Antibacterial activity of the brown algae (Sargassum glaucescens) ethanolic and aqueous extracts from Chabahar coasts, Oman Sea, Iran

The widespread uses of antibiotics have been resulted in resistant strains of microorganisms and increasing of worldwide antibiotic resistance. Thus the investigations on new natural antibacterial agents as new drugs are important. According to the previous researches, some multicellular marine algae have significant antibacterial properties. In the present study, antibacterial effects of organic and aqueous extracts of Sargassum glaucescens (collected from Chabahar’s coast, Oman Sea, Iran) were tested on three strains of Gram-negative bacteria: E. coli, Proteus vulgaris, Vibrio cholerae and two strains of Gram-positive bacteria: Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. Extractions were obtained by immersion method after 48 hours. Antibacterial effects were investigated by the disk diffusion method and serial dilutions in tube to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration. The ethanolic extract showed the largest impact on the L. monocytogenes with significant difference than that by the neomycin. Yet, the aqueous extract showed no effects. Ethanolic extract of algae had no effects on the Proteus vulgaris. The results of present study demonstrated that Ethanolic extract of S. glaucescens had reliable antibacterial effects against L. monocytogenes, Vibrio cholerae, E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus

Systematic selection of small molecules to promote differentiation of embryonic stem cells and experimental validation for generating cardiomyocytes.

Small molecules are being increasingly used for inducing the targeted differentiation of stem cells to different cell types. However, until now no systematic method for selecting suitable small molecules for this purpose has been presented. In this work, we propose an integrated and general bioinformatics- and cheminformatics-based approach for selecting small molecules which direct cellular differentiation in the desired way. The approach was successfully experimentally validated for differentiating stem cells into cardiomyocytes. All predicted compounds enhanced expression of cardiac progenitor (Gata4, Nkx2-5 and Mef2c) and mature cardiac markers (Actc1, myh6) significantly during and post-cardiac progenitor formation. The best-performing compound, Famotidine, increased the percentage of Myh6-positive cells from 33 to 56%, and enhanced the expression of Nkx2.5 and Tnnt2 cardiac progenitor and cardiac markers in protein level. The approach employed in the study is applicable to all other stem cell differentiation settings where gene expression data are available.YK and AB thank the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant 2013 to AB) for funding.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Nature Publishing Group via http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/cddiscovery.2016.

The effects of curcumin on weight loss among patients with metabolic syndrome and related disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background and objective: The current systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was carried out to assess the influence of curcumin intake on weight among patients with metabolic syndrome and related disorders. Methods: We searched the following databases up until January 2018: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The relevant data were extracted and evaluated for quality of the studies in accordance with the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Data were pooled using the inverse variance method and expressed as standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95 confidence intervals (95 CI). Results: Eighteen articles (21 studies) that comprised a total of 1,604 individuals were finally included in the meta-analysis. Curcumin intake significantly reduced body mass index (BMI) (SMD �0.37; 95 CI, �0.61, �0.13; P < 0.01), weight (SMD �0.23; 95 CI, �0.39, �0.06; P < 0.01), waist-circumference (WC) (SMD �0.25; 95 CI, �0.44, �0.05; P = 0.01), leptin levels (SMD �0.97; 95 CI, �1.18, �0.75; P < 0.001) and increased adiponectin levels (SMD 1.05; 95 CI, 0.23, 1.87; P = 0.01). We found no significant effect of curcumin intake on hip ratio (HR) (SMD �0.17; 95 CI, �0.42, 0.08; P = 0.18). Conclusions: Overall, we have found that curcumin intake among patients with metabolic syndrome and related disorders was correlated with a significant reduction in BMI, weight, WC, and leptin, and a significant increase in adiponectin levels, but did not affect HR. Copyright © 2019 Akbari, Lankarani, Tabrizi, Ghayour-Mobarhan, Peymani, Ferns, Ghaderi and Asemi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms

Effect of exercise training before mating on mRNA expression of breast cancer-related genes in offspring in rats | [Effet de l'entraînement physique avant l'accouplement sur l'expression de l'ARNm de gènes liés au cancer du sein chez la progéniture du rat]

Purpose. — Exercise is associated with reduced risk of breast cancer, however, effect of parental exercise on risk of breast cancer in children has not been studied. Thus, the aim of the present study was evaluating the effect of aerobic training of parents before pregnancy on the expression of some of the main genes in breast cancer in breast tissue of their offspring. Method. — Eighteen female and 6 male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into two exercise training and control group. After training each male mated with 2 females. Parental aerobic training with moderate intensity was performed running on treadmill for 4 weeks, 5 sessions per week. Finally Pairs 4, 5, and 6 of adult breast tissues was performed to evaluate the expression of BRCA1, TP53, ER-, IGF-1 and IGF-1R

The effects of inositol supplementation on lipid profiles among patients with metabolic diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background Several studies have evaluated the effect of inositol supplementation on lipid profiles among population with metabolic diseases; however, the findings are controversial. This review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was performed to summarize the evidence of the effects of inositol supplementation on lipid profiles among population with metabolic diseases. Methods Relevant RCTs studies were searched in Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Web of Science until October 2017. Two researchers assessed study eligibility, extracted data, and evaluated risk of bias of included primary studies, independently. To check for the heterogeneity among included studies Q-test and I2 statistics were used. Data were pooled by using the random-effect model and standardized mean difference (SMD) was considered as summary of the effect size. Results Overall, 14 RCTs were included into meta-analysis. Pooled results showed that inositol supplementation among patients with metabolic diseases significantly decreased triglycerides (SMD − 1.24; 95% CI, − 1.84, − 0.64; P < 0.001), total- (SMD − 1.09; 95% CI, − 1.83, − 0.55; P < 0.001), and LDL-cholesterol levels (SMD − 1.31; 95% CI, − 2.23, − 0.39; P = 0.005). There was no effect of inositol supplementation on HDL-cholesterol levels (SMD 0.20; 95% CI, − 0.27, 0.67; P = 0.40). Conclusions Inositol supplementation may result in reduction in triglycerides, total- and LDL-cholesterol levels, but did not affect HDL-cholesterol levels among patients with metabolic diseases. Additional prospective studies regarding the effect of inositol supplementation on lipid profiles in patients with metabolic diseases are necessary. Keywords: Inositol Lipid profiles Metabolic diseases Meta-analysi

The effects of resveratrol supplementation on biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress among patients with metabolic syndrome and related disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

There are several current trials investigating the effect of resveratrol supplementation on biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress among patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS); however, their findings are controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were conducted to summarize the existing evidence and collectively determine the effects of resveratrol supplementation on biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress among patients with MetS and related disorders. Two authors independently searched electronic databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases, until May 2018 in order to find relevant RCTs. The quality of the selected RCTs was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool. Cochran's Q test and I-square (I2) statistic were used to determine whether heterogeneity exists across included trials. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95 CI between two intervention groups were used to determine pooled effect sizes. Out of 317 potential citations selected based on keywords, 24 RCTs met the inclusion criteria and were eligible for the current meta-analysis. The pooled results obtained by using the random-effects model showed that resveratrol supplementation significantly decreased C-reactive protein (CRP) (SMD = -0.55; 95 CI, -0.84, -0.26; P < 0.001; I2: 84.0) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (SMD = -0.68; 95 CI, -1.08, -0.28; P = 0.001; I2: 81.3) concentrations among patients with MetS and related disorders. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) (SMD = 0.05; 95 CI, -0.31, 0.41; P = 0.79; I2: 85.0) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) (SMD = 0.21; 95 CI, -3.16, 3.59; P = 0.90; I2: 97.7) concentrations did not significantly change following resveratrol supplementation. Resveratrol supplementation showed a promising lowering effect on some of the inflammatory markers among patients with MetS and related disorders. Additional prospective studies regarding the effect of resveratrol supplementation on biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress by using higher doses of resveratrol and longer duration of supplementation are necessary

Molecular survey of aminoglycoside-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from tertiary hospitals in Qazvin, Iran

Aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes (AMEs) and 16S rRNA methylases (16S RMTase) are two main resistance mechanisms against aminoglycosides. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of AMEs and 16S rRNA methylase genes among aminoglycoside nonsusceptible Acinetobacter baumannii isolates and to assess their clonal relationship using repetitive extragenic palindromic-PCR (rep-PCR). In this cross-sectional study, a total of 192 A. baumannii isolates were collected from the patients hospitalized in Qazvin, Iran (January 2016 to January 2018). Identification of isolates was performed by standard laboratory methods and API 20E strips. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by Kirby–Bauer method followed by examination of the genes encoding the AMEs and 16S RMTase by PCR and sequencing methods. The clonal relationship of isolates was carried out by rep-PCR. In total, 98.4% of isolates were nonsusceptible to aminoglycosides, 98.4%, 97.9% and 83.9% of isolates were found to be non-susceptible against gentamicin, tobramycin and amikacin, respectively. The frequencies of aph(30 )-VI, aac(60 )-Ib, aac(3)-II, aph(30 )-Ia and armA genes were 59.3%, 39.2%, 39.2%, 31.7% and 69.8%, respectively, either alone or in combination. Rep-PCR results showed that the aminoglycoside non-susceptible isolates belonged to three distinct clones: A (79.4%), B (17.5%) and C (3.2%). The findings of this study showed a high frequency for AMEs with the emergence of armA genes among the aminoglycoside non-susceptible A. baumannii isolates. Rational administration of aminoglycosides as well as using an appropriate infection control policy may reduce the presence of resistance to antibiotics in medical centres

Phenotypic Identification and Genotypic Characterization of Plasmid‑Mediated AmpC β‑Lactamase‑Producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates in Iran

One of the mechanisms of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli resistance to β-lactam antibiotics is the production of β-lactamase enzymes. Among these are the AmpC β-lactamases, which confer resistance to a class of antibiotics. However, little is known about the AmpC β-lactamases of K. pneumoniae and E. coli clinical isolates in Qazvin, Iran. This study was designed to assess the AmpC β-lactamases-producing strains and also identify the prevalence of AmpC β-lactamases genes. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed on 435 K. pneumoniae and E. coli isolates using disk difusion technique. Plasmid-mediated AmpC genes were studied using a multiplex PCR assay. The AmpC β-lactamase-producer isolates were studied by employing cefoxitin disk difusion test, AmpC induction test, AmpC cefoxitin-EDTA test, and boronic acid disk test. Our results showed that of 46 (18.4%) cefoxitin-insensitive E. coli isolates, 10 (21.7%) were positive for AmpC β-lactamase genes, among them 4 (8.69%) isolates were positive for blaDHA genes and 6 (13%) for blaCIT genes. Of 57 (30.4%) cefoxitin-insensitive K. pneumoniae isolates, 10 (17.5%) were positive for AmpC gene with 4 (6.34%) and 6 (9.5%) isolates positive for blaDHA and blaCIT genes, respectively. However, no MOX, ACC, FOX, or EBC genes were detected in the isolates. Considering the results of diferent confrmatory phenotypic tests, the AmpC cefoxitin-EDTA test showed a higher discriminatory power for detecting AmpC β-lactamase-producing strains. The specifcity and sensitivity of AmpC cefoxitin-EDTA were 77%, 100% for K. pneumonia and 70%, 90% for E. coli higher than the other two tests, respectively. Also, the authors demonstrated high prevalence rate for resistance to certain antibiotics, such as cefuroxime, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, ampicillin, and cefotaxime. In conclusion, our study provided valuable information regarding the plasmid-mediated AmpC β-lactamase gene content, antibiotic resistance, and confrmatory phenotypic tests for AmpC β-lactamases in E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates from clinical sources

The Effects of Probiotic Supplementation on Clinical Symptom, Weight Loss, Glycemic Control, Lipid and Hormonal Profiles, Biomarkers of Inflammation, and Oxidative Stress in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is to determine the effectiveness of probiotic supplementation on clinical symptoms, weight loss, glycemic control, lipid and hormonal profiles, and biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Eligible studies were systematically searched from Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, and Web of Science databases until January 2019. Cochran (Q) and I-square statistics were used to measure heterogeneity among included studies. Data were pooled by using random-effect model and expressed as standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95 confidence interval (CI). Eleven articles were included in this meta-analysis. Probiotic supplementation significantly decreased weight (SMD � 0.30; 95 CI, � 0.53, � 0.07; P = 0.01), body mass index (BMI) (SMD � 0.29; 95 CI, � 0.54, � 0.03; P = 0.02), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (SMD � 0.26; 95 CI, � 0.45, � 0.07; P < 0.001), insulin (SMD � 0.52; 95 CI, � 0.81, � 0.24; P < 0.001), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (SMD � 0.53; 95 CI, � 0.79, � 0.26; P < 0.001), triglycerides (SMD � 0.69; 95 CI, � 0.99, � 0.39; P < 0.001), VLDL-cholesterol (SMD � 0.69; 95 CI, � 0.99, � 0.39; P < 0.001), C-reactive protein (CRP) (SMD � 1.26; 95 CI, � 2.14, � 0.37; P < 0.001), malondialdehyde (MDA) (SMD � 0.90; 95 CI, � 1.16, � 0.63; P < 0.001), hirsutism (SMD � 0.58; 95 CI, � 1.01, � 0.16; P < 0.001), and total testosterone levels (SMD � 0.58; 95 CI, � 0.82, � 0.34; P < 0.001), and also increased the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) (SMD 0.41; 95 CI, 0.11, 0.70; P < 0.01), nitric oxide (NO) (SMD 0.33; 95 CI 0.08, 0.59; P = 0.01), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (SMD 0.64; 95 CI, 0.38, 0.90; P < 0.001), glutathione (GSH) (SMD 0.26; 95 CI, 0.01, 0.52; P = 0.04), and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels (SMD 0.46; 95 CI, 0.08, 0.85; P = 0.01). Probiotic supplementation may result in an improvement in weight, BMI, FPG, insulin, HOMA-IR, triglycerides, VLDL-cholesterol, CRP, MDA, hirsutism, total testosterone, QUICKI, NO, TAC, GSH, and SHBG but did not affect dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels, and total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol levels in patients with PCOS. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

The effects of statin use on inflammatory markers among patients with metabolic syndrome and related disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Current evidence suggests that statin use decreases the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) through reducing LDL cholesterol and decreasing inflammation. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is usually associated with increased inflammatory markers and increased risk of CVD. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the effect of statin use on inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) among patients with MetS and related disorders. PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science databases, and Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) through April 2018. Three independent investigators evaluated study eligibilities, extracted data, and assessed study quality using the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool and Jadad's quality scales. Heterogeneity was determined using Cochran's Q statistic and I-square (I 2 ) test. Based on the heterogeneity results, we pooled data using random-effect or fixed effect models presented as standardized mean differences (SMD) and corresponding 95 confidence intervals (CI). One hundred thirteen RCTs (19,644 patients) were included in our meta-analysis. The pooled results using random effects model showed that statin use statistically significantly decreased CRP level (SMD= -0.97; 95 CI, -1.10, -0.85; P &lt; 0.001; I 2 : 95.1), TNF-α (SMD= -1.88; 95 CI, -2.40, -1.38; P &lt; 0.001; I 2 : 97.2), IL-6 (SMD= -1.67; 95 CI, -1.98, -1.34; P &lt; 0.001; I 2 : 96.5), and IL-1 concentrations (SMD= -8.35; 95 CI, -10.49, -6.22; P &lt; 0.001; I 2 : 98.4) among patients with MetS and related disorders. Our meta-analysis showed beneficial effects of statin use on reducing inflammatory markers in patients with MetS and related disorders. © 2018 Elsevier Lt