[The effect of Althaea officinalis.L root alcoholic extract on blood sugar level and lipid profiles of streptozotocin induced-diabetic rats]

Introduction: Althaea officinalis is listed among potential anti-diabetic herbal medicines. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the alcoholic extract of Althaea officinalis root on lowering blood sugar and lipid profiles in the treatment of type I diabetes

Materials and Methods: Seventy male Wistar rats were divided into 7 groups [n=10 each] as follows: Non-diabetic control, sham receiving normal saline [NS], and the diabetic control groups, which received extract of Althaea officinalis at doses of 200, 400, 800 mg/kg body weight respectively through gastric gavage and glibenclamide 5 mg/kg, for a period of 4 weeks. Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin [STZ] [60 mg/kg body weight]

Results: The hydroalcoholic extract of Althaea officinalis significantly decreased blood glucose levels [P<0.05] in diabetic rats treated, at all doses [200, 400, 800 mg/kg]. Significant improvement was also observed in dyslipidemia [p<0.05], caused by diabetes mellitus, as confirmed by reduced levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and significantly elevated levels of HDL. Fasting blood glucose levels of glibenclamide treated rats 200 mg/kg doses of the extract were significantly lower than those in the diabetic control group [P<0.05]. However levels of fasting blood glucose in the group treated with 400, 800 mg/kg doses of the extract had no significant difference, as compared to the group treated with glibenclamide [P<0.05]

Conclusion: Results of this study discovered significant hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic effects for the extract of Althaea officinalis in Wistar rats

validity, diagnostic value and replicability of bender visual-motor gestalt test in traumatic brain injury patients

Bender Gestalt test is one of the most famous neuropsychological tests that is simple and it can be used to examine brain injuries. The objective of this research was to investigate the validity, diagnostic strength and the replicability of the Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test in patients with traumatic brain injury [TBI]. 240 participants were tested in a case-control study to examine the validity of this test in two groups included 120 patients with TBI and normal cases. All participants were involved in the study by non-probability and consecutive sampling method. The normal group was matched with the TBI group in terms of age, gender and education level. The Bender Gestalt Test, neurological and dissectional information questionnaire, the demographic variable lists of the patients and the mini-mental examination test [MMSE] were used to collect the data. Findings showed that patients with TBI showed more frequency in Gestalt test's dozen errors than the normal group. The discriminant validity coefficient showed that, in total 98.3% of the participants had been placed correctly in two normal and patient groups. The concurrent validity coefficient with the MMSE was -0.53 and the item-total correlation of this test were in a range of 0.10 to 0.48. The replicability results of this test among three examiners through intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] calculations were 0.81 and the cronbach's Alpha coefficient for the total sample was 0.85. This test has an acceptable discriminant and replicability strength. Regarding the obtained validity and reliability coefficients, it is recommended that this test be applied with the paraclinical diagnostic tools [such as CT-scan and MRI] as the screening tools in patients with TBI

Effect of exercise on diabetes-induced oxidative stress in the rat hippocampus

Oxidative stress forms the foundation for the induction of multiple cellular pathways which can lead to the complications of diabetes mellitus that the most debilitating ones are diseases of the nervous system. In this study, we evaluated whether treadmill running could alleviate oxidative stress and apoptosis rate in the hippocampus of streptozotocin- induced diabetic rats. Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups [n=10]: Control group [CR], exercised group [CE], diabetic group [DR] and diabetic-exercised group [DE]. Diabetes was induced by injection of streptozotocin in male rats. All rats in the trained group run on a rodent motor-driven treadmill for eight weeks. At the end of eight weeks, hippocampi of animals were immediately removed on ice and kept frozen. The light supernatant was taken and stored at -80 [degree sign]C. They were used for determination of antioxidant enzymes and TBARs level. Index of apoptosis was detected by cell death detection ELISA Kit. Levels of TBARs in DR and DE groups were significantly higher than CR group. SOD and GPx activities significantly increased in CE group and decreased in DR group. CAT activity significantly decreased in DR group versus CR group. The apoptosis rate significantly increased and decreased in DR and CE groups respectively compared to CR. Exercise had beneficial effects in the diabetic exercised rats, possibly in part because of alterations in the ability to adapt to exercise- induced oxidative stress

[Psychosis secondary to traumatic brain injury with manifestation of prominent grandiosity delusion: a case study with a 4-month follow-up]

Traumatic brain injury [TBI] has been known as one of rare etiological factors of psychotic disorder. In this case study we investigated the trend of evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of a patient with psychosis secondary to TBI who developed prominent grandiosity delusion. The patient was a young 35-year-old man who was hospitalized due to a motorcycle accident and developed decreased level of consciousness, restlessness and nausea. CT findings indicated contusion of the left temporal lobe. Moreover, loss of consciousness [LOC], cognitive impairment, post-traumatic amnesia [PTA], disorientation, lack of attention and concentration, memory disturbances, aggression and grandiosity delusions were observed during psychological evaluations. 27 days after TBI, he was diagnosed as a case of psychosis secondary to TBI based on DSM-IV-TR in psychiatric examinations. Then, the patient gradually recovered after medical treatment and the symptoms of injury disappeared during a follow-up period of 4 months. Presentation and treatment of this patient cannot clarify the vague relationship between TBI and psychosis secondary to TBI; however, the results of this study emphasize the importance of psychological evaluations, investigation of serious symptoms of mental disorders, monitoring and protection of these patients for proper treatment. Identifying the risk factors of secondary psychosis complicating TBI can be helpful to rule out differential diagnoses, detect those with higher risk of psychosis and facilitate timely implementation of management strategies for this disorder before the onset of its advanced symptoms

[Evaluation of radiation dose received by operating room personnel during radiological procedures]

Utilization of ionizing radiation in some surgery operations [especially orthopedic operations] is inevitable. One of the main occupational hazards of physicians and other personnel could be radiation exposure risks. This study aimed to evaluate the exposure doses received by operating room personnel in such surgery operations. 30 personnel of operation room in university affiliated hospitals of Hamadan city [excluding physicians and nurses] were studied as they received radiation doses. 3 TLD [thermoluminescent dosimet ers] chips were fixed on the apron of each staff member. To estimate the high risk examinations, staff members also completed a questionnaire about the type and number of the radiological examinations that they had participated. Minimum and maximum level of doses received by the participants were between 0.24 and 0.56 mSv in a four month period. Therefore, amount of annual doses received by the personnel would be between 0.73 and 1.7 mSv, respectively [without reduction of background radiation]. As the accuracy of TL dosimeters is normally about 0.1 mSv; therefore, it can be claimed that the received doses by the personnel was very low and comparable with background radiation. The results indicated that the radiation doses received by operating room personnel were very low. They were less than maximum predicted doses reported by the International Commission of Radiation Protection. However, the use of dose recording systems for awareness about absorbed doses beyond permitted limits is necessary

[Investigate the effect of regular exercise on diabetic nephropathy in rat]

Diabetes mellitus and its complications are a public health problem. Exercise is frequently recommended in the type I and type II diabetes mellitus and can improve glucose uptake by increasing insulin sensitivity and lowering body adiposity. Diabetic nephropathy has become the main cause of renal failure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of regular exercise on diabetic nephropathy. In this study, fifty-six 12-week rats weighted 200-300 gr were selected and assigned into two groups [treatment and control]. Diabetes mellitus was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin [50 mg/kg]. The treatment group were kept in normal conditions of food and place with regular exercise [treadmill] for 12 weeks, 5 days in a week, an hour every day. In control group we prepared normal conditions [food and place] without any physical activity/regular exercise. After 12 weeks renal tissues were sampled in both groups and 5-6 micron tissue section were prepared through H and E staining method. Histopathological analysis of tissue section in control group demonstrated that glomerulosclerosis, arteriolosclerosis, perivascular cuffing of mononuclear inflammatory cells, tubular cells nephrosis and hyaline cast in lumen of renal tubules and a little pathological changes in treatment group were observed. Mean deference of histopathological changes and proteinuria in two groups were significant. We demonstrated that regular exercise [treadmill] is able to reduce pathological changes and improve diabetic nephropathy disease in diabetic patients resulting in the reduction of HbA1c, oxidative stress, hyperglycemia, VLDL, expression of apoptosis regulatory gene and TGF-beta and increase insulin sensitivity, HSPG, HS, HDL, IGF and EGF

Affect of age on composite bond strength to dentine using 5[th] and 6[th] generation adhesive system

The mineral content of dentin increases with age and its primary structure is altered. These changes may have unknown effects on efficiency of adhesive systems. The aim of this study was to find the effect of aging on dentin bonding agents. fourty eight extracted human premolars were divided into 2 groups under 15 years old and 2 groups over 45 years old. After exposing surface dentin with wheel type burs and polishing dentin surface with paper disks, dental adhesives, Excite and Prompt L-Pop were used following manufacturer's instructions. Then composite cylinders were bonded to dentin and light cured. Then Shear Bond Strength [SBS] of samples were measured with universal testing device [Dartec]. Fractured specimens were observed under stereomicroscope to determine the type of fracture. The mean SBS for those teeth aged over 45 was 24.15 MPa using Prompt L-Pop, and 18.6 MPa using Excite, and for teeth aged under 15 years old was 21.5 MPa using Prompt L-Pop and 13.99 MPa using Excite. SBS of older teeth was shown to be more than younger teeth, also Prompt L-Pop showed higher SBS than excite. It seems that lower mineral content of dentin in younger teeth results in over demineraliza-tion while etching hence resin is unable to penetrate the collagens fibers resulting in voids in bonding area which reduces the SBS in this group. Also higher SBS of Prompt L-Pop can be explained by the water cone-tent of it, which serves as solvent while Excite has ethanol which is evaporated and reduces the penetration of resin