We studied the effect of the selective alha-2 adrenoceptor blocker idazoxan and precursor serotonin (5-HTP) on anxiety-related behavior in rats. The conflict drinking test, and evaluator plus-maze were used as model. Idazoxan (2 mg/kg) showed an anticonflict effect, having doses dependently increased the number of punished lickes. 5-HTP showed that anxiolytic-like effect in both models. This drug reversed action and produced anxiogenic-like effect at high doses. In contrast, arecholine which is a cholinergic muscarinic agonist drug, produced anxiogenic-like behavior. At 2 mg/kg increased number of entrance (OE) and using time (OT) in open arms in montgomery's test. Anxiolytic-like effect of this drug was less than of chlordizepoxide. These results showed that increase release of noradrenaline in synaptic nerve terminals of neurons produced anxiety-related behavior. While high release of serotonin in this area reduced behaviors disorder in rats.

The lower respiratory tract is vulnerable to infection by a wide variety of microorganisms, because it is one of the organ systems which communicate directly with the environments. Although viruses and fungi can cause lower respiratory tract infections, bacteria are the dominant pathogens. Among bacteria the common causes of lower respiratory tract infection is Streptococcus pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Haemophillus influenzae and Legionella species. This study has been carried out to investigate pathogenic bacteria isolated from sputum of 220 patients with suspected pulmonary infection. The results were obtained as follow: Mycoplasma pneumoniae: 17 cases 22.7 percent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis: - cases - percent, Streptococcus pneumoniae: 17 cases 22.7 percent, Klebsiella pneumoniae: 12 cases 16 percent, Haemophillus influenzae: 10 cases 13.3 percent, Staphylococcus aureus: 15 cases 20 percent, Pseudomonas aeroginosa: 4 cases 5.3 percent.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is considered by researchers because of its high prevalence, and several studies have been done to find the causes and factors which increase the chance for the syndrome. These studies have shown relationships between this syndrome with some physical parameters like wrist dimensions, weight and systemic conditions. There is no investigation on risk factors in CTS in our country. So the main goal of this research is to find and introduce predisposing factors for carpal tunnel syndrome. Methods: Seventy patients and 33 controls 22 to 70 years old were studied. Standard methods for median and ulnar nerve studies were used and questionnaires included physical measurements, history of diseases and personal information were completed for each person. Results: Patients had higher wrist ratio (mean difference, 0.0267, P<0.001), weight (mean difference: 6.098, P<0.001) and body mass index (mean difference: 3.376, P<0.001). Regression analysis showed strong positive relation between wrist ratio and median latencies. The strongest correlation was found between wrist ratio and median minus ulnar distal sensory latencies (Y2=0.4014, P<0.0001). No relation was found between weight and body mass index with median latencies. Seventy-nine percent of patients and 48.5% of controls had wrist ratio of 0.7 or greater (P<0.05). Seventy-two percent of patients with repetetive hand activities and 78% with associated conditions had wrist ratio of 0.7 or greater. Seventy-six percent had wrist ratio less than 0.7. No relationship was found between obesity, diabetes, thyroid disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, taking oral contraceptive, hysterectomy, oophorectomy, menopause and repetetive hand activities with involvement of carpal tunnel syndrome. Discussion: Wrist dimensions seem to be an important predictor for carpal tunnel syndrome also in patients with associated conditions. If individuals with squarer wrists are involved in special conditions, they may show symptoms of the syndrom. Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by many factors but wrist dimensions seem to be a predisposing factor and provides an explanation for bilateral involvement or familial occurrence of it.

Physical parmeters --- Wrist ratio

Pain is one of the most important and sometimes difficult problems, that patients and physicians are encountered. It may be clinically acute or chronic, acute pain has usually definite cause and favourable response to treatment. On the other hand there are difficulties in diagnosis and management of chronic pain. Peripheral and cranial nerves convey pain impulses toward central nervous system, and modulations take place at several levels. Diagnosis of different pains, including nociceptive, nerve trunk pain and deafferentation types is essential to acceptable management. In this article we review pain pathway, neurotransmitters and modulation.

Pheochromocytoma is a rare disease. A retrospective study of the signs and clinical course of this disorder was performed by evaluating medical records. Our fidings indicate that the prevalence of pheochromocytoma was equal in men and women, and most patients (56%) were in their second and third decades of life. In 10% of the cases, the disease was bilateral, and in 13% it was outside the adrenal (totally para-aortic). The tumor was more common on the right side (8%), and 3.5% were familial. Almost all cases had a history of hypertension and hypertensive crises. Attack-like episodes of clinical symptoms and signs and hypertension were observed in 98%, headache in 71% and profuse perspiration in 68% of the cases. An abdominal mass was palapated in 13% of the cases, 26% had overt diabetes, 23% had ECG changes. Malignancy was observed in 4%, with metastases to the liver (n=2) lung (n=1) and spine (n=1). In the latter four cases, the metastic lesion was histologically proven to be pheochromocytoma. In three of the 28 female cases, the first hypertensive crisis occurred during pregnancy causing abortion in one case.

A prospective study during 1990-1995 was conducted to assess the risk of rejection and infection in kidney-transplant recipients, who's original kidney had vesico-ureteral reflux (VER). Two groups of recipients with and without VER were followed for one month after transplant; 24 and 250 cases respectively. The calculated relative risks for the effect of VER showed a moderate increased risk for rejection in VER group; (RR=1.82, CI=1.12-2.95, P<0.05). No effect was found for VER being one-or two-sided. Hence, VER has a moderate effect on rejection, but no effect on infection.

A cross-sectional study was conducted on type II diabetic patients during 1991-1996 in Isfahan. By systemic sampling, 715 patients were enrolled. Variables studied, include: age, gender, duration of diabetes, body mass index (BMI), literacy, smoking habits, hypertension, lipid profiles, fasting blood glucose (FBS), retinopathy, ischaemic heart disease (IHD), proteinuria and type of treatment of diabetes. Prevalence of IHD in males (37.4%) was more than females (32.6%). Logistic regression analysis revealed a direct association between IHD prevalence with age, BMI, hypertension, proteinuria, diabetic retinopathy and type of treatment. Conclusions: 1) The factors mentiond are good predictors of IHD, but genetic influences may also contribute to the risk of IHD. 2) As obesity and BMI are prone to medical manipulation, control of these risk factors may decrease prevalence of IHD.

Non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus --- Ischaemic heart disease

In this research we tried to study frequency of clinical manifestations in Parkinson's disease. Hence, a prospective study was conducted in 317 patients who were affected by Parkinson's disease. In a questionnaire we collected data of patient's age, gender and signs and symptoms and then analyzed them. The most common features in our patients were tremor and muscular rigidity. Olfactory dysfunction was observed in 61% of our patients. Dysarthria, stooped posture, fixed facial expression, intellectual deterioration and the on-off response had various frequency among the patients. A new and important point in our research was considerable frequency of Anosmia or Hyposmia in spite of it's low prevalence among the patients of previous studies.

This inverstigation is a quasi-experimental study comparing the effects of two methods of health education on student's knowledge and attitudes about AIDS. The target population consisted of 218 male undergraduates studying in Payame Noor University in Saghez, Iran. A random sample of 106 students was selected using sample random sampling method. The students were randomly divided into two experimental groups. One group was educated about AIDS using a direct method of health education and indirect method was used for the other group. Using pretest/posttest method of data collection, analysis of the data showed a significant difference between each group's knowledge and attitudes before and after the educational programs. Comparison of the two educational methods showed no significant difference on student's knowledge about AIDS. However, method one (using a direct method of health education) was significantly more effective in changing student's attitudes towards AIDS than method 2 (using an indirect method of health education).