Effect of Genistein and L-Carnitine and Their Combination on Gene Expression of Hepatocyte HMG-COA Reductase and LDL Receptor in Experimental Nephrotic Syndrome

Background: Nephrotic syndrome is a disorder that leads to hyperlipidemia. L-carnitine and genistein can effect on lipid metabolism and the syndrome. In the present study, we have delved into the separate and the twin-effects of L-carnitine and genistein on the gene expressions of HMG-COA reductase and LDL receptor in experimental nephrotic syndrome. Methods: In this controlled experimental study, 50 male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: NC (normal-control), PC (patient-control), LC (L-carnitine), G (genistein), LCG (L-carnitine-genistein). Adri-amycin was used for inducing nephrotic syndrome and the spot urine samples and urine protein-to-creatinine ratio were measured. Hepatocytic RNA was extracted and real-time PCR was used for HMG-COA Reductase and LDL receptor gene Expression measurement. Results: The final weight of the patients groups were lower than the NC group (P=0.001), and weight gain of the NC group was higher than the other groups (P<0.001). The proteinuria and urine protein-to-creatinine ratio showed sig-nificant differences between PC group and LC, G and LCG groups at week 7 (P<0.001). The expression of HMG-COA Reductase mRNA down regulated in LC, G and LCG groups in comparison with PC group (P<0.001). ΔCT of LDLr mRNA showed significant differences between the PC group and the other patient groups (P<0.001). Conclusion: This study shows a significant decreasing (P<0.001) and non-significant increasing trend in HMG-COA Reductase and LDLr gene expression, respectively, and synergistic effect of L-carnitine and genistein on these genes in experimental nephrotic syndrome

Effects of administration of omega-3 fatty acids with or without vitamin E supplementation on adiponectin gene expression in PBMCs and serum adiponectin and adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein levels in male patients with CAD

Objective: Adiponectin is a unique anti-atherogenic adipocytokine. Regulation of adiponectin secretion is dysfunctional in cardiovascular diseases. The current trial study assessed the effects of omega-3 fatty acids with or without vitamin E on adiponectin gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and serum adiponectin and adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP; also called ap2 and FABP4) levels in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial included 67 male patients with CAD. First of the four group of participants received 4 g/day omega-3 fatty acids plus 400 IU/day vitamin E (OE), second group 4 g/day omega-3 fatty acids plus vitamin E placebo (OP), or both omega-3 fatty acid and vitamin E placebos (PP) for 8 weeks. Adiponectin gene expression and serum adiponectin and FABP4 levels were evaluated. Results: The combination of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E in patients with CAD affected their serum adiponectin and FABP4 levels and the adiponectin/FABP4 ratio significantly. In the OP group, serum adiponectin levels did not change significantly. Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids with and without vitamin E had no significant effect on adiponectin gene expression. Conclusion: Omega-3 fatty acids with or without vitamin E improve adiponectin levels in patients, without any significant changes in adiponectin gene expression. This nutritional intervention may prevent complications in patients with CAD because of increased adiponectin levels. (Anatol J Cardiol 2015; 15: 981-9

Role of Nutrigenetics in Controlling Inflammation and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Narrative Review

Introduction and purpose: There are several important factors for prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Out of all, diet modification has a great amount of efficacy. However, the genetic differences in individuals make diet effects dissimilar in various people. In fact, the difference in metabolic responses of individuals to foods due to different genotypes is known as noregenetics. Nutrigenomics represents a suitable approach to CVD prevention and treatment  through optimization of individuals’ dietary intakes based on genotype.Methods: This review study was conducted to investigate the most important polymorphisms associated with CVD risk factors. To this end, the English articles related to polymorphism and expression of the genes involved in CVDs and inflammation having been published since 2000 were searched in Pubmed, Science direct, Google scholar.The search process was accomplished using the following keywords: “Nutrigenetics”, “Gene”, “Polymorphism”, “Diet therapy”, and “Cardiovascular disease”.Results: Understanding the interaction of genes and nutrients requires tools for the study of Nitrigenomics, Noregenetics, and phenotypic characteristics. The human genome project revealed small changes in single polymorphism Nucleotide is called Single-nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPS) and it's happening in the genes. These changes in the genotype cause a change in function due to the activation of the gene.In a review of studies, it was found that SNPS not only clearly affects the level of cytokine production in humans; But also plays a very close role in mortality in a wide range of diseases. In the present study, the most important polymorphisms associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease are discussed.Conclusion: Therefore, from the perspective of health, knowledge in the field of prevention and treatment of diseases, heart arteries, and general dietary recommendations can be applied to each particular genotype group

Overview of Flour Fortification Program with Iron and Folic Acid in Iran

Introduction and purpose: A large percentage of the world population suffers&nbsp;from hidden hunger, which is defined as micronutrients deficiency. Iron&nbsp;deficiency anemia is one of the most common complications of the micronutrients&nbsp;deficiency and there is a lot of effort to deal with this problem. For this purpose,&nbsp;this study aimed to examine the program of flour fortification with iron in Iran.&nbsp;Methods: The cohort, case-control, and clinical trial studies with the search&nbsp;strategies such as iron deficiency anemia, fortification, and micronutrients&nbsp;deficiency, which were conducted until 2015 were included. The data sources&nbsp;entailed PubMed, Ovid, Elsevier Science, Blackwell Synergy, and Google. All&nbsp;the selected studies were available in English and Persian.&nbsp;Results: In several countries, the best method for correction of the iron&nbsp;deficiency anemia is food fortification due to high efficacy and low adverse&nbsp;effects of this method. Bread is a staple food in Iran; therefore, flour fortification&nbsp;was performed in this country. The premix powder containing 30 ppm of iron&nbsp;and 1.5 ppm of folic acid was used for flour fortification. Considering the various&nbsp;types of wealth, the total amount of iron in flour was up to 80 to 85 ppm that&nbsp;may lead to iron poisoning in people with a low socio-economic status because&nbsp;of high bread consumption, as well as the individuals with high socio-economic&nbsp;status since they receive iron from the other resources. Therefore this program&nbsp;was stopped in several provinces due to the mentioned complication.&nbsp;Conclusion: Prior to the implementation of this program, it was essential to&nbsp;carry out abundant pilot studies to investigate the probable complications and&nbsp;problems of this plan. To the best of our knowledge, there is limited number of&nbsp;studies conducted on the adverse effects of iron fortification in Iran; therefore,&nbsp;further studies are recommended in this issue

Changes in Serum Levels of FABP4 and HsCRP after Administration of Omega-3 Fatty Acids Separately or + Vitamin E in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Background and purpose: Inflammatory markers of A-FABP and HsCRP play an important role in progression of cardiovascular disease. Anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet aggregation effects of omega-3 fatty acids are known. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of omega-3 and omega-3+ vitamin E supplements on serum levels of these inflammatory markers. Materials and methods: This double-blind parallel trial was performed in 62 patients with coronary artery disease in Tehran Heart Center. Patients were divided into three groups to receive omega-3 fatty acids, omega-3+ vitamin E supplements, and placebo (oral paraffin) for 8 weeks. At the beginning of the study and end of week eight the serum levels of A-FABP and HsCRP were measured and the ratio of adiponectin to A-FAPP was calculated. Nutrition data were analyzed using Nutritionist IV and data analysis was done using SPSS V18. Results: At the end of the trial, serum level of FABP4 decreased significantly in the groups that received Omega-3 fatty acids+ vitamin E and Omega-3 fatty acids (P= 0.02 and P= 0.04, respectively) and its value was similar between the three groups (P= 0.34). The ratio of adiponectin to FABP4 (P= 0.009) and serum HsCRP (P = 0.002) were found to be different between the three groups. Conclusion: According to this study, using omega-3 fatty acids+ vitamin E reduces the level of HsCRP and increases the ratio of adiponectin to FABP4 without any effect on the levels of FABP4. Consequently, this regimen will reduce inflammatory parameters and improve the complications of coronary artery disease.   (Clinical Trials Registry Number: IRCT2013080514273N1

Changes in lipid profiles among patients with with coronary vascular diseases treated with omega3 and Vitamin E: A randomized control clinical trial

Background and purpose: Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E have supportive effects against cardiovascular diseases due to antioxidant properties, reduced thrombosis, lipid metabolism, and inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of these supplements on lipid profiles in cardiac patients. Materials and methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial was conducted in 62 male patients with coronary vascular diseases (CVD). Participants were assigned into three study groups; OE (omega 3 fatty acids [EPA: 720 mg, DHA: 480 mg], n=22) plus vitamin E (400IU), OP (omega3 fatty acids [EPA: 720 mg, DHA: 480 mg], n=20), and PP (edible paraffin, n=20) for eight weeks. General information and 24-hour recall (at the beginning and the end of the study) and physical activity levels were recorded and serum lipid profiles were measured at the beginning and end of the study. Nutritionist IV was used to analyze dietary data and statistical data were analyzed using ANOVA, paired t-test, and Chi-square. Results: Omega-3 supplementation alone and plus vitamin E supplement, significantly decreased serum triglyceride levels at the end of the study in all groups. According to ANCOVA, the mean differences were also significant after removing the effects of confounding variables such as waist to hip (WHR), fat mass, free fat mass, BMI, and hsCRP (P=0.008 and P=0.003, respectively). Conclusion: This supplementation without affecting total cholesterol, LDL-C, and HDL-C levels reduced triglyceride levels compared to those of the control group

The Probable Impact of Soy Isoflavones in Bone Fracture Downturn: A Systematic Review

There is a direct relationship between taking soy isoflavones and higher bone density, but there is a paucity of studies examining the relationship between flavonoid consumption and fracture risk. This study aimed to assess the bone fracture and its relationship to soy product intake by performing a systematic review. Methods: Scopus, PubMed, and Web of science were searched to find studies on the effect of soy isoflavones on bone fracture, without any time and language of publication restrictions. Key words of SoyMilk, soymilk, soybeans, soybean, soy, soya, Isoflavones, Isoflavone, ipriflavone, equol, genistein, daidzein, glycitin, fractures, and broken bone were used. Results: From a total of 1675 articles, 27 studies (cross-sectional studies (n=1), case-control studies (n=1), cohort (n=11), and randomized control trials (n=14)) were identified, and their quality was assessed. Eighteen studies highlighted mainly positive results in preventive influence of soy bone fractures. Two papers reported a positive effect was observed in men with cancer. No significant association was found between soy intake and bone prevention fracture in eight distinct papers. Conclusion: Intake of soy isoflavones can make a significant preventive effect on bone fracture; however, the results of some studies are controversial.  Therefore, it is necessary to survey more studies to identify the relationship between isoflavones and bone fracture

Screening and identification of SUMP-proteins in sub-acute treatment with diazinon

Objective(s):Small ubiquitin-like modifiers (SUMOs) are a family of ubiquitin-related, proteins that are involved in a wide variety of signaling pathways. SUMOylation, as a vital post translational modification, regulate protein function in manycellular processes. Diazinon (DZN), an organophosphate insecticide, causses oxidative stress and subsequently programmed cell death in different tissues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role and pattern of SUMO modificationas a defense mechanism against stress oxidative, in the heart tissuesof the DZN treated rats. Materials and Methods: Diazinon (15 mg/kg/day), corn oil (control) were administered via gavageto male Wistar rats for four weeks. SUMO1 antibody was covalently crosslinked to protein A/G agarose. heart tissue lysate were added to agarosebeads,After isolation of target proteins(SUMO1- protein)SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis was performed. Protein bands were identified using MALDI-TOF/TOF and MASCOT). Fold change of (DZN/Ctrl) separated proteins was evaluated using UVband software (UVITEC, UK). Results:Our result showed that subacute exposure to DZN increased SUMOylationoffour key proteins involved in the metabolic process including; Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and ATP synthase, in the heart tissue of animals .A probability value of  less than 0.05 was considered significant (

The Impact of Fasting on Metabolic and Anthropometric Parameters in Type II Diabetic Patients: A Prospective Observational Study

Introduction: Fasting has certain effects on metabolic and anthropometric parameters in diabetic patients. It is therefore, necessary for patients to receive proper instructions about their physical activities, eating habits, blood glucose monitoring and medications. Aim: To investigate the effects of fasting on metabolic and anthropometric indices in type II diabetic patients. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was performed during Ramadan 2018. The study population consisted of 40 type II diabetic patients (33 females and 7 males) who wished to fast. They started to follow given instructions on their physical activity, eating habits, blood glucose monitoring, and medications before Ramadan. Anthropometric variables were measured pre and post-Ramadan. Fasting Blood/Plasma Glucose (FBG/FPG), Glucose 2 Hour Postprandial (2h PPG), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), and the lipids profile were assessed before and after Ramadan. FPG and 2h PPG were also evaluated on the fifteenth day of Ramadan. Data were presented as mean±SD. Paired t-test was employed and a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: After completion of the study, anthropometric variables of patients, including weight (74.9±12.7 vs. 73.0±13.1 kg, p<0.001), BMI (29.9±5.2 vs. 29.0±5.1 kg/m2 , p=0.042), waist circumference (106.2±11.8 vs. 105.3±11.6 cm, p<0.001), conicity index (9.94±0.96 vs 9.80±0.99, p=0.085), systolic blood pressure (118.5±10.6 vs. 113.8±9.4 mmHg, p=0.018), Diastolic blood pressure (72.0±7.9 vs. 68.3±7.0 mmHg, p=0.02) and FPG (125.1±27.4 vs. 105.2±21.4 mg/dL, p<0.001) decreased significantly. However, serum triglyceride increased significantly (127.5±45.5 vs. 166.5±53.5 mg/dL, p<0.001) after fasting compared to pre-Ramadan measurements. Changes in other variables were not statistically significant. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that fasting had beneficial effect on fasting blood glucose level and anthropometric parameters in type II diabetic patients