Search published articles


The impact of self-care education on self-esteem, self-care behavior, and blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus and pre-diabetes attending rural health centers in Gorgan City in 2023
Kamal Mirkarimi , Najmeh Shahini , Abdolhalim Rajabi , Amir Hosein Izadyar ,
Volume 12, Issue 4 (12-2024)
Abstract
Background: Self-care is defined as a strategy to adapt the events and stresses of life, which improves health and includes special activities that alleviate the symptoms of the disease. This study aimed to investigate the impact of a self-care program on the self-esteem of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) attending rural health centers in Gorgan City in 2023.
Methods: A quasi-experimental, pre-and post-test intervention study was conducted using a multistage sampling technique in patients with T2DM and prediabetes attending health centers in rural health centers of Gorgan City. An educational program was conducted on 68 patients divided into two groups of diabetes and pre-diabetes (34 patients in each group). Data were collected using a personal information checklist, standard self-care questionnaires, and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. Follow-up was conducted two months after the intervention. The data were described using mean and standard deviation, and analyzed by Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Chi-square, Independent T-test, and Paired T-test.
Results: The mean age in the T2DM group was 58 ±7.26, and 60.29 ± 9.47 years in the pre-diabetes group. The mean fasting blood sugar levels in the T2DM and pre-diabetes groups after the intervention were 131.24 and 100.94, respectively, which showed a significant statistical difference (P-Value=0.02). The mean self-esteem scores in the T2DM and pre-diabetes groups after the intervention also showed a significant statistical difference (P-Value =0.006).
Conclusion: In the current study, the present intervention led to the improvement of self-esteem and self-care scores in people with T2DM and pre-diabetes.
 

The synergistic effects of glycyrrhizin and swimming exercise on CXCL12/CXCR4 gene
Zahra Minaei , Farah Nameni ,
Volume 13, Issue 1 (9-2025)
Abstract
Background: This study aimed to investigate the modulating effects of two interventions, glycyrrhizin and swimming exercise, on the expression of CXCR4 and CXCL12 genes in the blood and heart tissue of diabetic rat models.
Methods: A total of 55 male Wistar rats were purchased, of which 44 were subcutaneously injected with streptozotocin between the ears. Four days post-injection, blood glucose levels were assessed. Rats exhibiting levels above 250 mg/dL were classified as diabetic and subsequently randomized into four groups of 11 animals each (diabetic control, diabetic + glycyrrhizin, diabetic + swimming training, and diabetic + swimming training + glycyrrhizin). The healthy control group consisted of 11 rats. Two groups of diabetic rats were treated with glycyrrhizin. The core experimental protocol involved swimming training, which was implemented in two of the experimental groups. Glycyrrhizin was dissolved in 0.9% saline with sterile distilled water and administered by gavage at a dose of 120 mg/kg on average, transferred to the stomach of the animals every night. The main experimental protocol consisted of eight weeks of swimming training, which was performed in two experimental groups. The swimming training time started from 25 minutes with 7 liters of water in the adaptation period and increased to 60 minutes of activity in 17 liters of water in the eighth week. After eight weeks, the rats were anesthetized with ketamine and xylazine before blood collection, and then blood samples were taken from their hearts. Data analysis was performed using two-way analysis of variance and Tukey's test.
Results: A marked reduction in the expression levels of CXCR4 and CXCL12 was observed in the groups subjected to exercise and glycyrrhizin supplementation, indicating the potential of these interventions in modulating inflammatory signaling pathways (p<0.05). The greatest reduction in CXCR4 (49.77%) and CXCL12 (68.19%) was observed in the combined exercise + glycyrrhizin group, indicating a stronger effect of the combined therapy than the single treatments.
Conclusion: Swimming training combined with glycyrrhizin supplementation significantly downregulated the expression of CXCR4 and CXCL12 genes and demonstrated potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, contributing effectively to the modulation and prevention of diabetes.
 

The effect of high-intensity interval training on cardiac angiogenesis and hypoxia-response in diabetic rats
Farah Nameni , Elham Jebraiili ,
Volume 13, Issue 1 (9-2025)
Abstract
Background: Adaptation to hypoxia can improve cardiac function and reduce cardiac complications of diabetes. This study aimed to determine the effect of HIIT on the expression of VEGF-A and HIF-1α in the hearts of diabetic rats.
Methods: Male Wistar rats (weighing 200–250 g and eight weeks old) were used in this study. Rats in the training group warmed up for 5 minutes, then performed a HIIT swimming protocol (14 repetitions of 20 seconds with 10 seconds of rest; eight weeks, three sessions per week). An external load equivalent to 7% of body weight was attached to the base of the tail in the first week and gradually increased by 1% in the following weeks (eighth week: load equivalent to 14% of body weight). Twenty-two rats were made diabetic by subcutaneous injection of streptozotocin. Seven days after injection, rats with blood sugar levels above 300 mg/dL were selected as diabetic samples. Eleven rats were placed in the healthy control group. After eight weeks, the rats were anesthetized and their hearts were removed for sampling. Gene expression was examined using real-time PCR. Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation; one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test were used.
Results: VEGF-A mRNA expression in the HIIT group increased by 60% compared to the diabetic group (p < 0.06). In the diabetic group, VEGF-A mRNA expression showed a 47% decrease compared to the control group (p < 0.001). HIF-1α mRNA expression in the HIIT group increased by about 27% compared to the diabetic group (p < 0.001). HIF-1α mRNA expression in the diabetic group decreased by about 25% compared to the control group (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Diabetes impairs the expression of HIF-1α and VEGF-A, and HIIT increases the expression of these genes in heart tissue.

Investigation of the effect of six weeks of swimming on the caspase-1, TGF-β1, and IFN- γ protein content in the hippocampal tissue of rats with multiple sclerosis
Ali Esmaeili , Abdolhamid Habibi , Mohammad Rami , Mehrzad Shabani ,
Volume 13, Issue 1 (9-2025)
Abstract
Background: Performing exercise training with various protocols, especially aquatic exercises, can be effective against the harmful effects of Multiple Sclerosis. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of six weeks of swimming training on the Caspase-1, TGF-β1, and IFN-γ protein content in the hippocampal tissue of rats with Multiple Sclerosis.
Methods: Twenty-one Wistar rats were divided into three equal groups: (1) Healthy control, (2) Multiple Sclerosis control, and (3) Multiple Sclerosis swimming. After two weeks of adaptation to the laboratory environment, the Multiple Sclerosis groups were induced by adding cuprizone to their diet. Six weeks of swimming training were then performed. Forty-eight hours after the last session, hippocampal tissue was isolated to examine Caspase-1, TGF-β1, and IFN-γ protein content. To analyze the data, one-way analysis of variance was used with a significance level of 0.05.
Results: Findings showed that the induction of Multiple Sclerosis in rats caused a significant increase in TGF-β1 and Caspase-1 protein content (P-Value=0.001) and a significant decrease in IFN-γ (P-Value =0.001). After six weeks of swimming, there was a significant decrease in Caspase-1 (P-Value =0.001) and a significant increase in IFN-γ (P-Value =0.001) protein content; however, there was no significant decrease in TGF-β1 protein content (P-Value =0.1).
Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that swimming, as a non-pharmacological intervention, has a protective effect on nerves by reducing factors related to inflammation and cell death, which may have beneficial effects on memory information processing in Multiple Sclerosis disease.
 

The effect of six weeks HIIT exercise on the gene expression of some inflammatory and anti-inflammatory markers of hippocampal tissue in aged male Wistar rats
Sara Ghasdi , Mohammad Rami , Abdolhamid Habibi ,
Volume 13, Issue 1 (9-2025)
Abstract
Background: Research has shown that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a convenient and time-efficient approach that promotes oxidative capacity. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of HIIT on the gene expression of some inflammatory and anti-inflammatory markers of hippocampal tissue in aged male Wistar rats.
Methods: In this experimental study, 21 male Wistar rats were divided into three equal groups: 1- control (C), 2- elderly control (EC), and 3- elderly training (ET). After two weeks of adaptation to the laboratory environment, six weeks of HIIT were performed for the training group. Forty-eight hours after the last training session, hippocampal tissue was isolated to examine the mean levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10), IL-6, and IL-1β gene expression. One-way analysis of variance and Tukey's post-hoc test with a significance level of 0.05 were used to analyze the data.
Results: There was a significant increase in the expression of IL-6 and IL-1β, while a significant decrease in IL-10 expression (p=0.001) in the C group compared to the EC. After six weeks of HIIT, expression of IL-6 (p=0.001) and IL-1β (p=0.001) significantly decreased, whereas IL-10 expression significantly increased (p=0.001) in the ET group compared to the EC group.
Conclusion: It seems that HIIT activity has beneficial effects on preventing the process of neural degeneration. Moreover, it is promising as a non-pharmacological strategy for controlling complications resulting from the aging process due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

Interactive effects of endurance training combined with saffron and crocin on the hippocampal oxidant-antioxidant system in trimethyltin-induced Alzheimer’s rats
Fatemeh Akbari , Mehrzad Moghadasi, Omid Reza Salehi ,
Volume 13, Issue 1 (9-2025)
Abstract
Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) disrupts hippocampal oxidant-antioxidant balance. Although endurance training, saffron, and crocin have shown antioxidant benefits individually, their comparative effects in Alzheimer’s models are not well established. The present study investigated changes in hippocampal oxidant-antioxidant markers in trimethyltin (TMT)-induced Alzheimer’s rats following eight weeks of endurance training (ET), with or without saffron (S) and crocin (Cr) supplementation.
Methods: The current study was performed on 49 male Sprague-Dawley rats (age: 8 weeks old, weight: ~220 g). Forty-two rats received TMT (8 mg/kg, [intraperitoneal] IP) and were randomly assigned to six groups: (1) AD, (2) ET, (3) S, (4) Cr, (5) ET+S, and (6) ET+Cr. Seven healthy rats served as controls (HC). Training groups ran on a treadmill for eight weeks (5 sessions/week, 15-30 min/session, 15-20 m/min). S and Cr groups received daily IP injections (25 mg/kg). Forty-eight hours following the intervention, hippocampal tissue was collected to measure superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). The data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s post hoc test (SPSS software [version 22], P ≤ 0.05).
Results: Compared to the AD group, MDA levels decreased by 35-56%, and SOD levels increased by 193-257% in all the intervention groups. Moreover, TAC levels showed marked improvement, rising by 185%, 220%, 253%, 309%, and 335% in Cr, S, ET, ET+Cr, and ET+S groups, respectively (P < 0.05). The aforementioned findings highlight the superior antioxidant response in the combined intervention groups, compared to the response in single treatments (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Endurance training, saffron, and crocin improved hippocampal antioxidant status in Alzheimer’s rats, with combined interventions yielding superior effects.
 

Page 5 from 5     

© 2025 CC BY-NC 4.0 | Jorjani Biomedicine Journal

Designed & Developed by : Yektaweb