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Background and Objective: Poor sleep quality is common among hemodialysis patients and can potentially predict morbidity, mortality and quality of life in these patients. On the other hand, hemodialysis patients are encountered with vitamin C deficiency. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of intravenous vitamin C on sleep quality in hemodialysis patients.

Materials and Methods: In this double blind randomized clinical trial, 60 qualified hemodialysis patients were gone under investigation in Sari a city located in North of Iran during 2010. Patients randomly allocated in two equal intervention and control groups. The main measured outcome was the Pittsburg sleep quality index (PSQI) which consists of seven components. At the end of each hemodialysis session, Intervention group received vitamin C vial (500mg/5cc) intravenously, three times a week for 8 weeks and control group received normal saline in a same way. Data were collected at pretreatment and after two months of treatment. Data were analyzed by Independent t test, Paired t test, Wilcoxon and Chi-Square tests.

Results: The result indicated that the sleep quality improves significantly in vitamin C group but not in control group (P<0.001). Vitamin C caused significant improvement in subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, habitual sleep efficiency and sleep disturbances in intervention group (p<0.05). Also, Global PSQI score of intervention group had a greater improvement than control group. Moreover vitamin C caused significant improvement in subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, habitual sleep efficiency and sleep disturbances in intervention group after treatment (p<0.05).

Conclusion: This study showed that intravenous vitamin C can effectively improve sleep quality in hemodialysis patients.

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Background and Objective: An activity performed through a new motional pattern and very intensively often leads to a kind of muscle soreness whose indicator is delayed onset of pain, which is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). This study was done to determine the effect of vitamin C and E supplementation on lipid peroxidation and delayed onset muscle soreness in professional basketball players. Methods: In this clinical trial study, 24 male professional basketball players were randomly divided into four groups including vitamin C (1000 mg), vitamin E (800 IU), vitamin C (500 mg) + vitamin E (400 IU) and placebo (Glucose 500 mg). Supplement was consumed two hours before and 24 hours after leg press and scuat exercise. Blood samples were collected before the first supplementation and immediately (post- exercise), 24 hour and 48 hour after exercises. Serum creatine kinase (CK), malondialdehyde (MDA), vitamin C and vitamin E and the level of perceived muscle soreness were evaluated. Results: MDA in Vitamin E group significantly decreased in the 24-hr to 48-hr after the exercise in compared to bignning of exercise (P<0.05). Serum CK significantly increased 24-hr and 48-hr after the exercise in all groups (P<0.05). Muscle pain perception non significantly increased after the exercise in all groups in compare to baseline level. Conclusion: Short period supplementationin of vitamin C and E, either alone or in combination can not reduce pain and muscle damage and lipid peroxidation following the leg press and scuat exercise in professional basketball players.

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Background and Objective: Hippocampus is the main region in cortex of the brain that involved in epilepsy. This study was done to determine the effect of intraventricular injection of vitamin C on histological structure of dentate gyrus of hipocampus in adult male epileptic rats.

Methods: In this experimental study, 40 adult male rats were randomly allocated into 5 groups (n=8). Animals in three groups were received vitamin C at dose (12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg/bw) during 28 days, intraventricularly after were kindled by (pentylentetrazol; 40 mg/kg). Animals in forth group were received normal saline after were kindled by (pentylentetrazol; 40 mg/kg). Animals in the fifth group were received normal saline. After 28 days, rats were anesthetized by ketamin, then structure of hypocamp dissected. Histological passage was done in samples and coronal section was carried out. The sections of samples were stained by Hematoxyline-eosin. Forty fields systematicly were counted the normal neurons in dentate gyrus. Morphological change was determined by immunohistochemical method.

Results: The mean  number of normal neurons in dentate gyrus in epileptic rats which  received 25 g/kg vitamin C was more than animals in groups which were received doses of 12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg vitamin C (P<0.05). This mean number of normal neurons in dentate gyrus of hypocamp in epileptic rats which received normal saline was lower than control and other experimental groups (P<0.05). Extensive morphological change in neurons of dentate gyrus in epileptic rats which received normal saline were observed (P<0.05). The lowest  morphological change were observed in neurons of dentate gyrus in epileptic rats which received at dose 25 mg/kg vitamin C in compared to the other groups (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Intraventricular injection of vitamin C in epileptic rat's dose dependly had neuroprotective effect on dentate gyrus neurons.

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Background and Objective: Liver diseases accompanied with growing of obesity in children. This study was done to evaluate the effect of aerobic exercise and vitamin C intake on liver transaminases activities in 8-11 years obese girls.

Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 28 obese girls were randomly divided into four equal groups including control, exercise, supplement (500 mg vitamin C tablet, dailly) and combined (500 mg vitamin C, daily plus exercise) groups. Aerobic exercise was consisted of exercise movements at 50% to 70% maximal heart rate and 3 sessions per week for 8 weeks. Fasting blood samples were collected before and 48 hour after the last intervention. Serum transaminases activities were measured by enzymatic colorimetric method.

Results: 8 weeks of aerobic exercise, vitamin C and the combined intervention were associated with a significant reduction in Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities (P<0.05) whereas there was no effect on the Alkaline phosphatase activity. All these interventions were associated with significantly greater reduction in the ALT and AST activities ratio in comparision with control group. Combined intervention induced more reduction on percent of variables changes compared with other interventions (P<0.05).

Conclusion: It seems selected aerobic exercise and vitamin C intake may induce their protective effect in obese girls via improvement in liver function.