نشریه پژوهش در پزشکی
سال چهل و ششم شماره 1 (پیاپی 181، بهار 1401)

Consuming a high-fat diet, as a stressor, during pregnancy and lactation can change the programming of the neuroendocrine system, and cause long -lasting adverse metabolic and behavioral effects in later life. In this study, the effect of high-fat diet feeding during pregnancy-lactation on basal plasma corticosterone level in adult male rat offspring was investigated. This study was performed in 1398, at Physiology Department, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.

In this experimental study, dams received high-fat and normal diets from the beginning of pregnancy to the end of lactation. At the end of weaning, male offspring were divided into high-fat diet (HFD) and normal diet (ND) (6 rats per group according to previous studies) based on the dams’ diet and received normal diet until six weeks of age. Then the body weight of the animals was measured using a digital balance and blood samples were taken from their tails to determine the plasma concentration of corticosterone by a rat corticosterone Elisa Kit. Subsequently, their adrenal glands removed and weighed using a digital balance. The results were analyzed using independent t test.

Compared with the offspring of the ND group, the plasma concentration of corticosterone was higher in the offspring of the HFD group (2.11±0.13) (P<0.01), whereas the body weight of these offspring (114.8±2.37) (P<0.01) was lower. However, the adrenal gland weight of HFD group (28.25±2.80) was not significantly different from that of ND group (29.52±1.68). There were not any reduction in the samples of the study groups.

  Regarding the unchanged adrenal glands weight of the HFD group, it seems that the increase in plasma concentrations of corticosterone in this group is due to impaired corticosterone clearance.

Sedentary lifestyle and obesity in children are important factors of many non-communicable diseases, including endothelial dysfunctions, and it has been suggested that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may be very effective in improving some of the healthrelated metabolic variables. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and some biomarkers related to endothelial function and lipid profile of children with overweight and obesity. 

In the current experimental study, 24 overweight/obese volunteers (14±1year) with an average body mass index of 27.15±1.85 kg/m2 were divided into two equally high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and control groups. Subjects participated in an exercise interventionprogram for 12 weeks, three sessions per week. The association between cardiorespiratory fitness and measured variables was determined before and after exercise intervention. The linear regression analysis and Pearson correlation coefficient tests were used to analyze the data at a significance level of p <0.05.

The results revealed that cardiorespiratory fitness has the highest relationship between the levels of LDL (91%), miR-125a-5p (69.7%), Triglyceride (69.5%), body mass index (63.3%), HDL (62.9%), WHR (61.3%), cholesterol (50%), CRP (37%), and body weight (22.6%), respectively. Itwas also found that in the experimental group, changes in the levels of LDL (483.8%), triglyceride (170.6%), weight (135.4%), WHR (75.8%), body fat percentage (73.9%), and cardiovascular fitness (69.7%) have the highest relationship with hsa-miR-125a-5p levels, respectively. On the other hand, changes in body weight levels (%89.7), BMI (%61.1), LDL (%51.9), Cholesterol (%43.9), and cardiorespiratory fitness (%37.0) showed the highest relationship with CRP levels, respectively, following exercise training. 

Due to the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness with levels of miR125a, C-reactive protein, and other measured biomarkers, the use of HIIT to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, control of overweight/obesity in adolescents, and the improvement of some biomarkers of endothelial function is recommended. It is also recommended that some anthropometric and metabolic variables that are associated with the endothelial disorder markers be considered so as to prevent this complication in adulthood.

Consumption of Dorema ammoniacum (D. ammoniacum) as herb can have different side effects. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of the D. ammoniacum hydroalcoholic extract on the weight, growth, and external and internal tissues of embryo using a chick embryo model during 2019.

In the present experimental study, 21 embryonated eggs were randomly divided into 3 equal groups (7 per group). On the fourth day of incubation, 0.5 ml of phosphate buffer saline or D.ammoniacum hydroalcoholic extract at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg egg-weight were inoculated into the eggs of the control and experiment groups, respectively. Embryos were allowed to develop until day 18, and then were examined for macroscopic lesions under a loupe microscope. After preparing histopathologic slides, microscopic lesions of embryos were also examined. SPSS was used running one-way analysis of variance with Turkey›s post hock test to determine significant differences of quantitative variables between groups.

In the group of D. ammoniacum hydroalcoholic extract at dose of 100 mg/kg compared to the control,body length (6.67±41.21 vs. 4.88±86.24) and embryo weight (0.22±0.34 vs. 0.23±0.59) showed a significant decrease (p=0.048 and p<0.0001, respectively). Most pathological effects were observed in the lung, liver,and kidney of the group receiving the extract at the dose of 100 mg/kg.

Considering the consumption of D. ammoniacum in different regions of Iran and the side effects of its hydroalcoholic extract on external and internal organs of the chick embryo, it is suggested that this herb be used with caution, especially during pregnancy.

 Liver fibrosis is associated with lifestyle-related diseases, including diabetes. The present study investigated the effect of eight weeks of aerobic training combined with Momordica Charantia L. consumption on Liver fibrosis4- (FIB4-) index and Oxidative Stress in men with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

In the current clinical trial study, 36 men with type 2 diabetes (age: 5.15±53.08 years, weight: 6.53±78.08kg, and BMI: 1.2218±26.22 kg/square meters) were selected from Tehran and were randomly divided into four groups (Control (C), Momordica charantia (MC), Training (T), and Momordica charantia+Training (MCT)). The training groups participated in a progressive aerobic training for eight weeks, three sessions a week (%40 to %70 of the reserved heart rate and for 15 min in the first week to 45 min in the eighth week). The MC and MCT groups were given 2000 mg of MC powders for eight weeks (twice a day before breakfast and dinner). Two days before and after the protocol, blood samples were obtained in fasting state.

The results showed that the levels of FIB-4 and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) decreased significantly in the MCT (P = 0.007) and T (P = 0.002) groups compared with the control group, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (P=0.005) and malondialdehyde (MDA) (P = 0.000) decreased significantly in the experimental group. Also, superoxide dismutase (SOD) (P = 0.001), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) (P = 0.000), and catalase (CAT) (P = 0.001) in the experimental groups increased significantly compared to the C group. The amounts of SOD and GPX in the MCT group were significantly higher compared with those of the T and MC group (p≤0/05).

It seems that T and MC have interactive effects on reducing FIB-4 indice, liver enzymes, and Oxidative Stress in men with T2D.

Inactivity and aging are known to increase plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) levels associated with accumulation of oxidative damage. Moreover, it has been shown that the capacity to produce heat shock proteins (HSPs) decreases with aging. In contrast, regular physical activity is an important determinant in maintaining an optimal state of health, reducing oxidative stress, and preventing chronic diseases in elderly population. Hence, the present study was conducted to investigate and compare the effect of three aerobic, resistance, and concurrent training methods on the MDA and HSP70 in sedentery older Women.

In a randomized controlled clinical trial with pre-test and post-test design,48 sedentay older women were randomly assigned into four groups of control (n=12), aerobic (n=12), resistance (n=12), and concurrent exercise training (n=12). Participants in the training groups were assigned to to exercise training for eight weeks, while participants in the control group were advised to maintain their normal lifestyle during the study. Prior to and after the training,blood samples were evaluated. Data were analyzed running Covariance of analysis (ANCOVA) and bonferroni post hoc tests.

The results showed that after eight weeks of exercise training, the MDA level decreased significantly in all three training groups as compared with that of the control group (p=0.001).Moreover, all three exercise training methods significantly increased the HSP70 consentrainon in elderly women (p=0.000), and the difference of these indices between the training groups was not found to be significant (p>0.05).

In conclusion, it seems that the results of our study showed that exercise training (in different types) for eight weeks improved age-related deficits in HSP70 and it is an effective therapeutic method to modulate oxidative stress in sedentary older women.

Methamphetamine is known as a nerve stimulant and addictive substance.Prerequisite for methamphetamine-induced behaviors is the effect of the drug on the relevant genes and proteins mentioned in the previous studies. Here, we made an attempt to examine the effect of intraperitoneal injection of this drug on the expression of specific genes AKT, GSK3b, BDNF, and CREB in the lumbar spinal cord. 

 In the current experimental study, we examined the effect of five days of intraperitoneal injection of methamphetamine and its withdrawal on increasing the reaction time of the tail in response to the shock of burning light and shook and alterations in the expression of specific genes in comparison with the sequence relevant primers in the lumbar spinal cord of four experimental groups (each including 7 male rats). For data analysis, one-way ANOVA was run in SPSS.

Intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg/kg methamphetamine over a five-day period, by increasing the reaction time of the animal's tail to the shock of burning light from 3.17 to 6.8.8 seconds, induced analgesia (P-<0.01) and increased the expression of Protein kinase B (AKT) and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) genes in the lumbar spinal cord of male rats (P <0.05 and P<0.01, respectively), whereas it did not significantly alter the expression of Glycogen synthase kinase3 (GSK3b) and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) genes in this region (P =0.2 and P=1, respectively). Also, deprivation of methamphetamine in the drug deprivation group, by reducing the tail reaction time from 6.88 seconds to 3.9 seconds, reduced the analgesic effect of the drug (P <0.01), but the expression of the mentioned genes in this group did not change significantly as compared with the methamphetamine group.

It seems that the intraperitoneal injection of methamphetamine dose over a short period of time has only a beneficial analgesic effect and its minimal effect on changes in gene expression is not sufficient to be interpreted as drug abuse and induce addiction.

More than %40 of pregnant women worldwide have anemia that can have significant side effects for both mother and baby. The claim that the implementation of a family medicine program can be effective on anemia or not is an important question that was targeted in the present study.

An experimental community trial was conducted to compare the prevalence of anemia in the second half of pregnancy between urban women (intervention group) and rural women (control group) (who had family medical coverage and active health care) before and after the intervention of "urban family medicine". The study was conducted once before the implementation of the urban family physician plan in July 2015 and then 2.5 years after the implementation of the plan in March 2016 for the second time. The results were analyzed using Chi2 test and Fisher's exact criteria.

All pregnant women, including 927 people, were included in the study without sampling,and the relevant information was studied in the two time periods mentioned. The prevalence of anemia at 10-6 weeks of gestation before and after the intervention was almost similar in rural and urban pregnant women (10.1 to 7.8 before the intervention and 11.4 to 9.5 after the intervention).Therefore, the causes of anemia other than pregnancy did not interfere with our study. Anemia of 30-24 weeks of gestation in urban pregnant women before family medicine (2015) was %33.3, which was reduced to 21.7 after the intervention in 2019 (P = 0.027).

Implementation of "family medicine/active health care" significantly reduced gestational anemia in the intervention group.

Resistance to a wide range of beta-lactam family antibiotics is due to the emergence of new beta-lactamases among bacterial strains. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of ESBLs in Klebsiella speices isolated from raw and pasteurized school
milk using phenotypic and genotypic methods. 

In a descriptive cross-sectional study, 200 samples of raw and pasteurized school milk were analyzed for the presence of Klebsiella spp. Samples were grown on Hektoen enteric agar medium. Suspected colonies of Klebsiella spp. were confirmed running differential tests. For the initial screening of ESBL producing organisms, the Disk Diffusion Agar method (DDA) was used. Final confirmation was done using PCR.

Out of 200 samples tested, 44 isolates were identified as Klebsiella, 32 isolates (72.7%) from raw and 12 (27.3%) from pasteurized school milk. In general, 14 (31.8%) isolates that were resistant to at least ceftazidime or cefotaxime antibiotics were selected for confirmatory testing.In Multiplex PCR assay, 6 (3%) isolates were screened for the confirmatory test (5 raw and 1 pasteurized school milk). Out of 6 isolates, 4 (2%) and 1 (0.5%) isolates contained TEM and DHA genes, and 2 (1%) and 1 (0.5%) isolates contained SHV and CITM genes, respectively.

It is difficult to identify the enzymes producing strains through the phenotypic tests; therefore, the inclusion of molecular probes using universal primers along with phenotypic tests can be used for the detection of these types of resistance, which play a major role in infection control.

Diabetes mellitus is a common chronic disease in the world, independently associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and heart failure (HF). Patients with diabetes have worse outcomes once heart disease developes; thus, the timely detection of diabetic heart disease is necessary to prevent the progression of CVD and HF. Also, Left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony is used to detect the evidence of pre-clinical cardiac dysfunction. The purpose of the current investigation was to assess factors that influence LV dyssynchrony in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus without evidence of concomitant CVD.

In the current descriptive study, 100 patients with type 2 diabetes and without symptoms of heart disease were included. Finally, the data of 52 patients who did not meet any of the exclusion criteria were analyzed. Parameters of sex, age, blood pressure, smoking, duration of diabetes, glycosylated hemoglobin (HB-A1C), and parameters of LV dyssynchrony were analyzed using tissue doppler echocardiography (TDI). Patients were divided into two subgroups based on the presence or absence of LV dyssynchrony and these two subgroups were compared in terms of the mentioned parameters.

The mean age of the patients was 8.8 ± 53.2 years and 30 patients (%57) were male. LV dyssynchrony was present based on the septal to lateral Ts delay index as well as total asynchrony index in %35 of the patients and based on the septal to posterior wall motion delay in %25 of them. Glycosylated hemoglobin levels were significantly different between the two groups with and without LV dyssynchrony (p˂0.001). 

It seems that in patients with asymptomatic type 2 diabetes and without concomitant cardiovascular disease, LV dyssynchrony, which is the early marker of subclinical cardiac dysfunction,has a significant frequency and has a significant relationship with glycosylated hemoglobin levels.

Thalassemia has been classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a major public health problem. Meanwhile, hyperthyroidism is a serious complication and is thought to be associated with iron overload in patients with thalassemia major. The current study aimed to study the function of the thyroid gland in beta-thalassemia major patients who attended the thalassemia center in Mofid children's hospital of Tehran, Iran.

The present descriptive study carried out between 2019-2020 to evaluate the function of the thyroid gland in 40 children with beta-thalassemia major aged between 15-2 years.The demographical information of all the patients was collected and the serum total triiodothyronine (T4), ferritin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All data were included in SPSS columns and were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square test, t-test, and Mann-Whitney U.

The results showed that ferritin level in %52.5 of patients was ≥ 3000 ng/ml. Moreover, %87.5 of the patients had normal T4 levels (0.8 to 2 deciliters). Among all patients, subclinical hypothyroidism was the common thyroid dysfunction (%20). Moreover, the most common thyroid dysfunction in patients with normal ferritin levels (≥ 3000 ng/ml) was subclinical hypothyroidism (P = 0.039). Also, the prevalence of hypothyroidism was found to be associated with different age groups (p = 0.036).

It seems that subclinical hypothyroidism is the most common thyroid dysfunction in patients with beta-thalassemia major. The early detection and treatment of patients could improve their quality of life.

The lack of information on the knowledge and attitude of dentists towards herpes simplex virus is one of the concerns of the community.

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 dentists using continuous referral sampling technique. The questionnaire used to collect data included three sections: there were some questions on individual characteristics, 12 questions on dentists’ knowledge about Herpes simplex infection, and 12 questions on dentists’ attitudes towards this infection. In the section on knowledge, each question received a score of 1. The score range of each attitude question was 0-3. Data were analyzed running chi-squared regression analysis in SPSS, version 11.

Of 400 dentists evaluated, 48.25% were female and 51.75% were male, with a mean age of 30 years.Knowledge was not very good in any of the samples, it was 3.5% good, low in 3.1%, and very low in 96.3%. As for the attitude towards herpes simplex infection, 30.3% had positive attitude, 58.2% had a relatively positive attitude, and 11.5% had a negative attitude. According to the results, there was a significant relationship between the lower age, education, university, and the province of activity (p < 0/05). Furthermore, female gender, age above 30, year of education prior to 2011, and graduates of Azad and Shahed University revealed positive awareness about herpes simplex infection (p < 0/05).

The knowledge and attitudes of dentists studied were lower than the expected levels. Thus, it is necessary to design proper educational programs to improve dentists’ knowledge and attitudes on Herpes simplex infection.

Nowadays, nanoscience and the use of nanoparticles have become very important in all fields of medicine and biology. Thus, researchers have been studying a variety of synthesis methods and to improve diagnostic and therapeutic methods, the most appropriate method have been used. The selection of the best nanoparticles and the most practical method for their synthesis is significant. The purpose of the present article was to review the types of nanoparticles, to select the most suitable nanoparticles according to their application, and finally to choose the most appropriate method for the synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles.

A review study was conducted on several selected articles based on our searches in Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus databases from among papers published in English between 2020-2001. Using the keywords “Nanoparticles, Magnetic Nanoparticles, Synthesis,Magnetic Resonance Imaging", the total number of articles obtained was more than 3000. First, most of the review articles were deleted and, finally, the abstracts and data of 121 English articles, which were more relevant to the keywords, were selected and reviewed.

Among different synthesis strategies, in keeping with unique research, the thermal decomposition approach is taken into consideration in medicine, particularly magnetic resonance imaging, because of its low dispersion product and manipulation over the scale and form of magnetic
nanoparticles.