Antioxidant activity of Ziziphora and comparison of the essential tenuoir methanolic extracts oil in two stages of growth

Flavonoids, anthocyanins, antioxidant capability, total phenolic, ascorbic acid contents, and essential oils compounds of Ziziphora tenuoir （Lamiaceae） for polar and non-polar subfraction in different stages of growth （pre-flowering and fowering） were evaluated in this work, Antioxidant activities of the samples were determined by three testing systems namely DPPH, β-carotene/linoleic acid, and reducing power assay. In the DPPH system, the highest radical scavenging activity was seen by the nonpolar subfraction of the methanol extract in the flowering stage （IC50 43.17 ± 3.68 μg.mL-1）. Large differences in the amount of phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, anthocyanins, and flavonoids of Z. tenuoir in two stages of growth were detected. The chemical composition of the hydrodistilled essential oil of the aerial parts of Z. tenuoir was analyzed by GC/MS and compared in the two stages of growth. The main constituents of the 28 identified compounds in the oil were found to be pulegone （67.34% vs 59.61%）, β-humulene （3.24% vs 3.25%）, and limonene （5.06% vs 2.57%） at the flowering and pre-flowering stages, respectively.     

Current, new and future treatments of osteoporosis

Osteoporosis as a common chronic disease is challenging human health. Although different therapeutic options are routinely used for prevention/treatment of osteoporosis, their side effects and benefits are under question. Increasing our knowledge about signaling pathways in bone and osteocytes as well as osteoblasts and osteoclasts will help us in designing new therapeutic modalities for osteoporosis. In the present study, all new therapeutic measures of osteoporosis have been reviewed. For this purpose, search engines like Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar were searched and all relevant articles were found. The study was limited to the year 1998–2010. Bisphosphonates are the cornerstone of osteoporosis treatment, but there are not enough relevant studies that investigated their equivalencies in comparison with each other or the other medications. Therefore, medication selection is empirical and subjective. Furthermore, no eminent study has compared certain combinations. There are new hopes for treatment of osteoporosis, which are more specific with less harm. Our results show that new and emerging therapies are more potent and target specified which more individualize osteoporosis treatment; however, more investigations on their safety and efficacy in comparison with current medications are highly recommended.     

The impact of one session resistance exercise on plasma adiponectin and RBP4 concentration in trained and untrained healthy young men

We designed this study, to investigate the predicting effect of a single resistance exercise session on serum level of RBP4 and adiponectin in trained and untrained subjects and to evaluate whether regular training may affect the response of these adipokines to exercise. Thirty four healthy young male students including 19 trained and 15 untrained participated in this study; each group was then randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The exercise session prolonged 120 minutes intensive resistance program at 70%-80% of 1RM. The blood samples were collected just before the start of training program and 4 hours post exercise to evaluate concentration of adiponectin, RBP4 and CRP as well as other metabolic markers. The serum level of adiponectin, RBP4 and CRP was not significantly different between trained and untrained groups at baseline. More over four hours post exercise adipokines concentration and CRP didn't differ between groups. Adjusted regression model showed, basal adiponectin (β=0.59, p=<0.001) and HDL cholesterol (β=0.28, p=0.09) were the main predictors of post exercise adiponectin concentration. In addition, the basic level of RBP4 appeared to be the only predictor of after exercise RBP4 concentration (β=0.46, p=0.02). Neither one session of high intensity resistance exercise nor long term training had predicting effect on post exercise adiponectin and RBP4 concentration in healthy young men. In the other hand, the beneficial effect of acute resistance exercise training may not be reflected by changes in adiponectin, RBP4 and CRP concentration in healthy young individual no matter they trained or untrained.     

The effect of semelil (angipars?) on bone resorption and bone formation markers in type 2 diabetic patients

Background and purpose of the study

Diabetes mellitus has been recognized as a major risk factor for osteoporosis in which bone turnover is affected by different mechanisms. As the morbidity, mortality and financial cost related to osteoporosis are expected to rise in Iran in coming years, and considering the efficacy of Angipars® for improvement of different ulcers which made it a new herbal drug in diabetic foot ulcer, there is a need to evaluate the effect of this new drug on different organs including bone resorption and bone formation markers.

Methods

In this randomized, double- blind clinical trial, 61 diabetic patients were included. The subjects were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Subjects of intervention group received 100 mg of Angipars® twice a day. Laboratory tests including bone resorption and bone formation markers were performed at baseline and after 3 months.

Result

31 patients in study group and 30 patients in control group finished the study. The mean age of the study population and the mean disease duration was respectively 51.8 ± 6.2 and 7.5 ± 4.7 years with no significant differences between intervention and control patients. No statistically significant differences between patients and controls were observed in pyridinoline, osteocalcin, urine calcium, bone alkaline phosphatase and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α). Only urine creatinine level significantly changed between two groups after 3 month of treatment (p-value: 0.029)

Conclusion

In conclusion, the findings of this study indicate that Semelil (Angipars®) had no beneficial or harmful effects on bone. It might be other effects of this new component on bone turnover process which need more studies and more time to be discovered.     

Pseudo-five-component reaction between 3-formylchromones, meldrum's acid, isocyanides and primary arylamines: diversity-oriented synthesis of novel chromone-containing peptidomimetics

An efficient and practical method has been developed for the diversity-oriented synthesis of chromone-containing tripeptides via pseudo-five-component reaction between 3-formylchromones, Meldrum's acid, isocyanides and primary aromatic amines for the generation of a wide range of structurally interesting and pharmacologically significant compounds at ambient temperature. It is worth mentioning that in the course of this reaction, five new bonds (two C-C bonds, two C-N bonds and one C═O bond) are formed. In the present reaction three amide bonds are newly formed.     

Development of a colloidal gold-based immunochromatographic test strip for screening of microalbuminuria

A rapid immunochromatography (ICG) assay based on antibody colloidal gold nanoparticles specific to human serum albumin (HSA) was developed, and its applications for primary screening of HSA in the urine were evaluated. A monoclonal antibody (MAb) specific to HSA was produced from cloned hybridoma cells (EMRC1) and used to develop an ICG strip. The nanocolloidal gold, with an average particle diameter of 20?nm, was synthesized and labeled MAb as the detection reagent. An antibody colloidal gold probe was applied on the conjugate pad, and HSA antigen was immobilized to a nitrocellulose membrane as the capture reagent to prepare the ICG strip test. This test required only 10?min to accomplish a semiquantitative detection of albumin. The sensitivity to urinary albumin was found to be approximately 20?μg/mL, and the analytical range was 20-25?μg/mL. The reliability of the testing procedures was examined by carrying out the ICG strip test with 40 urine samples and comparing the results of these tests with those obtained via immunoturbidimetry. The ICG strip was adequately sensitive and accurate for a rapid screening of HSA in the urine.     

Key Ethical Issues in Pediatric Research: Islamic Perspective,Iranian Experience

Objective

The importance of pediatric research especially in the ethically proven trials resulted in considerable legislative attempts in association with compiling ethical guidelines. Because of children''s vulnerability conducting pediatric research raises different ethical issues; the two most important of which are informed consent and risk-benefit assessment. Differences in religious and socio-cultural context limit implication of ethical standards.

Methods

At the aim of finding a solution we critically reviewed guidelines, and literatures as well as Islamic points in addition to comparing different viewpoints in application of ethical standards in pediatric research.

Findings

The literature review showed that pediatric research guidelines and authors’ viewpoints have the same basic ethical core, but there are some variations; depend on cultural, religious, and social differences. Furthermore, these standards have some limitations in defining informed consent according to child''s age and capacity upon application.

Conclusion

In this regard Islamic approach and definition about growth development and puberty sheds light and clarifies a clearer and more rational address to the issue.     

Survivin gene polymorphism association with papillary thyroid carcinoma

Survivin expression is correlated with suppression of apoptosis in human solid tumors. A polymorphism at position -31 (G/C) (rs 9904341) has been associated with cancer risk in several studies. We evaluated the correlation of this polymorphism with the risk of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in an Irananian population. The cases consisted of patients with PTC (n=123) and normal controls, composed of non-related healthy people (n=131). The frequency of GC or CC genotype in patients with PTC was significantly higher than in the controls [GC+CC vs GG, p=0.02 OR; 1.7, 95%CI (1.05-3.04)]. There was a significant difference between patients with more aggressive clinical manifestations, including lymphatic involvement compared to the controls [GC+CC vs GG, p=0.0006, OR; 3.7, 95%CI (1.6-9.2)]. The presence of C allele was significantly associated with the presence of more profound manifestations, including lymph node involvement, vascular involvement and multifocality.     

Brucellosis relapse causing prosthetic valve endocarditis and aortic root infective pseudoaneurysm

We report a previously treated case of brucellosis and aortic root replacement, which became complicated by prosthetic valve endocarditis and a massive aortic root pseudoaneurysm. Preoperative blood and intraoperative pseudoaneurysm wall cultures were positive for Brucella, and the patient was managed successfully with a combination of surgical and medical treatment. Brucella endocarditis is further discussed.