ABSTRACT
Objectives: To evaluate the sleep habits in pre and postmenopausal femalesand to find out the relationship between serums progesterone levels and sleep habits
Study Design: Cross sectional study
Place and Duration: At Islamic International Medical College Rawalpindi from 1[st] March 2010 to 31[st] March 2011
Methodology: A total of 60 females were randomly selected out of which 30 were premenopausal [Group A] and 30 were postmenopausal [Group B] females. The sleep habits were assessed by sleep questionnaire and blood sample was taken for serum progesterone levels and were analyzed by enzyme-linked fluorescent immunoassay [ELFA] technique
Results: The comparison between pre and postmenopausal females was done on the basis of their sleep habits and statistically significant results were found which showed that postmenopausal females had lesser sleep duration than premenopausal females [p=0.011]. Postmenopausal females had more frequency of nocturnal arousals than premenopausal females [p<0.01], postmenopausal females awoke in morning without an alarm while most of the premenopausal females needed an alarm to wake up [p= 0.000] and postmenopausal females woke up earlier in the morning than premenopausal females [p=0.000]. Serum progesterone levels of postmenopausal females were lower than premenopausal females [p= 0.000]
Conclusions: Serum progesterone levels affect the sleep pattern of females across the menstrual cycle and menopause. As the serum progesterone levels decline after menopause; the sleep habits of females get affected and have relatively poor sleep quality, more evening tiredness and more dream remembrance as compared to premenopausal females
ABSTRACT
To determine the effects of ascorbic acid [AA] and alpha tocopherol [AT] supplementation on stress induced changes in serum malondialdehyde and serum superoxide dismutase levels in male Sprague Dawley rats. Quasi experimental study. Department of Physiology, Army Medical College Rawalpindi in collaboration with National Institute of Health, Islamabad during March 2009 to September 2009. Eighty male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into five groups with sixteen rats in each group. Group I served as control without stress and group II exposed to restraint stress for 06 hours, group III given ascorbic acid, group IV alpha tocopherol and group V was supplemented with both vitamins along with standard diet for one month. All antioxidant supplemented groups were exposed to restraint stress for six hours. Immediately after stress, the blood samples were analyzed colorimetrically to estimate serum malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase by commercially available kits. There was no significant fall in serum malondialdehyde in rats supplemented with ascorbic acid alone, however rats supplemented with alpha tocopherol or combination of ascorbic acid and alpha tocopherol revealed significant fall in serum malondialdehyde and increment in superoxide dismutase activity. Alpha tocopherol alone and in combination with ascorbic acid is effective to prevent reactive oxygen species induced increase in lipid peroxidation and fall in super oxide dismutase activity thereby conferring protection against oxidative stress
ABSTRACT
Basal testosterone cortisol ratio is considered very important to maintain homeostasis. Increase in this ratio has various beneficial effects on body. In this study we determined the effects of ascorbic acid and alpha tocopherol supplementation on basal testosterone cortisol ratio in male Sprague Dawley rats. It was quasi experimental study carried out in department of Physiology, Army Medical College Rawalpindi in collaboration with National Institute of Health, Islamabad during October 2006 to September 2007. Forty male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four groups with ten rats in each group and above mentioned antioxidants supplementation were given along with standard diet for one month. After this, blood samples were taken and analyzed for serum testosterone and cortisol by ELISA and malondialdehyde levels colorimetrically. Data were analysed on SPSS version 13 and p<0.05 was considered significant. There was no significant rise in testosterone cortisol ratio in rats supplemented with single antioxidant; however rats supplemented with combination of ascorbic acid and alpha tocopherol revealed significant rise in testosterone cortisol ratio with a fall in malondialdehyde levels. Synergistic effects of ascorbic acid and alpha tocopherol resulted in a decline in reactive oxygen species induced lipid peroxidation and rise of testosterone cortisol ratio
Subject(s)
Male , Animals, Laboratory , Ascorbic Acid , alpha-Tocopherol , Testosterone , Hydrocortisone , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Malondialdehyde , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent AssayABSTRACT
To determine the effects of ascorbic acid and selenium supplementation on basal testosterone cortisol ratio in male Sprague Dawley rats. Quasi experimental study. The study was carried out in the department of Physiology, Army Medical College Rawalpindi in collaboration with National Institute of Health, Islamabad during October 2006 to September 2007. Forty male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four groups with ten rats in each group and above mentioned antioxidants supplementation were given along with standard diet for one month. After this, blood samples were taken and analyzed for serum testosterone and cortisol by ELISA and malondialdehyde levels colorimetrically. Results were analyzed on SPSS version 13 and p value less than 0.05 was considered significant. There was no significant rise in testosterone cortisol ratio in rats supplemented with single antioxidant, however rats supplemented with combination of ascorbic acid and selenium revealed significant rise in testosterone cortisol ratio with a fall in malondialdehyde levels. Synergistic effects of ascorbic acid and selenium may have resulted in a decline in reactive oxygen species induced lipid peroxidation and rise of testosterone cortisol ratio
ABSTRACT
Calcium ions are vital in many biological processes including hormonal secretion, mitosis, reproduction, fertility and regulation of gene expression. Thus, calcium antagonists who are frequently prescribed for the cure of cardiovascular diseases may affect any of these physiological processes. This quasi experimental study was done at Army Medical College, Rawalpindi from October 2007 to March 2008. Thirty male Sprague Dawley rats, purchased from National Institute of Health, Islamabad were divided into group A [vehicle treated controls] and group B [amlodipine treated]. After receiving drug treatment for 50 days, all the rats were sacrificed. Serum was stored to measure testosterone by enzyme immunoassay technique. The testes were removed for measuring absolute testicular weight and gonado-somatic index. Serum testosterone, absolute testicular weight and gonado-somatic index were found to be significantly reduced in amlodipine treated rats. These results suggest that long term treatment with amlodipine might be associated with significant testicular regression and reduction in serum testosterone. Furthermore, since dihydopyridine antagonists are widely used in hypertension, our data may have some clinical implication in the management of infertility associated with hypertension