Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity of Cuminum Cyminum Essential Oil and Extract against Bacterial Strains Isolated from Patients with Symptomatic Urinary Tract Infection

Background: Many efforts have been done to find effective agents against resistant pathogens. Cuminum cyminum L. (Cumin) is an aromatic plant within the Apiaceae family. It has a variety of purposes and demonstrates antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. This study evaluated the activity of C. cyminum extract and essential oil against bacterial isolates which cause urinary tract infection, including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus agalactiae, group A streptococci, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus saprophyticus isolated from patients with urinary tract infection.Materials and Methods: Extract was prepared by maceration and essential oil was prepared by hydrodistillation from C. cyminum seeds. The study population was 95 patients with urinary tract infection without malignant diseases, diabetes and immunosupression. After identification of organism, susceptibility testing was carried out by disc diffusion method and MIC values by broth microdilution testing.Results: C. cyminum essential oil can have a better effect on the gram-negative bacteria causing urinary tract infection than gram-positive bacteria. In addition, C. cyminum extract have good activity against both gram- positive and gram-negative bacteria. Our findings also showed that essential oil and extract of C. cyminum has better antibacterial activity on uropathogen isolates than amoxicillin and the difference was significant (P value<0.05) but the activity is not superior to other antibiotics.Conclusion: These results suggest that the essential oil and extract of C. cyminum seeds might be considered as interesting sources of antibacterial components against uropathogenic bacteria

miR-342-5p Expression Levels in Coronary Artery Disease Patients and its Association with Inflammatory Cytokines

Background: Atherosclerosis is a progressive inflammatory disease and is the main underlying mechanism of coronary artery disease (CAD). Immune system cells and cytokines play pivotal roles in the development of atherosclerosis. Several studies have shown the role of microRNA in the inflammatory processes of atherosclerosis, and miR-342-5p has been shown to be involved in macrophage activation during atherosclerosis and cytokine secretion. But until now, there has been no data regarding the association of miR-342-5p with CAD and inflammatory cytokines. Methods: This case control study was conducted on 82 CAD patients and 80 controls. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) miR-342-5p expression and gene expression of IL-6 and TNF-alpha were evaluated using real time-PCR. Also, the serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha were measured using ELISA kits. Results: The results demonstrated a higher expression of miR-342-5p in CAD patients compared to controls (p < 0.001). Moreover, logistic regression revealed an increased risk of CAD according to the expression of miR342-5p after adjusting for CAD risk factors (OR [CI] =6.1 [1.0 - 37.2], p = 0.048). Also, serum IL-6 and TNF-alpha showed higher levels in CAD patients (p = 0.003 and p = 0.004, respectively). Furthermore, there were positive correlations of miR-342-5p with gene expressions and serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated higher levels of miR-342-5p in CAD patients and showed positive correlation with inflammatory cytokines. This result is in accordance with a previous study, and suggested a regulatory role for miR-342-5p in atherosclerosis and cytokine secretion, although more studies are required in this direction

Circulating and Endometrial Profiles of miR-145, miR-155-5p, miR-224, MPP-5, and PECAM-1 Expression in Patients with Repeated Implantation Failure: A Case Control Study

Objective: An association between microRNAs (miRNAs) and adhesion proteins expression with repeated implantationfailure (RIF) has been recently reported; however, these findings are controversial. This study aims to evaluatethe endometrial and circulating expressions of miR-145, miR-155-5p, and miR-224 in addition to the endometrialexpressions of membrane protein palmitoylated-5 (MPP-5) and endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) inpatients with RIF compared to control subjects.Materials and Methods: This case-control study was carried out between June 2021-July 2022. Subjects included 17patients with RIF and 17 control subjects, who had previous spontaneous term pregnancy with a live birth, who referredto the Medical Centre of Arash Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Endometrial tissue samples were obtained via hysteroscopyand Pipelle catheter in the RIF and control subjects, respectively. Plasma samples were collected after ovulationin all subjects. The expression levels of MPP5, PECAM-1, miR-224, miR-145, and miR-155-5p were evaluated byquantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The student’s t test, chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, andanalysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used for data analyses.Results: RIF patients had less endometrial miR-155-5p expression, and higher endometrial and circulating expressions ofmiR-145 and miR-224 compared to control subjects. Endometrial PECAM-1 and MPP5 expression significantly decreased inpatients with RIF compared to the control group. There was a positive correlation between circulating miR-224 and endometrialmiR-155-5p, and between circulating miR-155-5p and endometrial PECAM-1 expression levels in patients with RIF.Conclusion: The present study suggests that circulating miR-224, endometrial miR-145, and PECAM-1 can bereliable, novel biomarkers for diagnosis of RIF

Impact of Mulberry Leaf Extract and Mulberry Leaf Powder on Serum Nesfatin-1 Level in Nicotinamide/Streptozotocin-Induced Type 2 Diabetic Rats

Background & Objective: In traditional medicine, leaves of white mulberry (Morus alba L.) are used as antidiabetic agents. Considering the presence of flavonoids, this plant exhibits insulin mimetic activities. Nesfatin-1 is described as an anorexigenic regulatory peptide, which can influence glucose metabolism via insulin sensitivity enhancement. This study examined the effects of both mulberry leaf powder and extract (MLP and MLE) on fasting blood glucose (FBG), nesfatin-1, and insulin in diabetic Wistar rats. Materials & Methods: Five groups of rats (n, 40) were included and examined in this study. A group was selected as the healthy control (I), while the other groups received streptozotocin and nicotinamide (55 and 110 mg/kg bw, respectively) for diabetes induction. Diabetic rats were then grouped as follows: control group (II); sham group (receiving ethanol) (III); treatment group receiving 600 mg/kg/day of MLE (IV); and treatment group receiving 25% MLP (V). After 6 weeks, we measured insulin, nesfatin-1, and FBG in the groups.  Results: The FBG level decreased in the treatment groups, while serum insulin increased in comparison with the diabetic controls. In addition, serum level of nesfatin-1 improved significantly (to an almost normal level) in MLP rats in comparison with the diabetic controls. (pvalue0.05) Conclusion: Considering the reduction in insulin level and the rise in blood glucose, the diabetic control group showed an increase in serum nesfatin-1 with a compensatory mechanism, while hyperglycemia improved in the MLE and MLP groups, and the level of nesfatin-1 reduced. MLP showed greater efficacy than MLE in the improvement of nesfatin-1, which might be related to the presence of ethanol in MLE

Angiotensin II Differentially Induces Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 Production and Disturbs MMP/TIMP Balance

Abstract Angiotensin II, the main component of the renin-angiotensin system, is associated with cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, vascular remodeling and inflammation. Remodeling process results from dysregulation of Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs). MMPs are considered as important target genes for angiotensin II. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of angiotensin II on MMP-9 and TIMP-1 production and MMP/TIMP balance in a monocytic cell type. Human monocytic U-937 cells were cultured and treated with 100 nM angiotensin II. Supernatants were analyzed for MMP-9 and TIMP-1 using ELISA and zymography methods. Real-time PCR was utilized to evaluate relative MMP-9 and TIMP-1 genes expression following treatments. Cytotoxicity potentials of treatments were determined by assaying lactate dehydrogenase leakage from the cells. Stimulation of the monocytic cells with angiotensin II significantly increased MMP-9 and TIMP-1 secretion as measured by ELISA (p&lt;0.05). It also augmented gelatinolytic activity of MMP-9 in the conditioned media as much as 49% (p&lt;0.05). Incubation of the cells with angiotensin II for 12 hr increased MMP-9 and TIMP-1 gene expression 2.7 and 1.8 folds, respectively (p&lt;0.05). Angiotensin II treatments did not establish significant cytotoxic effects. In summary, our data provide further evidences that monocytic MMP-9 is a major effector of angiotensin II. It is induced more efficiently than TIMP-1 by angiotensin II that leads to MMP/TIMP imbalance. Our data also reveal the pivotal participation of these cells in pathological cardiovascular remodeling mediated by angiotensin II

Influence of mulberry leaf extract on serum adiponectin, visfatin and lipid profile levels in type 2 diabetic rats

ABSTRACT The effect of ethanolic mulberry leaf extract (MLE) and mulberry leaf powder (MLP) on glycemic control, serum adiponectin, visfatin and lipid profile in type2 diabetic rats have been investigated. 30 male wistar rats randomly divided into 5 groups. One group was randomly assigned as control (I) and diabetes was induced in others by administration of streptozotocin (STZ) (55 mg/kg body weight) 15 minutes after the administration of nicotinamide (110 mg/kg body weight) intraperitoneally. Finally, fasting blood glucose (FBG), lipid profile, adiponectin and visfatin were assessed after 6 weeks. Lipid profiles including serum FBG, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL) and visfatin significantly decreased and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and adiponectin increased in the two groups of treated diabetic rats in comparison to the diabetic control (p<0.05). For all the investigated factors, there was no significant difference between two treatment methods. However, MLP was more effective than MLE in improving visfatin. Results showed that MLE and MLP possess hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activities and play an important role in regulating the secretion of adipokines such as adiponectin and visfatin