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Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a significant global health issue, associated with various microvascular and macrovascular complications that significantly impair patients' quality of life as well as healthspan and lifespan. Despite the availability of several anti-diabetic medications with different mechanisms of action, there remains no definite curative treatment. Hence, discovering new efficient complementary therapies is essential. Natural products have received significant attention due to their advantages in various pathological conditions. Resveratrol is a natural polyphenol that possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and its efficacy has been previously investigated in several diseases, including DM. Herein, we aimed to provide a holistic view of the signaling pathways and mechanisms of action through which resveratrol exerts its effects against DM and its complications., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: Overall treatment time (OTT) is an important index for local control in patients with locally advanced‌ cervical cancer treated with definitive chemoradiation (External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT), Brachytherapy (BT) and concomittant chemotherapy). This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency and safety of reducing OTT by shortening the brachytherapy duration to one week in the intervention group copared to three weeks in the control group., Method: The study was a non-randomized open-label phase II clinical trial, carried out on 49 cervical cancer patients (26 in intervention grouop and 23 in control group) who received EBRT concomitant with Cisplatin, followed by brachytherap in order to deliver 60 Gy  equivalent total doses in 2-Gy fractions (EQD2) to Intermediate Risk-Clinical Tumor Volume (IR-CTV) and 85-90 Gy EQD2 to High Risk-Clinical Tumor Volume (HR-CTV). In the intervention group, all brachytherapy sessions were performed in 1 week, while for the control group, it was administrated in 3 consecutive weeks. The participants were followed (Minimum follow up time was 6 month and median follow up time was 10 month) to assess response and toxicity of the treatment., Results: Overall, more than 95% of study participants had a complete response and more than 4.0% reported partial response, and no treatment failure was observed. The complete response in intervention and control groups was 96.1% and 95.6%, respectively (P value > 0.05). There was no difference in acute toxicity between the two groups., Conclusion: considering that short course brachytherapy was non inferior to conventional course from point of  Response Rate and Side Effects during follow up time; so this strategy can be  considered as an option for reducing the OTT which can at least cause decreasing the costs. Studies with larger sample size and phase 3 are recommended.

Most animals have large amounts of the special substance melatonin, which is controlled by the light/dark cycle in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. According to what is now understood, the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and other areas of the body are sites of melatonin production. According to recent studies, the GIT and adjacent organs depend critically on a massive amount of melatonin. Not unexpectedly, melatonin's many biological properties, such as its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, pro-apoptotic, anti-proliferative, anti-metastasis, and antiangiogenic properties, have drawn the attention of researchers more and more. Because melatonin is an antioxidant, it produces a lot of secretions in the GIT's mucus and saliva, which shields cells from damage and promotes the development of certain GIT-related disorders. Melatonin's ability to alter cellular behavior in the GIT and other associated organs, such as the liver and pancreas, is another way that it functions. This behavior alters the secretory and metabolic activities of these cells. In this review, we attempted to shed fresh light on the many roles that melatonin plays in the various regions of the gastrointestinal tract by focusing on its activities for the first time., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Harmaline is a β-carboline alkaloid that can be extracted from the seeds of Peganum harmala. Harmaline has been shown to exhibit a potent cytotoxic effect against tumor cells. In this study, the anti-glioblastoma activity of harmaline was investigated in vitro., Methods and Results: Cell viability, apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest were assessed in U-87 cells treated with harmaline at different doses. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and the mRNA expression of apoptosis-associated genes were assessed. The anti-metastatic effect of harmaline on U-87 cells was evaluated by gelatin zymography assay where matrix metalloproteinase [MMP]-2/-9 enzymatic activity was measured, and the scratch assay was used to assess migratory responses. Flow cytometry demonstrated that harmaline could suppress the proliferation and induce sub-G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptotic cell death in glioblastoma cells. Harmaline treatment was also associated with an upregulation of the cell cycle-related genes, p21 and p53, and pro-apoptotic Bax, as well as the induction of ROS. The zymography assay indicated that the essential steps of metastasis were potently suppressed by harmaline through inhibiting the expression of MMP-2 and - 9. In addition, the migration of U-87 cells was significantly reduced after harmaline treatment., Conclusion: Our data suggest a basis for further research of harmaline which has potential cytotoxic activities in glioblastoma cells; inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, repression of migration, possibly invasion, and metastasis., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Breast tumor is heterogeneous cancer with high morbidity and mortality rates, particularly in developing countries. Despite new efforts to reduce the breast cancer implications, the number of newly diagnosed cases is increasing worldwide. It is believed that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for the implication of cancers including breast cancer. Although CSCs compose a small population in tumor bulks, they play a crucial role in tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, and chemotherapeutic resistance. These events are mediated by the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway which regulates the transcription of genes involved in CSC maintenance and tumorigenesis. In this review, we discussed the mechanisms by which hypoxia- or chemotherapy-induced HIFs promote breast CSC specification., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The diagnosis of intussusception can be challenging in children due to the fact that the findings of clinical evaluations are nonspecific and most of the patients present with unclear history. Therefore, in this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography for detection of intussusception and also compare the efficacy of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) with radiologist-performed ultrasound (RADUS)., Methods: Two independent reviewers systematically searched different online electronic databases including MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Embase, and Cochrane from inception to December 1, 2022 to identify published papers reporting accuracy of ultrasonography for diagnosis of intussusception. The quality assessment of the included studies was investigated using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS)-2 tool., Results: A total of 1446 records were retrieved in the initial search of databases. After screening the titles, a total of 344 studies were retrieved for the detailed assessment of full-text. Finally, 37 studies were included in qualitative and quantitative analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography for diagnosis of intussusception were 0.96 (95% CI: 0.95-0.97) and 0.97 (95% CI: 0.97-0.98), respectively. The pooled positive likelihood ratio (PLR) and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) were 24.57 (95% CI: 8.26-73.03) and 0.05 (95% CI: 0.04-0.08), respectively. The area under the hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) curve was 0.989. Mete-regression showed that there is no significant difference between diagnostic performance of POCUS and RADUS (p = 0.06 and rDOR (diagnostic odds ratio) = 4.38 (95% CI: 0.92-20.89))., Conclusion: This meta-analysis shows that ultrasonography has excellent sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for diagnosis of intussusception in pediatric patients. Moreover, we found that diagnostic performance of POCUS is similar to that of RADUS for diagnosis of intussusception., Competing Interests: None.

Introduction: Subacute thyroiditis (SAT), also known as de Quatrain's thyroiditis or granulomatous thyroiditis, is an inflammatory disease of the thyroid. Most of the time, it manifests in the thirties to fifties and is more common in women. SAT can have either viral or post-viral origin. Some viruses, like influenza, COVID-19, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis, coxsackievirus 16, and mumps virus, have been linked to SAT development. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people's lives all around the world and has changed our attitude toward the treatment of many diseases. It has also made us look deeper into the subject in a way that we would be able to treat this sort of disease with a newer insight., Objective: Regarding the importance of this issue, we decided to summarize our extensive searches from online databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Medline, Web of Science, and Scopus until February 2023, which we found effective in elucidating the association of subacute thyroiditis and viral diseases., Method: Different online databases were searched for narrative review articles, systemic review articles, and original articles, which were published until February 2023., Result: According to the included studies, we found that there is a correlation between SAT and several viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus, influenza virus, human immunodeficiency virus, cytomegalovirus, oral and cervical virus, hepatitis, dengue virus, and SARS-COV-2. The effect of each of the viral diseases mentioned in the SAT is given in the text., Conclusions: According to the results mentioned in the text, because SAT may be challenging for early diagnosis, due to the potential of classic symptoms as well as the interference of similar clinical symptoms between thyrotoxicosis and viral reactions, the correlation between SAT and viral diseases should be considered so that we can avoid misdiagnosis and lateness., Competing Interests: Authors declare no conflict of interest., (National Institute of Public Health NIH – National Research Institute.)

The emerging COVID-19 pandemic led to a dramatic increase in global mortality and morbidity rates. As in most infections, fatal complications of coronavirus affliction are triggered by an untrammeled host inflammatory response. Cytokine storms created by high levels of interleukin and other cytokines elucidate the pathology of severe COVID-19. In this respect, repurposing drugs that are already available and might exhibit anti-inflammatory effects have received significant attention. With the in vitro and clinical investigation of several studies on the effect of antidepressants on COVID-19 prognosis, previous data suggest that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) might be the new hope for the early treatment of severely afflicted patients. SSRIs' low cost and availability make them potentially eligible for COVID-19 repurposing. This review summarizes current achievements and literature about the connection between SSRIs administration and COVID-19 prognosis., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Asadi Anar, Foroughi, Sohrabi, Peiravi, Tavakoli, Kameli Khouzani, Behshood, Shamshiri, Faridzadeh, Keylani, Langari, Ansari, Khalaji, Garousi, Mottahedi, Honari and Deravi.)

In the field of epidemics, some vulnerable groups, such as older adults, are at greater risk. Many psychological, social, economic and physical hazards have threatened older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some threats can be managed with medical system interventions. However, social and psychological challenges cannot be controlled quickly. People will have a better quality of life if they can take appropriate action in critical situations. There is a strong theoretical and empirical background that a sense of control and self-efficacy can promote psychological well-being. The main questions of this study included the following: What were the main problems experienced by older Iranian women during the outbreak of COVID-19? What coping methods did they use to control the situation? What were their views on the future? This research was conducted in Kerman city, the capital of Kerman Province. A phenomenological method was used. We interviewed 15 women over 65 years old. We extracted five main themes from the interviews. These themes were health issues, persistent anxiety, economic and social pressures, identifying unique solutions to the current situation, and optimism versus pessimism: what is the future? From the participants' point of view, psychological, social and physical problems have disturbed them during the pandemic, especially at the beginning. However, they controlled their problems by using selective coping strategies. In Iran, planners can use the potential of the two institutions of family and religion to reduce the problems of older adults., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors have not disclosed any competing interests., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2022, Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Migraine headaches are highly prevalent, affecting 15% of the population. However, despite many studies to determine this disease's mechanism and efficient management, its pathophysiology has not been fully elucidated. There are suggested hypotheses about the possible mediating role of mast cells, immunoglobulin E, histamine, and cytokines in this disease. A higher incidence of this disease in allergic and asthma patients, reported by several studies, indicates the possible role of brain mast cells located around the brain vessels in this disease. The mast cells are more specifically within the dura and can affect the trigeminal nerve and cervical or sphenopalatine ganglion, triggering the secretion of substances that cause migraine. Neuropeptides such as calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), neurokinin-A, neurotensin (NT), pituitary adenylate-cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP), and substance P (SP) trigger mast cells, and in response, they secrete pro-inflammatory and vasodilatory molecules such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as a selective result of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) secretion. This stress hormone contributes to migraine or intensifies it. Blocking these pathways using immunologic agents such as CGRP antibody, anti-CGRP receptor antibody, and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β)/interleukin 1 receptor type 1 (IL-1R1) axis-related agents may be promising as potential prophylactic migraine treatments. This review is going to summarize the immunological aspects of migraine., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Salahi, Parsa, Nourmohammadi, Razmkhah, Salimi, Rahmani, Zivary, Askarzadeh, Tapak, Vaezi, Sadeghsalehi, Yaghoobpoor, Mottahedi, Garousi and Deravi.)

Background: Although epidermal growth factor (EGF) controls many crucial processes in the human body, it can increase the risk of developing cancer when overexpresses., Objectives: This study focused on detecting cancer-associated genes that are dysregulated by EGF overexpression., Materials and Methods: To identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), two independent meta-analyses with normal and cancer RNA-Seq samples treated by EGF were conducted. The new DEGs detected only via two meta-analyses were used in all downstream analyses. To reach count data, the tools of FastQC, Trimmomatic, HISAT2, SAMtools, and HTSeq-count were employed. DEGs in each individual RNA-Seq study and the meta-analysis of RNA-Seq studies were identified using DESeq2 and metaSeq R package, respectively. MCODE detected densely interconnected top clusters in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of DEGs obtained from normal and cancer datasets. The DEGs were then introduced to Enrichr and ClueGO/CluePedia, and terms, pathways, and hub genes enriched in Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG and Reactome were detected., Results: The meta-analysis of normal and cancer datasets revealed 990 and 541 new DEGs, all upregulated. A number of DEGs were enriched in protein K48-linked deubiquitination, ncRNA processing, ribosomal large subunit binding, and protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum. Hub genes overexpression (DHX33, INTS8, NMD3, OTUD4, P4HB, RPS3A, SEC13, SKP1, USP34, USP9X, and YOD1) in tumor samples were validated by TCGA and GTEx databases. Overall survival and disease-free survival analysis also confirmed worse survival in patients with hub genes overexpression., Conclusions: The detected hub genes could be used as cancer biomarkers when EGF overexpresses., (Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s); Published by Iranian Journal of Biotechnology.)

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are fundamental post-transcriptional modulators of several critical cellular processes, a number of which are involved in host defense mechanisms. In particular, miRNA let-7 functions as an essential regulator of the function and differentiation of both innate and adaptive immune cells. Let-7 is involved in several human diseases, including cancer and viral infections. Several viral infections have found ways to dysregulate the expression of miRNAs. Extracellular vesicles (EV) are membrane-bound lipid structures released from many types of human cells that can transport proteins, lipids, mRNAs, and miRNAs, including let-7. After their release, EVs are taken up by the recipient cells and their contents released into the cytoplasm. Let-7-loaded EVs have been suggested to affect cellular pathways and biological targets in the recipient cells, and can modulate viral replication, the host antiviral response, and the action of cancer-related viruses. In the present review, we summarize the available knowledge concerning the expression of let-7 family members, functions, target genes, and mechanistic involvement in viral pathogenesis and host defense. This may provide insight into the development of new therapeutic strategies to manage viral infections., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Studies have reported lower pain threshold, spinal anesthesia duration, and level of sensory block in addicts compared to non-addict patients undergoing spinal anesthesia for surgery. Moreover, blood gas and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were likely to be affected as well. The aim in the present study is to evaluate CSF and spinal parameters in addict versus non-addict patients during lower limb surgery., Methods: In this case-control study, 22 opium addicts and 22 sex- and age- matched non-addicts undergoing lower limb surgery under spinal anesthesia were included. The CSF parameters, venous blood gas (VBG), and sensory and motor block findings were compared between the groups., Findings: The addict and non-addict patients were similar regarding CSF and blood gas parameters except higher pH in VBG (7.39 ± 0.06 vs. 7.33 ± 0.11, P = 0.030) and CSF (7.39 ± 0.06 vs. 7.33 ± 0.11, P = 0.030) for addict patients. The addict patients had significantly later onset of sensory block (5.72 ± 1.57 vs. 3.16 ± 0.93 minutes, P < 0.001) and shorter motor block duration (137.72 ± 11.51 vs. 149.09 ± 14.44 minutes, P = 0.006), with no significant difference in the sensory block duration and motor block onset., Conclusion: Addict patients have delayed onset of sensory block with shorter duration of motor block and lower sensory block level. Among the blood gas and CSF markers, only pH was significantly higher in addict patients, needing further evaluations; however, it seems that addiction has no significant effect on these parameters., (© 2020 Kerman University of Medical Sciences.)

Background: There is increasing evidence that children are showing body image issues in recent years. Body image disturbances in childhood must be taken seriously. The thin ideal is becoming more prominent in Asian countries; however, there is little research examining how this issue affects Iranian children. This study explores body weight concerns and associated factors among children in Iranian elementary schools., Methods: This study was conducted in 500 elementary schools. An assessment of body image and antifat attitudes was undertaken using the figure rating scale. In addition, body mass index (BMI) and demographic variables were assessed., Results: Nearly, 27.4% of children were underweight, and 13.3% were obese. There was a significant difference between the mean score of body dissatisfaction (BD) between boys and girls (P < 0.05). There were no differences between BD and education of parents, age, and academic grades. In girls, antifat attitudes were significantly related to BMI., Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate the paramount importance of undertaking further research in order to identify the predictive factors of body concerns and its consequences among Iranian children. In addition, researchers must plan prevention and educational program for these children.

Background: Body concerns and its health consequences such as eating disorders and harmful body change activities are mentioned in Asian countries. This study evaluates factors contributing to body image/shape changes in an Iranian population., Methods: In this cross-sectional study we focused on four main body change activity (diet, exercise, substance use, and surgery) and their risk factors such as demographic variables, Body Mass Index (BMI), Media, Body-Esteem, Perceived Socio-cultural Pressure, Body dissatisfaction and, Self-Esteem. Approximately, 1,200 individuals between 14-55 years old participated in this study. We used a multistage sampling method. In each region, the first household was selected at random. The probability of outcomes was estimated from logistic models., Results: About 54.3% of respondents were females. The mean (SD) of age was 31.06 (10.24) years. Variables such as gender, age, BMI, use of media and socio cultural factors as, body dissatisfaction, body-esteem and pressure by relatives were the main factors that influenced body change methods. In particular we have seen that male are 53% less likely to follow surgical treatments, but 125% were more likely to use substances., Conclusions: Investigation of body concern and its health related problem should be assessed in cultural context. For effectiveness of interventional programs and reducing harmful body image/shape changes activities, socio-cultural background should be noted.

Purpose: Despite the importance of body satisfaction on self concept and well being, there is little study about it or its consequences in Iranian populations, a part of Asian culture. The aim of this study was the assessment of body satisfaction and body management strategies in Iranian university students., Work Method: This survey was performed based on a self-administrated questionnaire in 535 university and post graduate students., Work Results: About 2/3rd of the students had moderate to severe body dissatisfaction and 40% of the students were using body management methods. Rhinoplasty and heavy exercise were the most frequent body management methods in women and men, respectively., Conclusion: Widespread research on body satisfaction prevalence and its management behaviors in the general population can be effective in reducing the negative health, social and economic consequences of harmful behaviors.