Daidzin and its de-glycosylated constituent daidzein as a potential therapeutic for cardiovascular diseases: A review from bench to bed.

Continuing research is being conducted on novel preventive and therapeutic drugs for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Daidzein has shown potential beneficial effects regarding various CVDs and risk factors. However, data in this regard are inconsistent, and there is an urge to accumulate. Therefore, we reviewed the effects of daidzein and daidzin on CVDs. We conducted a search through Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science from inception up to October 2023 to find studies with the primary intention of assessing the impacts of daidzein and daidzin on cardiovascular disease in various in vitro, animal, and clinical settings. In vitro and animal studies showed that daidzein and daidzin are effective in terms of reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, hyperlipidemia, myocardial infarction, thromboembolism, hypertension, and aneurysms. However, clinical studies only confirmed a relatively small portion of the previous findings of the in vitro and animal investigations, including anti-hyperlipidemic effects. In conclusion, in vitro and animal studies have reported potential therapeutic effects for daidzein and daidzin regarding CVDs. However, most of the clinical studies were unable to exhibit the same results. Hence, further clinical studies are required to determine the outcomes of administering daidzein and its derivatives for an extended period and in various doses.

Role of microRNA-363 during tumor progression and invasion.

Recent progresses in diagnostic and therapeutic methods have significantly improved prognosis in cancer patients. However, cancer is still considered as one of the main causes of human deaths in the world. Late diagnosis in advanced tumor stages can reduce the effectiveness of treatment methods and increase mortality rate of cancer patients. Therefore, investigating the molecular mechanisms of tumor progression can help to introduce the early diagnostic markers in these patients. MicroRNA (miRNAs) has an important role in regulation of pathophysiological cellular processes. Due to their high stability in body fluids, they are always used as the non-invasive markers in cancer patients. Since, miR-363 deregulation has been reported in a wide range of cancers, we discussed the role of miR-363 during tumor progression and metastasis. It has been reported that miR-363 has mainly a tumor suppressor function through the regulation of transcription factors, apoptosis, cell cycle, and structural proteins. MiR-363 also affected the tumor progression via regulation of various signaling pathways such as WNT, MAPK, TGF-ß, NOTCH, and PI3K/AKT. Therefore, miR-363 can be introduced as a probable therapeutic target as well as a non-invasive diagnostic marker in cancer patients.

Integrins as the pivotal regulators of cisplatin response in tumor cells.

Cisplatin (CDDP) is a widely used first-line chemotherapeutic drug in various cancers. However, CDDP resistance is frequently observed in cancer patients. Therefore, it is required to evaluate the molecular mechanisms associated with CDDP resistance to improve prognosis among cancer patients. Integrins are critical factors involved in tumor metastasis that regulate cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions. They modulate several cellular mechanisms including proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, polarity, and chemo resistance. Modification of integrin expression levels can be associated with both tumor progression and inhibition. Integrins are also involved in drug resistance of various solid tumors through modulation of the tumor cell interactions with interstitial matrix and extracellular matrix (ECM). Therefore, in the present review we discussed the role of integrin protein family in regulation of CDDP response in tumor cells. It has been reported that integrins mainly promoted the CDDP resistance through interaction with PI3K/AKT, MAPK, and WNT signaling pathways. They also regulated the CDDP mediated apoptosis in tumor cells. This review paves the way to suggest the integrins as the reliable therapeutic targets to improve CDDP response in tumor cells.

Role of microRNAs in tumor progression by regulation of kinesin motor proteins.

Aberrant cell proliferation is one of the main characteristics of tumor cells that can be affected by many cellular processes and signaling pathways. Kinesin superfamily proteins (KIFs) are motor proteins that are involved in cytoplasmic transportations and chromosomal segregation during cell proliferation. Therefore, regulation of the KIF functions as vital factors in chromosomal stability is necessary to maintain normal cellular homeostasis and proliferation. KIF deregulations have been reported in various cancers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and signaling pathways are important regulators of KIF proteins. MiRNAs have key roles in regulation of the cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. In the present review, we discussed the role of miRNAs in tumor biology through the regulation of KIF proteins. It has been shown that miRNAs have mainly a tumor suppressor function via the KIF targeting. This review can be an effective step to introduce the miRNAs/KIFs axis as a probable therapeutic target in tumor cells.

Evaluating the association between opium abuse, blood lead levels, and the complexity of coronary artery disease.

Opium abuse and exposure to heavy metals elevate the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). Therefore, we aimed to determine the association between opium abuse and blood lead levels (BLLs) and the CAD complexity. We evaluated patients with acute coronary symptoms who underwent coronary angiography, and those with >50% stenosis in at least one of the coronary arteries were included. Furthermore, Synergy between PCI with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery I (SYNTAX I) score and BLLs were measured. Based on the opium abuse, 95 patients were subdivided into opium (45) and control (50) groups. Differences in demographics and CAD risk factors were insignificant between the two groups. The median BLLs were remarkably higher in the opium group than in controls (36 (35.7) and 20.5 µg/dL (11.45), respectively, p = 0.003). We also revealed no significant differences in SYNTAX score between the two groups (15.0 (9.0) and 17.5 (14.0), respectively, p = 0.28). Additionally, we found no significant correlation between BLLs and the SYNTAX scores (p = 0.277 and r = -0.113). Opium abuse was associated with high BLLs. Neither opium abuse nor high BLLs were correlated with the complexity of CAD. Further studies are warranted to establish better the relationship between opium abuse, BLLs, and CAD.

Comparison of the intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A single-center cross-sectional case-control study, and a brief review of the literature.

Background and Aim: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune chronic inflammatory disease affecting 0.5%-1% of adults worldwide. The carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is a simple, reliable, noninvasive marker for subclinical atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to compare the intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery in patients with RA with that of healthy patients. Methods: In this case-control study, subjects were recruited from the patients who presented to a private rheumatology clinic. RA was documented by a rheumatologist. All subjects underwent an ultrasound examination of the carotid artery to assess CIMT. Subjects with RA filled out the disease activity score (DAS28) questionnaire. Results: Sixty-two subjects (31 subjects with RA and 31 healthy subjects) took part in the study. The mean age of the subjects in the RA and the control groups was 42.39 ± 12.98 and 44.48 ± 13.56 years, respectively. Values of CIMT were significantly greater in RA subjects compared with their healthy counterparts (p < 0.001). The CIMT increased significantly with increased disease severity (r = 0.73). Subjects were divided into two age groups (≤40 and >40 years). A comparison of CIMT in the mentioned subgroups revealed a remarkable difference in CIMT values between those of the RA patients and those of their control counterparts in both age groups (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001 for those below and above 40 years, respectively). Conclusion: CIMT could be used as an efficient clinical index for identifying the early stages of atherosclerosis and predicting cardiovascular events following atherosclerosis in RA patients.

Molecular mechanisms of microRNA-301a during tumor progression and metastasis.

Cancer is known as one of the leading causes of human deaths globally. Late diagnosis is considered as one of the main reasons for the high mortality rate among cancer patients. Therefore, the introduction of early diagnostic tumor markers can improve the efficiency of therapeutic modalities. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have a key role in regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis. MiRNAs deregulation has been frequently reported during tumor progressions. Since, miRNAs have a high stability in body fluids; they can be used as the reliable non-invasive tumor markers. Here, we discussed the role of miR-301a during tumor progressions. MiR-301a mainly functions as an oncogene via the modulation of transcription factors, autophagy, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and signaling pathways. This review paves the way to suggest miR-301a as a non-invasive marker for the early tumor diagnosis. MiR-301a can also be suggested as an effective target in cancer therapy.