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Changes in Bone Turnover, Inflammatory, Oxidative Stress, and Metabolic Markers in Women Consuming Iron plus Vitamin D Supplements: a Randomized Clinical Trial
Get PDFWe aimed to investigate whether combination of vitamin D and iron supplementation, comparing vitamin D alone, could modify bone turnover, inflammatory, oxidative stress, and metabolic markers. Eighty-seven women with hemoglobin (Hb) � 12.7 g/dL and 25OHD � 29 ng/mL vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency aged 18�45 years were randomly assigned into two groups: (1) receiving either 1000 IU/day vitamin D3 plus 27 mg/day iron (D-Fe); (2) vitamin D3 plus placebo supplements (D-P), for 12 weeks. In D-Fe group, significant decrease in red blood cells (RBC) (P = 0.001) and hematocrit (Hct) (P = 0.004) and increases in mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) (P = 0.001), 25OHD (P < 0.001), osteocalcin (P < 0.001), high-density cholesterol (HDL) (P = 0.041), and fasting blood sugar (FBS) (P < 0.001) were observed. D-P group showed significant decrease in RBC (P < 0.001), Hb (P < 0.001), Hct (P < 0.001), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) (P = 0.004), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) (P < 0.001), MCHC (P = 0.005), serum ferritin (P < 0.001), and low-density cholesterol (LDL) (P = 0.016) and increases of 25OHD (P < 0.001), osteocalcin (P < 0.001), C-terminal telopeptide (CTX) (P = 0.025), triglyceride (TG) (P = 0.004), FBS (P < 0.001), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) (P = 0.001) at week 12. After the intervention, the D-P group had between-group increases in mean change in the osteocalcin (P = 0.007) and IL-6 (P = 0.033), and decreases in the RBC (P < 0.001), Hb (P < 0.001), Hct (P < 0.001), and MCV (P = 0.001), compared with the D-Fe group. There were significant between-group changes in MCH (P < 0.001), MCHC (P < 0.001), ferritin (P < 0.001), and serum iron (P = 0.018). Iron�vitamin D co-supplementation does not yield added benefits for improvement of bone turnover, inflammatory, oxidative stress, and metabolic markers, whereas, vitamin D alone may have some detrimental effects on inflammatory and metabolic markers. IRCT registration number: IRCT201409082365N9 © 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature
Preparation of tungstophosphoric acid/cerium-doped NH2-UiO-66 Z-scheme photocatalyst: a new candidate for green photo-oxidation of dibenzothiophene and quinoline using molecular oxygen as the oxidant
No full textThe goal of this study was to introduce an effective visible-light induced photocatalytic system with a good ability for photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization (PODS) and denitrogenation (PODN) using molecular oxygen (O2) as an oxidant. In this regard, tungestophosphoric acid (PW12) was supported onto cerium-doped NH2-UiO-66 (PW12/Ce-NUiO-66) and employed for the photo-oxidation of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and quinoline (Qu). Herein, using cerium (Ce) as a �mediator� facilitated the separation of charge carriers, while NH2-UiO-66 remarkably enhanced the surface area with plentiful adsorption sites and shifted the adsorption edge of PW12to the visible region. The sum of these factors resulted in superior photocatalytic ability and maximum efficiency of 99 ± 1 was achieved by using 30PW12/Ce-NUiO-66 as the optimum photocatalyst in the PODN system and 89 ± 1 in the PODS system under visible light irradiation for 90 min. The traditional Z-scheme mechanism was proposed as the main pathway for this photocatalytic system. © The Royal Society of Chemistry and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 2021
Effect of an educational support programme on caregiver burden among the family members of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery
Get PDFObjectives: The family caregivers of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery experience considerable physical and emotional distress. This study aimed to investigate the effect of an educational support programme on caregiver burden among the family caregivers of patients undergoing CABG surgery in Iran. Methods: This non-randomised controlled clinical trial was conducted from January to April 2017 at a cardiovascular centre in Tehran, Iran. A total of 80 family caregivers of patients undergoing CABG surgery were sequentially selected and non-randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The control group received routine care, whereas the intervention group received additional education sessions at baseline, prior to surgery, the day after surgery and before discharge. Caregiver burden was compared at baseline and six weeks post-discharge using the Persian-language versions of the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI) and Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (IADL). Results: A significant difference was observed between family caregivers in the control and intervention groups with regards to pre-post differences in mean CBI scores (+1.67 ± 19.23 versus +17.45 ± 9.83; P <0.001), with an effect size of �1.14. In addition, there was a significant increase in mean post-discharge IADL scores among CABG patients in the intervention group compared to the control group (4.42 ± 1.05 versus 3.07 ± 1.09; P <0.001). Conclusion: An educational support programme significantly reduced caregiver burden among the family members of patients undergoing CABG surgery in Iran. As such, in addition to routine care, healthcare providers should provide educational support to this population to help mitigate caregiver burden. © 2021, Sultan Qaboos University. All rights reserved
The Effect of Aspirin on Moderate to Severe Asthmatic Patients with Aspirin Hypersensitivity, Chronic Rhinosinusitis, and Nasal Polyposis
Get PDFAsthmatic patients may have aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease and experience acute dyspnea and nasal symptoms within 3 hours after the ingestion of aspirin. This study aimed to evaluate the effect and outcome of daily low-dose aspirin in the treatment of moderate to severe asthma in patients with concomitant aspirin hypersensitivity and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP). This clinical trial was conducted from February 2014 to February 2015 on 46 adult patients with moderate to severe asthma accompanied by CRSwNP. Patients with a positive aspirin challenge were blindly randomized in three groups receiving placebo/day (A); aspirin 100 mg/day (B); and aspirin 325mg/day (C), respectively. Clinical findings, FEV1 and ACT scores were recorded and compared before, during, and after treatment for 6 months. Of 46 participants at baseline, 30 patients completed this 6-month trial study. The level of asthma control was significant; based on Asthma Control Test (ACT) when comparing the results in groups A and C and also groups B and C, but it was not significant when comparing ACT scores between groups A and B. FEV1 before and after treatment was significant when comparing groups A and B, groups A and C, and groups B and C. To conclude, aspirin desensitization with a daily dose of 325 mg aspirin resulted in the improvement of long-term control of asthma. A daily aspirin dose of 100 mg was not associated with such an increase in ACT score
Exercise in an overweight patient with covid-19: A case study
Get PDFCoronavirus (COVID-19) is a dangerous infectious disease that is easily transmitted and which is called an acute respiratory syndrome. With the spread of the coronavirus around the world and its epidemic among humans, we are losing many humans. The long process of treatment in hospitalized patients who are receiving intensive care and medication is associated with physical weakness. It has been suggested that lifelong exercise can create a safe margin for a person that allows them to avoid becoming infected with the virus. The current study was conducted to assess the effects of low-intensity exercise and breathing exercises on cardiorespiratory responses and physical status in an overweight 20-year-old woman infected with COVID-19. The patient was referred to Hazrat Ali Ibn Abitaleb Hospital in Rafsanjan. The patient had initial symptoms of coronavirus including weakness, shortness of breath, fever, and chills, and the initial tests confirmed that the person was infected with the coronavirus. Although COVID-19 reduces respiration and blood oxygen and severely reduces movement and physical activity, low-intensity rehabilitation and breathing exercises along with medication can improve blood oxygen status, resting heart rate, blood pressure, and hand power status in patients and possibly speeding up the healing process. The results of the present study show that low-intensity exercise and breathing exercises in patients with COVID-19, whose disease severity is mild to moderate, can be performed safely under the supervision of their physicians to prevent the disease process. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland
Effects of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on inflammation, angiogenesis, and oxidative stress in breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled- trials
No full textBackground/objective: Systemic inflammation and oxidative stress (OS) are associated with breast cancer. CoQ10 as an adjuvant treatment with conventional anti-cancer chemotherapy has been demonstrated to help in the inflammatory process and OS. This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) aimed to evaluate the efficacy of CoQ10 supplementation on levels of inflammatory markers, OS parameters, and matrix metalloproteinases/tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (MMPs/TIMPs) in patients with breast cancer. Methods: A systematic literature search was carried out using electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Embase, up to December 2020 to identify eligible RCTs evaluating the effect of CoQ10 supplementation on OS biomarkers, inflammatory cytokines, and MMPs/TIMPs. From 827 potential reports, 5 eligible studies consisting of 9 trials were finally included in the current meta-analysis. Quality assessment and heterogeneity tests of the selected trials were performed using the PRISMA checklist protocol and the I2 statistic, respectively. Fixed and random-effects models were assessed based on the heterogeneity tests, and pooled data were determined as the standardized mean difference (SMD) with a 95 confidence interval (CI). Results: Our meta-analysis of the pooled findings for inflammatory biomarkers of OS and MMPs showed that CoQ10 supplementation (100 mg/day for 45�90 days) significantly decreased the levels of VEGF SMD: � 1.88, 95% CI: (� 2. 62 to � 1.13); I2 = 93.1%, p < 0.001, IL-8 SMD: � 2.24, 95% CI: (� 2.68 to � 1.8); I2 = 79.6%, p = 0.001, MMP-2 SMD: � 1.49, 95% CI: (� 1.85 to � 1.14); I2 = 76.3%, p = 0.005 and MMP-9 SMD: � 1.58, 95% CI: (� 1.97 to � 1.19); I2 = 79.6%, p = 0.002, but no significant difference was observed between CoQ10 supplementation and control group on TNF-α SMD: � 2.30, 95% CI: (� 2.50 to � 2.11); I2 = 21.8%, p = 0.280, IL-6 SMD: � 1.56, 95% CI: (� 1.73 to � 1.39); I2 = 0.0%, p = 0.683, IL-1β SMD: � 3.34, 95% CI: (� 3.58 to � 3.11); I2 = 0.0%, p = 0.561, catalase (CAT) SMD: 1.40, 95% CI: (1.15 to 1.65); I2 = 0.0%, p = 0.598, superoxide dismutase (SOD) SMD: 2.42, 95% CI: (2.12 to 2.71); I2 = 0.0%, p = 0.986, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) SMD: 2.80, 95% CI: (2.49 to 3.11); I2 = 0.0%, p = 0.543, glutathione (GSH) SMD: 4.71, 95% CI: (4.26 to 5.16); I2 = 6.1%, p = 0.302 and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) SMD: � 3.20, 95% CI: (� 3.53 to � 2.86); I2 = 29.7%, p = 0.233. Conclusion: Overall, the findings showed that CoQ10 supplementation reduced some of the important markers of inflammation and MMPs in patients with breast cancer. However, further studies with controlled trials for other types of cancer are needed to better understand and confirm the effect of CoQ10 on tumor therapy. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
A promising targeting system to enrich irinotecan antitumor efficacy: Folic acid targeted nanoparticles
No full textAs folic acid receptors are overexpressed in various cancers including the colon, therefore, nanoparticles of folic acid-polyethylene glycol -poly lactic-co-glycolic acid were fabricated and loaded with irinotecan by emulsification/solvent evaporation technique to target the folic acid receptors in colorectal tumors. The chemical structure of synthesized polymer was examined by 1H NMR, and Box-Behnken design was utilized to determine the combined impact of independent variables for choosing the appropriate formulation. Dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscope and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were utilized to scrutinize irinotecan in nanoparticles. The Box-Behnken design indicated a reasonable correlation between the predicted and experimented values which proves the efficiency of the selected statistical model. The optimized nanoparticles had an acceptable size and morphology. DSC analysis exhibited that irinotecan in nanoparticles is in an amorphous state. The optimized formulation exhibited a prolonged release profile. In addition, the higher drug release from nanoparticles in acidic pH indicates that they can be used to target the extracellular pH of the tumor. The activity of targeted nanoparticles against tumors was higher than the irinotecan and simple nanoparticles. Evaluation of folic acid decorated nanoparticles containing irinotecan confirmed their suitability for targeted delivery of irinotecan in folate positive cancers. © 2021 Elsevier B.V
Seroprevalence and trends of transfusion transmissible infections among retrospective blood donors in Western Azerbaijan Regional Blood Transfusion Center, Iran: A ten-years evaluation
No full textTransfusion transmissible infections (TTIs) have been a public health challenge for the accessibility, quality and safety of blood transfusion. The present study aimed to consider the prevalence and the trends of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis across the ten years among retrospective blood donors. A retrospective investigation of blood donors� data covering the period from 22 May 2009 to 22 May 2019 was done. Data was accumulated and analyzed from Blood Transfusion Center records, pertaining to all donors who were screened for various TTIs using respective immunological techniques. Out of the 682,171 screened donors in the 2009�2019 study period, 2470 (0.36 ) were infected with at least one infectious agent. The overall prevalence of HBV, HCV, HTLV-1, HIV and syphilis were 1700 (0.25 ), 184 (0.027 ), 335 (0.05 ), 4 (0.0.05 ) and 247 (0.036 ), respectively. The study showed male dominated donor pool (96.79 ) with higher prevalence (0.34 ) of TTIs compared to female donors (0.02 ) with 3.21 population. Despite the low prevalence of TTIs in our study, HBV, HCV, syphilis and HIV have remained a big threat to safe blood transfusion in Iran. Strict adherence to selection criteria, algorithm of donor screening, use of highly sensitive and specific methods for detection of TTIs, regular consultation and health education programs, prevention and sanitization strategies to reduce the risk of TTIs are recommended to reduce the risk of TTIs and ensure the safety of blood transfusion for recipient. © 2021 Elsevier Lt
The anti-biofilm capability of nano-emodin-mediated sonodynamic therapy on multi-species biofilms produced by burn wound bacterial strains
No full textBackground: Management of burn wound infections (BWIs) is difficult due to the emergence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms. This study aimed to explore the anti-biofilm efficacy of sonodynamic therapy (SDT) using nano-emodin (N-EMO) against multi-species bacterial biofilms containing Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii. Methods: Following synthesis and confirmation of N-EMO as a sonosensitizer, the anti-biofilm efficacy of SDT against multi-species bacterial biofilms was determined using minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC), minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC), and minimal biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) of N-EMO. The reduction of multi-species bacterial biofilms was then evaluated following the treatments using Log reduction and crystal violet (CV) assays. In addition, the expression profiling of abaI, agrA, and lasI genes using SDT with sub-MIC, sub-MBIC, and sub-MBEC of N-EMO was assessed. Results: Successful synthesis of N-EMO was confirmed through several characterization tests. As the results demonstrated, the MIC value of N-EMO for the multi-species bacterial suspension was 0.15 � 10�4 g/L, as well as, the MBEC value of N-EMO was 2.5 � 10�4 g/L, approximately 4-fold higher than that of MBIC (0.62 � 10�4 g/L). According to the CV assay, there were 57.8 , 71.0 , and 81.5 reduction in the biofilm of multi-species bacterial growth following SDT using 1/128 MBEC, 1/16 MBIC, and 1/2 MIC of N-EMO, respectively. Log reductions analysis demonstrated that 1/2 MIC of N-EMO was more potent in inhibiting the biofilm growth of multi-species test bacteria by 5.725 ± 0.12 (99.9993 ). In this study, N-EMO-mediated SDT could obviously downregulate the gene expression of virulence factors (P < 0.05). The gene expression of lasI, agrA, and abaI were downregulated about 2.5-, 3.6-, and 5.5-fold; and 3.0-, 5.2-, and 7.4-fold following SDT with sub-MBIC and sub-MBEC of N-EMO, respectively. Conclusion: These results highlight the potential of N-EMO-mediated SDT in inhibition of biofilm formation, degradation of formed biofilms, and reduction of virulence factor associated with biofilms of multi-species bacterial biofilms in BWIs. © 2021 Elsevier B.V
Ultrasonic coupling with electrical current to effective activation of Persulfate for 2, 4 Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid herbicide degradation: modeling, synergistic effect, and a by-product study
No full textIn this research work, we investigated the ability of the oxidative degradation of 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxy acetic acid herbicide via ultrasonic-assisted in electro-activation of the persulfate system in the presence of nano-zero valent iron. The effect of experimental parameters such as pH value 4�8, electrical current (0.5�1 A), persulfate concentration (0.25�0.5 mg.l�1), nano zero-valent iron dose (0.05�0.1 mg.l�1), and initial organic pollutant concentration (50�100 mg.l�1) on the ultrasonic-electropersulfate process performance was assessed via central composite design. The combination of ultrasonic waves with the electrochemical process to activation of persulfate showed better efficiency into 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxy acetic acid herbicide degradation compared to their implementation in individual and binary systems. Following optimal conditions (pH = 5.62, 0.80 A applied electrical current, 0.39 mg/L persulfate concentration, 0.07 mg/L nano-zero valent iron, and 50 mg/L 2,4-Dichlorophenoxy acetic acid concentration in 40 min reaction), nearly 91% removal was done. Moreover, the complete removal of 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxy acetic acid, 92% COD, and 88% TOC removal was achieved by this process near 140 min reaction. The scavenging experiment confirmed the role of free oxidizing species in the degradation of 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxy acetic acid during the process. Approximately 50% improved 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxy acetic acid removal in the process against the inclusive efficiency of single mechanisms. The obtained results were fitted to the pseudo-first-order kinetic model with a high correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.96). Five important intermediate products of 2, 4-D oxidation were 2, 4-dichlorophenol (2, 4-DCP), 2, 6-dichlorophenol (2, 6-DCP), 4, 6 dichlororesorcinol (4, 6-DCR), 2-chlorohydroquinone (2-CHQ), and 2-chloro-1, 4-benzoquinone (2-CBQ). In the end, can be employed as a satisfactory advanced oxidation process in high mineralization of 2, 4-D and refractory organic pollutants. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG