Journal of Kerman University of Medical Sciences
Volume:31 Issue: 6, Nov-Dec 2024

A multifactorial metabolic disorder, diabetes mellitus (DM) is characterized by chronic hyperglycemia. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), this condition is expected to be among the most critical global health concerns in 2045. Despite the recent developments in medications for patients living with type 2 diabetes (T2D), there is still no definitive cure. As nearly all medications have their own complications, some herbs seem beneficial as alternatives. From this perspective, the present study investigated the effects of the coadministration of Eryngium billardieri (EB) and Boswellia serrata (BS) extracts on biochemical indices in patients with T2D.
Sixty patients with T2D, aged 35–55, were selected and randomly assigned to two groups: experiment and control. For four weeks, the experimental group was given a combination of the EB (14 cc) and BS (7 cc) extracts in addition to the routine medications. However, the controls only received routine care and medications.
A significant reduction was observed in fasting blood sugar (FBS), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and triglyceride (TG) levels. There was a substantial upsurge in disposition index (DI), homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β), and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) levels in the patients in the experimental group. The serum insulin levels showed no major changes.
The study results revealed that the EB and BS coadministration could be a therapeutic approach or a supplement for patients with DM.

Crataegus meyeri A. Pojark is one of Iran›s most well-known medicinal plants. This study aimed to assess the cytotoxic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of the methanolic extract of Crataegus meyeri (MCM) leaves. MCM was prepared from dried leaves. First, the cytotoxic impact of MCM was determined via the MTT test. Then, the anti-inflammatory activity of MCM on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-exposed J774A.1 cells was examined by measuring NO production and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene expression using the Griess test and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), respectively. MCM antioxidant activity was assessed using the FRAP and DPPH tests. MCM was shown to be non-cytotoxic against J774A.1 cells at≤125 and≤62 μg/mL concentrations after 24 and 48 hours, respectively. It also significantly attenuated NO generation in LPS-treated J774A.1 cells at 62 and 125 μg/mL after 24 hours and 62 μg/mL after 48 hours. The extract significantly reduced COX-2 gene expression at concentrations of 62 and 125 μg/mL after 24 hours and at concentrations of 15, 31, and 62 μg/mL after 48 hours. Moreover, the results indicated that MCM at all concentrations exhibited lower antioxidant activity than vitamin C, but the difference was insignificant. Furthermore, MCM could reduce the viability of most of the studied cancer cell lines at concentrations of 250 and 500 μg/mL. The findings of the present study suggest that MCM may show therapeutic potential for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, a finding that requires clinical trials.

The availability and use of various social networks influence individuals’ lives. This survey aimed to determine students’ quality of life and its relationship with internet and social networks use in the shadow of the COVID-19 outbreak. This descriptive survey was performed on 350 eligible students from Alborz University of Medical Sciences in 2021. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling. Data were collected using three questionnaires covering socioeconomic status, social networks, quality of life, and a sociodemographic checklist. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. In this study, the average age of participants was 22.42±2.8 years, with an average daily social network usage of 3.76±2.11 hours. The mean quality of life score was 62.9±16.9, and the mean score for social network engagement was 49.87±9.3. A significant association was found between social network scores and both the type of social network used and the average time spent on these platforms. Within the dimensions of social network use, the type of social network (B=-0.230) served as a negative predictor, while 4-5 hours of daily social network use (B=0.196) served as a positive predictor for quality of life scores. The study findings indicate a significant connection between the use of the Internet and social networks and students’ quality of life. Therefore, it is imperative to address the time spent on and the type of social networks that is particularly important.

Apoptosis is a defensive measure that removes dysfunctional cells. Exercise training has a broad spectrum of benefits that influence apoptosis and cell viability. L-carnitine (LCAR), a supplement nowadays, has shown beneficial effects against cell death. We investigated the simultaneous effect of exercise training (acute exercise [AE] and high-intensity interval training [HIIT]) and LCAR supplementation on the proteins involved in apoptosis. The animals were anesthetized twenty-four hours after the conclusion of the final training session. Forty-eight male Wistar rats (210±10 g) were assigned to six groups (n=8) as follows: Control, LCAR (200 mg/kg/d LCAR, IP), AE, HIIT, LCAR+AE, and LCAR+HIIT. The animals were anesthetized and sacrificed twenty-four hours after the last training session; the rats’ blood sample was collected, and the serum was separated. The serum Bcl-2 levels, as an anti-apoptotic factor, and caspase-3 and BAX, as proapoptotic factors, were measured using specific ELISA kits. AE increased apoptosis, but HIIT’s effects were almost neutral. LCAR administration in groups that performed either AE or HIIT significantly attenuated apoptosis. However, in group 6 (LCAR+HIIT), the anti-apoptotic effects were noteworthy because LCAR+HIIT significantly increased Bcl-2 and reduced caspase-3 levels compared to the control group. HIIT improved cell viability through increasing Bcl-2 levels, and LCAR strengthened HIIT’s anti-apoptotic properties. AE increased proapoptotic proteins, and LCAR modified the elevated proapoptotic markers in the AE group. Therefore, LCAR may be considered a promising supplement against exercise-mediated injury. This study can be extended to humans to evaluate the beneficial effects of LCAR+HIIT and LCAR+AE.

Spontaneous abortion before the 20th week, a prevalent pregnancy complication, is often linked to intrauterine viral infections. This study aims to identify DNA viruses in placental tissue from women with spontaneous abortion and full-term pregnancies, establishing a correlation with first-trimester spontaneous abortion. This case-control study was conducted in Kerman city between 2021 and 2022. Placental tissue samples were collected from 50 women who had experienced spontaneous abortion in the first trimester and 50 women with normal pregnancies. The PCR method was employed to assess the presence of specific viruses. In the case group, the average age was 28.74±6.11, while in the control group, it was 31.08±6.48. The study identified cytomegalovirus (CMV), human papillomavirus types (HPV) 16 and 18, herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), and herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) genomes in varying percentages in the case group compared to the control group. Notably, the parvovirus B19 genome was not detected in either group. However, statistical analysis did not indicate a significant difference in the presence of these viruses between the case and control groups. Consistent with some prior research, this study did not find a correlation between viral placental infections and an increased risk of spontaneous abortion. Further research should be conducted with larger sample sizes across different regions to ascertain the true role of viral infections in abortion.

Diabetes mellitus is quite prevalent and causes many complications in different parts of the body. It also affects the quality of life by causing many complications in the oral cavity. This study examined a simple intervention to improve oral and periodontal tissue health and investigate its effect on the patient›s salivary characteristics and blood sugar control. This double-blind clinical trial was performed on 40 patients with type 2 diabetes. Fasting blood sugar (FBS), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C), salivary glucose, amylase, total protein, viscosity, and pH were evaluated before and after scaling and oral hygiene instructions. The obtained data were entered into SPSS 17 statistical software and analyzed using the t-test, MannWhitney, and chi-square tests. After the intervention, the FBS results in both groups (P value=0.015 in the case group and P value=0.017 in the control group) and HbA1C in the case group (P value=0.006) decreased significantly. Also, the difference in salivary viscosity, pH, and glucose between the case group and the control group was significant (P value=0.005, 0.008, and 0.021, respectively). Based on the results of the present study, scaling, and oral hygiene instructions reduce FBS and HbA1C, salivary glucose and amylase and oral conditions, leading to good blood sugar control.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system that occurs when a person is genetically predisposed and exposed to possible environmental factors. Stressful life events have been mentioned as effective factors in the incidence of MS, but the nature of this relationship has not been properly understood yet. The aim of this study is to determine the amount of exposure to stress before the onset of the disease. This case-control study was performed on 34 recently diagnosed MS patients in Yazd, Iran during 2019-2020. Their demographic information and scores on the Paykel questionnaire were collected. In the study population, the women with MS were 26% more than the men. The mean age of catching the disease in the case group was 31.70 ± 8.03. In this study, no significant relationship was found between marital status and the incidence of MS (P = 0.15). Those with an under-diploma level of education obtained a higher stress score. In terms of life stressors in general (P = 0.001), psychosocial stressors (P = 0.011), grief-disappointment (P = 0.013) and individual-family problems (P= 0.0001), there were significant differences between the cases and the controls. In summary, this study shows that stressful life events are more common in MS patients than in healthy individuals. In addition to stress, other factors such as anxiety, coping mechanisms, attitudinal aspects (optimism and pessimism), and the amount of social support should be taken into consideration when dealing with MS.

Sexual function is one of the most important aspects of life and is likely to be affected by the side effects of antihypertensive drugs. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of propranolol and prazosin on the sexual performance of female three-spot gourami. In this study, 84 female three-spot gourami were randomly divided into seven groups, including a control and six experimental groups. The experimental groups were injected with prazosin or propranolol at doses of 1, 2, and 4 mg/kg for twenty days. Finally, the histological morphology of the ovaries and sex hormone levels in the experimental groups were examined. Our experiments showed changes in the oocyte stages, progressing to the cortical and vitellogenesis stages in the treated groups. Additionally, sex hormone levels increased in the groups exposed to that of propranolol and prazosin compared to the controls. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) exhibited a trend similar to the hormonal changes. The weight and length of the fish remained unchanged across the different groups. Our findings indicated that propranolol and prazosin, at the mentioned doses and treatment duration, had a positive effect on the sexual function of female three-spot gourami.

Schwannoma and neurofibroma constitute benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors (BPNSTs), which may present as single or multiple lesions. Multiple schwannomas are rare in the peripheral nerves of the upper extremity. Solitary small schwannoma is usually asymptomatic, while larger and multiple schwannomas may have different symptoms due to pressure effects. Median and ulnar nerve communications are often encountered in the upper limb, making these anastomoses clinically important. However, such communications with schwannomas in the axilla are rare.

Case Report: 

The study protocol was designed per the prevailing guidelines of the Institute on the use of human cadavers for teaching and research. Written informed consent was obtained from the family of the body donor at the time of whole-body donation. The upper extremities, including the brachial plexuses of both sides, were carefully dissected as per the instructions in Cunningham’s Manual of Practical Anatomy15th edition.

Unusual anastomoses in the axilla and two encapsulated, highly vascular fusiform masses were observed. Another fairly large mass was noted on the right chest wall. Histological examination confirmed the masses to be schwannomas.

Asymptomatic schwannomas often remain undiagnosed, and those lying in the axilla can be misdiagnosed. Awareness of such variant anatomy will enable clinicians and surgeons to plan more appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.