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Introduction: In recent years, chronic and persistent bacterial infections are introduced as predisposing factors of acute myocardial infarction (MI) that is a main cause of health problems, worldwide. In this study, the relationship between previous my-coplasma pneumonia infection and further myocardial infarction was investigated through seropositivity rate of mycoplasma pneumonia in patients with (MI) and control group. Materials & Methods: In this retrospective descriptive study, 374 sera of patients and 185 sera of control group were examined by a commercial quantitative specific myco-plasma pneumonia IgG-ELISA kit (EUR-OIMMUNE, Germany) simultanously. The results were analyzed by Qui square test in SPSS, Ver. 16 software. Findings: We found no significant rela-tionships between seropositivity to myco-plasma pneumonia (IgG) and sex (P=0.080), age (P=0.700), occupation (P=0.080), and living place (P=0.150), but the relationship between history of previous acute febrile diseases, infective chest disea-ses, hypertension and MI with mycoplasma pneumonia was significant (P=0.003, P=0.004, P=0.003, P=0.003 consequently). Discussion & Conclusion: Regarding the results of this study, it can be said that history of previous mycoplasma pneumonia infections can be considered one of the etiological agents in MI.

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Introduction: Chronic diseases such as Myocardial Infarction (MI) are incurable but can be prevented. However, these patients always are exposed to stressful physical, psychological and social factors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the quality of life and social support in Myocardial Infarction patients and it also finds the relationship between these two factors.

Materials & methods: the under population of present study were all of the qualified Myocardial Infarction patients who wanted to be cured and referred to one of the hospitals in Ilam city. The sample size was 152 Myocardial Infarction patients who were selected by random sampling method. The data were collected using a questionnaire which included three sections of demographic, the quality of life, and social support characteristics. The data were analyzed by SPSS-19 and were used from descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, T test and one-way ANOVA.

Findings: The findings revealed that the quality of life in 57.33% of patients and social support in 58% of cases were non- optimal and there was a direct, significant relationship between these two factors (Pvalue=0.01). Among the components of the quality of life, the physical and psychological dimensions were not suitable in 45.33% and 60.67% patients, respectively. Among the social support dimensions, the structural sources of social support favored the highest percent (47.33%). Also, the Group membership (Pvalue= 0.001, B = 0.25) and social network (Pvalue= 0.001, B= 0.27) had a direct, significant relationship with quality of life.

Discussion & Conclusions: Considering the fact that was a direct association between social support and quality of life in the myocardial infarction patient, it is recommended that the authorities and patient’s family take decisions and plan in a way that improves the social capital and social supports of patients and thus can influence the enhancement of the patients’ qualities of life.

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Introduction: It has been known that both statins and exercise have beneficial effects in preventing cardiovascular diseases; however, there is no information about their combined effects on the amount of tissue damage after myocardial infarction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the combined effect of endurance training and atorvastatin on the extent of necrosis and fibrosis tissue in rat hearts following myocardial infarction.

Materials & methods: 45 rats (8-10 weeks old, 230 ± 10 g body weight) were randomly divided to five groups. Sham, control, endurance training, atorvastatin, and exercise +atovastatin. Myocardial infarction was induced by subcutaneous injection of isoprenaline (150 mg/kg) in two consecutive days. Drug and training intervention was initiated 2 days after infarction and continued for 4 weeks. In order to assess the necrosis lesion and fibrosis tissue, Hematoxylin – Eosin and massontrichrome staining were used respectively. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) at P<0/05 level.

Findings: The combination of endurance exercise and atorvastatin significantly reduced the amount of necrosis and fibrosis tissue compared with the control group (P< 0/05). Endurance exercise training alone induced non-significant increase in the extent of necrosis damage and significantly increased fibrosis tissue. atorvastatin consumption reduced necrosis damage, but no effect on the extent of fibrosis tissue.

Discussion & Conclusions: results of this study showed that the combination of training and atorvastatin are more effective in improving tissue damage caused by myocardial infarction  than exercise and atorvastatin alone.

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Introduction: Statins and exercise training may have synergic beneficial effects on angiogenesis process following myocardial infarction. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of endurance exercise training (EET), atorvastatin and their combination on expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the cardiac muscle of male rat following experimental myocardial infarction.

Materials & methods: 45 rats (8-10 weeks old, 230 ±10 g body weight) were randomly divided to five groups: Sham, control, EET, atorvastatin, and EET + atorvastatin. Myocardial infarction was induced by subcutaneous injection of isoprenaline (150 mg/kg) in two consecutive days. Drug and training interventions were initiated 2 days after infarction and continued for 4 weeks. In order to assess the expression of VEGF, immunohistochemical staining was used. Data were analyzed by using one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) and scheffe test at P<0.05 level.

Findings: VEGF expression in the atorvastatin group was significantly less than the control group (P=0.006). Also, VEGF expression in the Combined (EET + atorvastatin) and EET groups was not significant (P=0.534 and P=0.055 respectively), but its expression was significantly higher in the combined group (EET + atorvastatin) compared to the EET group (P=0.002) and atorvastatin group (P=0.001).

Discussion & conclusion: It seems that combination of EET and atorvastatin compared to EET and or atorvastatin alone has a favorable effect on VEGF expression and as a result, on angiogenesis process following myocardial infarction.