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Benzimidazole derivatives: A versatile scaffold for drug development against Helicobacter pylori-related diseases
No full textHelicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a microaerophilic gastric pathogen and a major contributor to chronic atrophic gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric malignancies. The increasing prevalence of H. pylori infection and its related diseases, such as gastric cancer (GC), motivates medicinal chemists to seek for more effective multi-targeting drugs to prevent and treat H. pylori-related clinical complications. Benzimidazole, a hetero-aromatic bicyclic ring compound, has claimed a prominent role in medicinal chemistry owing to its broad range of biological activities, including antibacterial, antiviral, antidiabetic, and anticancer activities. Studies highlight the promising therapeutic potential of benzimidazole derivatives in the treatment of H. pylori-related clinical complications such as gastric infection, gastritis, peptic ulcer, and GC. Accordingly, we here aimed to scrutinize the role of active molecules of benzimidazole derivatives as potential antibacterial, anti-urease, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcerative, and anticancer agents, which are expected to find their ways to the clinical setting sooner or later. Due to the role of structural moieties in determining the biological behaviors of benzimidazole derivatives, we explored the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of these compounds to further expand the scope of design of and research on new drugs against H. pylori-related diseases
Injury burden in individuals aged 50 years or older in the Eastern Mediterranean region, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
No full textBackground: Injury poses a major threat to health and longevity in adults aged 50 years or older. The increased life expectancy in the Eastern Mediterranean region warrants a further understanding of the ageing population's inevitable changing health demands and challenges. We aimed to examine injury-related morbidity and mortality among adults aged 50 years or older in 22 Eastern Mediterranean countries. Methods: Drawing on data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, we categorised the population into adults aged 50–69 years and adults aged 70 years and older. We examined estimates for transport injuries, self-harm injuries, and unintentional injuries for both age groups, with sex differences reported, and analysed the percentage changes from 1990 to 2019. We reported injury-related mortality rates and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). The Socio-demographic Index (SDI) and the Healthcare Access and Quality (HAQ) Index were used to better understand the association of socioeconomic factors and health-care system performance, respectively, with injuries and health status in older people. Healthy life expectancy (HALE) was compared with injury-related deaths and DALYs and to the SDI and HAQ Index to understand the effect of injuries on healthy ageing. Finally, risk factors for injury deaths between 1990 and 2019 were assessed. 95 uncertainty intervals (UIs) are given for all estimates. Findings: Estimated injury mortality rates in the Eastern Mediterranean region exceeded the global rates in 2019, with higher injury mortality rates in males than in females for both age groups. Transport injuries were the leading cause of deaths in adults aged 50–69 years (43·0 95% UI 31·0–51·8 per 100 000 population) and in adults aged 70 years or older (66·2 52·5–75·5 per 100 000 population), closely followed by conflict and terrorism for both age groups (10·2 9·3–11·3 deaths per 100 000 population for 50–69 years and 45·7 41·5–50·3 deaths per 100 000 population for ≥70 years). The highest annual percentage change in mortality rates due to injury was observed in Afghanistan among people aged 70 years or older (400·4% increase; mortality rate 1109·7 1017·7–1214·7 per 100 000 population). The leading cause of DALYs was transport injuries for people aged 50–69 years (1798·8 1394·1–2116·0 per 100 000 population) and unintentional injuries for those aged 70 years or older (2013·2 1682·2–2408·7 per 100 000 population). The estimates for HALE at 50 years and at 70 years in the Eastern Mediterranean region were lower than global estimates. Eastern Mediterranean countries with the lowest SDIs and HAQ Index values had high prevalence of injury DALYs and ranked the lowest for HALE at 50 years of age and HALE at 70 years. The leading injury mortality risk factors were occupational exposure in people aged 50–69 years and low bone mineral density in those aged 70 years or older. Interpretation: Injuries still pose a real threat to people aged 50 years or older living in the Eastern Mediterranean region, mainly due to transport and violence-related injuries. Dedicated efforts should be implemented to devise injury prevention strategies that are appropriate for older adults and cost-effective injury programmes tailored to the needs and resources of local health-care systems, and to curtail injury-associated risk and promote healthy ageing. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licens
The Effects of Diagnostic Ultrasound Waves on Excitability Threshold and Cellular Apoptosis Induced by Pentylenetetrazole in Hippocampal Neurons
No full textObjective: Ultrasound (US) is a medical imaging technique with various therapeutic and diagnostic applications. This study aimed to investigate the effects of diagnostic US waves with a frequency of 3.5 MHz and intensity of 65 mW/cm(2) on the threshold of neurons' excitability and the apoptosis induced by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) in rats. Materials and Methods: Forty-seven-day-old Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups. The first group was assigned as the control group, the second group was seized by intraperitoneal injection of PTZ, the third, fourth, and fifth groups were given US waves for 5, 10, and 15 minutes, respectively, followed by intraperitoneal PTZ injection. The animals were observed and their behavior, including the seizure duration, the number of seizures, and the seizure cessation time were recorded for 30 minutes. Subsequently, animals' hippocampi were removed in order to measure B-cell lymphoma protein 2 (BCL-2) and BCL-2-associated X (BAX) by using Western blotting techniques. Results: The results showed that US waves in the diagnostic frequency range with a duration of 5, 10, and 15 minutes significantly increased the seizure duration in the target groups. Furthermore, the simultaneous use of US with the desired times with PTZ increased the number of seizures and prolonged the seizure cessation time. PTZ increased the BAX/BCL-2 proteins ratio, and the concomitant use of US and PTZ intensified the impairment. Conclusion: This study showed that exposure to US increased the excitability of neurons and exacerbated the seizure effects of PTZ as well as PTZ-induced apoptosis in the rat hippocampal cells
Brain Abscess Caused by Nocardia asteroides in a Diabetic Patient: A Rare Case Report
No full textNocardial brain abscess is usually associated with immunodeficiency, but can sometimes emerge in healthy individuals. This infection can be acquired through inhalation or direct inoculation of the bacteria, followed by dissemination to various organs, including the brain, through blood circulation. Mortality rate due to nocardial cerebral abscess is three times higher than that associated with cerebral abscess caused by other types of bacteria. Moreover, patients with Nocardia asteroides-associated brain abscess show poorer prognosis compared to patients with brain abscess caused by other Nocardia species, which is probably due to the high tendency of N. asteroides to become resistant to numerous antibiotics. It is, therefore, of paramount importance to diagnose and treat N. asteroides cerebral abscess in patients as soon as possible. The current paper is a rare report of a brain abscess caused by N. asteroides in a diabetic patient who failed to respond to multiple antibiotics (trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and amikacin), but improved by receiving imipenem and linezolid, and was finally successfully treated by surgical operation and long-term antibiotic therapy (imipenem and linezolid)
Prevalence, diagnosis, and manifestations of brucellosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textObjectives: Brucellosis is one of the most prevalent zoonotic diseases common between humans and animals. Despite eradication efforts, the burden of the disease is well-known in endemic countries and in countries where brucellosis has not been an important health issue until recently. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, diagnosis, and manifestations of brucellosis. Methods: In this study, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and Google scholar databases were systematically searched to find studies published from 2011 to 2021. The search was conducted using text words and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) Terms on the prevalence of brucellosis. Stata software 14.0 was used for all analyses. Results: Based on the results, the pooled prevalence of brucellosis was 15.27 (95 CI: 9.68-21.86; heterogeneity I2 index: 97.43; p < 0.001) for man and 15.33 (95 CI: 7.19-25.75; heterogeneity I2 index: 98.19; p < 0.001) for woman. Age (coefficient: 0.240; p = 0.480), gender (coefficient: -0.017; p = 0.800), and publication year (coefficient: 0.114; p = 0.861) showed no significant effect on heterogeneity among studies. Egger's test indicated a significant publication bias for the prevalence of brucellosis (coefficient 3.894; p < 0.001). Moreover, the trim-and-fill method exhibited that the adjusted prevalence of brucellosis (18.30, 95 CI: 14.10-22.52) was not significantly different from the original prevalence of brucellosis. Conclusion: The pooled estimate for brucellosis prevalence was estimated as 15.53. To better understand the epidemiology of brucellosis globally, more extensive studies are needed to be conducted throughout the world, especially in developing and low-income countries
Evaluating the Role of BglI rs739837 and TaqI rs731236 Polymorphisms in Vitamin D Receptor with SARS-CoV-2 Variants Mortality Rate
No full textA lack of vitamin D is a potential risk factor for coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Variants in the Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) gene, such as BglI rs739837 and TaqI rs731236, are associated with various viral infection progressions. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the BglI rs739837 and TaqI rs731236 polymorphisms and the mortality rate of COVID-19 based on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants. The genotyping of BglI rs739837 and TaqI rs731236 genotypes was analyzed using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in 1734 improved and 1450 deceased patients positive for SARS-CoV-2. In this study, the rate of COVID-19 mortality was correlated with TaqI rs731236 TC and CC in the alpha variant and with TaqI rs731236 CC in the Delta variant, whereas no relationship was found in the Omicron BA.5 variant. In addition, the rate of COVID-19 mortality was associated with BglI rs739837 GT and TT in the Omicron BA.5 variant, while there was no association between BglI rs739837 and COVID-19 mortality in the alpha and Delta variants. The TG haplotype was more common in all SARS-CoV-2 variants, while the CT haplotype was associated with COVID-19 mortality in the Delta and Omicron BA.5 variants. In conclusion, this study indicated that the impacts of BglI rs739837 and TaqI rs731236 polymorphisms were related to SARS-CoV-2 variants. However, further research is still needed to approve our findings
Investigate the relationship between cell-phone over-use scale with depression, anxiety and stress among university students
No full textBackground: Cell phones have increased dramatically as a new communication technology in the modern world. This study aimed to determine the relationship between cell phone over use scale with depression, anxiety and stress among university students in Khorramabad, Iran.Methods: In this descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study, 212 students were randomly selected from the Lorestan University of Medical Sciences by a combination of stratified and clustered random sampling. Data were collected by two standard questionnaires including, Cell-phone Over-use Scale (COS) and Depression, Anxiety and Stress (DASS-21) and were analyzed using SPSS V.22.Results: Based on the results, 72.2 of the students were exclusively male, which a majority of them were in age of 21-23 years (46.2), and 92.5 were single. Based on the multiple linear regression and after adjustment for the confounding effect, there was a significant relationship between cell phone over use scale on student's stress (t = 2.614, P = 0.010), and student's anxiety (t = 2.209, P = 0.028); however there was not a significant relationship between cell phone over use scale on student's depression (t = 1.790, P = 0.075).Conclusions: Harmful use of cell phones can aggravate psychological disorders such as anxiety, stress and depression and by controlling this factor can increase the level of mental health and improve the quality of life in students
On-Admission Anemia and Survival Rate in COVID-19 Patients
No full textAnemia often worsens the severity of respiratory illnesses, and few studies have so far elucidated the impact of anemia on COVID-19 infection. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of anemia at admission on the overall survival of COVID-19 patients using accelerated failure time (AFT) models. This registry-based, single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted in a university hospital in Ilam, the southwest of Iran, between March 2020 and September 2021. AFT models were applied to set the data of 2,441 COVID-19 patients. Performance of AFT models was assessed using Akaike's information criterion (AIC) and Cox-Snell residual. On-admission anemia was defined as hemoglobin (Hb) concentration <120 g/l in men, <110 g/l in women, and <100 g/l in pregnant women. The median in-hospital survival times for anemic and non-anemic patients were 27 and 31 days, respectively. Based on the AIC and Cox-Snell residual graph, the Weibull model had the lowest AIC and it was the best fitted model to the data set among AFT models. In the adjusted model, the results of the Weibull model suggested that the anemia (adjusted time ratio: 1.04; 95 CI: 1.00-1.08; p = 0.03) was the accelerated factor for progression to death in COVID-19 patients. Each unit of increase in hemoglobin in COVID-19 patients enhanced the survival rate by 4. Anemia is an independent risk factor associated with the risk of mortality from COVID-19 infection. Therefore, healthcare professionals should be more sensitive to the Hb level of COVID-19 patients upon admission
Effects of Vasodepressor vs. Vasopressor Arms of Renin Angiotensin System on Renal Hemodynamic Regulation in Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury; Sex Difference
No full textThe exact mechanisms involved in acute renal injury (AKI) due to renal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) are not fully understood, although it has been shown that the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may play an important role in IR-associated AKI. RAS is considered as one of the most important vasoactive systems of endocrine, paracrine and intracrine, which is important in the physiological regulation of cardiovascular function, blood pressure, fluid and electrolytes balance. This system exerts a set of beneficial or adverse vascular and renal effects. The two main arms of RAS include "ACE, angiotensin II, AT1 receptor" (vasoconstrictor arm) and "ACE2, angiotensin 1-7, AT2 receptor and Mas receptor" (vasodilator arm). IR and its outputs have been reported to be sex-dependent. On the other hand, systemic and local RAS function in the regulation of renal hemodynamics can also be affected by gender. In fact, sex and sex hormones affect sensitivity to angiotensin II and angiotensin 1-7. This review article examines the role of RAS receptors of the new vasopressor arm versus the classic vasopressor arm and their function interference, as well as sex differences and it's influence on renal blood flow in renal IR Injury. © 2022 Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved