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Arsenic is a toxic metalloid found in the environment in different organic and inorganic forms. Molecular mechanisms implicated in arsenic hepatotoxicity are complex but include oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autophagy. The current study focused on the potential protective capacity of melatonin against arsenic-induced hepatotoxicity. Thirty-six male Wistar rats were allocated into control, arsenic (15 mg/kg; orally), arsenic (15 mg/kg) plus melatonin (10, 20, and 30 mg/kg; intraperitoneally), and melatonin alone (30 mg/kg) groups for 28 days. After the treatment period, the serum sample was separated to measure liver enzymes (AST and ALT). The liver tissue was removed and then histological alterations, oxidative stress markers, antioxidant capacity, the levels of Nrf2 and HO-1, apoptosis (Bcl-2, survivin, Mcl1, Bax, and caspase-3), and autophagy (Sirt1, Beclin-1, and LC3 II/I ratio) proteins, as well as the expression level of miR-34a, were evaluated on this tissue. Arsenic exposure resulted in the enhancement of serum AST, ALT, and substantial histological damage in the liver. Increased levels of malondialdehyde, a lipid peroxidation marker, and decreased levels of physiological antioxidants including glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase were indicators of arsenic-induced oxidative damage. The levels of Nrf2, HO-1, and antiapoptotic proteins diminished, while proapoptotic and autophagy proteins were elevated in the arsenic group concomitant with a low level of hepatic miR-34a. The co-treatment of melatonin and arsenic reversed the changes caused by arsenic. These findings showed that melatonin reduced the hepatic damage induced by arsenic due to its antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties as well as its regulatory effect on the miR-34a/Sirt1/autophagy pathway., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Introduction: Evaluation of cytokines such as interleukin-4 (IL-4) can be an important tool in examining immune responses to brucellosis. Also, determining the response rate to treatment is necessary for controlling and eradicating of disease. The review of previous studies reveals contradictory results that require further research in this regard. The aim of this study was to compare the serum level of IL-4 in patients with brucellosis and healthy controls., Material and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study for comparison of two groups, a total of 165 participants, including 83 patients with brucellosis and 82 non-infected people, were evaluated after matching of sex and age in Hamadan (northwest of Iran) in 2017 and the serum level of IL-4 was compared by ELISA method. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS software version 21 at 95% significant level., Results: Mean of age in the case and control groups were 50.25 ± 16.01 and 43.26 ± 15.6 years, respectively. The serum levels of IL-4 in the case and control groups were 1.42 ± 0.51 pg/mL and 1.31 ± 1.02 pg/mL, respectively. Based on the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test, the IL-4 level was significantly higher in the case group, compared with the control (P < .001), but no statistically significant relationship was found between serum levels of IL-4 with age, sex, and serologic titers of Wright and 2ME., Conclusion: In patients with brucellosis, the level of IL-4 increases independently of the duration and severity of the disease, which indicates the role of this cytokine of immune system in this infectious disease., (© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Our objective was to study skin disorders in neonates within the first 48 hours of life in Ahvaz, Iran. One thousand consecutive neonates were examined in a descriptional prospective cohort study for 1 year (2002-03). The rate of skin disorders and their relationship to age of gestation and sex were calculated and analyzed using the computerized program SPSS version 10 and chi-squared test (chi2). Our findings were Mongolian spots (71.3%), Epstein pearls (70.2%), sebaceous hyperplasia (43.7%), salmon patch (26.2%), hypertrichosis (25.7%), erythema toxicum (11.1%), milia (7.5%), desquamation (1.9%), hemangioma (1.3%), and miliaria (1.3%). The most frequent skin disorders were Mongolian spots, Epstein pearls, and sebaceous hyperplasia. Differences between our study findings and those of others may be based on racial differences and study method.