The effects of advanced age on electrocardiographic parameters, lipid profile and redox balance in male rats: role of long-term cinnamon consumption.

Background: Oxidative stress damages biological molecules and plays a role in aging-related cardiovascular diseases. is a major source of antioxidants that may work against age-related cardiovascular changes.

Aims: This study aimed to assess the changes in electrocardiography and lipid profile as well as indicators of the oxidant-antioxidant system with advanced age in rats.

Engineering Microgel Packing to Tailor the Physical and Biological Properties of Gelatin Methacryloyl Granular Hydrogel Scaffolds.

Granular hydrogel scaffolds (GHS) are fabricated via placing hydrogel microparticles (HMP) in close contact (packing), followed by physical and/or chemical interparticle bond formation. Gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) GHS have recently emerged as a promising platform for biomedical applications; however, little is known about how the packing of building blocks, physically crosslinked soft GelMA HMP, affects the physical (pore microarchitecture and mechanical/rheological properties) and biological (in vitro and in vivo) attributes of GHS. Here, the GHS pore microarchitecture is engineered via the external (centrifugal) force-induced packing and deformation of GelMA HMP to regulate GHS mechanical and rheological properties, as well as biological responses in vitro and in vivo.

Multifunctional self-healing hydrogels via nanoengineering of colloidal and polymeric cellulose.

The unique features of self-healing hydrogels hold great potential for biomedical applications including injectable hydrogels for cancer treatment, procedures for tumor removal or resection. However, the fabrication of durable and multifunctional self-healing hydrogels composed of biocompatible, green building blocks via versatile synthetic methodology continues to pose a significant challenge. Here, we engineered dialdehyde cellulose (DAC, as a macromolecular bio-crosslinker), and electrosterically stabilized nanocrystalline cellulose (ENCC, as a ligand-targeted drug carrier) to facilitate a strategy for the construction of self-healing hydrogels.

Oral health knowledge, attitude, and performance of teachers and healthcare workers in special schools for the disabled children in Isfahan.

Oral health is an important aspect of general health, and is of great importance, especially in disabled children. A school is an ideal place for the implementation of preventive programs. Considering the significance of the prevention of dental caries and periodontal disease in disabled children, and the important role of teachers in the oral health promotion of students, this study aimed to assess the oral health knowledge, attitude, and performance of teachers and healthcare workers in special schools for the disabled children in Isfahan.

Iron inhibits glioblastoma cell migration and polarization.

Glioblastoma is one of the deadliest malignancies facing modern oncology today. The ability of glioblastoma cells to diffusely spread into neighboring healthy brain makes complete surgical resection nearly impossible and contributes to the recurrent disease faced by most patients. Although research into the impact of iron on glioblastoma has addressed proliferation, there has been little investigation into how cellular iron impacts the ability of glioblastoma cells to migrate-a key question, especially in the context of the diffuse spread observed in these tumors.

Accelerating Patterned Vascularization Using Granular Hydrogel Scaffolds and Surgical Micropuncture.

Bulk hydrogel scaffolds are common in reconstructive surgery. They allow for the staged repair of soft tissue loss by providing a base for revascularization. Unfortunately, they are limited by both slow and random vascularization, which may manifest as treatment failure or suboptimal repair.

Dynein-Powered Cell Locomotion Guides Metastasis of Breast Cancer.

The principal cause of death in cancer patients is metastasis, which remains an unresolved problem. Conventionally, metastatic dissemination is linked to actomyosin-driven cell locomotion. However, the locomotion of cancer cells often does not strictly line up with the measured actomyosin forces.

Phycocyanin as a nature-inspired antidiabetic agent: A systematic review.

Background: Nutraceuticals have been important for more than two decades for their safety, efficacy, and outstanding effects. Diabetes is a major metabolic syndrome, which may be improved using nutritional pharmaceuticals. Some microalgae species, such as spirulina, stand out by providing biomass with exceptional nutritional properties.

Isfahan general dentist's awareness, attitude, and performance regarding prescription of new caries prevention materials containing calcium and fluoride components.

Background: Fluoride Ion can cause remineralization of primary caries lesions in the presence of calcium and phosphate. New compounds of calcium-containing casein phosphopeptides-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP), make the remineralization more effective. This research has been done to evaluate the awareness, attitude, and performance of Isfahan general dentists regarding the prescription of new caries prevention materials containing calcium and fluoride components.

Dynein-Powered Cell Locomotion Guides Metastasis of Breast Cancer.

Metastasis is a principal cause of death in cancer patients, which remains an unresolved fundamental and clinical problem. Conventionally, metastatic dissemination is linked to the actomyosin-driven cell locomotion. However, locomotion of cancer cells often does not strictly line up with the measured actomyosin forces.

Gelatin Methacryloyl Granular Hydrogel Scaffolds: High-throughput Microgel Fabrication, Lyophilization, Chemical Assembly, and 3D Bioprinting.

The emergence of granular hydrogel scaffolds (GHS), fabricated via assembling hydrogel microparticles (HMPs), has enabled microporous scaffold formation in situ. Unlike conventional bulk hydrogels, interconnected microscale pores in GHS facilitate degradation-independent cell infiltration as well as oxygen, nutrient, and cellular byproduct transfer. Methacryloyl-modified gelatin (GelMA), a (photo)chemically crosslinkable, protein-based biopolymer containing cell adhesive and biodegradable moieties, has widely been used as a cell-responsive/instructive biomaterial.

Nanoengineered Granular Hydrogel Bioinks with Preserved Interconnected Microporosity for Extrusion Bioprinting.

3D bioprinting of granular hydrogels comprising discrete hydrogel microparticles (microgels) may overcome the intrinsic structural limitations of bulk (nanoporous) hydrogel bioinks, enabling the fabrication of modular thick tissue constructs. The additive manufacturing of granular scaffolds has predominantly relied on highly jammed microgels to render the particulate suspensions shear yielding and extrudable. This inevitably compromises void spaces between microgels (microporosity), defeating rapid cell penetration, facile metabolite and oxygen transfer, and cell viability.

Effect of red beetroot juice on oxidative status and islet insulin release in adult male rats.

Introduction: Beetroot is rich in inorganic nitrate and it has been shown that inorganic nitrate has beneficial effects on metabolic syndrome. This study aims to investigate the effect of red beetroot juice (RBJ) on carbohydrate metabolism in adult insulin-resistant rats.

Materials And Methods: Sixteen male Wistar rats (32 weeks old) were divided into two equal groups: control and RBJ.

An insight to the therapeutic potential of algae-derived sulfated polysaccharides and polyunsaturated fatty acids: Focusing on the COVID-19.

Covid-19 pandemic severely affected human health worldwide. The rapidly increasing COVID-19 cases and successive mutations of the virus have made it a major challenge for scientists to find the best and efficient drug/vaccine/strategy to counteract the virus pathogenesis. As a result of research in scientific databases, regulating the immune system and its responses with nutrients and nutritional interventions is the most critical solution to prevent and combat this infection.

Sex-specific endothelial dysfunction induced by high-cholesterol diet in rats: The role of protein tyrosine kinase and nitric oxide.

Background And Aims: Atherosclerosis is a chronic process playing a crucial role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Sex-specific differences in the incidence of atherosclerosis indicate that estrogen has a protective effect on the cardiovascular disease. However, the role of sex on endothelium responses in animal models of high cholesterol (HC) diet-induced atherosclerosis has not been fully investigated.

The Effect of Cinnamaldehyde on iNOS Activity and NO-Induced Islet Insulin Secretion in High-Fat-Diet Rats.

Introduction: Obesity and insulin resistance are associated with alterations in nitric oxide level and insulin secretion. Previous studies demonstrated that cinnamaldehyde (CNMA) improved islet insulin secretion and restored nitric oxide (NO) level, but its underlying mechanisms have not been investigated. This study aimed to investigate the effect of CNMA on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity and NO-induced islet insulin secretion in high-fat-diet (HFD) treated rats.

3D bioprinting for reconstituting the cancer microenvironment.

The cancer microenvironment is known for its complexity, both in its content as well as its dynamic nature, which is difficult to study using two-dimensional (2D) cell culture models. Several advances in tissue engineering have allowed more physiologically relevant three-dimensional (3D) in vitro cancer models, such as spheroid cultures, biopolymer scaffolds, and cancer-on-a-chip devices. Although these models serve as powerful tools for dissecting the roles of various biochemical and biophysical cues in carcinoma initiation and progression, they lack the ability to control the organization of multiple cell types in a complex dynamic 3D architecture.

GABAB Receptor Blockade Prevents Antiepileptic Action of Ghrelin in the Rat Hippocampus.

Purpose: Ghrelin has been shown to have antiepileptic function. However, the underlying mechanisms by which, ghrelin exerts its antiepileptic effects are still unclear. In the present study; we investigated antiepileptic mechanism of ghrelin through GABAB receptors using CGP35348 (selective GABAB receptor antagonist).

NPY Receptors Blockade Prevents Anticonvulsant Action of Ghrelin in the Hippocampus of Rat.

Purpose: Ghrelin has been shown to have antiepileptic function. However, the underlying mechanisms by which, ghrelin exerts its antiepileptic effects are still unclear. In the present study, we investigated whether neuropeptide Y (NPY) mediates ghrelin anticonvulsant effect in the brain through its Y1, Y2 or Y5 receptors.

Does ghrelin level change after epileptic seizure in rats?

Aim: Epilepsy is one of the most common neurologic problems worldwide. A relationship between epilepsy and hormones has been demonstrated. This study was designed to investigate the effect of seizure on blood ghrelin level.