نقش مداخله آموزشی بر سطح آگاهی و نگرش در حیطه بیوتروریسم

Introduction: Bioterrorism, as a major health problem, has received lots of attention in recent years. To date, the effect of education on knowledge and attitude of students regarding bioterrorism has not been evaluated in Iran. Therefore, this study aimed to determine how education affects knowledge and attitude of biological sciences students about bioterrorism. Methods: The present interventional before-after study was carried out on the students of different branches of biological sciences. The students’ level of knowledge on nature of bioterrorism and its causatives, diagnosing bioterrorism agents, management at the time of biological and bioterrorist attacks, and tendency to participate in relief at these events were evaluated before and after training using a pre-designed checklist. Then the effect of education on the students’ knowledge and attitude was evaluated based on their sex. Results: 120 students were included (60% female; mean age 21 ± 3.2 years). The knowledge score was not significantly different between female and male students before educational intervention (p > 0.05). After education, the knowledge score raised significantly in the 4 areas of bioterrorism nature (p < 0.0001), causative factors (p < 0.0001), diagnosing bioterrorism agents (p < 0.0001), and management at the time of bioterrorist attacks (p < 0.0001) in female participants, but not in male students (p > 0.05). In addition, after education both male and female participants showed greater tendency to work and do research in the field of bioterrorism (p < 0.0001) but the increase was more significant in females (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Educational intervention led to an improvement in female participants’ knowledge regarding bioterrorism nature, causative factors, diagnosing bioterrorism agents, and management at the time of bioterrorist attacks. Yet, the low level of knowledge and tendency of the students indicates the need for more education in this field.مقدمه: بیوتروریسم به عنوان یک مسئله مهم بهداشتی توجه زیادی را در سال های اخیر به خود اختصاص داده است. تاکنون تأثیر آموزش بر روی آگاهی و نگرش دانشجویان علوم زیستی در رابطه با عوامل بیوتروریسم در ایران صورت نگرفته است، لذا در این پژوهش تصمیم بر ارزیابی اثر آموزش بر آگاهی و نگرش دانشجویان علوم زیستی نسبت به بیوتروریسم را مورد مطالعه گرفته شد. روش کار: مطالعه حاضر یک پژوهش مداخله ای قبل و بعد می باشد که بر روی دانشجویان گرایش های مختلف زیست شناسی انجام پذیرفت. با استفاده از یک پرسشنامه سطح آگاهی دانشجویان قبل و پس از مداخله آموزشی در خصوص آشنایی با ماهیت بیوتروریسم، عوامل سببی بیوتروریسم، روشهای تشخیصی عوامل بیوتروریسم، مدیریت در حوادث بیوتروریستی و بیولوژیک و تمایل و علاقه به کار در حوادث بیولوژیکی و بیوتروریستی مورد سنجش قرار گرفت. سپس نقش مداخله آموزشی بر وضعیت آگاهی و تمایل دانشجویان برحسب جنسیت مورد مطالعه قرار گرفت. يافته ها: در نهایت 120 دانشجوی کارشناسی مورد پرسشگری و آموزش قرار گرفتند (60 درصد زن؛ میانگین سنی 3/2 ±21 سال). امتیاز آگاهی دانشجویان دختر و پسر قبل از مداخله آموزشی اختلاف معنی داری نداشت (0/05<p). اما پس از مداخله آموزشی مشخص گردید که امتیاز آگاهی زنان به صورت معنی دار در هر چهار حیطه ماهیت بیوتروریسم (0/0001>p)، عوامل سببی (0/001>p)، تشخیص عوامل بیوتروریسم  (0/0001>p) و مدیریت سوانح بیوتروریستی (0/0001>p) افزایش معنی داری پیدا کرد در حالی که این تغییرات در مردان معنی دار نبود (05/0<p). شایان ذکر است پس مداخله آموزشی میزان تمایل زنان و مردان برای کار و تحقیق در حیطه بیوتروریسم افزایش یافت (0/0001>p) که این افزایش نیز در زنان بیشتر از مردان مشاهده شد (0/0001>p). نتيجه گيری: مداخله آموزشی باعث بهبود سطح آگاهی در حیطه ماهیت بیوتروریسم، عوامل سببی آن، روشهای تشخیصی و مدیریت در حوادث بیوتروریستی در بین دانشجویان مونث گردید. با این وجود پایین بودن سطح آگاهی و تمایل دانشجویان نشاندهنده نیاز به آموزش بیشتر در این زمینه می باشد

Synergistic effects of quercetin and regular exercise on the recovery of spatial memory and reduction of parameters of oxidative stress in an animal model of alzheimer's disease

It has widely been reported that the brain in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is affected by increased oxidative stress, and this may have a role in the pathogenesis of this disorder. Quercetin, a polyphenol extensively found in nature, has recently been considered. Also, physical activities have a paradoxical effect on brain function in older adults. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the synergic effects of quercetin (as chemical treatment) and exercise (as physical treatment) on AD-induced learning and memory impairment. Fifty-six adult male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into one of the following eight groups (n=7): The Control, Sham (saline), AD (intracerebro-ventricular administration of streptozotocin (STZ)), AD+80 mg/kg Quercetin (STZ+Q80), Quercetin vehicle (1 % Ethanol)+STZ, Exercise pretreatment (EX)+STZ, Off the treadmill+STZ, and EX+Q80+STZ. Quercetin administration was done intraperitoneally for 21 days after STZ injection. The rats ran on the treadmill for one hour a day for 60 days at a speed of 20-22 m/min. After the treatment, the spatial memory and levels of oxidative stress parameters were evaluated. The results showed that STZ caused spatial memory impairment and increased oxidative stress in the hippocampus. Exercise pretreatment or Quercetin injection improved the spatial memory impairment and oxidative stress caused by STZ injection. However, the combination of quercetin and exercise pretreatment was more effective. It can be concluded that the combined exercise pretreatment and Quercetin injection affected the antioxidant defense system and improved STZ-induced memory impairment. Keywords:Alzheimer Disease; streptozotocin; quercetin; exercise; oxidative stress; hippocampu

The effect of intraperitoneally injection of Crystal meth on pituitary-gonad axis in adult male Rats

Background: Psychostimulant amphetamine (Ecstasy and Crystal meth or n-methyl-1- phenyl-propan-2- amine) abuse has been prevalent among the youth of Iran in recant years. These substances have many adverse and destructive effects on several organs. Therefore, this study was done to determine the effect of crystal meth on pituitary-gonadal axis in adult male rats. Material and Methods: 28 male adult rats were divided into four groups normal control group, and 5, 10 and 15 mg/kg bw Crystal meth-treatment groups. Animals in the Crystal meth-treated groups received 5, 10 and 15 mg/kg bw of Crystal meth intraperitoneally for seven days. After 7 days, blood sample was taken from the left ventricle of the animal's heart and LH, FSH and testosterone concentration were measured using ELISA kit. The SPSS-16 statistical software was used to analyze data. All data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the differences were considered significant at the p<0.05 level. Results: Testosterone hormone concentration significantly increased in experimental groups (10 and 15 mg/kg bw) in comparison with control group (P<0.05). Concentrations of FSH and LH in the experimental groups (5, 10 and 15 mg/kg bw) significantly reduced in comparison with control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: According to the hormonal examinations, we concluded that the use of Crystal meth causes destructive effects on the male pituitary-gonadal axis

Effect of Education on Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Bioterrorism

Introduction: Bioterrorism, as a major health problem, has received lots of attention in recent years. To date, the effect of education on knowledge and attitude of students regarding bioterrorism has not been evaluated in Iran. Therefore, this study aimed to determine how education affects knowledge and attitude of biological sciences students about bioterrorism. Methods: The present interventional before-after study was carried out on the students of different branches of biological sciences. The students’ level of knowledge on nature of bioterrorism and its causatives, diagnosing bioterrorism agents, management at the time of biological and bioterrorist attacks, and tendency to participate in relief at these events were evaluated before and after training using a pre-designed checklist. Then the effect of education on the students’ knowledge and attitude was evaluated based on their sex. Results: 120 students were included (60% female; mean age 21 ± 3.2 years). The knowledge score was not significantly different between female and male students before educational intervention (p &gt; 0.05). After education, the knowledge score raised significantly in the 4 areas of bioterrorism nature (p &lt; 0.0001), causative factors (p &lt; 0.0001), diagnosing bioterrorism agents (p &lt; 0.0001), and management at the time of bioterrorist attacks (p &lt; 0.0001) in female participants, but not in male students (p &gt; 0.05). In addition, after education both male and female participants showed greater tendency to work and do research in the field of bioterrorism (p &lt; 0.0001) but the increase was more significant in females (p &lt; 0.0001). Conclusion: Educational intervention led to an improvement in female participants’ knowledge regarding bioterrorism nature, causative factors, diagnosing bioterrorism agents, and management at the time of bioterrorist attacks. Yet, the low level of knowledge and tendency of the students indicates the need for more education in this field

Alteration of Neurokinin B Gene Expression and Hypothalamic-Pituitary- Gonadal Axis in Response to One-month Regular Moderate Physical Activity

Abstract Background: The advantageous effects of the regular moderate physical activity (Exercise) on reproduction is widely accepted, but until now, the alterations of the expression of hypothalamic arcuate nuclei gene affecting on reproduction axis in response to this type of physical activity are not clear. Therefore, the goal of the present investigation was to study the effect of one –month regular moderate physical activity on neurokinin B gene expression and reproductive axis hormonal changes. Materials and Methods: In the experimental study, fourteen adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control and one- month regular moderate exercise groups. After one - month physical activity (20m/min), the arcuate nucleus was isolated from brain and stored in -80 refrigerators for neurokinin B gene expression assay by Real-time PCR method. In addition, serum samples were taken to assess the corticosterone, luteinizing hormone and testosterone levels by ELISA method. Data were analyzed by Independent t-test in SPSS. Results: Neurokinin-B gene expression level was lower in the group which received physical activity than the control group(p<0.05). Also, corticosterone serum concentration was decreased in the physical activity group(p<0.05). By contrast, the physical activity induced luteinizing hormone and Testosterone serum levels evaluation in exersice group compared with control group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Regular moderate physical activity may improve male reproductive performance by reducing the corticosterone hormone level and decreasing neurokinin B expression

Intraperitoneal injection of buprenorphine on anxiety-like behavior and alteration in expression of Gfap and Nrf2 in methamphetamine treated rats

The effects of buprenorphine (BUP) on anxiety-like behavior and the expression of the glial fibrillary acidic protein (Gfap) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in methamphetamine (METH)-treated rats were investigated in this study. Twenty-eight male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups including control (saline), METH (10.00 mg kg(-1)), BUP (10.00 mg kg(-1)), and BUP+METH groups and treated for five days. On the final day of treatment, gene expression levels and anxiety were evaluated using elevated plus-maze (EPM). According to the results, five days of METH injection reduced open arm exploration in the EPM. In contrast, the open arm entries and the time spent in the open arms were increased in the BUP+METH group compared to the METH group. The expression levels of Gfap and Nrf2 were lower in METH-treated rats compared to controls, whereas Gfap and Nrf2 expression levels were higher in the METH+BUP-treated rats compared to the METH-treated rats, however, it was similar to the controls. These findings suggested that co-administration of BUP+METH could decrease anxiety-like behavior through increasing the activity of the antioxidant protection system and might have therapeutic potential for preventing anxiety in METH users. (c) 2022 Urmia University. All rights reserved

One-month of high-intensity exercise did not change the food intake and the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus proopiomelanocortin and neuropeptide Y expression levels in male Wistar rats

Objective. The hypothalamic arcuate nucleus proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) circuitries are involved in the inhibition and stimulation of the appetite, respectively. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of one-month lasting high-intensity exercise on the POMC mRNA and NPY mRNA expression in the above-mentioned brain structure and appetite and food intake levels

17-β estradiol Attenuated Hippocampus Oxidative Stress in an Ethidium Bromide-Induced Multiple Sclerosis Model among Adult Male Rats

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system in which myelin is destroyed. Oxidative stress and subsequent apoptosis are recognized as factors involved in the pathogenesis of MS.  On the other hand, 17-β-estradiol is well known  for its anti-oxidant properties. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of 17-beta-estradiol on oxidative stress parameters in the experimental model of MS.   Materials & Methods: This study was conducted on 49 Wistar male rats cannulating into the CA1 area of hippocampus. The rats were randomly divided into following groups (n=7): control group, sham group, MS group, estradiol groups, MS+estradiol groups. MS model was induced by intrahippocampal injection of ethidium bromide and estradiol was injected as a pretreatment for 5 days. At the end of experiments, the levels of oxidative stress parameters, such as MDA, Glutathione, and antioxidant enzymes (Glutathione peroxidase, Superoxide dismutase and Catalase)were measured in this study.   Findings: The microinjection of ethidium bromide increased the oxidative capacity and reduced the antioxidant enzyme (SOD GPx and CAT) activity (P<0.05). The pre-treatment of 17-beta-estradiol prevented an increase in oxidative capacity and decreased the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the experimental groups (P<0.05).   Discussion & Conclu sions: The 17-beta-estradiol, as a potent antioxidant, is likely to prevent the increase of oxidative stress indices in the experimental model of MS by removing reactive oxygen species and clearing the tissues from free radicals

Conjugated Linoleic Acid-Curcumin Attenuates Cognitive Deficits and Oxidative Stress Parameters in the Ethidium Bromide�Induced Model of Demyelination

Oxidative stress has been shown to play an important role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Curcumin (CUR), an antioxidant compound, can be a potent treatment for neurodegenerative diseases, such as MS. CUR has poor bioavailability; therefore, it is used in nanoforms to increase its bioavailability. In the present study, the effects of CUR and conjugated linoleic acid-CUR (Lino-CUR) on spatial memory and oxidative stress in a putative animal model of MS were investigated. Forty-nine adult male Wistar rats (250 ± 50 g) were randomly divided into seven groups (n = 7): control, sham, ethidium bromide (EB), CUR (20 and 40 μg/kg) + EB, and Lino-CUR (20 and 40 μg/kg) + EB groups. Following MS induction, the groups were treated for 5 consecutive days. Finally, spatial memory and levels of oxidative stress parameters were assessed. Treatment with CUR and Lino-CUR at two doses significantly improved spatial memory and reduced oxidative stress parameters in the experimental models of MS. Furthermore, the effects of high dose (40 μg/kg) of Lino-CUR were more remarkable. These findings suggest that the microinjection of CUR in its synthetic form Lino-CUR significantly ameliorated spatial memory, through the reduction of oxidative stress markers in the brain of studied animals as a rat model of MS

Effect of exercise intensity and duration on the levels of stress hormones and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in adult male rats: an experimental study

Purpose The effect of exercise on stress has been demonstrated in several studies which have shown that exercise intensity and duration have various effects on the reproductive axis. This study evaluated the effect of different intensities and durations of exercise on the hormonal indices of stress, such as corticosterone (CORT), norepinephrine (NEP), and also reproductive performance indices, including gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone (T). Methods In this experimental study, 30 adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups as follows: no-exercise, RME-1 (regular moderate exercise for 1 month), RME-6 (regular moderate exercise for 6 months), RIE-1 (regular intensive exercise for 1 month), and RIE-6 (regular intensive exercise for 6 months). At the end of the experiment, the serum levels of the abovementioned hormones and hypothalamic expression of the Gnrh gene were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the real-time polymerase chain reaction method, respectively. Results The levels of stress hormones, including CORT and NEP, increased only in the RIE-1 group compared with the no-exercise group. In addition, an increase was observed in T hormone levels in the RME-1 group compared with those in the no-exercise group, whereas LH and T hormone levels showed a greater decrease in the RIE-6 group than in the no-exercise group. Gnrh expression levels showed an increase and a decrease in the RME-1 and RIE-6 groups compared with the no-exercise group, respectively. Conclusion These results confirmed the effects of different intensities and durations of exercise on sex hormone levels