Prevalence of flatfoot among school students and its relationship with BMI.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the relation between the flat-footedness and obesity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1158 school children (653 male and 505 female) participated in this cross sectional descriptive study. According to their age, children were divided into three groups for each gender (6-10, 11-13, 14-18 years old). Diagnosis and severity of flatfoot was assessed in using the Dennis method. BMI of children were calculated as body weight divided by height squared (kg*m-2). RESULTS: Majority (83.9%) of respondents had normal feet. The prevalence of flatfoot was 16.1% with a decreasing trend with age. Boys had a higher frequency of flatfoot than girls; however the difference was not significant (p > 0.05). The prevalence of flatfoot was 17.5% in boys and 14.5% in girls. The percentage of overweight and obese children was 10.3%. A significant difference in the prevalence of flatfoot occurred between; under-weight (13.9%), normal-weight (16.1%), overweight (26.9%), and obese (30.8%); children. CONCLUSION: The increasing prevalence of childhood obesity is one of the most serious health challenges across the globe, and a positive correlation between increased BMI; and flatfoot is one of the potential complications.

Nitric oxide levels and total antioxidant capacity in the seminal plasma of infertile smoking men.

OBJECTIVE: Cigarette is a rich source of oxidants and reactive nitrogen species. Nitric oxide (NO) in high concentration has deleterious effects on human sperm function. Antioxidant defense system in seminal plasma protects spermatozoa from the attack of reactive oxygen metabolites. The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between cigarette smoking with the NO levels and the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of the seminal plasma in infertile smoker men and to compare severity of oxidative stress (OS) in them with fertile and infertile non-smoking men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross sectional study, a total of 95 male participants attended the Infertility Clinic of the Fatehmeh-zahra Hospital in Babol, Mazandaran Province, Iran, between 2010 and 2011. They were divided into three groups: I. fertile non-smokers (F.ns; n=32), II. infertile non-smokers (IF.ns; n=30) and III. infertile smokers (IF.s; n=33) according to semen analysis World Health Organization guidelines (WHO, 2001) and smoking data. TAC concentration and NO levels of seminal plasma were measured using the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) method and the Griess reagent, respectively. RESULTS: Standard sperm parameters were significantly higher in the fertile group than those in the infertile groups, but these differences between the IF.ns and IF.s were not statistically significant. The mean TAC in the seminal plasma was higher in the F.ns>IF.ns>IF.s, respectively, but these differences were not statistically significant among three groups (p= 0.096). In contrast, the mean NO level in the seminal plasma was lower in the F.ns

Mononuclear derived from human umbilical cord normalize glycemia in alloxan-induced hyperglycemic rat.

The present study explored whether mononuclear cells derived from human umbilical cord blood could resolve hyperglycemia. In order to test this hypothesis, mononuclear cells derived from Human umbilical cord blood (HUCB) were transplanted into alloxan-induced hyperglycemic rats. Mononuclear cells (MNCs) were isolated by a conventional centrifuge method through a Ficoll- paque. Hyperglycemia was induced in rats by a single injection of alloxan at 50 mg/kg body weigh intraperitonealy. Rats were divided into three groups of ten each. Group I, served as control; Group II received alloxan alone; Group III received both alloxan and MNCs. The serum glucose and insulin level were measured before the animals received the MNCs and at 1, 4, 7, 12 and 15 weeks following the treatment. Glucose levels were monitored by the glucose oxidase technique. The insulin level was measured following Elisa assay by the insulin kit specific for rats made by Mercodia Co., Sweden. The results indicated that glucose levels in alloxan-injected rats rose at week 1 and remained elevated 301.00 ± 6.43 mg/dl for 15 weeks. In contrast, in week 15, after treated with MNCs, the blood glucose levels were 108.26 ± 6.84, mg/dl. Within a week after MNCs administration, blood glucose levels significantly reduced (245.74 ± 2.37 mg/dl and reached a baseline almost close to the normal glycemic values 15 week later (108.26 ± 6.84 mg/dl). Treated with MNCs in alloxan diabetic rats caused a significant rise in serum insulin accompanied by a drop in the blood glucose level.