History and Objectives: Considering the incidence of ?-thalassemia major and the presence of hypogonadism in affected individuals and the absence of the effect of dysferal on Zinc level and the significance of Zinc in spermatogenesis, this study was carried out to determine the effect of Zinc therapy on hypophyseal-gonadal axis in patients with ?-thalassemia major and Zinc deficiency in 1996.

Materials and Methods: The clinical trial and two-blind strategy of this study was conducted on 23 male and female patients with an age range of 14-18 years. They were randomly divided into control and case groups. Case group received 25-mg capsules and control group received its vapor for 3 months. LHRH test was done before and after Zinc therapy and hormonal responses were recorded at minutes 0, 30 and 60.

Results: Four patients were excluded from the study and the research was conducted on 19 patients including 9 cases in control group and 10 cases in case group. In case group, Zinc level increased from 15±6 µg/dl to 120±49 µg/dl (P<0.001), but there was no such increase in the placebo group. In addition, there was no increase for FSH and LH level after treatment in both groups.

Conclusion and Recommendations: It is concluded that Zinc therapy for three months could not affect the response of hypophyseal-gonadal axis. It is strongly recommended to conduct researches whether Zinc deficiency may lead to irreversible damages or Zinc is not the only factor responsible for hypogonadism.

Background: With respect to the importance of morphological parameters in zoology and their application to differentiate male from female specimens, the present study was conducted to identify the differential parameters of male and female Odontobuthus doriae.

Materials and methods : It was a descriptive study. 91 Odontobuthus doriae that their sex was previously determined according to their fertilization parameters were selected. Having put them in alcohol, the number of ventral serration, length of shoulder, and length of scorpion were determined using a ruler and t-test was used for data analysis.

Results : The study population included 39 male and 51 female Odontobuthus doriae. One male Odontobuthus doriae was omitted due to abnormality in its shoulder. The mean number of ventral serratio in each side was 31±3 in male and 22±2 in female Odontobuthus doriae, respectively (p<0.001). The mean length of shoulder was 6.5±1.65 in female and 8±2mm in male Odontobuthus doriae, respectively (p<0.001) and the mean length of male and female Odontobuthus doriae was 5.35±1.65 and 5.35±2.15, respectively (NS).

Conclusion : The number of ventral serratio, and length of the shoulder can be used to differentiate male and female Odontobuthus doriae.

Background : Due to controversies in etiology of malnutrition, mother’s BMI and child’s sex, the present study was conducted in order to determine the role of mother’s BMI and child’s sex on malnutrition of children younger than 5 years old that referred to health care centers in Kashan in 2002-2003.

Materials and Methods : In a case-control study using cluster and random sampling,125 children with malnutrition based on weight for age using -2 standard deviations criteria NCHS (case group) and 125 children without malnutrition (control group), from 10 health centers in Kashan were enrolled during the study period. Mother’s BMI and child’s sex was compared in two groups. Case and control groups were matched in confounding variables.�Information was obtained from medical records through interview . Results were judged with Chi- square, t-test and mantel haenszel. Also Odd's ratio and confidence interval were determined.

Results : Results showed that matched factors such as maternal age, maternal employment, parity, birth weight and height, duration of breastfeeding and child age were similar in two groups. Mean mother’s BMI was significantly different in two groups (P<0.002). Also results demonstrated child’s sex was related to malnutrition, (P<0.02). Odd's ratio and confidence interval for effect of BMI<22 and female sex on malnutrition were ) OR=2.1 CI=3.74-1.16 P<0.05, OR=1.81 CI=3.05 -1.07 P<0.05) respectively. Although malnutrition was showed to be related to each variable separately, mantel haenszel test demonstrated that two factors were not concurrently related to malnutrition.

Conclusion : Low mother’s BMI and female sex, increased risk of malnutrition alone but not related with malnutrition together. Further studies are recommended to determine other risk factors.

Background: Studies show that antioxidants are beneficial for male infertility. Considering that sesame seed contains several important antioxidants, this study was designed to examine the effect of a sesame seed regimen on the testicular structure and sex hormones in adult rats.

Materials and Methods: This experimental study was conducted on 30 adult male Wistar rats (200 g) prepared from Physiology Research Center at Kashan University of Medical Sciences. Rats were randomly divided into the experimental and control groups. The control group received the standard regimen, while the experimental group received a special regimen (70% standard food+30% sesame seed) after weaning for 12 weeks. At the end of the study, the weight and volume of the testis and seminiferous tubules, the lumen epithelium diameter, LH, FSH and testosterone levels were evaluated.

Results: No significant difference was found between the two groups in body weight, the weight and volume of the testis and the volume percentage of vessels in seminiferous tubules, while the mean number and motility of sperms in epididymis, the number and volume percentage of epithelial cells, lumen and interstitial space as well as the diameters of the tubules were significantly different in the experimental compared to the control group (P<0.0001). Moreover, there was a significant difference between the two groups in LH level (P=0.03).

Conclusion: Sesame seed intake improves the testicular parameters, fertility and sperm production in male rats.

Background: Sex differences in the morphology and function of the hippocampus have been reported in several species. Natural fluctuations of sex hormones during the estrous cycle affect the hippocampal neurogenesis of adult female. This study aimed to investigate the neurogenic changes in the hippocampus at different phases of estrous cycle.

Materials and Methods: Different stages of the estrous cycle of the NMRI mice (6-8) mice were determined by staining of vaginal smears. Also, the qualitative assessment of cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus of hippocampus was performed by Nissl staining and Ki-67 immunostaining marker (Ki-67). The apoptosis was determined using the TUNEL assay. Diameter of the hippocampal vessels was measured at different stages of the estrous cycle.

Results: In microscopic sections stained with Cresyl Violet observed cell density in proestrous stage of estrous cycle was greater than any other stages of the estrous cycle. Comparison of sections stained with immunohistochemistry for Ki-67 staining showed that cell proliferation at proestrous are more than any other stages. The statistical analysis showed that vessel diameter was significantly greater at the proestrous stage than diestrous and metestrous. Also, TUNEL assay showed that cell death in the proestrous stage had the least reactivity.

Conclusion: Proestrous stage of the estrous cycle was associated with increased cell proliferation and vessel diameter as well as reduced cell death in the dentate gyrus of the mice hippocampus.

Methods and Materials: Study was done as clinical randomized trial. In the case group, patients were educated based on nursing cardiac references (sexual problems section) and in the control group, routine educations during discharge were done. Sexual knowledge scale of Yi-Hung (SKS) and sexual quality of life of Abraham (SQOL) was measured before and 2 months after discharge. After obtaining consent, we randomly assigned 71 patients into the ‘Educated group’ (n=34) and the ‘control group’ (n=37). Both groups were matched in term of age, sex, underlying disease, and the previous treatment method. Collected data were compiled with SPSS-16 and analysis was performed on them. 

Results: Results showed the sexual knowledge mean and sexual quality of life mean increased significantly at discharge and two months thereafter (P=0.001 and P=0.01, respectively). 

Conclusion: Sexual education in the discharge plan is significantly effective in improving the sexual knowledge and sexual quality of life in patients after CABG or PTCA beyond the usual cardiac rehabilitation. Therefore, sexual education can help with cardiac rehabilitation.