Crescent Journal of Medical and Biological Sciences
Volume:11 Issue: 4, Oct 2024

Diabetes mellitus decreases reproductive and sexual function in men by causing oxidative stress in testis cells and decreasing antioxidant enzymes. Several recent studies have found the effects of Cornus mas and Galega officinalis extracts on improving spermatogenesis dysfunction caused by diabetes. This meta-analysis study aimed to investigate the impact of G. officinalis and C. mas extract on testicular oxidative stress indices and sperm parameters in diabetic laboratory animals compared to healthy animals.

A search using Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases was conducted on studies that investigated the effects of plant extracts of C. mas and G. officinalis on testicular tissue and sperm indices in diabetic animals. The first part included the investigation of malondialdehyde (MDA) (nmol/mg), rate of catalase antioxidant activity, and superoxide dismutase. In contrast, the results of the second part included total sperm count (×106 ), total sperm motility (%), and immobility. The mean difference (MD) (95% confidence interval [CI]) was selected to express the effect size.

Out of 154 identified articles, four studies on mice were included in the meta-analysis. The random effect size yielded an overall effect size for MDA (6.96) with a 95% confidence interval [-6.09; 20.00]. The random effect size yielded an overall effect size for SOD of -0.5076 with a 95% confidence interval [-0.62; -0.40]. The random effect size yielded an overall effect size for CAT of -1.68 with a 95% confidence interval [-1.88; -1.47]. Also, a significant decrease in total sperm count showed the random effect size yielded an overall effect size of -24.74 with a 95% confidence interval [-30.73; -18.74]. The random effect size yielded an overall effect size for sperm motility of -26.65 with a 95% confidence interval [-29.54; -23.76]. A significant increase was demonstrated in sperm immobile in diabetic animals compared to the control group. The random effect size yielded an overall effect size for this indicator is 6.5157 with a 95% confidence interval [-1.96; 14.99].

G. officinalis or C. mas extracts have reduced effects on MDA levels and tissue damage and increased antioxidant enzymes in laboratory animals with diabetes.

The high prevalence of poor ovarian response in women undergoing ovarian stimulation is a main therapeutic challenge that affects pregnancy outcomes in such patients. The current clinical trial aimed to compare the pregnancy outcome of corifollitropin alfa (CFA) versus recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (rFSH) used in the gonadotropin-realizing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocol in poor ovarian response patients.

We performed an open-label balanced block randomized clinical trial on 117 Iranian women with poor ovarian responses who were seeking treatment for infertility. Reporting followed the CONSORT 2010 guidelines for parallel group randomized trials. Patients were randomly assigned to the CFA group (a single injection of 150 µg CFA) or the rFSH group (300 IU rFSH on a daily basis). To avoid premature luteinizing hormone (LH) surges, treatment continued with a daily subcutaneous injection of 0.25 ganirelix, starting from day 6 of stimulation up to the hCG administration day. The primary investigated outcomes were the number of obtained oocytes and the number of metaphase II oocytes. Implantation rate, chemical pregnancy, and clinical pregnancy were the secondary outcomes examined, and study participants were followed up to ascertain the interested outcome.

The average number of mature follicles in CFA was 5.0±2.1, which was significantly higher than the rFSH group (4.2±1.7) (P=0.021). The average number of puncture follicles and the number of embryos were significantly higher in the CFA group than in the rFSH group (P<0.05). Chemical pregnancy was observed in 32.2% and 30.5% of patients in the CFA and recombinant-FSH groups, respectively, and the observed difference was not statistically significant (P=0.748). We observed no statistically significant difference despite a relatively higher clinical pregnancy in the CFA group (P=0.398).

A single injection of CFA and a daily injection of rFSH could improve pregnancy outcomes in women with poor ovarian responses who underwent IVF. These two alternative treatments could be used interchangeably, and we highlighted no superiority between CFA and rFSH.

Post tooth extraction type of wound healing is a convoluted process that helps wounds reform. This study aims to evaluate the impact of polycaprolactone-hydroxyapatite zeolite nanocomposites on the healing processes of mucosa overlying post-extraction alveolus.

Fifteen healthy cats with premolar lower tooth involvement were selected for tooth extraction. The biopsy sampling from the mucosa of the alveolus was performed on the 10th postoperative day. The cats were grouped as control, plateletrich plasma (PRP), and nano polycaprolactone-hydroxyapatite zeolite.

The histopathologic analysis showed that contrary to controls and PRP, the nano group had a lower presence of inflammatory cells, a complete irregular thick epithelium, more granulation tissue, and more fibrosis. So, nano polycaprolactonehydroxyapatite zeolite accelerated the healing process after tooth extraction.

Nanocomposite containing nano zeolite can improve wound healing after tooth extraction.

Liver ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) is the director’s origin of damages in various clinical situations, especially surgery and transplantation. Inflammatory damages are critical because of the chronicity of I/R injuries (I/RI). The hepatoprotective and antiinflammatory properties of silibinin have been reported in different studies. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Silibinin on the expression of the pannexin-1 (Panx1) gene during hepatic I/R.

In this case-control animal study, a total of 32 male Wistar rats (n=8 in each) were surveyed. The animals were randomly assigned into four equal groups as follows: Group 1 (Control): the rats underwent a midline laparotomy with normal saline injection; Group 2 (SILI): the rats received Silibinin (50 mg/kg) after laparotomy; Group 3 (I/R): the rats underwent I/R surgery and received normal saline; and Group 4 (I/R+SILI): the rats received silibinin before ischemia and directly following reperfusion. Blood and liver tissue samples were taken after three hours of reperfusion aftermath 1-hour ischemia to evaluate histological changes, gene expression, and serum markers of hepatic injury.

While the serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in the I/R group significantly increased compared to the control group (P<0.001), they significantly decreased in the SILI+I/R group (P<0.001). Silibinin ameliorated inflammatory impairments of liver tissue, such as neutrophil and macrophage infiltration and activation, hepatocyte degeneration and vacuolation, hepatic vascular endothelial damage, and sinusoid proliferation in the I/R group. The expression of the Panx1 mRNA during I/R significantly increased compared to the control group (P<0.001), but silibinin reduced the expression (P<0.001).

We witnessed that silibinin reduced liver tissue damages during hepatic I/R. Correcting the expression of the Panx1 gene during I/R is probably one of the mechanisms of anti-inflammatory effects of silibinin.

This study aimed to examine the efficacy of acceptance, mindfulness, and compassion (Kg-free) on obese and overweight women diagnosed with metabolic syndrome components.

In this randomized controlled trial, 52 obese and overweight women with body mass index (BMI) ≥25 were evaluated in two intervention and control groups, The intervention was implemented weekly. Triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), fasting blood sugar (FBS), blood pressure (BP), BMI, and waistline measurements thyroid tests were assessed measured as the main outcome, and life-quality and sexual function improvement as its secondary outcome in pre, post and follow-up phase.

The study results indicated that the acceptance, mindfulness, and compassion (Kg-free) protocol was effective on the BMI, waistline, TG level, BP (systolic and diastolic index), quality of life, and sexual function in women with overweight and obesity, but fasting BP and HDL level did not significant (d=0.001–0.50; significant at the 0.001 level).

The present trial was carried out aiming to examine the efficacy of group intervention based on acceptance, mindfulness, and compassion on obese and overweighed women and its effect on the components of metabolic syndrome, including the waistline, BMI, BP, FBS, TG, HDL, the quality of life, and the sexual function. Our results showed that group intervention based on acceptance, mindfulness, and compassion could reduce the BMI of the individuals in the intervention group compared to the control group. Moreover, the present study provided further evidence that this intervention bears an essential part in the psychological interventions for individuals struggling with overweight and obesity

Endothelial cells (ECs), as the main cell types in the micro- and macro-vascular structure, are crucial to many vital physiological processes occurring in human body among which are both physiologic and pathologic angiogenesis. Due to their great heterogeneity, it is recommended that the ECs of each tissue should be studied separately. Recently, targeting angiogenesis in cancer has become one of the main strategies for cancer management. Accordingly, this study aimed to introduce a simple, costeffective, and practical model for studying tumor angiogenesis, which can contribute to studies focused on antiangiogenic-based treatments for cancer.

In this original study, the explants of both normal and tumor tissues of mouse lung and 4T1 mouse cancer model were cultured separately in a collagen type 1 bed. Sprouting ECs formed a network of vessel-liked structures that were photographed as a model for investigating cancerous and normal angiogenesis. These ECs were then isolated from the collagen matrix using collagenase to confirm their endothelial nature.

The results showed that the cells invading the collagen matrix and forming a vessel-liked network were of endothelial nature. They were also found to have EC-specific characteristics and express EC-specific markers. These embedded cells may have been treated with the desired drug or further isolated from the collagen matrix and investigated in a genome or protein level.

In sum, this modeling had the potential to become a suitable model for studying the pathological angiogenesis such as tumors in human and animal tissues.

Ovarian granulosa cell tumors (GCT) are rare tumors with a late recurrence and a good prognosis. The current study investigated the fertility and obstetrics situation, survival, and the factors influencing the mortality of patients with these uncommon ovarian neoplasms.

This is a retrospective study on ovarian GCT patients admitted to the Al-Zahra hospital oncology department, the tertiary referral hospital in Tabriz, between 2009 and 2022. Data were collected from medical records. Chi-square/Fisher exact tests and t tests were used to compare categorical and quantitative variables between the alive and dead patients, respectively. The Kaplan-Meier curve was used to present patients’ survival.

The study involved 65 patients with ovarian GCT. The presence of ovarian cysts statistically increased the survival of GCT patients (P=0.028). The advanced tumor stage (P=0.023), fast tumor growth (P=0.001), and tumor relapse (P=0.001) are significantly correlated with mortality in the affected patients. However, age and adjuvant chemotherapy were not associated with survival.

There was no evidence of increased survival with the use of adjuvant chemotherapy. Tumor staging is an important prognostic factor. Advanced stages were associated with inferior survival, and only prospective studies can ascertain their definite role.