Search

Introduction: Plasma adiponectin level is markedly in-creased among patients on hemodialysis. This investigation aimed to evaluate the relationship between renin-angiotensin system blockade and serum adiponectin concentration in nondiabetic patients on hemodialysis.Materials and Methods: This randomized double-blind controlled trial was conducted on a group of nondiabetic patients on regular hemodialysis. The first group received losartan, 12.5 mg twice per day for the 1st week, 25 mg twice per day during the 2nd week, and 75 mg/d from the 3rd week to the end of the 16th week. Patients of the control group received placebo. Blood samples from all of the patients were collected at the beginning and at the end of the study to measure serum adiponectin.Results: Seventy-three hemodialysis patients were divided randomly into the losartan group (40 patients) and the control group (33 patients). The mean adiponectin level in all of the patients was 10.6 ± 3.9 µg/mL. A significant decrease of serum adiponectin level was observed after 4 months of treatment with losartan (8.86 ± 3.43 µg/mL for losartan group versus 10.71 ± 3.94 µg/mL for the control group; P = .04). None of the patients had a serum potassium value greater than 5 mg/dL or hypotension during the intervention. There was no significant difference in serum potassium levels between the two groups.   Conclusions. The decrease in serum adiponectin level in nondiabetic patients on regular hemodialysis by losartan might offer a potential protective approach in these patients. Mechanisms responsible for this reduction remain to be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, use of nanotechnology for cancer therapy is an active field of research. Early detection, accurate diagnosis, and individual treatment are the aims which have turned nanotechnology to an attractive area for research. Among metallic nanomaterials, gold nanostructures have unique properties which make them remarkable candidates for biomedical approaches. Surface plasmonic resonance (SPR) effect of gold nanostructures leads to maximum absorption at particular electromagnetic wave length. This wavelength changes with the shape and size of the particles, so optical properties of gold nanostructures are adjustable. In this review, we will summarize the application of gold nanostructures in the treatment of cancer especially as the agent in Plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPTT) and photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy (PDT). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Serum adiponectin is a hormone secreted by the adipose tissue and its level usually increases in patients with renal insufficiency. In uremic condition, it not only loses its protective role against atherosclerosis, but also becomes a risk factor. This hormone is a direct predictor of cardiovascular complications in patients with renal failure. Objectives: This study was designed to assess the association between serum adiponectin with various parameters in in a group of non-diabetic hemodialysis patients. Patients and Methods: In this study, 73 hemodialysis non-diabetic patients were selected and fasting blood samples were taken to measure adiponectin and some other biochemical parameters. Waist circumference, abdominal circumference, weight and body mass index (BMI) were measured. Pearson statistical test was used to find the association between adiponectin and mentioned parameters. Results: Adiponectin level was negatively and significantly associated with weight (P < 0.001), BMI (P < 0.001), waist circumference (P < 0.05), abdominal circumference (P < 0.01), and triglycerides (P < 0.01). Conclusion: According to the results of our study, serum adiponectin level in hemodialysis patients was negatively associated with weight and BMI which indicates the likely effect of the hormone. As a result, finding of exact connections between this cytokines and the risk factors of atherosclerosis and hypercatabolism may help to introduce serum adiponectin as a measurable and important marker for atherosclerosis and may be used as an index for prognosis of mortality in this type of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective(s): Short tandem repeat (STR) loci are the most informative DNA genetic markers for attempting to individualize biological material for application in paternity and forensic cases. Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected and the total genomic DNA was extracted. The DNA samples were used for genotyping VWA and TPOX STR loci using PCR and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Results: This report presents allele frequency data and parameters of biological or legal interest, such as heterozygosity value, polymorphic information content (PIC), genetic diversity index (GD) and population parameter (θ) in Arab and non-Arab population of Khuzestan province (Iran) for the loci VWA and TPOX. Blood samples (N= 392 for VWA and N=308 for TPOX) were collected from individuals unrelated throughout Khuzestan province. The loci were genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and silver staining. Chi-square test showed that neither STR loci were in agreement with the Hardy- Weinberg equilibrium. Conclusion: The examined STR loci in this study have proven a relatively high genetic variation in the Iranian population. The data could be used for construction of a forensic genetic database for the Iranian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: It has clearly been established that oxidative stress leads to perturbation of various cellular processes resulting in either inhibition of cell proliferation or cell death. In addition, there is a growing body of evidence indicating that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are required as signal molecules that regulate different physiological processes including survival or death. Free radicals, particularly ROS, have been proposed as general mediators for apoptosis and recent studies have established that the mode of cell death depends on the severity of the oxidative damage. In this study, we determined the effect of oxidative stress on cell proliferation and characterization of cell death in human KG1 cells treated with H2O2. Our results indicated that oxidative stress leads to a significant decrease in cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis. Moreover, our study suggests that antiproliferative and apoptotic cell death effects of H2O2 took place via activation of caspase-3, affecting the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax (an antiapoptotic and a proapoptotic factor, respectively), and through deactivation of catalase enzyme, leading to accumulation of intracellular ROS and depletion of intracellular ATP level. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background and aims: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive process that leading to major clinical problems in patients. There is no highly effective treatment for these patients and therapists only try to relieve the symptoms. But, there are interventions such as self-management program for improvement of health level in patients. 5A model, known as behavior change counseling model is an evidence-based approach for behavior change and self-management. Thus this study was performed to investigate the effects of self-management program based on 5A model on some of clinical parameters in COPD patients. Methods: this clinical trial was performed on 50 COPD patients that referred to Apadana sub-special clinic in Ahvaz. Patients were randomly assigned to control and intervention groups. The control group received usual care and the intervention group received usual care plus a self-management program based on the 5A model (includes: Assess Advise, Agree, Assist and Arrange stage). Patients were assessed by six-minute walking test and the Borg scale for exercise tolerance level and dyspnea severity at baseline and after 3 months. Chi-square and t-test in the SPSS software were used to data analysis. Results: There was no significant difference between the groups in exercise tolerance at base line; but, they were significantly different at the end of 3 months (P=0.007). In addition, a significant reduction was found in patients' dyspnea in the intervention group, compared with the control group after 3 months (P<0.0001). Conclusion: with attention to effectiveness of self-management program based on 5A model on increase of exercise tolerance and decrease of dyspnea in COPD patients, use of this program is recommended as benefit method for decline major difficult of disease without spend cost for frequent refer to medical center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Four-and-a-half LIM domain protein-2 (FHL2) is expressed in endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, and leukocytes. It regulates cell survival, migration, and inflammatory response, but its role in atherogenesis is unknown., Approach and Results: To investigate the role of FHL2 in atherosclerosis, FHL2-deficient mice were crossed with ApoE-deficient mice, to generate ApoE/FHL2-/- mice. After high-fat diet, ApoE/FHL2-/- mice had significantly smaller atherosclerotic plaques than ApoE-/- mice in the aortic sinus, the brachiocephalic artery, and the aorta. This was associated with enhanced collagen and smooth muscle cell contents and a 2-fold reduction in macrophage content within the plaques of ApoE/FHL-2-/- versus ApoE-/- mice. This could be explained, in part, by the reduction in aortic ICAM-1 (intracellular adhesion molecule) mRNA and VCAM-1 (vascular cell adhesion molecule) protein expression in the plaque. Aortic gene expression of the chemokines CX3CL1 and CCL5 was increased in ApoE/FHL2-/- versus ApoE-/- mice. Peritoneal thioglycollate injection elicited equivalent numbers of monocytes and macrophages in both groups, but a significantly lower number of proinflammatory Ly6C high monocytes were recruited in ApoE/FHL2-/- versus ApoE-/- mice. Furthermore, mRNA levels of CX3CR1 were 2-fold higher in monocytes from ApoE/FHL2-/- versus ApoE-/- mice. Finally, we investigated the potential importance of myeloid cell FHL2 deficiency in atherosclerosis. After being irradiated, ApoE-/- or ApoE/FHL2-/- mice were transplanted with ApoE-/- or ApoE/FHL2-/- bone marrow. After high-fat diet, both chimeric groups developed smaller plaques than ApoE-/- transplanted with ApoE-/- bone marrow., Conclusions: These results suggest that FHL2 in both myeloid and vascular cells may play an important role in atherosclerosis by promoting proinflammatory chemokine production, adhesion molecule expression, and proinflammatory monocyte recruitment., (© 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.)