Beneficial effects of metformin treatment on memory impairment.

Memory issues are a prevalent symptom in different neurodegenerative diseases and can also manifest in certain psychiatric conditions. Despite limited medications approved for treating memory problems, research suggests a lack of sufficient options in the market. Studies indicate that a significant percentage of elderly individuals experience various forms of memory disorders. Metformin, commonly prescribed for type 2 diabetes, has shown neuroprotective properties through diverse mechanisms. This study explores the potential of metformin in addressing memory impairments. The current research gathered its data by conducting an extensive search across electronic databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Previous research suggests that metformin enhances brain cell survival and memory function in both animal and clinical models by reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death while increasing beneficial neurotrophic factors. The findings of the research revealed that metformin is an effective medication for enhancing various types of memory problems in numerous studies. Given the rising incidence of memory disorders, it is plausible to utilize metformin, which is an affordable and accessible drug. It is often recommended as a treatment to boost memory.

Association between COVID-19 Severity and Expression of Viral Nucleic Acid Sensor Genes in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells and Nasopharyngeal Epithelial Cells.

This study examined expression of key viral nucleic acid sensor genes MDA5, ZBP1, and AIM2 in nasopharyngeal epithelial cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from 153 COVID-19 patients across a spectrum of disease severity (mild, severe, and critical) and 42 healthy controls. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to quantify and compare sensor transcript levels. The COVID-19 cohort had a mean age of 53.6 years. All three sensor genes including MDA5 (3.2-fold), ZBP1 (5.1-fold), and AIM2 (4.7-fold) exhibited significantly higher messenger RNA expression in both nasopharyngeal and PBMC samples from infected patients compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, sensor transcript upregulation positively correlated with escalating disease severity. During early stages, ZBP1 and AIM2 transcripts were selectively elevated within the nasopharyngeal compartment, suggesting a localized antiviral response. Whereas later during critical disease stages, ZBP1 and AIM2 levels became preferentially heightened within circulating PBMCs, indicating systemic immune cell activation. By comparison, MDA5 elevation manifested within nasopharyngeal epithelial cells during both early- and late-phase infection. Intriguingly, males displayed higher ZBP1 and AIM2 expression compared with females, whereas MDA5 transcript levels were conversely higher among females. Overall, escalation of these key viral sensor genes appears closely linked to COVID-19 progression, with initial nasal mucosal upregulation transitioning to widespread blood cell activation in severe systemic disease. These patterns of sensor expression suggest frontline immunological efforts to constrain early viral invasion and combat severe late-stage COVID-19 illness through innate detection of replicating SARS-CoV-2.

The Role of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) Infected Gastric Cancer in Increasing microRNA124 (miR-124) Promoter Methylation and Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) Gene Expression.

The tumor suppressor microRNAs, miR-21, miR-124, and miR-494, participate in the controlling several cellular processes. To assess target miRNAs promoter methylation levels, we investigated 304 pairs of gastric cancer (GC) tissues and non-tumor tissues. We used a commercial real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Helicobacter pylori kit to detect EBV and H. pylori DNA in GC tissues. After finding hypermethylation in the promoter of the miR-124 gene, we evaluated its expression level using quantitative PCR (qPCR). Bioinformatics analysis confirmed miR-124 as a target of enhancer of Zeste homolog 2 (EZH2). Additionally, qPCR confirmed the association between EZH2 and miR-124. EBV and H. pylori DNA were detected in 9.5% and 15.1% of GC patients, respectively. Our findings also revealed significant differences in the miR-124 methylation levels among EBV-infected GC patients, H. pylori infected GC patients, GC patients without EBV and H. pylori infection, and non-tumor tissue. Bioinformatics and qPCR assays suggested an inverse relationship between the expression levels of EZH2 and miR-124 in EBV-infected GC patients. Our data revealed hypermethylation of the miR-124 promoter and significant reduction in its expression in EBV-infected GC tissues. It is possible that miR-124 may target EZH2 by binding to the 3'-UTR of the EZH2 gene, thus potentially contributing to the development of EBV-infected GC.

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and red blood cell indices association in pediatrics patients with fever and cough: A cross-sectional study.

Background and Aims: The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is an essential inflammatory marker in treating some patients, particularly children. The level of ESR can be affected by red blood cell (RBC) indices, and not considering this can complicate the interpretation of ESR and the treatment and follow-up of patients. The study aimed to assess the association between ESR and RBC indices in children hospitalized with fever and cough in the pediatric ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Jiroft, in 2023. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to measure the association between ESR and RBC indices in children hospitalized with fever and cough in the pediatric ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Jiroft, in 2023. A total of 156 patients participated in the study. SPSS software was used for statistical analysis. Results: The mean age of participants was 27.26 ± 3.14 months. The results showed that there is a significant negative correlation between ESR and RBC, r = -0.282 (p < 0.001), and ESR and hematocrit (HCT), r = -0.215 (p = 0.007). Also, the results demonstrated that there is a significant positive correlation between ESR and mean corpuscular volume (MCV), r = 0.159 (p = 0.048), ESR and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), r = 0.214 (p = 0.007), and ESR and mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), r = 0.209 (p = 0.009). There was a negative correlation between ESR and hemoglobin (Hb), r = -0.98 (p = 0.225), but this correlation was insignificant. Conclusion: This study showed an association between ESR and RBC indices in hospitalized children with complaints of fever and cough. So, it is necessary that physicians and treatment staff pay attention to the RBC indices while interpreting and following up the results of ESR to complete the treatment process of patients.

Minocycline mitigated enduring neurological consequences in the mice model of sepsis.

AIM: Sepsis-associated encephalopathy is a frequently observed consequence of sepsis, often resulting in chronic brain inflammation and injury, ultimately leading to a range of behavioral abnormalities. This study explores the potential preventive effects of minocycline on the long-lasting outcome of sepsis in a mice model of sepsis. METHODS: Adult male C57 mice were subjected to experimental sepsis through a single intraperitoneal injection of 5 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Minocycline administration via oral gavage (12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg) commenced three days before sepsis induction and continued on the day of induction. Mice underwent behavioral assessments one month post-sepsis, with subsequent brain tissue analysis to investigate oxidative stress markers and cholinergic function. KEY FINDINGS: One month following sepsis induction, mice exhibited significant anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors as determined by assessments in the elevated plus maze (EPM), open field, and tail suspension test (TST). Additionally, they displayed impaired recognition memory in the novel object recognition (NOR) test. Brain tissue analysis revealed a notable increase in oxidative stress markers and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in septic mice. Notably, minocycline treatment effectively mitigated the long-term behavioral abnormalities resulting from sepsis, attenuated oxidative stress markers, and reduced AChE activity. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings underscore the potential of minocycline as a therapeutic intervention during sepsis induction to prevent the enduring behavioral and neurological consequences of experimental sepsis.

The effects of pioglitazone and rosiglitazone on liver function in hypothyroid rats.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant effect of rosiglitazone (ROG) and pioglitazone (POG) on oxidative damage and dysfunction of hepatic tissue in hypothyroid rats. METHODS: The male rats were classified into six groups: (1) Control; (2) Hypothyroid, (3) Hypothyroid-POG 10, (4) Hypothyroid-POG 20, (5) Hypothyroid-ROG 2, and (6) Hypothyroid-ROG 4. To induction hypothyroidism in rats, propylthiouracil (PTU) (0.05 %w/v) was added to drinking water. In groups 2-6, besides PTU, the rats were also intraperitoneal administrated with 10 or 20 mg/kg POG or 2 or 4 mg/kg ROG for six weeks. Finally, after deep anesthesia, the blood was collected to measure the serum biochemical markers and hepatic tissue was separated for biochemical oxidative stress markers. RESULTS: Administration of PTU significantly reduced serum thyroxin concentration, total thiol levels, activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) enzymes, and increased serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (Alk-P) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the liver. Additionally, our results showed that prescription of POG or ROG for six weeks to hypothyroid rats resulted in an improvement in liver dysfunction (decrease in serum levels of AST, ALT, and ALK-P) through reducing oxidative damage in hepatic tissue (increase in CAT, SOD, or total thiols and decrease in MDA levels). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study presented that the IP administration of POG and ROG for six weeks improves liver dysfunction induced by hypothyroidism in juvenile rats by reducing oxidative damage.

Selenium prevented renal tissue damage in lipopolysaccharide-treated rats.

OBJECTIVES: Kidney diseases are one of the common diseases, which are one of the main causes of death in society and impose costs on the health system of the society. A growing body of evidence has well documented that inflammatory responses and oxidative damage play a significant role in the progress of various kidney diseases. METHODS: This study examined whether selenium (Sel) could prevent the detrimental influences of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in rats. Four groups of Wistar rats were considered: control, LPS (1 mg/kg, i.p., for 14 days), LPS-Sel 1 (0.1 mg/kg, i.p., for 14 days), and LPS-Sel 2 (0.2 mg/kg, i.p., for 14 days). RESULTS: Sel treatment markedly attenuated oxidative stress damage in the kidney tissue in LPS-induced renal toxicity. Generally, the administration of Sel resulted in improved antioxidant indicators such as catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, or total thiol content, and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) in the kidney tissue. It also decreased interleukin-6 in kidney homogenates. Furthermore, Se treatment significantly inhibited the elevation of serum biochemical markers of kidney function including serum, BUN, and creatinine. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings of the current study, it seems that the administration of Sel to LPS-treated rats improves renal function by reducing oxidative damage and inflammation in kidney tissue. However, more research is needed to reveal the accurate mechanisms for the effect of Sel on renal outcomes of LPS in human subjects.

Novel Mutations in the Non-Structure Protein 2 of SARS-CoV-2.

Introduction: Mutation in the genome of SARS-CoV-2 may play a role in immune evasion, pathogenicity, and speed of its transmission. Our investigation aimed to evaluate the mutations that exist in the NSP2. Materials and Method: RNA was extracted from nasopharyngeal swabs from 100 COVID-19 patients. RT-PCR was performed on all samples using NSP2-specific primers. Following gel electrophoresis, the bands were cut, purified, and sequenced using the Sanger method. After sequencing, 90 sequences could be used for further analysis. Bioinformatics analysis was conducted to investigate the effect of mutations on protein structure, stability, prediction of homology models, and phylogeny tree. Results: The patients' mean age was 51.08. The results revealed that 8 of the 17 NSP2 mutations (R207C, T224I, G262V, T265I, K337D, N348S, G392D, and I431M) were missense. One deletion was also found in NSP2. Among NSP2 missense mutations studied, K337D and G392D increased structural stability while the others decreased it. The homology-designed models demonstrated that the homologies were comparable to the sequences of the Wuhan-HU-1 virus. Conclusion: Our study suggested that the mutations K337D and G392D modulate the stability of NSP2, and tracking viral evolution should be implemented and vaccine development updated.

COVID-19 and the increase in schizophrenia incidence in the future: A hypothesis and a serious warning.

Background and Aims: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has caused a global pandemic, is brought on by the Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Since the COVID-19 pandemic started so recently, dealing with complications that emerge years later and have the potential to cause several crises for humanity is one of the issues we face in the post-COVID-19 age. Therefore, we wish to discuss a theory and potential dangers surrounding the probability of schizophrenia following COVID-19 infection in this study. Methods: The literature search for this article has been entirely internet-based. Information was gathered using the Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. Results: The results showed that multiple immune system changes brought on by COVID-19 have been identified as potential causes of schizophrenia. Conclusion: It is predicted that one of the long-term effects of COVID-19 is an increase in the risk of schizophrenia incidence based on the results of this study, which looked at the pathophysiology and etiology of schizophrenia as well as the pathogenic mechanisms of the SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, healthcare staff should be prepared to handle any potential risks in future.

Elevated troponin level and nonspecific ST-segment and T-wave changes in a suspected acute pancreatitis patient, post-SARS-Cov-2 infection: A case report.

The case report describes a post-COVID-19 patient with severe right upper quadrant (RUQ) pain, moderate epigastric pain, high troponin levels, and nonspecific ST-segment and T-wave changes on electrocardiogram (ECG).

Coronary artery disease and plasma apolipoprotein E4 in mild cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis and apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) are known risks for Dementia. We sought to evaluate the relationship between coronary atherosclerosis and APOE4 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS: In a case-control study, subjects with age more than 60 years and recent coronary angiography were evaluated by mini-mental state examination and neuropsychiatry unit cognitive assessment tool (NUCOG) to find the patients with MCI (n = 40) and the controls with normal cognition (n = 40). Coronary angiography records were re-assessed to find the severity of coronary artery disease by the Gensini scores. Plasma levels of APOE4 were measured. RESULTS: There were no-significant difference between the 2 groups regarding the plasma APOE4 levels (P = 0.706) and the Gensini scores (P = 0.236). Associations between the Gensini scores and the NUCOG scores in the MCI group (r = -0.196, P = 0.225) and the control group (r = 0.189, P = 0.243) were not significant. However, the interaction effect between the Gensini and the NUCOG scores based on allocation to the control or the patient groups showed statistically significant difference (F(1,67) = 4.84, P = 0.031). CONCLUSION: Although atherosclerosis has been considered as known risk factor for dementia and MCI, this study could not reveal that coronary atherosclerosis-related to declining in cognitive functioning. There was no significant association between plasma APOE4 levels and MCI.

The relationship between regional brain volumes and the extent of coronary artery disease in mild cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND: There are conflicting reports regarding the association between coronary artery disease (CAD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Volumetric Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) investigations have been considered as an objective biomarker for MCI. In this study, we determined the relationship between the regional brain volumes and the extent of CAD in MCI patients and cognitively normal controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a case-control study a subset of MCI patients (n = 20) and cognitively normal controls (n = 20), aged 66.4 ± 4.6 and 65.3 ± 3.9 respectively, from subjects who were recently admitted to cardiac catheterization facilities in two general hospitals were selected. All subjects underwent a clinical interview, biochemical measures, neuropsychological testing and Neuropsychiatry Unit COGnitive assessment tool. Video records of coronary angiography were scored with the Gensini method. For volumetric evaluation of regions of interest, brain MRI scans was processed using the FreeSurfer software package the relationship between the regional brain volumes and the extent of CAD in MCI patients and cognitively normal controls were compared. RESULTS: We have found that, there were significant differences between the two groups in volumes of left fusiform (P = 0.039), left pars triangularis (P = 0.003) and left superior temporal gyrus (P = 0.009), after controlling for intracranial volumes. Higher Gensini scores were associated with reduced volumes of total cortical volume (P = 0.047, R = -0.4), left precuneus (P = 0.022, R = -0.5), right inferior parietal lobule (P = 0.011, R = -0.5) and left supra marginal gyrus (P = 0.035, R = -0.04) in MCI. CONCLUSION: In MCI, a greater degree of coronary stenosis correlates with greater loss of gray matter in specific brain regions relevant to cognitive function. This, however, was not the case for cognitively normal subjects.