Anti-diabetic effects of fullerene C60 nanoparticle mediated by its anti-oxidant activity in the pancreas in type 1 diabetic rats

Abstract The present study aims to examine the anti-diabetic effects of fullerene C60 nanoparticle, as an anti-oxidant compound, on serum glucose level, body weight, food and water intake, and pancreatic oxidative stress in the rats with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes mellitus was induced by single intravenous injection of streptozotocine (45 mg/kg) into the tail vein of the rats. Four groups of rats were divided as follow: normal, normal treatment, diabetic, and diabetic treatment groups. Normal treatment and diabetic treatment groups received intra-orally fullerene (1 mg/ kg/daily) up to day 60 following streptozotocine injection. Oxidative stress markers in the pancreas were evaluated on day 60 after inducing diabetes mellitus. Injection of streptozotocine significantly increased serum glucose level as well as food and water intake on all experimental days; it decreased body weight on day 60. Streptozotocine increased MDA level and decreased GSH level and SOD activity in the pancreas. Fullerene significantly decreased food and water intake and increased body weight as compared with the diabetic group. Fullerene also could normalize the pancreatic MDA and GSH markers. The present study suggested that fullerene can decrease diabetic symptoms via its anti-oxidant activity in the pancreas in the rats with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Crocin treatment decreased pancreatic atrophy, LOX-1 and RAGE mRNA expression of pancreas tissue in cholesterol-fed and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Objective Oxidative stress in diabetic mellitus is a consequence of oxidative stress, which plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of diabetic tissue damage. Receptors for advanced glycation end products and for oxidized low-density lipoproteins (LDL) have critical contribution in oxidative tissue damage. The present study investigated whether anti-diabetic effects of Crocin via modulation of mRNA expression of RAGE and LOX-1 receptors in diabetic rats. Methods In the current study, high-fat cholesterol (HFC) and streptozotocin (40 mg/kg) used to induce type II diabetes. Experimental groups as follows: (Group 1: control); (Group 2: control treatment [Crocin]); (Group 3: DM [STZ]); (Group 4: DM treatment [STZ + Crocin]); (Group 5; DM + HFC [STZ + HFC]); (Group 6; DM + HFC treatment [STZ + HFC + Crocin]). Crocin (20 mg/kg/day, i.p.) administered in treatment groups for 60 days. Serum glucose and cholesterol levels evaluated on days 5, 30 and 60 after induction of DM. Pancreatic tissue from all group removed on day 60 for histological and RT-PCR analysis. Results Application of Crocin significantly decreased serum cholesterol levels on day 60 after induction of DM in diabetic + HFC rats. Moreover, Crocin significantly decreased serum glucose levels on days 30 and 60 both in diabetic and diabetic + HFC rats. Crocin partially prevented the atrophic effects of STZ on both exocrine and endocrine parts of pancreas. Additionally, Crocin significantly decreased LOX-1 and RAGE mRNA expression OF pancreas in diabetic rats. Conclusion The current study suggested that Crocin suppressed atrophic change of the pancreas by decrease of LOX-1 and RAGE mRNA expression in diabetic rats.

Comparing the Effects of Epley Maneuver and Cinnarizine on Benign Positional Paroxysmal Vertigo; A Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: The fastest and safest treatment method of BPPV is repositioning maneuvers. In Iran, this methods are not widely used, and many physicians use medical therapy, despite their side effects, for management of BPPV. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this randomized clinical trial patients with BPPV were randomly allocated to Epley repositioning maneuver or Cinnarizine (25mg every 8 hours) for two weeks. The patients were evaluated for symptoms using visual analogue scale (VAS) scoring system before intervention, first and second weeks after intervention. In the second and third visitd the results of hallpike test was recorded for both groups. RESULTS: 43 patients with a mean age of 46.88±11.08 years in two Epley and Cinnarizine group underwent analysis. The mean VAS score for improvement of symptoms after intervention was 1.66±1.06 in Epley and 1.50±0.91 in Cinnarizine group (P=0.57). CONCLUSION: we found that there is no significant difference between Epley maneuver and Cinnarizine for treatment and controlling symptoms of BPPV.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of Iranian health sciences students regarding hepatitis B and C virus infections: A national survey.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization seeks to achieve the goal of viral hepatitis elimination by 2030 and lack of general knowledge about viral hepatitis seems to be a barrier to reaching this goal. This study was designed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections among Iranian health sciences students in 12 Iranian medical sciences universities using a national survey. METHODS: This survey was conducted during the second Hepatitis Awareness Campaign, which was held during the Iranian National Hepatitis Week (October 22-28, 2016). Students who visited our booths and were willing to participate in our survey were selected using convenience sampling and their HBV- and HCV-related KAP were evaluated. RESULTS: Two thousand one hundred fifty-six health sciences students with mean age of 21.24 years participated in our survey. The mean KAP scores were 7.35 (out of 10), 4.88 (possible score, -20 to +20), and 5.67 (out of 9). Students with experience of accidental exposures to blood (21.6%) had better KAP scores compared with the students without such experiences. The mean KAP scores were associated with subjects' year of education, field of study, university, and province (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that HBV- and HCV-related KAP in a sample of Iranian health sciences students was not satisfying. The results also demonstrated priority of needing intervention regarding KAP in some subject areas, lower years of education, and some universities compared with others.