The role of glutamate NMDA receptors of the mediodorsal thalamus in scopolamine-induced amnesia in rats.

The current study was designed to examine the role of glutamate NMDA receptors of the mediodorsal thalamus (MD) in scopolamine-induced memory impairment. Adult male rats were bilaterally cannulated into the MD. According to the results, intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of scopolamine (1.5 mg/kg) immediately after the training phase (post-training) impaired memory consolidation. Bilateral microinjection of the glutamate NMDA receptors agonist, N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA; 0.05 µg/rat), into the MD significantly improved scopolamine-induced memory consolidation impairment. Co-administration of D-AP5, a glutamate NMDA receptor antagonist (0.001-0.005 µg/rat, intra-MD) potentiated the response of an ineffective dose of scopolamine (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) to impair memory consolidation, mimicking the response of a higher dose of scopolamine. Noteworthy, post-training intra-MD microinjections of the same doses of NMDA or D-AP5 alone had no effect on memory consolidation. Moreover, the blockade of the glutamate NMDA receptors by 0.003 ng/rat of D-AP5 prevented the improving effect of NMDA on scopolamine-induced amnesia. Thus, it can be concluded that the MD glutamatergic system may be involved in scopolamine-induced memory impairment via the NMDA receptor signaling pathway.

Association between type 2 diabetes and different types of dietary fats: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The effect of dietary fats on type 2 diabetes (T2D) is not clear. This study aimed to determine the association between T2D and dietary fatty acids among Iranian adults. METHODS: This case-control study was performed on 4241 participants aged 35-70, including 1804 people with T2D and pre-diabetes as the case group and 2437 people without diabetes as the control group. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). RESULTS: The cases had higher age (48.36 ± 8.62 vs. 54.53 ± 7.75 y, P < 0.001), weight (73.7713.41 vs. 76.18 ± 13.49 kg, P = 0.001), body mass index (BMI) (28.02 ± 4.70 vs. 24 ± 4.74 kg/m2, P = 0.001), right systolic blood pressure (RSBP) (113.33 ± 16.7 vs. 121.61 ± 17.24 mmHg, P = 0.001), right diastolic blood pressure (RDBP) (71.41 ± 10.53 vs. 75.33 ± 9.92 mmHg, P = 0.001), fasting blood sugar (FBS) (96.87 ± 19.39 vs. 169.95 ± 69.28 mg/dl, P = 0.001), blood urine nitrogen (BUN) (13.65 ± 3.74 vs. 14.26 ± 4.03 mg/dl, P = 0.001), triglyceride (TG) (141.61 ± 99.37 vs. 175.96 ± 114.74 mg/dl, P = 0.001), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (218.24 ± 66.35 vs. 246.97 ± 72.65 IU/L, P = 0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) (111.68 ± 33.02 vs. 101.97 ± 36.54 mg/dl, P = 0.001), serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) (21.88 ± 15.15 vs. 23.55 ± 15.96 IU/L, P = 0.001), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) (24.66 ± 20.42 vs. 30.72 ± 30.43 IU/L P = 0.001), and cholesterol (192.45 ± 39.1190 vs. 187.12 ± 46.19 mg/dl P = 0.001) compared to the control group. T2D was negatively associated with dietary intake of PUFAs (OR = 0.93, CI95%:0.84-1.03, P = 0.01) and positively associated with dietary cholesterol (OR: 1.01, CI95%:1.001-1.01, P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: In summary, cholesterol was positively and PUFAs were negatively associated with diabetes. If the results of the present study on the effect of fat intake on diabetes are proven, future dietary recommendations for people at risk of diabetes may be corrected by providing diets rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and low in cholesterol.

The association between vitamin D intake with inflammatory and biochemical indices and mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has become a worldwide health issue with widespread hospitalization and dependence on the intensive care unit (ICU). Vitamin D has a key role in modulating immune cells and modulating the inflammatory responses. This study aimed to investigate the association of vitamin D supplementation with inflammatory, biochemical, and mortality indices in critically ill patients with COVID-19. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted on critically ill COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the ICU including the survived >30 day patients as the case group and dead patients as the control group. The status of vitamin D supplementation and inflammatory and biochemical indices of the patients were retrieved from the medical records. Logistic regression method was used to assess the association between 30 days survival and vitamin D supplement intake. RESULTS: Compared to the group of COVID-19 patients who died in <30 day, the survived patients had a lower eosinophile level (2.2 ± 0.5 vs. 6 ± 0.0, p < .001) and higher vitamin D supplementation duration (9 ± 4.4 vs. 3.3 ± 1.9 day, p = .001). Vitamin D supplementation had a positive association with survival in COVID-19 patients (OR: 1.98, 95% CI: 1.15-3.40, p < .05). The association remained significant after adjustments fot age, sex, underlying diseases, and smoking. CONCLUSION: Vitamin D supplementation in critically ill patients with COVID-19 has the potential to increase survivability within the first 30 days of hospitalization.

Activation of androgen receptors alters hippocampal synaptic plasticity and memory retention through modulation of L-type calcium channels.

AIMS: It has been revealed that membrane androgen receptor activation modulates avoidance memory and synaptic plasticity. In a previous study, we showed that Calcineurin, a calcium dependent phosphatase, could be a potential mediator of these AR effects. Also, it is reported that AR activation leads to L-type calcium channel activation. The aim of the current study is to test whether L-type calcium channels are downstream of AR and whether this signal pathway mediates the impairment effect of androgenic steroids on passive avoidance memory and synaptic plasticity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We measured the effect of Nandrolone Decanoate (AR agonist), AR antagonist (Nilutamide) plus ND or L-type calcium channel inhibitor (Nifedipine) plus ND on passive avoidance performance of adolescent male rats. For extracellular field potential recordings hippocampal slices were perfused with ND, Nilutamide-ND or Nifedipine-ND. KEY FINDINGS: Our results clarified that AR activation by ND could impair avoidance behavior as step through latency decreased in ND-treated group while application of both Nilutamide and Nifedipine reestablished normal avoidance behavior. Also, LTP induction in the CA1 area of hippocampus was diminished by ND perfusion and both AR antagonist and L-type calcium channel inhibitor application lead to normal LTP. These findings support our hypothesis that activation of L-type calcium channels are involved in ARs mechanism effects on both avoidance behavior and hippocampal synaptic plasticity. SIGNIFICANCE: Understanding the biological effects of AR agonists on cognitive processes and its cellular mechanism may be a new/supplementary way to treating fear-related disorders.

The effect of melatonin supplementation on liver indices in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Several randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluated the effect of melatonin supplementation on liver enzymes in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and reported conflicting results. To meet these discrepancies, a meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the eff ;ect of melatonin on liver indices in patients with NAFLD. To collect the required data, a thorough search was conducted through Web of science, Pubmed, Cochrane database, Embase, Google Scholar, ProQuest, and Scopus databases. The aim was to find clinical trials over the effect of melatonin supplementation on liver indices up to 16 May 2019. As a result, five eligible articles were selected and analysed in this meta-analysis using a fixed-effects model. Heterogeneity test was performed by I2 statistics and Cochrane Q test. The results showed that melatonin had a significant effect on aspartate aminoteransferase (AST) (WMD = 2.29, [95 %CI: 1.14, 3.43] IU/L, p = <0.001), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (WMD = -8.40, [95 %CI -11.33, -5.48] IU/L, p < 0.001), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) (WMD = -33.37, [95 %CI: -37.24, -29.49] IU/L, p= < 0.001). Melatonin had no significant effect on alanine aminotransferase (ALT) regarding the overall effect size. Based on this meta-analysis, melatonin supplementation can improve liver indices. However, more RCTs are required with larger sample sizes and better control of confounding variables such as weight, body mass index, and gender to determine the effect of melatonin on patients with non-alcoholic fatty acid disease.

Classification of Processing Damage in Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris) Seeds by Multispectral Image Analysis.

The pericarp of monogerm sugar beet seed is rubbed off during processing in order to produce uniformly sized seeds ready for pelleting. This process can lead to mechanical damage, which may cause quality deterioration of the processed seeds. Identification of the mechanical damage and classification of the severity of the injury is important and currently time consuming, as visual inspections by trained analysts are used. This study aimed to find alternative seed quality assessment methods by evaluating a machine vision technique for the classification of five damage types in monogerm sugar beet seeds. Multispectral imaging (MSI) was employed using the VideometerLab3 instrument and instrument software. Statistical analysis of MSI-derived data produced a model, which had an average of 82% accuracy in classification of 200 seeds in the five damage classes. The first class contained seeds with the potential to produce good seedlings and the model was designed to put more limitations on seeds to be classified in this group. The classification accuracy of class one to five was 59, 100, 77, 77 and 89%, respectively. Based on the results we conclude that MSI-based classification of mechanical damage in sugar beet seeds is a potential tool for future seed quality assessment.

Antioxidant effect of aqueous extract of sumac (Rhus coriaria L.) in the alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

In this experimental study, 30 adult male Wistar rats divided into 5 groups (n=6). Experimental rats were treated with one intraperitoneal injection of 120 mg/kgbw Alloxan monohydrate alone or in combination with 28 days of oral administration with aqueous extract of Rhus coriaria (50, 100 and 250 mg/kgbw) while the control rats received normal saline. At the end of the study, blood glucose, malondialdehyde concentration and catalase activities of kidney and liver tissues were determined. Treatment with Rhus coriaria extract resulted in a significant reduction in blood glucose, and the liver and kidney tissue contents of malondialdehyde in comparison to diabetic group (P<0.05). Furthermore, diabetic group treated with extract showed a significant increase in catalase activities of the liver and kidney (P<0.05). The present study showed that Rhus coriaria could be effective in decreasing diabetic complication and this effect is attributed to the antioxidant activity of the plant.