Menstrual cycle patterns of college students in Gorgan-Northeast of Iran: Identify its association with sociodemographic factors

Purpose: The menstrual cycle is used as a sign of women's health. Objective of study is determining the current menstrual patterns of students in Gorgan-Northeast of Iran, and evaluation of affecting factors on the cycle. Material and Methods: The study participants included 106 college student, females aged 18-30 that filled a questionnaire to detect the menstrual pattern, affecting factors on menstrual cycle. Main outcomes of variables compared using ANOVA. Logistic regression was used to model factors for menstrual regularity. Results: The mean ± SD age, menstruation lengths, age at menarche in student girls were 20.58±2.13, 28.02±1.88 and 13.53±1.30, respectively. 59.2% of girls had age 20-25 and 39.8% of these students had normal cycle. Also of 53.4 % of students with normal cycle, 31.8% of students had body mass index 20-24.99. Age at menarche of 56.8% of all participants was 13-14 years. Comparison of regression coefficients between factors and reported menstrual patterns shows similar results for students of all categories of menstrual cycle. Conclusion: This study provides a look at negative correlation of menstrual cycle's length with factors in college students of Gorgan - Northeast of Iran and points to importance of racial differences

The granule cell density of the dentate gyrus following administration of Urtica dioica extract to young diabetic rats

Urtica dioica L. Stinging nettle has long been known worldwide as a medicinal plant. To study the benefits of the nettle in diabetic encephalopathy, the granule cell density of the dentate gyrus of diabetic rats was studied following administration of Urtica dioica extract. A total of 24 male albino Wistar rats were allocated equally to normal, diabetic, preventive and treatment groups. Hyperglycaemia was induced by streptozotocin (80 mg/kg) in the animals of the diabetic and treatment groups. One week after injection of the streptozotocin the animals in the treatment group received a hydroalcoholic extract of Urtica dioica (100 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks intraperitoneally. The rats of the preventive group received hydroalcoholic extract of U. dioica (100 mg/kg/day) IP for the first 5 days and an injection of streptozotocin (80 mg/kg) on the 6th day. After 5 weeks of study all the rats were sacrificed and coronal sections were taken from the dorsal hippocampal formation of the right cerebral hemispheres and stained with cresyl violet. The area densities of the granule cells were measured and compared in the four groups. The density was lower in the diabetic rats compared with the controls (p > 0.05). The preventive group showed lower cell density than the controls (p > 0.05). The densities in the treated rats were higher than in the diabetic rats (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the control and treated rats showed similar densities (p > 0.05). It seems that U. dioica extract can help compensate for granule cell loss in the diabetic rat dentate gyrus, which can ameliorate cognitive impairment in diabetes. However, preventive use of the extract showed no significant benefit. Copyright © 2008 Via Medica

Effects modification of iron hematoxylin on neuron staining

Iron weigert staining methods is used as nuclear staining. In present study we introduce a modification iron weigert hematoxylin for staining neuron without astrocytes. Whole brain of adult wistar rats (12-13 week old) were removed, immersed in formaldehyde fixative and embedded in paraffin. Sections, 5-7 μm (from brain cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum) divided to three groups: one for staining by Hematoxyllin and eosin, second for staining by cresyl fast violet (that specially performed for Nis1 substances in neuron) and last for staining by modification iron hematoxyllin methods, but different in quantity and quality. In new method general and specific architecture of neuron, nucleus and nuclear envelope was clearly visible reactions of neuron were predominant. Astrocyte did not respond to staining methods. Also spines (axon) of purkinje cells clearly visible. Modification iron weigert hematoxylin can be replacement to cost and time consuming chemical staining method for staining neurons. © 2007 Asian Network for Scientific Information

Morphometric alterations to the rat spleen following formaldehyde exposure

Formaldehyde is commonly used in the production of various industrial and medical products. At room temperature formaldehyde easily evaporates. Exposure to formaldehyde can be hazardous to human health. Studies show that the vapour can be the cause of clinical symptoms such as throat, eye, skin and nasal irritation. It can also decrease the production of IgM in the spleen cells. This study was designed to determine the morphometric changes to the spleen in rats when samples were exposed to formaldehyde for 18 weeks. A total of 28 albino Wistar rats aged 6-7 postnatal weeks were divided into the following three case groups according to their exposure to formaldehyde: E1 (2 h/day, 2 days/week), E2 (2 h/day, 4 days/week), E3 (4 h/day, 4 days/week) and one control group. When the exposure period had expired the animals were anaesthetised with chloroform. After cervical dislocation, the abdomen was dissected and spleen specimens were taken. These were sectioned and stained with the haematoxylin and eosin technique for morphometric study. Data was obtained from an Olympus light microscope and then analysed with SPSS (version 11.5) and one-way ANOVA test. The white pulp area and diameter and the marginal zone diameter were greater in group E3 than those in the other groups. The germinal centre area and diameter and the diameter of the periarterial lymphoid sheaths (PALS) were greater in group E2 than in other groups, although there was no significant difference between groups in the area of white pulp and the PALS diameter (p < 0.05). This study showed that formaldehyde vapour can cause morphometric changes in the white pulp of the spleen in rats. Copyright © 2008 Via Medica

The granule cell density of the dentate gyrus following administration of Urtica dioica extract to young diabetic rats

Urtica dioica L. Stinging nettle has long been known worldwide as a medicinal plant. To study the benefits of the nettle in diabetic encephalopathy, the granule cell density of the dentate gyrus of diabetic rats was studied following administration of Urtica dioica extract. A total of 24 male albino Wistar rats were allocated equally to normal, diabetic, preventive and treatment groups. Hyperglycaemia was induced by streptozotocin (80 mg/kg) in the animals of the diabetic and treatment groups. One week after injection of the streptozotocin the animals in the treatment group received a hydroalcoholic extract of Urtica dioica (100 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks intraperitoneally. The rats of the preventive group received hydroalcoholic extract of U. dioica (100 mg/kg/day) IP for the first 5 days and an injection of streptozotocin (80 mg/kg) on the 6th day. After 5 weeks of study all the rats were sacrificed and coronal sections were taken from the dorsal hippocampal formation of the right cerebral hemispheres and stained with cresyl violet. The area densities of the granule cells were measured and compared in the four groups. The density was lower in the diabetic rats compared with the controls (p > 0.05). The preventive group showed lower cell density than the controls (p > 0.05). The densities in the treated rats were higher than in the diabetic rats (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the control and treated rats showed similar densities (p > 0.05). It seems that U. dioica extract can help compensate for granule cell loss in the diabetic rat dentate gyrus, which can ameliorate cognitive impairment in diabetes. However, preventive use of the extract showed no significant benefit

Formaldehyde exposure induces histopathological and morphometric changes in the rat testis

Formaldehyde is a chemical which is traditionally used for fixing cadavers and routine histopathology techniques. It is vaporised during the dissection and practical study of a cadaver. Previous studies have shown that this vapour may cause clinical symptoms such as throat, eye, skin and nasal irritation. This study was designed to determine the histopathology and morphometrics of the rat testis when all the experimental animals were exposed to formaldehyde for 18 weeks. The study was performed in 2004 on 28 albino Wistar rats of 6-7 postnatal weeks. The rats were divided into three case groups (E1: 4 h/d, 4 d/w; E2: 2 h/d, 4 d/w; E3: 2 h/d, 2 d/w) and one control group. The testes specimens were sectioned at 5 &#956;m and stained with the haematoxylin and eosin staining technique for histological and morphometrical studies. We found a severe decrease in germ cells associated with spermatogenesis arrest in the E1 group. A decrease in germ cells and a thickening of the basal membrane of the seminiferous tubules were seen in E2. Displacement of Sertoli and germinal cells were also found in the E3 group. The mean seminiferous tubular diameter and seminiferous epithelial height in the experimental groups were decreased in comparison with the control group and the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The findings of this study revealed that chronic formaldehyde exposure can cause histopathological and morphometric changes to the seminiferous epithelium in rats and that these changes depend on the duration of the formaldehyde exposure

Morphometric alterations of the rat spleen following formaldehyde exposure

Formaldehyde is commonly used in the production of various industrial and medical products. At room temperature formaldehyde easily evaporates. Exposure to formaldehyde can be hazardous to human health. Studies show that the vapour can be the cause of clinical symptoms such as throat, eye, skin and nasal irritation. It can also decrease the production of IgM in the spleen cells. This study was designed to determine the morphometric changes to the spleen in rats when samples were exposed to formaldehyde for 18 weeks. A total of 28 albino Wistar rats aged 6-7 postnatal weeks were divided into the following three case groups according to their exposure to formaldehyde: E1 (2 h/day, 2 days/week), E2 (2 h/day, 4 days/week), E3 (4 h/day, 4 days/week) and one control group. When the exposure period had expired the animals were anaesthetised with chloroform. After cervical dislocation, the abdomen was dissected and spleen specimens were taken. These were sectioned and stained with the haematoxylin and eosin technique for morphometric study. Data was obtained from an Olympus light microscope and then analysed with SPSS (version 11.5) and one-way ANOVA test. The white pulp area and diameter and the marginal zone diameter were greater in group E3 than those in the other groups. The germinal centre area and diameter and the diameter of the periarterial lymphoid sheaths (PALS) were greater in group E2 than in other groups, although there was no significant difference between groups in the area of white pulp and the PALS diameter (p < 0.05). This study showed that formaldehyde vapour can cause morphometric changes in the white pulp of the spleen in rats (Folia Morphol 2008; 67: 19-23)

Enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of emerging water contaminants by a modified zinc oxide-based photocatalyst; In-vivo and in-vitro toxicity evaluation of wastewater and PCO-treated water

This study prepared Ga, S co-doped ZnO@reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite by an innovative wet chemical-assisted solvothermal method. The prepared nanocomposites were examined for their ability in the photocatalytic oxidation process (PCO) for detoxification and degradation of Acetaminophen (ACT) solution under visible irradiation. Compared to the pure ZnO, the co-doped catalysts revealed significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance, not only due to improving photogenerated electrons transportation but also by extending optical absorption to the visible light range. The complete degradation and 61% mineralization of 50 mg/L ACT was achieved in the PCO process during 60 min over optimized catalyst (Ga1.0S5.0@ZG). The cytotoxicity of untreated and PCO-treated ACT solutions were evaluated by the use of the HepG2 (Human hepatic cells), which revealed that ACT solution in the developed PCO system could be significantly detoxified. In-vivo study suggested treated solutions in the developed PCO reaction could considerably prevent the hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity effect of ACT. © 2019 Elsevier B.V