The cardioprotective effect of vanillic acid on hemodynamic parameters, malondialdehyde, and infarct size in ischemia-reperfusion isolated rat heart exposed to PM10

Objective(s): Particulate matter (PM) exposure can promote cardiac ischemia and myocardial damage. The effects of PM10 on hemodynamic parameters, lipid peroxidation, and infarct size induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury and the protective effects of vanillic acid (VA) in isolated rat heart were investigated. Materials and Methods: Eighty male Wistar rats (250–300 g) were divided into 8 groups (n=10): Control, Sham, VAc, VA, PMa (0.5 mg/kg PM, intratracheal instillation), PMb (2.5 mg/kg PM, intratracheal instillation), PMc (5 mg/kg PM, intratracheal instillation), and PMc + VA (5 mg/kg PM, intratracheal instillation; and 10 mg/kg vanillic acid, gavage for 10 days). PM10 was instilled into the trachea in two stages, within 48 hr. After isolating the hearts and transfer to a Langendorff apparatus, hearts were subjected to 30 min ischemia and 60 min reperfusion. Hemodynamic parameters (±dp/dt, LVSP, LVDP, and RPP), production of lipid peroxidation (MDA), and infarct size were assessed. Results: A significant decrease in ±dp/dt, LVSP, LVDP and RPP occurred in PM groups. A significant increase in MDA and myocardial infarct size occurred in PM groups. A significant increase in LVDP, LVSP, ±dp/dt, RPP and decrease in infarct size, MDA, and myocardial dysfunction was observed in groups that received vanillic acid after ischemia–reperfusion. Conclusion: It was demonstrated that PM10 increases MDA, as well as the percentage of cardiac infarct size, and has negative effects on hemodynamic parameters. This study suggests that vanillic acid may serve as an adjunctive treatment in delaying the progression of ischemic heart disease

Hepatic and Renal Function Tests and Routine Hematological Markers in Patients with Cerebrovascular Accident and Transient Ischemic Attack

Background and Aim: Cerebrovascular accident (CVA), also known as stroke, is a vascular syndrome that is the second leading cause of death in the world after ischemic heart disease. Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) is a warning sign for CVA so that 20% of patients with TIA experience a subsequent stroke within 90 days. Hence, identification of laboratory markers is crucial for the prognosis and diagnosis of patients with CVA and TIA. Changes in some laboratory markers occur in patients with CVA and TIA. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate hepatic and renal function tests and routine hematological markers in patients with CVA and TIA. Methods: The present study was a cross - sectional analytical study. The study population was patients with CVA and TIA who were hospitalized in Abadan and Khorramshahr educational hospitals from March 21, 2019, to March 19, 2020. One hundred patients with CVA and one hundred patients with TIA were randomly selected and the necessary information (age, sex, liver enzymes, renal function tests, FBS, and routing hematologic markers including CBC, ESR, PT and PTT) of the patients was collected from HIS (Hospital Information System) of Abadan and Khorramshahr educational hospitals. Liver, kidney and hematologic diagnostic markers were evaluated by age and gender. Data analysis was performed using a t -test (to compare gender difference of laboratory markers in CVA and TIA groups) and one-way ANOVA (to compare laboratory markers among age groups of patients with CVA and TIA). Simple linear regression was used to examine the relationships between changes in FBS (mg / dl) and changes in laboratory diagnostic factors. Results: The results of this study showed that the highest frequency of patients with CVA (n= 130, 27.3%) and TIA (n= 49, 23.8%) was observed in the age group of 55-64 years. The results indicate that the mean level of some laboratory markers such as FBS (CVA: 174.32 ± 105.83; TIA: 150.32 ± 83.32), creatinine (CVA: 1.37 ± 1.32; 1.42 ± 1.09), LDH (CVA: 696.29 ± 344.90; TIA: 538.17 ± 230.76), and ESR (CVA: 52.41 ± 37.61; TIA: 14.00 ± 8.40) was higher than the normal range in both CVA and TIA. The mean of SGOT (34.10 ± 26.40 IU / L) and ALK (331.44 ± 370.78 IU / L) enzymes were higher than normal only in CVA patients and the mean of SGPT (33.08 ± 38.55 IU / L) was higher than normal only in TIA patients. It was also observed that in patients with CVA, with each unit increase in FBS, a significant increase occurs in K+ level (P < 0.001), WBC (P= 0.003), and RBC (P= 0.031) count, as well as a significant decrease in Na+ level (P= 0.008). Conclusion: The results of the present study showed an increase in the level of FBS, ESR and LDH both in CVA and TIA. While SGOT and ALK increased only in CVA patients, SGPT showed an increase only in TIA patients.   *First Corresponding Author: Esmat Radmanesh; Email: [email protected]; ORCID ID:                                        0000-0003-1369-6580 Second Corresponding Author: Sahar Golabi; Email: [email protected] Please cite this article as:  Monfared A, Fadavipour M, Golabi S, Kamyari N, Zahedi A, Hazbenejad A, Kanani K, Jelvay S, Tajvidi M, Radmanesh E. Hepatic and Renal Function Tests and Routine Hematological Markers in Patients with Cerebrovascular Accident and Transient Ischemic Attack. Arch Med Lab Sci. 2023;9:1-9 (e3). https://doi.org/10.22037/amls.v9.3925

Investigating the attitude of medical students to the effect of applying correct skills of teacher-student communication on learning physiology

Background: Physiology is one of the most basic lessons among medical education courses. The teacher can facilitate the teaching process for compensating deficiencies in textbooks.Method: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study and the available sampling method was used. The study population in this study was students of Abadan University of Medical Sciences who had physiology lessons in their curriculum in the first semester of the 2019-2020 academic years.Results: The results showed that respect for the student's personality, teacher's scientific mastery of the subject of teaching and a few minutes break between teaching with %95.7, the flexibility of the teacher and the interest in teaching with 92.7%, the up-to-datedness of the teacher with 92.7%, and the way of speaking and pleasantness of the teacher with 91.3% have the greatest impact on increasing learning of students. On the other hand, teacher's strictness with %46.5 and teacher's stubbornness with %8.7 had the least effect on increasing student's learningConclusions: The results obtained regarding the correct communication skills between teacher and students as the most effective in better learning physiology lessons and the highest scores, respectively, were:: teacher's scientific mastery, teacher's expression, respect for the student's personality by the teacher, teacher's up to dateness, teacher's flexibility, teacher's sobriety, teacher's appropriate class management, teacher's high self-confidence, teacher's patience, teacher's kindness, and teacher's interest in teaching

Medical and anesthesia students’ attitude toward e-learning physiology courses during the COVID-19 pandemic days

Background: The alarming outbreak of the COVID-19 virus significantly disrupted all aspects of human life, including education. As a result, e-learning has become a vital tool for education. This study aimed to investigate the attitudes of medical and anesthesia students toward e-learning in physiology during the pandemic of COVID-19. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted among 67 medical and anesthesiology students at Abadan University of Medical Sciences who studied physiology in the second semester of 2020-2021 in the form of e-learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A researcher-created questionnaire was used, rating items on a five-point Likert scale. Data were entered into SPSS 21 for statistical analysis and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 73.1% of the participants in this study were women. The favorable opinions of students by percentage were as follows: satisfactory access to the Internet, 71.0%; the possibility of downloading educational content from the educational system, 88.2%; effective communication between teacher and student through e-learning, 20.6%; e-learning by combining online and offline education, 69.1%; the suitability of offline educational content due to accessibility convenient to learn at any time and place where the student wants to learn, 75%; face-to-face education is more suitable than e-learning, 60.3%. Conclusion: Effective communication between teacher and student is weak in virtual/online education. Students were generally positive about a combination of online and offline virtual education together and liked offline educational content due to ease of access at any time and place. In general, students preferred face-to-face teaching to virtual education

The Effect of PM 10 on Ischemia- Reperfusion Induced Arrhythmias in Rats

ABSTRACT Epidemiological studies show that particulate matter (PM) is the principal instigator of some adverse clinical symptoms involving cardiovascular diseases. PM exposure can increase experimental infarct size and potentiate myocardial ischemia and arrhythmias in experimental MI models such as ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury.The present study was aimed to evaluate the effects of particulate matter (PM10) on ischemia- reperfusion induced arrhythmias with emphasis on the protective role of VA as an antioxidant on them. Male Wistar rats were divided into 8 groups (n=10): Control, VAc, Sham, VA, PM1 (0.5 mg/kg), PM2 (2.5 mg/kg), PM3 group (5 mg/kg), PM3 + VA group. Within 48 hours, PM10 was instilled into trachea in two stages. Then the hearts were isolated, transferred to a Langendorff apparatus, and subjected to global ischemia (30 minutes) followed by reperfusion (60 minutes). The ischemia- reperfusion induced ventricular arrhythmias were assessed according to the Lambeth conventions.In the present study,the number, incidence and duration of arrhythmiasduring30 minutes ischemia were demonstrated to be more than those in the reperfusion stage. PM exposure increased significantly the number, incidence and duration of arrhythmias in the ischemia and reperfusion duration. Vanillic acid reduced significantly the number, incidence and duration of arrhythmias during the ischemia and reperfusion period.In summary, the results of this study demonstrated that the protective and dysrhythmic effects of VA in the PM exposure rats in I/R model are probably related to its antioxidant properties

Evaluation of laboratory diagnostic markers in patients with hypertension

Background: Hypertension is growing as a global public health problem. It is one of the most important risk factors for various diseases including cardiovascular disease. The study of laboratory markers and early detection of complications can play an effective role in controlling the disease. Objectives: The present study was performed to determine renal, hepatic, and blood markers in patients with hypertension in Abadan and Khorramshahr educational hospitals. Materials and Methods: The present study was a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study that was performed from March 21, 2020, to March 19, 2021, on patients with hypertension referred to Abadan and Khorramshahr educational hospitals. Information on age, sex, and laboratory diagnostic factors of patients with hypertension admitted to HIS were received. Data were analyzed using STATA software. Results: The study population was 1505 patients with hypertension admitted to Abadan and Khorramshahr educational hospitals (487 male (32%) and 1018 were females (68%). The average age of the patients was 61 (SD: 12). The highest frequency of patients with hypertension was in the age group of 64-55 years with a frequency of 420 (27.9%). The results showed that the mean of creatinine was higher than normal. The mean of CK-MB and INR was slightly higher than normal. The two sexes were significantly different from the mean of CK-MB, AST, ALT, Cr, Na, MCHC, HCT, HB, and RBC. According to the unadjusted and multiple logistic regression analysis, Each 1 unit increase in BUN and K+ was associated with an increase in the odds of abnormal creatinine. Each 1 unit increase in RBC, HB, HCT, MCH, and MCHC was associated with a decrease in the odds of abnormal creatinine, and Each 1 unit increase in PT was associated with an increase in the odds of abnormal creatinine. Conclusions: The results of the present study showed that some laboratory markers in patients with hypertension were above the normal range including renal, cardiac, and coagulation diagnostic factors and some of it depends on age and sex, so it is important to pay attention to these markers in controlling high blood pressure in these patients, however, further studies in this field are recommended. &nbsp