Bilateral Keratoconus in a Patient with Isolated Foveal Hypoplasia

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Sleep Duration, Hypnotic Drug Use, and Risk Factors: Cross- Sectional Study

Both short sleep duration (SSD) and long sleep duration (LSD) are associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Here, we aimed to assess the prevalence of sleep duration disturbances among adults in association with demographic, medication use, personal habits, and chronic diseases, while also considering the impact of hypnotic drug use. We performed a cross-sectional study of 9991 adult participants of the Rafsanjan Cohort Study (RCS), as part of the Prospective epidemiological research studies in Iran (PERSIAN). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between short (\u3c 6 h) and long (\u3e 9 h) sleep duration with demographic and lifestyle parameters and common non-communicable diseases. Additionally, we performed stratified analysis to investigate the association of sleep duration with the abovementioned factors and diseases, in groups with and without hypnotic drug use. We found higher odds of SSD significantly associated with age (P \u3c 0.001), BMI (P \u3c 0.001), physical activity (P \u3c 0.001), and depression (P = 0.023). LSD displayed a positive association with the female sex (P \u3c 0.001), opium consumption (P \u3c 0.001), and history of MI (P = 0.045), and a reverse connection with education (P = 0.007), physical activity (P \u3c 0.001) and alcohol consumption (P = 0.027). Stratifying for the hypnotic drug use, our sensitivity analyses indicated that in hypnotic drug users, education (P = 0.034) and physical activity (P \u3c 0.001) were associated with LSD, in this group, significantly increased odds ratio of LSD were associated with opium consumption (P = 0.046) and thyroid dysfunction (P = 0.037). Our findings demonstrated the demographic and lifestyle factors and diseases associated with long and short sleep duration in the population of the RCS. Additionally, after stratifying for hypnotic drug use, our results indicated that some diseases are only associated with abnormal sleep duration upon using hypnotic drugs

Sumatriptan effects on morphine-induced antinociceptive tolerance and physical dependence: The role of nitric oxide

Sumatriptan, a 5HT (5-hydroxytryptamine)1B/1D receptor agonist, showed neuroprotection in different studies. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of sumatriptan on morphine-induced antinociceptive tolerance and physical dependence. We also investigated the possible role of nitric oxide (NO) on sumatriptan effects. Tolerance was induced by morphine injection (50, 50, 75 mg/kg) three times daily for five days. Antinociceptive latency after acute and chronic treatment with sumatriptan (0.001, 0.01, 0.1 and 1 mg/kg) was measured by hot plate test in morphine-dependent animals. To investigate the possible involvement of NO, different isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors including L-NAME, aminoguanidine and 7-nitroindazole were co-administered with sumatriptan. Nitrite level in mice hippocampus was quantified by Griess method. To examine the role of sumatriptan on physical dependence, three parameters of withdrawal signs were recorded after injection of naloxone (4 mg/kg). Acute treatment with sumatriptan (0.01, 0.1 and 1 mg/kg) attenuated the antinociceptive tolerance (P < 0.001). Chronic injection of sumatriptan (0.001, 0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg), as well, decreased the antinociceptive tolerance (P < 0.001). Moreover, co-administration of NOS inhibitors prevented the effects of sumatriptan. Sumatriptan significantly increased the level of nitrite only after chronic administration. Sumatriptan administration showed no alteration in naloxone-precipitated withdrawal signs. Acute and chronic administration of sumatriptan attenuated morphine antinociceptive tolerance; at least in chronic phase via nitrergic pathway. Our data did not support beneficial effects of sumatriptan on morphineinduced physical dependence in mice

Association Between Metabolic Syndrome and Stroke: A Population Based Cohort Study

Both metabolic syndrome (MetS) and stroke are associated with increased risk of mortality. Here, we aimed to assess the prevalence of MetS among adults using three definitions (Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP-III), International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and IDF ethnic specific cut-off for Iranian criteria) and its association with stroke. We performed a cross-sectional study of a total of 9991 adult participants of Rafsanjan Cohort Study (RCS), as part of the Prospective epidemiological research studies in Iran (PERSIAN cohort study). The MetS prevalence was evaluated in participants according to the different criteria. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between three definitions of MetS with stroke. We found that MetS was significantly associated with higher odds of stroke according to NCEP-ATP III (odds ratio (OR): 1.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.30-2.74), international IDF (OR:1.66, 95% CI: 1.15-2.40) and Iranian IDF (OR:1.48, 95% CI: 1.04-2.09) after adjusted for variables confounders. Furthermore, after adjustment, in receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the AUROC was 0.79 (95% CI = 0.75-0.82), 0.78(95% CI = 0.74-0.82) and 0.78(95% CI = 0.74-0.81) for presence of MetS according to NCEP-ATP III, international IDF and Iranian IDF, respectively. ROC analyses revealed that all of these three criteria for MetS are moderately accurate for the identification of increased stroke risk.In conclusion, our results showed that MetS was associated with increased odds of stroke. Our findings implicate the importance of early identification, treatment, and ultimately prevention of the metabolic syndrome

Effect of Methanolic Extract of Cassia Fistula to Prevent Erythrocyte Sickling

Introduction: Due to the pathophysiology of Sickle cell disease (SCD), several treatment strategies have been reviewed so far. One of the strategies is anti-sickling factors. This study was performed to determine the effect of methanolic extract of Cassia Fistula fruit on sickle cell sickling in vitro. Methods: In this laboratory study, 25 people with sickle cell trait (SCT) ranging in age from 3 to 27 years, and 5 healthy people (as a control) participated. Cassia Fistula was introduced by Dr. Mohammad Taha Jalali to be used in this project. Methanolic extract of Cassia Fistula fruit was obtained by maceration using vacuum distillation (rotary evaporator). Samples with sickle cell trait were examined for sickle cell before and after extract interference, in hypoxic condition. Data analysis was performed by SPSS software version16. Results: In this study, 64% of the participants were male and 36% were female.  Sickling rates in 1:50, 1: 100 and 1: 200 dilutions were 24%, 37.8% and 46.1%, respectively. According to Wilcoxon Test, the rate of sickling in 1: 2 to 1: 100 dilutions was significantly reduced, relative to pre-interference conditions (P <0.05). Conclusion: In the present study, it was shown that the methanolic extract of Cassia Fistula plant can prevent erythrocyte sickling in vitro, even with a dilution of 1: 100. According to previous studies, this plant has various therapeutic uses and is non-toxic. Therefore, this extract can be further studied in clinical and in vivo conditions as a useful and cost-effective therapeutic drug

Dietary antioxidants and liver enzymes in Rafsanjan, a Region in Southeast Iran

Abstract Oxidative stress has been considered the main contributor to liver injury. Dietary antioxidants would be expected to improve liver function. The hepatoprotective effects of antioxidants are controversial. In the present study, the associations of some dietary antioxidants and the levels of serum liver enzymes were examined. This cross-sectional study was conducted using the Rafsanjan Cohort Study (RCS) data as a population-based prospective cohort which is a part of the Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN (PERSIAN). A total of 9942 participants aged 35–70 years old were included in this study. Among this population, 4631 (46.59%) were male, and 5311 (53.42%) were female. Dietary intakes were collected by a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) with 128 items. Aspartate transaminase (AST), Alanine transaminase (ALT), γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were measured by a biotecnica analyzer. Dichotomous logistics regression models were used to investigate the association between the elevated liver enzymes and intake of dietary antioxidants using crude and adjusted models. In the adjusted model, in subjects with higher consumption of Se, Vit A, Vit E, β-carotene, α-carotene, and β-cryptoxanthin, the odds ratios of elevated ALP were decreased compared to the reference group (ORs 0.79 (0.64–0.96), 0.80 (0.66–0.98), 0.73 (0.60–0.89), 0.79 (0.64–0.96), 0.78 (0.64–0.95), 0.80 (0.66–0.98), and 0.79 (0.64–0.98), respectively). Subjects with higher consumption of Se, Vit A, Vit E, and provitamin A carotenoids (β-carotene, α-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin) showed decreased odds of elevated ALP. These findings support the hypothesis that Se, Vit A, Vit E, and provitamin A carotenoids may be associated with improvements in ALP and act as suppressors against the development of liver injury

Sphingomyelin Liposomes Containing Soluble Leishmania major antigens Induced Strong Th2 Immune Response in BALB/c Mice

Objective(s): Soluble Leishmania antigens (SLA) provide suitable protection against leishmaniasis in murine model when delivered by an appropriate delivery system. Liposomes have been shown to be suitable vaccine delivery systems against leishmaniasis, however, the phospholipase-A (PLA) activity of SLA is a drawback to prepare a stable liposomal SLA. One strategy to overcome this problem might be using a lipid which is resistant to PLA activity of SLA such as sphingomyelin (SM). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of stable SM liposomes containing SLA on the immune response induced against leishmaniasis in BALB/c mice .   Materials and Methods: BALB/c mice were immunized subcutaneously, three times with 2-week intervals, with SLA, SM-liposome-SLA, empty liposome or buffer. As criteria for protection, footpads swelling at the site of challenge and foot parasite loads were assessed. The immune responses were also evaluated by determination of IgG subtypes and the level of IFN-γ and IL-4 in cultured splenocytes. Results: The group of mice receiving SM-liposome-SLA, showed a significant large footpad swelling, higher parasite burden in foot and higher IL-4 level compared to the group immunized with buffer. In terms of IgG and IgG isotypes, there was no significant difference between the mice receiving SM-liposome-SLA and the mice that received buffer. Moreover, the immune response induced by SM-liposome-SLA showed no significant difference compared with the one caused by SLA alone. Conclusion: It is concluded that SM-liposome-SLA is not an appropriate strategy to induce Th1 immune response and protect the mice against Leishmaniasis; however, SM-liposomes could be suitable vaccine delivery systems when a Th2 response is needed

Association between serum paraoxonase 1 activity and its polymorphisms with multiple sclerosis : a systematic review

BACKGROUND: Human serum paraoxonase (PON) is an enzyme that is synthesized by the liver and enters the bloodstream, and it is transmitted by high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is a hydrolytic enzyme with a wide range of substrates and the ability to protect against lipid oxidation. In this study, due to the activity of PON1 in the brain and its antioxidant effects on the reduction of neurological disorders in the central nervous system, the role of PON1 and its polymorphisms related to multiple sclerosis has been examined to enhance treatment methods. METHODS: This article is a systematic review. In this study, the role of PON1 and its polymorphisms in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been investigated. Articles published in Persian and international databases of SID, Google Scholar, ISI (WoS), Magiran, PubMed, Scopus, IranDoc, Science Direct, and Iran Medix were examined, using the search keywords of Paraoxonase 1, polymorphism, multiple sclerosis, and PON1. RESULTS: PON1 is undoubtedly a potential factor in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis, and it plays an important role in protecting antioxidants in the blood. Oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation are factors in the pathogenesis of MS. Both inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress have a detrimental effect on PON1. However, reducing the activity of PON1 may help to restore the pathogenesis of the disease. CONCLUSION: Decreased PON1 activity and PON1 polymorphism are associated with several neurological diseases, including ischemic stroke, white matter lesions (WMLs), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), dementia, and Parkinson's disease. PON1-55M alleles in Italians and PON1-192Q alleles in Poles were associated with a high risk of MS. Moreover, PON1-55 and PON1-192 polymorphisms were not associated with MS onset age, nor its evolutionary type