مجله دانشگاه علوم پزشکی بابل
سال شانزدهم شماره 9 (پیاپی 84، شهریور 1393)

Ischemic heart diseases are the leading cause of mortality in modern society and postconditioning is considered as a new therapeutic strategy in cardioprotection against ischemic insults. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of ischemic postconditioning on inflammation caused by ischemia-reperfusion myocardium injury in rat.

In this experimental study, 21 male Wistar rats were used and divided into three groups: control, ischemia-reperfusion and postconditioning. After surgery, the hearts of rats were isolated and mounted on a Langendorff apparatus with a constant pressure. In second and third groups, after 15-minutes stabilization period of cardiac function‚ the hearts were exposed to 30-minutes regional ischemia by occlusion of left anterior descending coronary artery and followed by 60-minutes reperfusion. In third group (postconditioning), postconditioning was exerted at the start of reperfusion by applying 3 alternative cycles of 30 seconds reperfusion and ischemia. The resulting supernatants of samples from ischemic zone of left ventricle were used to measure creatine kinase (CK) enzyme as in indicator of damage and inflammatory factors interlukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) using laboratory kits via ELISA assay.

Ischemia-reperfusion significantly increased the level of myocardial CK enzyme as compared with control group (27±3 vs. 12±4 U/l) (p<0.05). In addition, the levels of inflammatory agents IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly increased in I/R group (p<0.05). Induction of postconditioning significantly reduced the CK level to about 17±3 U/l in third group and significantly decreased the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α as compared with those of I/R group (p<0.05).

Postconditioning can protect the heart by preventing the production of inflammatory agents in myocardium, and thereby reduce the reperfusion injury.

Probiotics have beneficial effects on the host by improving the intestinal microflora. The role of intestinal microflora in obesity-related disorders such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) largely is known. There are evidences for the possible effects of probiotics products in NAFLD. This study aimed to investigate the effects of probiotic yogurt intake compared to conventional yogurt on anthropometric parameters in patients with NAFLD.

In present double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial, 72 NAFLD patients with body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 Kg/m2 were studied. Subjects were randomly allocated to either the intervention or control group (n=36, in each group) and consumed daily 300 g of probiotic yogurt or 300 g of conventional yogurt for 8 week, respectively. Dietary intakes, weight, height and waist circumference were measured at the beginning and end of the study and BMI were calculated. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Data were analyzed by chi-squared test, independent sample t-tests, analysis of covariance and paired t-tests. (IRCT: 201210313664N8)

In probiotic yogurt group significant reductions were observed in weigh (84.32±13.2 vs. 82.58±13.33 Kg) and BMI (30.1±3.61 vs. 29.48±3.7 Kg/m2; p<0.001 for both). Changes percent in weight and BMI were 1.07% compared with the control group (p<0.004 and p<0.005, respectively). Waist circumference significantly was decreased in both of groups (97.4±8.45 vs. 95.71±8.36 cm in probiotic yogurt group and 98.38±10.58 vs. 97.04±10.56 cm in conventional yogurt group; p<0.002 for both) but these changes were not different between two groups.

The result of this study showed that probiotic yogurt consumption lead to reduction of weight and BMI in NAFLD patients and may be useful in weight management in these patients.