Medical Laboratory Journal
Volume:14 Issue: 2, Mar-Apr 2020

Reports have shown that lipoprotein (Lp) (a) can serve as an indicator of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Several cardiovascular disease risk factors including age, ethnicity and type 2 diabetes mellitus have been linked to Lp(a) metabolism. Given the structural similarity between Lp (a) and plasminogen, there may be a relationship between Lp (a) level and thrombosis and atherogenesis. In this review, we summarize the latest data about Lp (a) and related conditions on the PubMed database using the following keywords: “Lp (a) and diseases” and “Lp (a) and racial groups”. All available information was extracted and categorized according to the purpose of this study. In conclusion, evidence suggest that increased level of Lp (a) results in coronary artery disease and increases the risk of ischemic stroke. Lack of Lp (a) has no adverse effect on human health. Moreover, Lp(a) can be effective in wound healing as it degrades apolipoprotein(a) products which might have anti-tumor and anti-angiogenetic effects.

The pentose phosphate pathway is of particular importance for energy supply in red blood cells. Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase is the key enzyme involved in this pathway. The deficiency of this enzyme due to lack of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) production in red blood cells leads to oxidation, hemoglobin deposition, red blood cell membrane changes and favism, which causes jaundice and hemolytic anemia in newborns. In this study, we evaluate the frequency of G6PD deficiency in newborns in a hospital in Bam, Iran.       

In this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, blood samples were taken from 572 newborns hospitalized at Pasteur hospital of Bam (Iran) in the first half of 2018. Demographic data including gender and blood type were collected. The G6PD enzyme activity was evaluated using qualitative G6PD assay kit (Saba Teb, Iran). Data were analyzed using SPSS software.        

Of the 572 cases examined, 52 (9.09%) had G6PD deficiency. Of the affected patients, 34 (65.4%) were male and 18 (34.6%) were female. In addition, the majority (47.7%) of affected patients were with O+ blood group.       

A relatively high frequency of G6PD deficient infants was reported in Bam. As expected, the prevalence of this disorder was higher in males than in females. Given the lost cost of screening, we suggest screening for G6PD enzyme activity in all newborns.

Tahini (sesame paste) is a kind of food obtained from sesame seeds. To our knowledge, this is the first study to measure total antioxidant activity and total phenolic compounds in tahini brands available in Iranian market.

In this study, 111 tahini samples were collected and purchased from the Iranian Market, including 37 commercial brands (three samples for per brand). The ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) method was used to measure total antioxidant activity in each sample. Total phenol contents were measured by the Folin–Ciocalteau method in tahini brands.

Current study showed Mino-dates brand (119.93 µmol/ml ±0.159), Trang-Chocolate brand (56.30 µmol/ml ±0.056), Barsam-coffee (45.13µmol/ml±0.094), and Chocolate-barsam brand (53.23 µmol/ml ±0.112), respectively, have more total antioxidant activity than other brands (p< 0.001). Moreover, Mino-dates brand (2057.33 µmol/ml ±0.094), barsam-coffee (805.51 µmol/ml ±0.041), Chocolate-barsam brand (807.42 µmol/ml ±0.095), and Trang-Chocolate brand (685.75 µmol/ml ±0.086), respectively, have more total phenolic compounds than other brands (p< 0.001).

According to the results of this study, Tahini brands with higher polyphenol contents antioxidant capacity also had higher antioxidant capacity. It can be concluded that Tahini in the Iranian market is one of the most valuable foods in terms of antioxidant activity and total phenolic contents.

Antimicrobial resistance is a serious threat to global public health. The overuse and misuse of antibiotics are the most important contributing factors to development of antibiotic resistance. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify and discover new compounds against drug-resistant microorganisms. We have previously synthesized new series of 3-substituted 5H-(1,2,4)triazolo(3',4':2,3) (1,3,4)thiadiazino(5,6-b)quinoxaline derivatives (4a-4f). Here, we evaluate the antimicrobial activity of these derivatives against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, S. aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis and Candida krusei.      

The agar well diffusion and agar dilution methods were used for determining inhibition zone diameter and minimum inhibitory concentration during preliminary evaluation of antimicrobial activity.       

All synthesized compounds exhibited antibacterial and antifungal activity against the tested microorganisms.       

Our findings indicate the antimicrobial potential of the six novel synthetic triazolo thiadiazin quinoxaline compounds.

It is desirable for athletes, especially female soccer players, to consume beetroot beverage during training as a way of improving both health and performance ,. Therefore, the objective of this study was to  assess the effect of beetroot juice intake on lipid profile in female soccer players.      

Young and well-trained female soccer players (N=20) were  included in a randomized placebo-controlled crossover study. They were categorized into two groups: experimental (beetroot beverage, n=10, age: 23.20±0.91 years, BMI: 22.57±1.54(kg/m2)) and control (placebo, n=10, age: 23±0.81 years, BMI: 23.13±0.58(kg/m2)). Subjects drank either 200 ml concentrated beetroot beverage or an equal amount of placebo 2 hours prior to their trainings for six weeks (18 session). Blood samples were taken 24 hours before and after trials. All data were compared in pretest and posttest  via paired sample t-test and independent sample t-test. All statistical analyses were performed at (P≤0.05) by SPSS (version22).      

Beetroot juice intake increased plasma high density lipoprotein (t= -60.88, P<0.05). Triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein were  reduced (P<0.05). Compared with placebo, beetroot  juice reduced the concentrations of triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein (P<0.05).    

Regular beetroot juice intake has significant effects on lipid profile in female soccer players, hence its suggestion for preventing diseases such as  hypercholesterolemia and  hypertension in female soccer players.

Citrus fruits and their constituents especially naringin (NR), a natural predominant flavanone, have a wide range of pharmacological activities without toxicity against cancer cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the anticancer effects of orange peel extract (OPE) and naringin (NR) on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells.   

Amount of phenol, flavonoid and antioxidants in OPE was determined using Folin-Ciocalteu procedure, aluminum chloride colorimetric and DPPH assays, respectively. Effects of NR and OPE on viability, wound healing assay and DNA fragmentation using DAPI were investigated. Data were analyzed by ImageJ software and GraphPad Prism 6.0 at significance of 0.05       

Total amount of phenols, flavonoids and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl was 2.83, 2.143 and 60.76 g/100g of OPE. Amount of NR in the dried OPE was estimated to be 5.260 (µg/gr) using high-performance liquid chromatography. Treatment of ESCC cells with OPE or NR decreased viability y of cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, both OPE and NR were able to decrease cell migration and increase DNA fragmentation.    

The findings of our study suggest that OPE and NR have anticancer effects on ESCC cells but the anticancer effects of OPE was better than that of NR alone.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic hepatic disease characterized by fat accumulation inside hepatocytes. The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of exercise training and resveratrol supplementation on activin A and follistatin levels in rats with NAFLD under a high-fat diet.

Fifty-six old (40-50 weeks) male Wistar rats were assigned to a healthy control group and seven experimental NAFLD groups: 1. high-fat diet, 2. saline, 3. resveratrol supplementation, 4. continuous exercise, 5. interval exercise, 6. continuous exercise+ resveratrol supplementation and 7. interval exercise+ resveratrol supplementation. Rats in the resveratrol supplementation groups were given 25 mg/kg of body weight intraperitoneal injection of resveratrol daily. Exercises were performed five days a week for eight weeks. Data were analyzed with SPSS (version 21) using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's post hoc test at significance of 0.05.

Exercise training and resveratrol supplementation significantly decreased plasma activin A level and increased activin A expression (P<0.05). Plasma level of follistatin was significantly higher in rats under a high-fat diet compared to healthy control animals. All exercise and supplementation groups alone and combined lowered follistatin levels. However, follistatin mRNA expression increased significantly after resveratrol supplementation alone, continuous exercise+ resveratrol supplementation, and interval exercise+ resveratrol supplementation.

Resveratrol has a beneficial effect on activin A and follistatin levels in rats with NAFLD. In addition, resveratrol supplementation combined with exercise training may have greater health benefits for NAFLD patients compared to resveratrol supplementation or exercise training alone.

 Sarcoptes scabiei is a microscopic parasitic arthropod that penetrates into epidermis of the skin and causes scabies, a contagious disease that is one of the most common causes of dermatosis in the world.     

We herein summarize published papers about Sarcoptes scabiei infestation in Iran. Databases including MEDLINE, Pubmed and Google scholar were searched using the following terms: Sarcoptes scabiei, mange, prevalence of Sarcoptes scabiei and scabies status in Iran.      

Overall, we found approximately 15 articles related to the prevalence of Sarcoptes scabiei infestation in Iran. According to these studies, the prevalence of Sarcoptes scabiei infestation has been rather high in Iran during war and in prisons and humid areas of the country.     

In spite of the low prevalence of scabies, it is necessary to implant prevention programs continuously by reducing overcrowding, improving health education, personal hygiene, diagnostics tools, and screening and treatment of high-risk populations.