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The effect of probiotics on cardiovascular risk factors in patients with major depressive disorder: A randomized clinical trial study
No full textBackground: Depression has been associated with cardiovascular disease in previous research. They also have stated that probiotics have a protective effect against cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of probiotics in this association. Methods: In this study, fifty patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who were candidates for fluoxetine were randomly selected and divided into two groups. One group received fluoxetine (20 mg) with a probiotic supplement which contained Lactobacillus holoticus and Bifidobacterium langum (2 � 109 CFU/g for each) and another group received fluoxetine with a placebo during 8-week period. 10 ml of fasting blood was taken from patients for biochemical measurements. Findings: After 8 weeks of intervention, patients in the probiotic group had significant decrease in serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels compared with the placebo group (2.599± 0.990 vs. 2.704 ± 1.361 ng/ml, P = 0.017). At the end of the study, although, there was significant increase in catalase (30.06 ± 3.443 vs. 26.24 ± 6.908 U, P = 0.037) and decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) (15.13 ± 3.574vs. 17.40 ± 3.170 mg/dl, P = 0.029) levels in the probiotic group, but after 8 weeks, there was no significant difference between the two groups. Other variables did not change significantly. Conclusion: Although probiotics can improve cardiovascular status by reducing general inflammation in the body, they are not specifically associated with lower risk of cardiovascular diseases. © 2021 Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved
A monte carlo platform for characterization of x-ray radiation dose in ct imaging
Get PDFBackground: Computed tomography (CT) is currently known as a versatile imaging tool in the clinic used for almost all types of cancers. The major issue of CT is the health risk, belonging to X-ray radiation exposure. Concerning this, Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is recognized as a key computational technique for estimating and optimizing radiation dose. CT simulation with MCNP/MCNPX MC code has an inherent problem due to the lack of a fan-beam shaped source model. This limitation increases the run time and highly decreases the number of photons passing the body or phantom. Recently, a beta version of MCNP code called MCNP-FBSM (Fan-Beam Source Model) has been developed to pave the simulation way of CT imaging procedure, removing the need of the collimator. This is a new code, which needs to be validated in all aspects. Objective: In this work, we aimed to develop and validate an efficient computational platform based on modified MCNP-FBSM for CT dosimetry purposes. Material and Methods: In this experimental study, a setup is carried out to measure CTDI100 in air and standard dosimetry phantoms. The accuracy of the developed MC CT simulator results has been widely benchmarked through comparison with our measured data, UK�s National Health Service�s reports (known as ImPACT), manufacturer�s data, and other published results. Results: The minimum and maximum observed mean differences of our simulation results and other above-mentioned data were the 1.5, and 9.79, respectively. Conclusion: The developed FBSM MC computational platform is a beneficial tool for CT dosimetry. © 2021, Shriaz University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved
Effects of methylphenidate on blood pressure, QT-interval, and cardiac output in ADHD diagnosed children: A three months� follow-up study
Get PDFBackground: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders of childhood. It's been suggested that both the condition and the medications used to treat it can affect the cardiovascular system. This study aims to determine whether methylphenidate has the significant effects in cardiac indices. Methods: In this prospective study, 100 newly ADHD-diagnosed children aged 6 to 11 whom all on methylphenidate were included. The demographic, clinical data including the blood pressure and heart rate (HR), echocardiographic, and QT-interval were recorded at baseline and after three months of follow-up. Results: After the follow-up period, we observed no abnormal systolic, diastolic, or mean arterial pressure in any of the participants based on their age, height, and gender (p < 0.001). However, the mean of all these variables was significantly increased (p �0 0 1). Mean pulse pressure was also higher than baseline but it wasn't statistically significant (p = 0.059). No significant change was observed in echocardiographic parameters and QT. Conclusion: Short-term treatment of ADHD in children with methylphenidate does not have a meaningful relationship with hypertension and increased corrected QT interval. However, an increase in blood pressure and corrected QT interval within a non-pathological range suggests that longer follow-ups may reveal an association. © 202
Injectable Cell-Laden Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering: Recent Advances and Future Opportunities
No full textTissue engineering intends to create functionalized tissues/organs for regenerating the injured parts of the body using cells and scaffolds. A scaffold as a supporting substrate affects the cells' fate and behavior, including growth, proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Hydrogel as a biomimetic scaffold plays an important role in cellular behaviors and tissue repair, providing a microenvironment close to the extracellular matrix with adjustable mechanical and chemical features that can provide sufficient nutrients and oxygen. To enhance the hydrogel performance and compatibility with native niche, the cell-laden hydrogel is an attractive choice to mimic the function of the targeted tissue. Injectable hydrogels, due to the injectability, are ideal options for in vivo minimally invasive treatment. Cell-laden injectable hydrogels can be utilized for tissue regeneration in a noninvasive way. This article reviews the recent advances and future opportunities of cell-laden injectable hydrogels and their functions in tissue engineering. It is expected that this strategy allows medical scientists to develop a minimally invasive method for tissue regeneration in clinical settings. Cell-laden hydrogels have been vastly utilized in biomedical application, especially tissue engineering. It is expected that this upcoming review article will be a motivation for the community. Although this strategy is still in its early stages, this concept is so alluring that it has attracted all scientists in the community and specialists at academic health centers. Certainly, this approach requires more development, and a bunch of crucial challenges have yet to be solved. In this review, we discuss this various aspects of this approach, the questions that must be answered, the expectations associated with it, and rational restrictions to develop injectable cell-laden hydrogels. © Copyright 2021, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers 2021
New 4,5-diphenylimidazole-acetamide-1,2,3-triazole hybrids as potent α-glucosidase inhibitors: synthesis, in vitro and in silico enzymatic and toxicity evaluations
No full textHerein, a new series of 4,5-diphenylimidazole-acetamide-1,2,3-triazole hybrids as potent α-glucosidase inhibitors was designed and synthesized. All the synthesized compounds exhibited excellent inhibition potencies (IC50 values = 55.6�149.2 μM) against α-glucosidase when compared with the standard inhibitor acarbose (IC50 = 750.0 μM). Among the newly synthesized compounds, 4-methyl, 4-methoxy, and 2,3-dichloro derivatives exhibited the highest anti-α-glucosidase activities and were also non-cytotoxic against human normal dermal fibroblast cells. In silico druglikeness, ADME, and toxicity studies of these compounds were performed and obtained results were compared with acarbose. All the synthesized compounds were also inactive against α-amylase in comparison to acarbose. Kinetic study of the most potent compound, 4-methyl derivative, against α-glucosidase demonstrated that this compound is a competitive inhibitor. Furthermore, in silicoinduced fit docking and molecular dynamic studies were performed to further investigate the interaction, orientation, and conformation of these compounds over the active site of α-glycosidase. Graphic abstract: Figure not available: see fulltext. © 2021, Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature
Pathogenic and therapeutic roles of cytokines in acute myeloid leukemia
No full textAcute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease with high mortality that accounts for the most common acute leukemia in adults. Despite all progress in the therapeutic strategies and increased rate of complete remission, many patients will eventually relapse and die from the disease. Cytokines as molecular messengers play a pivotal role in the immune system. The imbalance release of cytokine has been shown to exert a significant influence on the progression of hematopoietic malignancies including acute myeloid leukemia. This article aimed to summarize current knowledge about cytokines and their critical roles in the pathogenesis, treatment, and survival of AML patients. © 2021 Elsevier Lt
Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on medical waste management: a case study
Get PDFCovid-19 Pandemic leads to medical services for the society all over the world. The Covid-19 pandemic influence the waste management and specially medical waste management. In this study, the effect of the Covid-19 outbreak on medical waste was evaluated via assessing the solid waste generation, composition, and management status in five hospitals in Iran. The results indicated that the epidemic Covid-19 leads to increased waste generation on average 102.2 in both private and public hospitals. In addition, the ratio of infectious waste in the studied hospitals increased by an average of 9 in medical waste composition and 121 compared with before COVID-19 pandemic. Changes in plans and management measurement such as increasing the frequency of waste collection per week leads to lower the risk of infection transmission from medical waste in the studied hospitals. The results obtained from the present research clearly show the changes in medical waste generation and waste composition within pandemic Covid-19. In addition, established new ward, Covid-19 ward with high-infected waste led to new challenges which should be managed properly by change in routine activities. © 2021, The Author(s)
Modulation of the triggered apoptosis by nano emodin transfersome-mediated sonodynamic therapy on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines
No full textBackground: Non-invasive sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is a new treatment modality that uses low-intensity ultrasound to activate a non-toxic sensitizing chemical agent for cancer therapy in a site-directed manner. This study aimed to investigate the anti-cancer effects of ultrasound combined with nano emodin transfersome (NET) on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines. Materials and methods: A transfersome form of nano emodin as a novel sono-responsive nanomaterial was synthesized to enhance the accumulation and penetration of nanoparticles. iIn vitro experiments including hemolytic activity, cell proliferation, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, apoptosis induction, DNA fragmentation, and mRNA expressions of caspase 3 and 9 were conducted to explore the anti-cancer effects of NET-SDT on FaDu and CAL-27 cell lines. Results: Characterization tests showed the round and uniform morphology of NET with transfersome structure, resulting in a high drug-loading content and encapsulation ef�ciency. No significant hemolytic activity was observed (P > 0.05). Cytotoxicity gradually increased with increasing concentrations of NET, so that 10 � 10�4 g/L of NET plus 5 min ultrasound irradiation at a frequency of 1 MHz and ultrasonic intensity of 2 W/cm2 effectively killed 98.2 and 97.3 of FaDu and CAL-27 cell lines, respectively (P < 0.05). We found that ROS generation in NET-SDT was dose-dependent and the triggered apoptosis and caspase-3/9 gene expression levels were significantly enhanced as the concentration of NET increased (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found in the rate of apoptosis induction and gene expression between two cell lines. Conclusions: Our data demonstrated that SDT with NET as a sonosensitizer can induce apoptosis and significantly decrease cell viability of HNSCC cell lines, which represents the role of NET-SDT as a potent anti-cancer modality. © 2021 Elsevier B.V
Areas of Non-Consensus Around One Anastomosis/Mini Gastric Bypass (OAGB/MGB): A Narrative Review
No full textPurpose: One anastomosis/mini gastric bypass (OAGB/MGB) is now an established bariatric and metabolic surgical procedure with good outcomes. Despite two recent consensus statements around OAGB/MGB, there are some issues which are not accepted as consensus and need more long-term data and research. Material and Methods: After identifying the topic of non-consensus from the two recent OAGB/MGB consensuses, PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane were searched for articles published by November 2020. Results: In this study, we evaluated these non-consensus topics around OAGB/MGB and all related articles on these topics were assessed by authors to have an argument on these items. Conclusion: There is enough evidence to include OAGB/MGB as an accepted standard bariatric and metabolic surgical procedure. However, long-term data and more research are needed to have a consensus in all aspects including these non-consensus topics. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC part of Springer Nature
Correlation between albuminuria and tissue Doppler-derived left ventricular myocardial performance index in patients with type 2 diabetes
No full textBackground: Albuminuria is considered as a significant predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus. The main purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between albuminuria and global left ventricular (LV) function in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods: This observational study was conducted on 80 consecutive asymptomatic patients with T2D and an LV ejection fraction �55. The patients were divided into two groups depending on the presence or absence of albuminuria. Echocardiography-derived indices of the LV function were then compared between these groups. Results: The patients with albuminuria were older (mean ± SD: 60.37 ± 9.05 vs 54.52 ± 10.26 years of age, P =.01) and had higher hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels (8.45 ± 1.97 vs 7.25 ± 1.93 mg/dL, P =.012) than those without albuminuria. Among the echocardiographic variables, the patients with albuminuria had higher LV Tei-index (median lower-upper quartile: 0.620 0.455-0.824 vs 0.441 0.336-0.586, P <.001), more prolonged early filling (E)-wave deceleration time (274.87 ± 75.97 vs 239.40 ± 61.35 ms, P =.032), increased interventricular septal wall thickness (1.11 ± 0.31 vs 0.95 ± 0.21 cm, P =.012), and lower mean early diastolic mitral annular velocity (7.57 ± 2.34 vs 8.68 ± 2.46 cm/s, P =.046) than those without albuminuria. Among risk factors, only albuminuria and HbA1c levels were associated with a significant increase in LV Tei-index (Beta = 0.426 and P <.001, Beta = 0.226 and P =.042, respectively). Conclusion: The LV Tei-index was significantly higher in diabetic patients with than without albuminuria. Low HbA1c levels were correlated with a decrease in LV Tei-index. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC