Medical Laboratory Journal
Volume:15 Issue: 5, Sep-Oct 2021

Diagnosis glucose intolerance in pregnancy is very important in preventing maternal and fetal complications. In this study, we compared hematological and biochemical characteristics of healthy pregnant women and women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) to find predisposing and prognostic variables of GDM.

In this study, 80 pregnant women (at 24-28 weeks of pregnancy) were divided into a GDM group and non-GDM group by performing oral glucose tolerance test using 75 g glucose according to the International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups criteria.

The mean age of women with GDM was significantly higher than those without GDM (p=0.048). Other variables including body mass index, gestational age and daily sleep duration did not differ significantly between the two groups (P>0.05). There was a significant association between family history of diabetes and incidence of GDM (p=0.040). In addition, the C-peptide level was significantly higher in pregnant women with GDM (p=0.004).

Considering the role of C-peptide in predicting metabolic syndrome, it is suggested to use this factor for identification of GDM patients.

Medicinal plants have long been considered as one of the most important pillars of traditional medicine. Existing challenges in the treatment of diseases, particularly infectious diseases, are major drivers for herbal medicine studies. Tribulus terrestris has been widely used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases. This study aimed to investigate in vitro antibacterial effect of the aqueous extract of T. terrestris on several oral bacteria.

In this experimental study, after preparing the aqueous extract of T. terrestris, minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations (MIC and MBC) of the extract were determined against standard strains of Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes using the broth microdilution method. The experiments were repeated three times and the results were analyzed with SPSS 22 using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and LSD statistical tests with the significance level set at 0.05.

The aqueous extract of T. terrestris had the highest inhibitory effect on S. pyogenes and S. mutans, and the difference between the MIC and MBC values was significant (P <0.05). However, no such effect was observed against S. aureus and K. pneumonia at concentrations below 50 mg/ml when compared to ampicillin and chlorhexidine.

The aqueous extract of T. terrestris has significant antibacterial effects against S. pyogenes and S. mutans. Therefore, it can be incorporated into topical formulations such as toothpaste and mouthwash products after further in vivo and toxicity experiments.

Antibiotic resistance is a major public health challenge. The pervasive antibiotic misuse can lead to increased antibiotic resistance. Thus, there is a need for discovery of new compounds against drug-resistant microorganisms. We synthesized new series of 1, 3, 4-oxadiazole derivatives (4a-4d) and evaluated the antibacterial and antifungal activity of the derivatives against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus.

The new derivatives of 1, 3, 4-oxadiazole were synthesized using a single-stage, high-yield method. The structure of the new compounds was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy, carbon-nuclear magnetic resonance and hydrogen- nuclear magnetic resonance. Then, antibacterial and antifungal activities of the prepared derivatives (1 mg/ml) were evaluated by determining minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration using the agar well diffusion method.

All synthesized compounds, especially (4d) with methoxyphenyl group, exhibited powerful antibacterial activity against the tested bacteria. However, the compounds had no antifungal effect.

Our findings indicate the antibacterial potential of the novel synthetic 1, 3, 4-oxadiazole compounds.

  Safety is a key criterion for assessment of probiotics. The objective of this study was to evaluate safety of a new Iranian Lactobacillus paracasei IBRC-M 11110 strain as a candidate probiotic. 

Eighteen male and 18 female Wistar rats were divided into two experimental and a control group. The experimental groups received the bacterium at two doses of 6 × 108 CFU/day and 6× 109 CFU/day for 28 days through oral gavage. The control groups received normal saline. On day 29, blood, serum and tissue samples were taken for analysis.

Administration of the bacterium did not affect the general health and body weight of the rats during the study period. No significant change was observed in the blood parameters of rats in the experimental groups except for a significant decrease in mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin of male rats. Serum analysis showed a significant increase in the alanine transaminase and a significant decrease in aspartate transaminase in the experimental groups of male and female rats, respectively. In both male and female rats, a significant decrease in urea and a significant increase in creatinine were observed in the experimental groups. However, the above parameters were all within the normal range. Histopathological analysis of liver and kidney tissues also showed no abnormality.

The results confirm that L. paracasei IBRC-M 11110 was safe in the subacute toxicity test in Wistar rats.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) refers to stenosis or obstruction of coronary artery due to atherosclerosis or clotting. The aim of this study was to evaluate possible association of serum miRNA-197 (miR-197) expression as a biomarker for CAD diagnosis.

In this study, 100 patients with CAD who had angiography and vascular transplantation were selected. Expression of miR-197 was evaluated using real-time RT-PCR technique and the SYBR Green method. The Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to determine relationship of miR-197 expression and severity of coronary artery disease. The t-test was used to determine significance of expression of miR-197 in the study groups. All statistical analyses were carried out in SPSS 16 and at significance of 0.05.

The results showed a direct relationship between miR-197 expression and CAD severity. The relative expression of miR-197 in the CAD patients was significantly higher than that in control subjects (P<0.004).

It seems that miR-197 can be considered as an indicator of coronary endothelial cell function. This microRNA could be used as a biomarker for CAD prognosis and treatment progression.

Asthma is one of the most common respiratory diseases. Inhaled particles that may trigger allergic reactions and air routes are important factors contributing to asthma. This study aimed to determine the abundance of allergens in children with asthma in Gorgan, Iran.

In this retrospective study, we randomly collected records of all asthmatic patients over five years of age referred to asthma and allergy clinic in Gorgan, Iran. Furthermore, data related to skin prick test were recorded.

The severity of asthma differed significantly between males and females. There was a direct relationship between age and reaction to one allergen. In addition, 18 of 25 (72 %) patients with severe asthma were allergic to more than two allergens. Moreover, the most common allergen was mite (56%).

Mites are the most common allergen among children with asthma in the study area.

Bone-related osteokines play an important role in the response of bone metabolism to physical activity. The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of different intensities of resistance training on serum levels of some osteokines associated with the Wnt signaling pathway and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β ligand (RANKL) pathway in old male Wistar rats.

Twenty-four old (23 months) male Wistar rats (mean weight: 437.93±33 g) were randomly divided into three groups of moderate-intensity resistance training (n=8), high-intensity resistance training (n=8) and control (n=8). Moderate- and high-intensity resistance trainings were performed at 60% and 80% maximal voluntary carrying capacity, respectively. The level of wclerostin, osteoprotegerin (OPG) and RANKL was evaluated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and at significance level of ≤0.05.

The results showed that sclerostin (p=0.014), OPG (p=0.049) and RANKL (P=0.034) differed significantly between the study groups. The Tukey post-hoc comparison showed that sclerostin decreased significantly in the high-intensity resistance training group  compared to moderate-intensity resistance training group (P=0.048). In addition, OPG decreased significantly in the moderate-intensity resistance training group compared to the control group (P=0.033). Moreover, RANKL decreased significantly in the high-intensity resistance training group compared to the control (P=0.048).

The results showed that resistance training with appropriate repetition and intensity can have positive effects on bone formation signaling pathways.

Increasing antibiotic resistance is a global health problem. In recent years, due to the indiscriminate use of antibacterial compounds, many bacterial pathogens, including staphylococci, members of the Enterobacteriaceae family including Klebsiella pneumoniae and bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii have become multi-drug resistant. Consequently, it is important to explore alternative approaches for eliminating resistant strains. Bacteria synthesize low-weight molecules called siderophores to chelate iron from the environment as a vital element for their growth and survival. One way to deal with resistant bacterial strains is to utilize siderophore-mediated iron uptake pathways as entrance routes for drug delivery. Therefore, the production of drugs with Trojan horse strategy in the form of conjugated siderophore-antibiotic complexes has recently received much attention for dealing with resistant isolates. In this review, we discuss the efficacy of siderophore-antibiotic conjugates as a Trojan horse strategy for eliminating drug-resistant pathogens.