A review on gentisic acid as a plant derived phenolic acid and metabolite of aspirin: Comprehensive pharmacology,toxicology, and some pharmaceutical aspects

Beneficial therapeutic effects of phenolic acids have been proven in various research projects including in vivo and in vitro studies. Gentisic acid (GA) is a phenolic acid that has been associated with useful effects on human health, such as antiinflammatory, antigenotoxic, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antimicrobial, and especially antioxidant activities. It is an important metabolite of aspirin and also widely distributed in plants as a secondary plant product such as Gentiana spp., Citrus spp., Vitis vinifera, Pterocarpus santalinus, Helianthus tuberosus, Hibiscus rosa‐sinensis, Olea europaea, and Sesamum indicum and in fruits such as avocados, batoko plum, kiwi fruits, apple, bitter melon, black berries, pears, and some mushrooms. This study was undertaken to review the pharmacological effects, pharmacokinetic properties as well as toxicity and pharmaceutical applications of GA.     

Characterization of expressed human meibum using hyperspectral stimulated Raman scattering microscopy

Purpose

This study examined whether hyperspectral stimulated Raman scattering (hsSRS) microscopy can detect differences in meibum lipid to protein composition of normal and evaporative dry eye subjects with meibomian gland dysfunction.

Clinical aspects of infertile 47,XYY patients: a retrospective study

47,XYY syndrome is a sex chromosomal anomaly in men, which may be associated with infertility and has an incidence of 0.1% of male births. The clinical and paraclinical characteristics of men suffering from this anomaly have not been fully described. In this retrospective study, we present 37 cases of 47,XYY infertile men with sperm counts varying from normal to azoospermia, referred to the Genetics Laboratory at the Royan Institute, Iran. Thirteen individuals were mosaic and 24 non-mosaics. Non-mosaic patients were classified as azoospermic (nine cases) and normospermic/oligozoospermic men (15 cases). Two of the non-mosaic and three mosaic patients had secondary infertility. In addition, 13 of them underwent IUI, IVF or ICSI, and in seven cases, there was a biochemical pregnancy. The remaining 14 patients did not have ART. The 47,XYY syndrome is relatively unusual and can be missed clinically because of the lack of symptoms and of diverse phenotypes. Diagnosis of this aneuploidy can provide valuable data for counselling and early management of the patients who undergo fertility evaluation.     

Morphometric analysis of human oocytes using time lapse: does it predict embryo developmental outcomes?

The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the relationship between morphometric parameters of metaphase II (MII) oocytes and the morphokinetic behaviour of subsequent embryos derived by intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The association between oocyte morphometry: (whole oocyte), ooplasm, width of zona pellucida (ZP) and perivitelline space (PVS) and first polar body (PB) with embryo morphokinetic variables, including time of second PB extrusion (tPB2), pronuclei appearance (tPN), pronuclei fading (tPNf), formation of two to eight cells (t2 to t8) and irregular cleavage events [uneven at two cells stage, cell fusion (Fu) and trichomonas mitoses (TM)] were assessed. tPB2, t5 and t8 timings were related to the ooplasm diameter (p?=?0.003, r?=??0.12; p?=?0.001, r?=??0.16; p?r?=??0.36, respectively); otherwise, there were no significant relationships apart from an association between the oocyte morphometry and other morphokinetic parameters, irregular cleavage embryos as well as embryo arrest which approached significance (p?>?0.05). Overall, the data showed that morphometric parameters of oocytes did not provide a tool for the prediction of embryo morphokinetic or embryo selection in ICSI cycles. However, ooplasm diameter might be useful as a marker for predicting the timing of embryo cleavage.     

Multidimensional ultrasound imaging of the wrist: Changes of shape and displacement of the median nerve and tendons in carpal tunnel syndrome

Dynamics of structures within the carpal tunnel may alter in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) due to fibrotic changes and increased carpal tunnel pressure. Ultrasound can visualize these potential changes, making ultrasound potentially an accurate diagnostic tool. To study this, we imaged the carpal tunnel of 113 patients and 42 controls. CTS severity was classified according to validated clinical and nerve conduction study (NCS) classifications. Transversal and longitudinal displacement and shape (changes) were calculated for the median nerve, tendons and surrounding tissue. To predict diagnostic value binary logistic regression modeling was applied. Reduced longitudinal nerve displacement (p≤ 0.019), increased nerve cross‐sectional area (p≤ 0.006) and perimeter (p≤ 0.007), and a trend of relatively changed tendon displacements were seen in patients. Changes were more convincing when CTS was classified as more severe. Binary logistic modeling to diagnose CTS using ultrasound showed a sensitivity of 70–71% and specificity of 80–84%. In conclusion, CTS patients have altered dynamics of structures within the carpal tunnel. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 33:1332–1340, 2015.     

Impaired oxidative status as a potential predictor in clinical manifestations of herpes zoster

Oxidative stress, caused by an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and antioxidants, is related to many dermatologic diseases. Increased reactive oxygen species is also associated with various decreased T‐cell immune responses. The incidence and severity of herpes zoster (HZ), which is caused by the reactivation of varicella ‐ zoster virus, increase with age because of declining cell‐mediated immunity. The main purpose of this study was to assess the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers in patients with HZ compared with control subjects. In this case‐control study, the serum levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index, glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and total polyphenol content (TPC) in 43 patients with HZ and 47 age‐matched controls were determined, and their biomarker patterns were compared. TAC and TPC levels were significantly lower in patients with HZ; however, TOS and oxidative stress index levels were significantly higher in comparison with the control (P < .001). In addition, a signi?cantly strong negative correlation was found between TAC and TPC with TOS levels in patients with HZ (r = ?.79, P < .001; r = ?.81, P < .001, respectively). Our findings showed an oxidative stress imbalance in HZ. Whether this change correlates with HZ pathogenesis or is a consequence of the inflammatory response to HZ needs more investigation.