Herpes Simplex Encephalitis: Successful Treatment with Acyclovir

Introduction: One of the most common causes of encephalitis is due to viral infections, such as herpes simplex. Traditionally, brain biopsy was required for the diagnosis of HSV encephalitis; however, here CSF PCR detection for herpes simplex encephalitis is reported which was successfully treated with Acyclovir.Case presentation:A 52 year old female patient was brought to emergency department with fever (400C), constipation, abdominal pain, fatigue, disorientation and agitation for the last two days. DNA extraction and Real Time PCR was performed on CSF sample for HSV-1/2 and HSV-1 was positive. Moreover, the brain MRI report showed left and basal temporal oppression, together with left and basal frontal pus. The patient was discharged after 20 days of hospitalization and treatment with acyclovir and normal physiological indexes and had a good clinical and neurologic outcome with resolution of all the symptoms.Conclusion:It is worthy to emphasize that despite the normal biochemical CSF, imaging results and PCR are proved evidence of HSV encephalitis.

Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium in Patients with Benign and Malignant Ovarian Cancer by Nested PCR Method

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis) and Mycoplasma genitalium (M. genitalium) are considered factors in cervical and ovarian cancer and are associated with flaky cell carcinoma of the cervix. The role of steady infection, leading to chronic inflammation, in the of ovarian cancer has received very little consideration, although a background of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is in a case-control study associate to higher risk for ovarian cancer. C. trachomatis, the most common and important cause of PID in the developed world is the genital and cervical infectious agent. The aim of this study was prevalence of C. trachomatis and M. genitalium in patients with ovarian cancer who referred to Imam Hossein Hospital of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study that was conducted from January 2014 to April 2015, 124 samples were studied which obtained from patients with ovarian cancer who referred to medical centers of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. After obtaining samples from ovarian cancer tissue by the pathologist, for extraction DNA, samples were transferred to the laboratory of university. To confirm the presence of C. trachomatis in samples of ovarian cancer, specific primers for the Major Outer Membrane Protein (MOMP) genes of C. trachomais, were designed and used Nested PCR method for detection of M. genitalium. Sequencing was performed on the PCR and Nested PCR product to confirm the presence of C. trachomatis and M. genitalium.Results: Out of 124 samples of ovarian cancer, 62 (50%) samples were malignant cancer and 62 (50%) were benign cancer as control group. From 65 malignant samples 14 (22.5%) were Chlamydia trachomatis positive. None of the tissue samples of benign cancer of ovary were positive for C. trachomatis. Notably, none of the 124 ovarian samples were positive in the M. genitalium standard PCR assay.Conclusion: The results suggest that the spread of C. trachomatis in the female with ovarian cancer may be common. This finding reflects a possible role of C. trachomatis in the carcinogenesis of ovarian tumors. C. trachomatis infection may play a relative role in the pathogenesis of ovarian carcinomas or it could facilitate its progression

Dietary Regulation of miR-33b and miR-29a in Relationship to Metabolic Biomarkers of Glucose and Lipids in Obese Diabetic Women: A Randomized Clinical Controlled Study

Background: MicroRNAs have recently been introduced as epigenetic regulators of glucose and lipid metabolic pathways, which are impaired in obesity and diabetes. Objectives: We evaluated the effects of calorie-restricted diet therapy on the circulating levels of miR-33b and miR-29a in relationship to glucose and lipid metabolic parameters in obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: This randomized clinical controlled trial was performed on 30 eligible obese women with T2DM, randomly divided into two groups (control group, n = 15; diet therapy group, n = 15) for 10 weeks. Ten healthy women with normal weight were enrolled at the baseline of the study as controls. Demographic information, dietary intake, and anthropometric and biochemical indices were obtained before and after the study. Circulating miR-33b and miR-29a were assessed for all subjects using quantitative RT-PCR, and the fold change of each circulating miRNA was compared between groups. Results: The circulating levels of miR-29a and miR-33b in the diabetic women were higher (0.40-fold) and lower (1.43-fold), respectively, than normal levels. Diet therapy significantly increased the circulating level of miR-33b (P = 0.023, 0.97-fold upregulation) to normal levels. This increase was independently correlated with caloric restriction (95%CI: -0.004 to -0.0001, P = 0.022) and 2hPPBS (95%CI: -0.009 to -0.001, P = 0.035). No remarkable change was observed in circulating levels of miR-29a. Conclusions: Our findings introduced a novel therapeutic effect of diet therapy on circulating miRNAs in obese patients with T2DM. MiR-33b is an important therapeutic target in the treatment and prevention of T2DM and its complication

Silymarin Administration Attenuates Cirrhotic-induced Cardiac Abnormality in the Rats: A Possible Role of β1-adrenergic Receptors and L-type Voltage-Dependent Calcium Channels

Background: Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy is a well-recognized cardiac dysfunction in cirrhotic patients. Studies have confirmed the protective effects of silymarin in different types of cardiac injury. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness and molecular mechanism of silymarin against myocardial dysfunction and hypertrophy in a rat model of cirrhosis. Methods: The experiment was performed at Alborz University of Medical Sciences (Karaj, Iran) during 2020-2021. Thirty-two male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups of Sham-operated (control group for surgical procedures), Bile Duct Ligated (BDL), and two Silymarin extract (SE)-treated groups of 300 and 600 mg/Kg/day. After 28 days, serum levels of AST, ALT, GGT, and ALP, liver histopathological status, as well as cardiac mechanical function, were assessed. Cardiac β1-adrenergic receptors (β1-AR), L-type voltage-dependent calcium channels (L-VDCC), and GATA4 mRNA expression were also determined using real-time RT-PCR. Data analysis was performed using the one-way ANOVA followed by Duncan’s multiple range test. Histological data has been analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test. The analysis was performed at P≤0.05. Results: BDL was associated with a significant elevation in serum AST, ALT, GGT, and ALP, development of necrosis and fibrosis of the liver texture, increased Heart Weight and Heart Weight to Body Weight ratio, enhanced cardiac mechanical function as well as a significant up-regulation of ventricular β1-AR and L-VDCC. Administration of SE600, but not SE300, significantly reduced the serum levels of the enzymes and alleviated signs of liver necrosis and fibrosis. Cirrhotic-induced cardiac dysfunction was also restored by SE600, but not by the lower dose. In addition, cardiac expression of the β1-AR and L-VDCC was down-regulated toward normal values by either higher or lower doses of the SE. Conclusion: Silymarin treatment in higher dose attenuated cirrhosis-associated cardiac remodeling and reduced cardiac mechanical dysfunctions

New mechanistic insights into hepatoprotective activity of milk thistle and chicory quantified extract: The role of hepatic Farnesoid-X activated receptors

Objective: Farnesoid-X-activated receptors (FXR) are key modulators of liver regeneration. Milk thistle and Chicory are known as potent protective remedies in several liver disorders. The objective of this work was to examine the role of FXR in the hepato-healing properties of milk thistle (MTE) and chicory extracts (CE) in a rat model of acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity. Materials and Methods: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into seven groups including control, vehicle, acetaminophen (500 mg/kg/day, oral), acetaminophen plus oral MTE 200 and 400 mg/kg/day, and acetaminophen plus oral CE 500 and 1000 /kg/day for 28 days. Liver function and histology as well as the pattern of hepatic FXR expression were assessed after 4 weeks. Results: Administration of acetaminophen was associated with a significant elevation of liver transaminase along with the architectural injuries. In contrast, chronic concomitant administration of both MTE and CE significantly restored the liver function and structural abnormality. The main molecular findings of the study revealed that the lower doses of both MTE and CE led to a marked upregulation of hepatic FXR expression. Conclusion: Discovery of the involvement of the nuclear modulating pathways in hepatoprotective activity of the extracts, providesa new mechanistic insight which needs further investigations