Showing 24 results for Rat
Samaneh Haji Hosseini,
Volume 3, Issue 1 (5-2015)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: With respect to lack of information about the effect of intensity differences, type of sport participation and their relationships with the other health factors such as cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), the present study was conducted to evaluate the associations between sports participation, levels of Physical Activity (PA) and CRF.
Methods: The present analytical study was conducted on 406 undergraduate students aging 18-21 years from Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources in second semester of 2014. CRF was tested with Rockport Walk Test among all participants. Sports participation was assessed by Ledent questionnaire and habitual physical activity (PA) data was evaluated using metabolic equivalent (METs) self-reported questionnaire. All analyses were carried out using SPSS version 20.0. An independent T-test, Chi-square statistic, ANOVA and regression were employed to analyze data statistically.
Results: The participants with desired CRF and acceptable levels of PA were significantly engaged more active in organized or unorganized sport activities and also competitive sports compared to others (P < 0.05). Individuals with at least 3 hours of moderate to vigorous PA per day had a better CRF (P<0.05).Regression results showed that participation in any level of competitive sports regardless of winning or loss guarantee the CRF to some extent.
Conclusion: Participation in competitive sports along with adopting active life style (2:30 min PA with moderate intensity and 30 min of competitive sport) may increase the chance of gaining CRF.
Soraya Karami, Layasadat Khorsandi,
Volume 4, Issue 1 (5-2016)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Seeds of cultivated safflower which are now used in pharmaceutical and food industries are in white coat color. No commercially available pigmented genotype of cultivated safflower has been reported yet. This study was to investigate the probable toxicological effects of black coat seed of a new pigmented variety of safflower (A82) on liver and kidney tissues of male wistar rats.
Methods: In the present experimental study, 54 male wistar rats were randomly divided into 2 groups of 24 (including 4 subgroups of 6 rats) and a control group of 6 rats. Group 1 (control group), distilled water, group 2 (CTBS) and Group 3 (CTWS) were respectively given grain crust suspension (A82) and white shell (C111) safflower on a daily basis, at doses of 30, 60, 180 and 240 mg per kg body weight orally for 5 weeks. In order to address the biochemical tests including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ,alkaline phosphatase (ALP), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr), arterial blood samples were taken. Regarding histological studies, liver and kidney organs were removed immediately. After fixation of samples in 10% formalin, 4-5 µm tissue sections were prepared. Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining method followed by light microscopy was used to examine the sections. One-way ANOVA was used to compare the means between groups and least significant difference (LSD) was used to perform additional tests.
Results: In both CTBS and CTWS treatment groups, the body weight of wistar rats increased significantly in a dose-dependent manner (233.00±4.74 and 218.76±5.43, respectively) compared to the control group (196.79±4.88). The increasing trend was significantly higher in CTBS group compared to the CTWS group (p<0.05). In contrast to the results of body weight, organ weights of liver and kidney treatment groups were not significantly changed in all treatment groups. The serum levels of ALT and AST showed no significant difference between treatment groups and also in comparison to the control group. The serum level of ALP within CTBS treatment group (567.39±32.5) was significantly lower than CTWS (609.94±30.5) and control groups (819.50±38.21) (p<0.05). BUN and Cr were decreased among treatment groups in comparison to the control group (p>0.05). Moreover, regarding histopathological studies, neither liver nor kidney necrosis or damages were visualized in treatment groups in a dose-dependent manner.
Conclusion: Our findings showed that safflower seed, especially black ones (A82) has no toxic effects over liver and kidney tissues. The positive effects of black seeds on body weight among wistar rats may be an interesting effect to be further investigated for exploitation in the poultry industry.
Sanaz Baghbanrahimi, Hoorieh Soleimanjahi, Alireza Mohebbi, Mir Saeid Ebrahimzadeh, Leyla Alizade, Amir Ghaemi,
Volume 5, Issue 1 (5-2017)
Abstract
Background & Objective: Human papillomavirus (HPV) oncoproteins, including E6 and E7 are constitutively expressed in cervical cancer cells. These proteins are ideal targets to be used for developing therapeutic vaccines against existing HPV-associated carcinomas. The aim of this study was to measure the proliferation response rate of splenic lymphocytes derived from E7-HPV16 encoding plasmid injection on the tumor mouse model of papillomavirus.
Method: C57BL/6 mice were inoculated subcutaneous with 5× 10⁵ TC-1 cells in three times with two weeks intervals and then immunized with HPV-16 E7 DNA vaccine. The proliferation response of splenic cells was measured by MTT assay. IL12 cytokine was measured by ELISA assay and the mass of tumor was calculated with caliper for six weeks.
Results: Following the application of DNA vaccines containing E7 therapeutic gene, the proliferative response of splenic cells was provoked significanltly higher than the stimulation in control group (P<0.05). Moreover, the secretion of IL12 was significantly increased in vaccinated mice tumor tissue (P<0.05). The growth of tumor in vaccinated group was markedly decreased in comparison to PBS and pcDNA3 groups (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Our findings revealed that the application of DNA vaccine containing E7 gene in a tumor mouse model may induce anti-tumor cellular immune responses.
Dr Mahsa Saadati,
Volume 5, Issue 2 (10-2017)
Abstract
Background & Objective: Migration, in any forms and by any motivations or outcomes, as a demographic phenomenon, has various cultural and socio-economic effects on local, regional, national and international levels. On the other hand, fertility plays an important role in health and population studies and researchers have examined its changes and trends in various aspects. The aim of this research was modeling the mean number of children ever born (CEB) for women who have left their cities or villages and migrated to Tehran city using regression tree model.
Methods: Data was obtained from 2% of raw data from the census of 2011 and analyzed by regression tree model. Tree models are nonparametric statistical techniques which do not need complicated and unreachable assumptions of traditional parametric ones and have a considerable accuracy of modeling. These models are associated with simple interpretation of results. Therefore, they have been used by researches in many fields such as social sciences.
Results: Age, educational level, job status, cause of migration, internet use for urban migrant women and age for rural migrant women were assumed as influential covariates in predicting the mean number of CEB.
Conclusion: Regression tree findings revealed that urban migrants who were in higher age groups, lower educational levels, unemployed and have not used internet have had more mean number of CEBs.
Dr Behrooz Yahyaei, Dr Mahnaz Nouri, Dr Hamid Matmir,
Volume 6, Issue 1 (3-2018)
Abstract
Background and objectives: Anabolic steroids are routinely consumed by athletes. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of Boldenone (BOL) on testicular tissue and the healing effect of jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) hydroalcoholic extract in addition to physical exercise.
Methods: In the present case–control study, 42 male wistar rats were purchased and divided into 3 experimental groups. 28 rats were subjected to BOL injection and subsequently divided into 4 groups. The control group, Sham and 8-week BOL group which was also divided into 4 subsequent groups of controlling BOL complications after 8 weeks, untreated control, jujube extract and jujube extract along with physical exercise.
Results: In the present study we found that jujube extract exerted healing effects on all groups pf treated rats in addition to the exercise training groups.
Conclusion: Jujube extract along with physical exercise may exert healing effects on testicular tissue after administration of anabolic BOL steroid.
Mahdi Tajbakhsh, Dr Neda Soleimani,
Volume 6, Issue 1 (3-2018)
Abstract
Background and objectives: Historically, herbs and plants have been used for their therapeutic properties in the form of flavors and preservatives. Recently, the application of medicinal herbs has increased considering their numerous benefits and minimum side-effects. Treatment of bacterial infections is currently a major challenge in the healthcare systems across the world. The present study aimed to assess the bacterial effects of Zingiber officinale, Aloysia citrodora and Artemisia dracunculus essential oils on the survival of standard Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains.
Methods: In the present experimental study, we evaluated the effects of Tarragon (A. dracunculus), Ginger (Z. officinale) and Lemon Beebrush (A. citrodora) essential oils on 6 strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella spp, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Proteus spp and Corynebacterium diphtheriae. The well-diffusion method was applied to assess the antibacterial properties of the essential oils. Moreover, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) tests were used to determine the bacterial and inhibitory concentrations of the extracts.
Results: MIC and MBC results demonstrated that the ginger extract (0.125 mg/mL) had the most significant impact on Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Furthermore, tarragon extract (0.03125 mg/mL) had the most significant effect on Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus spp, and Corynebacterium diphtheriae. The antibacterial effects of these essential oils were not observed on other bacteria.
Conclusion: Medicinal plants have long been used for their therapeutic properties. According to the results, ginger and tarragon extracts are effective combinations for the treatment of the infections caused by Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria.
Anis Abbasi, Amir Ashkan Nasiri Pour, Seyyed Jamalodin Tabibi, Pouran Raeisi,
Volume 6, Issue 2 (6-2018)
Abstract
Background and objectives: The development and distribution of hospital beds, regardless of effective factors, may downgrade equity in access to health services through imposing costs of inefficiency. This study aimed to develop a hospital bed distribution model in Iran in order to facilitate the optimal and cost-effective development and distribution of hospital beds.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study with mixed-methods analysis was carried out during 2015-2016. The research population encompassed 345 managers and experts in the field of health, who were selected using multistage quota sampling method from five regions of Iran (north, south, center, west and east). A total pool of 23 experts were selected from each university, and a researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data. Content Validity Ratio (CVR) was used to evaluate the questionnaire content and face validity. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and exploratory factor analysis with Varimax rotation were run as well to determine the questionnaire reliability and item consistency, respectively. For this purpose, AMOS version 20 and SPSS version 20 software were employed. To determine the fit of the model, the fit indices were also considered.
Results: Out of 51 effective factors included in the questionnaire in accordance with content validity, 23 items were confirmed by the experts. Exploratory factor analysis detected five organizational (seven components), economic (four components), social (six components), political (three components) and geographic (three components) factors as the main dimensions of hospital bed distribution, which could explain 70.745% of variance for all variables. The organizational and geographical dimensions had the highest (1.00) and lowest (0.16) influence on the hospital bed distribution. After running confirmatory factor analysis, two components of social and economic attributes with factor load of 0.46 in social dimension and efficiency and effectiveness of existing centers with factor load of 0.31 in the economic dimension were excluded from the model.
Conclusion: This study confirmed the hospital bed distribution model with five organizational, social, economic, political, and geographical dimensions, in which the organizational dimension with high explanatory power had the greatest impact on the hospital bed distribution. Therefore, this model seems efficient to be used as a comprehensive and appropriate method in making policies and decisions about the development and distribution of hospital beds.
Bahareh Yazdanparast Chaharmahali, Mohammad Ali Azarbayjani, Maghsood Peeri, Parvin Farzanegi Arkhazloo,
Volume 6, Issue 4 (12-2018)
Abstract
Background and objectives: Elderly is characterized by decreased cardiac function, which is widely associated with mitochondrial failure in cell death. Elderly causes heart apoptosis. Although the old heart is vulnerable to apoptosis, physical training and some supplements through different mechanisms could be effective in reducing apoptosis. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of interval training on some apoptotic parameters of Bax and Bcl2 cardiomyocytes in old female rats.
Methods: In an experimental study, 49 Wistar female rats (2 years old) were randomly assigned into 7 groups: control, saline, curcumin, moderate intensity training, moderate intensity training + curcumin, high intensity training, high intensity training + curcumin. The experimental groups received gavage doses of curcumin 30 mg / kg body weight three days a week via. The saline group also received the same amount of saline. Training groups had moderate and severe exercises on the treadmill for eight weeks, and three sessions per week. Forty-eight hours after the last training session and gavage, the animals were killed and their heart tissues were isolated to determine the levels of Bax and Bcl2.
Results: The results indicated that interval training and curcumin consumption could significantly increase the levels of Bcl2 and BAX and the BAX / Bcl2 ratio, the amount of which depends on the intensity of training. Moreover, the combination of training and curcumin had an antagonistic effect.
Conclusion: According to the results, physical activity and curcumin separately have a protective effect on the heart tissue; however, these two interventions do not enhance each other’s effect. Hence each one is suggested to be used separately.
Hadi Salimi, Reza Golvardi Yazdi,
Volume 7, Issue 1 (3-2019)
Abstract
Background and objectives: Dental technicians are in indirect contact with patients. Microorganisms find their way to dental labs through dental impressions. Infection control is a critical procedure to prevent the spreading of diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the levels of infection control knowledge and practice and the factors affecting them, in DLs in Yazd – Iran.
Methods: All dental labs in Yazd – Iran were visited and all working technicians were asked to fill questionnaires including knowledge and practice questions. Data was analyzed using t-test via SPSS 17.
Results: Out of 26 filled questionnaires 73% and 50% of the technicians had respectively poor awareness and practice. Regarding adherence to infection control procedures, technicians with higher work experience had significantly higher scores (p value = 0.015). Technicians educated in the field of dental technologies had significantly higher awareness and practice scores (p value= 0.015, 0.029).
Conclusion: Technicians who have been trained at dental schools have higher knowledge and practice regarding infection control. Since dental labs are not obligated to hire only these technicians, workers without related education are occupied in dental labs. This result in the unfortunate status of infection control in dental labs. The poor status of infection control in dental labs can contribute to spread infections to patients and the related healthcare team.
Ayyoob Khosravi,
Volume 8, Issue 2 (7-2020)
Abstract
Stem cells isolated from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) are multipotent mesenchymal stem cells that are isolated from dental pulp tissues. These cells have a high proliferative capacity, multipotential ability, immunomodulatory function, and minimal risk of oncogenesis. Recent studies have shown that SHEDs are a feasible cell source for cell therapy and regenerative medicine.
Ghadir Sohrabi, Mahdi Malmir, Ali Asghar Ghafarizade, Tayebeh Faraji,
Volume 9, Issue 1 (3-2021)
Abstract
Background and Objective: Downscale outcome in assisted reproductive techniques (ART) is associated with lipid peroxidation. Melatonin may have beneficial effects against lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. This work was aimed to evaluate the ameliorative capacity of melatonin versus the passage of time and lipid peroxidation on sperm parameters from the men with ATS in the ART process.
Material and Methods: Semen samples were collected from 50 asthenoteratozoospermic (ATS) men. Samples were divided into control and melatonin group. The test group were incubated with 6 mM melatonin at 2, 4, 6, and 24 hours. Then total and progressive motility, membrane integrity, and Malondialdehyde levels (MDA) were evaluated. Statistical analysis was carried out by SPSS software (repeated-measures ANOVA).
Results: In the control group, total (p<0.01) and progressive (P<0.05) motility and also, membrane integrity (P<0.03) significantly decreased although, MDA levels of sperm significantly increased (*P<0.04). Moreover, in the melatonin group, the mentioned parameters significantly compensated compared to the control group (P<0.05).
Conclusion: In the outcome, melatonin in vitro treatment paves the way for motility and membrane integrity up-regulating in the ATS men.
Ghanbar Roohi, Gholam Reza Mahmoodi-Shan ,
Volume 9, Issue 4 (12-2021)
Abstract
Background and Objective: The performance of organizations depends on the motivation of each individual to help improve the quality of services. The present study aimed to assess the correlation between job motivation and the motivational priorities of the employees working in hospitals affiliated to Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 367 hospital staff of Golestan University of Medical Sciences in 2016 during nine months. The participants were selected via stratified sampling and simple random sampling using the standard situational motivation scale (SIMS) and Lawrence Lindal motivational priorities. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 20 using descriptive and analytical statistics.
Results: The mean age of the employees was 26-50 years, and their mean work experience was 11-30 years. In total, 258 participants (68.1%) worked in medical wards. The key motivating factor in the staff was interest in the job (n=84; 19.8%), which was considered the first priority. In addition, a significant difference was observed between the mean job motivation and ethnicity (P=0.012). However, Spearman’s test showed no significant correlation between job motivation and motivational priorities, except for mutual understanding (P=0.049).
Conclusion: According to the results, job motivation was desirable in the studied hospital staff, and the factor of interest in the job was the foremost priority of the staff. Therefore, managers should pay attention to the influential factors in the motivation of their employees.
Mohammadreza Kheyrandish, Fahime Bafande, Mehdi Sheikh Arabi,
Volume 10, Issue 1 (3-2022)
Abstract
One of the major challenges in the field of tissue engineering is the production of scaffolding in nano-scale. The study of structural-functional connections in pathological and normal tissues with biologically active alternatives or engineered materials has been developed. Extracellular Matrix (ECM) is a suitable environment consisting of gelatin, elastin and collagen types I, II and III, etc., which are provided to cells for wound healing, embryonic development, cell growth and organogenesis, and. They also play a role in transmitting structural integrity and overall strength to tissues. In tissues, ECM manufacturers are structurally 50 to 500 nm in diameter; nanotechnology must be used to create scaffolds or ECM analogues. Recent advances in nanotechnology have led to the development of ECM-engineered analogues in various ways. To date, three self-assembly, phase separation and electrospinning techniques have been developed to activate nanofiber scaffolds. With these advances and the construction of a "biomimetic" environment, engineered tissue or scaffolding is now possible for a variety of tissues. This study will discuss the three existing methods for creating Tissue engineering scaffolds that are able to mimic new tissue, as well as the discovery of materials for use in scaffolding.
Kobra Sharifiyan, Mohammad Jafar Tarokh, Seyed Alireza Hashemi Golpayegani,
Volume 10, Issue 4 (12-2022)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: One of the complicated processes in the Ministry of Health is the process of registering pharmaceuticals .Since there are different soft wares for registration of products, and since parallel services concuss waste of time and money, it is necessary to provide integrated software in the form of services. This goal can be achieved when services are identified and combined in integrated soft wares.
Material and Methods: present study is an applied research, In order to identify the services of an integrated system for recording pharmaceutical supplies, first the Gray-Wolf multi-objective optimization (GWO) algorithm was proposed. Then the values of the algorithm parameters were extracted by the goal-based requirements analysis method and the algorithm was implemented. Finally the best services were extracted by the hierarchical analysis process.
Results: Considering that the results of present study are an operational project in the Ministry of Health, by implementing the algorithm proposed by Gray Wolf, services were identified, which can be used to create integrated software for registering pharmaceutical supplies.
Conclusion: Creating an integrated system for registering pharmaceutical supplies is one of the important challenges of the Ministry of Health. This can be achieved by identifying services and combining these services to create an integrated system.
Seyed Rafie Shafabakhsh, Yaser Kazemzadeh, Hossein Shirvani, Sanaz Mirzaiyan Shanjani, Saeed Sedaghati,
Volume 11, Issue 1 (7-2023)
Abstract
Background: Skeletal muscle is a tissue that secretes myokines from muscle cells in response to training stimuli and muscle contractions. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of 4-week moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on the expression of three genes: apelin, decorin, and musclin in the skeletal muscle fibers of Wistar rats. In addition, the study examined the changes in gene expression levels during the training period.
Methods: The present study enrolled 16 male Wistar rats with an approximate age of eight weeks and a weight range of 200-220 grams. They were randomly divided into two equal groups: An aerobic exercise group (n=8) and a control group (n=8). During the four-week training period, the experimental group performed aerobic exercises on a treadmill with an intensity of 50-70% of their maximum power, for three sessions per week, while the control group did not engage in any activity. After completing the training period, the rats were sacrificed 48 hours later to evaluate the gene expression of the study variables using the real-time PCR method for tissue analysis. An independent t-test was used to examine the difference between groups, and statistical significance was set at P <0.05.
Results: The independent t-test results indicated that the gene expression levels of all three variables: Musclin, decorin, and apelin, were significantly higher in the aerobic exercise group compared to the control group.
Conclusion: The study findings suggest that aerobic exercise can potentially to increase the gene expression of three specific myokines: apelin, decorin, and musclin in skeletal muscles. These myokines are known to play an essential role in energy homeostasis, and their increased expression levels could have potential health benefits for individuals engaged in aerobic exercise.
Samira Naderi Noreini, Roya Ahmadi Nia Tabesh, Mahdi Malmir, Ali Asghar Ghafarizade,
Volume 11, Issue 2 (10-2023)
Abstract
Background: Sperm preparation is a time-consuming process that makes a contribution to oxidative stress induction in assisted reproductive techniques.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of L-carnitine on sperm parameters during semen preparation at different time intervals.
Materials and Methods: 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.
Result: 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).
Conclusion: 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.
Fateme Yazdani,
Volume 11, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
Letter to the Editor
Rahil Shahriari, Homa Sheikhani Shahin, Mehrzad Moghaddasi, Alireza Jowhari,
Volume 11, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
Background: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is one of the prevalent metabolic diseases, and knowing its treatment methods is very important. This study investigates the effect of eight weeks of combined high-intensity interval training on intrahepatic FNDC5 protein and irisin in male rats with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
Methods: In this study, 40 rats aged 6 to 8 weeks were divided into two groups: healthy (n=20) and high-fat diet (HFD) (n=20). After eight weeks and assurance of disease induction, the HFD group was randomly divided into control-patient (n=9) and training-patient (n=9). Also, the healthy group was divided into control-healthy (n=9) and training-healthy (n=9). The training group rats performed HIIT in aquatic and land environments (Saturdays and Wednesdays in aquatic environments and Mondays on a treadmill). Western blot method was used to measure FNDC5 and irisin proteins, and the spectrophotometric method was used to measure liver enzymes (ALT and AST). One-way ANOVA and Bonferroni's post hoc test (P<0.05) were used to determine the difference between groups.
Results: After eight weeks of combined high-intensity interval training, there was no significant difference in intrahepatic FNDC5 protein levels between the groups (P=0.125). Intrahepatic irisin protein levels significantly increased in the training-healthy group compared to the control-healthy group (P=0.046). Additionally, there was a significant increase in the training-patient group compared to the control-patient group (P=0.036) and a significant increase in the training-healthy group compared to the control-patient group (P=0.011).
Conclusion: In general, combined high-intensity interval training (aquatic + land) can increase intrahepatic irisin. Thus, this type of training can be considered one of the potential non-pharmacological options for treating NAS. However, more research is needed to reach definitive results.
Hossein Eidizadeh, Seyed Mohsen Avandi, Abdosalleh Zar, Hamid Reza Sadeghipour,
Volume 12, Issue 1 (10-2024)
Abstract
Background: Resistance training and protein supplementation are known to increase protein synthesis and hypertrophy, primarily through the activation of the mTORC1 signaling pathway. However, mTORC1 activation in the kidneys can potentially lead to kidney disease. This study investigates the effects of eight weeks of resistance training combined with Spirulina platensis supplementation on the RAGs/Rheb/mTOR/S6K pathway in male rat kidneys.
Methods: In this study, 32 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: control (Co; n = 8), Spirulina platensis (SP; n = 8), resistance training (RE; n = 8), and Spirulina platensis + resistance training (SP+RE; n = 8). The resistance training group engaged in five sessions per week over eight weeks. Spirulina was administered at a dosage of 200 mg/kg/day to the supplement and SP+RE groups. Gene expression was analyzed using real-time PCR following the last training session.
Results: The mTOR gene expression significantly increased in the SP group (p = 0.01), while no significant changes were observed in the RE and SP+RE groups. Rheb gene expression did not show significant changes across any groups. Significant changes were noted in the RAGs gene in the SP group (p = 0.001), RE group (p = 0.047), and SP+RE group (p = 0.025). The S6K gene showed significant changes in the SP group (p = 0.01) but not in the other groups.
Conclusion: Spirulina supplementation may activate the mTORC1 signaling pathway in the kidneys, potentially contributing to kidney disease progression. However, combined resistance training and Spirulina supplementation did not show changes in mTORC1 expression, suggesting that this combination might prevent further kidney tissue damage in athletes.
Mohammad Nejadhosseini, Abdolhussein Shakurnia , Abdolkarim Sheikhi , Farhad Abolnezhadian ,
Volume 12, Issue 2 (10-2024)
Abstract
Background: Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease and a major public health problem globally. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of asthma and related symptoms in schoolchildren in Dezful city, southwest Iran.
Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive analytical study, the prevalence of asthma symptoms was measured using a randomized cluster sampling method among 2,978 schoolchildren aged 6-14 years. A validated questionnaire from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) was used from January to February 2020. The chi-square test was used to determine the relationship between variables, which were expressed as percentages, with a p‐value <0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: The overall prevalence of asthma was 4.7% (CI=3.98 - 5.54), significantly higher among 13-14-year-olds compared to the 6-7-year-old age group (6.4% vs. 3.1%, p<0.001) and in males versus females (6.9% vs. 2.5%, p<0.001). The total prevalence of wheezing in the last year, the main symptom of asthma, was 7.2% (CI=6.31 - 8.20), significantly higher among 13-14-year-olds (8.4% vs. 6.1%, p<0.009) and male schoolchildren (9.6% vs. 4.7%, p<0.001).
Conclusion: According to our findings, and compared to the previous ISAAC study in Iran, the prevalence of asthma symptoms was relatively low among Dezful schoolchildren. Further epidemiological studies are needed to investigate factors affecting this disease, such as indoor and outdoor environments, as well as their effects on gene expression over time.
