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Irisin, a novel adipomyokine, has been proposed to be a therapeutic agent against obesity‐related metabolic disease. Royal Jelly (RJ) and tocotrienol‐rich fraction (TRF) are suggested to promote obesity and its related problems through potential mutual mechanistic pathways. This investigation intended to evaluate the glycemic and inflammation‐promoting effects of RJ, TRF, and their combinations to evaluate their synergic effects through irisin action in obese rats induced by a high‐fat diet (HFD) that underwent a calorie restriction diet (CRD). Fifty HFD‐fed obese rats received the following interventions: RJ, TRF, or RJ + TRF in combination with a CRD for eight consecutive weeks. After the investigation, body weight, fasting blood sugar (FBS), irisin, insulin, C‐reactive protein (CRP), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), interleukin‐1 beta (IL‐1β), leptin, adiponectin, and insulin resistance (IR) were assessed. After 8 weeks of treatment, significant weight reduction was noticed in rats that received RJ and RJ + TRF related to the CRD rats (p <.001), although this reduction was not considerable in TRF‐treated rats. RJ and RJ + TRF supplementation markedly elevated irisin concentrations in CRD rats (p <.05), but TRF did not. Glycemic indices, inflammatory indices including IL‐1β and CRP levels, and leptin concentrations were significantly decreased after RJ, TRF, and their combinations were added to CRD (p <.05). According to the mediational analysis results, irisin mediated the promoting effects of RJ on glycemic hemostasis. Based on the results of this investigation, RJ and TRF are novel nutrients that have the potential to improve obesity‐related disorders. This research suggests that RJ exerts its beneficial glycemic regulatory effects through irisin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metastasis in breast cancer is the first cause of death in patients. The epidermal growth factor (EGF) increases cancer cells' invasion, and migration. Melatonin's inhibitory effects on various types of cancer were confirmed. This study aimed to investigate whether melatonin could apply its impact through the EGF-related pathways or not. First, MDA-MB-231 and MCF7 cells were cultured, and then melatonin effects on cell viability were determined by MTT assay. Transwell invasion assay was applied to identify the invasiveness of these breast cancer cell lines under treatment of EGF and melatonin. Real-time RT-PCR then investigated the expression of MMP9 and MMP2 in determined groups. Cell proliferation was also assayed under EGF and melatonin treatment using Ki67 assessment by flow cytometry. The rate of invasion and migration of EGF-treated cells increased in both groups, in which melatonin caused increased invasion by EGF just in MCF7 cells. MMP9 and MMP2 expression increased significantly in both cell lines under EGF treatment, and melatonin increased these genes' expression in both cell lines (p<0.05). EGF increased the MMP9 and MMP2 gene expression, and melatonin increased EGF-induced expression (p<0.05). The EGF reduced the expression of the Ki67 protein in the MCF7 cell line, which was negatively affected by melatonin and EGF. In contrast, along with melatonin, EGF did not affect the proliferation of the MDA-MB-231 cell line. The results of this study show that melatonin in the presence of EGF does not show the anti-cancer properties previously described for this substance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is a life-threatening disease. Considering the availability and accessibility of assessing the serum lipids, this study aims to define the predictive value of lipid profile, as well as the history of lipid disorders, for the mortality of PTE patients. Clinical studies, in which the relation of lipid profile, including triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and total cholesterol, as well as history of imbalance of lipids, with mortality of PTE patients was reported, were included. Non-English articles, reviews, letters, editorials, and non-English papers were excluded. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. The risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal tools and CMA 4 was utilized for the quantitative synthesis. Out of 3,724 records, six studies were included in this systematic review. Lipid profile is suggested as a prognostic marker for survival in patients with PTE so higher initial serum HDL, LDL, and total cholesterol levels were associated with lower mortality rates in PTE patients. In addition, dyslipidemia was found to be associated with mortality of PTE patients. Based on the quantitative synthesis, there was a greater serum level of HDL in the survival group (standardized mean difference: −0.98; 95 % CI: −1.22 to −0.75; p-value<0.01). Mortality is lower in PTE patients with greater serum lipid levels; therefore, the early prognosis of PTE may be ascertained by measuring serum lipids within the first 24 h of admission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is considered a worldwide health problem associated with high morbidity, mortality, and cost of care. In the present study, we examined risk-enhancing factors for ASCVD in healthcare workers of the AZAR cohort population. Methods: Data from a total of 500 participants were used for this cross-sectional study. Demographic characteristics, anthropometric indices, biochemical factors, and blood pressure were assessed. To evaluate the associations of ASCVD with the parameters mentioned above, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results: The total frequency of subjects with severe (≥7.5) and low (<7.5) ASCVD was 7.6% (95% CI: 5.4-10.3), and 90.6% (95% CI: 87.7-93.0), respectively. The top strongest links were found between ASCVD and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) (odds ratio [OR]: 12.8, 95% CI: 3.2-49.9), diabetes (OR: 7.6, 95% CI: 2.8-25), and daily smoking (OR: 7.0, 95% CI: 2.8-20). Based on a multivariate logistic regression model, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)/apolipoprotein B (Apo b), diabetes, hematocrit, age, Triglycerides (TG)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), systolic blood pressure, HDL-C, apolipoprotein A-I (Apo A-I), hemoglobin, and Apo B/Apo A-I have significant associations with ASCVD severity. Conclusion: In conclusion, the present study showed significant associations between the severity of ASCVD with some parameters among healthcare workers of AZAR cohort study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quercetin is a dietary flavonoid that can affect the balance between anti-oxidant defense system and oxidative stress. A number of studies showed the positive effects of quercetin on diabetes mellitus and related metabolic disorders through different pathways such as gut flora. However, findings are conflicting. In addition, it seems no studies have summarized all potential mechanisms of quercetin in diabetes mellitus, so far. Therefore, the aims of the present comprehensive review were to provide an overview on biological and biochemical characteristics of quercetin and investigate the effect of quercetin on diabetes mellitus and related metabolic disorders by focusing on its effects on the modulation of gut microbiota. For this purpose, findings of In vitro, animal studies, clinical trials, and review studies with the English language published until January 2021 were summarized. They were identified through electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library) and Google Scholar. Findings showed that quercetin can be an effective component for improving glycemic status and other metabolic disorders related to diabetes mellitus based on In vitro and animal studies. However, environmental factors, food processing and using nanoformulations can affect its efficacy in human studies. Several potential mechanisms, including the modulation of gut flora are proposed for its actions. However, due to limited clinical trials and contradictory findings, more high-quality clinical trials are needed to make a decision on the efficacy of supplementation with quercetin as a complementary therapy for the management of diabetes mellitus, metabolic disorders, and modulating gut flora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is recognised as a significant public health burden worldwide. Recently the cross-talk between gut microbiota and obesity has attracted much attention. To that end, Akkermansia muciniphila has been proposed as a promising microbe to manage obesity. In the present systematic review, we evaluated evidence on the effectiveness and mechanisms of action of Akkermansia muciniphila supplementation in the management of obesity. Electronic databases of MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched thought March 2020 to identify relevant published articles, and eligible articles were systematically reviewed. Fifteen studies were included in the present study. Findings from the present review, which included human and animal (rodent) models support the effectiveness of Akkermansia supplementation as a novel therapeutic approach for the management of obesity and metabolic complications associated with obesity. However, future clinical trials are warranted to verify these outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional (3D) myocardial tissues for studying human heart biology, physiology and pharmacology have recently received lots of attention. Organoids as 3D mini-organs are created from multiple cell types (i.e. induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) or embryonic stem cells (ESCs)) with other supporting co-cultured cells such as endothelial cells or fibroblasts. Cardiac organoid culture technologies are bringing about significant advances in organ research and allows for the establishment of tissue regeneration and disease modeling. The present review provides an overview of the recent advances in human cardiac organoid platforms in disease biology and for cardiovascular regenerative medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]