Galen Medical journal
Volume:10 Issue: 1, 2021

Oral candidiasis is widespread in the patients with immunodeficiency diseases. Chewing gums are considered as mobile drug delivery systems that affected locally or systemically via the oral cavity. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the formulation of clotrimazole chewing gums for patients having oral candidiasis.

Fourteen formulations (F) were designed by Design-Expert, version 7. These formulations were different in the amount of gum bases and sweeteners. Gum bases of elvasti, 487, stick and fruit C were heated up to 70°C. Clotrimazole powder, sugar, liquid glucose, glycerin, mannitol, xylitol, and maltitol as well as different flavoring agents were added to the gum bases at 40°C. Content and weight uniformity, organoleptic properties evaluation, releasing the active ingredient in the phosphate buffer pH, 6.8 and taste evaluation were analyzed by Latin square analysis. Also, the mechanical test was done on F 13 and F 14 formulations.

F 14 was the best formulation in terms of organoleptic properties. This formulation had suitable size, hardness, softness, and lack of adhesion to teeth. F 14 formulation released 89% and 97% of clotrimazole after 30 and 45 minutes, respectively. F 14 content uniformity and weight variations were 9.83±0.086 mg and 1.14±0.09 g, respectively. F 14 evaluation of mechanical properties showed Young’s modulus about 0.32 MPa, and yield point occurred at the stress of 0.599 MPa and strain of 4.1%.

F 14 was chosen according to its physicochemical and organoleptic properties. F 14 had adequate hardness, lack of adhesion to the teeth, suitable size, and best drug release. Tutti Frutti was a proper flavoring agent for clotrimazole gum formulations. 

Endometrial receptivity is one of the most important factors in vitro fertiliza - tion (IVF) success rate. Many different methods have been suggested to enhance the rate of implantation in IVF\ intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. Endometrial injury, as an intentional trauma aimed at improving the fertility results, has gained significant popularity among women seeking pregnancy. This study was conducted to determine the success rate of hysteroscopy and scratching before microinjection in cases of repeated implantation failure.

This prospective, randomized controlled trial consist of 228 women who were referred to the Al-Zahra Infertility clinic for fertility treatment with the history of fail - ure in at least two ICSI cycles. The patients were divided into two groups. The first group was treated by hysteroscopy without intervention, while the second group underwent hysteroscopy and scratching in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle prior to microinjection cycle. The con- trolled ovarian stimulation (COS) was performed in all patients using the antagonist method. The success was considered based on the observation of the fetal heart activity in ultrasound.

The success rate of hysteroscopy and scratching (41.5%) was higher compared to hys- teroscopy alone (34.3%), but this difference was not statistically significant based on the Chi- square test (P=0.280). The rate of miscarriage in hysteroscopy plus scratching and hysteroscopy alone were 5.7% and 12.4%, respectively which were not statistically different (P=888). Fur - thermore, the effect of hysteroscopy and scratching on visualizing the fetal heart activity was not statistically different compared to hysteroscopy alone (P=0.223).

The results showed that the success rate in hysteroscopy plus endometrial scratching was not significantly different from hysteroscopy alone.

The natural history of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) as the most prevalent public health issue in Iran has changed with the introduction of novel therapeutic strategies that have reduced its mortality significantly. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent and disabling psychiatric disorder and frequently co-exist with AMI. There are proposed pathophysiological links between the two diseases among which inflammation is the most important. With more patients surviving a myocardial infarction (MI) event, post-MI depression has become an important determinant of disability and mortality.

In this study we defined a 1-month post-MI depressive scale of 200 patients using Beck’s inventory questionnaire II and measured serum high Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP) and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) to look for the association between inflammatory state and atherosclerosis in different depression score categories.

Minimum and maximum Beck scores were 1 and 43, respectively with a mean of 13±8. The mean CIMT was 0.77±0.26 mm. Serum hs-CRP level was measured with a mean of 1.51±1.6 mg/L. According to BDI-II scores, 44.2% of patients 1-month post-MI suffered from more than mild depression. Being affected was not correlated with either the level of hs-CRP or CIMT. Nearly 44 percent of patients suffered more than mild depression. There was a negative association between serum hs-CRP level and CIMT as a measure of atherosclerosis in groups of depressed versus non-depressed patients. This may indicate that the extent of atherosclerosis is not correlated with the inflammatory state after MI in depressed versus non-depressed patients.

The results of this study indicate that the extent of atherosclerosis is not correlated with the inflammatory state after MI in depressed versus non-depressed patients. Nonetheless, the prognostic indications of increased hs-CRP and depression after AMI remains to be investigated further.

Patient participation in healthcare leads to increased satisfaction and trust, reduction of anxiety, and a better understanding of patients’ needs. The components of shared decision-making (SDM) are well documented in the literature. The purpose of this study was to design an SDM model for diabetic patients.

This qualitative content analysis study was performed in three steps. First, a descriptive comparative study was conducted using the widely-used George Brady method. Next, the perceptions of participants (both physicians and patients) were collected via interview and in focus group discussions (FGDs). Content analysis was used to categorize the comments made by participants. In the final step, the model of SDM for diabetic patients was designed based on expert panel discussions.

Twelve components were extracted from the comparative study. Two themes and six sub-themes were extracted from data resulting from physicians’ interviews, and two themes and ten sub-themes were extracted from data resulting from the FGDs involving patients. The model of SDM for diabetic patients was designed in light of three concepts; practitioners’ behavior, participatory decision- making process, and patients’ autonomy.

This model was valuable because it recognizes the process of SDM in the context of Iran. The model’s main purpose was to help choose optimum strategies for the care of diabetic patients within the health sector.

Uterine leiomyosarcoma is a rare gynecological disease. Myxoid leiomyosarcoma (mLMS) is an aggressive and very uncommon type of leiomyosarcoma, with few cases reported in English literature. Stromal metaplasia is rare in leiomyosarcoma. Here we present huge uterine myxoid leiomyosarcoma with stromal chondroid metaplasia.

A 48–year–old single woman with lower abdominal pain and increased abdominal circumference. The detected mass on imaging was diagnosed as uterine mLMS with stromal chondroid metaplasia in the histopathological examination after surgery.

Myxoid leiomyosarcoma should be considered in uterine mass with extensive myxoid change, infiltrative border, low mitotic count, and mild atypia. Stromal chondroid metaplasia can be seen in the myxoid leiomyosarcoma.

The development of hospital information systems (HISs) has a significant effect on care processes. In this regard, the clinical staff’s perspective is very important in evaluating the success of these systems. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical staff’s perspec - tive at hospitals affiliated to Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences on the effectiveness of the HIS in improving their performance and strategies for increasing the system effectiveness.

In the present cross-sectional study, 120 clinical staff who actively worked with the HIS were included. A two-part questionnaire was used for data gathering. Re - sults: From the perspective of the research population, the effective score of HIS was %64.42 in improving their performance, and %81.85 in the case of developed HIS according to the suggested strategies. According to the research scale, the effectiveness of the system could be improved from good to excellent in the case of implementation of strategies, so that there was a statistically significant difference between the pre- and post-effectiveness (P<0.001). Conclu - sion: Positive population perspective on the effectiveness of HIS in-performance improvement of the clinical staff indicated that there was a good context for the development and utilization of information technology in the hospitals. The clinical staff’s opinions and work needs as the primary group of patient care should be taken into consideration in order to increase the effec - tiveness of the HIS.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the widespread neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, a few studies have suggested that treatment with levodopa and vitamin B12 deficiency may have some role in developing peripheral neuropathy (PN) among PD patients. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate PN in patients suffering from PD under long-term treatment with levodopa and also vitamin B12 deficiency in these patients.

Thirty PD patients who received levodopa for at least two years, 30 levodopa-naïve PD patients, and 30 age-matched controls individuals were included. The participants were subjected to electrodiagnostic tests and the level of vitamin B12 was measured. The prevalence of neuropathy was determined according to electrodiagnostic criteria and compared among the three groups.

Overall, 23.3% of cases in levodopa receivers, 3.3% in the levodopa-naïve group, and 3.3% in control group had PN (odds ratio=8.8, 95% confidence interval=1.7-45.6). Levodopa group had significantly lower serum vitamin B12 than the other two groups (P=0.006). Vitamin B12 insufficiency was detected in 36.6% of patients in the levodopa group, which was significantly higher than other groups (23.3% in the levodopa-naïve and 6.6% in the control groups, P=0.02). A significantly negative correlation was noticed between the duration of levodopa exposure and serum level of vitamin B12 (r=-0.31, P=0.016).

Our study demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence of vitamin B12 insufficiency and PN in PD patients under treatment with levodopa. Also, our results advocate the role of levodopa in PN development through the vitamin B12 derangement.

Hallux valgus (HV) is a deformity that affects the quality of life and function in a negative manner causing disturbed balance and walking and even alters the foot kinemat - ics. Conservative treatments are the choice for mild to moderate HV, but the question about the best method has not been responded yet. In the current study, it is aimed to assess and compare the efficacy of kinesiotaping (KT) versus phonophoresis (PH) for the treatment of painful HV.

This randomized clinical trial has been conducted on a total number of 37 toes (37 toes of a total number of 24 patients) randomly divided into two subgroups of either KT or PH with 1% hydrocortisone among which the total numbers of 31 toes from 20 patients fulfilled the study protocol. The variables including pain (using VAS score), function (using Manchester-Oxford Foot questionnaire)(MOXFD), hallux val- gus angle (HVA), and intermetatarsal angle (IMA) were assessed and compared between two groups before and after two months following the interventions.

The pain score de- creased significantly within the time in both groups (P-value<0.001), while the comparison of KT with PH revealed insignificant difference (P-value=0.08). MOXFD assessments showed significantly improved status within two months for both interventions (P-value<0.001) with no remarkable difference between the groups (P-value=0.55). The IMA and HVA altered fol - lowing both of the techniques. KT was superior to PH for the correction of HVA, but not for IMA (P-value>0.05).

We found both of the KT and PH techniques could suc - cessfully rehabilitate the patients’ pain and improve function, however the KT was slightly better than PH due to HVA reduction.

Saffron is traditionally suggested for wound healing in Persian medicine. It is investigated for wound healing effect in multiple studies with promising results. It is not exam - ined that which ingredient of saffron contributes more to this effect. This study was aimed to evaluate and compare the wound healing potential of saffron and its active constituents, crocin, and safranal, in rats.

Forty female adult rats with induced excision wounds were randomly divided into four groups to receive topical formulation of saffron, cro- cin, safranal, and placebo for seven days. The Wound area and histopathologic stage of wound healing were evaluated as outcome measures.

The wound area was significantly lower in treatment groups (saffron, crocin, and safranal) compared to the control group on day 7 of the intervention. Compared to the control group, the wound in all treated groups showed a decreased inflammatory response and more progression to the proliferation phase. The saffron group showed more advanced healing phase with complete epithelialization of the wound on day 7 of study when partial and no epithelialization was observed in safranal and crocin groups.

The study showed the wound healing properties of both safranal and crocin with the slight superiority of safranal. However, saffron seems to be more potent in wound healing effect compared to safranal and crocin as its main active constituents

Chronic venous ulcers (CVUs), demanding specialized care, are still a major so - cioeconomic problem facing health care systems worldwide. This study’s main goal was evaluat - ing the efficacy of ESWT application as an AT in the treatment of wounds for curing CVUs. Ma - terials and

50 patients presenting with CVUs were divided into two groups of ESWT and control randomly. Then, ESWT was applied one session per week, during four weeks, along with routine CB. The control group also received sham ESWT together with CB. In this respect, pain score, wound size, patient satisfaction and quality of life (QoL) using the Charing Cross Venous Ulcer Questionnaire (CCVUQ) were consequently assessed at baseline, week four, and week eight and then compared between both groups.

The findings showed that patients receiving ESWT along with CB had significantly lower pain and were also feeling more satis - fied than the cases undergoing CB alone (P<0.05). The significant efficiency of ESWT in im - proving the healing process of CVUs was further observed (P<0.05). In addition, QoL, assessed by the CCVUQ, was significantly higher in patients receiving ESWT (P<0.05).

These findings established that ESWT was a feasible and safe option to treat patients present - ing with CVUs in another word, ESWT seems to be a safe and effective adjunct therapy (AT) compared with CB in patients with CVUs.

Brucellosis is the most common zoonotic bacterial disease around the world, and its causative agent is Brucella, a gram-negative bacterium. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecules are the most significant surface antigen of Brucella bacteria. This antigen is used in a high number of research and diagnostic fields. The present study was designed in order to introduce a simple method to extract LPS from Brucella melitensis . Materials and Meth- ods: S mooth strains of B. melitensis were cultured in large quantity, and LPS was extracted through changes in the hot-phenol method. The LPS concentration was measured by using the dimethyl-methylene blue method. The contamination rates of proteins and nucleic acids were determined using the bicinchoninic acid (BCA) method and absorbance measurement at 260 nm, respectively.

The amount of the extracted LPS was 1.1% of the wet weight of the bacteria. The rate of contamination with nucleic acid was measured to be 0.2% of the LPS. The protein contamination was not detectable through the BCA method.

The advantages of our newly-introduced method are considerable decrease in the time required to extract LPS; independence from nucleic acid and protein digestive enzymes; an extraction rate of LPS equivalent to other applied methods; nucleic acid contamination equal or lower than other methods, and no protein contamination; and independence from equipment such as ultracentrifuge and chromatography.

The main goal of the present study was to evaluate the effect of topical mastic oil, compared to placebo on treatment of functional dyspepsia (FD).

Sixty-three patients with FD were included. Thirty-two subjects received the topical mastic oil (10 drops/TDS after meal) with massage and 31 patients received topical sesame oil with mas- sage. Both groups received pantoprazole (40 mg daily) along with oil and massage. The severity of early satiation, postprandial fullness, epigastric pain and epigastric burning was assessed after 4 weeks using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) as well as frequency of symptoms. Sat- isfaction with the treatment was also assessed using a researcher-made questionnaire. Changes in the severity of symptoms were evaluated by Friedman’s test.

Mean and standard deviation of age of the subjects were equal to 36.95±13.64 and 50 (79.4%) patients were fe- male. Both groups experienced a significant decrease in the severity of all the four symptoms (P<0.001). The percentage of decrease in the severity of early satiation was significantly higher in the mastic group than the control group (76.03±34.91% vs. 37.24±38.86%, P=0.003). No significant differences were found in the percentage of decrease in the severity of postprandial fullness, epigastric pain and burning between the study groups (P=0.05, 0.06, and 0.13, respec- tively). The frequency of symptoms was decreased similarly in both groups. Satisfaction with the treatment was reported to be significantly higher in the mastic group than the sesame group (P=0.01). There were no intolerable side effects in both groups.

Mastic oil reduced early satiation better than the placebo. In addition, satisfaction with the treatment was higher in the mastic group than the sesame group.

In cancer patients, a prominent side effect of chemotherapy drugs is bone marrow suppression, which leads to decreased blood cell production. Herbal remedies and natural sub- stances such as honey may fulfill a role in relieving this complication. The present study aimed to determine the efficiency of Jollab (a honey-based syrup) in the prevention of pancytopenia in female patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

In a pilot double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 70 patients were examined in terms of leukocyte count, platelet count, and hemoglobin level at the Shohaday-e Tajrish Cancer Clinic (Tehran, Iran) in 2020. The intervention group consumed 10 ml of Jollab syrup three times a day for four weeks, while the control group took a placebo with the same prescrip- tion. The independent sample t-test and chi-squared test were used for data analysis in this trial.

Our data revealed that the total number of leukocytes, hemoglobin levels, and platelet counts have no significant differences between the two groups at the end of the study, but signif - icant changes were discovered for hemoglobin and platelet levels in intragroup analysis for both intervention and placebo groups.

Although the use of Jollab was not found to be effective in augmenting the levels of blood cell parameters in women with breast cancer under - going chemotherapy, future studies of higher quality may demonstrate its supportive role pro- vided the present limitations are addressed.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the main cause of the neurodegenerative disorder, which is not detected unless the cognitive deficits are manifested. An early prediagnostic specific biomarker preferably detectable in plasma and hence non-invasive is highly sought-after. Various hypotheses refer to AD, with amyloid-beta (Aβ) being the most studied hypothesis and inflammation being the most recent theory wherein pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines are the main culprits.

In this study, the cognitive performance of AD patients (n=39) was assessed using mini-mental state examination (MMSE), AD assessment scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog), and clinical dementia rating (CDR). Their neuropsychiatric symptoms were evaluated through neuropsychiatric inventory–questionnaire (NPI-Q). Moreover, plasma levels of routine biochemical markers, pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1 α (IL-1α), IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12p70, IL-10, Interferon-gamma, chemokines, including prostaglandin E2 (PGE-2), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, interferon gamma-induced protein 10, Aβ peptide species (42, 40) and Transthyretin (TTR) were measured.

Our results revealed that Aβ 42/40 ratio and TTR were correlated (r=0.367, P=0.037). IL-1α was directly correlated with ADAS-cog (r=0.386, P=0.017) and Aβ 40 (r=0.379, P=0.019), but was inversely correlated with IL-4 (r=-0.406, P=0.011). Negative correlations were found between MMSE and PGE2 (r=-0.405, P=0.012) and TNF-α/ IL-10 ratio (r=-0.35, P=0.037). CDR was positively correlated with both PGE2 (r=0.358, P=0.027) and TNF-α (r=0.416, P=0.013). There was a positive correlation between NPI-caregiver distress with CDR (r=0.363, P=0.045) and ADAS-cog (r=0.449, P=0.019).

Based on the observed correlation between IL-1α, as a clinical moiety, and ADAS-cog, as a clinical manifestation of AD, anti-IL-1α therapy in AD could be suggested.

The infection caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) started from China and spread out to the whole world, a nd became a pandemic as the world health organization declared. COVID-19 has caused many challenges in all aspects of life, including mental health for the entire human beings. The current study has reviewed some important strategies based on individual care and social support. Maintaining healthy lifestyle and doing regular life activities such as enough sleeping, doing art, listening to music, doing yoga, and meditation could be practical for indi- vidual care. Some social support strategies may include talking to trusty people or counselors to share emotions, keeping in touch with family, friends, and colleagues , supporting people via calls and texts warmly, and taking care of the elderly, children, and especially medical workers.

Testicular function depends on temperature, and it has been shown that scrotal hyperthermia causes a sharp decrease in sperm parameters due to oxidative stress. In recent years, the use of natural materials from the plant and nanoparticles has attracted much attention. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of curcumin and Fe2O3 nanoparticles on sperm parameters in rats.

After preparing the rats, they were placed in a hot water bath at 43°C for 30 minutes for six consecutive days. The 48 rats were then divided into eight groups. A concentration of 0.03 mg/kg body weight magnetic Fe2O3 nanoparticles and curcumin at the concentration of 0.02 mg/kg body weight were used. After killing animals, the semen parameters such as viability, concentration, motility, and morphology of sperm were studied.

Significant differences were observed in all groups of rats in terms of semen parameters (P<0.001). The results showed a positive effect of curcumin on improving semen parameters in scrotal hyperthermia rats and a negative and toxic effect of Fe2O3 magnetic nanoparticles. However, significant improvement in sperm parameters was observed when Fe2O3 magnetic nanoparticles were given to rats along with curcumin.

Curcumin has a positive and significant effect on improving sperm parameters in scrotal hyperthermia conditions. Fe2O3 magnetic nanoparticles, if co-administered with curcumin, can significantly improve sperm parameters. In this regard, green synthesis of nanoparticles and concomitant administration of antioxidants such as curcumin in scrotal hyperthermia conditions is recommended.

Methamphetamine (MA), is an extremely addictive stimulant that adversely af - fects the central nervous system. Accumulating evidence indicates that molecular mechanisms such as oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autophagy are involved in the toxicity of MA. Consid - ering experimental animal studies exhibiting MA-induced neurotoxicity, the relevance of these findings needs to be evidently elucidated in human MA users. It is generally assumed that mul - tiple chemical substances released in the brain following MA-induced metabolic activation are primary factors underlying damage of neural cells. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the role of autophagy and apoptosis as well as oxidative stress in the brain of postmortem MA-in - duced toxicity.

In this study, we determine the gene expression of autophagy and apoptosis, including BECN1, MAP1ALC3, CASP8, TP53 , and BAX genes in ten healthy controls and ten chronic users of MA postmortem dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLP - FC) by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Also, we applied immunohistochemistry in forma - lin-fixed and paraffin-embedded human brain samples to analyze brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Also, spectrophotometry was performed to measure glutathione (GSH) content.

The expression level of apoptotic and autophagic genes ( BECN1, MAP1ALC3, CASP8, TP53, and BAX) were significantly elevated, while GSH content and BDNF showed substantial reductions in DLPFC of chronic MA users.

Our data showed that MA addiction provokes transduction pathways, namely apoptosis and autophagy, along with oxidative mech - anisms in DLPFC. Also, MA induces multiple functional and structural perturbations in the brain, determining its toxicity and possibly contributing to neurotoxicity.

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) induced by testicular torsion can damage the testicles. In the present study, we assessed the effects of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and diamond nanoparticles on sperm parameters in I/R testes in rats.

Forty-eight Wistar adult male rats were divided into eight groups: healthy control (Ch), diamond nanoparticle healthy control group (Ch+Dia), CoQ10 healthy control group (Ch+Q10), diamond nanoparticles+CoQ10 healthy control group (Ch+Q10+Dia), torsion/ detorsion group (Ct), the Ct group that received diamond nanoparticles (Ct+Dia), the Ct group that received CoQ10 (Ct+Q10), and Ct group that received diamond nanoparticles and CoQ10 (Ct+Q10+Dia). The rats were euthanized, and we collected the semen from the epididymal tissues to evaluate sperm viability, motility, concentration, and morphology parameters.

The I/R of the testicles significantly reduced sperm concentration, motility, viability, and altered sperm morphology in the rats. However, the administration of CoQ10 significantly improved sperm parameters in the rats with testicular I/R. Diamond nanoparticles decreased the sperm parameters; however, simultaneous administration of diamond nanoparticles and CoQ10 led to improved sperm parameters.

CoQ10 potentially appeared to have protective effects against the long-term side-effects of I/R in testes in rats. Co-administration of diamond nanoparticles with CoQ10 significantly improved sperm parameters and greatly reduced the negative effects of diamond nanoparticles alone. Therefore, green synthesis of nanoparticles with the use of antioxidants such as CoQ10 is recommended.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers in the world and has a high mortality rate. It is accepted that dysfunction in the expression of mucins are associated with the occurrence and development of CRC. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the expression of MUC2 , MUC5A , and MUC5B genes in CRC and their relationship with clinicopathological variables.

The population included 28 patients after a colonoscopy and confirmation of the results. Tumors and parallel adjacent normal tissues from CRC patients were collected. RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis were performed using the corresponding kits. The gene primer was designed and RT-PCR was used to evaluate gene expression. The t-test and ANOVA were used to examine the differences between the different groups. Data analysis was performed using Prism8 software. Tumors from CRC patients were retrospectively collected from Taleghani Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

The results showed that the expression of MUC2 , MUC5A , and MUC5B genes was lower in patients with CRC aged 50 years or younger than was in older patients (P<0.05). Only the MUC5B gene expression was associated with tumor grades, which was higher in poorly differentiated tumors. The expression of MUC5A and MUC2 genes was higher in stage IV of the tumor than in other stages (P<0.05).

Among the changes in the expression of MUC secretory genes, including MUC2 , MUC5A , and MUC5B and clinicopathological variables, there was a relationship that could have prognostic and diagnostic value in CRC.

Ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) in testicular tissue is one reason for the worldwide increase in male infertility. In the present study, we assessed the effects of curcumin and Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) on sperm parameters in rats with I/R damage.

Forty-eight adult male rats were divided into two groups (n=24 per group): control and torsion/detorsion. The control and torsion/detorsion groups were divided into four subgroups include sham, Fe3O4 NPs, curcumin, and Fe3O4 NPs+curcumin. After the rats were sacrificed, semen was collected from their epididymal tissues to assess sperm viability, motility, concentration, and morphology.

Curcumin significantly improved viability, motility, and normal sperm morphology in rats with I/R damage compared to the control group; however, it did not have a significant effect on sperm concentration (P<0.001). Fe3O4 NPs alone decreased all sperm parameters in the control and I/R rats (P<0.001). However, concomitant administration of Fe3O4 nanoparticles with curcumin significantly improved sperm parameters in rats with I/R damage (P<0.001).

The increase in all semen parameters in the experimental groups with concomitant use of Fe3O4 NPs plus curcumin indicated that green synthesis of NPs could be recommended for future clinical studies.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs), covalently closed single-stranded non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), play pivotal roles in development and progression of breast cancer (BC). Although the roles of hsa_circ_0013958 and hsa_circ_0003028 in some malignancies have been explored, their function and expression in breast tumors are still unknown. This study was aimed to bio - informatically and experimentally evaluates the expression and potential function of hsa_ circ_0013958 and hsa_circ_0003028 in BC.

The quantitative re - al-time PCR method was used to determine the expression of hsa_circ_0013958 and hsa_ circ_0003028 in 50 tumor samples and matched adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Besides, we used bioinformatic approaches to identify potentially important competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks that are regulated by these circRNAs using some databases and software tools.

The hsa_circ_0013958 was significantly down-regulated in breast tumors com - pared with adjacent normal tissues, while the hsa_circ_0003028 had an upregulated pattern. Interestingly, it is found the higher expression of hsa_circ_0013958 showed association with a lack of use of hair dye as well as age at menarche ≥14 years in subjects. On the other hand, hsa_circ_0003028 expression was meaningfully related to age at first full-term pregnancy, an - tiperspirants use, and regular menstruation. Next, we found that these two circRNAs can poten - tially regulate some circRNAs-mediated miRNA sponge regulatory networks.

The current work indicated that the hsa_circ_0013958 and hsa_circ_0003028 had reverse expres - sion patterns in breast tumors, and it seems that they play key roles in the physiopathology of this cancer through potential key regulatory ceRNA functions. However, further functional studies are needed to validate these bioinformatically observed roles.

Plantar fasciitis (PF), is the most common reason for inferior heel pain. Various approaches have been raised for the treatment of PF; however, none had substantial outcomes. The current study aims to assess and compare phonophoresis outcomes plus topical nitroglycerin versus phonophoresis plus topical hydrocortisone for PF management.

The current randomized clinical trial was conducted on 65 patients with PF diagnosis, who underwent ten every-other-day treatment sessions with phonophoresis plus 20mg nitroglycerin (n=33) or 20mg hydrocortisone (n=32), respectively. The Modified Roles and Maudsley (RM) score and the visual analog scale (VAS) were compared between the two groups at baseline, three weeks, and two months after the interventions. Besides, the plantar fascia thickness was measured at baseline and two months after the intervention.

The baseline RM (P=0.067) and pain severity (P=0.057) was similar between the two groups, but other assessments revealed the superiority of phonophoresis plus topical nitroglyc - erin over topical hydrocortisone (P<0.05). The reduction in plantar fascia thickness was more in phonophoresis plus nitroglycerin-treated patients as compared to the latter group (P<0.001), but the requirement of additional doses of analgesia was remarkably more in hydrocortisone-treated patients (P<0.001).

Based on the current study, phonophoresis plus topical nitroglycerin was superior to phonophoresis plus topical hydrocortisone in pain relief, improved quality of life, and decreased fascia thickness. However, further investigations are required to achieve the ultimate outcomes for a more extended period.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BPD) are two of the most important mental disorders that greatly impact different aspects of life. These conditions imply heavy health and economic burden and are heterogeneous in nature. Inflammation is reported as the etiology of mental disorders. Nrf2 transcription factor plays a key role in the defense mechanisms against inflammation and oxidative stress. So, this study aimed to evaluate the expression level of Nrf2 in MDD and BPD patients and compared it with healthy control subjects.

In this study, real-time PCR was conducted to evaluate the expression level of Nrf2 in 100 MDD and 100 BPD patients compared to 100 healthy control subjects. Statistical analysis conducted on GraphPad Prism 8 and SPSS21 included ANOVA, Tukey’s test, receiver operating characteristic (ROC), and odds ratio.

Results suggest a significant downregulation of Nrf2 in these conditions compared to the control group. ROC curve analysis demonstrates Nrf2 as a biomarker of these psychiatric disorders.

The elevated levels of reactive oxygen species and downregulation of detoxifying enzymes were observed in MDD and BPD, which can be associated with the downregulation of Nrf2. Concerning its role in inflammatory response pathways, alternation of Nrf2 expression can be associated with the pathology of these conditions.

Many genes induce angiogenesis in tumors, and among them, Notch family genes have received particular attention due to their extensive network of connections with other genes active in this function. Suppression of angiogenic signaling has been studied in various cancers, confirming Notch' s fundamental and extensive role. According to studies, four Notch genes work independently with many genes such as vascular endothelial growth factor , phosphatase and tensin homolog , Phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt , and matrix metalloproteinases , and so many other genes, as well as proteins (such as hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha) significantly affect tumor angiogenesis. Notch1 regular activity in a healthy person causes angiogenesis in body tissues, controlled by normal Notch2 activity. However, in many cases of glioblastoma, whether on patients or tumor xenografts or in vivo models, a mutation in one of these two essential genes or at least one of the genes and proteins that affected by them can cause better angiogenesis in hypoxic conditions and lead to become an invasive tumor. In this review, we examined the contrasting activity of Notch1 and Notch2 and the signaling cascade that each generates in the angiogenesis of glioblastoma, the most invasive cancer of the central nervous system.

Ever since discovering the fat-soluble secosteroid vitamin D, an abundance of research has been conducted on the molecular mechanisms for the multiple health benefits of this nutrient. Studies on the beneficial effects of vitamin D supplementation have found appreciable evidence suggesting that it may play a more prime role than initially presumed. Though it has largely been implicated in bone pathophysiology, novel research on vitamin D indicates its fundamental involvement in a wide range of disease processes through its multiple systemic effects, including but not limited to metabolic, cardiovascular, anti-inflammatory, antineoplastic, antioxidant, neuroprotective, and immune actions.Recent work has yielded important mechanistic insights into the functions of vitamin D in mediating immunity. The present work sheds light on the metabolism and immune response mechanisms of vitamin D. Current review is based on a thorough search of the available relevant research findings of the metabolic transformations of vitamin D and the molecular basis of its role in immunity. Apart from its classical mechanistic control of mineral homeostasis, vitamin D has immunomodulatory effects through various mechanisms at both systemic and cellular levels. Disruption of vitamin D reliant molecular pathways in the regulation of immune response can potentially result in the development and/or progression of autoimmune and infective processes.

An understanding of atrial fibrillation (AF) mechanisms, as the most common cardiac arrhythmia, is essential for primary and secondary prevention. Some studies indicated an association between microalbuminuria and C-reactive protein (CRP) protein, with the inci - dence and prevalence of AF. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between permanent non-valvular AF with microalbuminuria and reactive protein C.

In this case-control study, 40 permanent non-valvular AF patients and 40 non-AF patients (control group) were studied. Demographic data and measurements of albumin, urine creatinine, CRP, and microalbuminuria were recorded and compared between the two groups.

In pa - tients with permanent non-valvular atrial fibrillation, CRP level (P<0.001) and microalbumin - uria (P=0.012) were significantly higher than the control group. Also, in patients with permanent non-valvular AF, the CRP positive (P = 0.014) and microalbuminuria (P = 0.003) were signifi - cantly higher than controls. The results showed that elevated chance of permanent non-valvular AF with abnormal CRP was 4.25 (odds ratio [OR]= 4.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.18- 1.28; P= 0.026), and with microalbuminuria was 6.54 (OR= 6.54, 95% CI: 1.65-25.89; P=0.007).

An elevated CRP level and microalbuminuria were significantly associ - ated with permanent non-valvular atrial fibrillation. A longitudinal study is necessary.

Geographic stomatitis is an uncommon migratory benign lesion of oral mucosa with unknown etiology. It can affect all the areas of the oral mucosa, but the dorsum and lateral borders of the tongue are the most commonly involved areas called geographic tongue. The clinical appearance of this condition is the oval or circular erythematous areas with irregular elevated keratotic borders. These characteristic features of geographic stomatitis are diagnostic for all clinicians when appearing on the dorsum of the tongue, despite other affected areas of oral mucosa that can confuse clinicians. This condition may be associated with some diseases such as psoriasis, Reiter’s syndrome, and atopic conditions, so the clinicians should rule out these diseases and diagnose the geographic stomatitis.

A 17-year-old male attended to our department for a routine dentistry checkup. During the intraoral examination, we found multiple erythematous areas surrounded by a thin white border on different surfaces of his oral cavity. His extraoral examinations were completely normal.

Due to the rarity of this lesion on the other sites of oral mucosa rather than dorsum and lateral borders of the tongue such as labial mucosa, buccal mucosa, the floor of the mouth, ventral surface of the tongue, and palate, it is necessary to report, study and evaluate each case of this condition that clinicopathologic findings have confirmed this diagnosis, to treat and advice these patients on the best approach.

Breast cancer (BC) as a major cause of cancer-related death in women shows a very complex molecular and clinical phenotype, which has reduced the effectiveness of medical interventions. Evidence suggests that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are responsible for an important part of this complexity. This study aims to assess the expression and clinical implication of lncRNA LET in the pathobiology of BC.

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to measure the expression of lncRNA-LET in breast tumors and adjacent normal-appearing tissues from 4 BC patients, as well as normal mammary tissues. Moreover, a bioinformatics approach was applied to uncover the potential lncRNA-LET-mediated sponge regulatory network as LET/miRNA/mRNA crosstalk.

Our study revealed that lncRNA-LET was significantly down-expressed not only in breast tumors but also in normal appearing breast tissues samples from BC subjects compared with true normal breast tissues obtained from healthy women. The low level of lncRNA-LET was meaningfully associated with early-onset menarche (≤13 years) and late-onset menopause (≥50) in patients. Moreover, the bioinformatics analyses support that lncRNA-LET could function as a tumor suppressor miRNA sponge.

The results indicate that normal appearing breast tissues can undergo tumor-related molecular changes. Furthermore, they reveal the potential role of the dysregulation in LET-mediated ceRNA network in the pathophysiology of BC.

The literature on patients with heart failure (HF) from the Middle East, besides a few existing registries, is scarce. We report, for the first time in our country, a hospital-based registry for systolic HF.

This was a web-based registry on HF, conducted in Vali-Asr Hospital affiliated with Fasa University of Medi-cal Sciences, Fasa, Iran. The goal of this registry was to define overall baseline clinical characteristics and natural history of hospitalized patients with systolic HF, to evaluate current management schema and implementation of practice guidelines, and to deter-mine the correlation between genetic predisposition environmental effects, individuals’ characteristics of health, lifestyle, morbidity, and mortality in relation with the effects of medication.

To date, 2378 individuals with a mean of age 67.08±13.07 years have been registered. Among which, 1381 (58.07%) patients were diagnosed with deno-vo HF. Most of the patients (60.1%) were male, and 8.9% had admissions during the past 30 days. The most common causes of HF were ischemic heart disease (86.5%) and hyper-tension (5.3%). Most patients had NYHA class one (44.3%) and three (20.4%). Overall, near 30% had diabetes and more than 38% had hyperlipidemia. Most individuals have been not a history of cigarette smoking (68.7%) or water-pipe smoking (96.9%). Also, 22.2% were current opium users, and 3.2% were previous opium users.

The findings of this registry could make a realistic view of HF as a chronic disease with a burden. Therefore, policymakers can design programs and guidelines to prevent disease and better survival and quality of life.

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are heterogeneous disorders with a variety of genetic abnormalities. We aim to assess the prevalence of Calreticulin (CALR) and JAK2 mutations in Iranian MPNs.

In a cross-sectional study, CALR and JAK2 mutations among 130 MPNs patients, including 78 Philadelphia chromosome-negative (MPN-) and 52 Philadelphia chromosome-positive (MPN+) as well as 51 healthy control subjects, were investigated by GAP-PCR.

In MPN- group JAK2 and CALR gene mutations were found in 64.1% and 7.7%, respectively, that 5.1% were positive for both mutations, and 2.6% had only CALR mutation. In polycythemia vera (PV) patients 90% had JAK2 mutation, which was significantly higher than other MPN- or MPN+ patients. Most of the MPN+ patients had neither mutation in CALR nor JAK2 (70% CALR-/JAK2- ). Among all patients’ groups, the prevalence of CALR+ mutation in either rs1450785140 (4 cases) or rs765476509 (5 cases) position was not statistically different.

These results showed a low prevalence of CALR mutations in all types of MPNs in the Iranian population that its frequency may influence by ethnicity and genetic diversity. CALR mutation may be seen in JAK2 negative cases, also. The PV had the highest JAK2 mutation with a 90 percent positivity rate among MPNs cases.

Degenerative lumbar canal stenosis (DLS) is a common spinal pathology charac - terized by radicular pain and neurogenic claudication. Sagittal alignment and its indices have been affected in several spinal pathologies and may play a key role in surgical planning and outcome. In this case-control study, we aimed to assess sagittal alignment among patients with DLS compared to healthy individuals.

Sixty patients DLS and 60 healthy volunteers were selected. Pelvic tilt (PT), sacral slope (SS), lumbar lordosis (LL), pelvic incidence (PI), thoracic kyphosis (TK), and sagittal vertical axis (SVA) were obtained in lateral standing X-ray radiographs.

Mean LL was lower in DLS patients (35.3±10.2) compared to normal controls (44.78±12.95), which was statistically significant (P <0.05). In contrast, there were no significant differences in PI, SVA, and SS between the groups. In patients with DLS, TK was lower, and PT was higher when compared to healthy individuals (P<0.05).

Patients with DLS utilize decreased lordosis of the lumbar spine as a compensatory mechanism to decompress the thecal sac and spinal roots and improve their symptoms. Consequently, these patients recruit compensatory adjustments such as thoracic hyperkyphosis and increased PT to maintain sagittal alignment.

Natural compounds can be used as a complementary or alternative medicine for many dis - eases, such as osteoporosis. Curcumin, a polyphenolic compound and the major active com - ponent of turmeric, is reported to play important roles in bone health and osteoporosis. By affecting proliferation, differentiation, lifespan and activity of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, curcumin can directly modulate bone tissue hemostasis. Due to its insignificant side effects and several therapeutic properties, such as antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, an - ti-inflammatory, and antirheumatic, it could be a potential therapeutic agent to prevent and treat osteoporosis. This review aimed to summarize the most important findings of in vitro, animal and human studies in an effort to clarify the possible effects of curcumin on osteo - porosis and to explain the exact molecular mechanism by which curcumin exerts its action

Alternate activation of monocytes could induce anti-inflammatory impacts. This study aimed to investigate whether monocyte cells treated with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells supernatant (MSC-Sp) could improve anti-inflammatory responses as a cell transfer therapy for colitis.

The induction of experimental colitis was done by acetic acid in four groups of male BALB/c mice, including the control colitis, treated-monocytes, non-treated-monocytes, and mesalazine groups. Following MSCs culture, the supernatant was harvested, and then 50% conditioned media, or negative control media was added to the monocytes for 24 h. After ten days, peritoneal injection of treated or non-treated-monocytes (105 cells/100μL) was performed in animals' relevant groups of colitis. Ten days later, the oxidative stress profile and histopathological evaluation of colon tissue were assessed.

Treated monocytes showed a significant improvement in the oxidative stress profile, namely myeloperoxidase (0.126±0.008), nitric oxide (0.153±0.01), and malondialdehyde (0.148±0.014) compared to the control colitis group (P<0.05). Also, histopathological results revealed that the rate of damage in the treated-monocytes group was less than in normal mice.

Our study indicated that the treated monocytes had anti-oxidative potential in colitis mice and were usable as a complementary therapy.

Helicobacter pylori is the most common chronic bacterial infection globally and is the underlying cause of many disorders, including dyspepsia. Also, the prevalence of gastric cancer in Zanjan city is high. Therefore, this study investigates the prevalence of H. pylori infection in patients with dyspepsia by the H. pylori stool antigen (HpSA) test.

This cross-sectional study was performed on patients over 18 years of age who were referred to Shafieieh Special Clinic in Zanjan with dyspepsia during 2019-2020. First, the HpSA test was examined for H. pylori infection. Since the results of two separate tests are needed to prove that H. pylori infection is negative, the serological test was used in the patients with HpSA negative results.

Based on the demographic information of the present study, most patients (70.1%) were under 40 years old, and most (55.1%) were women. Smoking, alcohol, drug, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) use in patients were 16.5%, 6.3%, 7.9%, and 39.4%, respectively. The highest and lowest symptoms were abdominal pain (44.9%) and burp (22%), respectively. Except for the relationship between positive serological results and age (P˂0.001), no significant relationship was found between other variables (P≥0.05). Based on the HpSA test, H. pylori infection was seen in 56.7% of patients. By the serological test, another 29 patients had H. pylori infection. Therefore, the total number of patients was 101, and the overall prevalence of H. pylori increased to 79.5%.

The results of the present study showed that the overall prevalence of H. pylori infection was high compared to previous studies. Also, above the age of 40 years, female gender in HpSA test and male gender in serology test, higher education level, and the presence of risk factors (smoking, alcohol, and NSAIDs) have a higher positive test for H. pylori.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the most common chronic disease. This disease is the main risk factor for fatal diseases such as myocardial infarction and stroke. As there is no cure for DM, an effective strategy must control it. Every attempt to control DM and patients’ outcomes require a surveillance system to consider the efficacy and safety measures. Fasa Registry on Diabetes mellitus (FaRD) is the first population-based registry for DM in Iran, which aims to provide an accurate description of social, mental health, clinical, and laboratory values of patients in order to consider the management patterns of these patients and discover the degree of adherence to the recommendations.

The level of plasma glucose characterizes the diagnosis of diabetes (Type I and II). The pregnant women were excluded from this study. Three registrar nurses collected data from demographics, physical exams, past medical history, medication history, and laboratory findings.

The pilot phase included the first 381 patients, of which 257 (67.5%) were women, and 124 (32.5%) were men with a mean age of 57.54 ± 12.12 years among subjects, the 347 (94.5%) cases had DM type 2, and 20 (5.4%) ones had type 1.

Based on our results, the characteristics of patients suffering from DM indicated that the jobless ones could not afford their medical expenditures; therefore, the majority of the patients were not adherent to the practice guidelines. The achievement of FaRD helps physicians and patients in improved management of the DM. The findings of this pilot study show the FaRD is feasible, and it will make a comprehensive population- based registry for DM in the region.

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and shivering are common general anesthesia complications. Hence, this study evaluates the effect of dexmedetomidine, given as a premedication, on PONV and shivering in patients with opium use who underwent elective su - pratentorial brain tumor surgeries.

In a randomized clinical trial, 100 opium user patients who were candidates for elective supra-tentorial brain tumor surgery under general anesthesia were studied in two groups of 50 patients. The intervention group received dexmedetomidine ( within 10 and 30 minutes infusion) before the anesthesia induction. Group placebo that received normal saline as a group. PONV and shivering rates were compared be - tween the two groups.

Both groups did not differ in hemodynamic parameters during operation, including pulse rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and anesthesia duration. In the dexmedetomidine group, patients suffered less from PONV and shivering rather than controls, and these differences were both significant (P=0.001 and P=0.027, respectively). Dis - cussion: Dexmedetomidine administration before major surgeries might reduce post-operative nausea and vomiting and the occurrence of shivering, particularly in opium-addicted patients.

Lung cancer is the fifth most common cancer in Iran. Due to the side effects of common cancer treatments, everyone has turned to herbal remedies and new treatments. This study aimed to compare the effect of S14161 small molecule and Glaucium flavum extract on the induction of apoptosis in A549 cancer cells.

In this experimental study, the A549 cell line was treated with different concentrations of G. flavum and S14161 on days 1, 3, and 5. Also, half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC 50) for both G. flavum and S14161 were measured. In addition, the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay was used to investigate the effects of S14161 and G. flavum extract on the expressions level of Bax, Bad, P53, and Bcl2 genes.

Results showed that both the combination of S14161 and G. flavum extract resulted in cell death and reduced cancer cell viability. Nevertheless, the viability rate was greater by S14161, and this small molecule significantly increased the expression of Bax, P53, and Bad apoptotic genes and decreased the expression of the Bcl2 gene, which shows the induced apoptotic death and lethal effect of S14161 in comparison with G. flavum extract.

Our study showed that S14161 had fewer IC50 and caused cell death by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT pathway, and G. flavum caused cancer cell death due to its alkaloid compounds. Therefore, both compounds are recommended as drug candidates for the treatment of lung cancer.

Author and journal self-citation contributes to the overall citation count of an article and the impact factor (IF) of the journal in which it appears. However, little is known about the extent of self-citation in the general clinical medi - cine literature. This study aimed to determine the effect of self-citation (journal and au thor) on the IF of Iranian, American, and European English medical journals.

IF, IF without self-citations (corrected IF), journal self-citation rate, and author self-citation rate for medical journals were investigated from 2014–2021 by reviewing the Journal Citation Report (JCR). Twenty Iranian medical journals (published in English) in the web of science indexed were selected and compared with 20 American and 20 European medical journals. The correlation between the journal self-citation and author self-citation with IF was obtained. We used Spearman’s correlation coefficient for the correlation of self-citation and IF.

The overall journal citations were higher in the American and European journals compared to the Iranian ones between 2014 and 2021. There was a significant relationship between journal self-citation rates and IF (P<0.001). The findings demonstrated that the rate of author self-citation was higher in the European and American journals compared to the Iranian ones. Findings also showed a significant difference between the author's self-citation and IF in Iranian, American, and European medical journals that published in English (P<0.001).

The self-citation rate positively affects the IF in medical journals. A high concentration of self-citation of some journals could distort the ranking among medical surgery journals in general.

Recovery is an abstract multidimensional concept. There is no clear definition for recovery because this concept has specific meanings for individuals. This study aimed to analyze the concept of recovery in nursing. A concept analysis was conducted using Walker and Avant’s method. An extensive literature review was conducted. The primary search key terms were “recovery,” “concepts related to recovery,” and “nursing.” The publication date was limited to 2006–2019. Data related to the definitions, attributes, antecedents, and consequences of recov ery were extracted from the reviewed studies. We found several attributes for this concept. Physical attributes of recovery included fighting with illness, experiencing an injury, and pain. Mental attributes were achieving self-restoration, hopefulness, self-confidence, self-identity, the mean ing of life, and personal growth. Social attributes were self-determination, autonomy, support, social confidence, and active participation in social relationships. The antecedents and conse - quences of recovery were classified into physical, mental, and social dimensions. Model, borderline, and contrary cases were presented. Recovery is a complex and dynamic process, which is unique to individuals based on their characteristics and conditions.

Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) is a common leading cause of lateral knee pain. Despite varieties of medical and non-medical treatments proposed for the management of ITBS, the best therapeutic approach for its treatment remained a significant question. The current study aims to compare the outcomes of dry needling (DN) versus shockwave therapy (SWT) in the management of ITBS.

This randomized clinical trial was conduct - ed on 40 patients diagnosed with ITBS. The patients were randomly divided into two treatment groups of DN (n=20) and SWT (n=20). Visual analog scale for the pain assessment, Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) for the function evaluation, and length of the iliotibial band were assessed at baseline, immediately after the cessation of the intervention, and within four weeks.

The two groups were similar regarding demographic characteristics (P>0.05). Both approaches could efficiently lead to improved pain (P<0.001) and promoted function based on LEFS (P<0.001); however, iliotibial band length (ITBL) did not alter remarkably (P>0.05). The groups were similar in terms of pain score, LEFS, and ITBL at all of the assess - ment intervals (P>0.05), but the pain score within four weeks following the interventions that were significantly better in DN (P=0.023).

Based on our results, DN, as well as SWT, could remarkably lead to an improvement in pain and function among patients resenting from ITBS; however, none of the approaches was superior over the other.

Curcumin, a polyphenolic derivative of Curcuma longa rhizome, has numerous beneficial effects, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant, antifungal, an - ti-ischemic, anti-cancer, hypoglycemic, nephroprotective, antirheumatic, hepato-protective, and antimutagenic. Curcumin has indicated the capability to exert anti-cancer activity by multifunctional mechanisms, such as induction of apoptosis, inhibition of cancer cell pro - liferation, cell cycle regulation, chemotherapeutic intestinal absorption, and modification of several cancer cell types signaling pathways. Several studies have shown that curcumin may have protective effects against tumors of the reproductive system. Reproductive system can - cers may cause many undesirable physical and, especially, mental disorders. Infertility and its mental consequences, sexual problems, chemotherapy and surgery-related adverse effects, substantial economic burden, and death are the most common complications regarding the cancers of the reproductive system. By modulating several reproductive cancer hallmarks such as signaling pathways, multiple drug resistance, cancer cell growth and proliferation, tumor angiogenesis, and transcription factors, curcumin could be used as a safe, non-tox - ic, cheap, and easily accessible drug for treating different types of reproductive cancers.

One unprecedented year after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the pandemic is no longer a short-term stressor; the unremitting/chronic effects of COVID-19 disease is likely to cause impaired physical and mental health upon population and the implemented public health and social measures to limit transmission and reduce mortality and morbidity from COVID-19 expose many people to social isolation, job loss, and economic recession. This study aims to compare mental status and four mental symptoms (somatization, anxiety, depression, and social functions) between two periods during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Current study consists of two cross-sectional mental health surveys on the Iranian adult population carried out in two periods of March to April 2020 and December 2020 to February 2021 in two important Provinces of Iran (Fars and Khorasan Razavi). In the first survey, 1337 individuals participated in the study and completed the General Health Questionnaire-28, while in the second survey, 1205 participants completed the same questionnaire.

Among 1337 participants of the first survey, there were 876 (65.5%) females and 461 (34.5%) males with an average age of 37.41±10.58 years. In the second survey, there were 1205 participants with mean age of 33.79±19.57 years. The rates of females and males were 57.7% and 42.3%, respectively. Compared to the first survey, the second one showed that poor mental health condition that was 1.40 (95% confidence interval: 1.17- 1.67) times higher based on the age, sex, education, marital status, economic, alcohol, cigarette, water-pipe, and sedative (P<0.001).

Poor mental health status has increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. These results revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic was a chronic stressor faced by people every day; therefore, more robust mental health-related considerations must be implemented.

The relationship between the treatment of depression and plant-derived substances (e.g., flavonoids, coumarin, and scopoletin) has been demonstrated through interference with the monoamine system. The present study was planned to evaluate the anti-depressant effects of Asperula odorata L. plant through behavioral tests in mice.

In this experimental study, 35 male Syrian mice weighing 30- 40 g were examined in five groups (n=7) as follow: received oral distilled water gavage (control), 10 mg/kg of fluoxetine solution gavage (reference standard), 10, 5, and 2.5 mg/kg of A. odorata L. extract gavage (treatment groups). After one week, all behavioral tests, including tail suspension test (TST), forced swimming test (FST), open field test (OFT), elevated plus maze test (EPMT), and fractionation tests were performed each morning for 4-6 h within five days.

The hydroalcoholic extract of A. odorata contained phenolic and flavonoid substances (Shinoda test confirmed flavonoid family). Administration of extract (10 and 5 mg/kg doses) versus fluoxetine (10 mg/kg dose) reduced the immobility of animals in both FST and TST (P<0.05). At the OFT, the administered extract increased the number of central square entries of animals with higher mobility (P<0.05). At a 10 mg/kg dose, the active flavonoid ingredients increased the mice's incline to entre and spent more time within no wall parts of EPMT (P<0.05).

Our study suggests that the hydroalcoholic extract of A. odorata L. could have significant anti-depressant activity.

Dietary patterns play an essential role in vascular diseases; however, the association of specific dietary patterns and the risk of stroke is unknown. We designed the current study to evaluate several dietary patterns and their association with ischemic stroke.

This case-control study was performed on 300 subjects, including 150 cases with ischemic stroke admitted to a tertiary referral center in Shiraz, Southern Iran, and 150 age- and sex-matched stroke-free individuals as controls. Using a 62-item Simple Stroke Food Frequency Questionnaire (SS-FFQ), we collected data regarding the dietary habits of all the participants. We extracted the major dietary patterns via principal component analysis using the varimax rotation technique with Kaiser Normalization. Finally, adherence to dietary patterns among the participants was divided into quartiles. We investigated the association between dietary patterns and ischemic stroke using multiple logistic regression analyses.

One-hundred and fifty ischemic stroke patients (91 males and 59 females, mean age of 63.9±16.04 years) and 150 age- and sex-matched controls (91 males and 59 females, mean age of 61.99±16.04 years) were included. After adjusting five major dietary patterns for vascular risk factors, we found that diets rich in fibers and plant-based proteins (P<0.001) and micronutrients (P<0.001) had a lower odds of ischemic stroke as compared to high-fat proteins (P=0.003) and empty calories (P<0.001) diets, but consuming healthy animal proteins (P=0.115) had no effects on the occurrence of ischemic stroke.

Based on our study, we suggest that fibers and plant-based proteins, and micronutrient diets could reduce the odds of stroke, so public awareness about the effects of different dietary patterns should be raised.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) as a well-established and effective therapeutic approach for the treatment of various psychiatric disorders is an excellent option to treat the major depressive disorder (MDD). The goal of this experimental study was to determine the possible sides effects of electroconvulsive shock (ECS) and duloxetine, a serotonin-norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs), and evaluate the safety of this therapeutic approach on behavioral factors, cardiovascular function, and brain oxidative stress markers on mice.

Animals were divided into different groups receiving either ECS or different doses (10, 20, 40, 80, or 120 mg) of duloxetine alone or together. We evaluated the behavioral factors associated with administration of ECS with or without duloxetine. In addition, we monitored the ECGs (electrocardiogram) of animals prior to and after the experiment and also evaluated the oxidative stress markers including TAC, MDA, and GSH mice’s brains.

We did not detect any significant differences in terms of heart rate, RR interval, PR interval, QT, or corrected QT (QTc) between groups that received different doses of duloxetine in combination with ECS compare to the control group. Our findings suggest that while administration of ECS solely increased the oxidative stress markers and decreased the antioxidant capacity of the brain, a combination of duloxetine and ECS at certain doses alleviates the oxidative stress condition and increases the antioxidant capacity of the brain.

Overall, this study suggests that the combination of ECS and duloxetine is safe and considerable for further studies on human subjects.

Glomus jugulare tumor is a rare, slow-growing, hyper-vascular paraganglioma that originates from the neural crest derivatives in the wall of the jugular bulb. The most common clinical manifestations of glomus jugulare are pulsatile tinnitus, conductive hearing loss, and hoarseness due to its vascularity and invasion of surrounding structures. Isolated hypoglossal nerve palsy as a presenting feature of the glomus jugulare is very rare.

We report a 61-year-old woman with a past medical history of breast cancer and diabetic mellitus presenting with progressive difficulty handling food in her mouth and tongue atrophy. Investigations showed skull base lesion and solitary pulmonary nodule. Further work-up led to glomus jugulare and benign solitary pulmonary fibrous tumor diagnosis, although the first impression was metastatic involvement of the jugular foramen. Endovascular embolization of the glomus jugulare was performed, but the patient refused any open surgery due to co-morbidities and the risk of operation. She had no new symptoms at the one-year follow-up, and the size of the lesion became more minor on the follow-up imaging relative to the baseline.

Glomus jugulare tumors should be considered and surveyed in the diagnostic work-up of patients with hypoglossal nerve palsy.

COVID-19 induced cardiac events are reported by a large number of papers; while psychophysiology of association of the COVID-19 and cardiac attacks are not fully understood yet.

Here we compared gene expression levels of heart autopsies of SARS-Cov-2 infected patients with the cardiac organoid model of human myocardial infarction and control healthy cardiac organoids to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene Ontology (GO) biological processes were enriched in DEGs.

Results showed that smell perception genes were down-regulated in SARS-COV2 in comparison to myocardial infarction samples; while showing upregulated genes related to the immune system process in comparison to control healthy heart organoids. Our results are in agreement with theories of immune system reactions in COVID-19 infected patients’ hearts; while our analysis indicates different patterns of heart genes expression from myocardial infarction models.

our study suggests that there may be different pathways involved in MI appearance in COVID-19 patients rather than classic known atherosclerotic and inflammatory pathways.

According to the increasing incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), this study aimed to investigate the effect of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) transplantation on passive avoidance memory and neuroinflammation in trimethyltin (TMT)-induced AD rat model.

In this experimental study, 18 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: the control that rats received 8 mg/kg TMT plus 0.5 ml phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and TMT+DPSCs (TMT + 1×106 cells/ml DPSC in 0.5 ml PBS) groups. Then, after one month, passive avoidance test was performed. Also measured the Nuclear Factor Kappa-β (NF-Kβ) serum level and the percentage of damaged neurons in the hippocampus were determined.

DPSCs transplantation showed significantly increased step-through latency to the dark compartment in comparison with control and TMT+PBS groups in 24 hours after shock. Also, time spent in the dark compartment of TMT+DPSCs significantly decreased compared to control and TMT+PBS groups in 24 and 48 hours after shock (P<0.05). Furthermore, DPSCs transplantation significantly decreased the NF-Kβ serum level and percentage of damaged pyramidal neurons of CA1 compared with TMT+PBS (P<0.05).

DPSCs transplantation improved memory and learning, regulated NF-Kβ serum level, and decreased damage neurons of CA1 hippocampus in TMT-induced AD rat model.

Gliomas possess low immunogenicity, which is an inevitable hinder in front of cancer immunotherapy. Different interferons (IFNs) may proceed apoptosis instead in p53-dependent or independent pathways. P53 induces the anti-inflammatory programmed cell death in cancer cells; on the other hand, IFN gamma (IFNγ) is a modulatory/pro- inflammatory cytokine. There are contradictory reports of whether this cytokine can possess an anti- or pro-cancerous impact on tumors. Hence, we aimed to investigate the possible cooperative apoptotic effect of the P53 and IFNγ over expressions on the U87 glioblastoma cell line.

The P53 expressing vector was amplified by Escherichia coli BL21. This vector was confirmed by the aid of sequencing. At the next step, U87 cells were transfected using lipofectamine. Cells were treated with P53 vector and/or IFNγ. The type of cellular death investigated by flow cytometry and the expression level of cleaved caspase-3 protein was also precisely demonstrated by western blotting.

Sequencing results revealed that inserted P53 was identical with human P53. Western blot results revealed that both IFNγ and P53 overexpression could up-regulate cleaved caspase-3 protein expression in this cell line. Interestingly, flow cytometry data determined that concurrent treatment with P53 exogenous overexpression and IFNγ induces about 70% apoptosis in U87; more than the sum of cell death occurs after IFNγ or P53 overexpression alone (~18%+21%=39%).

The present study results showed that p53-overexpression and IFNγ could ultimately induce up- regulation of the caspase-3 and ultimately significant apoptosis increasing in the U87 cell line. Although IFNγ is believed to be a pro-inflammatory cytokine and P53 is an anti-inflammatory agent, our results demonstrated that they could act synergistically to induce apoptosis in U87 cells.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia syndrome (AML) is a hematologic malignancy which is due to clonal extensive proliferation of leukemic precursor cells and is rapidly fatal unless treated or response to chemotherapy. Cytogenetic findings have important role in prognosis and categorization of AML. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression changes in CX3CL1 and Interlukin-6 (IL-6) genes before and after chemotherapy as remission induction therapy in AML patients.

In this study 69 patients (36 males, 33 female) with AML was selected from tertiary medical heath center. A quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was done for mRNA expression of CX3CL1 and IL-6genes before and after induction chemotherapy. To obtain expression changes in CX3CL1 and IL-6genes, we used 2-ΔΔCT method.

The expression of CX3CL1 and IL-6 was significantly increased after induction chemotherapy. Also, the ΔCt mean of CX3CL1 and IL-6 mRNA was not significant between AML subtype groups.

In conclusion, as we showed that chemotherapy significantly increase the expression of CX3CL1 and IL-6 which can be used as a prognostic factor of AML.

Sleep loss is one of the most important health problems in the world, and about 30 to 40 percent of ordinary people suffer from it. This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of the combination of resveratrol and naringenin in attenuation of sleep deprivation (SD) complications in rats.

In this experimental study, 72 Wistar male rats were randomly divided into three main groups, including control, sham, and 7-days SD group. Each of its main groups consisted of three subgroups, including without drug, vehicle, and combination therapy groups (naringenin [100 mg/kg], resveratrol [100 mg/kg]). The day after the latest injection, the fear conditioning memory tests, locomotor activity test, hot plate, and forced swimming tests (FST) were carried out on all rats, and then sham and SD groups were induced 48 hours of non-REM SD (device off and on, respectively) and these behavioral tests were repeated for all rats again. Finally, the brains of all rats were removed and histopathologically examined, and stained with nissl and TUNNEL.

To assess fear condition memory, the rate of latency to first freezing in the visual and auditory phase increased in sham and SD rats that received vehicle or no drug (P<0.001), which indicates memory corruption. Injection of the combination of naringenin and resveratrol reduced the latency to first freezing (P<0.001), which means improved memory. In the FST test, injection of naringenin and resveratrol reduced the rate of immobility (P<0.001), which means improved depressive behavior. The naringenin and resveratrol reduced the pain perception threshold. Also, the naringenin and resveratrol reduced apoptosis compared to the control and vehicle groups (P<0.001).

The combination of naringenin and resveratrol compared to other groups could improve memory and mood as well as reduce apoptosis, depression, and pain perception threshold.

Testicular torsion is one cause of infertility without proper treatment. In this study, we investigate the effects of NiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) and curcumin on sperm parameters in rats and the expressions of genes involved in the apoptotic pathway, as well as expressions of miR-34 and circRNA 0001518.

Forty-eight rats were randomly divided into eight groups: control (healthy rats), control rats that received NiO2-NPs, healthy rats that received curcumin, rats that received simultaneous NiO2-NPs and curcumin, untreated testicular ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) rats, testicular I/R rats that received NiO2-NPs, testicular I/R rats that received curcumin, and testicular I/R rats that received NiO2-NPs and curcumin. Then, sperms were extracted from the rats’ epididymides to analyze concentration, viability, morphology, and motility. The cellular apoptosis level was studied using flow cytometry. Also, Bad and Bcl-X gene expressions, as well as miR-34 and circRNA 0001518 levels were measured.

We observed improved sperm parameters in the testicular I/R) rats that received curcumin and NiO2-NPs. Administration of NiO2-NPs to healthy rats increased both apoptosis and the Bad/Bcl-X expression ratio. However, its administration to testicular I/R rats alone or in combination with curcumin decreased apoptosis and the Bad/Bcl-X expression ratio and increased expressions of miR-34 and circRNA 0001518.

Administration of NiO2-NPs and curcumin, alone or in combination, can have therapeutic effects in testicular I/R conditions by altering the expressions of genes in the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and their regulatory elements.