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Abstract Background Chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent (80%) and multi-dimensional illness. This study aims to test whether acupuncture, baclofen, or combined treatment with acupuncture and baclofen alleviates symptoms of non-specific chronic LBP in men. Methods Eight-four (84) men aged 50-60 years with non-specific chronic LBP were randomly assigned to four groups: the baclofen group received only baclofen (30 mg/day); the acupuncture group received only acupuncture at selected acupoints; the acupuncture + baclofen group received combined treatment with acupuncture and baclofen treatments; and the control group received no pain reduction treatment. After five weeks of treatment, visual analogue scale (VAS) and self-reported pain disability with the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ) were conducted for outcome measures. Results After treatment, the baclofen, acupuncture and acupuncture + baclofen groups all had lower VAS and RDQ scores. Significantly higher reduction and improvement in VAS and RDQ scores were found in the acupuncture and acupuncture + baclofen groups compared to the baclofen group. Conclusion The present study indicates that the combined treatment of acupuncture and baclofen is more effective than baclofen treatment alone to reduce pain in patients with non-specific chronic LBP. Trial registration number ACTRN12609000698279

Most of the processes that occur in the mind and body follow natural rhythms. Those with a cycle length of about one day are called circadian rhythms. These rhythms are driven by a system of self-sustained clocks and are entrained by environmental cues such as light-dark cycles as well as food intake. In mammals, the circadian clock system is hierarchically organized such that the master clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus integrates environmental information and synchronizes the phase of oscillators in peripheral tissues. The circadian system is responsible for regulating a variety of physiological and behavioral processes, including feeding behavior and energy metabolism. Studies revealed that the circadian clock system consists primarily of a set of clock genes. Several genes control the biological clock, including BMAL1, CLOCK (positive regulators), CRY1, CRY2, PER1, PER2, and PER3 (negative regulators) as indicators of the peripheral clock. Circadian has increasingly become an important area of medical research, with hundreds of studies pointing to the body's internal clocks as a factor in both health and disease. Thousands of biochemical processes from sleep and wakefulness to DNA repair are scheduled and dictated by these internal clocks. Cancer is an example of health problems where chronotherapy can be used to improve outcomes and deliver a higher quality of care to patients. In this article, we will discuss knowledge about molecular mechanisms of the circadian clock and the role of clocks in physiology and pathophysiology of concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study examined the relationship between serum glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx-1) activity and endothelial dysfunction in the subjects with and without metabolic syndrome (MetS)., Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 76 subjects, 38 were patients with MetS and 38 were without MetS. The demographic, clinical, and laboratory features of the subjects were measured and then compared. The MetS was diagnosed according to the definitions of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF). Serum GPx-1 activity was measured by standard methods. Endothelial dysfunction was assessed with flow-mediated dilation (FMD) technique., Results: In case-control study of 76 subjects, all of MetS risk factors including abdominal obesity, triglyceride (TG), low serum level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), hypertension (HTN), and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) were significantly higher than healthy individuals (P < 0.050). FMD was significantly lower than normal subjects (P < 0.050). Serum GP-1 activity was significantly lower in patients with MetS compared to normal subjects (21.7 ± 13.5 vs. 79.0 ± 38.6, respectively) (P = 0.001). The value of GPx-1 was significantly correlated with diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (r = -0.249, P = 0.040), C-reactive protein (CRP) (r = -0.409, P = 0.014), and FMD (r = 0.293, P = 0.050) in patients with MetS. The results of logistic regression showed that a unite increase in CRP (mg/dl), FMD (%), and endothelin-1 (ET-1) (pg/ml) and a unit decrease in GPx significantly increased the odds ratio (OR) of MetS; after adjusting for age and sex the results remained significant except for FMD (P < 0.050)., Conclusion: Endothelial dysfunction is related to serum GPx-1 activity in patients with MetS. GPX-1 activity is associated with risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and peripheral vascular diseases (PVDs) in patients with MetS., (© 2020 Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center & Isfahan University of Medical Sciences.)

Introduction: The main goal of this ex vivo study was to assess and compare the cellular and electrophysiological effects of two dental biomaterials, white mineral trioxide aggregate (WMTA) and calcium enriched mixture (CEM) cement, on neuronal cell excitability and electrical properties., Materials and Methods: A conventional intracellular current clamp technique was used to study the cellular effects of WMTA and CEM on the excitability, firing and the shape of action potential of neuronal soma membrane of F(1) nerve cells. The dental biomaterials were prepared according to the manufacturers' directions and were applied to the bathing media and 0.05 mL of total mixture of each dental material at a distance of 3 mm from the cells., Results: Findings indicated that exposure to both dental biomaterials shifted the irregular high frequency firing type observed in control conditions to a more regular low frequency firing pattern. Neuronal exposure to WMTA, but not CEM, significantly hyperpolarized the cell resting membrane potential. Both treatments significantly influenced the duration and the amplitude of action potentials. Extracellular application of either CEM or WMTA caused a significant increase in the after hyperpolarization (AHP) amplitude and AHP area, but the potentiating effect of WMTA was more effective than CEM., Conclusion: Treatment with WMTA or CEM resulted in a profound alteration in the firing behaviour of F(1) cells and changed the AP characteristics. Both dental biomaterials reduced the neuronal activity possibly through enhancement of K(+) outward current. This may possibly explain the positive mechanisms of these biomaterials in regenerative endodontics, though further research is needed for such a conclusion.