Journal of Research in Medical Sciences
Volume:28 Issue: 10, Oct 2023

Recent changes in dietary habits have resulted in increased intake of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are known to have a predominant contribution to the pathogenesis and complications of coronary artery disease (CAD). AGEs are also thought to induce weight gain by affecting appetite, energy expenditure, and brown adipose tissue (BAT). Here, we investigated whether the restriction of dietary AGEs could affect appetite, body composition, anthropometric indices, and BAT?derived markers in CAD patients treated with angioplasty.

Forty?two stented CAD patients were randomly allocated into two groups that received either a low?AGEs or a control diet for 12 weeks. At baseline and postintervention, fasting blood samples were analyzed for total AGEs, nesfatin?1, and BAT?derived markers (fibroblast growth factor 21 and neuregulin 4). Subjective appetite ratings and body composition were evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and bioelectric impedance analysis. Anthropometric indices, including fat mass index (FMI), abdominal volume index (AVI), and body adiposity index (BAI), were calculated through the relevant formula.

Restricting dietary AGEs for 12 weeks could cause a significant reduction in weight, FMI, AVI, and BAI (P < 0.05) compared to the comparison group. In  addition, VAS data analyses indicated a significant decrease in the sense of hunger and prospective food intake (P < 0.05) in the intervention group compared to the comparison group. No significant difference was seen in the measured biochemical markers between the two groups.

This study indicated that the low?AGEs diet could decrease appetite, weight, and anthropometric indices in stented CAD patients.

A proper diet plan is one of the necessary conditions for maintaining the children’s health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of consumption of pasteurized cow’s milk fortified with albumin protein in  rimary?school children, in Yasuj, Iran.

In this double?blind randomized clinical trial with 12 weeks of duration, 60 children aged 7–13 years, mild to moderate underweight (?1? weight?for?age z?score ??3), were randomly assigned to control and albumin groups. The albumin group and the control group received 200 cc of milk with 10 g of albumin powder and 200 cc of milk with 10 g of cornstarch powder, respectively. At the beginning and end of the study, food intake and anthropometric indices were measured.

After 12 weeks of intervention, none of the anthropometric indices (weight, weight?for?age z?score, body mass index (BMI), BMI?for?age z?score, and waist circumference) showed significant changes as compared to baseline in the control group, but weight?for?age z?score and BMI?for?age z?score showed significant increase as compared to baseline in the albumin group (before: ?2.25 ± 0.40, after: ?1.98 ± 0.35, P = 0.001 and before: ?3.48 ± 0.86, after: ?3.06 ± 0.71, P = 0.009, respectively). The comparison of the mean changes between the two groups showed significant difference regarding weight?for?age z?score (control group: ?1.70 ± 0.31 in comparison with albumin group: ?1.98 ± 0.35, P = 0.002), BMI (control group: 12.08 ± 1.96 in comparison with albumin group: 12.13 ± 1.49, P = 0.03), and BMI?for?age z?score (control group: ?3.11 ± 0.91 in comparison with albumin group: ?3.06 ± 0.71, P = 0.02).

The consumption of albumin powder with milk can improve weight?for?age z?score and BMI?for?age z?score indices in children with mild?to?moderate underweight. Larger controlled interventional studies with longer duration are recommended.

The use of probiotics in the treatment of infertility is a new area of research. In this study, our objective was to examine the efficacy of probiotic supplementation on semen parameters following varicocelectomy.

We included infertile men in our study who were the candidates for subinguinal microscopic varicocelectomy. After the surgical procedure, the patients were randomly assigned into two groups: 38 individuals received probiotic  upplementation (FamiLact®), while 40 individuals received a placebo for 3 months. We compared the preoperative semen parameters with the postoperative parameters to evaluate the effects of probiotic supplementation.

A total of 78 patients were included in the study. The two groups weresimilar in terms of age, body mass index, infertility period, and semen parameters at baseline (P > 0.05). A statistically significant difference was found in sperm concentration (33.7 ± 22.5 vs. 21.1 ± 16.1 × 106/mL, P = 0.046), and the percentage of sperms with normal morphology (15.0 ± 8.9 vs. 12.0 ± 11.5, P = 0.016) at 3 months favoring the probiotic group. Although the probiotic groupexhibited higher values for semen volume and sperm motility at 3 months, the differences were not statistically significant (P = 0.897 and P = 0.177, respectively).

Our study demonstrates that the short?term use of probiotics after varicocelectomy can provide additional benefits in improving semen parameters. Probiotic supplements are cost?effective and well tolerated, making them a suitable option for enhancing the outcomes of varicocelectomy.

The denervation or activation of the sympathetic nerve in the kidney can affect renal hemodynamics. The sympathetic nervous system regulates the physiological functions of the kidneys. Stimulation of sympathetic efferent nerves affects various parameters related to renal hemodynamics, including sodium excretion, renin secretion, and renal blood flow (RBF). Hence, renal sympathetic fibers may also play an essential role in regulating systemic vascular resistance and controlling blood pressure. In the absence of renal nerves, the hemodynamics response to stimuli is negligible or absent. The effect of renal sympathetic denervation on RBF is dependent on several factors such as interspecies differences, the basic level of nerve activity in the vessels or local density of adrenergic receptor in the vascular bed. The role of renal denervation has been investigated therapeutically in hypertension and related disorders. Hence,the dynamic impact of renal nerves on RBF enables using RBF dynamic criteria as a marker for renal denervation therapy.

Diabetes and obesity are highly prevalent in the world. Proteomics is a promising approach to better understanding enzymes, proteins, and signaling molecules involved in diabetes processes which help recognize the basis of the disease better and find suitable new treatments. This study aimed to summarize the molecular mechanisms from the beginning of insulin secretion in response to stimuli to the pathology of the insulin signaling pathway and, finally, the mechanisms of drugs/chemicals remedies that affect this process. The titles and subtitles of this process were determined, and then for each of them, the articles searched in PubMed and ScienceDirect were used. This review article starts the discussion with the molecular basis of insulin biosynthesis, secretion, insulin’s mechanism of action, and molecular aspect of  diabetes and diabesity (a new term showing the relation between diabetes and obesity) and ends with the drug and plant?derived intervention for hyperglycemia.