Negative performance of root extract of Onosma dichroanthum Boiss. on the burn wound healing in an animal model

Background: Onosma dichroanthum Boiss. belongs to the Boraginaceae family which locally known as" Hava Chobeh", and it is considered as one of the most important Mountainous medicinal plants in North of Iran, Its red roots have been used by the rural healers as either singular or combination with other plants as antiseptic and anti-inflammatory to treat the burns and wound healing. Methods and Findings: In this study, the acetonic extract of plant root was used for the evaluation of its healing efficiency on burn wound model in rat. Burn induced in Wistar rats, and subsequently they were divided into five groups were treated as follow: Group-I ointment containing of extract 2%, Group-II, traditional ointment containing of goat lipid and root extract, Groups-III ointment alone, Group-IV (positive control) the standard drug (silver sulphadiazine) and Group-V (negative control) untreated rats. The assessment the burn area healing was carried out within 14 days. Our results showed that the treated group in I and II, the intensity of wound increased up to the day 8, even the wound diameter much more expanded than negative control group (group V). The best result was demonstrated by Silver sulphadiazine treated group (group IV). Conclusion: This study shows that Onosma dichroanthum Boiss. root did not have any effect on healing of burn wounds in an animal model. Further studies are requiring for assessment of this plant in combination with other plants on burn wound healing. © Under License of Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License

Nitazoxanide and doxycycline sensitivity among metronidazole resistant helicobacter pylori isolates from patients with gastritis

Background: Antibiotic therapy should be done based on resistance characteristics of Helicobacter pylori strains to commonly prescribed antibiotics in areas with higher resistance rates. Objectives: This study examined antibacterial activity of nitazoxanide and doxycycline against clinical H. pylori isolates showing different metronidazole resistance levels. Methods: A total of 122 patients, who underwent endoscopy were enrolled in this study from 3 hospitals of Tehran, during November 2014 to July 2015. Helicobacter pylori isolates were obtained from gastric biopsies of the patients after culture in specific culture medium and characterization by both biochemical and molecular methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility to metronidazole was detected using the agar dilution method and minimum inhibitory concentrations of nitazoxanide and doxycycline were determined for metronidazole resistant strains. Results: From a total of 122 gastric biopsy specimens, 55 H. pylori strains were recovered (45). Thirty-three of these strains (60.0) were resistance to metronidazole. MIC50 and MIC90 values for metronidazole were 32 and 64 µg/mL, respectively. MIC50 and MIC90 values for doxycycline and nitazoxanide were measured as 4 and �8 µg/mL, and 8 and �32 µg/mL, respectively. Conclusions: Dominance of high level metronidazole resistance H. pylori strains among the studied patients questioned its usefulness for first-line therapy in Iran. Nitazoxanide and doxycycline showed superior activity against H. pylori strains in comparison to metronidazole, which should be considered for alternative therapies. © 2018, Kowsar Medical Publishing Company. All rights reserved

Adding ursodeoxycholic acid to the endoscopic treatment and common bile duct stenting for large and multiple biliary stones: Will it improve the outcomes?

Background: The role of common bile duct (CBD) stenting in the establishment of bile stream in the elderly patients and the ones who are not good candidates for surgery due to not responding to treatments was well documented in previous studies. The current study aimed at investigating the effect of adding Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) to CBD stenting alone in order to reduce the size of large and multiple CBD stones. Methods: Clinical outcomes including success rates in CBD stones clearance, incidence of pancreatitis, perforation, bleeding, as well as, decrease in size of stones and liver enzymes after a two-month period were assessed in the UDCA + CBD stenting group. Results: A total of 64 patients referring to Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Qom, Iran with multiple or large CBD stones (above three or larger than 15 mm) received standard endoscopic therapies and UDCA + CBD stenting (group B) and controls only received standard endoscopic therapies with only CBD stenting (group A). The mean reduction in the size of stones in group B was significantly higher than that of group A (3.22 ± 1.31 vs 4.09 ± 1.87 mm) (p = 0.034). There was no difference in the incidence rate of complications including pancreatitis, cholangitis, bleeding, and perforation between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Adding UDCA to CBD stenting, due to decrease in the stone size and subsequently facilitation of the stones outlet, can be considered as the first-line treatment for patients with large and multiple CBD stones. Also, in the cases with large or multi stones may be effective in reducing size and subsequently stone retrieval. Trial registry The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Qom University of Medical Sciences (ethical code: IR.MUQ.REC.1397.075); the study was also registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (No. IRCT20161205031252N8). This study adheres to CONSORT guidelines. © 2020, The Author(s)

Nitazoxanide and doxycycline sensitivity among metronidazole resistant helicobacter pylori isolates from patients with gastritis

Background: Antibiotic therapy should be done based on resistance characteristics of Helicobacter pylori strains to commonly prescribed antibiotics in areas with higher resistance rates. Objectives: This study examined antibacterial activity of nitazoxanide and doxycycline against clinical H. pylori isolates showing different metronidazole resistance levels. Methods: A total of 122 patients, who underwent endoscopy were enrolled in this study from 3 hospitals of Tehran, during November 2014 to July 2015. Helicobacter pylori isolates were obtained from gastric biopsies of the patients after culture in specific culture medium and characterization by both biochemical and molecular methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility to metronidazole was detected using the agar dilution method and minimum inhibitory concentrations of nitazoxanide and doxycycline were determined for metronidazole resistant strains. Results: From a total of 122 gastric biopsy specimens, 55 H. pylori strains were recovered (45). Thirty-three of these strains (60.0) were resistance to metronidazole. MIC50 and MIC90 values for metronidazole were 32 and 64 µg/mL, respectively. MIC50 and MIC90 values for doxycycline and nitazoxanide were measured as 4 and �8 µg/mL, and 8 and �32 µg/mL, respectively. Conclusions: Dominance of high level metronidazole resistance H. pylori strains among the studied patients questioned its usefulness for first-line therapy in Iran. Nitazoxanide and doxycycline showed superior activity against H. pylori strains in comparison to metronidazole, which should be considered for alternative therapies. © 2018, Kowsar Medical Publishing Company. All rights reserved

Quantum mechanics on space with SU(2) fuzziness

Quantum mechanics of models is considered which are constructed in spaces with Lie algebra type commutation relations between spatial coordinates. The case is specialized to that of the group SU(2), for which the formulation of the problem via the Euler parameterization is also presented. SU(2)-invariant systems are discussed, and the corresponding eigenvalue problem for the Hamiltonian is reduced to an ordinary differential equation, as it is the case with such models on commutative spaces.Comment: 12 pages, no figs, LaTe

Evaluation of the effects of pycnogenol (French maritime pine bark extract) supplementation on inflammatory biomarkers and nutritional and clinical status in traumatic brain injury patients in an intensive care unit: A randomized clinical trial protocol

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the major health and socioeconomic problems in the world. Immune-enhancing enteral formula has been proven to significantly reduce infection rate in TBI patients. One of the ingredients that can be used in immunonutrition formulas to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress is pycnogenol. Objective: The objective of this work is to survey the effect of pycnogenol on the clinical, nutritional, and inflammatory status of TBI patients. Methods: This is a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Block randomization will be used. An intervention group will receive pycnogenol supplementation of 150 mg for 10 days and a control group will receive a placebo for the same duration. Inflammatory status (IL-6, IL- 1β, C-reactive protein) and oxidative stress status (malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity), at the baseline, at the 5th day, and at the end of the study (10th day) will be measured. Clinical and nutritional status will be assessed three times during the intervention. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) questionnaire for assessment of organ failure will be filled out every other day. The mortality rate will be calculated within 28 days of the start of the intervention. Weight, body mass index, and body composition will be measured. All analyses will be conducted by an initially assigned study arm in an intention-to-treat analysis. Discussion: We expect that supplementation of 150 mg pycnogenol for 10 days will improve clinical and nutritional status and reduce the inflammation and oxidative stress of the TBI patients. Trial registration: This trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (ref: NCT03777683) at 12/13/2018. © 2020 The Author(s)

Comparative study of the effect of warming at various temperatures on biochemical, hematologic, and hemodynamic parameters during spinal fusion surgery under intravenous anesthesia

Background: Perioperative inadvertent hypothermia (PIH) commonly occurs after major surgical procedures under local or general anesthesia and increases the risk of complications such as organ failure, hypoperfusion, and peripheral vasoconstriction, as well as adverse postoperative outcomes, such as wound infection and increased surgical bleeding. Objectives: We hypothesized that the intra-operative warming may affect these complications and thus, we aimed to compare the most appropriate temperature of the warmer to decrease patients� complications. Methods: The present randomized clinical trial investigated 90 patients undergoing total intravenous anesthesia in posterior spinal fusion surgery, randomly divided into two groups of 45. The warmer was set at 38°C for group �A� during surgery and at 40°C for group �B.� Patient�s demographic characteristics, the serum level of hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelet counts, mean core temperature, systolic blood pressure (BP), heart rate, and respiratory rate were recorded before and after the surgery. Variables were compared between the two groups at three time intervals (during induction, during operation, and during recovery). Results: The mean temperature was not different between the two groups at the three time intervals. Other laboratory serum tests, vital signs, and oxygen consumption were maintained within the normal range although they did not improve significantly in two groups at the three time intervals. Conclusions: There was no significant difference in warming of the patients during operation at 38 or 40°C to prevent hypothermia-induced complications during induction, operation, and recovery. © 2018, Author(s)

Umbelliprenin-coated Fe3O4 magnetite nanoparticles: Antiproliferation evaluation on human Fibrosarcoma cell line (HT-1080)

The potential applications of Fe3O4 magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) in nanomedicine as drug delivery systems are well known. In this study we prepared umbelliprenin-coated Fe3O4 MNPs and evaluated the antiproliferative effect of combination in vitro. After synthesis of Fe3O4 MNPs, particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy techniques. The natural candidate compound — umbelliprenin— was isolated and identified and umbelliprenin-coated Fe3O4 MNPs were prepared, using precipitation method. The surface chemistry of umbelliprenin-coated Fe3O4 MNPs as well as their thermal decomposition characteristics was examined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Thermogravimetric Analyzer equipment, respectively. HT-1080 cells were cultured until the logarithmic phase of growth, and MTT assay was successfully carried out to evaluate the possible cytotoxic effects of umbelliprenin-coated Fe3O4 MNPs in viable cells in vitro. The results demonstrated that umbelliprenin has moderate antiproliferative effects with IC50 value of 50 μg/mL. However, the combination of umbelliprenin and Fe3O4 MNPs showed the IC50 value of 9 μg/mL. In other words, cell proliferation decreased to the remarkably-low proportion of 45% after treating cells with umbelliprenin-coated Fe3O4 MNPs. This suggests that with the aid of nanoparticles as carriers, natural products may have even broader range of medical applications in future