Journal of Advanced Medical Sciences and Applied Technologies
Volume:7 Issue: 1, Sep 2022

The interaction between endocannabinoid (eCB) system with in key brain structures such as hippocampus, amygdala and prefrontal cortex and sleep deprivation (SD)-induced psychosis has been less studied. The present hypothesis revolves around the question whether altered chemical dynamics within the eCB system with the resultant impact on cannabinoid receptors in key cortical hubs would impact SD-induced psychosis-like symptoms. Having this investigated research is expected to pave the path towards identifying newer drug targets namely for schizophrenia. Research may be pursued by blocking the eCB system systemically after SD using eCB receptors antagonists to identify if SD still hampers the PPI. Continued research would also need to investigate if antipsychotic and cognitive enhancing drugs, such as cannabidiol and modafinil reverse the effects of SD upon PPI impairments.

This study is aimed to demonstrate how analysis and neural modeling of the MRI scans of patients with Alzheimer’s disease can help in its diagnosis at an early stage. This can guide an early prediction and if applied with instant medications then it can help diminish the deterioration rate of the brain cells of the patients. The dataset of the MRI scans of patients was analyzed with the help of machine learning algorithms including ANN (Artificial Neural Network), K Nearest Neighbour(KNN), Linear Regression, Support Vector Machine(SVM), RESNET50 (Residual Network), and Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) which resulted with KNN having the highest precision rate for group classification.

Although chemicals including trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) and dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) are widely used to induce ulcerative colitis (UC) in laboratory animals, they are expensive and have side effects. This study aimed to introduce a novel model of chronic UC using ammonium chloride as an inexpensive material.

In this in-vivo study, 21 adult male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three equal groups as follows: the first group (control) was received 0.5 cc of distilled water and the second and third groups were received 0.5 cc of ammonium chloride at concentrations of 2 mol/L or 4 mol/L through rectal enemas for 14 consecutive days (once daily). The procedure was stopped for two weeks, and then started and continued till rectal bleeding was observed. At the end, animals were sacrificed and colon, liver, and kidney tissues were examined histopathologically.

Although gross observation of colons in the control group showed a normal structure without histopathological changes, rectal enemas with 2 mol/L ammonium chloride caused hemorrhagic areas as well as mild edema of the sub mucosal layer and inflammatory cell infiltration. Besides, rectal enemas with 4 mol/L ammonium chloride caused an extensive ulceration/necrosis, severe inflammation and edema, moderate fibrinous exudate, and mild atrophy of intestinal glands. The liver and kidney tissues were normal in all groups.

Based on the findings, ammonium chloride can be used as an inexpensive alternative for inducing a chronic model of UC in rat. Current model also fulfills the histopathological criteria of UC.

Psychophysiological insomnia (PPI) is a prevalent condition with much of its treatment solutions revolving around medication therapy. Despite that, many patients prefer nonpharmacological therapies for PPI. We were therefore prompted to report our clinical observations in a cohort of PPI cases who used the eye-pillow (aroma hot-pack or AHP) for 3 months as an alternative solution to mitigate insomnia symptoms.

This cohort comprised 52 sequentially and conveniently recruited PPI patients who received bedtime AHP plus sleep hygiene recommendations for 77±6 nights with no concurrent pharmacological treatment. The Petersburg's sleep quality index (PSQI) and Petersburg's Insomnia Rating Scale (PIRS) scores and overnight polysomnography (PSG) test results were documented at baseline and week 12 in an accredited sleep disorders laboratory. We comparatively analyzed changes in the outcome measures pre- and post-treatment.

The primary outcome measures in this single arm observational study was subjective sleep quality parameters as well as changes in polysomnographic sleep biomarameters following a roughly 12 weeks of nightly use of aroma hot-pack (AHP) at bedtime. Patients’ mean adherence to therapy was 84.7±3.5%. The PSQI and PIRS scores were significantly decreased after intervention (4.89±1.88, and 16.5±2.1) from baseline (10.67±4.09, and 38.7±3.3) (p <0.0001). The PSG data also revealed significantly improved N1 sleep latency, number of wakes after sleep onset (WASO) and sleep efficiency at week 12 as compared to the baseline.

It appears that the use of AHP can be considered as a low-cost and easily applicable alternative treatment to medication therapy in uncomplicated PPI cases.

Male infertility due to decreased semen quality is a growing global problem. Commonly used strategies for treating infertility include medication, intrauterine insemination, and in vitro fertilization. In recent years, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have created new opportunities to treat a variety of disorders, including infertility and new expectations for managing reproductive disabilities. Stem cells (SCs) are undifferentiated cells that are able to regenerate and proliferate and are also able to produce specialized cells under appropriate conditions. They are present in all stages of the fetus, embryo and adult and can multiply in different cells. While many questions remain about SCs, SCs have undoubtedly opened up new avenues for infertility treatment. In this review, we discuss and summarize different stem cell approaches to the treatment of male infertility to provide updates on SCs therapy research.

The world is still affected by the major public health threat of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The evidence has shown that men are more likely to die from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Numerous studies are devoted to investigating the causes of this disparity, which seems to be multifactorial. The immune response can be affected by sex hormones, especially androgens. It has been revealed that SARS-CoV-2 targets the cells through ACE2 and TMPRSS2 receptors both of which are regulated by the androgen receptor. The relationship between these receptors and androgens may explain the difference in COVID-19 disease severity and mortality in different genders. On the other hand, it has also been found that severe testosterone and dihydrotestosterone deficiencies or low testosterone in critically ill male COVID-19 patients could be a prognostic marker of severe disease. Nonetheless, as a double-edged sword, androgens have positive effects on immunomodulation and immune protection, while causing negative effects as they facilitate the entrance of the virus into the cell. The present study is thus aimed to investigate the different aspects of the influence of androgens on COVID-19 development.

Coronaviruses (CoVs) infections are among the most common diseases in humans and animals. In this paper, the effects of human-animal host interactions of a new coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) emerged from China were reviewed and possible health complications and hazards were investigated.

Electronic databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and bioRxiv were searched for possible animal hosts of SARS-CoV-2 from the years 2019 to 2022 by following keywords: coronavirus, COVID-19, SARS-COV-2, animal, and transmission.

Among different animal species, non-human primates, ferrets, hamsters, and felines are the most susceptible animals to SARS-COV-2 infection and some of them have the ability to transmit the virus to humans.

The risk of emerging zoonotic diseases is not far from the mind; hence, the animal populations should be periodically monitored for the possible occurrence and spread of such diseases. It is also recommended to follow hygienic instructions during the COVID-19 pandemic.