Journal of Clinical and Basic Research
Volume:7 Issue: 4, Autumn 2023

Breast cancer is one of the most common and deadly cancers among women, which imposes heavy medical costs. Recurrence, side effects, the lack of a clear preventive plan, and increasing incidence are the other related concerns. This study aimed to review the prevention of breast cancer in Iranian medicine (IM) compared to conventional medicine.

This review study was carried out for the last 21 years (2001-2022) using specific keywords related to breast cancer prevention and then compared to the most famous IM manuscripts.

Iranian medicine has special views on preventive plans by introducing the risk factors of diseases. Some known risk factors of breast cancer in IM are constipation, obesity, menses retention, irregular night sleep, low physical exertion, and improper diet. Proven risk factors of breast cancer, including improper lifestyle, western diet, obesity, physical inactivity, delayed childbearing, fewer children, and shorter duration of breastfeeding, are in line with IM evidence.

Considering the importance of disease prevention from the perspective of IM, providing the right lifestyle, and introducing the 6 essential principles for health maintenance from the perspective of this medical school may play an important role in preventing breast diseases.

Changes in menstrual bleeding in the context of hormonal changes may explain why reports on this phenomenon were published globally during the COVID-19 vaccination period. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between the injection of COVID-19 vaccines, abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), and hormonal disorders in women of reproductive age who were referred to Sayad Shirazi Hospital in Gorgan (Iran) in 2023.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients referred to the Gynecology Center of Sayad Shirazi Hospital (Gorgan). The census method was used for collecting data, and the data of 114 women of reproductive age information who had received at least 1 dose of the COVID-19 vaccine were collected by a questionnaire and analysis of requested tests and their registration and analyzed in SPSS v. 16. Chi-square, independent t-test, and analysis of variance were used, and the significance level was <0.05.

In this study, 114 women with an average age of 41.12 years met the inclusion criteria; 27 women had previous abnormal bleeding patterns, which had a clear change in the bleeding process, and the rest had a regular cycle with AUB. Three types of vaccines were used by the women; AstraZeneca had the most side effects, followed by Sinopharm. The participants showed abnormal bleeding during the first year, although in most women, it had started in the first 6 months. COVID-19 vaccination showed a significant relationship with the change in the bleeding process (P=049). Coagulation disorders and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) of more than 35 did not show a significant relationship between disorders, specific hormones, and AUB (P=0.269). However, the presence of hormonal disorders with AUB, despite increased PTT, had a significant relationship with AUB (P=0.011).

The results indicated a significant relationship between the injection of vaccines and the occurrence of AUB regardless of hormonal disorders and coagulation disorders, which were more likely to occur in a wider time frame (6 months or more). The results also demonstrated that these side effects were expected among people who receive the vaccine; for health care workers, on the other hand, trying to correct and prevent more side effects. Although different types of vaccines can cause different effects, their long-term effects should be considered, especially in women with the possibility of hormonal changes and abnormal bleeding, and the use of vaccines with fewer complications is recommended.

This study analyzed the rate of relapse and functional outcome after surgery for chronic osteomyelitis of long bones.

This study included 100 cases of chronic osteomyelitis, which were treated with surgical debridement, along with a 6-week course of antibiotics. The patients were divided into two groups based on whether they had undergone preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or not. A comparison of relapse rates was then conducted between these two groups. The patients were followed up, and their functional outcomes were examined using the Association for the Study and Application of the Method of Ilizarov Criteria (ASAMI), Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH), and Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) questionnaires. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the impact of risk factors on the recurrence or relapse.

Sixty patients had chronic osteomyelitis, and 40 patients were infected non-union. Twenty-five patients had preoperative MRI. The mean preoperative LEFS was 44 ± 13.59 (19-73). Preoperative ASAMI showed 4% excellent, 62% fair, 24% good, and 10% were poor. The preoperative MSTS emotional component showed that enthusiastic (0%), satisfied (0%), accepts (36%), and dislikes (60%). Among the infected non-union cases, 2 cases had a total disability, 15 cases had recreational restriction, and 23 cases had a partial disability. Majority cases were gram-positive organism cultured were methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus accounts 21%, and methicillin-resistant S. aureus accounts 16%. Common antibiotics administered were Cloxacillin in 23 cases, Meropenem in 11 cases, Septran in 8 cases, Linezolid in 8 cases, and Vancomycin in 7 cases. The mean duration of antibiotics administered was 6 weeks. At 1 year postoperative, ASAMI showed a reduction in the number of patients categorized as 'fair' from 12 to 9, while the number of patients classified as 'good' increased from 2 to 6 cases. Fourteen (66.6%) patients who were initially classified under the 'fair' or 'poor' category preoperatively decreased to 9 (42.8%) postoperatively. The number of patients in the 'good' category increased from 6 (28%) preoperatively to 9 (42.9%) at the 6-month postoperative mark. Of the 61 patients, 42 (64.6%) had significant functional improvement at 1 year postoperative among those who had chronic osteomyelitis, while of the 34 patients, 15 (44.1%) patients with infected non-union had significant functional improvement (P = 0.04). 20.7% out of 77 patients who were culture positive went on to have relapse within 1 year follow-up and 15% out of the 20 patients who had no-growth on intraoperative cultures went on to develop relapse following one year post surgery follow-up. Nine patients (24.3%) in the posttraumatic group had recurrence of infection, while 1 patient had relapse at 6 months following surgery. At the 6-month follow-up, the percentage of relapse was 13.3% (n = 2) in the MRI group and 25% (n = 8) in the non-MRI group.

The relapse rate was 19.8%. In total, 19.3% of surgical debridement had experienced a recurrence of infection within the first year of follow-up, and 7.3% of patients required repeat surgery during the hospital stay. Factors that determined recurrence were age > 55 years, long bone involvement, fracture, monotherapy, receiving < 6 weeks of antibiotics, and inadequate treatment. Disease burden, financial conflicts, disability, and long duration of treatment affect the patient’s emotional status. These factors may also affect the patient's compliance with the prescribed treatment plan.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) cause progressive neuronal loss, resulting in morbidity and mortality. Research is continued on treatment strategies that can tackle the disease's pathophysiology and cease its progression. Considering the anti-apoptotic and neuroprotective properties of apelin, we hypothesized that apelin-13 could be a therapeutic solution for Alzheimer's disease and similar NDDs. Therefore, we evaluated its effect on scopolamine-treated rats.

Male rats (n=40) were assigned to 5 groups of 8. No intervention was considered for the control group. The scopolamine group received stereotaxic surgery and was treated with 3 mg/kg scopolamine intraperitoneally. The treatment groups were treated with scopolamine plus intraventricular injection of apelin-13 (1.25, 2.5, and 5 µg) into the right lateral ventricles for 7 days. For evaluating the memory impairment, the passive avoidance reactions of the animals, except the control group, were assessed 24 hours following the last injection. Regarding histological analysis, Congo red staining of the hippocampal sections was done, and immunoblotting was used to determine apoptotic biochemical markers, including caspase 3, cytochrome C, and congophilic amyloid-beta plaques.

Apelin–13 alleviated scopolamine-related passive avoidance memory impairment and reduced the number of congophilic amyloid-beta plaques in the hippocampus (all P<0.001). It attenuated the decrease in the mean levels of hippocampal apoptotic proteins (caspase 3, cytochrome C) in animals treated with scopolamine (all P<0.05).

The neuroprotective effects of apelin-13 suggest its therapeutic effect on neurodegenerative disorders.

Hepatic veins, which are a link between portal and systemic circulation, traverse the liver substance and drain different segments into the inferior vena cava (IVC). This venous outflow is important for adequate functioning of liver homeostasis. The knowledge of the variations in the number and pattern of openings of the hepatic veins into the floor of IVC is necessary, especially during liver resection and liver transplantation, particularly to decide the method that would be adopted for these aforesaid procedures.

A total of 84 livers present in the Department of Anatomy, Goa Medical College, Goa, were used, from which 9 were excluded. The livers were formalin-fixed and were obtained from donated cadavers. The posterior wall of a retro-hepatic segment of IVC was incised to examine the count of hepatic venous vasculature and the pattern of their openings.

The number of hepatic vein openings ranged from 3 to 8. The majority of the livers (32%) had 6 openings. The incidence of the right major hepatic vein was 97.3%, the middle major hepatic vein was 73.3%, and the left major hepatic venous vasculature was 86.6%. The majority of the specimens (n = 25) showed a double opening pattern with 1 separate opening for the hepatic vein of the right side and the middle and left hepatic vein opened by a single trunk.

Hepatic venous vasculature showed numerous variations in its draining pattern in the IVC. Understanding these variations is important for hepatic surgeries to improve post-operative outcomes.

The literal meaning of halal is "permissible" in Arabic, which refers to a mandatory set of dietary guidelines and Islamic law principles. Halal food is made following the Islamic dietary regulations, ensuring specific standards of cleanliness, hygiene, animal welfare, and the prohibition of the inclusion of harmful chemicals. The emphasis on cleanliness, animal welfare, prohibition of harmful substances, nutritional value, and ethical sourcing contributes to a healthier and more sustainable food system.

An extensive online literature search for articles was performed using various search engines and databases with keywords halal food, food hygiene, and Islamic dietary principles. The reference lists of all the retrieved publications were also explored.

Our search was limited to English articles that seemed relevant to this review, and the draft was prepared. 

The health benefits of halal eating extend beyond religious grounds. Halal food consumption provides a safer option and minimizes the potential for food contamination and the associated health risks. By adhering to halal dietary guidelines, individuals can make conscious choices that promote their well-being while fostering a sense of responsibility towards animals, the environment, and the community at large. Halal food offers a holistic approach to nutrition and health, providing safer, balanced, and ethical food choices.

Overconsumption of high-calorie foods not only causes obesity and metabolic disorders but also affects some activities of the nervous system, such as cognitive processes. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of a cafeteria diet from post-weaning to adolescence on the cognitive performance of rats.

Pregnant Wistar rats were fed a normal diet and water from the day of delivery to 20 days postpartum. Male offspring were then assigned to one of 3 groups: a cafeteria diet (sausages, cakes, raisin cookies, carrots, white milk chocolate, and chocolate milk) (CAF), a cafeteria diet with simvastatin (CAF-S), or a control group (CTRL). After the treatments were completed, the cognitive performance of the rats was evaluated using the Morris water maze test.

The CAF group showed reduced learning compared to the other two groups, and they took longer to find the hidden platform on all days of the experiment (P ≤ 0.001). The CAF-S group, which received simvastatin at a dose of 50 mg/kg, had a significantly shorter time to find the hidden platform compared to the CAF group (P ≤ 0.05). During the memory recall phase, after removing the platform, the CAF-S group spent less time in the target quadrant compared to the CTRL and CAF-S groups (P ≤ 0.05).

The results indicated that the cafeteria diet decreased the rats' learning and long-term memory. This effect is likely due to the high-fat content in the cafeteria diet. However, simvastatin prevented this decrease in the rats fed a cafeteria diet. These findings suggest that interventions targeting the metabolic pathways affected by a cafeteria diet may have potential therapeutic benefits for cognitive disorders.