نشریه دانشگاه علوم پزشکی بیرجند
سال سی‌ام شماره 4 (پیاپی 97، زمستان 1402)

Adipokines omentin-1 and nesfatin-1 are hormones secreted from adipose tissue that effectively regulate metabolic pathways. On the other hand, exercise training plays a positive role in preventing metabolic diseases. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of aerobic and resistance training on the levels of omentin-1 and nesfatin-1 in adults.

A systematic search of English and Persian articles published in PubMed, Web of Science, SID, Scopus, and Magiran databases was conducted until September 2023. A meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the effect of aerobic and resistance training on the levels of omentin-1 and nesfatin-1 in adults. The mMean difference and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random effect model. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the I2 test, and diffusion bias was evaluated by visual analysis of the funnel plot and Egger's test.

In total, 26 studies, including 29 exercise interventions and 722 adults, 409 participants in the exercise group with an average age of 32.45 ± 3.71, and 313 participants in the control group with an average age of 29.86 ± 2.34 were added to the present meta-analysis. The results showed that exercise training caused a significant increase in omentin-1 [SMD=1.37, 0.83 to 1.91, P=0.001] and nesfatin-1 [SMD= 0.69, 0.01 to 1.37, P=0.04] compared to the control group in adults.

The results of the present study showed that both types of aerobic and resistance training lead to a significant increase in the levels of omentin-1 and nesfatin-1. It seems that exercise training can be a non-pharmacological and practical intervention to regulate adipokines in adults.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) play crucial roles as signaling molecules in neurophysiology. While high levels of ROS and RNS can lead to neuronal damage, their low levels stimulate growth and development and suggest protective effects. Recently, notable advancements in the field of biomedical applications and treatments using cold atmospheric plasma technology were made. This innovative approach has demonstrated remarkable success in various areas, including cell growth and proliferation, differentiation, and protection against oxidative stress. These favorable outcomes are attributed to the activation of reactive species-based pathways through cold atmospheric plasma stimulation. It has been shown that cold atmospheric plasma can have dose and time-dependent protective effects on brain cells by interfering with cell survival and proliferation pathways through reactive species, and it can be a potential therapeutic strategy to protect neurons against central nervous system (CNS) damages. Hence, this review focuses on the regeneration and neuroprotection effects and mechanisms of cold atmospheric plasma in treating neurological injuries and presents the latest developments in the application of this technology in the CNS.

Melissa officinalis (M. officinalis) is a well-known medicinal plant with various therapeutic properties such as, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Pharmacological effects of this plant is attributed with its main phenolic compounds, rosmarinic acid. This research aimed to study the relaxant effect of the aqueous-alcoholic extract of Melissa officinalis on the isolated tracheal smooth muscle (TSM) of rat.

The relaxant potential of cumulative concentrations of the aqueous-alcoholic extract of Melissa officinalis (50, 100, 200 µg/ml) was compared with normal saline (1 milliliter of normal saline) as a negative control and three cumulative concentrations of theophylline (0.8, 0.4, 0.2 mM) as a positive control on the TSM of isolated rat. The relaxant effect of M. officinalis extract was examined on non-incubated and incubated TSM with propranolol (1 μM), atropine (1 μM), and chlorpheniramine (1 μM) as different antagonists of beta-2 adrenergic (β2-Adrenergic), muscarinic and H1 histamine receptors respectively.

The relaxant effect of M. officinalis extract with all theophylline concentrations on the isolated tracheal smooth muscle exhibited a significant increase compared to saline (P<0.001 in all instances) in non-incubated tissues.  The relaxant effect of medium and high dose of M. officinalis extracts (100 and 200 µg/ml) were similar to theophylline and were not significant difference. Conversely, the relaxant effect of M. officinalis exhibited a significant reduction in incubated tissues with chlorpheniramine and atropine compared to the non-incubated tissue.

The relaxant effect of aqueous-alcoholic extract of Melissa officinalis on isolated tracheal tissue is possibly be mediated through the inhibition of muscarinic and H1 histamine receptors while having no significant impact on beta-2 adrenergic receptors.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, and its prevalence has been rapidly increasing worldwide over the past few decades. This research investigated the protective properties of the hydroalcoholic extract of Lavandula stoechas (L. stoechas) on blood cells through intraperitoneal and intranasal administration of ovalbumin in an asthma model in mice.

In this experimental study, 30 male BALB/c mice were divided into three groups (n=10): the control group, the ovalbumin-model mice treated with the solvent drug, and the ovalbumin-model mice treated with 200 mg/kg L. stoechas extract. To induce severe asthma model, 75µg ovalbumin and 2 mg aluminum hydroxide solution in saline phosphate buffer were administered intra-peritoneal into the mice (once a day), additionally, 50µg ovalbumin was injected intra-nasally into the same group of mice (once a day). Finally, the group that induced asthma in mice was treated with 200 mg/kg L. stoechas extract. Additionally, 50µg ovalbumin was injected intra-nasally into the same group of mice (once a day). Finally, 200 mg/kg of L. stoechas extract was administered to the treated group of mice by oral gavage. Subsequently, bronchoalveolar lavage was performed to count neutrophil, basophil and eosinophil cells, and lung tissue was harvested to assess the lung’s morphology and the degree of scored tissue damage desired factors in the study groups.

Mice in the L. stoechas extract treatment group exhibited a significant reduction in pulmonary edema and histological changes (P˂0.05) and infiltration of inflammatory cells (P˂0.05) compared to the ovalbumin-model group.

Overall, L. stoechas extract, due to its protective effects on blood cells and prevention of lung histological changes, may contribute to reducing the effects of acute asthma.

Chronic immobilization is a type of stress that causes behavioral disorders such as anxiety and memory deficits by inducing oxidative stress and inflammation and changing the level of neurotransmitters in the brain. In this research, we investigated the effect of the hydroalcoholic extract of dried lemon peel (Citrus aurantifolia) on learning, spatial memory, and anxiety-like behavior in adult male rats exposed to chronic immobilization.

To induce immobilization stress, the rats were placed in the restrainer for 6 hours every day for 21 consecutive days. Lemon extract (400 mg/kg) was also treated by gavage to the animals. Spatial learning and memory were assessed using the Morris blue maze, and anxiety was studied using an elevated plus maze.

The lemon extract treatment made the animals exposed to immobilization stress swim more time and distance in the target quarter in the water maze compared with the stress group (P < 0.05). The extract increased the percentage of entry into the open arm (P < 0.01) and the percentage of time spent in the open arm (P < 0.05) of the elevated plus maze in these animals.

Dried lemon peel extract improved learning and spatial memory in animals exposed to chronic immobilization and reduced anxiety-like behavior in them. Dried lemon peel extract probably has a neuroprotective effect.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is one of the surgical procedures for cholecystectomy, which may be associated with difficulty and complications in people with high body mass index (BMI). In this study, we investigated the location of the portal infection following laparoscopic cholecystectomy and its association with BMI in hospitals affiliated with Babol University of Medical Sciences in 2012-2015.

In this cross-sectional analytical study, all patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgery (n=801) were included after obtaining informed consent. Demographic (e.g., gender, age, and BMI) and clinical (e.g., type of disease, number of gallstones, port site infection, and duration of surgery) information were evaluated.

Most patients were female (87%), with a mean age of 43.38 ± 14.23 years. The average BMI of the patients was reported as 31.72 ± 6.86 kg/m2; most of them were in the range of 30-39.9 (44.8%), and at least a few patients had a BMI greater than or equal to 40 (12.5%). The mean BMI of patients was 31.72 ± 6.86 kg/m2. The majority of patients had chronic cholecystitis (70.2%) and colic bilirubin (18.6%). The duration of surgery was 35.18 ± 10.59 minutes. Around 2% of the patients had an infection site of the port (1.2%), the cases of umbilical epigastric (0.5%), or both sites (0.2%). The BMI of patients with port umbilical infection was 41.48±3.45 and epigastric 30.38±5.87, and patients with port umbilical infection had significantly higher BMI than patients with epigastric infection (P<0.001). Individuals with a BMI higher than 30 were significantly more likely to have an umbilical portal infection (P<0.001).

According to the findings of this study, patients with an umbilical port site infection had a higher BMI.

With the emergence of Corona disease in late 2019, the healthcare network was directly and indirectly affected, and the process and management of patients other than COVID-19 changed. To evaluate some of these changes, the present study was conducted on post-COVID-19 hospital admissions of patients who have been infected with Coronavirus in the past. The census method was used for patients’ recruitment. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive/analytical statistical methods. A total of 202 patients with a mean age of (57.60±18.73) years, including 109 (54%) women and 93 (46%) men, were recruited. The number and percentage of cases admitted in internal, infectious, neurology, and heart wards, were 63 (31%), 52 (25.7%), 35 (17.3%), and 31 (15.3%), respectively. No correlation was found between the history of hospitalization and the type of treatment specific to COVID-19 (Remdesivir) and the disease that led to re-hospitalization after recovery from COVID-19 (P=0.08). Regardless of whether receiving Remdesivir or not, post-COVID-19 hospitalization due to various reasons in internal and infectious wards was the most frequent, respectively, followed by cardiovascular events.

20 October every year is named "World Osteoporosis Day". Osteoporosis is the most common metabolic bone disease. This disease is asymptomatic. Diagnosis and screening of this disease is very important, especially in postmenopausal women. If it not diagnosed and treated on time, these patients will suffer from fractures. Fractures in hip or multiple vertebrae, the patients become bedridden and occur the significant complications including immobility, and complications related to immobility such as Deep Vein Thrombosis, stroke, heart attack, bedsores. One of the most important effective factors in the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis, which plays an important role in preventing falls in the elderly, is vitamin D. In this article, we discuss the importance and how to use vitamin D.