Platinum Nanoparticles in Biomedicine: Preparation, Anti-Cancer Activity, and Drug Delivery Vehicles

Cancer is the main cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, excluding infectious disease. Because of their lack of specificity in chemotherapy agents are used for cancer treatment, these agents have severe systemic side effects, and gradually lose their therapeutic effects because most cancers become multidrug resistant. Platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) are relatively new agents that are being tested in cancer therapy. This review covers the various methods for the preparation and physicochemical characterization of PtNPs. PtNPs have been shown to possess some intrinsic anticancer activity, probably due to their antioxidant action, which slows tumor growth. Targeting ligands can be attached to functionalized metal PtNPs to improve their tumor targeting ability. PtNPs-based therapeutic systems can enable the controlled release of drugs, to improve the efficiency and reduce the side effects of cancer therapy. Pt-based materials play a key role in clinical research. Thus, the diagnostic and medical industries are exploring the possibility of using PtNPs as a next-generation anticancer therapeutic agent. Although, biologically prepared nanomaterials exhibit high efficacy with low concentrations, several factors still need to be considered for clinical use of PtNPs such as the source of raw materials, stability, solubility, the method of production, biodistribution, accumulation, controlled release, cell-specific targeting, and toxicological issues to human beings. The development of PtNPs as an anticancer agent is one of the most valuable approaches for cancer treatment. The future of PtNPs in biomedical applications holds great promise, especially in the area of disease diagnosis, early detection, cellular and deep tissue imaging, drug/gene delivery, as well as multifunctional therapeutics

The effect of topical olive oil application on the symptoms of infantile colic: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical trial

Abstract Background and Aims Infantile colic is one of the most common disorders in the first months of infants' lives. This condition hurts parents' moods. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of the topical use of olive oil on infantile colic symptoms. Methods The study was carried out on 80 infants 1–3 months old, randomly allocated into two groups, receiving abdominal massage with olive oil thrice a day in the intervention group (n = 40) and the same procedure with liquid paraffin in the placebo group (n = 40), for 14 successive days. During this period, the parents recorded the episodes of colic, duration of colic, crying intensity, and episodes of defecation. These variables were assessed and compared at the beginning and on the 7th and 14th days. Results The mean crying duration changed from 4.05 ± 2.44 to 1.41 ± 1.03 h/day (65% decrease) in the olive oil group and from 3.85 ± 1.37 to 1.60 ± 1.32 h/day (58% decrease) in the paraffin group (p = 0.38). The episodes of crying were reduced from 5.79 ± 4.56 to 2.51 ± 4.93 episodes/day (↓57%) in the olive group and from 6.01 ± 3.40 to 3.01 ± 2.40 episodes/day (↓50%) in the paraffin oil group (p = 0.14). Furthermore, the intensity of crying was decreased from 9.04 ± 1.54 to 4.48 ± 2.17 (p < 0.001) in the olive oil group and from 9.0 ± 1.20 to 4.77 ± 1.68 (p < 0.001) in the paraffin oil group. On the 14th day, the crying intensity showed no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion Abdominal massage with olive oil has the same effect as massage with paraffin oil in reducing the symptoms of infantile colic

Antimicrobial Resistance among Community-Acquired Uropathogens in Mashhad, Iran

Background. Antimicrobial resistance among community-acquired uropathogens is an emerging concern over the past decades that warrants a continuing reevaluation of the appropriateness of recommended empiric antimicrobial regimens for treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Aims. To describe the microbial spectrum and resistance profile of community-acquired uropathogens and predictors of isolation of resistant strains. Methods. Between October 2017 and June 2019, individuals who visited the outpatient clinics for diagnosis of UTIs or screening of asymptomatic bacteriuria were included in the study if they were tested for urine culture in one of the three main medical diagnostic laboratories of Mashhad, Iran. The standard disk diffusion antimicrobial susceptibility testing was used, with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) threshold cutoffs for susceptibility of isolated uropathogens. Results. Three hundred thirty cases were included with a median age of 47 years. Two hundred seventy-six (83.6%) were female. The most common isolated uropathogens were Escherichia coli in 201 (60.9%) cases and Klebsiella species in 46 (13.9%) cases. E. coli isolates showed the highest rates of susceptibility to nitrofurantoin (89.3%), cefixime (75%), and gentamicin (72.4%). Exposure to antibiotics in the past 3 months was a predictor of resistance to ciprofloxacin (OR: 2.8, 95% CI: 1.33–6.28), and older age was a predictor of resistance to TMP-SMX (OR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.07–3.97) among E. coli isolates. Conclusion. E. coli and Klebsiella species accounted for about two-thirds of community-acquired uropathogens. In regard to the high susceptibility rates, nitrofurantoin was identified as the first-choice agent for empiric treatment of community-acquired cystitis, while cefixime and gentamicin might be the second-choice alternatives. Ciprofloxacin and TMP-SMX, on the other hand, cannot be considered appropriate agents for empiric therapy of community-acquired UTIs, particularly in those who had exposure to antibiotics in the past 3 months and the elderly

Association between smoking and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background/aims: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is one of the most common chronic liver diseases. Some risk factors are known to influence the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, but the effect of tobacco smoking on the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is controversial. The main goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to investigate the association between smoking and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Method: Electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science) were searched to find published articles on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and smoking until December 2016. All relevant studies were screened by inclusion and exclusion criteria and compatible studies were chosen. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale was used to assess the methodological quality of eligible articles. Subsequently, information was gathered based on the following: author, publication year, keywords, country, inclusion and exclusion criteria, main results, study design, conclusion, and confounder variables (age, body mass index, gender, ethnicity, and diabetes). Finally, analyses were performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software. Results: Data were extracted from 20 observational studies (9 cross-sectional, 6 case-control, 4 cohort studies, and 1 retrospective cohort study). A significant association was observed between smoking and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with a pooled odds ratio of 1.110 (95% confidence interval, 1.028–1.199), p-value = 0.008. The statistical heterogeneity was medium with an I2 of 40.012%, p-heterogeneity = 0.074. Also there was a significant relation between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and passive smoking with a pooled odds ratio of 1.380 (95% confidence interval, 1.199–1.588; p-value = 0.001; I2 = 59.41; p-heterogeneity = 0.117). Conclusion: Our meta-analysis demonstrated that smoking is significantly associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Further prospective studies exploring the underlying mechanisms of this association should be pursued. Also passive smoking increases the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease about 1.38-fold. The effects of smoking cigarettes on active smokers (current smoker, former smoker, and total smoker) are less than passive smokers. Further studies are needed to compare the of effects of passive and active smoking on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease