Ghazale Valipur, Zatollah Asemi, Mansooreh Samimi, Zohreh Tabassi, Sima-Sadat Sabihi Sabihi, Parvane Saneei, Ahmad Esmaillzadeh,
Volume 13, Issue 4 (5-2014)
Abstract
Background: There are no available reports indicating the effects of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan on insulin resistance, inflammation and oxidative stress among pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) We aimed to investigate the effects of DASH diet on insulin resistance, serum hs-CRP and biomarkers of oxidative stress among pregnant women with GDM.
Methods: This randomized controlled clinical trial was performed among 32 pregnant women diagnosed with GDM at 24-28 weeks' gestation. Subjects were randomly assigned to consume either the control (n=16) or DASH diet (n=16) for 4 weeks. The DASH diet was rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products and low in saturated fats, total fats, cholesterol, refined grains, and sweets, with a total of 2400 mg/d sodium. The control diet contained 40-55% of its energy as carbohydrates, 10-20% as proteins and 25-30% as total fats. Fasting blood samples were taken at baseline and after 4 weeks of intervention to measure fasting plasma glucose (FPG), serum insulin and hs-CRP, HOMA-IR, plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total glutathione levels (GSH).
Results: Consumption of DASH diet, compared to the control diet, resulted in decreased FPG (-7.62 vs. 3.68 mg/dL P=0.02), serum insulin levels (-2.62 vs. 4.32 µIU/ml, P=0.03) and HOMA-IR score (-0.8 vs. 1.1 P=0.03). Increased concentrations of plasma TAC (45.2 vs. -159.2 mmol/L P<0.0001) and GSH (108.1 vs. -150.9 µmol/L P<0.0001) were also seen in the DASH group compared with control group. We failed to find a significant difference in mean changes of serum hs-CRP levels between the two diets. Within-group comparisons revealed a significant reduction in plasma TAC and GSH levels in the control diet, while a significant rise in these biomarkers in the DASH diet.
Conclusion: In summary, consumption of DASH diet in pregnant women with GDM had beneficial effects on FPG, serum insulin levels, HOMA-IR score, plasma TAC and total GSH levels. The effects of this dietary pattern on pregnancy outcomes need to be investigated in future studies.
Parisa Karimzadeh, Mahdis Khazaeli Najafabadi, Sina A Sharghi, Farzaneh Karimi Birgani, Effat Asadollahpour, Somayeh Parichehreh-Dizaji, Mahnaz Pejman Sani, Sayed Mahmoud Sajjadi-Jazi, Mahmood Naderi, Hilda Samimi, Shirzad Nasiri, Seyed Mohammad Tavangar, Bagher Larijani, Vahid Haghpanah,
Volume 25, Issue 6 (1-2026)
Abstract
Background: Biobanks are biological repositories that collect, process, store, and distribute human biological samples. Among them, tumor banks play a central role in biomedical research. The overall goal of a tumor bank is to collect cancerous and normal samples under standardized conditions for basic, clinical, or applied research.
Methods: Tumor samples from patients with endocrine neoplasms were collected from excess tissue samples not required for diagnostic purposes after surgery in the surgical department of Dr. Shariati Hospital, Tehran, Iran. In addition, relevant biological samples such as serum, plasma and DNA were collected in parallel. Prior to sampling, informed consent was obtained from the patients and a questionnaire was completed. After rapid freezing with isopentane, tissue samples were stored in a liquid nitrogen tank, while other biological materials, such as serum, were stored in a -80°C freezer.
Results: Tissue, plasma, serum, and DNA samples collected from patients with endocrine neoplasms were stored in separate barcoded storage boxes in the biobank and were made available to researchers.
Conclusion: The use of bioproducts in domestic research and international networks has strengthened research collaborations through supporting the collection and distribution of tissues, especially cancer tissues. This trend plays an important role in facilitating basic and applied research in various fields of cancer, including molecular biology, immunology, genetics and pharmacology, and will pave the way for scientific advances and therapeutic innovations.
