[ review of aphroditic plants and physical activity on testosterone concentrations]

Despite of many studies indicated that use of synthetic drugs to improve the concentration of testosterone in achieving secondary traits in men as a result, increased muscle mass and strength in this group, However, it has been shown that the use of these drugs in men causes physical and hormonal disorder and reduces performance when not in use. On the other hand, due to the clarification of side effects and the reporting of harmful effects of synthetic drugs, it has been shown that Plant products and exercise as substitute or complementary synthetic drugs can be a good alternative to the effects of kinetics and therefore it can be recommended the supplementation of herbals to coaches and athletes. Therefore, in this review, in addition to study of mechanisms of the increasing testosterone concentrations, we examine the effects of the use of some herbal supplements as well as physical activity

[Evaluation of antibacterial properties of human amniotic membrane in vitro]

Amniotic membrane is the inner-most layer of the three fetal membranes. The membrane is consisted of three layers; epithelial layer, basal membrane, and connective tissue. Owing to expression of mRNA of elafin, HBD 1-3, and secretory leukocyte protease inhibitors, amniotic membrane has antimicrobial properties. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the in vitro antibacterial effect of human amniotic membrane on standard bacterial species of Salmonella enterica BAA-708, E.coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 7881, and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212. Fresh amniotic membranes were obtained from Organ Transplant Bank of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran. The membranes were obtained from pregnant women who had negative tests for HIV, HBV, HCV, and syphilis after elective Cesarian section. The membranes were cut into 1.5× 1.5 cm pieces under sterile conditions. The membrane pieces were placed on Müller-Hinton agar medium containing the bacterial suspensions and then incubated at 37 [degree sign]C for 24 hours. The antibacterial properties of amniotic membrane against Salmonella enterica and E. coli were demonstrated by development of the no growth halo, but for Pseudomonas aeruginosa only a very narrow halo was observed. The halo was not developed for Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterococcus faecalis. Amniotic membrane showed antibacterial effects against a wide spectrum of bacteria. With regard to the increasing antibiotic resistance, use of amniotic membrane against pathogenic bacteria can be considered valuable

Evaluation of culture and pcr methods for diagnosis of group b streptococcus carriage in Iranian pregnant women

Group B streptococcus [GBS] is one of the most important cause of morbidity and mortality among newborns especially in developing countries. It has been shown that the screening approach rather than the identification of maternal clinical risk factors for early-onset neonatal GBS disease is more effective in preventing early-onset GBS neonatal disease. The objective of this study was to detect GBS among clinical samples of women using PCR and standard microbiological culture. Samples were taken from 375 women at 28-38 weeks of gestation during six month from January 15 till June 15, 2011 from a hospital in Tehran, Iran. Samples were tested by standard culture using Todd- Hewitt broth, blood agar and by PCR targeting the cfb gene. Among the 375 women, 35 [9.3%] were identified as carriers of group B streptococci on the basis of the results of the cultures of specimens, compared to 42 [11.2%] on the basis of PCR assay. We found that GBS can be detected rapidly and reliably by a PCR assay in vaginal secretions from women at the time of delivery. This study also showed that the rate of incidence of GBS is high in Iranian women