comparative study of hypolipidemic activities of the extracts of Melissa officinalis and Berberis vulgaris in rats

Hyperlipidemia is a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by an excess of lipids in the bloodstream. Given previous studies on barberry and Melissa officinalis extracts, this study aims at comparing hypolipidemic activities of Melissa officiizalis extract and Berberis vulgaris. For the purpose of this study, 64 Wistar rats were selected and divided into 8 groups [n=8]. The control group was administered with ordinary diet; the sham group was administered with high-fat diet and intraperitoneally 0.2 ml/dl of the extract solvent [normal saline]; and similarly, experimental groups received minimal, moderate and maximum dosages of barberry and Melissa officinalis extracts. The treatment groups was given high-fat diet for 21 days. After this period, blood samples were taken and the gathered data were analyzed using SPSS software. The amount of cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL were increased in the model group compared to the control group, whereas the same substances were decreased significantly in the group receiving the extract compared to the model group [p<0.05]. Hypolipidemic properties of alcohol extracts of Melissa officinalis are more effective than those of Berberis vulgaris. Moreover, it should be noted that it is rather the antioxidant properties of Melissa officinalis and their effects on the increase in thyroid hormones as well as the presence of alkaloid compounds, such as berberine in Berberis vulgaris, that inhibits cholesterol synthesis and enables its excretion

[Evaluation of alveolar basement membrane function in the diabetes mellitus patients]

The thickening of alveolar basement membrane is found in autopsies, along with microvascular pathologies, in type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus [DM]. To detect the function and permeability of alveolar basement membrane carbon monoxide diffusion capacity [DLCO] can be used. The aim of this study was to determine alveolar basement membrane damage using this method. In this descriptive and analytical study, fifty five women and 15 men, nonsmoking, type 2 DM cases, without any lung and / or heart disease who had neither anemia nor renal failure and no respiratory symptoms, made up the patients group. They were compared with 55 female and 15 male healthy cases who had the same characteristics as the diabetes cases. For all of the cases who had normal spirometry, DLCO were measured by single- breath method. Data were analyzed using t-student test. The amounts of measured DLCO in the patients with diabetes and in the control group were 9.65 +/- 2.4 and 9.1 +/- 1.79 milimlo/min/kilopascal, respectively [P>0.05]. Also, there was no significant relationship between the volume corrected transfer factor in the patients and the control group. DLCO was not reduced in patients with diabetes without complication who had no clinical respiratory symptoms. We can use DLCO as indicator of microangiopathy in diabetic patients

[Failure to thrive in under-two-year-old-children and the probable factors involved]

Failure to thrive [FTT] has bad consequences in the first year of life because of maximum of brain growth is at this time and the failure can cause mental retardation and decrease in IQ. Considering that identifying factors contributing to FIT is regarded at first level prevention, a cross- sectional study for identification of causing factors was performed. In this study, 400 children under two years referring to Azadshahr clinic for routine visits were randomly selected. A questionnaire was completed for each child by asking their mothers on their records. Gomez definition was used to evaluate each child for FTT. Out of 400 children, 103 [25.7%] had FTT. FTT did not have remarkable difference between boys and girls. Our results showed that low birth weight, family bigness, maternal age, onset of solid foods, taking ferrous sulfate and the way of starting solid foods were statistically associated with FTT. Although FTT was higher in children of higher educated mothers, in those who did not receive A+D vitamin, in low socioeconomic status families, in unwanted children, in children of mothers observing less than 3 years between pregnancies and in those who suffered a special clinical disorder in the past two months, the correlation was not statistically significant. According to results, attention to factors affecting children growth and educating health staff and their families can help solve our today's community problem