The effects of choline supplementation in mothers with hypothyroidism on the alteration of cognitive-behavioral, long-term potentiation, morphology, and apoptosis in the hippocampus of pre-pubertal offspring rats.

The mother's thyroid hormone status during gestation and the first few months after delivery can play a crucial role in maturation during the brain development of the child. Transient abnormalities in thyroid function at birth indicate developmental and cognitive disorders in adulthood. Choline supplementation during gestation and the perinatal period in rats causes long-lasting memory improvement in the offspring. However, it remains unclear whether choline is able to restore the deficits in rats with maternal hypothyroidism. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of choline supplementation on the alteration of cognitive-behavioral function, long-term potentiation (LTP), and morphological changes as well as apoptosis in pre-pubertal offspring rats. To induce hypothyroidism, 6-propyl-2-thiouracil was added to the drinking water from the 6th day of gestation to the 21st postnatal day (PND). Choline treatment was started twice a day on the first day of the gestation until PND 21 via gavage. LTP recording and Morris water maze (MWM) test were conducted at PND 28. Then, the rats were sacrificed to assess their brains. The results revealed that developmental thyroid hormone deficiency impaired spatial learning and memory and reduced LTP (both: P < 0.001). Choline treatment alleviated LTP (P < 0.001), as well as learning and memory deficits (P < 0.01) in both male and female hypothyroid rats. However, no significant changes were observed in the number of caspase-3 stained cells in choline-receiving hypothyroid groups. The results revealed that developmental thyroid hormone deficiency impaired spatial learning and memory and reduced LTP. Choline treatment alleviated LTP, as well as learning and memory deficits in both male and female hypothyroid rats.

Effects of choline supplementation in mothers with hypothyroidism on the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene expression changes in pre-pubertal offspring rats.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid hormones play a vital function in the maturation in the course of mind development. Regarding the well-known effects of choline on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), the study examined the effects of choline on hippocampal BDNF gene expression in maternal hypothyroidism rats. METHODS AND RESULTS: To induce the hypothyroidism, 6-propyl-2-thiouracil was introduced to the ingesting water from the sixth day of gestation to twenty-first postnatal day (PND). Choline-treatment started twice a day on the first day of gestation until PND 21. On PND28, pups were sacrificed. The expression of BDNF gene was evaluated after the hippocampus was harvested. Our results demonstrated that both male and female pre-pubertal offspring rats' BDNF gene expression was decreased by developmental hypothyroidism. Choline increases the ratio of relative gene expression of BDNF in the hippocampus of males and females in the control/hypothyroidism group, especially in males. CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that maternal choline supplementation on the first day of gestation until PND 21 improves brain development and cognitive function in pre-pubertal offspring rats regarding control/hypothyroidism groups.

Psychometric Properties of the Iranian version of Champion's Revised Health Belief Model Scale for Breast Cancer screening.

BACKGROUND: Women's beliefs regarding breast cancer and its screening approaches were considered antecedents of their behavioral changes. Understanding of these beliefs in women requires a valid and reliable instrument. The present study seeks to translate the English version of the Champion's Revised Health Belief Model Scale (CRHBMS) into the Persian language and assess its psychometric properties. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted on 334 students at Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Iran, 2016. The 57-item CRHBMS was translated to Persian language, back translated, and tested. To test the face and content validity of the Persian version; item analysis, Content Validity Ratio (CVR), and Content Validity Index (CVI) were applied, respectively. Construct validity of the Persian scale was performed by Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses (EFA, CFA) using Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin and Bartlett's tests in SPSS 16 and LISREL8.72 software. The reliability of the translated scale was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha and test-retest approaches. RESULTS: In the EFA, eight factors were extracted concerning breast cancer screening, and each item was loaded on its specific factor. These factors were self-efficacy, health motivation, benefits-mammography, benefits-Breast Self-Examination (BSE), barriers-mammography, barriers-BSE, susceptibility, and severity. The final 42-item scale was confirmed by the CFA, and all goodness of fit indices showed a proper fit of the model. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and test-retest correlation of the subscales ranged from 0.72-0.89 and 0.67-0.93, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that the Persian version of CRHBMS is a feasible scale for evaluating women's health beliefs regarding breast cancer and its screening behaviors.

Correlation of nerve fibers in corpus callosum and number of neurons in cerebral cortex: an innovative mathematical model.

Purpose/aim: It is estimated that 109 bits/s information are processed in the human brain. The transmission of this huge amount of information requires all connections in the brain to be highly accurate and have order. The current study attempted to present a new aspect of order and proportion in the ultra-structure of the human brain and to calculate the degree of neural interdependence between the two hemispheres. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this model, intensity of interdependence of the brain to hemispheres is estimated to be equal to the mathematical proportion of number of neurons in cerebral cortex divided by 2 (number of hemispheres), divided by number of nerve fibers in the human corpus callosum. RESULTS: The calculated number is equal to 30-50 and it indicates that for every 30-50 neurons between the two hemispheres, there is a neural interconnecting bridge. CONCLUSIONS: This connection indicates that the brain's function output follows a mathematical relation.

Neuroplasticity Changes of Rat Brain by Musical Stimuli during Fetal Period.

OBJECTIVE: Fetal development of the central nervous system is an important and sensitive stage which is affected by many external and internal stimuli. This study aimed to investigate effect of musical stimuli on fetal rat brain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, twelve female Wistar rats were selected and evenly assigned to control and musical groups. The females were mated with a male rat of the same genotype. Musical group was exposed to classic music with 60 dB power for 90 minutes twice per day from 2(nd) to 20(th) day of gestation. The control rats were handled similar to the musical group, but were not exposed to music. Before parturition, all the dams were anesthetized, and their blood samples were obtained and used for corticosterone (COS) measurement. They were transcardially perfused by electron microscope (EM) fixative agent. The fetal brains were extracted intact and used for slice preparation. Horizontal slices were made for electron microscope preparation, and images were taken and analyzed in terms of cell density and morphological changes. RESULTS: EM observation indicated significant morphological difference in cellular and intercellular spaces between the two groups. Music-treated fetuses had significantly higher cell density in parietal cortex and music-treated dams had lower COS level. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that prenatal music would have a great impact on neuroplasticity of fetal rat brain, at least indirectly. Although the rat fetuses cannot hear until birth, music-induced reduction in COS blood level of dams might be the reason for neuroplasticity of fetal brain.

Effect of phase III cardiac rehabilitation and relaxation on the quality of life in patients with cardiac syndrome X.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac syndrome X is a relatively common disorder, and still not much is known about the causative factors or its pathophysiology, which makes it difficult to cure. Due to its chronic nature and debilitating symptoms, many patients have significantly reduced quality of life (QOL).The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of phase III cardiac rehabilitation (CR) and relaxation on the QOL of patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research is a randomized clinical trial study. Forty eligible and consenting women (age 30-65 years) were randomly assigned to four groups. In the first group (n = 11), progressive muscle relaxation (PMR); in the second group (n = 11), phase III CR; and in the third group (n = 11), PMR along with phase III CR were performed for 8 weeks at home. The fourth group (n = 7) was used as the control group. Short form of QOL questionnaire (SF-36) was used for data gathering. Data analysis was performed using χ(2), Kruskal-Wallis, and rank sum difference tests. RESULTS: After phase III CR, relaxation, and combination of CR and relaxation, patients demonstrated improved QOL (P < 0.001). The results of post-test multiple comparisons showed that there were statistically significant differences between control and all intervention groups (P < 0.05). There was also statistically significant difference between relaxation and combination of phase III CR and relaxation groups (P < 0.5). CONCLUSIONS: An 8-week phase III CR program together with relaxation improved QOL of patients with cardiac syndrome X. We suggest phase III CR program together with relaxation as an effective treatment in these patients.