Exosomes and Exosomal miRNA in Respiratory Diseases

Exosomes are nanosized vesicles released from every cell in the body including those in the respiratory tract and lungs. They are found in most body fluids and contain a number of different biomolecules including proteins, lipids, and both mRNA and noncoding RNAs. Since they can release their contents, particularly miRNAs, to both neighboring and distal cells, they are considered important in cell-cell communication. Recent evidence has shown their possible importance in the pathogenesis of several pulmonary diseases. The differential expression of exosomes and of exosomal miRNAs in disease has driven their promise as biomarkers of disease enabling noninvasive clinical diagnosis in addition to their use as therapeutic tools. In this review, we summarize recent advances in this area as applicable to pulmonary diseases

miR-1224 Expression is Increased in Human Macrophage After Infection With Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG)

Introduction: Tuberculosis remains a major threat to human health. Understanding the strategies mycobacterium takes to overcome immune defense is important to control the infection. miRNAs are master regulators of most pathways in the human body. Infection with mycobacterium impacts upon host metabolic pathways to obtain the nutrition for its intracellular survival. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of BCG infection on the expression of three miRNAs (miR-1224, -484 and -425), which have been previously demonstrated to be important in infection and metabolic pathways. Methods: Blood-derived monocyte derived macrophage (MDM) cultures were prepared and infected with BCG at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) =10 or left uninfected as a control. 72h post-infection, the cultured cells were subjected to RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis and real-time PCR. Expression levels miRNAs were normalized to the levels of U6 snRNA (Rnu6) using the 2–ΔΔCt method Results: Infection with BCG resulted in a highly significant increase in miR-1224 expression (24.4±3.8-fold induction) in human MDMs. The induction of miR-484 (1.8±0.3-fold increase) and of miR-425 (1.2±0.2-fold increase) was less increased compared to miR-1224. Discussion: Mycobacterium tolerate an hostile microenvironment by escaping from lysosomal degradation and providing a lipid-rich niche by trigger with and re-pattering host metabolism. These data highlight the potential importance of miR-1224 in the host metabolic response to TB infection and a possible role of miR-484 in the reprogramming of metabolic pathways in infected cells. Further work is required to determine whether these miRNAs may also be useful as biomarkers for the diagnosis or monitoring of treatment in TB patients. Conclusion: This study Highlighted the potential roles of miRNAs in host immunologic responses upon mycobacterium infection. Further work is required to determine whether these miRNAs may also be useful as biomarkers for the diagnosis or monitoring of treatment in TB patients

Rich kids : a history of shopping malls in Tehran and the believers are but brothers - digital lack and excess in a postdigital age

This article addresses two recent performances by Javaad Alipoor and Kirsty Housley - Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in Tehran (2019) and The Believers are but Brothers (2017). It argues that they represent a fresh, stripped back and interrogative mode of intermedial performance, marking a clear departure from practices that employ the digital as a spectacular scenographic tool - where the visual excesses of large scale mapped and projected images are there for us to enjoy - as well as from sited, active and playful uses of handheld devices and networked engagements in mixed reality performance. Particularly focusing on the use of audience members’ smartphones and platforms such as Whatsapp and Instagram, I contend that the prompting of these types of interactions in a theatre space generates a productive uneasiness at the intersection of human action and digital process. The article explores these qualities of unease and critical positionings that emerge within the contained spaces created in the performances and how they reveal and heighten the dual lack and excess of contemporary digital content and processes in our lives. In exploring these ideas, I make reference to postdigital theories, discourses of intermediality and critical writing around digital computation

Water-pipe smoke condensate increases the internalization of Mycobacterium Bovis of type II alveolar epithelial cells (A549)

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major global health problem, and there is an association between tobacco smoke and TB. Water pipe smoking has become an increasing problem not only in Middle Eastern countries but also globally because users consider it as safer than cigarettes. The presence of high levels of toxic substances in water-pipe smoke may be a predisposing factor that enhances the incidence of pulmonary disorders. For example, uncontrolled macropinocytosis in alveolar epithelial cells following exposure to water-pipe smoke may predispose subjects to pulmonary infection. Here, we studied the effects of water-pipe condense (WPC) on the internalization of Mycobacterium Bovis BCG by macropinocytosis in the alveolar epithelial cell line A549. Methods: A549 cells were exposed to WPC (4 mg/ml) for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. Cell viability was studied using the methyl thiazolyldipenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay and proliferation by bromodeoxyUridine (BrdU) incorporation. Cells were exposed to FITC-Dextran (1 mg/ml) (as a control) and FITC-BCG (MOI = 10) for 20 min at 37 ° Cbeforecellswere collected and the uptake of BCG-FITC determined by flow cytometry. Similar experiments were performed at 4 ° Casacontrol . The Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor Y-27632 (1 μ M) was used to assess the mechanism by which WPC enhanced BCG uptake. Results: WPC (4 mg/ml) increased the uptake of BCG-FITC after 72 (1.3 ± 0.1 fold, p < 0.05) and 96 (1.4 ± 0.05 fold, p < 0.05) hours. No effect on BCG-FITC uptake was observed at 24 or 48 h. WPC also significantly increased the uptake of FITC-Dextran (2.9 ± 0.3 fold, p < 0.05) after 24 h. WPC significantly decreased cell viability after 24 (84 ± 2%, p < 0.05), 48 (78±, 3%, p < 0.05), 72 (64 ± 2%, p < 0.05) and 96 h (45 ± 2%, p < 0.05). Y-27632 completely attenuated the increased uptake of BCG by WPC. Cell proliferation showed a decreasing trend in a time-dependent manner with WPC exposure. Conclusion: WPC exposure increased epithelial cell endocytosis activity and death as well as enhancing their capacity for macropinocytosis. Our in vitro data indicates possible harmful effects of WPC on the ability of lung epithelial cells to phagocytose mycobacterium

Assessment of Medical Science Students‘ Knowledge Regarding the Role of Nutrition in Prevention or Incidence of Cancer in Tabriz University

Background: Cancer is chronic disease that its prevalence is growing in recent years. Genetics and environmental factors such as energy balance and nutritional habits are involved in its incidence. The nutrition plays an important role in prevention and incidence of cancer due to protective and harmful factors, respectively. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of medical sciences students regarding the role of nutrition in prevention or incidence of cancer in Tabriz University. Methods: This Cross- sectional study conducted on 565 (219 male and 346 Female) senior students of medical sciences. A self-administered questionnaire with two part completed by students. the one was about the demographic characteristics (age, gender, course, level of education, passing nutrition unit through the school and source of nutritional information) and the other one with 22 closed and open questions was about nutritional knowledge. Data analyzed by using descriptive statistics and presented as frequency and percent. Assessment of relationship between nutritional knowledge and demographic variable were used the Pearson correlation and ANOVA. Results: About 13% of students had low level of nutritional knowledge and 41% and 45.6% had acceptable and high level of knowledge, respectively. Relationship between course, level of education, passing nutrition unit through the school and source of nutritional information of students with nutritional knowledge were statistically significant and with age and gender were no statistically significant relationship. Conclusion: Nutritional factors had important role in incidence of cancer and individual knowledge in this regard is important. In our study, medical knowledge of students, as future provider of health information hadn&acute;t adequate level, so using of efficient co-educational materials for increasing their knowledge may be beneficial

Effectiveness of Therapeutic Community in Executive Functions and Autobiographical Memory in People with Addiction to Stimulants

Objective: The present study was an attempt to examine the effectiveness of therapeutic community in executive functions and autobiographical memory in people with addiction to stimulants. Method: This study was conducted based on a quasi-experimental research design along with pretest and posttest. From among the male stimulant users who had referred to Vardij medical center of Tehran therapeutic community, the number of 27 participants was selected via purposive sampling after the consideration of inclusion and exclusion criteria. From admission to end treatment stage of people in this center (4-month treatment), Wisconsin test, Stroop test, tower of London test, digit span, and autobiographical memory questionnaire were used for data collection. Results: The results of the study showed that therapeutic community significantly improved scores Wisconsin, Stroop, tower of London and digit span tests, as well as scores of specific autobiographical memories. Conclusion: Based on the effects of etiology, treatment and prevention of executive functions and autobiographical memory on addiction, it is recommended to use therapeutic community in treatment interventions and addiction relapse.&nbsp

Probiotic yogurt Affects Pro- and Anti-inflammatory Factors in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an irregular response of immune system accompanied with different inflammatory manifestations including alterations in cytokines. Probiotics are non-pathogenic organisms with probable effects in various conditions such as inflammation. The present study hypothesized whether oral intake of bifidobacterium and lactobacillus in form of probiotic yogurt may represent an immunomodulatory effect in IBD patients. Overally, 210 patients in remission phase and 95 healthy people were recruited. Patients were randomly divided into two groups of either 250 grams of probiotic yogurt (PI) or 250 grams of plain yogurt (PC) daily for 8 weeks. The healthy control group (HG) also received probiotic yogurt as noted. The serum levels of cytokines TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1 beta, IL-10 and CRP levels were measured at baseline and at termination time. A significant difference was observed between intervention groups of PI and PC with HG group (p < 0.05). After the intervention, serum levels of IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha and CRP were significantly decreased in PI group compared to their baseline values and intervention groups. The serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 increased significantly after the intervention compared to baseline values and PC levels (all p-values < 0.05). Intestinal homeostasis is a balance between pro and anti-inflammatory responses of intestinal immunocytes and could be maintained by probiotics