Study of phytochemical and anti-depressive effect of Echinophora platyloba essential oil in male mice

Introduction: Depression is one of the most common diseases. Studying the anti-depressant effect of herbs and comparing them with anti-depressant drugs, this result showed that not only some herbs such as saffron have anti-depressant effects comparing to anti-depressant drugs due to anti-oxidant properties; but also the side effects of these herbs are less than chemical anti-depressant drugs. According to previous studies, E. platyloba has anti- oxidant properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the phytochemical properties and the antioxidant effect of E. platyloba essence and its effect on the improvement of depression symptoms. Methods and Results: In this experimental study, 60 mice were divided into 6 groups including 10 subjects. Control group received only 1ml/kg of normal saline. Group two received 0.5 cc of reserpine. Groups (3-5) received 50, 75 and 100 mg/kg of Echinophoraplatyloba essence in addition to receiving 5 mg/kg of reserpine respectively and group six received fluoxetine in 10 mg/kg after receiving 0.5 mg/kg of reserpine. Then the rats were evaluated by forced swimming and tail suspension. Finally, biochemical tests such as measuring the antioxidant capacity of the serum and brain were done by FRAP method and measuring the level of malondialdehyde in plasma and brain. All information was analyzed by SPSS16 statistical software and the significance level was considered as p<0.05.The main components of the essence were Myristicin (76.6%), α-Phellandren (5.9%) and Neocnidilide (4.4%). An increase in antioxidant capacity of serum and brain, a decrease in malondialdehyde level of serum and brain and a decrease in the duration of immobilization in the forced swimming test and hanging tail test were observed in the groups receiving essence which indicates the anti- depressant effect of this essence. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate the anti-depressant effects of E.platyloba, which is justified by the main components of the essential oil composition of the herb. The essence of this herb, in addition to having anti-oxidant compounds that have anti-depressant properties, contains substances with similar function of neurotransmitters in the prevention and treatment of depression

Medicinal Plants and Natural Compounds in the Treatment of Acne: A Review

Introduction: Acne is an infectious chronic inflammatory disorder occurring in skin's outer tissue and characterized by seborrhea, pimples, papules, comedowns and nodules based on severity. It can be caused by increased sebum production, abnormalities in epithelium, inflammation and microbiological reasons. Several natural active herbal compounds have been reported  with anti-acne effects.  Methods and Results: Various literatures containing the keywords including Anti-acne medicinal plants, Anti-acne herbal remedies, Anti-acne herbs have been extracted from different databases including PubMed, Science Direct and Scopus. Among medicinal plants, Pinaceae, Berberidaceae, Asteraceae, Zingiberacea and Piperaceae families had shown anti-acne effects. Among the aforementioned families for example, Abies koreana essential oil has shown anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory effects. Moreover, ethanol extract of Ammannia baccifera and Berberis aristata had anti-bacterial effects on acne-induced microrganisms. Berberis vulgaris was also evaluated and its anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-lipogenic effects were confirmed. Also, Curcuma longa showed anti-oxidant effects that can be applied in acne therapy. Various herbal compounds from these medicinal herbs have been reported as anti-acne agents, due to their anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-sebum and anti-androgen effects. Chemical identity of these agents was confirmed as phenol derivatives, flavonoid and tannin compounds, e.g. Rhodomyrtone, Pulsaquinone, Hydropulsaquinone, Honokiol, Magnolol, Xanthohumor and lupulones. In this study, we classified and summarized these reports to identify the best effective herbal medicines for acne therapy. Conclusions: Nowadays herbal medicine and natural compounds provide valuable, effective and safe agents for the treatment of acne. According to the studies, there are numerous herbs and herbal compounds with anti-acne effects and they can be used as an alternative treatment against this inflammatory disorder

Evaluation of Histological Impacts of Three Types of Orthodontic Fixed Retainers on Periodontium of Rabbits

Statement of the Problem: Fixed retainers were developed to maintain incisor alignments after orthodontic treatments. Although the effects of fixed retainers on periodontal health are clinically studied, no studies have still evaluated the histological changes in the periodontium after the placement of thefixed retainers. Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of customised retainers on periodontium histologically. Materials and Method: Forty pairs of maxillary and mandibular central incisors of twenty rabbits were randomly divided into four equal groups: The first group was considered as the control and in the second group, Fiber Reinforced Composite (FRC), in the third group, 0.014 inch stainless steel (SS) wire and in the fourth group, 0.175 inch multistrand stainless steel (MSS) wire were bonded on the labial surfaces of the incisors. After sixty days; animals' periodontium were evaluated histologically. Results: The number of bone resorption lacuna in the control group was significantly less than FRC and 0.014 SS groups. The periodontal vessel count and their diameter in the control group was significantly lower than the other groups. The pulp vessel count and their diameter in controls were significantly more than the 0.014 SS and the 0.175 MSS groups. Conclusion: Findings of this study suggest that FRC fixed retainer might cause detrimental effects on the periodontal ligaments and supporting bone and the 0.014- inch and 0.175- inch fixed retainers can cause hyalinization and possibly the necrosis of the pulp

Promjene u RF-amidu srodnom peptidu-3 hipotalamusa i ekspresijama gena Kiss1 tijekom spermatogeneze kod štakora u uvjetima kroničnog stresa.

The effects were evaluated of chronic stress and the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist (RU486) on mRNA expressions of RF-amide related peptide-3 (RFRP-3) in the dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMH) and Kiss1 in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of male rats. Twenty-four male rats were allocated to four equal sized groups: the stress, RU486, stress/RU486, and control groups. In the stress group the rats were restrained 1 hour/day for 12 days. In the RU486 group, the rats were injected with RU486 for 12 days. In the stress/RU486 group, the rats were injected with RU486 1 hour before the stress process for 12 days. Relative expressions of RFRP-3 and Kiss1 mRNAs were determined using real-time PCR. The relative expression of RFRP-3 mRNA in the stress group was higher than that in the RU486 and control rats. The relative expression of RFRP-3 mRNA did not differ between the stress group and the stress/RU486 rats. Furthermore, the relative expressions of Kiss1 mRNA in the stress, RU486, and stress/RU486 groups were less than that of the control rats. The relative expression of Kiss1 mRNA did not differ between the stress, RU486, and stress/RU486 groups. In conclusion, dysfunction in male rat fertility caused by the chronic stress may be the result of the increase in REFP-3 and the decrease in Kiss1 mRNA expression.Istražen je učinak kroničnog stresa i antagonista glukokortikoidnog receptora (RU486) na ekspresiju mRNA RF-amidu srodnog peptida-3 (RFRP-3) u dorzomedijalnoj jezgri hipotalamusa (DMH), te na ekspresije gena Kiss1 u arkuatnom nukleusu (ARC) štakora. Dvadeset i četiri štakora bila su raspodijeljena u četiri jednake skupine: stresna skupina, RU486 skupina, stresna/RU486 skupina i kontrolna skupina. U stresnoj skupini štakori su 12 dana bili obuzdani tijekom jednog sata dnevno. U skupini RU486, štakorima je tijekom 12 dana bio primijenjivan RU486. U skupini stres/RU486, štakorima je tijekom 12 dana apliciran RU486 jedan sat prije postupka obuzdavanja. Relativne ekspresije RFRP-3 i Kiss1 mRNA određene su lančanom reakcijom polimerazom u stvarnom vremenu. Relativna ekspresija RFRP-3 mRNA u stresnoj skupini bila je veća nego u skupini RU486 i kontrolnoj skupini. Relativna ekspresija RFRP-3 mRNA nije bila različita između stresne skupine i stres/RU486 skupine. Nadalje, relativne ekspresije Kiss1 mRNA u stresnoj skupini, skupini RU486, i stresnoj skupini/RU486 bile su manje u odnosu na kontrolnu skupinu. Relativna ekspresija Kiss1 mRNA nije se razlikovala između stresne skupine, skupineRU486 i stresne skupine/RU486. Zaključno, disfunkcija plodnosti kod štakora izloženih kroničnom stresu može biti uzrokovana putem povećane ekspresije RFRP-3 i smanjene ekspresije Kiss1 mRNA

Investigation of high-resolution computed tomographic (HRCT) outcomes associated with chronic pulmonary microaspiration (CPM) in Tehran and Zahedan, Iran

Background: In patients with chronic pulmonary microaspiration (CPM) the recognition of high-resolution computed tomographic (HRCT) findings and their pattern is important. Objective: To investigate the HRCT detections in patients with CPM. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study enrolled 100 consecutive patients with CPM underwent HRCT of the lungs between 2017 and 2018 in Tehran and Zahedan Hospitals and private centers. The required variables were recorded for each patient with a questionnaire. Subsequently, HRCT was performed and abnormalities were then reported by two radiologists. Results: Most of patients exhibited bronchial thickening in 33.6% of cases, followed by ground-glass opacity (12.4%), emphysema (11.1%), and bronchiectasis (8.5%). In addition, the most common HRCT findings were found in left lower lobe (LLL) (37.1%), followed by right lower lobe (RLL) (35.9 %), right upper lobe (RUL ) (6,2%), and left upper lobe (LUL) (6%). Conclusion: Our data showed the most common findings in HRCT were bronchial thickening ground-glass opacity, emphysema, and bronchiectasis, where these findings was dominantly found in LLL, RLL, RUL, and LUL, indicating its high tendency to dependent areas

Evaluation of Histological Impacts of Three Types of Orthodontic Fixed Retainers on Periodontium of Rabbits

ABSTRACT Statement of the Problem: Fixed retainers were developed to maintain incisor alignments after orthodontic treatments. Although the effects of fixed retainers on periodontal health are clinically studied, no studies have still evaluated the histological changes in the periodontium after the placement of thefixed retainers. Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of customised retainers on periodontium histologically. Materials and Method: Forty pairs of maxillary and mandibular central incisors of twenty rabbits were randomly divided into four equal groups: The first group was considered as the control and in the second group, Fiber Reinforced Composite (FRC), in the third group, 0.014 inch stainless steel (SS) wire and in the fourth group, 0.175 inch multistrand stainless steel (MSS) wire were bonded on the labial surfaces of the incisors. After sixty days; animals' periodontium were evaluated histologically. Results: The number of bone resorption lacuna in the control group was significantly less than FRC and 0.014 SS groups. The periodontal vessel count and their diameter in the control group was significantly lower than the other groups. The pulp vessel count and their diameter in controls were significantly more than the 0.014 SS and the 0.175 MSS groups. Conclusion: Findings of this study suggest that FRC fixed retainer might cause detrimental effects on the periodontal ligaments and supporting bone and the 0.014-inch and 0.175-inch fixed retainers can cause hyalinization and possibly the necrosis of the pulp

The Effects of Skin-to-Skin Contact on Temperature and Breastfeeding Successfulness in Full-Term Newborns after Cesarean Delivery

Background. The skin-to-skin contact (SSC) of mother and newborn is uncommon full-term newborns after delivering via cesarean section due to the possibility of hypothermia in the infants. The aim of this study was to compare mothers’ and infant’s temperatures after delivering via cesarean section. Material and Methods. In this randomized clinical trial, 90 infant/mothers dyads delivered via cesarean section were randomized to SSC (n=46) and routine care (n=44). In experimental group, skin-to-skin contact was performed for one hour and in the routine group the infant was dressed and put in the cot according to hospital routine care. The newborns’ mothers’ temperatures in both groups were taken at half-hour intervals. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, and chi-square tests. Results. The means of the newborns’ temperatures immediately after SSC (P=0.86), half an hour (P=0.31), and one hour (P=0.52) after the intervention did not show statistically significant differences between the two groups. The mean scores of the infants’ breastfeeding assessment in SSC (8.76±3.63) and routine care (7.25±3.5) groups did not show significant differences (P=0.048). Conclusion. Mother and infant’s skin-to-skin contact is possible after delivering via cesarean section and does not increase the risk of hypothermia

The prevalence and contributing risk factors of coronavirus disease 2019 infection in patients with metabolic syndrome

Abstract Background Components of metabolic syndrome (MetS) was reported to contribute to severe and worse outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Hereby, we evaluated the association of MetS and its components with susceptibility to COVID-19. Methods Here, 1000 subjects with MetS were recruited that were diagnosed via the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criterion. Real-time PCR was exerted to detect SARS-CoV-2 in the nasopharyngeal swabs. Results Among the MetS patients, 206 (20.6%) cases were detected to have COVID-19. Smoking (OR = 5.04, 95%CI = 3.53–7.21, P < 0.0001) and CVD (OR = 1.62, 95%CI = 1.09–2.40, P = 0.015) were associated with increased chance of COVID-19 infection in the MetS patients. BMI was significantly higher (P = 0.0001) in MetS cases with COVID-19 than those without COVID-19. Obesity was associated with increased susceptibility to COVID-19 in MetS patients (OR = 2.00, 95%CI = 1.47–2.74, P < 0.0001). Total cholesterol, TG, LDL were significantly higher in the MetS cases with COVID-19 than those without COVID-19. Dyslipidemia was associated with increased chance of COVID-19 (OR = 1.50, 95%CI = 1.10–2.05, P = 0.0104). FBS level was significantly higher in the MetS cases with COVID-19. T2DM was associated with increased risk of COVID-19 in MetS patients (OR = 1.43, 95%CI = 1.01-2.00, P = 0.0384). Hypertension was associated with increased chance of COVID-19 in the MetS patients (OR = 1.44, 95%CI = 1.05–1.98, P = 0.0234). Conclusions MetS and its components, like obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular complications were associated with increased chance of COVID-19 infection development and probably with aggravated symptoms in such patients

The effect of Stevioside and Stevia rebaudiana on the growth of Streptococcus mutans

Background : Streptococcus mutans is a major cause of dental caries and tooth damage. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Stevioside and Stevia rebaudiana leaf extracts on the growth of Streptococcus mutans. Materials and Methods: In this study, the aqueous and acetone extracts of Stevia rebaudiana were extracted by the maceration method, and methanol and ethanol extracts were prepared by a Soxhlet apparatus. Stevioside was purchased from Malaysia. The agar-well diffusion method was used to determine the antibacterial activity of Stevioside and Stevia extracts. Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was determined by the microdilution method. The antibacterial effects of Stevioside and Stevia extracts together and in combination with Penicillin were compared through variance analysis. Results: The results indicated the inhibitory effects of methanol extracts at MIC= 25 mg/ml, ethanol extract at MIC=3.13 mg/ml, and acetone extract at MIC=1.56 mg/ml on growth of Streptococcus mutans. The aqueous extract of Stevia rebaudiana and Stevioside could not inhibit the growth of Streptococcus mutans. Conclusion: The alcoholic and acetone extracts of Stevia rebaudiana may be used as pharmaceuticals and preservatives in controlling the growth of Streptococcus mutans

Assessing Radiosensitivity: Effects of Acute Ionizing Radiation on Inflammation and Apoptosis in Macrophage Cell Line (RAW 264.7): Effect of radiation on inflammation and apoptosis

Introduction: The responses of biological systems to various types of radiation have multifaceted dimensions. In the field of ionizing radiation, in vitro external gamma radiation therapy has primarily been studied as a model to elucidate the challenges that biological systems face from radiation effects. Exposure of cells/organisms to gamma radiation results in a cascade of ionization events that can cause severe and irreversible biological damage. However, the biological responses and oxidative stress-related mechanisms under acute radiation conditions remain poorly understood in inflammatory systems. The present study aimed to provide a model of the effect of ionizing radiation on macrophages, which play a pivotal role in the mechanisms of inflammation, to assess the impact of radiotherapy as an approach to treating inflammatory diseases.Methods: A macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7) was cultured and exposed to different doses of gamma radiation (4, 6, 8, 10 Gy). Cell viability, apoptosis, cell cycle, migration, nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production, expression of pro-inflammatory and apoptotic genes, and cytokine secretion of macrophages were also evaluated.Results: The results showed that gamma radiation at 4 Gy had a low effect on macrophage characteristics and cytokine secretion patterns. In contrast, higher doses (8 and 10 Gy) increased DNA damage, expression of apoptotic genes, and secretion of NO and PGE2 cytokines. 6 Gy radiation, the maximum radiation dose, showed moderate non-destructive effects and inflammation process modulation. In this study, doses higher than 6 Gy of Gamma radiation caused cell mortality.Conclusion: It appears that 6 Gy of gamma radiation modulates the inflammatory cascade caused by macrophage cells