اصغر زربان

High blood pressure is one of the main causes of death in the world. Psychological interventions can also play an important role in reducing it. Therefore, the aim of study was to investigate the effectiveness of REBT and ACT on oxidative stress in patients with high blood pressure.

This quasi-experimental research was pre-test-post-test with a control group and a follow-up period. The statistical population included all the people suffering from high blood pressure in the first six months of 2020 in Birjand. 36 people were randomly selected by sampling method in two experimental groups of REBT (12 people) and ACT (12 people) and a control group (12 people). The subjects of the experimental groups received weekly, 90-minute sessions for a total of eight sessions, therapeutic interventions with the REBT of Dryden & Neeman (2013) and ACT of Hayes (2011). the research tool was mercury blood pressure device and Hple and FRAP measurement method. To analyze the data, the method of analysis of variance with repeated measurements was used in the SPSS24.

Treatment with behavioral-rational-emotional therapy approach and acceptance-and-commitment therapy on the markers of oxidative stress i.e., MDA (P<0.01), TAC (P<0.01) and uric acid (P<0.05) was effective and continued in the follow-up period (P<0.01).

It’s possible to use therapeutic interventions with REBT and ACT to reduce the oxidative stress of patients with high blood pressure along with pharmaceutical methods.

 One of the acute problems of the current human society is lack of physical activity, overweight and obesity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of 8 weeks of resistance training along with spirulina consumption on total antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde in overweight and obese men.

In this research, 44 men aged 30 to 50, with a body mass index greater than 25 kg/m2, were purposefully selected and randomly divided into four groups of exercise + spirulina, exercise + placebo, spirulina and placebo. Resistance exercises were performed at 12 stations, for eight weeks and three sessions per week, in very light, light-medium and heavy intensities. The spirulina and placebo groups took two tablets (500 mg) of spirulina and placebo, respectively. Blood sampling was done before and after eight weeks, following a 12 hour overnight fast.  

In all groups except placebo, malondialdehyde significantly decreased (P=0.00) and total antioxidant capacity increased (P=0.00). Also, a significant difference was observed between the values ​​of malondialdehyde and total antioxidant capacity in the exercise + spirulina group with other groups (P=0.00). Exercise group + placebo and spirulina had a significant difference with placebo in terms of malondialdehyde and total antioxidant capacity (P=0.00). Exercise+placebo and spirulina group had no significant difference in the mentioned values ​​(P=0.95)..

Probably, the combination of resistance training and spirulina can have a positive effect on the peroxidative and antioxidant balance in overweight and obese men and prevent oxidative stress caused by exercise as well as overweight and obesity.

Asthma is a chronic airway disorder with a rising prevalence. Dietary factors, antioxidant indicators and vitamin D deficiency are associated with the disease. Due to the presence of receptors for this vitamin in the lung, this study aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin D administration on lung function, serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) level and total serum antioxidant activity in patients with moderate to severe asthma.

In this clinical trial, 60 patients with asthma were randomly divided into two groups: a control group (placebo recipient) and an intervention group (recipient of 2,000 vitamin D capsules for 12 weeks). At the beginning and at the end of the study, 5 cc blood samples were taken from each patient, and spirometry test was performed. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), IgE and vitamin D parameters were measured.

The mean score of forced expiratory volume (FEV1) and FEV1/FVC in both groups as well as the mean FVC in the control group did not change significantly after the intervention. The mean FVC score, vitamin D level and TAC in the intervention group increased significantly after the intervention, while the IgE levels reduced significantly.

Taking vitamin D tablets could increase the antioxidant parameters in asthmatic patients.

 Exercises and consumption of plant-based supplements are essential to prevent and control diseases. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of a four-week home workout plan and pomegranate supplementation on oxidative stress in overweight and obese postmenopausal women.

 The present single-blind, quasi-experimental, and practical study was conducted on 60 overweight and obese women between 45 to 65 years with a body mass index over 25 (kg/m2) who were randomly divided into four groups. After participant dropout, 56 women were divided into four groups. The first group (n=15) took pomegranate supplements and had exercise, the second group (n=13) took the placebo and had exercise, the third group (n=14) was given the pomegranate supplement and the fourth group (n=14) was given the placebo. The intervention and placebo groups took a 225 mg capsule of pomegranate supplementation and placebo daily for four weeks, respectively. Resistance training was performed in 28 90-min training sessions for four weeks at home due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

 The results of the present study indicated that exercise and supplementation significantly increase total antioxidant capacity, and decrease Malondialdehyde (MDA) (P<0/05); however, no significant effect was observed in the other groups. One-way ANOVA demonstrated that four weeks of training and supplementation significantly reduce the concentration of MDA compared to the control group (P<0.05). However, no significant difference was observed among the four groups in the total antioxidant capacity.

 Pomegranate supplementation together with a home workout plan can possibly reduce oxidative stress and prevent difficulties related to obesity.

Overweight and obesity are related to increased production of free radicals, weakened immune system and metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of resistance training and spirulina consumption on the antioxidant indices of overweight and obese men.

In the present study, which was semi-experimental, practical and single-blind, 44 men (BMI>25(kg/m2)) were purposefully selected and randomly divided into four groups: exercise+spirulina, exercise+placebo, spirulina and placebo. Incremental resistance exercises were performed for 8 weeks. The spirulina and placebo groups took 2 tablets (500 mg) of spirulina and placebo, respectively. Blood sampling was done before and after 8 weeks. In data analysis, t-test (student) and one-way analysis of variance were used.

In intra-group comparison, the amount of CAT, SOD and GSH-Px increased significantly in two groups of exercise+spirulina and exercise+placebo (p<0.05). For the SOD variable, the exercise+spirulina group had a significant increase compared to the other three groups and the exercise+placebo group compared to the placebo group (p<0.05). For the GSH-Px variable, the exercise+spirulina group had a significant increase compared to the spirulina and placebo group and the exercise+placebo group compared to the placebo group (p<0.05). CAT changes were not significant between groups (p>0.05).

Taking spirulina along with resistance training can strengthen the antioxidant status in overweight and obese people and prevent oxidative stress caused by exercise and obesity.

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common metabolic disorders in the world, and its increasing prevalence has become a significant public health concern in the 21st century. Perceived stress is one of the most important psychological factors affecting physical illnesses such as diabetes. Stressful events can impair self–care and health behaviors in diabetic patients, resulting in a delay in insulin use, failure to monitor blood sugar properly, and dislike of exercise. Besides its physical effects, diabetes and its stress have adverse psychological effects such as depression and anxiety. One of the important factors in depression is cognitive avoidance. Cognitive avoidance refers to various mental strategies by which individuals change their thinking during social communication. Among these interventions, we can mention mindfulness–based cognitive therapy. This therapy is one of the third wave cognitive–behavioral therapies recently used to treat some conditions and mental disorders and promote mental health. According to the research, awareness therapy is effective in perceived stress and cognitive avoidance in type 2 diabetic patients.

The present research was a quasi–experimental study with a pretest–posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of all women with diabetes referred to the Birjand Diabetes Center, Birjand City, Iran, from September 2017 to March 2018. A total of 30 eligible volunteers were selected and randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups (each group with 15 participants). The inclusion criteria included the patient's consent to participate in the study, having a minimum literacy, receiving a definitive diagnosis of type 2 diabetes for at least one year, not receiving psychotherapy and medication before entering the study, and being 20 to 50 years old. The exclusion criterion included absenteeism for more than three sessions from the treatment sessions. Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen et al., 1983) and Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire (Sexton & Dugas, 2009) were used to collect pretest and posttest data. Mindfulness–based cognitive therapy intervention was performed for the experimental group during eight 90–min sessions, but the control group did not receive any intervention. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (the Chi–square test [to compare the age status and duration of diabetes in the two groups], multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance) were used to analyze the data in SPSS software version 24. The significance level of all tests was considered α = 0.05.

The results showed that by eliminating the effect of pretest, significant differences were observed between experimental and control groups in the mean scores of perceived stress (p=0.018), cognitive avoidance (p=0.009) and its components of suppression (p=0.004), thought substitution (p=0.001), distraction (p=0.032), avoidance of threatening stimuli (p=0.019) and the imaginations related to thoughts (p=0.041). Also, the effectiveness of mindfulness–based cognitive therapy was obtained on perceived stress (0.242), suppression (0.263), thought substitution (0.340), distraction (0.153), avoidance of threatening stimuli (0.181), the imaginations related to thoughts (0.140) and the overall cognitive avoidance score (0.455) in type 2 diabetic patients.

According to the results of this study, mindfulness–based cognitive therapy effectively reduces perceived stress and cognitive avoidance in patients with type 2 diabetes, so that it can be used as an effective intervention method.

Considering the accelerated development of type II diabetes and the role of cognitive factors, such as cognitive fusion and emotions, the present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on cognitive fusion, as well as positive and negative affect in women with type II diabetes.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted based on a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of all women with diabetes referred to the Diabetes Center in Birjand, Iran, in the second half of 2018. In total, 30 cases were selected by convenience sampling and randomly divided into experimental and control groups. Acceptance and commitment intervention was performed in eight 90-min sessions. The required data were collected using a 7-item Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire by Gillander et al. and a 20-item Positive and Negative Affect Schedule by Watson et al. Subsequently, the collected data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 24) through multivariate analysis of covariance. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant

The results showed a significant difference between the mean scores of cognitive fusion and positive and negative affect in type 2 diabetic patients (P≤0.05).

According to the results of this study, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is effective in reducing cognitive fusion and negative affect and increasing positive affect in patients with type II diabetes.

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on cognitive components (fusion, avoidance and cognitive flexibility) and oxidative stress in women with type-2 diabetes.

The research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test/post-test design and control group on 60 female patients with type-2 diabetes referred to public health centers in Birjand (Iran) during 2016. Participants in the two experimental groups (40 subjects) and one control group (20 subjects) were recruited through convenient sampling and the tests administered randomly. Data collection tools included Gilander et al. (2014) Cognitive Integration Questionnaire, Sexton and Ducas (2008) Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire, and Dennis and Vanderwall (2010) Cognitive Flexibility Questionnaire. Also, the experimental group was presented with Fendaic (2017) Dialectical Behavior Therapy protocol, Ghahari Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (2016) and cognitive therapy based on Seagal, Williams & Tizdell (2002) mindfulness, which was not presented to the control group. Data analysis was performed using univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance.

The results showed that dialectical behavior therapy, in comparison with mindfulness-based cognition therapy on reducing cognitive components, and oxidative stress and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on thought-suppression and emotional components in patients with diabetes is effective (P <0.05).

According to the findings, dialectical behavior therapy can be used as a complementary therapy to improve the emotional and cognitive components of diabetic patients compared to mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy is from third-wave therapies that their effectiveness has been tested in a range of different psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of cognitive therapy based on mind-awareness on rumination and glucose index of type 2 diabetic patients. The present study was a quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test design. From among all type II diabetic patients referring to Birjand Diabetes Center in the second six months of 2017, 40 diabetic patients (20 experimental groups, 20 in the control group) were selected samples as available. Data were collected by Nalen-Huxma and Marrow rumination questionnaire and also by performing HbA1c (hemoglobin glycosylated) and FBS (fasting blood glucose) tests. For the experimental group, cognitive therapy based on mindfulness was conducted by Segal et al. Method in 8 sessions of 60 minutes, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Finally, descriptive statistics including mean and standard deviation were used to describe the data and statistical analysis of covariance, Levin and Kolmogorov-Smirnov analysis was used to analyze the data. The significance level was considered 0.05. The results showed a significant difference in mean scores of rumination and fasting blood sugar (FBS) in the experimental group before and after the intervention were(P<0.05) but the changes in mean glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) view failed and changes in the control group were not significant. The use of cognitive therapy based on Mindfulness, as an effective educational intervention, will be effective in decreasing the rumination and FBS in patients with type 2 diabetes and however, it is probably not effective in reducing hemoglobin glycosylated (HbA1c) in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus is the most common chronic metabolic disease, which is characterized by abnormalities in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. The most common symptoms are glucose intolerance or increased blood glucose. For this reason, the person affects the short and long-term complications of diabetes. Diabetes is a side effect such as an increase in myocardial infarction, renal failure, blindness, amputation, and psychological problems, such as stress. There is a two-way relationship between stress and diabetes. Perceived stress is capable of activating the hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). Increase or increase blood glucose levels. On the other hand, diabetes can also be a major source of stress in these patients. As the disease causes a lot of changes in the lifestyle of patients, they impose certain dietary supplements, require frequent medical tests, and patients should regularly inject insulin; all of these are difficult and stressful processes. Diabetics also have a sense of failure and disappointment because of conflict with disease and planning, and their emotional and social well-being is affected. This inadequate cause of exacerbation of emotional problems such as depression, anxiety, change in processes Cognitive skills such as rumination and reduced flexibility. In the end, because stress and cognitive flexibility play an important role in the emergence, prognosis, and treatment of diabetic patients, research is needed in this regard. On the other hand, interventions based on psychological education and psychological training, such as cognitive therapy based on mind-consciousness, are among the new behavioral approaches of the third wave, are of particular importance. Finally, a review of research findings in diabetic patients shows that few studies have been conducted on the relationship between cognitive stress and cognitive flexibility and diabetes in the country that are not sufficient and coherent, and the different dimensions of this issue have not been well addressed. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of cognitive therapy based on mind-awareness on cognitive flexibility and perceived stress in type II diabetic patients. This is a semi-experimental pre-test post-test with control group. In this research, cognitive therapy based on mind-consciousness as independent variables and cognitive flexibility and perceived stress are considered as dependent variables. Cognitive therapy based on Mindfulness was performed only on the experimental group and its effect on post-test scores of the subjects in the experimental group was compared to that of the control group. The statistical population of all patients with type 2 diabetes who referred to Birjand diabetes center during the second half of 1396 was 40 randomly selected diabetic patients (20 experimental group, 20 controls). They were randomly selected. The band was placed. The research tools included Denis and Vendoral Cognitive Flexibility Scale (2010), Levi Bond Stress Scale and Leviibond (1995), and eight 60-minute sessions of cognitive therapy based on Mindfulness of Siegal et al. (2018). For data analysis, SPSS software version 22 and descriptive statistics methods such as mean, standard deviation, and inferential statistics of single variable variance analysis were used at the significance level of 0.05. The results showed that the mean and standard deviation of the cognitive flexibility of the experimental group before the intervention was 94.05±11.66 and after the invasion was 106.76±12.30; the mean and standard deviation of the perceived stress scores of the experimental group before the invasion were equal after 42.48±7.7 and after the intervention was 65.33±10.68. Also, the effect size of the cognitive flexibility score was 0.41 (p<0.05), and the effect size of the perceived stress score was 0.179 (p<0.05). The results showed that cognitive therapy based on mind-awareness is effective in increasing cognitive flexibility and reducing the perceived stress of type II diabetic patients; therefore, cognitive therapy education based on mind-awareness can be used as an effective method for improving the psychological status of this group of patients. Their treatment centers and their care centers. Also, considering the positive effect of cognitive-based cognitive therapy on increasing cognitive flexibility, it is suggested that therapists in the field of psychology and especially health psychologists use this treatment to improve the cognitive flexibility of diabetic patients.

Aims: Based on the principles of physiology, the blood used in the system of point of care is the capillary blood that its biochemical contents are in equilibrium with the mediastinum fluid. In edematous diabetic patients, the first and second blood drops of the stick place are apparently different. In the clinical centers of the country, the first drop is used as a blood glucose test using point of care method. The aim of this study was to compare the level of glucose through first and second fingertip blood and venous blood samples of edematous diabetic patients in stroke intensive care units.
In this cross sectional, analytical descriptive study, 103 edematous diabetic patients were selected via available sampling method. The subjects were hospitalized in stroke ICU Qaem Hospital in Mashhad, Iran in 2012. Glucometry was performed, using first and second capillary blood drops and standard venous sample simultaneously. The data were analyzed by SPSS 17 software, using repeated meature ANOVA, paired t-test, and Bland–Altman plot.
Findings: There was no significant difference in glucose levels in the first and second fingertip blood drops (p=0.257), while there was a significant difference between glucose levels in the first and second fingertip blood drops with standard venous sample (p

Many causes of blindness or vision impairment are treatable, and their irreversible complications can be prevented by early diagnosis and proper treatment. Thus, the current study aimed at investigating the epidemiology of various eye diseases in patients (i.e.760 cases) referring to the ophthalmic clinic of Vali-e-Asr hospital in Birjand (Dec.22, 2014-Jun 20, 2015).
In this cross-sectional study, all patients referring to the ophthalmic clinic of Vali-e- Asr hospital between Dec.22, 2014 and Jun 20, 2015 (including 760 subjects) were enrolled through census method. The respective demographic form was completed for every patient. The patients were examined by an ophthalmologist, and results were recorded in the check-list form. Finally, the obtained data was fed into SPSS (V: 18), using statistical tests descriptive statistics and logistic regression at the significant level of P≤0.50.
The prevalence of eye diseases including cataract, nerve and retinal disease, trauma, retinopathy and glaucoma were 31.4%, 13.7%, 13.4%, 11.3%, and 6.2%, respectively. A significant relationship was found between age and habitation, cataract and retinal nerve disease, age and glaucoma, location and history of diabetes; and thyroidism and trauma (P According to the results, planning for the prevention of diseases such as thyroidism and diabetes, and advocating a healthy lifestyle can be effective in reducing eye diseases.

Jujube (Ziziphus Jujuba Mill.) is one of the medicinal herbs with grows in dry and semi-dry areas in Iran; mainly in the South Khorasan province. The present study aimed at evaluating anti-oxidant and free radical scavenging capacity in different types of Jujuba.
Four ecotypes of Jujubes were collected from different parts of the South Khorasan providence (Sarayan, Quaen, Arish, and Boshad). The collected samples were air dried and then their aqueous extract was prepared in different dilutions. Anti-oxidant and free radical scavenging capacity of the samples were assessed using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) methods. Their AAPH-induced hemolysis prevention was also analyzed. The total phenolic content of the samples was assessed using Folin–Ciocalteau method.
Maximum phenolic content was obtained from Quaen Jujube (1317±4.3 equal to μmol Gallic acid). The highest antioxidant capacity by FRAP (1390.1 ± 65.5μmol/L) also belonged to Quaen jujube. The ability of Arish Jujube extracts in scavenging and neutralizing free radical, tested by DPPH, was always higher compared to the other extracts. Results obtained from the effects of different dilutions of Jujube extracts (0-25 – 5 mg/ml) on hemolysis showed a dose dependent relationship. All the extracts showed dose dependent reducing hemolysis in a specific range of concentrations, induced by 2,2'-azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH). There was no significant statistical difference between jujube ecotypes in preventing hemolysis.
According to total phenolic content of the Jujobe extracts, its significant antioxidant properties and radical scavenging activities, which was tested through different methods, it can be a potential booster for anti-oxidant capacities.

Oxidative stress and atherogenic dyslipidemia are the main complications in type 2 diabetics. The present study aimed at comparing between serum 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and atherogenic index plasma (ARP) levels in type 2 diabetics and normal people.
In this study the relevant data of 50 type 2 diabetics ,who had referred to Emam Reza educational hospital and serum samples of random 50 healthy subjects, aged 27-70 yrs, was collected. The levels of 8-OHdG, AIP, and MDA in type II diabetics were measured by means of ELISA and TBARS, respectively. Their lipid profiles and plasma autherogenic indices were assessed through an autoanalyser.
The case and control groups were homogenized regarding some demographic components such as age and gender .It was found that serum levels of 8OHdG,MDA, and AIP were significantly higher in the patients compared to the healthy controls ,aged 27-70 yrs (P The lipid peroxidation and DNA oxidation in diabetic patients were indicated high oxidative stress in these patients, which can cause post complications such as cardiovascular disease.

Ephedra, Nepeta, and Hymenocrater herbs have long been used in the treatment of many diseases, but their interactions with cellular components, especially nuclear proteins, are still unknown. On the other hand, in the eukaryotic cell nucleus histone proteins play a main role in the packaging of the genetic material as chromatin. The present study aimed at comparing the in-vitro interactions of aqueous extracts of Ephedra, Nepeta, and Hymonocarater with histone proteins.
Histone proteins type 2A were purchased from Sigma company and aqueous extract of Ephedra, Nepeta and Hymenocrater were prepared in the research laboratory of Birjand University of Medical sciences. Different concentrations of the aqueous extracts were incubated with histone proteins, then analyzed by UV-Spectroscopy and Circular dichroism.
Aqueous extract of Nepeta increased maximum absorbance of histone proteins at 210 nm, but the reduction in absorbance was shown at its high concentration. The absorbance of histone proteins also changed in the presence of the aqueous extract of Ephedra and Hymenocrater and it decreased to zero at higher concentration of Ephedra. Circular Dichroism studies demonstrated that the structure of histone proteins changed in the presence of mentioned aqueous extract; the observed effect of the aqueous extract of ephedra was higher than Nepeta and Hymenocrater.
The aqueous extracts of ephedra, Nepeta,and Hymenocrated interacted with histone proteins and changed their structure. The effect of ephedra was higher than others.

Administration of warfarin, the most common oral anticoagulant, is usually accompanied with limitations. Anticoagulant effect of warfarin has wide inter-patients variations due to pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and especially pharmacogenetics factors. Polymorphisms of VKORC1 gene is one of the genetic factors influencing adjustment of warfarin dosage. In order to better determine the appropriate dosage of the drug, this study was conducted to find out the allele and genotype frequencies of VKORC1 gene in population of Birjand city.

One hundred-fifteen patients who referred to Imam Reza and Vali-asr hospitals of Birjand city for PT and INR tests, were selected for this experimental study. After genomic DNA extraction, all amplified PCR products of VKORC1 were sequenced to determine the genotypes. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software.

The average age of patients was 57.7 ± 12.9, 55 were women and 60 were men. Normal, heterozygous and homozygous mutant genotypes of -1639 G>A variant, had a frequency of 40.3%, 30.5%, 17.5%  in men; and 50%, 36.7%, 5% in women, respectively. Regarding 1173C>T variant, normal, heterozygous and homozygous mutant genotypes had a frequency of 38.9%, 38.9%, 22.2% in men; and 52.6%, 40.4%, 7% in women, respectively. Two new mutations as g.3660G> A and g.3565G> T with the frequency of 2.7% and 0.9% in -1639 G>A promoter region of VKORC1 gene were observed.  Finally, -1639G and 1173C alleles had a high frequency (68.1% and 62.6%, respectively) in people of Birjand city.

Our results indicate that there are significant differences in the frequency of VKORC1 genetic variants in people of Birjand city compared to other parts of Iran. The ethnic differences can affect sensitivity to warfarin. Therefore, knowing the genotype of the patients before starting warfarin therapy will help to have a precise and efficient therapy.

Observational studies have demonstrated that the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with vitamin D (25(OH)D) status. However, there is no local study regarding vitamin D status in MS patients in the South Khorasan. Therefore, present study aimed at comparing the serum levels of vitamin D between the South Khorasan MS patients and healthy subjects, and determining its association with disability in these patients.
In this case-control study a total of 144 individuals (72 previously diagnosed MS cases and 72 age and sex matched healthy controls) were included. Demographic characteristics and serum vitamin D levels of both groups as well as Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) for MS patients were assessed. The obtained data was analyzed using t-test, Mann Whitney U test, Chi-square, and Pearson's correlation coefficient test applying SPSS software.
There was a significant difference (P Surprisingly, it was found that vitamin D level was significantly higher in MS patients than the controls. There was a significant positive association between the level of vitamin D and disability status in patients with MS. The association may be due to more administration of vitamin D supplement to MS patients.

Obesity is accompanied with decreased health-related indicators such as sirtuin1 and catalase. The aim of the present study was determining the effects of 10 weeks of high intensity interval training with consuming green tea supplementation on sirtuin1 and catalase in overweight women. 30 non-athlete overweight women (mean age: 21.07 ± 1.2 years, weight: 72.1 ± 2.6 kg and body fat percent: 34.1 ± 1.5) were randomly divided into 3 groups including: high intensity interval training plus supplements group, high intensity interval training plus placebo and supplement group. High intensity interval training program were included running reciprocating in a specified path 20 yards in 30 seconds with 85 - 95 percent of maximum heart rate and 3 sessions per week for 10 weeks. Green tea groups consumed 500 mg green tea tablets for 10 weeks, three times a day. Sirtuin1, catalase, maximum oxygen consumption and fat percentage of the subjects were measured before and after intervention. 10 weeks of high intensity interval training plus green tea increased sirtuin1 and catalase levels and significantly decreased weight and fat percentage. These differences were significantly more pronounced in high intensity interval training plus green tea group rather than the other two groups. Maximum oxygen consumption was significantly increased only in the high intensity interval training plus green tea group. Possibly green tea and high intensity interval training by increasingsirtuin1 and catalase lcan improve antioxidant system, body composition and maximal aerobic power in overweight women.

Increasing the intensity of physical activity along with regular consumption of green tea can be effective on energy metabolism, weight, and body fat content. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of a 10 week. .high intensity interval training supplemented with consuming green tea .on lipid profiles and body composition in overweight women.
In this quasi-experimental study, 30 overweight women were purposefully and randomly chosen and divided into 3 equal groups. Training group performed training programs including 3 sessions per week at maximum intensity of 85-95% heart rate and the supplement group consumed 3 tablets of green tea (500 mg) daily for 10 weeks High intensity interval training and the supplement group both underwent intervention. Blood samples were collected before and after the intervention in fasting state. Finally,the obtained data was fed into SPSS software (V. 19) and analyzed using paired t test, covariance analysis, one way-variance analysis, and Bonferroni post- hoc tests at the significant level of P After the period of high intensity interval training and green tea supplementation triglycerides (P=0.001), LDL (P=0.02), weight (P=0.0001), body mass index (P=0.0001), and body fat percentage (P=0.0001) in all the groups and total cholesterol (P=0.01) decreased ,but HDL (P=0.01) increased in high intensity interval training plus supplements and high intensity interval training plus placebo groups. However, these two indicators did not differ significantly in the supplement group (P=0.23 and P=0.06, respectively). Furthermore, systolic (P= 0.55) and diastolic (P= 0.15) blood pressure and waist-to-hip ratio (P= 0.08) did not change after intervention in all the groups.
It was found that consumption of green tea along with performing of high intensity interval training can be effective in improving of cardiovascular risk factors in overweight women.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary sesame oil contains natural antioxidant and/or α-tocopheryl acetate on growth performance, blood metabolites and small intestinal morphology of male broilers. A total of 100 Ross male broilers with 7 days of age, were randomly divided into four ditary treatments. Each diet was randomly fed to five replicates of 5 chicks each. The treatments including: a corn soybean meal based diet with added crude corn oil and without feed additive supplementation (negative control diet, NC), a NC diet with 250 mg of α-tocopheryl acetate/kg (positive control, PC) and two test diets, one with 50 and other with 100 percent of crude corn oil in NC diet replaced with sesame oil. Chicks fed with diet in which 50 percent of corn oil replaced with sesame oil, had the highest average daily gains (P<0.05). Sesame oil replacement in the diet had not any significant effect on feed intake and feed conversion ratios. Chicks fed with positive and negative control diets, had the highest and lowest dressing percentages, respectively (P<0.05). Replacing of sesame oil for corn oil in diet significantly increased the length, width and apical surface absorption as compared with those fed the negative control diet (P<0.05). Chickens fed diet containing 50 percent sesame oil had the lowest serum glucose and triglyceride concentrations (P<0.05). Using of sesame oil in diet like supplementation with α-tocopheryl acetate could have positive effects on growth performance, blood metabolites concentrations and gastrointestinal health of young broiler chickens, due to its strong antioxidant compounds in first weeks of age.

Diabetes Mellitus is the main cause of kidney failure. Identification of factors associated with kidney failure can help in fast diagnosis and on time prevention of this problem. The present study aims to compare the degree of blood hs-CRP, C Cystatin, and Ferritin in type II diabetic patients based on urine albumin level. in this descriptive-analytic study which was a cross-sectional research, 90 patients including 30 people with normal urine albumin level, 30 subjects suffering micro-albuminuria, and 30 cases suffering macro-albuminuria were chosen from diabetic patients who had referred to diabetes clinic of Valiasr hospital affiliated to Birjand University of Medical Sciences. Sampling was done randomly and all participants had inclusion criterion. Tests of blood hs-CRP, C Cystatin, Ferritin, and serum glycosylated hemoglobin were performed for all participants. Data were analyzed using SPSS16 statistical software and statistical tests of one-way variance analysis, Tukey range follow up, Kreskas-Wallis, Mann Whitney U and multivariate regression analysis at significant level of p≤0005. Results showed that the average level of Ferritin was significantly higher in patients of macro-albuminuria compared to patients with normal urine albumin level and average level of Cystatin was significantly higher in patients of the group with normal urine albumin compared to the two other groups (P<0.05). But hs-CRP levels in patients with urine albumin levels were not significantly different. Average level of glycosylated hemoglobin was significantly higher in patients with macro-albuminuria compared to patients with normal urine albumin and micro-albuminuria.The results showed that Cystatin alone can explain about 7% of diabetic nephropathy. Measurement of serum level of C Cystatin can be used in diagnosis of initial stages of diabetic nephropathy in patients with type II diabetes.

Antibiotic feed additives have long been used as growth promoters (10). However, consumers and health authorities increasingly dictate that the use of synthetic food additives should be phased out and, where possible, only natural products should be used. Hence, alternatives from natural sources with potential antioxidant activity are investigated (16). Olive leaves are a good source of several antioxidants including oleuropeoside compounds such as oleuropein and verbascoside, and flavonoid compounds such as luteolin, luteolin-7-glucoside, apigenin-7-glucoside, diosmetin, diosmetin-7-glucoside, rutin and catechin, and simple phenolic compounds such as tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol, vanillin, vanillic acid and caffeic acid. Oleuropein, the most prominent compound, may reach concentrations of 60 - 90 mg/g dried leaves (8). Most of these phenolic compounds have been shown to possess substantial antimicrobial and antioxidant activities in vitro. However, in vivo investigations on the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of olive leaves as a dietary supplement to food producing animals have not been conducted (33). The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of dietary α-tocopheryl acetate, olive leaf powder (OLP) and olive leaf extract (OLE) as feed additives on the growth performance and small intestinal morphology of male broilers. The experimental protocol was approved by the Animal Care Committee of the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. The chickens (120 Ross 308 male birds) were placed at one day old in a single colony in a floor pen containing fresh wood shavings to a depth of 10 cm, and all were fed on a starter ration. At 7 d old, 6 replicate cages containing four chicks selected at random were assigned to each of 5 dietary treatments using a completely randomized design, giving a total of 30 experimental cages. The study was completed at 28 d of age. Dietary treatments included a negative control group (NC) fed a corn soybean meal based diet without feed additive supplementation, a positive control (PC) group fed a diet with 250 mg of α-tocopheryl acetate/kg, a test group OLP fed with 10 g of olive leaf powder/kg, and two test groups remaining OLE fed with 120 or 240 mg of olive leaf extract/kg. The birds were provided with one hour of darkness following a period of 23 h light, from the start to the finish of the study. Each cage was provided with a single feed trough and nipple line, with three nipples per cage, to provide ad libitum access to feed and water. On day 7, 14, 21 and 28, body weight and feed intake were measured after a 6-h fast to determine average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and feed conversion. On d 28, one bird per cage randomly selected and killed to determine small intestinal morphology and lymphoid organ weights. Sample sections (2. 5 cm in length) were taken from the middle region of the jejunum. The tissues were stained for measurement of villus length, villus width, crypt depth and thickness of muscle layer. The General Linear Models of SAS (17) were used to analyze all the data. Chicks fed with diet containing 240 mg of OLE/kg had the highest average daily gain. ِِDressing percentage and the percentage of breast muscle in the carcass were significantly higher for chicks fed diets supplemented with OLP and OLE compared with those fed NC diet. Similar to our results, Chinese herbal medicine supplementation enhanced BW gain of female broiler chicks at 7 to 21 day of age, when compared with the non-supplemented group. There were no significant differences in daily feed intake between the different treatments from 7 to 21 day of age (17). Also Christaki et al. (12) found that laying Japanese quails diet supplementation with olive leaves (10 g/kg or 20 g/kg) resulted in a tendency (p = 0. 054) for higher egg production percentage. The benefits of dietary olive leaves are possibly due to the presence of polyphenols and particularly oleuropein, the main active component in this material (12). The inclusion of OLP and/or OLE in diet significantly decreased the relative lengths of duodenum. Villus height, crypt depth, epithelial thickness and surface area for absorption villi were significantly increased in diets containing OLP and/or OLE compared with NC fed birds. Intestinal morphology can reveal some information on gut health. A shortening of the villus reflects villus atrophy and a decrease in surface area for nutrient absorption. The crypt can be regarded as the villus factory, and a large crypt indicates fast tissue turnover and a high demand for new tissue (21). The gastro protective potential of OLE is probably related to its ability to maintain the cell membrane integrity, by its ant lipid per oxidative activity that protects the gastric mucosa against oxidative damage and by its ability to strengthen the mucosal barrier, the first line of defense against exogenous damaging agents (14). The use of OLP and/or OLE as feed additives in diet may affect chick performance and gut health. Although, it seems that further experiments are needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the enhanced growth of chickens by OLP and/or OLE.

This study was conducted to investigate the synergy effect of sesame oil (SEO) and olive leaf extract (OLE) as sources of natural antioxidants of diet on the morphology of the jejunum and blood parameters of broilers from 7 to 28 days of age. One hundred fifty Ross male broilers were randomly distributed to 30 experimental units and 6 dietary treatments (5 replicates with 5 birds in each). The completely randomized design with factorial arrangement 3×2 with 3 levels of OLE (0، 120 and 240 mg/kg of diet) and 2 types of vegetable oil [crude corn oil (CRO) and SEO] were used. The experimental diets included: a corn soybean meal based diet with added CRO and without OLE supplementation، a basal diet with SEO and without OLE supplementation، a basal diet with added CRO and 120 mg/kg OLE supplementation، a basal diet with added SEO and 120 mg/kg OLE supplementation، a basal diet with added CRO and 240 mg/kg OLE supplementation and a basal diet with added SEO and 240 mg/kg OLE supplementation. Chicks fed with diet containing CRO and without OLE had the lowest lenght jejunum villi (1085 µm) (P<0. 05). Replacement of SEO with CRO in the diet resulted in a significant increase in villus width and a significant decrease in serum triglyceride levels of broilers (P<0. 05). The inclusion of OLE in diet significantly decreased the serum glucose and malondialdehyde (P<0. 05). It demonstrated that concurrent use of OLE and SEO in broiler diets from 7 to 28 days of age، could be positively influence on blood parameters and gastrointestinal health due to their strong antioxidant compounds.