Awareness of Stem Cell Therapy for Diabetes Among Type II Diabetic Patients in Makkah: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Several studies have suggested using stem cells for diabetes treatment. However, there is a lack of research assessing the population's awareness of stem cells. This study aimed to evaluate the level of awareness regarding the use of stem cell therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methodology This study was conducted from December 2021 to April 2022 through an online survey that was distributed electronically via social media platforms. T2DM patients or their care providers who lived in Makkah were included. Patients aged less than 18 years and those with mental disabilities were excluded. Results Of the 316 participants included in the study, 56% were males, 33% had an age range of 46-55 years, and 76% were married. T2DM patients and their caregivers had a moderate level of awareness about stem cell therapy, with caregivers having higher awareness than diabetic patients. A non-significant relationship was found between educational level, income, diabetes control, time of diagnosis, and patients' awareness. However, regarding the decision of treatment, participants aged less than 35 years were highly likely to decide to undergo stem cell treatment compared to other age groups. Conclusions There is a moderate level of awareness about stem cell therapy as a treatment option for T2DM among T2DM patients and caregivers in Makkah. Hence, there is a need to raise awareness by using online and in-person well-organized education programs in Makkah.

Complete chloroplast genome of the desert date (Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Del. comparative analysis, and phylogenetic relationships among the members of Zygophyllaceae.

BACKGROUND: Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Delile, commonly known as desert date, is a thorny evergreen tree belonging to the family Zygophyllaceae and subfamily Tribuloideae that is widespread in arid and semiarid regions. This plant is an important source of food and medicines and plays an important role in conservation strategies for restoring degraded desert ecosystems. RESULTS: In the present study, we sequenced the complete plastome of B. aegyptiaca. The chloroplast genome was 155,800 bp, with a typical four-region structure: a large single copy (LSC) region of 86,562 bp, a small single copy (SSC) region of 18,102 bp, and inverted repeat regions (IRa and IRb) of 25,568 bp each. The GC content was 35.5%. The chloroplast genome of B. aegyptiaca contains 107 genes, 75 of which coding proteins, 28 coding tRNA, and 4 coding rRNA. We did not observe a large loss in plastid genes or a reduction in the genome size in B. aegyptiaca, as found previously in some species belonging to the family Zygophyllaceae. However, we noticed a divergence in the location of certain genes at the IR-LSC and IR-SSC boundaries and loss of ndh genes relative to other species. Furthermore, the phylogenetic tree constructed from the complete chloroplast genome data broadly supported the taxonomic classification of B. aegyptiaca as belonging to the Zygophyllaceae family. The plastome of B. aegyptiaca was found to be rich in single sequence repeats (SSRs), with a total of 240 SSRs. CONCLUSIONS: The genomic data available from this study could be useful for developing molecular markers to evaluate population structure, investigate genetic variation, and improve production programs for B. aegyptiaca. Furthermore, the current data will support future investigation of the evolution of the family Zygophyllaceae.

Taxonomic revision of Ceropegia sect. Huernia (Asclepiadoideae, Apocynaceae) in Saudi Arabia with three new combinations.

This study provides a taxonomic revision for Ceropegia sect. Huernia in the flora of Saudi Arabia. Forty-six quantitative and qualitative morphological characters were analysed using principal component analysis (PCA), principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) and the unweighted pairs group using mean average (UPGMA) to separate and help delimit taxa. We propose to reduce the number of species reported in Saudi Arabia from 11 to four: C. khalidbinsultanii comb. nov., C. laevis, C. lodarensis and C. macrocarpa. This study also suggested reducing two names to varietal level under C. lodarensis (var. foetidacomb. nov. and var. rubrostictacomb. nov.). A key to the species, detailed morphological descriptions, illustrations, distribution maps, ecology, etymology and preliminary conservation assessments are provided that follow IUCN criteria.

Exendin-4 Protects Against Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury by Upregulation of SIRT1 and SIRT3 and Activation of AMPK.

This study evaluated if the cardioprotective effect of Exendin-4 against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in male rats involves modulation of AMPK and sirtuins. Adult male rats were divided into sham, sham + Exendin-4, I/R, I/R + Exendin-4, and I/R + Exendin-4 + EX-527, a sirt1 inhibitor. Exendin-4 reduced infarct size and preserved the function and structure of the left ventricles (LV) of I/R rats. It also inhibited oxidative stress and apoptosis and upregulated MnSOD and Bcl-2 in their infarcted myocardium. With no effect on SIRTs 2/6/7, Exendin-4 activated and upregulated mRNA and protein levels of SIRT1, increased levels of SIRT3 protein, activated AMPK, and reduced the acetylation of p53 and PGC-1α as well as the phosphorylation of FOXO-1. EX-527 completely abolished all beneficial effects of Exendin-4 in I/R-induced rats. In conclusion, Exendin-4 cardioprotective effect against I/R involves activation of SIRT1 and SIRT3. Graphical Abstract Exendin-4 could scavenge free radical directly, upregulate p53, and through upregulation of SIRT1 and stimulating SIRT1 nuclear accumulation. In addition, Exendin-4 also upregulates SIRT3 which plays an essential role in the upregulation of antioxidants, inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and prevention of mitochondria damage. Accordingly, SIRT1 induces the deacetylation of PGC-1α and p53 and is able to bind p-FOXO-1. This results in inhibition of cardiomyocyte apoptosis through increasing Bcl-2 levels, activity, and levels of MnSOD; decreasing expression of Bax; decreasing cytochrome C release; and improving mitochondria biogenesis through upregulation of Mfn-2.

Exendin-4 Ameliorates Cardiac Remodeling in Experimentally Induced Myocardial Infarction in Rats by Inhibiting PARP1/NF-κB Axis in A SIRT1-Dependent Mechanism.

Sirt1 is a potent inhibitor of both poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases1 (PARP1) and NF-kB. This study investigated the cardioprotective effect of exendin-4 on cardiac function and remodeling in rats after an expreimentally-induced myocardial infarction (MI) and explored if this protection involves SIRT1/PARP1 axis. Rats were divided into five groups (n = 10/each): sham, sham + exendin-4 (25 nmol/kg/day i.p.), MI (induced by LAD occlusion), MI + exendin-4, and sham + exendin-4 + EX527 (5 mg/2×/week) (a SIRT1 inhibitor). All treatments were given for 6 weeks post the induction of MI. In sham-operated and MI-induced rats, exendin-4 significantly upregulated Bcl-2 levels, enhanced activity, mRNA, and levels of SIRT1, inhibited activity, mRNA, and levels of PARP1, and reduced ROS generation and PARP1 acetylation. In MI-treated rats, these effects were associated with improved cardiac architectures and LV function, reduced collagen deposition, and reduced mRNA and total levels of TNF-α and IL-6, as well as, the activation of NF-κB p65. In addition, exendin-4 inhibited the interaction of PARP1 with p300, TGF-ß1, Smad3, and NF-κB p65 and signficantly reduced mRNA and protein levels of collagen I/III and protein levels of MMP2/9. In conclusion, exendin-4 is a potent cardioprotective agent that prevents post-MI inflammation and cardiac remodeling by activating SIRT1-induced inhibition of PARP1.

The apoptotic effect of resveratrol in ovarian cancer cells is associated with downregulation of galectin-3 and stimulating miR-424-3p transcription.

This study investigated if the well-reported anti-tumor effects of resveratrol (RES) is mediated by modulation levels of galectin-3 (GAL-3), an anti-apoptotic lectin that is highly overexpressed in ovarian cancer cells. SKOV3 and OVCAR-3 OC cells were untreated or incubated with DMOS or increasing concentrations of RES (25, 50, 100 µM) for 72 hr. RES, in a dose-dependent manner and in both cell lines, induced cell death and inhibited cell migration and invasion It also downregulated Bcl-2 levels, increased cleaved caspase-3, and GAL-3 protein (but not mRNA) levels, suggesting increased breakdown. These effects were associated with reduced levels of p-NF-κB P65, p-IKKα/ß, and p-Akt, major targets of Gal-3. Further investigation showed that RES enhanced levels of miR-424-3p which is able to degrade GAL-3. Conclusion: Findings of this study suggest that RES induced apoptosis in cancerous cells is associated with increased levels of miR-424-3p and reduced levels of GAL-3. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This study highlights a possible mechanism by which RES could enhance cell death in OC cells and enhances their sensitivity to cisplatin. RES apoptotic effect and enhancement of OC cells to chemotherapy were associated with decreased abundance of GAL-3, a common cell survival molecule that promotes tumorigenesis and increased transcription of miR-424-3p that has the ability to degrade cellular GAL-3. These findings add a possible new mechanism by which RES acts and opens a window for further research to understand its mechanism of action.