[Effects of daily consumption of Iranian yogurt drink doogh fortified with vitamin D or vitamin D plus calcium on the anthropometric and glycemic indices in type-2 diabetes patients]

Poor vitamin D status has been associated with impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of daily intakes of Iranian yogurt drink doogh fortified with vitamin D or vitamin D + calcium on anthropometric and glycemic status in type-2 diabetes patients. Ninety patients with type-2 diabetes were randomly allocated to one of three groups as follows: group1: plain doogh; group 2: vitamin D-fortified doogh [fortified with 500 IU vitamin D3 and 150 mg Ca/250 mL]; group 3: vitamin D + calcium-fortified doogh [fortified with 500 IU vitamin D3 and 250 mg Ca/250 mL]. The subjects took their respective doughs twice per day for 12 weeks. Anthropometric markers [weight, body mass index, and waist circumference], fasting serum glucose [FSG], glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c], and homeostasis model of insulin resistance [HOMA-IR] were measured before and after the intervention. In both groups 2 and group 3, the mean serum 25[OH]D3 level increased significantly [P>0.001]. As compared to group 1, in groups 2 and 3 the decreases in FSG [-12.9 +/- 33.7 mg/dL [P = 0.015] and -9.6 +/- 46.9 mg/dL [P = 0.035], respectively], Hb A1c [-0.4 +/- 1.2% [P<0.001] and -0.4 +/- 1.9% [P, 0.001], respectively], HOMA-IR [-0.6 +/- 1.4 [P = 0.001] and -0.6 +/- 3.2 [P, 0.001], respectively], and waist circumference [WC; -3.6 +/- 2.7 and -2.9 +/- 3.3, respectively; P<0.001 for both] were significantly higher. An inverse correlation was observed between changes in serum 25[OH]D3 and FSG [r = 20.208, P = 0.049] and HOMA-IR [r = 20.219, P = 0.005]. Daily consumption of vitamin D-fortified doogh with or without added calcium, improves anthropometric and glycemic status in diabetic patients

[Determinants of inflammation and systolic blood presure in women with central obesity: a cross-sectional study]

High prevalence of obesity is closely associated with a prominent rise in the incidence of hypertension, both of which result in a major increase in cardiovascular disease risk. Several studies also suggest obesity as a major risk factor for systemic inflammation. The purpose of this study was to determine associations between metabolic and anthropometric indicators on the one hand and serum levels of high-sensitivity CRP [hsCRP] and blood pressure in overweight and obese women on the other hand, as well as determine the predictors of hsCRP level and blood pressure in this population. Subjects were recruited by convenience sampling from health care centers and schools in Tehran in winter. From among volunteers 200 women meeting the study criteria were selected and their fasting blood samples collected. Dietary intake was assessed, anthropometric measurements were made, and the related laboratory tests [total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, and hsCRP] were performed. Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients and multiple linear regression were used for statistical analysis. Serum levels of hsCRP were significantly associated with those of glucose[p=0.015, triglycerides [p=0.005], total cholesterol[p=0.002], body mass index [BMI][<0.0001], waist circumference [WC][p<0.001], and fat mass [FM] [p<0.0001]. Also, systolic blood pressure [SBP] was significantly associated with serum levels of glucose[p=0.018], triglycerides [p=0.011], BMI [p<0.0001], WC[p<0.0001], FM[p=0.005] and WHR[p=0.049]. In different regression models, WC and FM were found to be predictors of hsCRP [p= 0.020, 0.015], wheras BMI was a strong predictor of SBP [p <0.0001]. This study demonstrates that waist circumference and fat mass are the predictors of hsCRP, while body mass index is the main predictor of systolic blood pressure, in Tehrani obese and overweight women with waist circumference more than 88cm

Blood pressure lowering effects of micronutrients in type 2 diabetic patients

The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of magnesium, zinc, vitamins C and E, and a combination of these micronutrients with vitamin B groups [B1, B2, B6, B12, folic acid and biotin] on blood pressure in type 2 diabetic patients. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trial, 67 type 2 diabetic patients, 36-69 years old, stratified for sex and were randomly divided into three groups. Each subject received two capsules per day for a period of 4 months, each capsule containing one of the following preparations: Group 1 received 250 mg magnesium and 20 mg zinc, 200 mg vitamin C and 100 mg vitamin E, 10 mg vitamin B1, 10 mg vitamin B2, 10 mg vitamin B6, 10 ug vitamin B12 and 1 mg folic acid [n=22]. Group 2: 250 mg magnesium and 20 mg zinc, 200 mg vitamin C and 100 mg vitamin E, [n=23], and group P: placebo [n=22]. Blood pressure and biochemical analysis were determined at the beginning and after 2 and 4 months. Fasting blood glucose and HbA1c were determined by glucose oxidase and chromatography methods, respectively. Plasma vitamin C and serum magnesium and zinc were determined by the colorimetric method and serum a-tocopherol using HPLC. Serum malondialdehyde [MDA] was determined by a colorimetric method. Treatment effects were analyzed by general linear modelling. Results indicate that after 2 and 4 months of supplementation levels of plasma vitamin C increased in group 1 [p<0.0001] and group 2 [p=0.029 and p<0.0001, respectively]. Serum vitamin E increased in group 1 and 2 [p<0.0001] and serum folic acid increased in group 1, after 2 and 4 months supplementation [p<0.0001]. Serum magnesium increased in group 1 after 2 months supplementation [p=0.001] but not after 4 months. After 2 or 4 months supplementation, there were no significant changes in fasting blood glucose or HbA1c in the 3 intervention groups. Levels of systolic blood pressure decreased significantly in group 2 after 4 months supplementation [p=0.012]. After 2 and 4 months supplementation, diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly in group 1 [p=0.003 and p=0.012, respectively] and in group 2 [p<0.0001 and p=0.002, respectively] and mean arterial blood pressure decreased in group 1 [p=0.018 and p=0.025, respectively] and in group 2 [p=0.002]. Also serum malondialdehyde decreased significantly in groups 1 and 2 [p=0.009 and p=0.041, respectively] after 4 months. The results of the present study indicate that in type 2 diabetic patients, combination of vitamins and minerals might decrease blood pressure

[Effects of iron supplementation with or without vitamin C on oxidative stress and iron status in iron deficient female college student]

Iron excess disturbs the antioxidant system through pro-oxidants mechanisms. In this study, oxidative stress indices were compared between iron deficient and healthy subjects and effects of iron supplementation with and/or without ascorbic acid on performance of the antioxidant defense system, levels of oxidative stress and iron status in iron deficient female students were determined. In this double-blind randomized clinical trial, 60 NAID and 30 normal students [control] were selected from 289 female students at the dormitory of Shaheed Beheshti University [MC], Tehran. Hemoglobin and serum ferritin concentrations were measured by cell counter and ELISA, respectively. After matching, NAIDM students were randomly assigned into the intervention group receiving 50 mg/d elemental iron supplements without [group I] and/or with [group II] 500 mg/d ascorbic acid for 12 weeks. Serum malondialdehyde [MDA], Total Antioxidant Capacity [TAC] and serum ascorbic acid were measured at the beginning and the end of the 6th and 12th weeks in the groups studied. Student's t and repeated measurements tests were employed to analyze the data using SPSS software. Mean TAG in group Ill was significantly higher in NAID subjects at the beginning of the study [3.87 +/- 0.47 vs 3.4 +/- 0.41 mmol/mL; p<0.001]. At the end, serum TAC significantly increased in supplemented subjects, not only compared to the baseline values [within group], but also in comparison with controls [between groups] [5.1 +/- .3 vs 4.7 +/- 0.04 mmol/mL; p<0.001]. In contrast, serum MDA concentrations decreased from 1.7 +/- 0.14 to 1.1 +/- 0.09 nmol/mL [p<0.001] and from 1.9 +/- 0.18 to 1.7 +/- 0.15 nmol/mL [p<0.001] in groups I and II, respectively, after 6 weeks of supplementation. Serum MDA concentration however increased to 1.7 +/- 0.15 nmol/mL at the 12th week [p<0.001]; although the same results were seen in group II, but the mean MDA concentration was significantly less than the value at the beginning [1.4 +/- 0.1 vs 1.9 +/- 0.18 nmol/mL; p<0.03]. It seems that the status of the anti-oxidant defense systems significantly improves among NAID young female subjects within the first few weeks after iron supplementation especially with ascorbic acid, an approach recommended for more efficient control of iron deficiency

Inhibitory effects of black tea[camellia sinensis] extracts on streptococcus pyogenes: a comparison between black and green teas in vitro

Although there are reports in the literature on the antimicrobial effects of green tea, the effect of black tea, the most common beverage in Iran, on growth of bacteria, such as Streptococcus pyogenes, has not been studied extensively. This study was undertaken to determine the inhibitory effect of black tea on the growth of Streptococcus pyogenes in vitro and compare it with green tea. Extracts from both green and black teas were prepared using the percolation method and dried. This was followed by assessment of the total anti-oxidant capacity [TAOC] of solutions of the dried extracts with different concentrations. The assessment was done by determining percentage inhibition of oxidation of ABTS and reduction of its radical by 1 mg/ml extracts of black and green teas at 37°C. Viability of the bacteria was determined by exposing them to different concentrations of the tea extracts in an aqueous medium and then transferring the cultures to a solid medium, followed by colony counting at certain intervals. In the next step, the growth inhibitory effects of black and green tea extracts were determined on the basis of interactions between the extracts with some of the antibiotics routinely used against Gram-positive by the disc diffusion method [11 times on different days].The data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon sign and Kruskal Walis tests. The data showed that the antioxidant capacity of green tea extract is significantly higher than that of black tea extract [p<0.001]. Conjugation of the standard antibiotics disk with 1.25 mg green tea extract had a synergistic effect on ampicilin in a dose-dependent manner; it had no effect on amoxicillin, but an inhibitory effect on cephalexin. Increasing the green tea extract dose to 2.5 mg caused the zone of inhibitory growth of cephalexin to return to the basal limit and that of amoxicillin even beyond that. In the case of black tea, the increased doses resulted in increases in the antibacterial effect of ampicilin in vitro, reaching statistical significance [P<0.001] at the 2.5mg dose. Although a 1.25 mg-dose of black tea extract inhibited the antibacterial effect of amoxicilin and cephalexin, the inhibitory effect decreased significantly [p<0.001] when the dose was increased to 2.5 mg; however, the zone of inhibition was still less than the basal limit. It seems that the inhibitory effects of tea on bacterial growth are directly related to its TAOC. The mechanism involved is probably through production of hydrogen peroxide by the tea polyphenols acting as pro-oxidants. Our findings indicate the possibility of using proper amounts of tea or polyphenols as nutritional supplements as an adjunct nutritiona therapy in certain infections

Effects of L-carnitine supplementation on serum lipids and apoproteins in hemodialysis patients with LP[a] hyperlipoproteinemia

Lipid abnormalities, especially high serum Lp[a] concentrations, are one of the major causes of cardiovascular diseases in hemodialysis patients. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of L-carnitine supplementation on serum lipids and apoproteins in hemodialysis patients with Lp[a] hyperlipoproteinemia. The study was a randomized clinical trial in which 36 hyper Lp[a] hemodialysis patients [23 males and 13 females] with serum Lp[a] more than 30 mg/dl were randomly assigned to receive either a daily oral carnitine supplement of 1000mg [carnitine group] or no supplement [control group] for 12 weeks. At the baseline and the end of the period 5ml blood were collected after a 12 to 14-hour fast from each patient before dialysis and serum free carnitine, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, apoAI, apoB100, Lp[a], IL-6 and albumin were measured. As compared to the initial values, the mean serum free carnitine concentration increased significantly in the carnitine group at the end of the period [P<0.001], while serum triglyceride [P<0.05], total cholesterol [P<0.001] and IL-6 [P<0.001] decreased significantly. No significant changes were observed in the serum concentrations of free carnitine, triglyceride, total cholesterol and IL-6 in the control group. In addition, there were no significant differences between the 2groups as regards mean changes of the serum HDL-C, LDL-C, apoAI, apoB100, Lp[a], and albumin levels. The results of the present study indicate that an L-carnitine supplement has no effect on serum Lp[a] concentration in hemodialysis patients with Lp[a] hyperlipoproteinemia, but it may be effective in preventing cardiovascular diseases by reducing serum triglyceride and total cholesterol concentrations in these patients

[Effects of soy consumption on serum lipid and apoprotein levels in peritoneal dialysis patients]

Lipid abnormalities, especially high serum Lp[a] concentration, is one of the major causes of cardiovascular diseases in peritoneal dialysis patients. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of soy consumption on serum lipid and apoprotein levels in peritoneal dialysis patients. The study was a randomized clinical trial in which 40 peritoneal dialysis patients [20 males and 20 females] were randomly assigned to either a soy or a control diet. The patients in the soy group received 28 g/d textured soy flour [containing 14 g soy protein] for 12 weeks, while the patients in the control group consumed their usual diet without any soy. At the baseline and at the end of the period, from each patient 5 ml blood were collected after a 12- to 14-hour fast and serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, apoAI, apoB100, Lp[a], TNF-alpha, albumin, and phosphorus measured. The serum Lp[a] concentration in more than 86% of the peritoneal dialysis patients was above the normal range. As compared to the baseline value, the mean serum Lp[a] concentration decreased significantly by 41% [P<0.01] in the soy group at the end of 8-week period, and the reduction was significant as compared to the control group [P<0.05]. The mean serum Lp[a] concentration did not change significantly in the control group. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups with regard to mean changes in the serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, apoB100, apoAI, TNF-alpha, albumin or phosphorus levels. The results of the present study indicate that soy consumption reduces serum Lp[a] concentration considerably in peritoneal dialysis patients. Therefore, it may be effective in preventing cardiovascular diseases in these patients

Comparison of urinary neopterin to creatinin ratio in multiple sclerosis patients and controlled group

Multiple Sclerosis as the most common cause of demyelinating disorders has a basis of autoimmunity. To describe a procedure to determine total and aromatic UNCR and their ratio as a marker of cell mediated immunity in MS patients and controlled groups. In this project UNCR was determined and compared in MS patients who reffered to the neurology department of Shariati's Hospital and normal subjects. Using HPLC and Novapak C18 [3.9x300mm] column at 25 degrees centigrade. Mean of aromatic UNCR were 337.6 +/- 47.2 and 1273.1 +/- 201.64 micromol/mol, mean of total UNCR were 484.64 +/- 60.2 and 1800.3 +/- 250.1 micromol/mol, and the ratio of aromatic/total UNCR were 0.664 and 0.73 in normal subjects and MS patients respectively. Prominent elevation of aromatic UNCR in MS patients in comparison with normal subjects is the sign of high activity of cell- mediated immunity in this group even though with treatment