Trends in cardiovascular disease risk factors in children and adolescents: Tehran lipid and glucose study

Studies have shown that cardiovascular risk factors, such as obesity, blood lipid levels, start early in childhood and some are on the rise in children. Data on trends are important in order to identify if there is a problem. This study, part of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study, determined and compared the prevalence of overweight and its associated risk factors in 2555, 1 329 and 1158 Tehran children and adolescents in 2000, 2003 and 2006 respectively. The participants were categorized into age groups 3-6, 7-12 and 13-17 years. Body mass index measurements were taken and blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides measured. Overall the prevalence of obesity in Tehran children and adolescents increased significantly from 2000 to 2006 while blood pressure and serum lipid concentrations decreased. The causes for the decreased blood pressure and serum lipid concentrations should be evaluated. The increased prevalence of obesity in Tehran children and adolescents is of concern and requires monitoring.

The effect of increasing feeding frequency on performance, plasma hormones and metabolites, and hepatic lipid metabolism of broiler breeder hens

An experiment was conducted to study the effects of feeding regimens on reproductive performance, plasma hormone and metabolite levels, and hepatic lipid metabolism of Cobb 500 broiler breeder hens from 26 to 38 wk of age. Seventy-two birds were used in a completely randomized design with 3 treatments, each replicated 4 times. Treatments were as follows: 1) once a day feeding, in which birds were fed once a day at 0615 h (control), 2) twice a day feeding, in which daily allocated feed was fed in 2 equal meals at 0615 and 1215 h, and 3) thrice a day feeding in which daily allocated feed was offered in 3 equal meals at 0615, 1215, and 1815 h. Through 38 wk of age, total hen-day egg production in the hens fed twice and thrice a day was greater (67.1 and 67.2 vs. 62.2 eggs/hen, P < 0.01). Similarly, egg weight was higher (P < 0.01) in birds fed more than once a day. Multi-meal-fed birds had significantly lower plasma triiodothyronine and glucose at 32 wk and also lower glucose and cholesterol, and higher 17β-estradiol levels at 38 wk than those fed once a day (P ≤ 0.05). Hepatic expression of malic enzyme, fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and ATP citrate lyase relative to β-actin decreased (P < 0.05) in birds fed twice and thrice a day compared with birds fed once a day at peak egg production (32 wk). In contrast, feeding regimens did not affect the hepatic gene expression of lipogenic enzymes after peak egg production at 38 wk. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) gene expression was constant over dietary regimens. There was no difference in malic enzyme activity in multi-meal-fed birds at 38 wk. In summary, feeding broiler breeder hens 2 or 3 meals per day improved the reproductive performance during the early lay cycle. Implementing twice or thrice a day feeding regimens altered hepatic lipogenic gene expression in broiler breeder hens only at peak egg production, which indicated a short-term effect of increasing feeding frequency on hepatic lipid metabolism.

A survey on the pathogenic fungi in soil samples of potted plants from Sari hospitals, Iran

A total of 23 soil samples of potted plants was collected from hospitals in Sari, Iran. Each sample contained approximately 200 g soil, taken from a depth of 0-10 cm of the pots. Samples were analysed by two different methods. (1) Culture on Sabouraud's dextrose agar medium containing chloramphenicol (SC); cultured fungi were identified by macroscopic and microscopic characterization. (2) The hair-baiting technique (HBT) was used to isolate the keratinophilic fungi. After culture on SC medium, 100% of plates were positive for fungal growth, and in total 1150 colonies with 13 different types of fungi were isolated. Penicillium spp. (52%), Acremonium spp. (20%), Paecilomyces spp. (11.9%), Cladsporium spp. (3.7%) and Aspergillus spp. (3.1%) were the predominant fungal species. Rhizopus spp. (0.1%) were less frequent. Keratinophilic fungi such as Microsporum gypseum, Microsporum cookei and Chrysosporium spp. were isolated using HBT. The presence of pathogenic fungi such as Cladosporium spp, Aspergillus spp, M. gypseum, and M. cookei in potted plants in hospitals represents a potential source of nosocomial infection.

Retinal detachment and cataract, facial dysmorphism, generalized osteoporosis, immobile spine and platyspondyly in a consanguinous kindred--a possible new syndrome

We report on a consanguineous family with 6 children (out of 7) affected by a spondylo-ocular syndrome. Clinical features include cataract, loss of vision due to retinal detachment, facial dysmorphism, facial hypotonia, normal height with disproportional short trunk, immobile spine with thorakal kyphosis and reduced lumbal lordosis. On ophthalmological examination of the index patient, a dense cataract and complete retinal detachment could be detected on the right eye. On the left eye, an absent lens nucleus was found, but no retinal detachment. On radiological examination, there was generalized moderate osteoporosis; the spine showed marked platyspondyly and the bone age was advanced. On laboratory investigations, a normal excretion of amino acids, mucopolysaccharides and oligosaccharides could be found. The phenotypical spectrum observed in the 6 affected individuals was rather uniform. The karyotype was normal in all affected children. This hitherto undescribed combination of oculo-skeletal symptoms shows most resemblance with connective tissue disorders, suggesting a range of candidate genes for mutation analysis.