ABSTRACT
Background: Magnesium deficiency plays a key role in obesity and decreases insulin sensitivity. In our previous study, significant evidence was provided for the contribution of oral Mg supplement that could improve insulin sensitivity and body weight in animal trials. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of an herbal supplement containing 300 mg magnesium sulfate on lipid profile, as well as insulin resistance and secretion in overweight patients. Methods: Seventy overweight non-diabetic volunteers with Body Mass Index (BMI) >28 kg/m2 were included in a randomized double blind placebo-controlled clinical trial (ethic number HUMS REC.1394.57) and registered in Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT2012110124756N2 with registration number 24756). They received either placebo or an herbal supplement capsule containing 300 mg magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) for 6 months on a daily basis. Metabolic control, lipid profile and magnesium status were determined at baseline and every three months. Student t-test, repeated measure ANOVA and ANCOVA were used to compare the groups. Results: There was no significant difference between groups before intervention, but daily Mg supplement for 6 months significantly improved fasting insulin level (6.71±0.11 to 6.27±0.3 three months after Mg therapy, p<0.01 vs. 6.41±0.11 in control group (5.83±0.063) six months after Mg therapy, p< 0.0001), HOMA-IR (1.52±0.03 )in control group to 1.36±0.03 after three months Mg therapy, p<0.05 vs 1.37±0.05 in control group to 1.22±0.02 six months after Mg therapy, p< 0.05), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) (43.57±0.82 in control group to 43.91±1.92 three months after Mg therapy, p<0.001vs 43.57±0.82 in control group to 46±0.88 six months after Mg therapy, <0.01), triglyceride (TG) (163.17±6.1 in control group to 141.2±5.84 six months after g therapy, p<0.05) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) (112.62±3.41 in control group to 104.42±2.35 six months after Mg therapy, p<0.05). Conclusion: Oral herbal supplement containing MgSO4 (300 mg/day) could improve plasma insulin level, lipid profile, and insulin resistance in non-diabetic overweight volunteers.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Despite widely available data about childhood asthma, there are limited data about the prevalence of asthma among young adults in Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of asthma and respiratory symptoms among medical students in the city of Sari in Northern Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The prevalence of asthma and respiratory symptoms was studied using a standard questionnaire. Based on the information obtained from the questionnaires, the study participants were divided into two groups of asthmatics and non-asthmatics. Pulmonary function tests including forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) before, and after salbutamol inhalation were measured in all subjects with asthma and approximately 10% of those without asthma. RESULTS: A total of 1,011 subjects (374 males, 637 females) participated in this study. Asthma was found in 3.5% of the subjects (3.2% males and 3.6% females). The 12-month prevalence of wheezing, coughing at rest, coughing at night, breathlessness at rest, exercise-induced wheezing, and exercise-induced coughing in the entire study population was 11.1%, 12.4%, 13.4%, 13.3%, 17.7%, and 16.7%, respectively. The prevalence of all asthma-related symptoms was significantly higher among asthmatics compared to non-asthmatics. Moreover, asthmatic subjects showed lower FEV1 and FVC values compared to nonasthmatic subjects (P<0.001). Smoking and family history of asthma were statistically significant risk factors for developing asthma. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of asthma related symptoms in the present study strongly suggests that asthma is under diagnosed and under treated among participants.
ABSTRACT
This study investigates the effectiveness of the antinociceptive effects of diclofenac, an NSAID, on the nociceptive behavior of morphine-treated rats on formalin test. Rats were treated with morphine-containing drinking water for twenty one days, which induced morphine dependence. The antinociceptive effects of 8, 16, and 32 mg/kg doses of diclofenac were then evaluated and compared with distilled water in a formalin-based model of pain. Diclofenac potentiated pain suppression in morphine-dependent rats during the interphase of the formalin test and reduced the pain score during phase II. The post-test analysis revealed that both 16 mg/kg (p < 0.0001) and 32 mg/kg (p < 0.0001) doses of diclofenac had a significant effect on the interphase, while 8 mg/kg (p < 0.05), 16 mg/kg (p < 0.05), and 32 mg/kg (p < 0.01) doses of diclofenac significantly affected phase II. In contrast, the antinociceptive effects of diclofenac on morphine-naïve rats were observed during phase II only with the a 32 mg/kg dose (p < 0.05). In general, these results suggest that the long-term use of morphine in rats increases their sensitivity to the antinociceptive effects of diclofenac. Furthermore, the results support the existence of a non-opioid-dependent mechanism of pain suppression during the interphase of formalin test.
ABSTRACT
Cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) is a polymorphic enzyme responsible for the metabolism of different drugs, some with low therapeutic index. The frequency of functionally important mutations and alleles of the gene coding for CYP2C9 shows wide ethnic variations. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of the most common allelic variants of the CYP2C9 enzyme and to predict the genotype frequency in the Mazandarani ethnic group among the Iranian population. Genotyping of CYP2C9 allelic variants was carried out in 103 unrelated subjects by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length pattern analysis. The frequencies for CYP2C9 alleles *1, *2, and *3 were 78%, 12%, and 10%, respectively. No subjects were found carrying the CYP2C19*11 allele. The frequencies of CYP2C9 genotypes *1/*1, *1/*2, *1/*3, *2/*2, *2/*3, and *3/*3 were 61%, 19%, 16%, 1.5%, 2.5%, and 0.0%, respectively. The result of the present study showed that the two inactive alleles of CYP2C9 accounted for 22% of CYP2C9 alleles in our sample versus 1.5%-29% reported in other populations. The frequencies of the studied alleles resulted in significant differences between our sample and African and Eastern Asian populations.
