S132 Posters
18%-C, 9%-HF and 9%-C groups. Offspring were killed at 16 weeks
of age, and hypothalamic and intrascapular brown adipose (iBAT)
tissues were analyzed for changes in mRNA levels using PCR-based
techniques.
Outcome measures: mRNA levels of genes in tissue samples.
Results: From previous work we found that HF offspring were
heavier vs C groups, but the 9%-HF male offspring had significantly
reduced energy intake vs the 9%-C group. The present study shows
that in these 9%-HF males, hypothalamic mRNA levels for the genes
NPY and Ob-Rb (a leptin receptor isoform), which are involved
in appetite regulation, were significantly lower vs the 9%-C group
(p < 0.05). The iBAT mRNA levels of the beta-3 adrenergic receptor
and uncoupling protein-1, genes which are involved in energy
expenditure regulation, in these 9%-HF males were also significantly
lower vs the 9%-C group (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: Our results suggest that adaptive changes during
development in response to maternal dietary manipulation have
long-term consequences on the regulation of appetite and
metabolism following post-weaning exposure to an energy-rich
nutritional environment.
This work is supported by MRC, BBSRC & BHF (UK).
P2-10 Short term psychological stress following conception
alters ovine fetal development
J. Smith1, D. Ferguson1, G. Jauregui2, M. Panarace2, S. Lehnert3 *,
J. Hill1. 1CSIRO Livestock Industries, FD McMaster Laboratory,
NSW, Australia, 2Goyaike S.A.A.C.I y F Biotecnologı́a Animal,
San Joaquı́n, Argentina, 3CSIRO Livestock Industries, Queensland
Bioscience Precinct, Qld, Australia
E-mail: [email protected]
We sought to test whether maternal stress during the period
immediately following conception could have an impact on fetal
development in sheep. 20 superovulated ewes were artificially
inseminated. On Days 2 and 3 after conception, an intense
psychological stress (partial shearing, close presence of a working
dog) was applied for 1 hour to 10 of the ewes. 10 non-stressed
ewes served as controls. Embryos were recovered from the 20
donor ewes at Day 6. Approximately half of the transferable grade
embryos (grade 1 2) were placed into synchronized recipients.
The remaining embryos were retained for analysis of embryo cell
count. Recipients were evaluated for pregnancy using ultrasound at
Day 30. Heart rate and fetal length measurements were assessed
every 2 weeks from Day 30 to Day 60. Abdominal circumference,
femur length and heart rate were measured monthly from Day 85.
Fewer embryos from stressed ewes were classified as transferable.
The Day 30 pregnancy rate was higher for embryos from stressed
ewes. Fetuses from the stress group had 4% longer crown rump
lengths at Day 30. By Day 85 abdominal circumferences of stressed
fetuses were significantly larger. A month later (Day 114), fetal
growth parameters showed no difference between groups and this
continued to Day 142. Stress had a significant effect on gestation
length as lambs from the stress treatment were born 1.3 days
earlier.
This data shows that two short periods of psychological stress
applied to ewes during the periconceptional period resulted in
measurable effects on fetal development and gestation length.
P2-11 The effect of education on the knowledge of the
mothers concerning prevention of rheumatic fever
Z. Zandiyeh*. Isfahan, Iran
Introduction: Providing physical and mental health is the most
important role of humans. So there is such science as health of
which one of the major goals is to prevent diseases and to promote
public health. Since children are as a future treasure of a nation,
prevention of rheumatic fever looks so essential. 1/3 of patients
with rheumatic fever develop cardiovascular valve disorders. If
a child develops such disorder he will be disable for all his life
imposing the society high budget damage and costs. So this research
was carried out to investigate the effect of mothers’ education on
their knowledge of rheumatic fever prevention.
Methods: This is a quasi experimental study on 45 mothers referring
to Isfahan clinics. The data were collected by questionnaires
through primary and secondary tests. Descriptive inferential (Pair
t- test) statistics were used to analyze the data.
Results: The finding showed mothers’ knowledge is significantly
associated with parameters such as age, education, disease history,
marriage, age, family income and the source of knowledge
(P< 0.001). Regarding the effect of education on mothers’
knowledge, there is also a significant association (P< 0.001). On
the whole, the findings showed education significantly affects on
mothers’ knowledge (P< 0.001).
Discussion: Since mothers’ knowledge plays a major role in
children’s disease prevention and their disabilities in future,
education can be an effective way to decrease disease prevalence
and promote public health.
Keywords: Education, prevention, rheumatic fever.
P2-12 The study of effect of cognitive behavioral counseling
on body image alterations in women underwent
mastectomy referring to sayed allshohada hospital in
Isfahan in 2003
T. Mehrabi *, S. Fadaei, M. Janighorban. Isfahan University of
medical science, Iran
Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women
throughout the world. The life till risk among women of being
diagnosed with breast cancer is 12.6% or 1 in 8 women mastectomy
results in the loss of a body part that is viewed as essential
for maintaining feminity, attractiveness and self esteem. The
alteration in body image as a result of the disease, surgery or
treatment painful scar, hair loss, weight alteration, premature
menopause, loss of role function at work or in the family causes
psychosocial problems. For body image to remain healthy it must
accurately incorporate the actual physical changes of surgery, that
is, the person accept the body as it has become.
Methods: This research is a quasi experimental study and consists
of two group and two stages. The samples included 72 patients
underwent mastectomy that were randomly by convenience
sampling put into experimental and control group. The objective of
this study was to determine effect of counseling on mean of body
image score in women underwent mastectomy. The experimental
group participated in six sessions which include Ellis’s rational
emotive therapy ‘problem solving’ adaptation skills and relaxation
training. Body image was assessed with questionnaire and data
were analyzed with paired t test and independent t-test using SPSS
software.
Results: The results showed a significant difference between mean
of body image score before and after counseling in experimental
group (P< 0.001); also a significant difference was seen between
mean of body image score after counseling in two groups
(P< 0.001).
Discussion: At the final of this study improvement in body image
was seen in women underwent mastectomy ‘ so psychotherapeutic
treatment especially supportive and cognitive behavioral therapies
in group setting are recommended.
Keywords: Breast cancer, mastectomy, body image, psychosocial
interventions, counseling
P2-14 Developmental exposure to bisphenol-A leads
to obesity and cardiovascular dysfunction in
adult mouse offspring
F. Cagampang*, F. Anthony, M. Hanson. Institute of Developmental
Sciences, Developmental Origins of Health & Disease Division,
University of Southampton School of Medicine, Southampton
General Hospital, Mailpoint 887, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
E-mail: [email protected]
Aims: Developmental exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals
(EDC) has been implicated in the development of reproductive
Posters S133
tract disease and dysfunction. In this study, we examined the
effects of prenatal exposure to bisphenol-A (BPA), a known EDC,
on the development of obesity and cardiovascular dysfunction in
the mouse offspring.
Study design and Subjects: Pregnant MF-1 mice were treated
with BPA (100 mg/kg BW/day) or oil vehicle by daily subcutaneous
injections from gestational days 11 19. The birthweights were
measured, and weight gain of the offspring monitored to 14 weeks
of age. Systolic blood pressure and locomotor activity were
measured at 12 weeks of age.
Outcome measures: Sex ratio, birthweight, body weight gain,
locomotor activity and blood pressure.
Results: BPA treatment during pregnancy had no effects on
number of pups born in each litter but resulted in a significantly
greater number of female offspring in each litter. Birthweight
of BPA-exposed pups were significantly lighter vs newborn pups
from vehicle-treated control dams (p < 0.001). However these
BPA-exposed offspring became increasingly heavier with age,
significantly from controls by 6 wks of age in both males and
females. At 12 wks BPA-exposed male and female offspring were
more hypertensive vs controls (p < 0.001). Locomotor activity of
offspring appeared to be unaffected by prenatal BPA.
Conclusions: Our results support the idea that prenatal exposure
to EDC may play a role in the development of obesity and related
diseases, e.g. cardiovascular disease later in life.
This work is supported by the BHF (UK).
P2-15 Early determinants of smoking in adolescence: a
prospective birth cohort study
A.M.B. Menezes1 *, P.C. Hallal, B.L. Horta. Post-Graduate Program
in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil
E-mail: [email protected]
Aims: To investigate the prevalence and early risk factors for
smoking in early adolescence.
Study design: A prospective birth cohort study in Brazil.
Subjects: All 1982 hospital-based children in Pelotas, Southern
Brazil, were enrolled in a birth cohort study. All male participants
were searched in 2000 when enrolling in the national army and
78.8% were traced. In 2001, a systematic sample of 473 girls was
interviewed, representing a follow-up rate of 69.1%.
Outcome measures: Daily smoking was defined as at least one
cigarette per day in each day of the previous week; weekly smoking
was defined as at least one day of smoking in the previous week.
Results: Among males, 48.6% (95% CI: 46.6 50.7) had ever tried
smoking and 15.8% (95% CI: 14.3 17.3) were daily smokers. Among
females, 53.1% (95% CI: 48.6 57.6) had ever tried smoking and
15.4% (95% CI: 12.1 18.7) were daily smokers. Boys born to single
mothers and those with fathers with low schooling were more likely
to smoke in adolescence. Girls from low-income families, with
mothers who smoked during pregnancy, and fathers with alcohol-
related problems were more likely to smoke.
Conclusions: Although the smoking prevalence was similar in boys
and girls, risk factors for smoking were different between the
sexes. Social environment appears to be the strongest predictor
of tobacco use in adolescence.
P2-16 Identification of Legionella in the hot water supply of a
general hospital in Isfahan
A.A. Neshat *, M.R. Shahmansouri. Iran
Background: Legionella is a Gram-negative, aerobic, and sporeless
bacterium which is readily found in ventilation systems, cooling
towers, hot water distribution systems, bathrooms, swimming
pools, and fountains. Legionella is implicated in the legionnaires’
and Pontiac fever diseases. Hospitals are common habitats for the
bacterium, where the bacterial growths are amply found and that
provide the most likely places for susceptible people to contract
the diseases. Given the importance of hospitals in this regard, this
survey was carried out in a General Hospital in Isfahan.
Methods: For the purposes of this study, a total of 30 samples were
taken according to standard methods from hot water distribution
system at various points in the kitchen, the bathrooms, the internal
distribution system, and the cooling towers (8, 8, 8, and 6 samples,
respectively). After that temperature, pH, and residual chlorine
of samples were determined, the samples were transferred to lab
where they were inoculated on a base medium of BCYE-a and two
selective media of GPVA and CCVC. The plates were then incubated
at a temperature of 37ºC and a humidity of 90%. The colonies were
then identified and counted.
Results: The tests showed that 11 from the total 30 samples
were contaminated with Legionella, accounting for 36.6% of the
samples. The numbers of Legionella-positive samples from the
kitchens, bathrooms, internal distribution system, and cooling
tower were 4, 3, 3, and 1, respectively. From the total 30 heat and
acid pretreated samples inoculated on base and selective media,
36.6% were Legionella positive while from the untreated samples,
6% grew on the base medium and 23% on selective media. Total
mean of residual chlorine was 0.25 mg/l, pH = 7.6, and average
temperature was 31.1ºC. The results of biochemical tests Blood
agar, Catalz, Urea agar, Gelatin agar, Motility, and gram staining
were , +, , +, +, and , respectively. In addition to these tests,
Legionella colonies were grown by Direct Fluorescent Antibody,
confirming their presence.
Conclusion: The results indicate that temperature is a critical
factor in Legionella sp.’s proliferation. An average 0.25 mg/l of
residual chlorine showed to have no effect on disinfecting the
bacterium. Heat pretreatment proved to be more effective than
the acidic one in removing nuisance factors and, finally, bacterial
growth was higher on the selective media than on the base
medium.
Keywords: Legionella, water supply, hospital hot water.
P2-17 Placental programming of insulin action: life course and
molecular basis
J.A. Owens*. Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and
Research Centre for the Early Origins of Health and Disease,
School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, University of
Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
E-mail: [email protected]
Placental insufficiency is a common pregnancy complication and
cause of fetal growth restriction and reduced size at birth
for gestational age. Low birthweight consistently predicts an
increased risk of adult diabetes, accounting for a substantial
proportion of its population prevalence. In humans, this appears
to be mediated through peripheral insulin resistance that emerges
in early adult life, preceded by defects in insulin secretion.
Experimental placental restriction has been induced in rodents and
in sheep and the life course and tissue, cellular and molecular
basis of placental programming of insulin action and diabetes
more directly characterised. In sheep, placental restriction impairs
insulin secretion from before birth, due in part to reduced b cell
mass. This persists into adult life, despite increased pancreatic
expression of PDX-1 and other factors that help restore b cell mass,
suggesting impairment of intrinsic b cell function and/or the action
of inhibitory systemic influences in vivo. Placental restriction in
sheep does not impair insulin sensitivity before birth, but whole
body insulin resistance emerges by one month of age postnatally,
following catch-up growth and in association with increased central
obesity. This placentally induced insulin resistance is due in part
to reduced expression of critical insulin signalling nodes, including
that of IRS-1, p110b, AKT and GSK-3a and of targets, such as GLUT4,
in skeletal muscle, but not liver. Therefore the timing of onset of
placentally programmed defects in insulin secretion and sensitivity
varies, with windows of opportunity for intervention and potential
cellular and molecular targets now being identified.