The impact of moderate combination exercise on HbA1c, IL-6, and TNF in type 2 diabetic and non-diabetic subjects: an interventional non-randomized clinical trial

open access articleIntroduction: The main causes of worldwide increase in prevalence of type 2 diabetes are the daily consumption of excessive number of calories and sedentary lifestyle. Diabetes is usually accompanied by hypertension, lipid disorders and obesity that are considered as risk factors for developing diabetes. This study is designed to assess the benefit of a combined exercise programme (cardio “aerobic” and resistance) on HbA1c and the inflammatory markers (IL-6, and TNF) in type 2 diabetic (T2D) and non-diabetic (ND) subjects. Materials and methods: This is an interventional non randomized clinical trial conducted from 2016 to 2019 at exercise physiology laboratory at De Montfort University (DMU). Our target volunteers are T2D (HbA1c > 6.4), and ND (HbA1c < 5.8) with age group from 18-60 years old who are fit and able to do exercise. No restriction on weight. HbA1c, weight, BMI, waist and lung capacity were measured at baseline and at the 12th exercise session. In each exercise session the participant performed a combined exercise program consists of 30 min of resistance exercise followed by 20 min moderate cycling to be done twice a week for 6 weeks. Results: We enrolled 17 T2D intervention group 4 female and 13 male and 8 ND control group 5 female and 3 male. In both groups there was a significant reduction in HbA1c level after 6 weeks (P= 0.000). In T2D there were a significant weight reduction that decreased from (92.0± 4.3) to (90.0±4.5), (P< 0.001), BMI reduction that decreased from (30.8± 1.0) to (30.2± 0.9), (P< 0.001). In ND, the changes in weight reduction and BMI level were not significant. In T2D the changes in IL-6 level were only significant after the last exercise session. It was increased from 1.79±0.4 to 3.88±1.9 pg/ml (P=0.002), while it was not significant in ND group. In T2D and ND subjects, the changes in TNF level were insignificant. Conclusion: Development of combination exercise programs as a non-pharmacological intervention for diabetic and non-diabetic population are essential to decrease the prevalence of diabetes worldwide. In addition to conduction of public awareness events for proper implementation

Targeting NF-κB signaling cascades of glioblastoma by a natural benzophenone, garcinol, via in vitro and molecular docking approaches

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is regarded as the most aggressive form of brain tumor delineated by high cellular heterogeneity; it is resistant to conventional therapeutic regimens. In this study, the anti-cancer potential of garcinol, a naturally derived benzophenone, was assessed against GBM. During the analysis, we observed a reduction in the viability of rat glioblastoma C6 cells at a concentration of 30 µM of the extract (p &lt; 0.001). Exposure to garcinol also induced nuclear fragmentation and condensation, as evidenced by DAPI-stained photomicrographs of C6 cells. The dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential in a dose-dependent fashion was linked to the activation of caspases. Furthermore, it was observed that garcinol mediated the inhibition of NF-κB (p &lt; 0.001) and decreased the expression of genes associated with cell survival (Bcl-XL, Bcl-2, and survivin) and proliferation (cyclin D1). Moreover, garcinol showed interaction with NF-κB through some important amino acid residues, such as Pro275, Trp258, Glu225, and Gly259 during molecular docking analysis. Comparative analysis with positive control (temozolomide) was also performed. We found that garcinol induced apoptotic cell death via inhibiting NF-κB activity in C6 cells, thus implicating it as a plausible therapeutic agent for GBM

Chlorhexidine versus Povidone-Iodine for the prevention of ‎Surgical Site ‎Infections: A review.‎

BackgroundSurgical Site Infections (SSIs) are the third most frequently reported health care-associated ‎infection‎ and it remain a major clinical problem despite improvements in prevention, as they ‎are associated with ‎significant mortality and morbidity. Prevention strategies for SSIs are based ‎on reducing the risk of infection by bacteria, So many antiseptic agents are ‎used, the most ‎common one are Chlorhexidine and Povidone-Iodine.‎AimsTo discuss the ‎findings of RCTs that compare Chlorhexidine versus Povidone-Iodine in the prevention of ‎Surgical ‎Site ‎Infections (SSIs).‎Methods This systematic review was carried out, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and EBSCO that ‎examining randomized trials of Chlorhexidine and Povidone-Iodine to summarize the major ‎RCT that compare Chlorhexidine versus Povidone-Iodine in the prevention of Surgical Site ‎Infections (SSIs).‎Results The review included six randomized studies that compare between Chlorhexidine and Povidone-‎Iodine for the prevention of SSIs. The findings showed that many studies prefer using ‎Chlorhexidine over Povidine-Iodine to reduce SSIs, few studies prefer using PVI as antiseptic ‎and other studies reported that there is no significant difference between both. ConclusionMajority of results prefer using Chlorhexidine than Povidone-Iodine‎ as antiseptics but ‎there were few findings prefer ‎PVI and other studies reported that there was no significant ‎difference between using them as ‎antiseptics.

The effects of a combined aerobic and resistance exercise programme on insulin resistance among prediabetes subjects

open access articleAim: Insulin resistance is a common health disorder that contributes to developed overt diabetes among prediabetes subjects. The aim of the study is to examine the effects of a combined programme of aerobic and resistance exercise on insulin resistance among prediabetes subjects (Pre-D) using Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) as a tool to define the improvement in insulin resistance. Method: 20 prediabetes subjects were asked to join a supervised combined exercise program consists of 30 min of resistance exercise followed by 20 min cycling twice at moderate-intensity a week for 6 weeks. Result: a significant improvement in Blood Glucose (BG) after combination exercise at two occasions when compared to BG before exercise (Pre S1), after 1st exercise session (Post S1) and at the end of intervention trial (Post S12). Conclusion: The result of this study has shown that 6 weeks of moderate-intensity exercise combined with aerobic and resistance exercise program had significantly ameliorated insulin resistance among Pre-D

The effects of (a combined exercise programme aerobic and resistance) on blood glucose and incretin hormone that could control the diabetes in type 2 diabetes.

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Propolis as a Potential Novel Histological Tissue Fixative: A Preliminary Analysis

Background: Fixation of biopsy specimens is a critical step before processing and staining them for histological tissue examination. Formalin is considered the gold standard fixative solution for its attributes. However, it has concerning side effects, such as carcinogenic and potential irritational properties. Owing to its various harmful effects, a safer natural substitute should be explored. In this study, we compared the effectiveness of propolis to 10% formalin and determined its ability as a natural fixative solution. Materials and Methods: Sixty tissue specimens were collected from goats’ tongues and immediately placed in (1) 6.6% propolis, (2) 10% natural buffered formalin (positive control), (3) 6.6% propolis followed by 10% formalin, and (4) 0.9% saline (negative control). Tissue samples were fixed at different time points (12, 24, 48, and 72 h) at room temperature, followed by processing and staining. The quality of the microscopic parameters was blindly assessed by two oral and maxillofacial pathologists using a numerical scoring scale. Scores were statistically analyzed. Results: The fixation of tissue samples placed in 6.6% propolis was statistically significantly better than that of samples placed in 10% formalin and 0.9% saline at different time points. Conclusion: Propolis showed promising fixation properties and can be considered a natural alternative to 10% formalin