Adjunctive silymarin supplementation and its effects on disease severity, oxidative stress, and inflammation in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Brain tissue in Alzheimer's patients is exposed to oxidative stress. Silymarin is an adjunct drug that has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of silymarin on biomarkers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and disease severity in Alzheimer's patients. METHODS: This randomized, single-blind clinical trial study was performed on 33 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) whose disease was confirmed by DSM-5 criteria and by brain imaging. Patients in the case group received three 250 mg silymarin capsules daily (each containing 150 mg silymarin), as an adjunctive medication in addition to the routine medication regimen. In the placebo group (control), patients received the same amount of placebo. All patients underwent Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) and a panel of blood tests including malondialdehyde, neopterin, catalase, paraoxonase-1, total oxidative status, and total antioxidant capacity to reevaluate the changes pre/postintervention at the end of the trimester. RESULTS: The catalase and MDA serum levels after the adjunctive silymarin treatment decreased significantly (Catalasebefore silymarin = 9.29 ± 7.02 vs Catalaseafter silymarin = 5.32 ± 2.97, p = 0.007 and MDAbefore silymarin = 4.29 ± 1.90 vs MDAafter silymarin = 1.66 ± 0.84, p < 0.001) while MMSE increased notably (MMSEbefore silymarin = 10.39 ± 6.42 vs MMSEafter silymarin = 13.37 ± 6.81, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Silymarin can be effective as an adjunct drug and a powerful antioxidant in reducing oxidative stress and improving the course of AD.

Lavender and metformin effectively propagate progesterone levels in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: A randomized, double-blind clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to evaluate the impacts of lavender and metformin on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. METHODS: We performed a randomized, double-blind clinical trial including 68 females aged 18 to 45, fulfilling the Rotterdam criteria for PCOS. The patients were randomized to receive lavender (250 mg twice daily) or metformin (500 mg three times a day) for 90 days. The serum progesterone was measured at baseline and after 90 days, one week before their expected menstruation. Moreover, the length of the menstrual cycle was documented. RESULTS: Our results showed that lavender and metformin treatment notably increased the progesterone levels in PCOS patients (increasing from 0.35 (0.66) and 0.8 (0.69) to 2.5 (6.2) and 2.74 (6.27) ng/mL, respectively, P < 0.001). However, we found no significant differences between the increasing effects of both treatments on progesterone levels. In addition, all patients in the lavender or metformin groups had baseline progesterone levels <3 ng/mL, reaching 14 (45.2%) patients >3 ng/mL. Lavender and metformin remarkably attenuated the menstrual cycle length in PCOS patients (decreasing from 56.0 (20.0) and 60 (12.0) to 42.0 (5.0) and 50.0 (14.0) days, respectively, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the decreasing effects of lavender on the menstrual cycle length were greater than the metformin group; however, it was not statistically significant (P = 0.06). CONCLUSION: Lavender effectively increased progesterone levels and regulated the menstrual cycles in PCOS patients, similar to metformin. Therefore, lavender may be a promising candidate for the treatment of PCOS.

Is Consumption of Pomegranate Supplementation Effective on Oxidative Stress Biomarkers Including MDA, ox-LDL, POX 1, GPX, TAC, and TBRAS? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Punica granatum (Family Lythraceae) comprises considerable content of phenolic components and it proves the antioxidant activity of pomegranate. Some clinical trial investigations display that consumption of pomegranate is able to boost the antioxidant status. This systematic review assessed the efficacy of pomegranate extract to reduce oxidative stress. Pomegranate was used in some studies as capsules (between 250 mg and 250 g) and some in liquid form (between 10 and 500 ml), and the follow-up duration varied from 3 weeks to 12 months. Standardized mean difference and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) was used as the effect size of pomegranate supplementation on oxidative stress biomarkers. Based on the results, pomegranate decreased but it was not statistically significant and the same result was obtained for ox-LDL and POX 1. In addition, the results showed that pomegranate consumption can significantly increase GPX and TAC. Result of combination of on TBRAS showed significantly effect of pomegranate use on reduction of TBRAS. Since this study has evaluated mostly Eastern countries' studies it could be concluded that pomegranate supplements are effective in modifying oxidative stress in Eastern countries. The evidence to support this study is low, therefore, needs the future studies to confirm the results.

Risk Mapping and Spatial Modeling of Human Cystic Echinococcosis in Iran from 2009 to 2018: A GIS-Based Survey.

Background: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is one of the most important parasitic infections in subgroup seven common neglected diseases of humans and animals. It is in the list of 18 neglected tropical diseases of the WHO. We aimed to analyze the situation of the disease in Iran using Geographical Information System (GIS) and satellite data analysis. Methods: The data obtained from the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran and other related centers from 2009 to 2018 were analyzed using GIS. Then, the spatial distribution maps of the disease were generated, and the hot spots of the disease in Iran were determined using spatial analysis of ArcGIS10.5 software. Geographically weighted regression (GWR) analysis in ArcGIS10.5 was used to correlate the variables affecting the disease including temperature, relative humidity, normalized different vegetation index (NDVI) and incidence of hydatidosis. Data analysis was performed by Linear regression analysis and SPSS 21 software using descriptive statistics and chi-square test. Results: Zanjan, Khorasan Razavi, North Khorasan, Chaharmahal Bakhtiari, Hamedan, Semnan, and Ardabil provinces were the hot spots of CE. The results of geographical weighted regression analysis showed that in Khorasan Razavi, North Khorasan, Chaharmahal Bakhtiari, Hamedan, Semnan, Ardabil, Zanjan, Qazvin, and Ilam provinces, the highest correlation between temperature, humidity, vegetation density and the incidence of hydatidosis was observed (P<0.001). Conclusion: The use of maps could provide reliable estimates of at-risk populations. Climatic factors of temperature, humidity, NDVI had a greater impact on the probability of hydatidosis. These factors can be an indicator used to predict the presence of disease. Environmental and climatic factors were associated with echinococcosis.

The association between microRNA polymorphisms and the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A meta-analysis.

The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the relationship between microRNA polymorphisms and the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia comprehensively. PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Global Index Medicus, Clinicaltrials.gov, ProQuest, and Open Grey databases were used to find relevant papers. Using the STATA 16.0 and CMA 3.0 software, the significance of relationships between microRNA polymorphisms and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia risk was evaluated using odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) for five genetic models. The results of the meta-analysis showed that there was no significant association between the polymorphism of miR-146a rs2910164 and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia risk in different genetic models. Also, in the sensitivity analysis, removing Xue's study from the analysis indicated that both the homozygote and recessive models are significantly affected. Additionally, there was a statistically significant relationship between the polymorphisms of pri-miR-34b/c rs4938723 (in the homozygote and recessive models) and miR-612 rs12803915 (in the allele and dominant models) and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia risk. These findings suggest that the rs4938723 and rs12803915 polymorphisms may have a role in the development of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Diagnostic Value of D-Dimer and INR in Patients Suspected to Have Prosthetic Valve Dysfunction

ABSTRACT Introduction: Prosthetic valve dysfunction is a potentially critical complication of heart valve replacement. An easy and quickly applicable diagnostic procedure is required for recognizing the prosthetic valve dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to prospectively define the diagnostic value of D-dimer and INR level in predicting prosthetic valve dysfunction. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in 70 patients suspected to have prosthetic valve dysfunction admitted to Imam Ali Hospital, affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Kermanshah Province, Iran. Cinefluoroscopy, as the gold standard diagnostic test, was used for the diagnosis of prosthetic valve dysfunction in enrolled patients. Two milliliters of blood from each patient were taken into a tube containing sodium citrate anticoagulant. To evaluate D-dimer, the cutoff value was set at 500 ng/ml. Also, to evaluate international normalized ratio (INR), the cutoff value was set at 2. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) of the serum markers were used to describe predictive properties. Results: Of 70 patients, 27 (38.6%) were male and 43 (61.4%) were female, and the mean age was 54.67±15.11 years (range, 18 to 80 years). Of 70 patients, 27 (38.6%) had prosthetic heart valve malfunction demonstrable by fluoroscopy, and 19 patients (27.1%) had D-dimer levels >500 ng/ml. Elevated D-dimer levels (>500 ng/ml) have been indicated to have sensitivity of 70.4%, and hence an NPV of 84.3%, specificity of 100%, PPV of 100%, NLR of 0.3, and the infinity value of PLR for predicting prosthetic valve dysfunction. There was a significant relationship between fluoroscopy and D-dimer test (P=0.001). A kappa coefficient value of 0.745 indicated a substantial agreement between D-dimer and fluoroscopy testing. Mixing test (combination of D-dimer and INR) showed to have 100% sensitivity, and hence a NPV of 69.8%, specificity of 69.8%, PPV of 51.8%, NLR of 1.41, and PLR of 1.44 for predicting prosthetic valve dysfunction. Conclusion: D-dimer with moderate sensitivity and high specificity is an ideal marker for the diagnosis of prosthetic valve dysfunction in suspected patients. Enhanced plasma D-dimer level is not by itself diagnostic of a prosthetic valve dysfunction but may alert physicians to refer the patient for more detailed examination, preferably by fluoroscopy. Mixing test with 100% sensitivity can apply as a rule-out test.

Evaluation of Crocin Effect on Contrast-Induced Nephropathy Following Coronary Angiography or Angioplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is the third cause of hospital-acquired acute kidney injury. The CIN prophylactic strategies adopted to date, although not highly efficient, are mostly based on antioxidant activity and hydration therapy. This study was designed and conducted to evaluate crocin's efficacy in the prevention of CIN in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients undergoing coronary angiography/angioplasty. In this randomized clinical trial, a total of 110 eligible CKD stage 3 patients requiring contrast agent administration for coronary angiography/angioplasty were enrolled and randomly assigned to either crocin (n = 57) or control (n = 53) group. The patients in both groups received standard hydration therapy; nevertheless, in the crocin group, the patients were also orally administered three consecutive oral doses of 30 mg crocin tablets 1 day before up to 1 day after contrast media (CM) exposure. The primary endpoint was CIN incidence defined as an increase in serum creatinine (SrCr) level by ≥ 0.3 mg/dL or any change in urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) from the baseline within 48 hours of CM exposure. During 4 months, 130 patients were recruited. The mean age of the patients was 65.62 ± 9.05 years, and the majority of them were male (64.54%). The SrCr in the crocin group did not significantly increase within 48 hours of angiography/angioplasty. The changes in the urinary NGAL level were not significant in both groups. The CIN incidence was significantly lower in the crocin group than in the control group (1.75% and 13.2%; P = 0.028). Crocin administration plays an important nephron-protective role in the prevention of CIN.

Investigating Global Spatial Patterns of Diarrhea-Related Mortality in Children Under Five.

Objective: Investigating the trends of child diarrhea-related mortality (DRM) is crucial to tracking and monitoring the progress of its prevention and control efforts worldwide. This study explores the spatial patterns of diarrhea-related mortality in children under five for monitoring and designing effective intervention programs. Methods: The data used in this study was obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO) public dataset that contained data from 195 countries from the year 2000 to 2017. This dataset contained 13,541,989 DRM cases. The worldwide spatial pattern of DRM was analyzed at the country level utilizing geographic information system (GIS) software. Moran's I, Getis-Ord Gi, Mean center, and Standard Deviational Ellipse (SDE) techniques were used to conduct the spatial analysis. Results: The spatial pattern of DRM was clustered all across the world during the study period from 2000 to 2017. The results revealed that Asian and African countries had the highest incidence of DRM worldwide. The findings from the spatial modeling also revealed that the focal point of death from diarrhea was mainly in Asian countries until 2010, and this focus shifted to Africa in 2011. Conclusion: DRM is common among children who live in Asia and Africa. These concentrations may also be due to differences in knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding diarrhea. Through GIS analysis, the study was able to map the distribution of DRM in temporal and spatial dimensions and identify the hotspots of DRM across the globe.

Obesity phenotypes related to musculoskeletal disorders; a cross-sectional study from RaNCD cohort.

BACKGROUND: This study was evaluated the association between obesity phenotypes and risk of lower torso musculoskeletal disorders including low back pain (LBP), low back stiffness (LBS), arthralgia, and joint stiffness in Ravansar non-communicable diseases (RaNCD) cohort study. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 6940 adults were examined for the presence of lower torso musculoskeletal disorders by a physician. Obesity phenotypes including metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) were defined based on the International Diabetes Federation, as well as, body mass index > 30 kg/m2. Metabolically unhealthy non-obesity (MUNO) phenotype was considered as unhealthy metabolic without obesity. RESULTS: The prevalence of LBP, LBS, arthralgia, and joint stiffness in MHO, MUO, and MUNO were significantly higher than in healthy participants compared to obesity phenotypes. Logistic regression showed that MHO phenotype was significantly increased with risk of LBP (OR: 1.19, CI 95%: 1.01-1.41), LBS (OR: 1.44, CI 95%: 1.12-1.86), arthralgia (OR: 1.54, CI 95%: 1.33-1.78), and joint stiffness (OR: 1.84, CI 95%: 1.35-2.52). Moreover, MUO phenotype was positively associated with risk of LBS (OR: 1.46, CI 95%: 1.09-1.94) and arthralgia (OR: 1.66, CI 95%: 1.41-1.96). In addition, MUNO phenotype was associated with a higher risk of arthralgia (OR: 1.21, CI 95%: 1.06-1.37). CONCLUSION: All three phenotypes, MHO, MUO and MUNO were significantly increased the risk of arthralgia. However, MHO phenotype was significantly associated with a higher risk of all examined lower torso musculoskeletal disorders in the current study.

Role of Polymorphisms on the Recurrent Pregnancy Loss: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis and Bioinformatic Analysis.

Recurrent miscarriage (RM) is a major reproductive health issue. RM is a multi-factorial disease, and is affected by environmental, genetic, and epigenetic factors. Genetics has a common role in recurrent miscarriage occurrence. It seems that molecular genetics has a great role in RSA incidence. So, in these years, RM has become for a major subject of genetics research. There are many genes that are involved in each phase for successful reproduction. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of all studied polymorphisms in studies on RSA that have not been included in any meta-analysis. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were recruited to investigate the related articles. The systematic review results identified 143 studies worldwide. Thirteen genes have been included in assessing the case-control studies. Sixty-four SNPs were recruited to assess the association between genetic factors and RSA susceptibility. Ninety-two studies containing twenty-two SNPs (from 10 genes) were included in the quantitative analysis. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that rs12722482 showed "Damaging Status" by double servers, and rs315952 and rs854560 had "Possibly damaging" status in the PolyPhen-2 server. MethPrimer server indicated that there is "CpG Island" in the rs10895068, rs1130355, and rs41557518 variants, and rs10895068-G allele makes a CpG dinucleotide which can change the gene methylation and result in altering the gene expression. So, further studies on rs12722482 and rs10895068 can demonstrate valuable results. To the best of our knowledge, this systematic review has covered the all studied polymorphisms of HLA-C, HLA-G, PON1, AGTR1, TAFI, FAS, FAS-L, ESR1, PGR, CTLA-4, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, and IL1RN for the first time. Also, we did a novel meta-analysis for AGTR1 rs5186, TAFI rs1926447, rs3742264, HLA-G rs1063320, rs1233334, rs1736936, rs2249863, PON1 rs662, rs854560, FAS rs2234767, rs1800682, FAS-L rs763110, ESR1, rs9340799, rs3798759, PGR rs1042838, CTLA4 rs4553808, rs5742909, rs231775, rs3087243, and MMP-2 rs243865 and updated statistical finding for rs2234693 and rs371194629. Rs2234693, rs9340799, rs231775, and rs371194629 demonstrated a significant association with RSA risk. Some variations showed significant association, while further studies are suggested to confirm the results. Finally, Rs4553808 and rs5742909 revealed no significant deviation in the results. It is suggested that these SNPs may be excluded from subsequent case-control studies or other analyses.

Measured versus estimated creatinine clearance in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) commonly occurs in critically ill patients. Estimation of renal function and antibiotics dose adjustment in patients with AKI is a challenging issue. METHODS: Urinary creatinine clearance was measured in a 6-hour urine collection from patients with acute kidney injuries. The correlations between different formulas including the modified Cockcroft-Gault, modification of diet in renal disease, chronic kidney disease-epidemiology collaboration, Jelliffe, kinetic-glomerular filtration rate (GFR), Brater, and Chiou formulas were considered. The pattern of the prescribed antimicrobial agents was also compared with the patterns in the available resources. RESULTS: Ninety-five patients with acute kidney injuries were included in the research. The mean age of the participants was 63.11±17.58 years old. The most patients (77.89%) were in stage 1 of AKI according to the Acute Kidney Injury Network criteria, followed by stage 2 (14.73%) and stage 3 (7.36), respectively. None of the formulations had a high or very high correlation with the measured creatinine clearance. In stage 1, Chiou (r=0.26), and in stage 2 and 3, kinetic-GFR (r=0.76 and r=0.37) had the highest correlation coefficient. Antibiotic over- and under-dosing were frequently observed in the study. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that none of the static methods can predict the measured creatinine clearance in the critically ill patients. The dynamic methods such as kinetic-GFR can be helpful for patients who do not receive diuretics and vasopressors. Further studies are needed to confirm our results.

Diagnostic Value of D-Dimer and INR in Patients Suspected to Have Prosthetic Valve Dysfunction.

INTRODUCTION: Prosthetic valve dysfunction is a potentially critical complication of heart valve replacement. An easy and quickly applicable diagnostic procedure is required for recognizing the prosthetic valve dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to prospectively define the diagnostic value of D-dimer and INR level in predicting prosthetic valve dysfunction. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed in 70 patients suspected to have prosthetic valve dysfunction admitted to Imam Ali Hospital, affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Kermanshah Province, Iran. Cinefluoroscopy, as the gold standard diagnostic test, was used for the diagnosis of prosthetic valve dysfunction in enrolled patients. Two milliliters of blood from each patient were taken into a tube containing sodium citrate anticoagulant. To evaluate D-dimer, the cutoff value was set at 500 ng/ml. Also, to evaluate international normalized ratio (INR), the cutoff value was set at 2. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) of the serum markers were used to describe predictive properties. RESULTS: Of 70 patients, 27 (38.6%) were male and 43 (61.4%) were female, and the mean age was 54.67±15.11 years (range, 18 to 80 years). Of 70 patients, 27 (38.6%) had prosthetic heart valve malfunction demonstrable by fluoroscopy, and 19 patients (27.1%) had D-dimer levels >500 ng/ml. Elevated D-dimer levels (>500 ng/ml) have been indicated to have sensitivity of 70.4%, and hence an NPV of 84.3%, specificity of 100%, PPV of 100%, NLR of 0.3, and the infinity value of PLR for predicting prosthetic valve dysfunction. There was a significant relationship between fluoroscopy and D-dimer test (P=0.001). A kappa coefficient value of 0.745 indicated a substantial agreement between D-dimer and fluoroscopy testing. Mixing test (combination of D-dimer and INR) showed to have 100% sensitivity, and hence a NPV of 69.8%, specificity of 69.8%, PPV of 51.8%, NLR of 1.41, and PLR of 1.44 for predicting prosthetic valve dysfunction. CONCLUSION: D-dimer with moderate sensitivity and high specificity is an ideal marker for the diagnosis of prosthetic valve dysfunction in suspected patients. Enhanced plasma D-dimer level is not by itself diagnostic of a prosthetic valve dysfunction but may alert physicians to refer the patient for more detailed examination, preferably by fluoroscopy. Mixing test with 100% sensitivity can apply as a rule-out test.

The association between carotenoid intake, mental health, and sleep quality among university students.

BACKGROUND: The impact of carotenoid intake on the risk of mental disorders and poor sleep quality is unclear. Thus, we sought to examine the association between carotenoid intake, mental health, and sleep quality among university students. METHODS: A total of 368 healthy university students (181 men, 49%), aged 18 to 43 years, volunteered for this study. Dietary intake, physical activity, sleep quality, mental health, and body mass index (BMI) were evaluated. A multivariable logistic regression analysis test was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 22.9 ± 3.9 years and mean BMI was 23.1 ± 3.8 kg/m2. The students in the highest quartile of carotenoid intake had a significantly lower risk of poor sleep quality (OR = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.40; P < 0.001) and depression (OR = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.12 to 0.59; P = 0.001). In the sex-stratified subgroup analysis, the depression risk was significant for men (OR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.07 to 0.59; P = 0.007), but not for women. Furthermore, we did not observe any specific relationship between carotenoid intake and the risk of anxiety or stress. CONCLUSION: It appears that the students with higher carotenoid intake may have a better quality of sleep and lower risk of depression. More longitudinal and in-depth qualitative and quantitative research, with a longer-term follow-up, is needed to support the veracity of our findings.

Evaluation of the outcomes in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia treated with imatinib in 18-year follow-up.

The objective of this paper is to examine the effects of Imatinib on patients who are at the chronic phase of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Method: Totally, 79 patients with CML who received the treatment between 2003 and 2020 entered the study. The patients were evaluated in terms of molecular response rate and overall survival (OS). Results: About 75.9% of patients achieved deep molecular response in mean follow-up of 89.92 months. The OS rate was about 91.2%. Conclusion: There was no considerable cumulative toxicity with Imatinib long-term use. A high percent of patients had a deep molecular response.

The effects of co-administration of artichoke leaf extract supplementation with metformin and vitamin E in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized clinical trial.

Medicinal plants are widely used as a complementary therapy to treat complex diseases, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Therefore, this study was done to investigate the effect of co-administration of artichoke leaf extract supplement (ALES) with conventional medicines on patients with NAFLD. The clinical trial was based on patients randomly divided into three groups involving metformin-vitamin E (ME), metformin-ALES (MA), and vitamin E-ALES (EA). The effectiveness of treatment in the treated groups was evaluated using liver ultrasonography and biochemical markers. After 12 weeks of treatment, the results showed that the rate of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was significantly reduced within all the study groups (p < .05). Liver ultrasonographic findings revealed that the rate of fat accumulation in liver of patients was decreased significantly within all the study groups and it was increased in the subjects with grade 0 fatty liver (without fat accumulation) in the MA and EA groups by 23.3 and 17.2%, respectively. In summary, the results of the present study showed that the concomitant use of ALES with metformin and vitamin E can have beneficial effects on amelioration of complications in patients with NAFLD. However, larger-scale clinical trial studies are required in this regard.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Cinnamon Oil Soft Capsule in Patients with Functional Dyspepsia: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Different effects of cinnamon and its oil in traditional medicine in the treatment of diseases, including gastrointestinal diseases, were reported. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cinnamon oil (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) in patients with functional dyspepsia in a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial. METHODS: Soft gelatin capsule was made using the rotary die process, and the final capsule was standardized based on its cinnamaldehyde amount and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. Sixty-four patients with symptomatic functional dyspepsia were randomized to receive cinnamon oil soft capsule (n = 29) or sesame oil soft capsule as placebo (n = 35) for 6 weeks. The primary efficacy variable was the sum score of the patient's gastrointestinal symptom (five-point scale). Secondary variables were the scores of each dyspeptic symptom including severity of vomiting, sickness, nausea, bloating, abdominal cramps, early satiety, acidic eructation/heartburn, loss of appetite, retrosternal discomfort, and epigastric pain/upper abdominal pain, as well as any reported adverse events. RESULTS: The results showed that, after 6 weeks of treatment, the cinnamon oil and placebo groups significantly decreased the total dyspepsia score compared to the baseline at the endpoint (P < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference between the cinnamon oil and placebo groups in terms of the baseline and endpoint values of the outcome variables (P=0.317 and P=0.174, respectively). Two patients in the cinnamon oil group complained of rashes, and three patients in the placebo group complained of nausea. CONCLUSION: This study showed significant improvements in gastrointestinal symptom score in both treatment and placebo groups. However, there was no significant difference between the cinnamon oil and sesame oil groups in terms of the baseline and endpoint values of the outcome variables. This study was registered as https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/IRCT20170802035460N2, 29 December 2017, in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials with https://www.IRCT.ir.

The effect of cinnamon supplementation on liver enzymes in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to examine the effect of cinnamon supplementation on liver enzymes. METHODS: A systematic search was performed in electronic databases including PubMed-Medline, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science up to November 2020. We used a random effects model to estimate pooled effect size of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels. RESULTS: Seven RCTs (9 treatment arms) fulfilled the eligibility criteria of the present meta-analysis. Overall, meta-analysis could not show any beneficial effect of cinnamon supplementation on AST, ALT, and ALP. Subgroup analyses showed that the effect of cinnamon supplementation on ALT was significant at the dosages of <1500 mg/day (Hedges's: -0.61; 95 % CI: -1.11, -0.10; P = 0.002), in trials lasting>12 weeks (Hedges's: -0.83; 95 % CI: -1.36, -0.30; P = 0.01), and in trials conducted of both gender (Hedges's: -0.72; 95 % CI: -1.45, -0.01; P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: In summary, cinnamon supplementation had no significant effect on liver enzymes in adults. However, the effect of cinnamon on ALT levels was significant at the dosages of <1500 mg/day, in trials lasting>12 weeks, and in trials conducted of both gender. Nevertheless, further studies should be performed to confirm our results.

Estimation of Burden of Cystic Echinococcosis in Iran Using Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) in 2018.

BACKGROUND: Human hydatidosis as a public concern has increased in a number of countries that have reduced control programs for the disease due to lack of resources or policies. We aimed to estimate Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) for human hydatidosis in Iran in 2018. METHODS: Data were collected from the Center of Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Health &Medical Education, Tehran, Iran in 2018. To calculate DALYs, years of life lost due to premature death (YLL) with years of life with disability (YLD) were calculated according to the formula as DALY = YLL + YLD. The standard life expectancy lost method (SEYLL) was used to calculate the years lost due to premature death. RESULTS: DALYs for human hydatidosis was calculated as 1210.12 years (YLD equals to 177.12 and YLL equals to 1033) in Iran for the year 2018. It was estimated to be 700.2 years for men and 509.8 years for women. DALYs in men were significantly different from women (P= 0.001) so DALYs were more in men than women were. YLD was calculated at 78.228 years in men and 98.892 years in women and in both men and women at 177.12 years. YLD was significantly different in women compared to men (P=0.001), so YLD in women was more than in men. CONCLUSION: We reached considerable indices for hydatidosis in our study. Therefore, disease prevention and control programs in Iran seem necessary by the policy makers.

Involvement of TGF-ß and Autophagy Pathways in Pathogenesis of Diabetes: A Comprehensive Review on Biological and Pharmacological Insights.

Despite recent advancements in clinical drugs, diabetes treatment still needs further progress. As such, ongoing research has attempted to determine the precise molecular mechanisms of the disorder. Specifically, evidence supports that several signaling pathways play pivotal roles in the development of diabetes. However, the exact molecular mechanisms of diabetes still need to be explored. This study examines exciting new hallmarks for the strict involvement of autophagy and TGF-ß signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of diabetes and the design of novel therapeutic strategies. Dysregulated autophagy in pancreatic ß cells due to hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and inflammation is associated with diabetes and accompanied by dysregulated autophagy in insulin target tissues and the progression of diabetic complications. Consequently, several therapeutic agents such as adiponectin, ezetimibe, GABA tea, geniposide, liraglutide, guava extract, and vitamin D were shown to inhibit diabetes and its complications through modulation of the autophagy pathway. Another pathway, TGF-ß signaling pathway, appears to play a part in the progression of diabetes, insulin resistance, and autoimmunity in both type 1 and 2 diabetes and complications in diabetes. Subsequently, drugs that target TGF-ß signaling, especially naturally derived ones such as resveratrol, puerarin, curcumin, hesperidin, and silymarin, as well as Propolis, Lycopus lucidus, and Momordica charantia extracts, may become promising alternatives to current drugs in diabetes treatment. This review provides keen insights into novel therapeutic strategies for the medical care of diabetes.

The effect of crocin supplementation on lipid concentrations and fasting blood glucose: A systematic review and meta-analysis and meta-regression of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: This meta-analysis aimed to assess the effects of crocin supplementation on fasting blood glucose (FBG) and lipid profile levels in clinical trial studies. DESIGN: A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases for clinical trials published from the beginning up to November 2019. Of the 547 papers identified from all searched databases, eight eligible studies with nine effect sizes have all needed criteria for inclusion in this meta-analysis. RESULTS: Results of the pooled random-effect size analysis showed just a significant decreasing effect of crocin supplementation on FBG (WMD: -6.52 mg/l, 95 % CI, -11.96, -1.08; p = 0.019) and TC (WMD: -4.64 mg/l, 95 % CI, -8.19, -1.09; p = 0.010). Crocin supplements did not have any significant effect on serum TG (p = 0.144) levels, LDL-C (p = 0.161), and HDL-C (p = 0.872) levels. Results showed that crocin supplementation could beneficially have effect on TG level only when trial duration less than 12 weeks and LDL-C levels in trials that used high dose intervention and trials that conducted on subjects with metabolic disorders. However, crocin supplementation did not significantly change FBG in trials that used low dose intervention. Meta-regression analysis indicated a linear relationship between the duration of intervention and significant change in FBG (p = 0.019). CONCLUSION: Results of this systematic review and meta-analysis study have shown that crocin supplementation can decrease significantly FBS and TC without any beneficial effects on TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C levels.