مجله مطالعات علوم پزشکی
سال سی‌ام شماره 11 (بهمن 1398)

Using nutritional supplements is proposed to avoid the stresses-induced by physical activity, delayed fatigue, and maintenance of performance during competition. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of 6 weeks of watermelon juice supplementation on the activity of CK and LDH enzymes and exercise performance in elite female taekwondo athletes.

The population of this quasi-experimental are 25 elite females that were selected by available sampling methods and then were randomly divided into two groups of supplementation (n=15) and placebo (n=10). One hour before Taekwondo training, in the treatment group, subjects consumed 500 ml of watermelon juice (almost containing 1.17 gr of L-Citrulline) for 6 weeks while the control group received placebo. Taekwondo training was held for ninety minutes, three sessions per week for 6 weeks. CK, LDH levels, and exercise performance test (VO2max) were measured in both groups before and after the study and the muscle soreness was measured 24 and 47 hours after the exercise.

The results showed that watermelon juice supplementation for 6 weeks reduced CK (P=0.001) and LDH (P=0.002), decreased muscle soreness 24 hours (P=0.001) and 47 hours (P=0.001) after exercise and increased exercise performance (P=0.001). Significant differences between the experimental group and the control group with regard to these variables were observed.

According to the findings of this study, it can be concluded that watermelon juice supplementation before the exercise is effective in preventing delayed muscle soreness and athlete's performance.

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of core stabilization exercise on the serum level of Activin A and back performance scale in elderly women.

This study was a semi-experimental research. Eighteen volunteer women with low back pain (age 69.1±2.45 years, body mass index 25.5±2.84 kg/m2 and fat percentage 33.7±2.95%) were randomly divided into two equal groups (each with 9 individuals): experimental and control. Core stabilization training group performed the exercises 3 times per week, 60 minutes each time, for 8 weeks, while the control group was followed up. Body composition, Activin A levels, and back performance scale were measured in two groups before and after the intervention.

Ten weeks of core stabilization training significantly reduced Activin A serum level (from 5.62 ng/ml to 2.84 ng/ml) (p=0.000) and improved back performance scale (from 58.5% to 33.3%) (p=0.002) in elderly women with low back pain in the exercise group compared with the control group.

Core stabilization exercise improves the back performance scale and reduces Activin A level in elderly women with low back pain.

Previous studies have stated that the scapulohumeral rhythm dysfunction can make a person prone to glenohumeral joint pathologies. The purpose of this study was to survey symmetric resting scapular posture and scapulohumeral rhythm ratio between dominant and non-dominant shoulders in elderly subjects in different humeral abduction angles.

Thirty-five healthy elderly male subjects (age: 60-70 years) participated in this study voluntarily. Two inclinometers were used to measure humeral abduction and scapular upward rotation in scapular resting position, 45, 90, and 135 shoulder abduction in the frontal plane. Subjects performed humeral abduction with dominant and non-dominant shoulders in the frontal plane randomly. The scapulohumeral rhythm was calculated from division humeral abduction to upward rotation of the scapula from scapular resting position to 45°, 90°, and 135° humeral abduction in frontal plane. ANOVA with repeated measure and dependent variable test were used for comparison of differences within-group and effect of independent variables on the scapular upward rotation and scapulohumeral rhythm ratio. The level of significance was set at p< 0.05.

ANOVA with repeated measure test (2×4) indicated that dominance or non-dominance shoulder and humeral abduction angle had significant effects on scapular upward rotation and scapulohumeral rhythm ratio (p<0.05) as dominance scapula had more upward rotation and less scapulohumeral rhythm ratio. Also, scapula had more upward rotation and less scapulohumeral rhythm ratio with increasing humeral abduction angle (p<0.05). On the other hand, paired-sample test indicated there is no asymmetry between dominant and non-dominant scapula in scapular resting position but there are significant differences in scapular upward rotation and scapulohumeral rhythm ratio between dominant and non-dominant shoulders in 90° and 135° humeral abduction in the frontal plane (p<0.05).

It seems that clinicians should be careful in designing special training to prevent shoulder disorders regarding the significant decrease in scapular upward rotation and subsequent increase in scapulohumeral rhythm ratio in the non-dominant shoulders of elderly subjects.

Postpartum hemorrhage is one of the life-threatening complications after labor and cesarean section. Its prevalence is 6 percent. Metratonia is the most common cause of this complication. Some medications can prevent it. Oxytocin is the most common uterine vasoconstrictor and is used routinely after delivery for decreasing hemorrhage. The aim of this study is to compare hemodynamic changes of oxytocin infusion under general anesthesia with spinal anesthesia in elective cesarean section.

In this observational study, 120 pregnant patients with ASA I and II candidate for elective cesarean section were enrolled in two groups randomly. In one group, general anesthesia and in the other group spinal anesthesia was performed. The  heart rate, systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure of patients were recorded every minute until delivery. After umbilical cord clamping and infusion of 30 units dose of oxytocin, the hemodynamic parameters were evaluated every 3 minutes for 30 minutes. 

Until the delivery, the heart rate, systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure of patients were higher in the general anesthesia group (p=0.002). After beginning oxytocin infusion, these parameters were different in two groups and were higher in the group under general anesthesia. But only the difference of systolic blood pressures was significant (p=0.01)

We can conclude that in the cesarean section, the type of anesthesia impression on hemodynamic changes due to oxytocin infusion is only observed on systolic blood pressure and there is no significant difference in other hemodynamic parameters.

Graphene has exhibited wide applications in nanotechnology, especially in biomedicine because of its unique physical and chemical properties. The degree of toxicity of graphene materials depends on various factors such as surface charge, physicochemical properties, toxicity determination methods, and cell line. Direct contact of the very sharp edges of graphene with the cell membrane is one of the major mechanisms involved in the cytotoxicity of graphene sheets. By trapping microorganisms among graphene sheets, it is another effective mechanism to inactivate microorganisms, and due to their high surface-to-volume ratio, excellent biocompatibility, and two-dimensional structure, it can be used as an anticancer and antibacterial material. This review presents recent advances in the cytotoxicity, anti-cancer, and antibacterial activities of graphene and has focused on a wide range of toxicity and antibacterial mechanisms. This study is expected to facilitate the widespread application of graphene in other fields.

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) encounter many complications and morbidities. One of these major complications is accelerated atherosclerosis which is believed to be multifactorial in CKD and dialysis patients. Ultrasonographic evaluation of arteries has been proposed as an accurate and non-invasive method in assessing the process of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic plaque and intima-media thickness (IMT) could readily be evaluated by color Doppler ultrasonography (CDU). This study aimed at evaluating the CDU findings regarding aortoiliac atherosclerosis in hemodialysis CKD patients older than 45 years.

In an analytic-descriptive study, 50 hemodialysis patients aged 45 years or older were recruited during a 14-month period in Tabriz Imam Reza Teaching Center. Another 50 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals served as the controls. CDU was employed to determine the atherosclerosis process of aortoiliac arteries in both groups. Lumen stenosis >70% of internal diameter was considered as the “significant stenosis”. The iliac IMT was also determined on both sides.

There were 28 males and 22 females in the case group with a mean age of 56.54±8.52 years while there were 25 males and 25 females in the control group with a mean age of 55.74±7.66 years (p>0.05). The mean duration of hemodialysis was 22.76±14.35 (6-58) months in the CKD group. The median abdominal aortic diameter was significantly lower in the case group compared to the control group (13 vs. 17 mm; p<0.001). There were 5 cases (10%) with abdominal aortic aneurysm in the CKD group with no similar cases in the other group (p=0.03). The median maximum IMT of the iliac arteries was significantly higher in the dialysis group compared to that in the control group (0.9 vs. 0.6 mm; p<0.001). There was no significant stenosis in aortoiliac arteries. Frequency of the cases with atherosclerotic atheromas in aorta and iliac arteries was significantly higher in the CKD patients compared to the control group (54% vs. 12%; p<0.001).

Although there was no significant stenosis in aortoiliac arteries in hemodialysis patients, the atherosclerosis was significantly more advanced in these vessels compared to healthy counterparts.

Neurotrophic and growth factors are known to have positive effects on neuronal proliferation. However, findings on the effects of exercise training on these factors following brain stroke are limited. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of endurance training on gene expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) in the hippocampus of rats after brain stroke.

Twenty and one adult male Wistar rats (weighing 210-252 gr) were purchased and randomly divided into three groups: control, stroke, and stroke+ training groups. Stroke was induced by the occlusion of both common carotid arteries (CCA) for 45 minutes. The rats in the training group were run on a treadmill at speeds ranging from 18 to 30 meters per minute for 20 to 50 minutes per session, 5 days a week for 8 weeks. Forty eight hours after the last training session, rats were sacrificed and gene expression of NGF and FGF in the hippocampus were measured with the Real Time-PCR technique.

In comparison to the control group, stroke led to a significant decrease in gene expression of NGF (p=0.0001) and FGF (p=0.0001). Also, after brain stroke, endurance training resulted in a significant increase in gene expression of NGF (p=0.001) and FGF (p=0.023) in the hippocampus of rats.

Based on the findings of this study, endurance training probably via up-regulation of neurotrophic and angiogenic factors could have therapeutic effects against ischemia-reperfusion induced injuries and decreased impairments induced by cerebral ischemia.

Depression is the greatest psychological disorder of the present century, which is known as the common cold of psychiatry. And it is the most important risk factor for the suicide attempts. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the effectiveness of holographic reprocessing and dialectical behavioral therapy on affective control and social adjustment of depressed suicidal patients.

The present research is a pre-test and post-test type with control group. The statistical population of this study included all depressed patients who attempted suicide in Ilam in 2018. By simple random sampling, 45 subjects were selected as sample members and they were randomly assigned to three groups: holographic Reprocessing, dialectical behavior therapy group, and control group. Research instruments included affective control scale (Williams & Chambles), compatibility questionnaire (Bell), holographic reprocessing package (Katz), and dialectical behavioral therapy package (Lynn).

The results of multivariate analysis of covariance showed that there was a statistically significant difference between affective control and social adjustment in experimental groups (holographic reprocessing group and dialectical behavioral therapy group) and control group (F=132.141, p<0.000). Also, the results of the Bonferroni test showed that the holographic reprocessing group, in comparison with the dialectic behavioral therapy group, increased the level of social adjustment of depressed patients who attempted suicide (p <0.001). However, there was no significant difference in affective control between the two experimental groups (p> 0.534).

According to the results of this study, both holographic reprocessing and dialectical treatment therapy have increased the affective control and social adjustment in depressed patients with attempted suicide. Also, holographic reprocessing has further increased the level of social compatibility. Ultimately, both treatments can be used effectively to treat depression and also they can be employed as interventions in critical situations such as suicidal attempts.