[Prevalence of overweight and obesity and their relation with physical fitness among tehranian children of preschool age]

Overweight and obesity are important public health problems in preschoolers because most eating and physical activity habits are established during childhood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Tehranian preschoolers using different standard criteria and to determine their relation with physical fitness. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 381 preschoolers, aged 5 to 6 years. Anthropometric, health-related and motor fitness tests were assessed in all children. Based on IOTF reference, 7.36% [Cl: 0.037-0.111] and 4.73% [Cl: 0.017-0.078] of boys and 11.51% [Cl: 0.070-0.160] and 10.99% [CI: 0.066-0.154] of girls were overweight and obese, respectively. Significant correlations were found between 20 m sprint test, predicted VO2max and most of the anthropometric indices in boys and between modified sit-ups, predicted VO2max and most of the anthropometric indices in girls. These findings emphasize the relatively high prevalence of overweight and obesity in both sexes and show that overweight and obesity were limiting factors for fitness performance levels. Overweight and obesity were indicative of poor physical fitness in both genders. Overweight and obese children, compared to their underweight and normal-weight counterparts, demonstrate inferior performance in most motor and health-related fitness parameters

effect of endurance training in changes of blood lactate and plasma calcitonin gene related peptide levels in type 2 diabetic rats

Streptozotocin-induced type2 diabetes causes functional and metabolic changes in some tissues and subsequently produces some intermediates and substances which enter the circulation. On the other hand, endurance training can modify the amount of these substances. In this study, the effects of diabetes and endurance training on resting levels of blood lactate and plasma calcitonin gene- related peptide [CGRP] were investigated. Fifty rats were divided into 4 groups including control nondiabetic [n=10] training nondiabetic [n=10] nontraining diabetic [n=15] and training diabetic. Diabetes was induced by feeding with high fat diet HFD and injecting STZ. The training groups underwent an endurance training program on treadmill. Blood Lactate concentration was measured by a lactate kit and plasma CGRP concentration was determined by enzyme immunoassay kit [EIA]. In the control nondiabetic, training nondiabetic, nontraining diabetic control and training diabetic groups, the restig values of blood lactate were 2.4, 2.08, 4.5, 3.7 [mmol/L] and plasma CGRP values were 0.40, 0.35, 4.9,3.0 [ng/ml], respectively. Resting levels of circulating lactate and CGRP were higher in diabetic subjects than in control nondiabetic rats and endurance training decreased resting value of blood lactate in diabetic rats but did not change the plasma CGRP. Thus, it seems that the role of endurance training in ameliorating diabetes is due to decreasing resting level of blood lactate, but not plasma CGRP

Lignans and neolignans from Stelleropsis antoninae

Stelleropsis antoninae Pobed. [Family: Thymelaeaceae] grows wildly as an herbaceous plant in Iran. Most of the Thymelaeaceous plants contain lignans and neolignans, which have important pharmacologically properties. In the present study, the isolation and identification of the main lignans and neolignans of S. antoninae, which has not been previously reported is described and compared to other species. Column [CC] and High Performance Liquid Chromatographic [HPLC] methods were used for the isolation and purification, and 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, HMBC, HMQC, H-H COSY and MS were employed for the identification of the compounds isolated from the methanol extract. From the methanol extract of the aerial parts of S. antoninae four lignans, syringaresinol [1], syringaresinol 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside [4], syringaresinol 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-[1-6]-beta-D-glucopyranoside [5], liriodendrin [6], and two neolignans, 5-methoxylariciresinol 4'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside [3] and dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside [2] were isolated and identified. The results of this study show that siringaresinol, a well-known bioavtive compound, and its glucosides are the main lignans, and lariciresinol and coniferyl alcohol derivatives are the main neolignans of S. antoninae

Effect of 4 weeks of supramaximal sprint interval training on physiological, hormonal and metabolic factors

Supramaximal sprint interval training is an efficient means of improving physical fitness within a short period of time. However the effects of this type of training which cause hormonal and physiological adaptations to increase enhanced aerobic and anaerobic performances, are not well known. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of four weeks of Supramaximal sprint interval training on some hormonal and physiological variables. Fifteen trained wrestlers were randomly assigned into two groups, the experimental [EXP=8] and controls [CON=7] groups. Before and after training, subjects performed [a] a graded exercise test; and [b] four consecutive Wingate tests with 4-min recovery intervals between each. Resting blood samples were collected before and after training. Both groups followed the same wrestling training program for 4 weeks; additionally, the EXP group performed a running-based anaerobic sprint test [RAST] as a Supramaximal sprint interval training protocol for 4 weeks, two sessions per week. The EXP group showed improvements in V02max [+5.4%], Peak power output [34.9%] and Mean Power Output [29.3%] after the training [P<0.05], along with significant increases in total testosterone, total testosterone/cortisol ratio [TCR] and free testosterone/cortisol [FTCR] ratio in the EXP group, but there were no significant differences between groups. Cortisol was tended to decrease in both groups [P>0.05], but none of the variables were changed in the CON group after the training. The current findings suggest that the Supramaximal sprint interval training program with short recovery can increase both aerobic and anaerobic performances. The changes observed in FTCR and TCR suggest exercise training-induced anabolic adaptations

[Isolation of Histophilus somni [Haemophilus somnus ] from pneumonic lesions of slaughtered cattle in suburbs of Tehran]

Objective: Isolation of Histophilus somni [Haemophilus somnus] from pneumonic lesions in cattle

Animals: Fifty - two samples of pneumonic lungs from slaughtered cattle

Procedure: During a six -month period, 52 lung samples with pneumonia were collected from slaughterhouses in suburbs of Tehran for isolation of H. somni. Samples were cultured by standard bacteriological methods and isolated bacteria were identified according to Carter and Cole method by biochemical and enzymatic examinations. Antibiotic sensitivity test was performed on H. somni isolates

Results: H. somni was isolated alone or with other bacteria from 4 [7.69%] lungs with pneumonia. Antibiotic sensitivity test showed that the isolated bacteria were sensitive to Ceftioufur [Exenel] and Enrofloxacine but resistant to Trimethoprim, Penicillin and Streptomycin

Conclusion: To the authors' knowledge this is the first report of H. somni isolation from respiratory system of cattle in Iran and further research is necessary about it