Protective Effects of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Extract against Diabetes-Induced Heart Abnormality in Rats

BACKGROUND: Diabetic cardiomyopathy is an important causal factor in morbidity and mortality among diabetic patients, and currently, no effective means are available to reverse its pathological progress. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of ginger extract on apolipoproteins (apo) A and B, hyperhomocysteinemia, cathepsin G and leptin changes, as well as cardiac fibrosis and heart muscle cell proliferation under hyperglycemic conditions in vivo. METHODS: Twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided into three groups, namely: control, non-treated diabetic, and ginger extract-treated diabetic groups. The ginger extract-treated diabetic group received a 50 mg daily dose of ginger extract intragastrically for 6 weeks. RESULTS: The results revealed concurrent significant increases in plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), homocysteine (Hcy), cathepsin G and apoB levels and decreases in apoA and leptin levels in the non-treated diabetic group compared to the control group. Moreover, heart structural changes, including fibrosis and heart muscle cell proliferation, were observed in non-treated diabetic rats compared to the control rats. Significant amelioration of changes in the heart structure together with restoration of the elevated levels of Hcy and CRP, leptin, cathepsin G, and apoA and B were found in the ginger extract-treated diabetic group compared to the non-treated diabetic group. CONCLUSION: The findings indicated that ginger extract significantly reduces heart structural abnormalities in diabetic rats and that these effects might be associated with improvements in serum apo, leptin, cathepsin G, and Hcy levels and with the antioxidant properties of ginger extract.

Efficacy of emotion focused therapy on quality of life and sleep in irritable bowel syndrome

This research aimed to determine the efficacy of emotion focused therapy on quality of life and sleep problems of IBS patients. In this research 52 IBS patients who met this diagnosis, according the Rome II criteria, were selected and assigned to two experimental and control groups with 26 IBS patients in each group. The emotion focused therapy according Greenberg's manual- was conducted in 8 weekly sessions in the clinic of gastroenterology in Isfahan. The questionnaires of quality of life and sleep problems were completed as the pretest, post-test and follow-up. Results of multivariate analysis of variance s shows that emotion focused therapy has been significant effect in reduction of post-test mean scores of quality of life, beginning of sleep and wake-up and follow-up mean scores of wake-up [p<0. 05]. Emotion focused therapy could be useful to improvement of psychological status of IBS patients, but It seems to needs to probing more emotional experiences for more persistent effects

[Comparing the Refinability of Hospital Wastewater by Vetiver and Typical Straw Plants in Tropical Regions]

Background: In recent years, crisis of water shortage has become a serious problem in many countries. In this regard, the use of treated wastewater in natural or artificial method in agriculture and the like, has been proposed as an important and practical solution. The natural purification method by the use of artificial canebrakes, compared with other methods of treatment is an appropriate method because of its low cost, and also, because of easy navigation, the requirements of low technology and low energy consumption. Several herbs have been used to increase the efficiency canebrakes which including special plants to purify such wastewater is Vetiveria that has unique genetic, morphological and physiological characteristics. Due to the limited knowledge of the plant's industrial wastewater treatment, in this study, a comparison of filterablity of hospital wastewater was done between Vetivaria and bulrush in tropical areas.

Methods: This experimental study was done in 2013 in the hot season, summer. In this study, was made two pilot glass with dimensions of 50*60*100 Cm. A mixture of soil, sand, gravel, clay soil was selected. The irrigation method in this study was subsurface and continuous. First, hospital wastewater via a 220 liter tank as the primary sedimentation retention time and with time of 2 hours entered into bed with a hydraulic retention time of 4 days to discharge 85/0 liters per hour. To evaluate the efficiency of each plant in the treatment of hospital wastewater, chemical parameters including [PH, TP, TN, TSS, BOD5, COD]were measured according to standard methods of measuring. . Analysis of the data was done by the use of t-test and Mann-Whitney and SPSS software.

Results: Based on the finding of this study, percentage of removal parameter[Bod5, Tss, Tn, Tp] by plant Vetiveria was [88.54, 95.71, 93.93, 99.80] and for bulrush was [82.54, 91.13, 86.64, 99.28].

Conclusion: Due to the unique characteristics of Vetiveria, such as high resistance against unfavorable environmental conditions and its higher efficiency than bulrush, this plant is recommended for the treatment of hospital wastewater.

Association between Y-chromosome AZFc region micro-deletions with recurrent miscarriage

In human, about 25% of implanted embryos are losing 1-2 week following attachment to the uterus. A subset of this population will have three or more consecutive miscarriages which define as repeated pregnancy loss [RPL]. Introducing the assisted reproductive technologies [ARTS] made a chance for infertile couples to solve their childless problem. This study was conducted to evaluate the incidence of Y-chromosome AZF region's micro-deletions in male partners of couples with recurrent miscarriage [RM]. Thirty male partner of couples with RM and thirty infertile males, who referred to the Yazd Research and Clinical Center for Infertility were recruited to this study. In addition, 30 healthy men were screened as a control group from the same center. After DNA extraction using salting out method, the multiplex-PCR was done for amplifying 8 known STSs proximal to the AZF region of the Y-chromosome. The results were compared between the groups using Fisher's exact t-test and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Of the 30 infertile males, 5 [16.6%] cases were associated with the AZF region micro-deletions of DYF87S, DYF84S1, DYF83S1 and DYF51S1, STSs. But in the fertile and RM male groups was found no deletions similar to those, of the infertile males [p=1.0]. Instead 4 [13.3%] cases of the RM group males had different micro-deletions included DYS220 [AZFb, sY129], DYS262, DYF8551, and DYF8651, STSs. The AZFc locus of Y-chromosome micro-deletions have a significant role in RM [p=0.045]. It seems that the Y-chromosome AZF region's micro-deletions are associated with RM, and we recommend adding this AZF region STSs into infertility analyzing panels.

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type VI in a 17-year-old Iranian boy with severe muscular weakness - a diagnostic challenge?

The Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type VI [EDSVI] is an autosomal recessive connective tissue disease which is characterized by severe hypotonia at birth, progressive kyphoscoliosis, skin hyperelasticity and fragility, joint hypermobility and [sub-]luxations, microcornea, rupture of arteries and the eye globe, and osteopenia. The enzyme collagen lysyl hydroxylase [LH1] is deficient in these patients due to mutations in the PLOD1 gene. We report a 17-year-old boy, born to related parents, with severe kyphoscoliosis, scar formation, joint hypermobility and multiple dislocations, muscular weakness, rupture of an ocular globe, and a history of severe infantile hypotonia. EDS VI was suspected clinically and confirmed by an elevated ratio of urinary total lysyl pyridinoline to hydroxylysyl pyridinoline, abnormal electrophoretic mobility of the alpha-collagen chains, and mutation analysis. Because of the high rate of consanguineous marriages in Iran and, as a consequence thereof, an increased rate of autosomal recessive disorders, we urge physicians to consider EDS VI in the differential diagnosis of severe infantile hypotonia and muscular weakness, a disorder which can easily be confirmed by the analysis of urinary pyridinolines that is highly specific, sensitive, robust, fast, non-invasive, and inexpensive

Could mean platelet volume predicts impaired reperfusion and in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular event in patients with primary percutaneous coronary intervention after ST-elevation myocardial infarction?

Due to the positive relation between platelet size and platelet reactivity, a high value of the mean platelet volume [MPV] is an independent risk factor to predict acute myocardial infarction [AMI] and its adverse outcome. Few data are available to determinate the prognostic value of MPV in ST-elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI] patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI]. The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical value of MPV to predict impaired reperfusion and in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events [MACE] in acute STEMI treated with primary PCI. This study included 203 STEMI patients referring for blood sampling before primary PCI to estimate MPV and determine the thrombolysis in myocardial infarction [TIMI] flow grade, corrected TIMI frame count [CTFC], and in-hospital MACE. The frequency of in-hospital MACE in the group of patients with a high MPV [>/= 10.3 ng/dl] was significantly more than that of the group with a low MPV [<10.3 ng/dl] [37.8% vs. 4.4%, P < 0.001]. The no-reflow phenomenon was more frequent in the patients with a high MPV than that of the patients with a low MPV [17.8% vs. 1.9%, P < 0.001]. The mean MPV in the group of patients with CTFC >/= 40 was significantly more than that of the group of patients with CTFC < 40 [10.9 +/- 0.92 vs. 9.45 +/- 0.85, P = 0.001]. After adjustment for baseline characteristics, a high MPV remained a strong independent factor to predict the no-reflow phenomenon [Odds Ratio [OR]=2.263, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.47 to 5.97; P < 0.002], in-hospital MACE [OR = 2.49, 95% CI = 1.34 to 4.61; P < 0.004], and CTFC >/= 40 [OR=2.09, 95% CI = 1.22 to 3.39; P < 0.003]. These findings confirmed that not only could admission MPV predict impaired reperfusion and in-hospital MACE in acute STEMI patients treated with PCI, but also it could be considered a practical way to determine higher-risk patients

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention [primary PCI] is the method of choice in establishing reperfusion in acute myocardial infarction [AMI] patients. The aim of this study was to determine the success rate of primary PCI in a university medical center in Iran with a view to promoting it as a first-line therapy in patients with AMI, especially in centers with established catheterization labs across the country. All cases of AMI admitted between September 2001 and September 2005 underwent primary PCI. The achieved thrombolysis in myocardial infarction [TIMI] flow was recorded, and the patients were followed during the hospital admission for major adverse cardiac events [MACE]. A total of 180 patients, consisting of 36 females and 144 males, with a mean age of 56 +/- 2.1 years were included in the study. The target vessel was the left anterior descending artery in 66.1%, right coronary artery in 27.2%, and left circumflex artery in 6.7% of the cases. The respective rate of anatomical and procedural success was 94.4% and 90%. The rates of mortality, coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG], and reinfarction were 6.7%, 1.1%, and 2.2%, respectively. Most patients were discharged with no complications in less than a week. Anatomical success in patients < 65 years old was 95% versus 92.5% for those >/= 65 years of age. Procedural success in patients < 65 years of age was 93.6% versus 77.5% for those >/= 65 years old [P < 0.05]. No significant relation was detected between the success rate and sex, target vessel, or major coronary artery disease risk factors. More patients in the mortality group had a longer door-to-balloon [DTB] time compared to the surviving group [P < 0.05]. In light of the results of this study, primary PCI may also be practiced as the therapy of choice for AMI patients in centers with established equipment in our region with acceptable rates of MACE and complications. Better procedural success rates are achieved in younger patients and in those with a shorter DTB time

Can exercise affect reproductive and trophic hormones in girls?

To study the effect of exercise on the reproductive hormones [testosterone and estrogen] and trophic hormones [follicle stimulating hormone [FSH], luteinizing hormone [LH] and prolactin [PRL]] in girls of Sport Education at Mansoura University. Sixty students were randomized chosen from the student girls aged 18-20 years in the faculty of Sport Education at Mansoura University, Egypt, divided into 2 groups: Study group [30 students]: Control group [30 students]. The study group will practice only the physical exercises in the faculty curriculum for 2 years, 4 days/week. The control group will not practice any kind of sport. There is no significant statistical difference between the study group and the control group regarding anthropometric measurements. There is significant increase in testosterone level in the control group. Also there is significant increase in estradiol level in the study group. Regarding FSH, LU and prolactin there is no significant statistical difference in hormonal level in the study and control group. Non vigorous exercise in young girls is beneficial in decreasing testosterone level and increasing estradiol level, with no effect on trophic hormones [FSH. LH and prolactin]

Barriers to diet self-care in outpatients with type 2 diabetes in Iran

To determine the level of perceived barriers to prudent diet among adult Iranian with type 2 diabetes, and also to examine the relationship between demographic characteristics and level perceived barriers to prudent diet. In this cross-sectional survey a total of 253 patients with diagnosed type 2 diabetes completed a questionnaire concerning demographic characteristics as well as a set of questions, of the Farsi translated version of Barriers to Diet Self-care Scale [BDSS]. The overall mean score of Barriers to Diet Self-care Scale [BDSS] was significantly more in men than women [P<0.01]. As duration of diabetes increased, the BDSS also increased [P<0.01]. This study showed that barriers to diet-self care are more in Iranian male than females. Longitudinal studies are needed to assess the relationship between barriers to diet self-care and family, social and cultural supports