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Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most common kidney diseases, but its exact pathophysiology remains unknown. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are innate immune receptors that recognize pathogen- and danger-associated molecular patterns, which can result in an inflammatory response. TLR4, TLR2, TLR5, TLR7, TLR8, TLR9, and TLR11 are essential in the pathogenesis of DN, according to recent evidence collected from both in vivo and in vitro studies. Studies have shown that TLR2 and TLR4 expression is higher in patients with renal failure and nephrotic diabetes. They also play critical roles in podocyte injury and inflammation caused by high glucose. TLR2 and TLR4 may be helpful therapeutic targets to prevent or delay DN in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Additionally, TLR7 may contribute to kidney damage in type 1 diabetes mellitus, whereas downregulation of TLR9 expression inhibits inflammation and apoptosis pathways associated with DN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the growth of the elderly population, age-related neurological disorders are an increasing problem. Aging begins very gradually and later leads to several neurological issues such as lower neurotransmitter levels, oxidative stress, neuronal inflammation, and continual neuronal loss. These changes might contribute to brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia or mild cognitive impairment, and epilepsy and glioma, and can also aggravate these disorders if they were previously present. Momordica charantia (bitter gourd), a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, is a good source of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. It is used for diabetes and known for its hypoglycemic and antioxidant effects. In this review, we discuss the pharmaceutical effects of M. charantia on agerelated neurological disorders. We searched several databases, including PubMed and Google Scholar, using MeSH terms. We searched articles published up until 2022 regardless of publication language. M. charantia is rich in luteolin, which increases acetylcholine in neurons by binding to enzymes in acetylcholine metabolism pathways, including butyrylcholinesterase and acetylcholinesterase. This binding inhibits the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein by restraining its kinase enzyme. Furthermore, this substance can lower serum cholesterol and has multi-target activity in AD and memory loss. M. charantia can also improve memory by decreasing tau protein and it also has potent antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory effects. This review highlights that M. charantia has effects on many age-related neurological disorders, and can be a cost-effective supplement with minimal side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: A Farsi version of the Heartland Forgiveness Scale (HFS-F) for assessing forgiveness in Iranian cardiovascular patients was not available. This study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of the Farsi version of HFS in this population. Methods: In this methodological cross-sectional research design, 400 Iranian cardiovascular patients completed the HFS-F between October 2019 and January 2020. We assessed the characteristics, content, and both exploratory and confirmatory construct validity of the measures. To evaluate the reliability and construct validity of the HFS-F, we calculated Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega, and the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient. Results: Three factors were identified following confirmatory and deterministic factor analyses. The extracted factors demonstrated satisfactory reliability, exceeding a threshold of 0.7. Conclusions: The HFS-F exhibited a robust level of validity and reliability, rendering it a suitable instrument for future research endeavors., (© 2024 Springer Publishing Company.)

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder characterized by dopamine depletion and severe motor impairments. Preladenant, an adenosine A2 receptor antagonist, is an investigational treatment for PD. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to critically evaluate the efficacy of Preladenant in improving motor symptoms in patients with PD., Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to March 2023, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing Preladenant with placebo in PD patients were included. The primary outcome was the change in daily ON time without troublesome dyskinesia. Secondary outcomes included the change in daily OFF time and adverse events. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool., Results: Four RCTs with a total of 2097 PD patients were included. Pooled analysis showed that Preladenant could generally increase daily ON time (pooled effect 0.15 and 95 % CI: -0.19-0.48) and reduce daily OFF time (pooled effect -0.04 and 95 % CI: -0.43-0.36) compared to placebo, however it was not significant. The included studies had moderate to high heterogeneity. No significant differences in adverse events were observed between Preladenant and placebo., Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests that Preladenant may improve motor fluctuations in PD patients by increasing ON time and reducing OFF time. However, the high heterogeneity among studies warrants further large-scale, high-quality RCTs to confirm these findings and establish the long-term safety and efficacy of Preladenant in PD management., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of International Brain Research Organization.)

Introduction: The present study employs bioinformatics tools to identify shared upregulated genes between chemical burns and gastric cancer., Methods: Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) retrieved gene sets for this investigation. GSEs with P value less than 0.05 and LOG fold change (FC) greater than 1 were valid and upregulated. Gastric cancer and chemical burn common elevated genes were found using Venn diagram online tools. In the second stage, the "string" visualized gastric cancer elevated genes network, and non-coding RNAs were deleted, and "interaction" greater than 1 was examined to choose important gene nodes. Next, they explored the String gene-interaction network for common genes. To determine the most interacting genes, Gephi (V 0.9.7) used "betweenness centrality" greater than "0" to evaluate the twenty-gene network. TISIDB and drug banks provide gene-related medications., Results: In the present study, two genes, including ALOX5AP and SERPINB2, were obtained, with the highest centrality among chemical burns and gastric cancer shared genes. Additionally, the current study presented five drugs, including Urokinase, Tenecteplase, DG031, AM103, and Fiboflapon, which can have predicted effects on gastric cancer following chemical burns., Conclusion: According to current in-silicon analyses, ALOX5AP and SERPINB2 are linked genetic keys between gastric chemical burn and cancer. Considering that burn is an environmental factor that leads to the upregulation of the two genes thus, the chemical burn can be related to the incidence of gastric cancer., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.Sponsorships or competing interests that may be relevant to content are disclosed at the end of this article., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background and Purpose: The present study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Mendelson and White Body Esteem Scale in Iranian adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study design was used and carried out in 2023. Following the inclusion criteria, 500 adults were gathered from Tehran (Tehran, Iran) with an accessible sampling method. After translation of Body Esteem Scale to Persian language, construct validity (with factor analysis and exploratory graph analysis) and reliability were assessed. Results: The mean age of the participants was 30.66 (standard deviation = 7.40) years. The results of Maximum Likelihood Exploratory Factor Analysis (MLEFA) with Promax with Kaiser normalization rotation extracted three factors accounting for 43.4% of the variance comprising 21 items. Also, after necessary modifications during confirmatory factor analysis, the final model was approved. As for construct reliability, the Cronbach's alpha, Composite Reliability, and Maximal Reliability for all constructs were greater than 0.7, demonstrating good internal consistency and construct reliability. Conclusions: According to results, the Persian version of Body Esteem Scale has a valid structure and acceptable reliability. This scale can be used by health professionals in many ways., (© 2024 Springer Publishing Company.)