose dependent manner, so that rats of Metformin groups found platform in less time and with less distance traveled, in comparison with STZ group. Metformin also increased the percentage of time elapsed and the distance swum in the target quadrant in STZ Rat Model of AD, in probe test.

Conclusion: An i.c.v. injection of STZ resulted in a significant decline in spatial learning and memory and pretreatment with Metformin can enhance spatial learning and memory. The results show that metformin as an insulin sensitizer against peripheral insulin resistance is useful for AD treatment.

[ effect of hydroalcoholic extract of salvia officinalis L. on the inflammatory reduction in male mice]

Resistance of microorganisms to chemical drugs makes the medicinal plants to be considered in folk medicine. Antidepressants, antimicrobials, antinociceptives and antioxidants effects of Salvia officinalis L. have been evaluated. In this study, the anti-inflammatory like effect of Salvia officinalis L. hydroalcoholic extract was studied on the inflammation induced byxylene in the right ear of male mice. In the experimental groups, 0.03ml of xylene was injected subcutaneously in the right ear of mice weighing 20-25 g. 30 minutes before xylene injection, Salvia officinalis L. extracts in doses of 10, 50, 100, 150 mg / kg and dexamethasone 15mg/ kg were administered intraperitoneally. The inflammation was measured according to the weight difference of a plug with 6mm of thickness in treated and non- treated ears of mice. After treatments, white blood cells of animal's serum were counted. The results showed that Salvia officinalis L. hydroalcoholic extract reduces inflammation comparable with dexamethasone effect. The hydroalcoholic extract of Salvia officinalis L. has anti-inflammatory effect and this effect may be due to flavonoid and terpene components in plant

[Effect of salvia officinalis L. extract on malondialdehyde against streptozotocin-induced oxidative stress in rat's brain]

Oxidative stress is caused by an imbalance between oxidative and the anti-oxidative systems in the living tissues. Oxidative stress in brain causes brain dysfunction, destruction of neurons, and diseases like Alzheimer. In the present study, we examined the protective effect of Salvia officinalis L. against streptozotocin-induced oxidative stress in rat's brain. In this experimental study, Wistar rats were divided into control, Sham, and three experimental groups received 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg hydroalcoholic extract of Salvia officinalis intraperitoneally, respectively. After two weeks, surgical procedure was performed on sham and experimental groups and after one week recovery, streptozotocin was injected intra-cerebroventricularly [ICV-STZ] at 3 mg/kg. Brain hemispheres were collected after fourth week. Finally, malondialdehyde [MDA]] level was measured in brain hemispheres tissues. STZ significantly increased MDA levels compared to the control group [P<0.001], whereas intraperitoneally injection of different doses of Salvia officinalis leaves extract significantly decreased MDA levels [P<0.001]. We concluded that antioxidant effect of Salvia officinalis L. could prevent oxidative stress induced by ICV injection of STZ in the brain of male rat

[Effect of sodium azide on sperm parameters and the serum levels of testosterone, LH and FSH in adult male mice]

Sodium azide is a chemical and toxic compound. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of sodium azide on the viability of sperms and the serum levels of testosterone, LH and FSH in mature male laboratory small mice. In this experimental study, 50 Balb/C male mice weighing 20-25g were divided into five groups [10 mice in each group]. The animals were prescribed sodium azide for 60 days. Alternatively 5, 10 and 20 milligrams per kilogram of body weight of sodium azide were fed to the animals in the experimental groups 1, 2 and 3. After the completion of treatment, serum values of testosterone, LH and FSH were measured. The viability of sperms was also studied. The number of sperms in three experimental groups showed significant decrease compared to the control and sham groups [p<0.001]. Serum value of testostrone hormone showed dose- dependently significant decrease compared to the control and sham groups. The serum level of FSH in the experimental groups did not show any significant change compared to the control and sham groups. But, the serum level of LH in experimental groups receiving sodium azide 10, 20 mg/kg increased significantly compared to the control and sham groups [p<0.01]. It seems sodium azide reduces serum level of testosterone and the number of sperms under the process of spermatogenesis in the animals

[Effect of Salvia officinalis hydroalcoholic extract on liver enzymes in male rat]

Oxidative stress induces different diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, arteriosclerosis and Alzheimer. In this study, the antioxidant effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Salvia officinalis was investigated. In this experimental study, isoniazid, as an anti tuberculosis agent, has been used to induce free radicals. Male rats were used and divided in 9 groups; in each group, 7 rats were included. Isoniazid with dose of 50 mg/kg was orally administered to rats continuously once per day for 28 days using a feeding atraumatic needle. The treated groups received hydroalcoholic extract of Salvia officinalis with the doses of 100, 250 and 400 mg/kg intraperitonally, and the effects of the extract and isoniazid on liver enzymes such as aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanin aminotransferase [ALT], alkaline phosphatase [ALP] and gama glutamyl transferase [GGT] were studied. Serum levels of AST, ALT, ALP and GGT and also hepatic histopathologic observations indicated that the effective doses of Salvia officinalis extract were 100 and 250 mg/kg. This study showed that Salvia officinalis hydroalcoholic extract is potentially effective in the reduction of damages caused by oxidative stress

Diagnostic accuracy of conventional, digital and cone beam CT in vertical root fracture detection

Vertical root fracture [VRF] is a common failure in endodontically treated teeth. Due to VRF's poor prognosis, a reliable and valid detection method is critical for treatment planning. Conventional and digital radiographs are limited in VRF detection. Recently, Cone Beam CT [CBCT] system has been introduced. This study aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of these three imaging modalities for VRF detection. One hundred and twenty extracted single-rooted teeth were selected and sectioned through cementoenamel junction. The roots were divided in two groups; group one consisted of 60 teeth with induced root fracture and group two had 60 teeth with no fracture. In the first group the crack was made by instron system. All samples were imaged by the three imaging modalities. Diagnostic accuracy was then compared with methylene blue dye detection method. Kappa was used for statistical analysis. CBCT showed the highest sensitivity [94.6%] and specificity [98.2%]. Conventional radiography and digital radiography were not as accurate as CBCT. According to our study, CBCT seems to be better than conventional and digital radiography in detecting VRF and provides the most reliable data in comparison with the two other modalities