Insulin Can Improve the Normal Function of the Brain by Preventing the Loss of the Neurons

Background: Insulin promotes the expression of genes related to brain function, thus preventing the neurodegeneration process. The present study was designed to find the neuroprotective effect of insulin by reducing neuron loss in the brain. Materials and Methods: In this study, 20 adult male NMRI mice were divided into two groups: control and insulin. The control group was intact, and the insulin group received 100 µL of insulin at a 72-hour interval by intraperitoneal (I.P.) injection for 30 days. At the end of the study, the brain was removed. The volume of the brain and the total number of neurons and glia were estimated by stereological techniques, and also the gene expression of NSR, PI3K, AKT, IGF-1, and FOXO-1 was measured using real-time PCR. Results: The results showed that the total number of neurons decreased in the control group compared to the experimental group. Furthermore, the expression of NSR, PI3K, AKT, IGF-1, and FOXO-1 genes was lower in the control group than in the insulin group. Conclusion: The results showed that treating mice with insulin prevented reducing the number of neurons and gene expression related to normal brain function. So, insulin could have neuroprotective effects against neuron loss. Insulin may be beneficial as a new approach to avoiding neuron loss in regenerative medicine

Intravenous Fluid Therapy Accompanied with Phototherapy in Neonates with Hyperbilirubinemia: A Randomized Control Trial Study

Background: Hyperbilirubinemia is common complaint in neonatal medicine and most of neonates were involved. Intravenous (IVFT) fluid therapy can decrease neonatal needs to blood exchange and hospitalization in accompanied with phototherapy. Present control trial was designed for determining the impacts of IVFT fluid therapy accompanied with phototherapy in neonates with hyperbilirubinemia. Methods: Present parallel randomized double blinded control trial study was performed on fifty term infants of two educational hospitals during six months between January and June 2015. Study intervention was getting 70 cc/kg IV fluid (mixture of 33.3%normal saline and 66.6% dextrose serum) more than phototherapy. Study object was assessment of impact of IV fluid therapy on serum bilirubin of neonates with hyperbilirubinemia. Outcome was decrease in serum bilirubin level of neonates. Neonates were allocated to the trial groups randomly with table of accidental numbers. Results: Finally 25 neonates in case and 25 neonates in control group included into analysis. Total Serum Bilirubin (TSB) was checked eight hours after study begging and continues daily until achieving to less than 12 mg/dl. Complete blood cells and group, maternal and infants Rh, direct combs test, reticulocyte count , total and direct bilirubin were measured accompanied with TSB. There was no significant differences in serum level of bilirubin between study groups in first eight hours, first and second day. Mean of hospital stay duration between two study groups had no significant differences. Conclusion: IV fluid therapy had not significant therapeutic effects on TSB in neonates but it can be used for treatment of dehydration

Peritoneal Dialysis Associated Peritonitis in Children With End-stage Renal Disease: A Single Center Experience in Iran: Peritoneal Dialysis Associated Peritonitis in Children

Background and Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the frequency and risk factorsof peritonitis end-stage renal disease (ESRD) pediatrics on peritoneal dialysis (PD) in YazdCity, Iran.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on ESRD pediatrics on PD in ShahidSadoughi hospital, Yazd City, Iran from 2016 to 2020. Demographic characteristics, suchas age, sex, body mass index (BMI) at the commencement of PD, underlying medicalconditions, the microbiology of peritonitis, and the recovery rate were investigated. Resultswere evaluated using SPSS software, version 26 (SPSS Institute, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).Results: A total of 23 children (56.5% females) were included in this study. The Mean±SDage was 13.30±4.38 years, and the mean BMI was 15.71±5.53. PD-associated peritonitiswas diagnosed in 18 cases (78.3%). A total of 21.7% had at least one underlying disease. Nosignificant relationship was observed between sex (P=0.9), mean age (P=0.41), mean BMI(P=0.24), and underlying condition (P=0.29) according to pediatrics with and without PDassociatedperitonitis. Bacterial and fungal infections were responsible for peritonitis in 15(62.5%) and 3 (13%) pediatrics on PD, respectively.Conclusion: The frequency of PD-associated peritonitis in the ESRD children of our studywas 78.3%

The Effects of Probiotics on Indirect Bilirubin Level in the Infants with Neonatal Jaundice

Objective: At the beginning of the birth, due to an increase in enterohepatic cycle, the baby is at high risk for jaundice, leading to a physiologic jaundice. Although phototherapy is a safe treatment, it can lead to complications such as hyperthermia, erythematous rashes, inflammatory fluids, and diarrhea. Thus, a new therapeutic approach to lowering the level of bilirubin and also reducing the need for phototherapy can be According to the studies, probiotics (pedilact) regulate intestinal function of the enterohepatic vasculature and therefore may be effective in the treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of probiotics on indirect indirect bilirubin levels in the blood. Material and Methods: This analytical study was carried out using clinical parallels and parallelism with B & A design the study population consisted of 80 neonates with Hyperbilirubinemia who were randomly divided into two groups of exposed and non-invasive subjects. Non-existent group members were treated with phototherapy only and the newborns in the exposure group received 5 drops of probiotics daily for discharge until they were received. Data were analyzed using SPSS 17 software and independent t-test, paired t-test and ANOVA Results: The mean of indirect bilirubin reduction on the first day was 3.4 mg / dl in the phototherapy group and 3.5 mg / dl in the phototherapy + probiotic group and was not significant with p-value of 949.0. The mean of indirect bilirubin reduction per day The second one was 6.3 mg / dl in the phototherapy group and 7.mg / dl in the phototherapy + probiotic group, which was more than the phototherapy group and had no significance with p-value = 0.177. Indirect bilirubin reduction on day 3 of the phototherapy group / 6mg / dl in the phototherapy + probiotic group was 7.1 mg / dl, which is more than phototherapy group and does not have significant significance with p-value=0.618. Conclusion: The mean of bilirubin reduction in the phototherapy + probiotic group is slightly higher than that in the phototherapy group but is not statistically significant

Prediction of underweight, short stature, and microcephaly based on brain diffusion-weighted imaging sequence in neonates with stage.2 of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy: A follow-up study

Background: Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), caused due to reduced oxygenation and brain blood flow, occurs in 1-8 per 1000 live full-term births in developed countries and up to 26 per 1000 live in the developing world. The growth status of survivors of birth HIE has not been evaluated sufficiently. Objective: This study evaluated, the growth parameters (weight, height, and head circumference) of neonates with Sarnat stage 2 of HIE at 6, 10, and 12 months and its relationship with findings of neonatal brain diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequence. Materials and Methods: Medical records and growth parameters of 35 neonates with gestational age > 34 wk who were admitted with stage 2 of HIE in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Shahid Sadoughi hospital, Yazd, Iran from March 2021-March 2022, and its relationship with neonatal brain DWI sequence finding was evaluated. Results: 15 girls and 20 boys with a mean birth weight of 2880.3 ± 221.8 gr were evaluated. Conventional magnetic resonance imaging and DWI were found to be abnormal in 6 (17.1%) and 18 neonates (51.4%). The most abnormal finding of DWI was high signal in basal ganglia/thalamus in 9 neonates (25.7%). Abnormal DWI is more frequent in neonates with seizures and low birth weight. Hospital stay days were more prolonged in neonates with abnormal DWI. Microcephaly at 12 months was more frequent in children with abnormal DWI. Conclusion: In survivors of moderate neonatal HIE, abnormal brain DWI sequence might predict inappropriate head growth, and need close medical and nutritional interventions for growth improvement. Key words: Hypoxic ischemia encephalopathy, Magnetic resonance imaging, Diffusion weighted imaging, Microcephaly, Underweight

The Influence of Doll Therapy in Iranian Elderly: A Randomized Trial Study

Introduction: Many elderly populations feel lonely and it has a significant negative relationship to their health status. Doll therapy may seem childish and ridiculous for adults, but it can have an undeniable effect on the elderly's health. The positive impact of doll therapy has already been proven in depression and dementia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of doll therapy in agitation, aggression, and interactions of elderly people.. Methods and Materials: Sixty elderly people were selected at the Kahrizak charity foundation in Tehran. Ten different dolls (5 popular characters and 5 newborn dolls in neutral and specific genders) were presented to them. Their reaction to all dolls recorded (no reaction: 0, watch closely: 1, caring the doll: 2, communicating with the doll: 3) and each elderly chose one doll to keep it for 6 weeks. The aggression, agitation, and interactions with other elderly people and also with the nursing home staff were asked before and after a 6-week period of doll therapy from their caregivers by the Likert scale. Results: Twelve of 60 samples exited from the study because they were unwilling. Twenty elderly did not meet the inclusion criteria. After 6 weeks, 8 subjects donated their dolls to someone else. Eventually 26, people stayed in the study, and their dada were analyzed. The highest doll selection rate was for neutral gender dolls and popular dolls were almost ignored by the elderly. Paired sample T-test showed significant differences for aggression and agitation (P<0.001) and also interactions (P<0.05) Conclusion: Although the sample size after all exclusion seems to be small, we can conclude that doll therapy is not a consistent method for all elderly, but it is beneficial and can improve their relationships and reduce their aggression and agitation. More researches with larger samples are suggested. Keywords: Doll therapy, Elderly, Play therap