Advanced Biomedical Research
Year:2024 | Volume:2024 | Issue:December|Papers Count:8

Background: Burn as the most common injury disrupts the protective function of the skin and induces complications in patients. Therefore, the treatment of these patients presents a significant clinical challenge. This study evaluated the effects of Lucilia sericata (L. sericata) larvae and Eisenia fetida (E. fetida) earthworm extracts, alone or in combination, on the healing of third-degree burns in male mice. Materials and Methods: A third-degree burn model was induced on the skin of the interscapular region. Then, the extracts of larvae and earthworms were topically applied separately or simultaneously every other day for a 21-day period. To evaluate the process of wound healing, macroscopic parameters were monitored and examined during the study period. Finally, the animals were sacrificed, and skin sampling was performed for histological investigations. Results: The results of the study showed that both extracts of larvae and earthworm accelerated the wound-healing process (P < 0. 01). The group receiving extract of earthworm had better wound healing than the groups receiving Vaseline and silver sulfadiazine, and histological evidences confirmed these observations. However, the use of two extracts simultaneously did not affect the wound-healing process. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrated that the extracts of L. sericata larvae and E. fetida earthworm, especially E. fetida, include effective compounds that can significantly enhance the rate of burn wound healing. However, more studies are needed to identify and purify the effective compounds of these extracts involved in the process of wound healing.

Background: Shoulder rotator cuff repair postoperative pain management is more critical than orthopedic surgeries in other limbs. This study aimed to investigate the effect of adding dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant to bupivacaine for postoperative pain management. Materials and Methods: This double-blind, randomized clinical trial was performed on 80 patients aged 20 to 60 with ASA I and II who were candidates for elective shoulder rotator cuff repair. Forty candidates in the control group received 0. 1% bupivacaine intra-articular and extra-articular before surgical wound closure, and 40 patients in the intervention group received 0. 1% bupivacaine and dexmedetomidine 1 µg/kg intra-articular and extra-articular. Postoperative sleep disturbance and pain intensity were measured at recovery, 4, 8, 12, 18, and 24 hours after surgery. The results were analyzed by SPSS software version 23, and a P value ≤0. 05 was considered significant. Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding the hemodynamic variations (P > 0. 05), except 4 hours after surgery when the mean arterial pressure in the intervention group was significantly lower than the control group (P = 0. 026). There was a significant reduction in pain scores at 8 and 12 hours after surgery in the intervention group. The night after surgery, sleep quality and the overall RCSQ score in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group. Conclusion: Administering 0. 1% bupivacaine and dexmedetomidine 1 µg/kg intra-articular and extra-articular before surgical wound closure effectively reduced the pain intensity and analgesic consumption. Also, it maintained patients’ hemodynamic stability and enhanced sleep quality without significant adverse effects.

Background: Probiotic-based bacteriotherapy has emerged as a potentially effective strategy for preventing infectious diseases. Lactobacillus strains consumed as probiotics and the safety of these spp. has been questioned due to reported unexpected responses. Hence, the present study has been conducted to evaluate the acute and sub-chronic toxicity of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Materials and Methods: The acute and sub-chronic toxicity effect of L. rhamnosus is studied in rats as per the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), test guideline 423 and 407, respectively. Results: In acute toxicity, L. rhamnosus at 1 × 107, 1 × 108, 1 × 109, and 1 × 1010 CFU/mL don’t show any toxic signs. In sub-chronic toxicity, L. rhamnosus at 1 × 106, 1 × 107 and 1 × 108 CFU/mL dosages showed dose-depended changes in biochemical and haematological parameters. In this study, one male and one female rat administered with 1 x 108 CFU/mL of L. rhamnosus showed mortality on days 16 and 26, respectively. The animals administered with L. rhamnosus showed no histological changes in the organs such as heart, liver and kidney. Conclusion: L. rhamnosus exhibited mild-to-moderate toxic effects at the dose levels of 1 × 106 CFU/mL, 1 × 107 and 1 × 108 CFU/mL in rats.

Background: Cervical cancer is a common malignancy in women and HPV infection is directly linked to it and can be considerably prevented through routine screenings. Despite the belief about the persistence of HPV infection in older than 30-year-old women, high-grade lesions might be detected in younger ages,therefore, the purpose of the current study is to determine the worth of HPV infection screening in younger than 30-year-old women. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study has been executed on 100 under 30-year-old women who have undergone genotyping. Fourteen HPV subtypes including HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, and 68 were defined as high risk and the patients were categorized in HPV 16/18 or other high-risk groups. Pap smear and colposcopy were performed for both groups and interpreted as normal, low-risk and high-risk lesions and compared between the groups. Results: In terms of demographic, clinical, and sexual behavioral characteristics, the present study exhibited similarity (P value > 0. 05). Pap smear (P value = 0. 100) and colposcopy (P value = 0. 711) grading did not differ between those with HPV 16/18 versus other high-risk HPV patients. Pap smear and colposcopic findings were weekly in agreement (κ < 0. 5, P value < 0. 001). Conclusion: Early cytological plus genotyping assessment in women at early child-bearing ages seems logical, as the cervical premalignant lesions have a slow progressing nature and can be easily treated in early stages.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the widespread and indiscriminate prescription of antibiotics led to a significant increase in antibiotic resistance and the emergence of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) strains. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in MDR Gram-negative isolates in the intensive care unit (ICU) of northern hospitals in Iran following the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. The samples were collected from patients with healthcare-associated infections at ICU of hospitals in northern Iran. Antimicrobial resistance was assessed using standard broth macrodilution, and resistance genes were accurately identified using the multiplex polymerase chain reaction method. Results: The present study revealed that the ICU had the highest frequency of MDR Acinetobacter baumannii infections (32. 1%) and the lowest frequency of E. coli infections (12. 6%). The frequency of resistance genes of A. baumannii is as follows: blaOXA-51 (100%), ampC (99. 12%), apA6 (90. 35%), and blaNDM (69. 30%). Co-amoxiclav showed a 100% resistance rate, while Piperacillin-tazobactam had the lowest resistance rate at 38. 2%. Conclusions: This study identified a high prevalence of MDR A. baumannii in ICU patients with healthcare-associated infections at northern hospitals in Iran, following COVID-19. Recommended treatments include Piperacillin-tazobactam or Meropenem.

Background: Findings from cross-sectional studies on the association between coffee consumption and odds of obesity are inconsistent. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis of earlier cross-sectional studies on the association between coffee consumption and odds of obesity. Materials and Methods: The online databases of PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, and EMBASE were systematically searched to identify relevant publications up to April 2023. Cross-sectional studies that considered coffee as the exposure and general and abdominal obesity as the outcome were included. Studies that had reported odds ratios (ORs) as effect size were included in the meta-analysis. To pool data, a random-effects model was used. Results: In total, 23 studies were included in our systematic review. Twelve publications on general obesity and 15 publications on abdominal obesity were examined in the meta-analysis. Overall, 207551 individuals aged ≥19 years were included. With regards to general obesity, pooling 13 effect sizes from 12 cross-sectional studies showed that coffee intake was not associated with odds of general obesity (overall OR: 1. 11,95% CI: 0. 92, 1. 33). In subgroup analysis by gender, we found a significant positive association between coffee consumption and odds of general obesity in women (OR: 1. 84,95% CI: 1. 51, 2. 24). Concerning abdominal obesity, combining 18 effect sizes from 15 studies, we failed to find a significant association between coffee consumption and odds of abdominal obesity (OR: 1. 03,95% CI: 0. 92, 1. 15). Conclusion: No significant association was found between coffee intake and odds of obesity. However, gender-stratified analyses revealed significant relationships.

Background: This study aimed to propose functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) imaging biomarkers for the diagnosis of insomnia by examining the brain maps of young and old people during sleep deprivation (SD). Materials and Methods: A total of 50 healthy individuals were selected in two groups, including the young group: 17 people (20 to 30 years) and the elderly group: 23 people (65 to 75 years), who were involved in a 1-month period of SD, so that during the experiment they woke up 3 hours earlier than usual. Insomnia and sleepiness questionnaires were collected from these individuals (OpenfMRI website). Independent component analysis (ICA) processing was performed using the Generalized Intelligent Framework for Tutoring (GIFT) toolbox on old and young people’s data. Correlations between clinical variables and imaging were performed to extract insomnia biomarkers with a significance level of P = 0. 05. Results: In the dynamic range variable, the difference in the effect of insomnia between the two groups was significant in areas such as the inferior occipital gyrus (IOG), superior temporal gyrus (STG), and posterior cingulate (PC). The fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) variable in the anterior cingulate and precuneus areas, as well as the spatial map variable in areas such as the inferior semilunar lobule, anterior cingulate, subcallosal gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus (MTG) between the two groups, was significantly different (P = 0. 05). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, brain activity map in sleep-deprived people has a significant change in some brain areas and this effect is different in old and young adults.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is a prevalent and deadly cancer worldwide. Chemotherapy is the primary treatment, but some patients use herbal remedies, such as Peiminine from Fritillaria walujewii, for palliative care. Cancer cells can affect the expression of noncoding RNAs, like microRNA, which can then influence the expression of genes. This research aims to study the effects of Peiminine on Doxorubicin cytotoxicity and detect the expression levels of hsa-miR-106a-5p and hsa-miR-181a-5p in AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma cells. Materials and Methods: AGS cells were cultured and treated with different concentrations of Peiminine. An MTT assay was performed to determine the concentration of Peiminine required to prohibit 50% cell growth (IC50) and the cell viability percentage of the AGS cell line. The percentage of AGS cell line apoptosis was determined using acridine orange (AO) and ethidium bromide (EtBr). Finally, molecular studies were conducted to compare hsa-miR-106a-5p and hsa-miR-181a-5p expression in the control and treated groups. Results: According to the study, Peiminine has been found to enhance the cytotoxicity of Doxorubicin, which reduces cell viability and increases apoptosis in the AGS cell line. Furthermore, the study also indicates that the AGS cell line treated with Peiminine shows lower expression of hsa-miR-106a-5p and hsa-miR-181a-5p compared to the control group that was not treated. Conclusion: Peiminine enhances Doxorubicin’s effectiveness, inhibits AGS cell line growth, and reduces miRNA expression. Further research is needed for potential use as a supplementary GC treatment.