Jorjani Biomedicine Journal
Volume:11 Issue: 2, Summer 2023

Marital satisfaction (MS) is a multidimensional concept related to the individual characteristics of couples, the dynamics of inter-spousal relationships, and intergenerational attachments. We aimed to determine the predictive model of marital satisfaction in breastfeeding primiparous women based on demographic information.

This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted between August and November 2015 on 160 primiparous breastfeeding women with full-term, healthy, singleton infant who had been referred to the health centers of Babol, north of Iran, for the two-month vaccination. The research samples were selected using the convenience sampling method among ten centers in Babol, selected randomly through a lottery. They completed the demographic information form and the Persian version of the 47-items Enrich's marital satisfaction scale (EMS) in a self-report manner. The obtained scores were converted into scale scores (0-100). Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 16) with descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency) and inferential statistics (Student's t-test, ANOVA and Stepwise Multiple regression tests) at a confidence level of 0.05. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapirovilk tests were used as appropriate.

The means± SD marital satisfaction score of breastfeeding primiparous women was 86.05±12.91 (High Level). The three variables of spouse's education (X1), Spouse participation in housework (X2), and age of marriage (X3) were able to predict the level of marital satisfaction (using the formula Y = 33.89 + 2.02 X1 + 4.17 X2 + 0.40 X3). There was no relationship between marital satisfaction with age, spouse's age, employment status, spouse's employment status, education, type of delivery, type of marriage, income, and housing status.

The increase in spouse's education, spouse's participation in the home, and marriage age were associated with higher marital satisfaction. Based on the three mentioned variables, the prediction model obtained can be used to estimate the marital satisfaction of breastfeeding primiparous women.

Semen quality and related parameters correlate directly with fertilization, consequently assisting reproductive technology outcomes. Traditional studies on carob (Ceratonia siliqua) have demonstrated its effect on male fertility potential via the reductive effect on reactive oxygen species. This study aimed to investigate the effect of carob kibble extract on sperm motility.

The extract was made using acetone as a solvent, followed by vacuum evaporation and filtration. Following thawing, each of the forty human semen samples was divided into four groups and exposed to concentrations of 0.0 (control), 0.05, 0.2, and 0.8 mg/ml of the extract. Percentages of progressive motile, non-progressive motile, and immotile sperms, as well as other kinematic parameters, were assessed by computer-aided sperm analysis immediately after exposure to the concentrations (T0) and one hour later (T1). Data were analyzed by repeated measure analysis of variance and paired sample t-student tests using SPSS software. The level of p< 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

No significant difference was found between groups at T0 or T1 values. However, a comparison of matched doses at T0 and T1 indicated that lower doses 0.05 and 0.2 mg/ml could significantly (p<0.05) inhibit natural decline in motility.

Adding lower doses of carob kibble extract on a thawing medium could have a supportive effect on sperm motility. However, adding the extract to a vitrification solution before a freezing process, as well as oral intake of the extract seems to have more efficiency than would be a subject for further studies.

Promising results were obtained by using medicinal plants for the treatment and prevention of opioid withdrawal syndrome. A native Iranian plant, Echinophora platyloba, has shown analgesic effects that may be mediated through opioid receptors. Thus, the present research evaluated the effects of the ethanolic extract of E. platyloba on the acquisition of morphine dependence in mice.

Thirty-two male mice were randomly allocated into four groups of eight. Morphine dependence was induced in the mice by subcutaneous administration of morphine (50, 50, and 75 mg/kg)×3 days, plus a single dose of morphine (50 mg/kg) on the fourth day. Withdrawal syndrome was precipitated by intraperitoneal injection of naloxone (4 mg/kg) 2 hours after the last dose of morphine. On days of dependence induction and before each morphine dose, the mice received intraperitoneal injections of saline (10 ml/kg) or plant extract (25, 50, and 75 mg/kg). After the injection of naloxone, the symptoms of withdrawal syndrome in each animal were monitored for 30 minutes.

Administering morphine with this method induced morphine dependence in mice that were treated with saline before morphine. However, the mice that received the plant extract showed a significant decrease in the withdrawal symptoms including the number of jumping (P<0.01), rearing (P<0.05), grooming (P<0.05), and diarrhea (P<0.01) compared with the saline-treated mice.

Administration of the hydro-ethanolic extract of E. platyloba before morphine may inhibit the induction of morphine dependence. Therefore, the plant extract may be considered a therapeutic agent for the prevention of morphine dependence in morphine users.

Recently, the role of sports training and medicinal plants in the expression of genes has been considered to prevent the progression of diseases. The purpose of this research was to investigate the role of weight training and oleander extract on interferon regulatory factor 8 (IRF8) and cathepsin S (CTSS) gene expression in the soleus muscle of Alzheimer's disease (AD) model mice.

Fifty-five male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: healthy control group, AD control group, AD resistance training group, AD group with the supplement of Melilotus officinalis, and AD resistance training group + Melilotus officinalis supplement. Trimethyltin-induced AD was induced. In the resistance training protocol, a weight was attached to the tail of the rats, and they had to lift this weight on a ladder with 26 steps. Melilotus officinalis was injected intraperitoneally as a supplement for 6 weeks with a dose of 300 mmol/kg. Seventy-two hours after the last training session, the rats were anesthetized, and the hippocampal tissue was immediately extracted, frozen, and analyzed. A two-way analysis of variance was used to estimate the differences between groups in control and experimental AD mice.

There was a significant increase in the expression level of interferon-regulating factor 8 and cathepsin S genes in the AD group compared to the control group. The results of Bonferroni's post-hoc test showed that in the AD group + resistance training + Melilotus officinalis, a significant decrease was observed compared to the AD group (P≤0.05).

Resistance training and the Melilotus officinalis extract with antioxidant mechanisms can affect CTSS and IRF8 gene expression.

Sperm preparation is a time-consuming process that makes a contribution to oxidative stress induction in assisted reproductive techniques.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of L-carnitine on sperm parameters during semen preparation at different time intervals.

In this in vitro study, the semen samples of 50 asthenoteratozoospermic men were divided into the control and the L-carnitine groups (incubated with 0.5 mg/mL L-carnitine) (n=25/each). Total motility, progressive motility, sperm membrane integrity (by Hypo-osmotic swelling test), and lipid peroxidation (by Malondialdehyde level) were assessed in each group after 2, 4, and 6 hours. Afterward, samples were analyzed by the World Health Organization (2010) criteria.

The results showed that in the control group total and progressive motility, and membrane integrity of the sperm were significantly decreased after 2 hr (P= 0.028, p= 0.019, and p= 0.025, respectively), while Malondialdehyde levels increased significantly after 4 hr (P= 0.018). Sperm parameters in the L-carnitine group increased significantly after 2 hr (P= 0.002), while Malondialdehyde levels decreased significantly compared to the control group in 6 hr (P < 0.001 vs. P =0.045).

Based on these results, L-carnitine can manage to conserve motility and sperm membrane integrity of sperm from the hazardous impact of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation during sperm preparation.

Genetic polymorphisms are predictors of the immune response and susceptibility to certain infectious diseases, including pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). We evaluated the association of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP1) (-2581 A/G) and interferon-gamma (IFNγ) (+874 T/A) polymorphisms with susceptibility to pulmonary TB in an Iranian population.

A total of 124 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and 244 healthy subjects (121 related normal controls and 123 unrelated subjects) were included. The MCP1 polymorphic region (-2518 A/G) was genotyped by PCR-RFLP, while ARMS-PCR was used to amplify and detect IFNγ (+874 T/A). SNPStats and SPSS v. 20 were used for the statistical analysis of the data.

The comparison of MCP1 (-2518 A/G) alleles and genotypes in TB patients and healthy subjects showed no significant association in all the constructed heredity models. No association was observed between TB patients and normal subjects in all the constructed inheritance models for IFNγ (+874 T/A) alleles and genotypes.

Due to the lack of association between MCP1 (-2518 A/G) and IFNγ (874 T/A) polymorphisms and susceptibility to PT in our study and the conflicting results of some previous studies, further clinical and molecular research is needed to clarify the role of the studied polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis.