RESUMO
The present study aimed to examine the therapeutic effects of Islamic intercessory prayer on warts. Forty-five participants who are mostly Muslims and infected with warts were randomized into three groups: Group-1 (uncertain, with intercessory prayer), Group-2 (uncertain, no intercessory prayer), and control group (informed, no intervention). Stress symptoms were also measured before and after prayer sessions for these three groups. The results revealed that there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of healing. Although participants believed in the therapeutic effects of prayer, when participants did not trust the intercessor, prayer had no effect on warts.
Assuntos
Cura pela Fé/métodos , Cura pela Fé/psicologia , Islamismo/psicologia , Religião e Medicina , Verrugas/psicologia , Verrugas/terapia , Adolescente , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Resultado do Tratamento , Adulto JovemRESUMO
The developing brain is vulnerable to environmental factors. We investigated the effects of air that contained 0.05, 0.1 and 0.3% CO2 on the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala. We focused on the circuitry involved in the neurobiology of anxiety, spatial learning, memory, and on insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which is known to play a role in early brain development in rats. Spatial learning and memory were impaired by exposure to 0.3% CO2 air, while exposure to 0.1 and 0.3% CO2 air elevated blood corticosterone levels, intensified anxiety behavior, increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity and MDA levels in hippocampus and PFC; glutathione peroxidase (GPx) enzyme activity decreased in the PFC with no associated change in the hippocampus. IGF-1 levels were decreased in the blood, PFC and hippocampus by exposure to both 0.1 and 0.3% CO2. In addition, apoptosis was increased, while cell numbers were decreased in the CA1 regions of hippocampus and PFC after 0.3% CO2 air exposure in adolescent rats. A positive correlation was found between the blood IGF-1 level and apoptosis in the PFC. We found that chronic exposure to 0.3% CO2 air decreased IGF-1 levels in the serum, hippocampus and PFC, and increased oxidative stress. These findings were associated with increased anxiety behavior, and impaired memory and learning.
Assuntos
Encéfalo/efeitos dos fármacos , Dióxido de Carbono/toxicidade , Poluentes Atmosféricos/toxicidade , Animais , Análise Química do Sangue , Encéfalo/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Feminino , Hipocampo/química , Hipocampo/efeitos dos fármacos , Fator de Crescimento Insulin-Like I/química , Masculino , Aprendizagem em Labirinto/efeitos dos fármacos , Córtex Pré-Frontal/química , Córtex Pré-Frontal/efeitos dos fármacos , Ratos , Ratos WistarRESUMO
It is known that regular aerobic exercise enhances cognitive functions and increases blood insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels. People living in urban areas spend most of their time indoors and indoor air quality can affect health. We investigated the effects of aerobic exercise in poor and good air quality environments on hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC) neurons, anxiety, and spatial learning and memory in adolescent mice. Poor air quality impaired spatial learning and memory; exercise did not affect learning or memory impairment. Exercise in a good air quality environment improved spatial learning and memory. Poor air quality increased apoptosis in the hippocampus and PFC. Both exercised and sedentary groups living in a poor air quality environment had lower serum IGF-1 levels than those living in a good air quality environment. Living in a poor air quality environment has negative effects on the hippocampus, PFC and blood IGF-1 levels in adolescent mice, but exercise did not alter the negative effects of poor air quality.
