Metformin attenuates streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy in rats through activation of AMPK signaling pathway

Background: Nephropathy is the main problem of diabetes and can be classified into several phases according to the presence of albuminuria. Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) operates as a sensor of energy charge. Objectives: The aim of our study was to evaluate the reno-protective properties of AMPK signaling pathway against streptozotocin (STZ)-induced nephropathy in the rat. Materials and Methods: Forty male Wistar rats were randomly distributed into four groups. Group 1 was normal rats (N group); group 2 was diabetic rats (D group); group 3 received diabetic rats + metformin (DM group), and group 4 received giabetic rats + metformin + dorsomorphin (DMD group). Serum albumin, uric acid, total protein and creatinine for estimation of renal injury were measured. Finally, the histological study was evaluated. Results: Reduction of body weight, albumin and total protein in the diabetic rat was reversed by metformin administration. Our results showed that serum uric acid and creatinine were significantly increased in diabetic rats and decreased after treatment with metformin in diabetic rats. AMPK improved the histopathology and morphological changes in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Administration of dorsomorphin (AMPK inhibitor) with metformin can reverse the beneficial effects of AMPK. Conclusions: AMPK signaling pathway ameliorates diabetic nephropathy by modifications of serum albumin, uric acid, total protein, creatinine and attenuation of kidney damage

Bacterial biofilm in colorectal cancer: What is the real mechanism of action?

Human colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer around the world. Colorectal cancer has various risk factors, but current works have bolded a significant activity for the microbiota of the human colon in the development of this disease. Bacterial biofilm has been mediated to non-malignant pathologies like inflammatory bowel disease but has not been fully documented in the setting of colorectal cancer. The investigation has currently found that bacterial biofilm is mediated to colon cancer in the human and linked to the location of human cancer, with almost all right-sided adenomas of colon cancers possessing bacterial biofilm, whilst left-sided cancer is rarely biofilm positive. The profound comprehension of the changes in colorectal cancer can provide interesting novel concepts for anticancer treatments. In this review, we will summarize and examine the new knowledge about the links between colorectal cancer and bacterial biofilm. © 202

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): Immunological approaches and emerging pharmacologic treatments

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is an etiological agent of pandemic COVID-19, which spreads rapidly worldwide. No proven effective therapies currently exist for this virus, and efforts to develop antiviral strategies for the treatment of COVID-19 are underway. The rapidly increasing understanding of SARS-CoV-2 virology provides a notable number of possible immunological procedures and drug targets. However, gaps remain in our understanding of the pathogenesis of COVID-19. In this review, we describe the latest information in the context of immunological approaches and emerging current antiviral strategies for COVID-19 treatment. © 2020 Elsevier B.V

Evaluation of the antioxidant effects of zolpidem in the rat model of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity

Introduction: Nephrotoxicity is one of the most important side effects of cisplatin which has limited its use. Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of this drug. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant effect of zolpidem on the reduction of nephrotoxicity associated with cisplatin. Materials and Methods: In this study, 40 adult male rats were divided into 4 groups; 1) healthy group, 2) control group, 3, 4) cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity + different doses of zolpidem. After a certain period of time, the urine, spinal cord and kidney samples of rats were collected. Then, urine levels of functional factors including urea, creatinine and albumin/creatinine ratio, antioxidant enzymes and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were estimated. Consequently, histological studies were conducted with the collected samples. Results: Zolpidem reduced levels of urea, creatinine, albumin/creatinine ratio, and MDA. It also increased the amount of antioxidant enzymes of the kidney including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and moderated the tubular damage caused by the use of cisplatin. Conclusion: Zolpidem is able to improve the nephrotoxicity by reducing oxidative stress

Prediction of response to treatment in children with epilepsy

Abstract Objective: This study was conducted to predict the response to treatment in patients treated with anti-epilepsy drugs. Material and Methods: This analytical questionnaire-based study was conducted in 2014 among 128 patients with epilepsy admitted to Mofid Children's Hospital, Tehran, Iran. The inclusion criteria were children 2 months to 12 yr of age with epilepsy and patients who experienced fever and seizure attacks at least once were excluded from the study. Patients were followed up for 6 months and the response to their treatment was recorded. The good response to treatment was defined as the absence of seizure with two drugs during follow up. Results: Seventy-two patients (56.3%) were boys. The age of the first seizure was under 2 yr old in 90 patients (70.3%). History of febrile convulsion, family history of epilepsy and history of asphyxia was found in 16 (12.5%), 41 (32%), and 27 (21.1%) patients, respectively. Seizure etiology was idiopathic in 90 patients (70.3%), and the number of seizures was 1-2 in 36 patients (28.1%). Overall, 57 patients (44.5%) had cerebral lesion according to CT scan or MRI, and EEG was abnormal in 101 patients (78.9%). In 6-month follow-up, 40 patients (31.3%) responded well to the treatment and 88 patients (68.8%) responded poorly to the treatment. History of asphyxia (OR = 6.82), neonatal jaundice (OR = 2.81) and abnormal EEG (OR = 0.19) were effective factors in response to treatment. Conclusion: Abnormal EEG is an effective factor in treatment response in the children studied. Key Words: Pediatric, Anti-seizure drug, Response to treatment, Children, Epileps

Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal Plants Used to Treat Cardiovascular Disorders in Ghasemloo Valley of Urmia City

AIMS: Many pharmacutical plants belonged to this region are used as the traditional drug by traditional physicians of the Urmia city in order to treat signs of disorders and cardiovescular system diseases. BACKGROUND: The Ghasemloo valley located in the Urmia city is one of the typical areas in the northwestern Iran and includes many pharmacutical and plant species. OBJECTIVE: Many pharmacutical plants belonged to this region are used as the traditional drug by traditional physicians of the Urmia city in order to treat signs of disorders and cardiovescular system diseases. METHOD: Study was performed among 35 grocers in the Urmia city to identify effective and famous pharmacutical plants in treatment of cardiovescular and related diseases. Firstly a complete list of Urmia grocers was prepared from the Food and Drug Administrator of the Urmia University of Medical Sciences. The direct observation and interview alongside collecting herbarium samples of usual and effective indigenous medicinal plants were used to identify disorders and different signs of cardiovascular diseases. Questionnaires included personal information of grocers and they completed indigenous plants list containing information including the plant local name, the used organ, method of use, and the traditional therapeutic effect. Herbarium samples mentioned in the questionnaire were collected from the region and sent to the Jahad-e-Keshavarzi Research Centers and the Agriculture Faculty of Urmia university to determine the genus and species. After identifying and confirming the plant species, data related to the plant and results of cardiovascular research conducted on them were collected and recorded with reference to valid scientific sites. Data were enterred into the Excel 2010 program and then analyzed. RESULT: 60 medicinal plants of 26 families in Urmia were identified as effective in treatment of cardiovascular diseases from interviews and questionnaires; some plants mentioned in this study had known traditional therapeutic effects on cardiovascular disorders in the literature and some were identified with new effects. Results showed that the most therapeutic effects in cardiovascular diseases belonged to families Rosaceae (15), Fabaceae (13), Asteraceae (13), and Apiaceae (10). The most used organs of plants were the leave (23) and fruit (19). Plants were used mainly as infusion (68) in the traditional method. Most plants of this study were used to treat the blood cholesterol (29), hypertension (9), the blood coagulation, prevention of bleeding (9), and decrease in the abdominal fat (9). CONCLUSION: Some herbs introduced in this study have new therapeutic effects introduced for the first time. It is necessary to study therapeutic effects of indigenous plants presented in this research in order to prove studied and mentioned therapeutic effects and to provide study field for researchers in relation to identifying effective substances and studying claimed clinical effects of these plants on different cardiovascular diseases

Surgery and Medicinal Plants: A review of important indigenous medicinal plants of Iran for burn wound healing

Surgical Science is one of the branches of medical science that deals with surgical and medicinal interventions, which can cure surgical wounds, cuts, burns and so on. The accelerated recovery process has always been a concern for surgeons and physicians. Standard local antibiotic drugs such as silver nitrate, mafenide acetate, sulfadiazine silver and AgNO3 are also used to treat wounds which are associated with some complications. Considering the fact that no effective herbal remedy has been introduced for wound healing, the purpose of this review is to investigate and identify indigenous Iranian herbs used for wound healing after surgery, especially burn wounds. In this systematic review paper, published articles in the period 1952 to 2017 with keywords of surgery, wound healing, burns, herbs, etc. from databases such as SID, MEDLIB, ProQuest, Magiran, Europe PubMed Central and Google Scholar. Abstract and title of all articles were studied and non-relevant articles were deleted and remaining articles were used for review. Based on the results of the study, Malva sylvestris, Camellia sinensis, Aloe vera, Cydonia oblonga, Scrophularia striata, Centella asiatica, Arnebia euchroma, Calendula officinalis and Hypericum perforatum are the most important herbal remedies for burn restoration. The following is an explanation of the most important herbal remedies for native burn wounds in Iran

Natural antioxidants and medicinal plants effective on hyperlipidemia

Cardiovascular disease is one of the most important causes of death in industrialized countries. Hyperlipidemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Medicinal plants and their active ingredients have long been addressed for the treatment of lipidemia and associated complications. Recently, the use of medicinal plants has become more prevalent due to the side effects of chemical drugs. Therefore, in this study, the most important effective medicinal herbs on hyperlipidemia were reviewed. Based on the results, medicinal plants such as Medicago sativa, Trigonella foenum graecum L., Cynara scolymus, Silybum marianum L., Glycine max L., Allium sativum L., Rheum ribes L. Basil, Crocus sativus Citrus medica, Lavandula stoechas, Melissa officinalis, Black cardamom, Cinnamomum cassia, Phyllanthus emblica, Punica granatum L and Elettaria cardamomum are among the most important plants that are used for hyperlipidemia. The most important active ingredients of the plants include beta-carotene, L-cavanine, diosgenin, yamogenin, trigonelline, sarsapogenin, fenugreekine, smilagenin, cinnarine and luteolin, silymarin, purerine, comstrole and genistein, allicin, oxalic acid, cycic acid, beta-glucogaline and renin. Bioactive compounds such as Beta-Carotene and L-Cavanine، Diosgenin, Yamogenin, Trigonelline, Sarsapogenin, Fenugreekine, Smilagenin، Cinnarine and Luteolin, sylimarin, Pourin, Comstrole and Genistein, Allicin, Oxalic Acid, Cinic Acid, Beta Glucogaline and Renin are among the most important compounds of these herbs. In the case of conduction of pharmacological studies on the active ingredients of the medicinal plants that are effective on hyperlipidemia and confirmation of their efficacy, they can be used as hypolipidemic drugs. © RJPT. All right reserved