Protective Effects of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Extract against Diabetes-Induced Heart Abnormality in Rats.

Background: Diabetic cardiomyopathy is an important causal factor in morbidity and mortality among diabetic patients, and currently, no effective means are available to reverse its pathological progress. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of ginger extract on apolipoproteins (apo) A and B, hyperhomocysteinemia, cathepsin G and leptin changes, as well as cardiac fibrosis and heart muscle cell proliferation under hyperglycemic conditions in vivo.

Methods: Twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided into three groups, namely: control, non-treated diabetic, and ginger extract-treated diabetic groups.

The protective effect of vitamin E against prenatal and early postnatal ethanol treatment-induced heart abnormality in rats: a 3-month follow-up study.

Ethanol consumption during pregnancy is associated with fetal heart malformation. However, the underlying mechanism of prenatal ethanol exposure causing heart malfunction is not well known. The current study examined the effect of prenatal and early postnatal ethanol consumption on heart abnormality resulting from oxidative and inflammatory stress.

Ethanol promotes rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation via increase of homocysteine and oxidized-low-density lipoprotein.

Background: Increased levels of homocysteine and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) are considered independent risk factors for atherosclerosis. However, no previous study has examined the effects of ethanol-induced increase of homocysteine and Ox-LD on aortic vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between ethanol consumption, increase in homocysteine, Ox-LDL, and aortic VSMC proliferation in rats.

Vasoprotective effect of vitamin E: rescue of ethanol-induced atherosclerosis and inflammatory stress in rat vascular wall.

Chronic ethanol consumption increases the incidence of cardiovascular disease. The mechanisms underlying ethanol-induced susceptibility to cardiovascular disease continue to be defined. This study examines the hypothesis that chronic ethanol consumption plausibly induces vascular wall abnormalities via inflammatory reactions.

Effects of vitamin E on pathological changes induced by diabetes in rat lungs.

Twenty-fourmale rats were divided into three groups: Control (C), non-treated diabetic (NTD), and vitamin E-treated diabetic (VETD) groups. After 6 weeks, we evaluated the changes in the alveolar epithelium, alveolar septum thickness, Hcy, and cathepsin G levels in the lung tissue and plasma serine protease inhibitor levels.The results revealed a significant increase in alveolar septum thickness, a high number of type II pneumocytes, high number of glycogen granules, increased vascular elastic membrane thickness, and increased Hcy and cathepsin G levels in the diabetic rats.

Long-term ethanol consumption initiates atherosclerosis in rat aorta through inflammatory stress and endothelial dysfunction.

Controversy exists on whether alcohol has a direct cardioprotective effect or it provokes atherosclerosis, so the present study sought to assess the effect of chronic consumption of ethanol on the markers of endothelial function, vessel rigidity, and atherosclerosis in the aorta of rat. Male Wistar rats were selected randomly and exposed to ethanol (4.5g⁄kg of 20% w/v solution in saline) once per day for 6weeks.

Decreased blood pressure with a corresponding decrease in adhesive molecules in diabetic rats caused by vitamin E administration.

Background: Hypertension is one of the important clinical problems of diabetic cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of vitamin E on blood pressure parameters and adhesive molecule amounts in diabetic rats.

Methods: Twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided into three groups (each of n = 8): the controls (C), non-treated diabetic (NTD), and vitamin E treated diabetic (VETD) groups.

Synergistic effects of glutamine and ciprofloxacin in reduction of Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced septic shock severity.

Background: Systemic inflammatory response induced by over expressing inflammatory mediators is the main pathogenic mechanism of septic shock. Glutamine (Gln) has been demonstrated to inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokine release through enhanced heat shock protein (HSP) expression.

Objective: To assess the effect of co-administration of Gln and antibiotic ciprofloxacin in reduction of septic shock severity caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in mice.

Impact of triple negative phenotype on prognosis and early onset of breast cancer in Iranian females.

Background: Breast cancer in Iranian women occurs about a decade earlier than in Western countries. This study sought to evaluate the impact of triple negative phenotype on early onset of ductal cell breast cancer and its prognosis in Iranian females.

Methods: Estrogen and progesterone receptors, Her-2 overexpression and nuclear accumulation of P53 were assessed in sixty surgically resected formalin-fixed paraffin embedded breast invasive ductal carcinomas.

Endobronchial metastasis from oral fibrosarcoma 13 years after treatment of primary tumor.

Endobronchial metastasis (EBM) is uncommon and frequently is seen in renal, breast, and colorectal carcinomas. Other reported primary tumors include melanoma, sarcomas, and tumors of the uterine cervix, testis, ovary, prostate, thyroid, pancreas, and adrenal glands. With reviewing the literature, we were able to find only one report of EBM from fibrosarcoma (in Spanish).

Cardioprotective effect of vitamin E: rescues of diabetes-induced cardiac malfunction, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in rat.

Aim: This study was designed to assess the effect of vitamin E on cardiac autonomic neuropathy, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and the status of oxidative stress in the heart under hyperglycemic conditions, in vivo.

Methods: Wistar male rats (n=16) were made hyperglycemic by streptozotocin at 6 months of age. Normal Wistar rats (n=8) of the same age were used as the control group.

Recurrent laryngeal papillomatosis with bronchopulmonary spread in a 70-year-old man.

Recurrent laryngeal papillomatosis (RRLP) which is characterized by wart like growths in the larynx is a rare benign disease seen in children and young adults and a few cases are reported in old aged adults. The spread of RRLP throughout the respiratory tract occurs rarely; and involvement of the distal bronchi, bronchioles, and lung parenchyma is very rare. We report a case of tracheobronchial and pulmonary spread of RRLP in a 70-year-old man after two previous surgeries.

The effect of post-burn local hyperthermia on the reducing burn injury: the possible role of opioids.

Purpose: This paper studied the effect of post-burn local hyperthermia on burn induced injury.

Methods: A second-degree burn injury was induced on the right and left flanks of Balb/c mice. Thirty-two burn wounds were divided into four groups.