[Effects of oral administration of red pepper [capsicum annuum] and black pepper [piper nigrum] powders on plasma levels of pituitary - gonads axis hormones in male mice]

Background: Any types of pepper are widely used in traditional medicine. Secretion of pituitary-gonad axis hormones may affected by the pepper

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the possible effects of black and red pepper on serum levels of Luteinizing hormone [LH], Follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH] and testosterone hormone was performed

Methods: 21 male NMRI mice were divided into three groups [n=7], consisting of a control group and two treatment groups receiving red pepper and black pepper, respectively. Treated groups received pepper powder mixed with pellet food at a ratio of 6/6% for one month. At the end of treatment, animals were anesthetized with chloroform and blood samples were collected from the heart directly. After separating the serum, LH, FSH and testosterone hormones were measured by ELISA method. Data statically evaluation using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey test for ANOVA was performed and calculated

Results: Red pepper increased testosterone [P<0.01]. Red pepper and Black pepper increased FSH [P<0.001] and P<0.01 respectively] and have no effect on the LH levels. Hematocrit levels also increased in the treatment groups [P <0.001]

Conclusion: Oral intakes of red and black peppers powder have increasing impact on FSH and testosterone hormones. Therefore, these peppers may have androgenic properties. Increases in hematocrit may be the result of an increase in testosterone

[Effect of whole-body vibration training on physiological indices and cardiovascular fitness in elderly veterans]

Whole-body vibration training as an exercise method and as a non-drug treatment strategy has been used for improvement of cardiovascular fitness. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of whole-body vibration training on vo2max, body fat percentage, and lipid profile and serotonin level in elderly veterans. In this semi experimental study, forty veterans with 25 percent damage [age range 55-65 years of age] were selected and randomly divided into two experimental and control groups. Subjects in the experimental group performed whole-body vibration training for a period of 12 weeks with frequency of 30-35 Hz and amplitude of 1/7 mm. Our control group did not participate in any regular exercise program during study period. Serotonin levels, VO2max, percentage of body fat, BMI and lipid profile were measured before and after training for both groups. Data were introduced into SPSS18 software and analyzed by t-tests at P<0/05. After 12 weeks of whole body vibration training, we found significant decrease in the percentage of body fat, BMI and lipid profile and significant increase in VO2maxand serotonin in the experimental group [P<0.05]. Whole-body vibration training in the elderly veterans as a new training method can lead to improved cardiovascular function

use of two enrichment forms [Brachionus plicatilis enrichment and rearing water enrichment] with probiotic bacilli spore on growth and survival of Silver carp [Hypophthalmichthys molitrix]

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of probiotic [Bacillus latrospores and Bacillus licheniformis] on growth and survival of Silver carp larvae [Hypophthalmichthys molitrix]. Rotifers [Brachionus plicatilis] were used as live prey vehicle for probiotic transport. They were cultured in sea water with 15 ppt salinity and Nannochloropsis oculata microalgae was used as feed. Five treatments were prepared with three replicates [four experimental treatments and one control]. Silver carp larvae were obtained from a local fish farm [Golestan, Iran]. Rotifers were filtered from intensive cultivation tanks with 200 rotifer/ml density and then transferred to conical glasses for the enrichment process, and were kept under enrichment conditions for 24 h. Two forms of enrichment were carried out: rotifer biocapsulation and rearing water enrichment. T1 and T2 were fed with biocapsulated rotifers and T3 and T4 were fed non-biocapsulated rotifers. Instead of biocapsulation, the same density of bacteria was injected directly into the rearing water of T3 and T4. T3 [4.4 +/- 1.2 mg] and T4 [5.05 +/- 1.95 mg] treatments of probiotic injected water had significantly higher growth rates than T1 [2.21 +/- 0.94 mg] and T2 [3.9 +/- 0.36 mg], [P<0.05]. T1 [3.9 +/- 1.03 mg] and T2 [3.3 +/- 0.36 mg] had higher growth rates than the control [2.21 +/- 0.94 mg] and were also significantly different from each other [P<0.05]

Evaluation of liver volume and its megakaryocyte's population in NMRI mice fetus exposed to electromagnetic field

During the recent decades, a lot of studies were conducted to asses the effect of electromagnetic fields on fetal developmental disorders, sterility, and a variety of neoplasms. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of low electromagnetic field [LEMF] on the liver's volume and the number of its megakaryocytes in NMRI mouse fetus. LEMF of 50 HZ frequency was used and 66 three month old NMRI mouse embryos were divided into 6 groups. The experimental groups were exposed to LEMF and then an embryo was randomly selected from each mother and its liver was extracted and fixed in formalin. Cell counting and volume evaluating were done by stereological methods and the data were analyzed. Although the number of liver megakaryocytes and the embryos weight in all experimental groups as compared to sham and control groups reduced but the differences were not significant. The results of this study revealed that in the pregnant mice exposed to LEMF, irrespective of the length of pregnancy, there was not a significant change in the liver volume and the number of liver's megakaryocytes in NMRI mouse fetus