Background and Aim: Creatine supplementation is the most popular supplement used as an ergogenic and therapeutic aid. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of creatine supplementation on apoptotic factors Bcl-2, Bax and Bcl-2/Bax ratio in middle-aged men during acute resistance exercise.

Material and Method: In a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized, parallel study, twenty seven men (mean age 45.59±5.43) were randomly assigned to 3 groups: supplement group (n=10) received 20 g of creatine monohydrate per day and placebo group (n=10) received maltodextrin for one week. Our control group included 7 men. On the 8^th day, the subjects in the experimental groups performed an acute resistance exercise with 80% of one repetition maximum. The controls did not perform any exercises. Blood samples were collected one day before supplement intake (Pre) and immediately after acute exercise (Post) for the measurement of serum Bcl-2 and Bax concentrations.

Results: Bcl-2 significantly increased by 118/78 percent in creatine group (p<0.05) and reduced by 7/36 percent in placebo group (p>0.05) in the Post compared to the Pre exercise stage. In the Post exercise stage, serum Bax protein concentration increased in the placebo group by 17/98 percent (p<0.05) but did not change in the creatine group in comparison to the Pre exercise stage (p>0.05). The alteration percent of Bcl-2/Bax ratio was significantly higher in the creatine group after exercise (p<0.05) whereas in the placebo group it was lower compared to the Pre exercise stage (p<0.05). No changes were detected in the control group. Conclusion: Based on the results of the study acute resistance exercise, caused apoptosis which was confirmed by increased Bax and decreased alternation percent of Bcl-2/Bax ratio in the placebo group, but creatine monohydrate can provide a protective effect against apoptosis by increasing Bcl-2 and Bcl-2/Bax ratio. Thus, use of creatine supplementation may be useful for prevention of apoptotic cell death induced by stress of acute intense exercise.

Key words: Creatine monohydrate, Bcl-2, Bcl-2/Bax ratio, Resistance exercise.

Received: May 7, 2016      Accepted: June 21, 2016

Background and Aim: Thyroid papillary carcinoma (PTC) is the most common thyroid cancer. BAX gene is the first known pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 protein family. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between BAX expression and some prognostic factors in PTC and papillary microcarcinoma (PMC).

Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional, descriptive – analytical study, we obtained data from the records of 105 patients who had undergone thyroidectomy with a final diagnosis PMC and PTC, in Mostafa-Khomeini Hospital, from 2012 to 2014. The data included age, gender, tumor size and lymph node involvement. We investigated BAX expression by immunohistochemistry staining and capsular invasion by hematoxylin – eosin staining. Considering the percentage of positive tumor cells, BAX grading was done. Data were analyzed by Fischer's ،Chi-Square and T tests.

Result: In this study, 87.5% of patients were female. 81.9 % of patients had no lymph node involvement. There was only a significant association between the type of tumor and lymph node involvement (P= 0.02). We found no significant difference between papillary and micropapillary carcinoma in regard to BAX expression. Different grades of BAX expression had significant relationship with tumor size, lymph node involvement, and capsular invasion (P<0.001). Age (P˂0.02), BAX gene expression (P=0.001) and tumor size (P˂0.001) showed significant statistical relationships with one another.

Conclusion:  BAX expression is associated with lymph node involvement, capsular invasion and mean tumor size; and can be used to estimate the prognosis of PMC and PTC.

Keywords: Papillary thyroid carcinoma, Prognosis, BAX.

Received: Jun 25, 2016      Accepted: Dec 21, 2016