HOMA-IR mean values in healthy individuals: a population-based study in iranian subjects.

Purpose: Homeostasis Model Assessment-estimated Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) is an important indicator of insulin resistance. In this population-based investigation, we sought to report the mean value of HOMA-IR in different subgroups of a large population-based database of Iranian healthy subjects. Methods: This study recruited adult healthy individuals between the ages of 18 to 70 years old to Massoud Medical Laboratory, Tehran, Iran. Fasting insulin was measured by using the Electro Chemiluminescence method using Roche Cobas 6000 e601/602 instrument. Results: The mean ± SD value of the HOMA-IR index in the studied population was 2.11 ± 0.99 (2.5-97.5% percentiles: 0.66-4.50). In addition, the mean ± SD of HOMA-IR index in male and female groups were 2.35 1.0 (2.5-97.5 percentile: 0.57-4.37) and 2.05 ± 1.0 (2.5-97.5 percentiles: 0.53-4.35), respectively. Interestingly, it was observed a significant increment for the HOMA-IR index in the male group compared with the female group in all age subgroups (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Our findings showed the mean value of 2.11 ± 0.99 HOMA-IR in the Iranian healthy population. Considering the large sample size in our study, more clinical investigations in terms of ethnicity should be done to provide a precise standardized HOMA-IR index in the Iranian population. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40200-022-01099-9.

A new colorimetric assay for sensitive detection of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency based on silver nanoparticles.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is the principal enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway that plays a fundamental role in the production of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, which is very important in preventing the oxidation of cells, especially red blood cells. This enzyme deficiency was associated with many disorders, the most common of which were hemolysis episodes. In the last decade, nanoparticles have been used to design optical and electronic sensors due to their unique properties. This report presents a new colorimetric method that used silver nanoparticles to detect glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity directly. The glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase detection mechanism was based on an aggregation of silver nanoparticles, leading to increased nanoparticle size, which causes discoloration. In the presence of the enzyme, the color of the solution was yellow, and when the enzyme was not present, the color of the solution was grayish. Utilizing this method, colorimetric sensing of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase was gained with a detection limit of 0.009 U ml-1and a linear range of 0-16.0 U ml-1. In this way, the presence or absence of the enzyme can be easily detected with the naked eye during one step.

Effects of Opium Addiction on Some Biochemical Factors in Diabetic Rats.

BACKGROUND: The present study was carried out aiming to investigate the effects of opium on some biochemical factors in diabetic and non-diabetic male and female rats. METHODS: This experimental study was carried out on 28 male and 28 female Wistar rats. The animals were divided into diabetic addicted (DA), diabetic non-addicted (DNA), non-diabetic addicted (NDA), and non-diabetic non-addicted (NDNA) groups of male and female. A double dose of opium was intraperitoneally administered to the addicted groups. Peripheral blood samples were collected to measure the creatinine, uric acid, cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), total protein, and albumin levels. Three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the mean levels of biofactors among the study groups. FINDINGS: Cholesterol and total protein were significantly affected by opium and sex, but not diabetes condition, such that there was a decrease of cholesterol and total protein levels in opium-addicted rats compared to non-opium-addicted ones. However, uric acid, TG, albumin, and creatinine were not affected by opium and diabetes conditions. CONCLUSION: Opium significantly decreased cholesterol and total protein levels. It could be deduced that the effects of opium on cholesterol and total protein are not sex-dependent, moreover, opium consumption may not have significant effects on biochemical factors in diabetic conditions.

Hematological changes in opium addicted diabetic rats.

BACKGROUND: Chronic opioid treatment in animal models has shown to alter hematological parameters. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the biological effects of opium on the number of peripheral blood cells and red blood cells (RBCs) indices in diabetic rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were collected from diabetic, opium-addicted, diabetic opium-addicted and normal male and female rats and hematological parameters were measured. RESULTS: The mean number of white blood cells (WBCs) was significantly higher in diabetic opium-addict females compared to diabetic non-addict female group. In both male and female, the mean number of neutrophils was significantly higher and the mean number of lymphocytes was lower in diabetic opium-addicted rats than those observed in diabetic non-addicted group. In diabetic opium-addicted male group the mean counts of RBC significantly increased as compared with diabetic male group. However, in diabetic addicted female, the mean number of RBCs was significantly lower than diabetic non-addicted female group. In both males and females, the mean number of platelets was significantly lower in diabetic addict rats compared to diabetic non-addict group. CONCLUSIONS: Generally, the results indicated that opium addiction has different effects on male and female rats according to the number of WBC, RBC and RBC indices. It could also be concluded that in the opium-addicts the risk of infection is enhanced due to the weakness of immune system as a result of the imbalance effect of opium on the immune cells.

Ovary cells apoptosis in opium-addicted diabetic and non-diabetic rats.

BACKGROUND: Apoptosis is a physiological mechanism of cell death and it can be triggered by a variety of internal and external stimuli. It has been indicated that some opium derivatives develop cell apoptosis. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of opium addiction on ovary cell apoptosis in diabetic and non-diabetic Wistar rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This experimental study was done on control, control-addicted, diabetic and diabetic-addicted rats. DNA fragmentation as a biomarker of apoptosis was determined by the TUNEL assay. RESULTS: The blood glucose concentration in diabetic-addicted and diabetic rats was increased when compared to control (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between weights of control, control-addicted (non-diabetic) and diabetic-addicted groups during this study. The results of this study indicated that apoptosis in addicted and diabetic-addicted ovary cells was significantly higher than in diabetic group, and also apoptosis in addicted group was significantly more than the control rats. In addition, we found that ovary cells apoptosis of diabetic rats were significantly less than in control group. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, these findings suggest that opium-addiction could play an important role in ovary cell apoptosis and could be very harmful for the reproductive system. Also, ovary cells of non-diabetic rats are more susceptible to opium-induced apoptosis than those of diabetic.

Chronic Opium Treatment Can Differentially Induce Brain and Liver Cells Apoptosis in Diabetic and Non-diabetic Male and Female Rats.

It has been shown that some opium derivatives promote cell death via apoptosis. This study was designed to examine the influence of opium addiction on brain and liver cells apoptosis in male and female diabetic and non-diabetic Wistar rats. This experimental study was performed on normal, opium-addicted, diabetic and diabetic opium-addicted male and female rats. Apoptosis was evaluated by TUNEL and DNA fragmentation assays. Results of this study showed that apoptosis in opium-addicted and diabetic opium-addicted brain and liver cells were significantly higher than the both normal and diabetic rats. In addition, we found that apoptosis in brain cells of opium-addicted and diabetic opium-addicted male rats were significantly higher than opium-addicted and diabetic opium-addicted female, whereas apoptosis in liver cells of opium-addicted and diabetic opium-addicted female rats were significantly higher than opium-addicted and diabetic opium-addicted male. Overall, these results indicate that opium probably plays an important role in brain and liver cells apoptosis, therefore, leading neurotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. These findings also in away possibly means that male brain cells are more susceptible than female and interestingly liver of females are more sensitive than males in induction of apoptosis by opium.

Impact of opium on the serum levels of TGF-ß in diabetic, addicted and addicted-diabetic rats.

BACKGROUND: Several cells of immune system such as regulatory T cells and macrophages secrete transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) in response to different stimuli. This cytokine has inhibitory effect on immune system and diminished production of this cytokine is associated with autoimmune disorders. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of opium addiction on serum level of TGF-ß in male and female diabetic and non-diabetic Wistar rats. METHODS: This experimental study was performed on normal, opium addicted, diabetic and addicted-diabetic male and female rats. Serum level of TGF-ß was measured by ELISA. RESULTS: The results of our study indicated that the mean serum level of TGF-ß in female addicted rats was significantly increased compared to control group (p<0.004). Conversely, in male addicted rats the mean serum level of TGF-ß was lower compared with control (p<0.065). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that opium and its derivatives have differential inductive effects on the cytokine expression in male and female rats.