Diagnosis and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): Laboratory, PCR, and chest CT imaging findings.

Since December 2019, more than 3 million cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and about 200,000 deaths have been reported worldwide. The outbreak of this novel disease has become a global health emergency and continues to rapidly spread around the world. Based on the clinical data, approved cases are divided into four classes including mild, moderate, severe, and critical. About 5% of cases were considered critically ill and 14% were considered to have the severe classification of the disease. In China, the fatality rate of this infection was about 4%. This review focuses on currently available information on the etiology, clinical symptoms, diagnosis, and mechanism of action of COVID-19. Furthermore, we present an overview of diagnostic approaches and treatment of this disease according to available findings. This review paper will help the physician to diagnose and successfully treat COVID-19.

NLRP3 inflammasome, oxidative stress, and apoptosis induced in the intestine and liver of rats treated with titanium dioxide nanoparticles: in vivo and in vitro study.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) on liver and intestine of normal rats. METHODS: Male rats were divided into four groups as follows: 1) control rats, 2) control rats that orally received 10 mg/kg TiO2 NPs, 3) control rats that orally received 50 mg/kg TiO2 NPs, and 4) control rats that orally received 100 mg/kg TiO2 NPs. After 30 days, the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway (NLRP3, caspase-1, and IL-1ß), antioxidant pathway (superoxide dismutase [SOD], glutathione peroxidase [GPx], and catalase [CAT]), inflammatory pathway (inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS] and tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α]), and the apoptosis pathway (p53, Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase-3) were determined in the intestine and liver of the rats. H&E and Masson's trichrome (MT) staining as well as TUNEL assay were used to examine the liver and the intestine. Biochemical factors, cytotoxicity, ROS generation, and apoptosis rate were also determined in HepG2 and Caco-2 cells. RESULTS: TiO2 NPs in a dose-dependent manner increased cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and apoptosis rate in Caco-2 and HepG2 cells. The administration of TiO2 NPs significantly reduced antioxidant enzyme activity and gene expressions (SOD, CAT, and GPx) as well as glutathione (GSH) levels and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in a dose-dependent manner. TiO2 NPs also induced the apoptosis pathway and inflammatory pathway gene expressions and caspase-3 activity in the intestine and liver. TUNEL assay was in agreement with gene expressions. TiO2 NPs also led to morphological changes in the liver and intestine. CONCLUSION: TiO2 NPs could have cytotoxic effects on the intestine and liver structure and function by inducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis.

Role of resveratrol in the management of insulin resistance and related conditions: Mechanism of action.

Resveratrol (RES), a well-known antioxidant, is present in numerous plant species and, as a result, is easily obtained through dietary intake of plant-based foods and beverages. Several studies suggest that RES has anti-carcinogenic, anti-microbial, and anti-viral effects. It may also have beneficial metabolic properties that result in mitigation of insulin resistance (IR) and related metabolic abnormalities, including dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and hyperinsulinemia through regulation of gene expression or the activity of rate-limiting enzymes. A large body of evidence supports the beneficial effects of RES in the management and treatment of IR, type 2 diabetes, and related complications through a multitude of mechanisms. This review article focuses on the mechanisms of action of RES, the mechanisms leading to improved insulin sensitivity, and its clinical role in the management and treatment of type 2 diabetes.