Analytical Semantics of the Verse "Say, What Would My Lord Care for You If Not for Your Supplication? For You [Disbelievers] Have Denied, So Your Denial Is Going to Be Adherent" from Sunni and Shi'ite Viewpoints

The commentators’ disagreement about the meaning of the 77th verse of Surah al-Furqan has led to two major approaches in terms of its interpretation. In the first one which is more common, the verse denotes the worth of prayer for God considering the value of every human as much as his prayers. However, the second approach which has a warning view regards God’s ultimatum as the main cause to address the deniers of Wahy (revelation) and disbelievers in God. The contributing factor for the above disagreement relies in these two points: 1. the exact meaning of “prayer” and whether it is used in its lexical or idiomatic meaning, 2. the syntactic combination of “Do’akom” in the verse and whether “Kom” has the subjective or objective role. Exploring the extent of accuracy in each of the above semantic approaches is a serious issue which has been neglected yet. The descriptive analysis of the exegeses relying on five factors, namely 1. the addressee of the verse, 2. fact checking for either subjective and objective roles attributed to “Kom”, 3. dating for the exegetical narrations, 4. the context and content of the verses in the aforementioned Surah, and 5. the analysis of the relative narrations shows that idiomatic meaning of the term “prayer” is not intended in the verse and the second approach is more appropriate.  Received: 27/5/2018   |   Accepted: 21/12/201

Adipose triglyceride lipase gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of subjects with obesity and its association with insulin resistance, inflammation and lipid accumulation in liver

Abstract Introduction Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) is a crucial enzyme responsible for the release of fatty acids from various tissues. The expression of ATGL is regulated by insulin and this enzyme is linked to Insulin resistance (IR). On the other hand, ATGL‐mediated lipolysis is connected to macrophage function and thus, ATGL is involved in inflammation and the pathogenesis of lipid‐related disorders. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between ATGL, obesity, Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), and inflammation. Methods A total of 100 participants, including 50 individuals with obesity and 50 healthy participants, were recruited for this study and underwent comprehensive clinical evaluations. Blood samples were collected to measure plasma lipid profiles, glycemic indices, and liver function tests. Additionally, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated and used for the assessment of the gene expression of ATGL, using real‐time PCR. Furthermore, PBMCs were cultured and exposed to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) with simultaneous ATGL inhibition, and the gene expression of inflammatory cytokines, along with the secretion of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), were measured. Results The gene expression of ATGL was significantly elevated in PBMCs obtained from participants with obesity and was particularly higher in those diagnosed with MetS. It exhibited a correlation with insulin levels and Homeostatic Model Assessment for IR (HOMA‐IR), and it was associated with lipid accumulation in the liver. Stimulation with LPS increased ATGL expression in PBMCs, while inhibition of ATGL attenuated the inflammatory responses induced by LPS. Conclusions Obesity and MetS were associated with dysregulation of ATGL. ATGL might play a role in the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines and act as a significant contributor to the development of metabolic abnormalities related to obesity