Translation, cultural adaptation, validation and reliability of Persian version of Edmonton frailty score questionnaire among Iranian heart failure individuals.

Background: Frailty is a common problem in elderly individuals. However, this issue is not well investigated among heart failure (HF) patients with appropriate scales. We aimed to translate and evaluate Edmonton frailty scale (EFS) validity and reliability in Iranian HF adults. Methods: We implemented this methodological study on stable HF patients referred to an outpatient heart clinic in Isfahan, Iran. The translation was done using the forward-backward method. Ten individuals were asked to comment about all items in terms of understandability and simplicity. Fifteen experts were invited, and their ratings on each item were collected to measure the content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR). Cronbach's alpha was used for the assessment of internal consistency. After completing the scale for the second time with a two-week interval, test-retest reliability with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) measurement was done. Results: The translation process was performed uneventfully. All items were reported to be simple and meaningful. CVI of items ranged from the minimum of 0.80 to a maximum of 1.00 plus an acceptable CVR of at least 0.60. Fifty HF patients (age: 67.2±14.1 years, males: 56%) completed the questionnaire twice without missing data. Cronbach's alpha was first to be 0.550. After omitting three items about social support, drug usage, and nutrition, the value was raised to 0.711. Test-retest reliability showed a good index of consistency (ICC: 0.693, 95% confidence interval: 0.527-0.810). Conclusion: Modified Persian EFS is a simple and meaningful tool with high validity and acceptable reliability for assessing frailty in HF individuals irrespective of age.

Can vitamin C supplementation reverse the effects of exercise training in polluted air on oxidative stress markers? A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Air pollution and long-term aerobic exercise are diversely associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. However, the simultaneous effect of exercise in polluted air and vitamin C on oxidative stress markers is less clear. In this study, the effect of these variables on oxidative stress markers was investigated in rats. METHODS: The study was conducted on 50 male rats. The rats were divided into 5 groups consisting of exercise, exercise with vitamin C, exercise in polluted air, exercise in polluted air with vitamin C, and control group. Animals in the exercise groups exercised on a treadmill for 12 weeks, 5 days/week, 30 minutes/day, at 50-70% of the maximum speed. Animals in the vitamin C groups received 20 mg/kg/day vitamin C orally. After 12 weeks of intervention, 2.5 ml of blood was taken from the rats' apex. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) levels were measured using NavandSalamat's Nalondi and Eastbiopharm's OxLDL ELISA kits, respectively. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for data analysis in SPSS software. RESULTS: There were significant differences in MDA and OxLDL levels between all groups after 12 weeks of intervention (P < 0.050). The levels of MDA and OxLDL were significantly higher in the ExPo group compared to the Ex+VitC groups (P < 0.050). However, no significant difference was observed in MDA and OxLDL levels between the vitamin C groups (P > 0.050). CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate the oxidative stress effects of air pollution, systemically and in the respiratory tract. Moreover, polluted air significantly increased OxLDL levels in both exercise in polluted air groups. Although, vitamin C slightly decreased MDA and OxLDL levels in the ExPo groups, the difference was not significant. Different vitamin C doses could have diverse and maybe significant results.

Endurance exercise improves avoidance learning and spatial memory, through changes in genes of GABA and relaxin-3, in rats.

Different exercise patterns, neurotransmitters, and some genes have numerous effects on learning and memory. This research aims to investigate the long-term effects of submaximal aerobic exercise on spatial memory (SM), passive avoidance learning (PAL), levels of serum relaxin-3, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), RLN3 gene, and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65/67 genes) in the brainstem of adult male Wistar rats. Fifty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups: aerobic exercise groups, performed on a treadmill running (TR), for 5 weeks (Ex5, n = 10), 10 weeks (Ex10, n = 10), involuntary running wheel group for 5 weeks (IRW5, n = 10), sham (Sh, n = 10) and control (Co, n = 10). Consequently, SM, PAL, serum relaxin-3, GABA, and GAD65/67 and RLN3 genes were measured by ELISA and PCR. Ex5, Ex10 and IRW5 improved significantly SM (p ≤ 0.05), PAL (p ≤ 0.001) and decreased significantly relaxin-3 (p ≤ 0.001). RLN3 in the brain also decreased. However, it was not significant. GABA and GAD65/GAD67 increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) in Ex5, Ex10 compared to Sh and Co. Aerobic exercise enhanced SM and PAL in Ex compared to Co and Sh. However, duration and type of exercise affected the level of enhancement. The serum relaxin-3 and RLN3 gene displayed reverse functions compared to GABA and GAD65/67 genes in Ex. Therefore, the changes of neurotransmitters in serum relaxin-3, GABA, and their genes: RLN3 and GAD65/67 respectively, influenced learning and memory meaningfully.

The effects of concurrent treatment of silymarin and lactulose on memory changes in cirrhotic male rats.

Introduction: Chronic liver disease frequently accompanied by hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Changes in the permeability of the blood-brain barrier in HE, make an easier entrance of ammonia among other substances to the brain, which leads to neurotransmitter disturbances. Lactulose (LAC), causes better defecation and makes ammonia outreach of blood. Silymarin (SM) is a known standard drug for liver illnesses. The purpose of this research was to determine the results of LAC and SM combined treatment, on the changes in memory of cirrhotic male rats. Methods: The cirrhotic model established by treatment with thioacetamide (TAA) for 18 weeks. Cirrhotic rats randomized to four groups (n = 7): TAA group (received drinking water), LAC group (2 g/kg/d LAC in drinking water), SM group (50 mg/kg/d SM by food), SM+ LAC group (similar combined doses of both compounds) for 8 weeks. The control group received drinking water. The behavior examined by wire hanging (WH), passive avoidance (PA), and open field (OF) tests. Results: Our findings showed that treatment with SM+LAC effectively increased PA latency, compared with the control group. The results showed that the administration of LAC and SM+LAC affected the number of lines crossed, the total distance moved and velocity in the OF tests. Conclusion: SM and LAC have anti-inflammatory effects that are memory changing. It may be due to their useful effects. These results indicated that SM+LAC restored memory disturbance and irritated mood in the cirrhotic rats. Comparable neuroprotection was never previously informed. Such outcomes are extremely promising and indicate the further study of SM+LAC.