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Long non-coding RNAs as epigenetic regulators in cancer
No full textLong noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) constitute large portions of the mammalian transcriptome which appeared as a fundamental player, regulating various cellular mechanisms. LncRNAs do not encode proteins, have mRNA-like transcripts and frequently processed similar to the mRNAs. Many investigations have determined that lncRNAs interact with DNA, RNA molecules or proteins and play a significant regulatory function in several biological processes, such as genomic imprinting, epigenetic regulation, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, and differentiation. LncRNAs can modulate gene expression on three levels: chromatin remodeling, transcription, and post-transcriptional processing. The majority of the identified lncRNAs seem to be transcribed by the RNA polymerase II. Recent evidence has illustrated that dysregulation of lncRNAs can lead to many human diseases, in particular, cancer. The aberrant expression of lncRNAs in malignancies contributes to the dysregulation of proliferation and differentiation process. Consequently, lncRNAs can be useful to the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, and have been characterized as potential cancer markers as well. In this review, we highlighted the role and molecular mechanisms of lncRNAs and their correlation with some of the cancers. © 2019 Bentham Science Publisher
Mechanics insights of curcumin in myocardial ischemia: Where are we standing?
Get PDFCardiovascular disorders are known as one of the main health problems which are associated with mortality worldwide. Myocardial ischemia (MI) is improper blood supply to myocardium which leads from serious complications to life-threatening problems like AMI, atherosclerosis, hypertension, cardiac-hypertrophy as well as diabetic associated complications as diabetic atherosclerosis/cardiomyopathy/hypertension. Despite several efforts, the current therapeutic platforms are not related with significant results. Hence, it seems, developing novel therapies are required. In this regard, increasing evidences indicated, curcumin (CRC) acts as cardioprotective agent. Given that CRC and its analogs exert their cardioprotective effects via affecting on a variety of cardiovascular diseases-related mechanisms (i.e., Inflammation, and oxidative stress). Herein, for first time, we have highlighted the protective impacts of CRC against MI. This review might be a steppingstone for further investigation into the clinical implications of the CRC against MI. Furthermore, it pulls in light of a legitimate concern for scientific community, seeking novel techniques and characteristic dynamic biopharmaceuticals for use against myocardial ischemia. © 2019 Elsevier Masson SA
Selenium as an adjuvant for modification of radiation response
No full textIonizing radiation plays a central role in several medical and industrial purposes. In spite of the beneficial effects of ionizing radiation, there are some concerns related to accidental exposure that could pose a threat to the lives of exposed people. This issue is also very critical for triage of injured people in a possible terror event or nuclear disaster. The most common side effects of ionizing radiation are experienced in cancer patients who had undergone radiotherapy. For complete eradication of tumors, there is a need for high doses of ionizing radiation. However, these high doses lead to severe toxicities in adjacent organs. Management of normal tissue toxicity may be achieved via modulation of radiation responses in both normal and malignant cells. It has been suggested that treatment of patients with some adjuvant agents may be useful for amelioration of radiation toxicity or sensitization of tumor cells. However, there are always some concerns for possible severe toxicities and protection of tumor cells, which in turn affect radiotherapy outcomes. Selenium is a trace element in the body that has shown potent antioxidant and radioprotective effects for many years. Selenium can potently stimulate antioxidant defense of cells, especially via upregulation of glutathione (GSH) level and glutathione peroxidase activity. Some studies in recent years have shown that selenium is able to mitigate radiation toxicity when administered after exposure. These studies suggest that selenium may be a useful radiomitigator for an accidental radiation event. Molecular and cellular studies have revealed that selenium protects different normal cells against radiation, while it may sensitize tumor cells. These differential effects of selenium have also been revealed in some clinical studies. In the present study, we aimed to review the radiomitigative and radioprotective effects of selenium on normal cells/tissues, as well as its radiosensitive effect on cancer cells. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
The effect of Cornus mas fruit extract consumption on lipid profile, glycemic indices, and leptin in postmenopausal women� A randomized clinical trial
No full textMenopause, which occurs following a declined ovarian activity and reduced estrogen levels, can lead to long-term changes in lipid and glycemic profiles and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) is rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, which appears to be useful in reducing the postmenopausal complications. This interventional, double-blinded, randomized clinical trial carried out on 84 menopaused women aged 45�60 years old. They were randomly divided into two groups. The treatment group received three capsules of 300 mg of Cornus mas extract (CME), and control group received three capsules of 300 mg of starch powder per day for 8 weeks. Then, BMI, waist circumference, glycemic indices, lipid profile, serum apoproteinase, apoprotein B100, fibrinogen, and leptin were measured. The dietary intakes were evaluated using 24-hr dietary recall questionnaire. The consumption of CME in comparison with the control group resulted in a significant reduction in weight, body mass index, waist circumference, LDL to HDL ratio, total cholesterol to HDL ratio, and fibrinogen. There was also a significant increase in HDL and ApoA1 levels in the treatment group. Furthermore, there was a significant decrease in BMI, waist circumference, fasting insulin, and insulin resistance index after 8 weeks of using CME. Summing up the results, it can be concluded that CME can have possible effects on decreasing BMI, waist circumference, and improving some aspects of lipid profile and glycemic indices in postmenopausal women. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
A narrative review of heavy metals in cosmetics; health risks
Get PDFCosmetics products since the dawn of civilization are considered a part of routine body care. The last few decades these products have had increasing and applied to the human body for beautification. Xenobiotics and heavy metals including chromium, copper, iron, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and nickel, classified as a light metal, are determinate in various types of cosmetics such as color cosmetics, face and body care products, hair cosmetics, herbal cosmetics. In cosmetic products was harmful when they occur in excessive amounts. Evidence studies determinate that in commercially available cosmetics toxic metals might present in amounts creating a danger to human health. The aim of this review is to assess identification of elimination, sources and control of sources, and monitoring countries marketed exposures and hazards can be used to prevent heavy metals toxicity. © 2019, Advanced Scientific Research. All rights reserved
Synergetic effect of graphene oxide and C3N4 as co-catalyst for enhanced photocatalytic performance of dyes on Yb2(MoO4)3/YbMoO4 nanocomposite
No full textHere in, we report synthesis of novel hybrid photocatalyst by assembling graphene oxide (GO) and carbon nitride over Yb2(MoO4)3/YbMoO4 nanocomposite in order to investigate degradation of rhodamine B, methylene blue, and methyl orange. In addition, different capping agents (e.g. PEG, PVP, SDS, CTAB and Triton X-100) were utilized to investigate their impact on the morphology and particle size of the Yb2(MoO4)3/YbMoO4 nanocomposite. On the top of that, different parameters such as various mass ratio of precursors (GO, C3N4, Yb2(MoO4)3/YbMoO4), pH value, photocatalyst concentration were altered to investigate their impact on the degradation efficiency. Degradation results reveal that Yb2(MoO4)3/YbMoO4/GO and Yb2(MoO4)3/YbMoO4/C3N4 exhibits higher photocatalytic activity in comparison with pure Yb2(MoO4)3/YbMoO4. The crystalline phases, structure, morphology, and optical properties were characterized by a couple of techniques including X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis. According to the BET results, Yb2(MoO4)3/YbMoO4/GO has specific surface area 1.5 times higher than pure Yb2(MoO4)3/YbMoO4. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l
The effects of resveratrol on metabolic status in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease
No full textThis study was performed to investigate the effects of resveratrol on metabolic status in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and coronary heart disease (CHD). This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed with 56 patients having T2DM and CHD. The patients were randomly divided into two groups to receive either 500 mg resveratrol per day (n = 28) or placebo (n = 28) for 4 weeks. Resveratrol reduced fasting glucose (β-10.04 mg dL-1; 95 CI,-18.23,-1.86; P = 0.01), insulin (β-1.09 μIU mL-1; 95 CI,-1.93,-0.24; P = 0.01) and insulin resistance (β-0.48; 95 CI,-0.76,-0.21; P = 0.001) and significantly increased insulin sensitivity (β 0.006; 95 CI, 0.001, 0.01; P = 0.02) when compared with the placebo. Resveratrol also significantly increased HDL-cholesterol levels (β 3.38 mg dL-1; 95 CI, 1.72, 5.05; P < 0.001) and significantly decreased the total-/HDL-cholesterol ratio (β-0.36; 95 CI,-0.59,-0.13; P = 0.002) when compared with the placebo. Additionally, resveratrol caused a significant increase in total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (β 58.88 mmol L-1; 95 CI, 17.33, 100.44; P = 0.006) and a significant reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (β-0.21 μmol L-1; 95 CI,-0.41,-0.005; P = 0.04) when compared with the placebo. Resveratrol upregulated PPAR-γ (P = 0.01) and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) (P = 0.01) in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of T2DM patients with CHD. Resveratrol supplementation did not have any effect on inflammatory markers. Four-week supplementation of resveratrol in patients with T2DM and CHD had beneficial effects on glycemic control, HDL-cholesterol levels, the total-/HDL-cholesterol ratio, TAC and MDA levels. Resveratrol also upregulated PPAR-γ and SIRT1 in the PBMCs of T2DM patients with CHD. © 2019 The Royal Society of Chemistry
Evaluating the effectiveness of combined radiotherapy and hyperthermia for the treatment response of patients with painful bony metastases: A phase 2 clinical trial
No full textIntroduction: Since the survival time of patients with bony metastases has noticeably improved in recent years, these patients are at high risk of complications associated with this metastasis. Hence, the appropriate choice of treatment modality or combination of therapeutic approaches can lead to increasing bone pain relief, improving quality of life, etc. This study is aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of combined radiotherapy and hyperthermia for the treatment response of patients with painful bony metastases. Patients and methods: In a single-arm clinical trial, 23 eligible patients (14 female and 9 male) with the mean age of 67 years old and suffering from bony metastases were enrolled in the study. Two hours after radiotherapy, the patients underwent hyperthermia for 1 h in the supine position. All the patients completed the brief pain inventory (BPI) assessment tool and quality of life questionnaire (QLQ-C30) from the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) at the baseline, end of the treatment and 1, 2 and 3 months thereafter. The response to the treatment was assessed as the zero score (complete response) or two or more than two-point drop of the worst pain within the preceding 24 h (partial response) during the 3-month posttreatment. Results: All the pain intensity and interference scores, except the pain interference with the enjoyment of life score, significantly decreased. A total of 18 out of 23 patients (78) achieved complete or partial response. The number of patients using pain relief medications decreased from 74 (n=17) at the baseline to 48 (n=11) 3 months later. Moreover, except for nausea and vomiting, appetite loss, diarrhea and financial impact problems, the patients� quality of life improved significantly in all the functional scales and symptoms within 3 months. Conclusion: This study showed that using hyperthermia in combination with radiotherapy significantly ameliorated bone pain among the patients suffering from cancer with painful bony metastases. © 201
Psychometric evaluation of the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) in Iranian clinical and non-clinical samples
No full textIntroduction: The Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) is a widely used clinician-administered instrument developed to overcome the problems with the available instruments for OCD in children. The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the CY-BOCS in an Iranian sample. Methods: The psychometric properties of the CY-BOCS were assessed in clinical samples with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD, n=70), with anxiety disorders (n=58) and a non-clinical student sample (n=400). Using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Axis I Disorders (SICD-5) by a trained psychiatrist, all participants were administered the CY-BOCS; Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Child Version (OCI-CV); Children's Depression Inventory (CDI); and Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC). Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the optimal threshold scores for CY-BOCS. Results: The confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the original two-factor structure was valid in the Iranian sample. The overall and individual subscale scores showed moderate to good internal consistency and convergent validity as well as test-retest reliability. ROC analysis showed the area under the curve to be approximately 92. For OCD diagnosis in �any anxiety disorder� group, the CY-BOCS demonstrated the best psychometric properties for a cut-off score to be 17, with a sensitivity of 98.5, specificity of approximately 76, and positive predictive value (PPV) of about 12. Conclusion: The Persian version of the CY-BOCS is a valid psychometric indicator for obsessive compulsive disorders with adequate sensitivity and specificity, and high NPV and PPV with an optimum cut-off score of 17 for OCD diagnosis. © 2019 Elsevier Inc
