Advanced Biomedical Research
Year:2024 | Volume:13 | Issue:November|Papers Count:12

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is related to lipid accumulation and inflammation. Considering the role of lipin-1 and lipin-2 in fat homeostasis and inflammation, this study aimed to explore the effect of galbanic acid (Gal) and resveratrol (RSV) on alterations in the gene expression levels and protein abundance of lipin-1 and lipin-2 in HepG2 liver cells lipid-enriched with palmitate (Pal). Materials and Methods: HepG2 cells were subjected to different amounts of Gal and RSV for 24 hours in the presence of Pal to induce lipid accumulation. The RT-PCR method was employed to assess the expression of lipin-1 and lipin-2 genes, while protein levels were evaluated by western blot analysis. Lipid accumulation was determined qualitatively and semi-quantitatively using the oil-red staining technique. Results: Gal treatment increased lipin-1 and lipin-2 gene expression (P < 0. 05). In contrast, the groups treated with RSV did not show a substantial variance in the expression levels of the two genes (P > 0. 05). In the groups treated with Gal/RSV, the intensity of lipin-2 protein bands was higher compared to the Pal group (P > 0. 01),however, the intensity of lipin-1 protein bands was not significantly different (P > 0. 05). Conclusion: Gal, a coumarin compound, significantly increased the expression of lipin-1 and lipin-2 in HepG2 cells treated with Pal. Consequently, this research suggests gal as a novel strategy for regulating fat homeostasis in HepG2 cells.

Background: The relationship between inborn errors of immunity (IEIs) and COVID-19 severity and incidence rates remains unclear due to limited and diverse data. This study aimed to address this gap by identifying specific IEIs associated with an increased risk of severe COVID-19 or a predisposition to severe disease before vaccination. Materials and Methods: Data were collected from the medical records of 15 patients with various IEIs, supplemented by interviews with individuals from an IEIs registry who had experienced COVID-19 before vaccination. Results: Among the participants, only three patients (20%) experienced severe-prolonged COVID-19. Notably, this severity was predominantly observed in two male patients with Bruton’s disease (BD) and one female patient with autosomal recessive hypogammaglobinemia. Moderate and severe COVID-19 cases were equally distributed (13. 33%). In the female subgroup, one patient with common variable immunodeficiency and another with combined immunodeficiency experienced moderate and severe COVID-19, respectively. Conversely, both male patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 had BD. Conclusion: Despite the limited number of severe cases, the absence of cytokine storm manifestation suggests potential protective mechanisms, possibly due to intravenous immunoglobulin therapy and inherent deficiencies within cytokine-producing cells (B and T cells). While IEIs may not be significant risk factors for COVID-19, they offer promising avenues for further research into therapeutic strategies targeting specific immune system components to mitigate severe COVID-19.

Background: Acquisition of stem-like properties requires overcoming the epigenetic barrier of differentiation and re-expression of several genes involved in stemness and the cell cycle. DNA methylation is the classic epigenetic mechanism for de/differentiation. The writers and erasers of DNA methylation are not site-specific enzymes for altering specific gene methylation. Thus, the aim of the present study is investigation of the in vitro interaction of ten eleven translocations (TETs) with nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) in hypomethylation of stemness genes. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was performed on HT-29 cells as human colorectal cancer cell lines. The interaction between TETs and DNA-methyltransferases 3 beta (DNMT3s) with p65 was achieved by coimmunoprecipitation. TETs were knocked down using siRNA, and the efficacy was analyzed by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. The promoter methylation status of the target genes (NANOG, MYC) was determined by the methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting method. Results: TET3 and DNMT3b functionally interacted with p65 in samples through 25 ng/ml TNF-α treatment for 48 h in HT-29 cells. Transfection with siRNA significantly decreased the expression of TET enzymes after 72 h. Interestingly, treatment with TET siRNAs enhanced methylation of MYC and NANOG genes in samples with 25 ng/ml TNF-α treatment for 72 h in HT-29 cells. Moreover, methylation effects of TET3 were stronger than those of TET1 and TET2. Conclusions: These results suggest that inflammation may alter the methylation status of genes required for stemness and predispose the cells to neoplastic alterations.

Background: It is essential to maintain the quality of the stored blood, because various factors affect the stored red blood cells (RBCs) over time, some red blood cell storage lesions (RCSL) develop during storage, and it could reduce the function of the RBCs. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of glutathione monoethyl ester on different biochemical changes, oxidant, and antioxidant levels in the leukoreduced RBCs (LR-RBCs) during storage. Materials and Methods: About 10 units of LR-RBC were collected, processed and stored according to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization. Each unit divided into 2 equal parts,LR-RBC treated with glutathione monoethyl ester and a control group. Exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and microvesicle derived from the RBCs (RBC-MVs), were measured by the flow cytometry method. ELISA was used to measure the level of glutathione, and 2, 3-diphosphoglycerate (2, 3-DPG). Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzyme activity was measured with a chemistry autoanalyzer. Results: The levels of glutathione reduced the initial value in the treated group (80%), and the control group (60%), respectively. Exposure of surface PS, ROS and RBC-MVs increased significantly during storage time for consecutive weeks to the amount of GSH. The levels of 2, 3-DPG decreased with increasing storage time. Conclusions: Overall, The study suggest that glutathione monoethyl ester is effective to reduce the oxidative stress and the quality of RBCs can be improved.

Background: Escitalopram, a pharmacological compound, and crocin, the active compound of saffron, influence brain functions and serotonin levels. This study examined the efficacy of escitalopram with and without crocin in restoring the input-output (I/O) functions and long-term potentiation (LTP) within the hippocampal cornu ammonis 1 (CA1) region of stressed rats. Materials and Methods: Rats were divided into six groups: control (Co), sham (Sh), stress-recovery (St-Rec), stress-escitalopram (St-Esc), stress-crocin (St-Cr), and stress-escitalopram-crocin (St-Esc-Cr) groups. They underwent 14 days of restraint stress (6 h/day). After being subjected to stress, they received 14 days of escitalopram (20 mg/kg) and crocin (30 mg/kg), as well as co-administration of these two compounds during the next 14 days. The field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) slope and amplitude were measured using I/O functions and LTP induction in the CA1 region. Corticosterone (CORT) levels were also evaluated. Results: The fEPSPs slope and amplitude in the I/O functions and LTP induction significantly decreased in stressed rats without therapeutic intervention. These variables in the I/O functions declined in rats with escitalopram administration alone. All electrophysiological parameters showed an increase in rats treated with crocin alone compared to stressed subjects without any treatment. Serum CORT levels decreased only with crocin treatment for stressed rats. Conclusion: Neural excitability and memory within the CA1 region were severely disrupted among stressed rats without any treatment. Furthermore, administering crocin alone improved neural excitability and memory post-chronic stress. Treatment with escitalopram alone also impaired neural excitability within the CA1 region. The use of escitalopram with and without crocin did not enhance memory under chronic stress.

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury has an incidence of 0. 05–0. 08 per thousand. An inappropriate treatment plan could lead to articular cartilage damage and early knee osteoarthritis. Some surgical reconstruction techniques use different graft types,all of them try to restore the patient’s preinjury activity levels. The current study aims to evaluate the efficacy of ACL reconstruction (ACLR) using an autologous hamstring tendon. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective one-center cohort study performed on consecutive patients with an ACL injury who underwent ACLR using semitendinosus and gracilis autograft. The postsurgical activity and fear were measured using Marx scale and Tampa scale of kinesophobia, respectively, during a follow-up of 18 months. Results: From a total of 76 patients included in our study, 40. 8% were female. The mean age of the participants was 26. 25-year-old. Five patients from those with kinesophobia (12. 5%) and 34 patients from those with no-kinesophobia (94%) returned to the preinjury activity level (P value < 0. 001). Marx scale six months after the surgery was significantly lower than the score before the surgery, but as expected, it improved during the 18-month follow-up. Conclusion: The current study showed that kinesophobia reduces the rate of return to preinjury levels. Maybe, overcoming this fear will help these patients to reach better results. However, we suggest implementing further trials in larger sample sizes before reaching a solid conclusion.

The use of smartphones among healthcare professionals is increasing, and as a result, their applications (apps) are available to perform a variety of healthcare-related tasks. [1] Many healthcare applications including dosage calculators, reference guides, and report books have been developed for healthcare professionals and are available for download. [2] Although programs are unique in their ability to simply perform a specific task, there are currently no regulations regarding their content, and healthcare professional participation occurs at variable levels. [3] Meanwhile, overdose management and toxicology often require calculations to determine the risk posed to patients. Smartphone applications may provide clinicians with efficient and reliable tools to help manage poisoned patients. Similarly, programs that provide advice on overdose, intentional, and accidental harm may be a useful resource for clinicians when they are unsure about the best medical approaches. [4] Considering that the primary treatment of Iranian poisoned patients in most hospitals is provided by interns, general practitioners, or even specialists who do not have sufficient knowledge and experience in the field of poisoning, the diagnosis and treatment management of these patients may be associated with mistakes or lack of attention to important issues during treatment. Therefore, the integration of technology in medical education can lead to the development of innovative solutions for training future healthcare professionals. Our team has created a web application using WordPress, PHP (hypertext preprocessor), and My Structured Query Language (MySQL), which can be used on mobile devices and tablets and can increase the learning experience of medical students in evaluating poisoned patients. And to improve the educational quality of students and to choose the best possible path from diagnosis to treatment so that no process is lost.

Actinomycosis is an infection caused by Actinomyces israelii and mainly affects cervicofacial areas. In women, other regions, such as the chest, abdomen, and pelvic cavity can involve actinomycosis. Actinomycosis lesions in the oral cavity can cause pain, swelling, induration, pus discharge, and discomfort similar to other benign or malignant pathologies. This condition can mimic lingual cancer, such as squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), which is highly invasive with a poor prognosis. It is necessary to distinguish actinomycosis from SCC and other malignancies to choose the proper treatment. The current study presents a patient with a suspicious lingual mass for SCC diagnosed as actinomycosis after partial glossectomy and pathological studies.

Background: The Circle of Willis (CoW) forms a critical collateral route for the compensation pathway at the basal cistern of the brain. This study aims to determine if migraine headaches and cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs) are associated with the prevalence and patterns of CoW arterial variations seen in the three-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography technique in patients. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken by a systemic search of electronic databases in the Imaging Center, Abadan’s Taleghani Hospital, Iran, from March 2020 to March 2022. Data on the prevalence of variations in patients who presented for screening for migraine and CVA were extracted and analyzed with Student t-test and the Chi-square method. Results: Findings show complete CoW has been visible in 20. 19% of our patients. The anterior part of the CoW was almost intact in all patients. The posterior part of CoW was mostly bilaterally hypoplastic (31. 73%) or bilateral aplastic (29. 81%) and in some rare cases unilaterally varied. In migraine patients, CoW was rarely in its classic form (15%) and was varied bilaterally in 72. 5% of the cases. In CVA patients, CoW was in its complete vascular structure in 23. 08% and bilaterally varied in 46. 15% of all cases. Conclusions: Overall, migraine and CVA are associated with anatomical variations in the posterior portions of the CoW. Further larger prospective trials are needed to determine the true prevalence of CoW variations and their pathological significance.

In the current century, air pollution is known as one of the most critical environmental problems and it is important to find the relations of air pollution and human health. Various air pollutants, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), can negatively affect women’s fertility. An exhaustive electronic search was done from 2013 until July 2023 in PUBMED and The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The following keywords were combined using Boolean hints in the databases queried: air pollution AND (fertility OR miscarriage OR embryo quality OR embryo development OR pregnancy OR implantation OR live birth). The randomized controlled trials, case-control and cohort studies analyzing the impact of air pollutants on fertility were included in the review. In this systematic review, a significant relation was found between the increase in air pollution and the reduction of fertility health, live birth rates, embryo quality, fertility, implantation rates, and miscarriage in exposed women. These results suggest low fertility health rates are associated with traffic-related air pollution. This review has concluded four components (particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur, and carbon monoxide) of traffic pollution that can impair women’s fertility. Air pollution harms women’s fertility. These effects affect gamete’s quality at the genetic and epigenetic level. These effects also alter fetal development. Studies have also reported an effect on fetal growth with increased miscarriages. Since air pollution is everywhere and has many sources, it seems necessary to increase the awareness of people and government officials, especially in hygiene and health, to limit air pollutants as much as possible.

Background: Lithium (Li) is widely used in the treatment of bipolar disorder, but it may lead to toxicity in the reproductive system. Considering the harmful effect of Li consumption on fertility and the positive effect of magnesium sulfate (MgSo4) and moderate-intensity training (MIT) on improving the quality of men’s sperm, the current research was conducted to determine the impact of MIT and MgSo4 on infertility caused by Li. Materials and Methods: Seventy-two male rats were divided into 12 groups, control, Li10 mg/kg/day/ip, MgSo4 80 mg/kg/day/ip,MIT,Li40 mg/kg/day/ip,Li10+MgSo4,Li10+MIT,Li10+MgSo4+MIT,Li40+MgSo4,Li40+MIT,Li40+MgSo4+MIT. All animals received the drugs every day. The groups under the exercise protocol followed this program for 42 days (6 weeks). Total sperm count, sperm concentration, total motility, and progressive motility were analyzed. A blood sample was taken from the heart to quantify testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Results: Li40 mg/kg decreased the progressive motility and quantity of sperms together with nonprogressive motility and immobile sperms increased significantly. Administration of MgSo4 and MIT alone and simultaneously led to a significant improvement in the above mentioned parameters. Li40 mg/kg reduced the serum level of testosterone and LH compared to the control group. On the other hand, the administration of MgSo4 and MIT together with Li40 (Li40+MgSo4+MIT) did not have any effect on serum testosterone levels. Conclusions: Li probably causes damage to reproductive functions by affecting the antioxidant system. However, MgSo4 and MIT reduce the impacts of Li on the reproductive system and improved its performance.

The growth of nanoscale sciences enables us to define and design new methods and materials for a better life. Health and disease prevention are the main issues in the human lifespan. Some nanoparticles (NPs) have antimicrobial properties that make them useful in many applications. In recent years, NPs have been used as antibiotics to overcome drug resistance or as drug carriers with antimicrobial features. They can also serve as antimicrobial coatings for implants in different body areas. The antimicrobial feature of NPs is based on different mechanisms. For example, the oxidative functions of NPs can inhibit nucleic acid replication and destroy the microbial cell membrane as well as interfere with their cellular functions and biochemical cycles. On the other hand, NPs can disrupt the pathogens’ lifecycle by interrupting vital points of their life, such as virus uncoating and entry into human cells. Many types of NPs have been tested by different scientists for these purposes. Silver, gold, copper, and titanium have shown the most ability to inhibit and remove pathogens inside and outside the body. In this review, the authors endeavor to comprehensively describe the antimicrobial features of NPs and their applications for different biomedical goals.