[Assessment of vitamin and mineral intake and some related factors in hemodialysis patients referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran]

Introduction: Deficiencies of vitamins, minerals and some trace elements have been observed in hemodialysis patients, for which inadequate nutrient intake is considered to be one of the most important reasons. Correcting the micronutrient status of these patients will improve their quality of life. This study was performed to evaluate vitamin and mineral intakes and some related factors in hemodialysis patients referred to Imam Khomeini hospital in Tehran

Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 114 hemodialysis patients. To evaluate the patients' diet, 24 hour recall for 3 days [two usual days and one holiday] was applied. Food Processor II [FP II] was utilized to calculate the amount of micronutrient intakes

Results: Low micronutrient intakes were highly prevalent in the hemodialysis patients studied [36-100%]. There was a significant negative relationship between age and thiamine, vitamin E, iron and zinc [P<0.05]. Means for thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, folate, iron, magnesium and zinc intakes were significantly higher in men than in women [P<0.05]. Moreover, mean vitamin E intake in the group with dialysis durations less than 3 years was higher than in the group with dialysis durations of over 3 years [P=0.009]. Mean magnesium and folate intakes were higher in the group without comorbidity than the group with comorbidity[P<0.05]

Conclusion: According to the present study, low micronutrient intake had a very high prevalence in hemodialysis patients

Study on the effect of hyoscine-N-butylbromide suppository on pain and process of Labor

Labor is a painful process and one of the midwives duties is trying to reduce the intensity of labor pain, in which reduction of duration of clinical stages of labor has always been considered. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of hyoscine suppository on labor pain and process of labor. This double-blind clinical trial was down on 130 nulliparous pregnant women who referred to Ahvaz Sina hospital for parturition. A hyoscine suppository was given to case group and a placebo suppository was given to control group at beginning of active phase of labor, rectally. Then the labor pain mean, cervical dilatation and effacement progress, active phase and second stage duration and delivery type were recorded. The data were analyzed using T, Chi square and Fisher tests in 0.05 significant level in SPSS Version 15.0. were significant differences between mean of cervical dilatation and effacement 1 and 2 h after intervention in both groups [P<0.0001]. The active phase and second stage duration in case group were less than control group significantly [P=0.007]. Caesarean section rate in the case group was less than control group, but the difference was not significant [P=:0.07]. Labor pain intensity had not significant difference in both groups. There were no differences in fetal heart rate, maternal pulse rate and blood pressure and neonatal APGAR score between both groups. It seems that hyoscine suppository can be used to accelerate the process of labor and reduce duration of labor pain, effectively, but does not reduce labor pain

[Assessment of methylphenidate and propranolol combination treatment in comparison with methylphenidate and placebo among children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]]

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD] is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. Due to significance of this disorder in children and its complications, this study was done to determinate efficacy of propranolol and methylphenidate combination in treatment of ADHD and in control of adverse effects of methylphenidate. This study is a double blind-placebo control clinical trial which was conducted to compare propranolol and methylphenidate combination with placebo and methylphenidate. Thirty children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were assessed by Conner's rating scale [parent version] and psychiatric interview based on DSM-IV-TR and adverse effects check list of stimulant drugs and propranolol during 4 weeks in Ahvaz Golestan hospital child and adolescent psychiatric clinic. Rate of response in combination treatment [methylphenidate and propranolol] group was significantly greater than control group. Combination treatment was more effective in control of hyperactivity and impulsivity than inattention. The most common side effect was anorexia in both groups. Other adverse effects of methylphenidate such as increase of systolic blood pressure and pulse rate, abdominal pain, headache, insomnia and nausea were less common in combination treatment group than placebo group. The results were shown that combination of propranolol and methylphenidate is more effective in treatment of ADHD and decrease of adverse effects of methylphenidate than methylphenidate alone. This combination therapy was more effective in hyperactive-impulsive symptoms rather than inattention

[Relationship between serum zinc and leptin concentrations in postmenopausal diabetic women]

Leptin, a hormone secreted by the adipocytes, plays a key role in a feedback loop that maintains energy balance by signaling the state of energy stores to the brain and by influencing the regulation of appetite and energy metabolism. Zinc [Zn] also plays an important role in appetite regulation. It has been shown that Zn deficiency decreases appetite and that Zn supplementation increases it. Our aim is to evaluate the relationship between serum Zn, and leptin in postmenopausal diabetic women. We studied 45 diabetic women and 45 healthy women [controls] with Body Mass Index [BMI] 25-30 kg/m[2] and age 45-60y. Serum leptin, serum zinc, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha [TNF-alpha], and Interleukin-6 [IL-6] were determined in diabetic and healthy groups. Comparisons were performed with the t test in diabetic and healthy groups. Linear regression was used to evaluate the relations among different variables in the two groups. There was a non-significant, negative correlation between serum leptin and zinc in postmenopausal diabetic women [r=0.14], and, a non-significant, positive correlation between serum leptin and zinc in postmenopausal healthy women [r=0.10]. TNF-alpha and IL-6 have no significant effects on the relationship between serum zinc and leptin in postmenopausal diabetic and healthy women. There was no significant relationship between serum leptin and zinc in postmenopausal diabetic women. The pathophysiological pathways by which zinc and leptin regulate energy intake and appetite and the detailed mechanism between them need to be further clarified by future studies

Relationship between serum zinc and insulin concentration, insulin resistance and oxidative stress in postmenopausal diabetic women

The metabolism of Zine [Zn], an essential nutrient, changes in diabetes. It has been shown that there is a relationship between Zn and both, type 1 or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus [IDDM] and type 2 or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus [NIDDM]. Increased lipid peroxidation in diabetic patients leads to MDA production. This study aimed to investigate relationships between serum Zn concentration and insulin, insulin resistance and oxidative stress in postmenopausal diabetic women. We studied 45 diabetic women and 45 healthy ones [controls] with BMI 25-30 kg/m2 and age 45-60 y. Fasting blood sugar [FBS], serum zinc, insulin, insulin resistance and MDA were determined in both groups. There were non significant correlations between Zn, insulin [r= -0.06] and insulin resistance [r = -0.027] and MDA [r = -0.09] as well in diabetic group. There were no significant relationships between serum zinc and insulin, insulin resistance and MDA in postmenopausal diabetic women

Relationship between serum leptin concentration and inflammatory factors and oxidative stress in postmenopausal type II diabetic women

Leptin, a hormone secreted by the adipocytes, has a role in the pathogenesis of obesity and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus [NIDDM]. There are relationships between Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha [TNF-alpha] and lnterleukin-6 [IL-6] with Body Mass Index [BMI] and insulin resistance. Increased lipid peroxidation leads to produce MDA in diabetic people. It have been shown that, there are relationships between leptin and TNF-alpha, IL-6, and MDA, showing that increased lipid peroxidation leads to MDA production in diabetics. This study investigates relationships between serum leptin concentration and inflammatory intermediate and oxidative stress in postmenopausal diabetic women. We studied 45 postmenopausal diabetic women and 45 postmenopausal healthy women [controls], aged between 45-60 y and with BMI 25-30 kg/m2. Fasting blood sugar, serum leptin, TNF-alpha, IL-6, and MDA were determined in postmenopausal diabetics and healthy women, and comparisons were performed using the t test in the diabetic and healthy groups. Pearson correlation was used to evaluate the relations among different variables in two groups. There were non significant correlations between leptin and TNF-alpha [r=0.2] and IL-6 [r= -0.06] in postmenopausal diabetic women, and also between leptin and MDA [r= 0.04] in postmenopausal diabetic women. There were no significant relationships between serum leptin and TNF-alpha, IL-6, and MDA in postmenopausal diabetic womer It seems these relationships need to be further clarified in future studies with larger sample sizes