Mohammad Nouri; Fereshteh Farajdokht; Mohammadali Torbati; Fatemeh Ranjbar; Sanaz Hamedyazdan; Saeed Sadigh-Eteghad; Mostafa Araj-Khodaei
Volume 21, Issue 10 , 2019, Pages 1-14
Abstract
Background: Echium amoenum (E. amoenum) is an Iranian medicinal plant with mood-enhancing effects.Objectives: This study was designed to investigate the effect of standardized E. amoenum hydroalcoholic extract on restraint stress (RS)-evoked anxiety- and- depressive-like behaviors in mice.Methods: This ...
Read More
Background: Echium amoenum (E. amoenum) is an Iranian medicinal plant with mood-enhancing effects.Objectives: This study was designed to investigate the effect of standardized E. amoenum hydroalcoholic extract on restraint stress (RS)-evoked anxiety- and- depressive-like behaviors in mice.Methods: This experimental study was conducted at the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran, in 2018. Doses of the hy- droalcoholic extract of E. amoenum were optimized for rosmarinic acid (> %2 w/w) concentration of the extract. Other phytochem- ical indices, including total phenolic and flavonoid contents and radical scavenging activity, were also measured. For behavioral studies, 65 mice were randomly assigned into five groups (n = 13) of control, RS, RS + E75, RS + E150, and RS + E300. Animals in the RS group were subjected to the RS (3 h/day for 14 days) and treated with normal saline, while treatment groups received E. amoenum extract (75, 150, and 300 mg/kg, p.o.) concomitantly with RS exposure. Anxiety-like behaviors were assessed by Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) and Open Field Test (OFT). Depression was assessed by the forced swim test (FST) and Tail Suspension Test (TST). Western blot- ting was performed to determine the protein levels of IL-1β, NF-κB, TNF-α, and IL-6 in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus(HIP). The concentrations of corticosterone, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine phosphatase were also measured in serum.Results: Moderate and high doses of the extract ameliorated RS-induced anxiety- (P < 0.05 in OFT and EPM) and depressive-like (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01 in FST; P < 0.01 and P < 0.001 in TST) behaviors. These results were approved by decreased serum corticosterone levels (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001). Furthermore, E. amoenum reduced the protein expression of neuroinflammatory markers in the HIP and PFC subregions (significant at least at P < 0.05 for IL-1β, NF-κB, and TNF-α). Although RS slightly increased the serum levels of liver enzymes, no histopathological changes were seen in the liver of the RS or E. amoenum-treated groups.Conclusions: E. amoenum can be an effective and safe complementary strategy for the treatment of stress-associated inflammation and behavioral changes.
Mina Sabbaghan; Jamileh Malakouti; Mojgan Mirghafourvand; Sevil Hakimi; Fatemeh Ranjbar
Volume 19, Issue 9 , September 2017, , Pages 1-8
Abstract
Background: More than half of sexual problems, which cause destruction of life and marital relations is due to insufficient knowledge and wrong health beliefs regarding sexuality. Genital self-image plays an important role in sexual health, genital appearance, and sexual function.Objectives: This study ...
Read More
Background: More than half of sexual problems, which cause destruction of life and marital relations is due to insufficient knowledge and wrong health beliefs regarding sexuality. Genital self-image plays an important role in sexual health, genital appearance, and sexual function.Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effect of training package on genital self-image and sexual function in health centers of Qazvin, Iran.Methods: In this randomized clinical control trial, 124 Iranian women, between the ages of 18 - 40 years, from Qazvin, were randomized into 2 groups, training and control. The intervention group received 3 training sessions weekly for 1 hour daily. Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the genital self-image scale were completed before and 4 weeks after the end of intervention in both groups. P < 0.05 was considered as significant.Results: Between 2 groups, in terms of socio-demographic characteristics, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05). The mean (SD) score of genital self-image in the intervention group before and after intervention was 72.0 (11.4) and 75.7 (11.7), respectively. The mean (SD) score of genital self-image in the control group before and after intervention was 72.9 (12.3) and 75.7 (10.9), respectively. According to the ANCOVA test, there was no significant difference between groups at 4 weeks after intervention in terms of sexual function (mean differences: 0.8; confidence interval 95%: -0.6 to 2.3; P = 0.257) and genital self-image (mean differences: 0.5; confidence interval 95%: -3.3 to 4.4; P = 0.808).Conclusions: The results showed that training has no effect on the genital self-image and sexual function in women. The systematic planned training could be designed for those suffering from body image disorders and sexual dysfunction in order to promote their sexual function and body image.
