ABSTRACT
Objectives: The effect of dietary protein intake on bone mineral density [BMD] has not been explained in patients with spinal cord injury [SCI]. In this study, we looked at the relationship between BMD and higher protein intake in patients with SCI while controlling for possible confounders
Methods: Patients with SCI, who were referred to the Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center between November 2010 and April 2012, were included in the study. In total, the dietary intakes of 103 patients were assessed by 24-hour dietary recall interviews. We used dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to measure BMD in the femoral neck, trochanter, intertrochanteric zone, hip, and lumbar vertebras
Results: Eighty-six men and 17 women participated in this study. Protein intake was negatively associated with the BMD of lumbar vertebrae [p = 0.001, r = -0.37 for T-score and p = 0.030, r = -0.24 for Z-score]. The BMD of lumbar vertebrae were negatively associated with intake of tryptophan, isoleucine, lysine, cysteine, and tyrosine [p = 0.007, 0.005, 0.009, 0.008, and 0.008 for T-score, respectively]. Higher intakes of threonine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, valine, and histidine were related to a lower BMD of lumbar vertebrae [p = 0.006, 0.010, 0.009, 0.010, 0.009, and 0.008 respectively for T-scores]
Conclusions: We found that high protein intake led to a lower BMD of lumbar vertebrae in patients with SCI after controlling for confounders including demographic and injury-related characteristics and calcium intake. No relationship between higher amino acids intake and BMD of the femur and hip was detected. Intake of alanine, arginine, and aspartic acid were not related to BMD
ABSTRACT
Background: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis [CL] is endemic in many parts of Iran. This study was conducted to investigate the fauna and some biologic factors of sand flies and detect CL vector[s] in Kharameh district which is one of the most important foci of the disease in Fars province, southern Iran
Methods: To identify the fauna, a total of 1549 sand flies were collected from April 2014 to March 2015. To determine the monthly activity, sand flies were collected from indoor and outdoor areas of the lowland and the highland regions
Results: Ten species of phlebotomine [four Phlebotomus spp. And six Sergentomyia spp.] were identified and Phlebotomus papatasi was the dominant species [53.45%]. To determine the sand flies naturally infected by Leishmania spp., 188 female sand flies [145 P. papatasi, 29 P. sergenti, and 14 P. alexandri] were subjected to polymerase chain reaction [PCR] assay. Two [13.16%] specimens of P. papatasi were found to be positive for Leishmania major
Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first PCR detection of L. major within naturally infected P. Papatasis and fly as the main vector in this region of south Iran
ABSTRACT
We investigated the role of sex hormones on changes in brain edema intracranial pressure [ICP], cerebral perfusion pressure [CCP] after trauma brain injury [TBI] in ovarectomized female [OVX] rats. In this study female rats are divided into five groups. Control group [Intact] sham group and other groups include: vehicle, estrogen group [1mg/kg] and progesterone group [8 mg/kg] which on all groups TBI was induced by Marmarou method. 30 minutes after TBI, drugs were injected i.p. ICP was measured in spinal cord using a standard procedure. CPP was calculated by the mean arterial pressure [MAP] - ICP. Neurologic scores were measured by motor, eye and respiratory reflex. The results showed after TBI, water content was significantly lower in estrogen and progesterone groups [P<0.001] compared with vehicle group. Analysis showed a stable ICP up to 24 hours. The ICP in estrogen and progesterone groups was significantly decreased at 4 and 24 hours as compared to vehicle group [P<0.001in both cases]. The CPP at 24 hours after TBI, significantly increased in estrogen and progesterone groups compared with vehicle [P<0.001]. Also after TBI, neurologic scores was significantly higher in estrogen and progesterone groups as compared with vehicle [at 1 hours P<0.05, and at 24hours P<0.001 for estrogen], [at 1 hours P<0.01 for progesterone]. Our findings indicated an improvement of ICP, CPP and neurologic scores produced by pharmacologic doses of estrogen and progesterone after TBI in OVX rat. These effects may be contribute to neuroprotective effects of these hormones