Background and aims: The abnormal increase in blood cholesterol can cause many problems. Statins have a cholesterol-lowering effect, but they also have adverse effects. Garlic prevents the formation of cholesterol due to its antibiotic properties. This study aimed to investigate the comparative effect of garlic powder and atorvastatin on hypercholesterolemia-induced reproductive failure in female rats. Methods: In the present experimental study, 48 adult female Wistar rats were divided into eight groups (n=6), including control, atorvastatin (10 mg/kg/d; orally), atorvastatin (20 mg/kg/d; orally), garlic powder (100 mg/kg/d; orally), hypercholesterolemia (1.5 mg/kg/d of cholesterol; orally), hypercholesterolemia + atorvastatin (10 mg/kg/d), hypercholesterolemia + atorvastatin (20 mg/kg/d), and hypercholesterolemia + garlic powder. After 30 days, rats were euthanized and blood samples were obtained from their heart for serological assessments. The right ovary was transferred to 10% formalin for histological analyses, and the left ovary was transferred to a −80°C freezer for evaluation of oxidative stress markers. Data were statistically analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey’s test using SPSS version 24.0 (P<0.05). Results: The number of healthy primordial, primary, secondary, and antral follicles, catalase activity, total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) as well as estrogen and progesterone levels were lower in hypercholesterolemic rats compared to controls (P<0.001). Additionally, the number of the atretic primary, secondary, and antral follicles and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were higher in hypercholesterolemic rats (P<0.001). However, garlic powder and atorvastatin 10 improved alterations in the mentioned parameters (P=0.99). Conclusion: The results showed that hypercholesterolemia could have adverse effects on rat ovaries. However, the garlic powder improves ovarian toxicity in hypercholesterolemia rats better than atorvastatin.
Background & Aims: Children with autism often have difficulty with stereotyped behaviors. Play therapy helps children learn new social and behavioral skills. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effect of localized play therapy with parental participation on stereotyped behaviors of children with autism. Materials & Method:This quasi-experimental study with pre-test and post-test design with control group was conducted on 40 school-age children with autism in Urmia during 2021. Forty children with autism were recruited using convenience sampling and then randomly assigned into two groups of intervention and control. Data were collected using the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-Second Edition (GARS-2) and a demographic questionnaire. Then parents and children in the intervention group received six 2-hour sessions of family-based play therapy using online video calls. Data were analyzed using SPSS, version 22.0. Results:The results showed a significant difference in the mean scores of stereotyped behaviors between the intervention and the control group after the intervention (p<.001). The results of binary comparisons based on Bonferroni correction also indicated no statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the stereotyped behavior before and after the intervention in the control group (p=1.000). However, the difference between the mean scores of the above dependent variables at three time points (before, immediately after, and three months after the intervention) was found to be statistically significant in the intervention group (p<.001). Conclusion:Localized play therapy with parental involvement, as an activity with considerable adaptability, is a means of understanding and communicating with the child, positively reducing stereotyped behavior of school-age children with autism.
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