Reference Interval for Non-HDL-Cholesterol, Remnant Cholesterol and Other Lipid Parameters in the Southern Iranian Population; Findings From Bandare Kong and Fasa Cohort Studies.

Background: Growing evidence shows the undisputable role of non-HDL-C and remnant cholesterol (remnant-C) in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment and treatment. However, the reference interval (RI) for these lipid parameters is not readily available. The aim of the present investigation was to determine the age and sex-specific RIs for non-HDL-C and remnant-C as well as other lipid parameters among a healthy population in southern Iran.

Lipid-liquid crystals for 2 months controlled risperidone release: In-vitro evaluation and pharmacokinetics in rabbits.

In this study, a drug delivery system based on lipid liquid crystal (LLC) was developed for the long-term delivery of risperidone to improve psychological treatment. Optimal LLC formulation was achieved based on maximum release after 60 days with different ratios of phosphatidylcholine (PC) to sorbitol monooleate (PC: SMO), tween grade 80 (w/w %), and tocopherol acetate (TA) (w/w %) using the Box-Behnken method. In vitro and ex vivo studies, pharmacokinetics, and histopathological examination in rabbits were conducted to compare the optimal LLC with Risperdal CONSTA®.

Enhanced gene delivery by polyethyleneimine coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles.

Due to large surface area, tunable pore size, easy surface manipulation, and low-toxicity mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) may act as a suitable vector for gene delivery. In order to make MSNs as a suitable gene delivery system, we modified the surface of phosphonated MSNs (PMSN) with polyethyleneimine (PEI) 10 and 25 KDa. Then nanoparticles were loaded with chloroquine (CQ) (a lysosomotropic agent) and complexed with plasmid DNA.

Diversin, from Ferula diversivittata protects human lymphocytes against oxidative stress induced by H₂O₂.

In this study, the antigenotoxic effects of diversin, a prenylated coumarin obtained from Ferula diversivittata roots were evaluated using comet assay. Isolated lymphocytes from healthy volunteers' blood samples were incubated with diversin (10, 25, 50, 100, 200 and 400 µM) alone, or in the presence of H2O2 (25 µM). DNA break was measured based on the %tail DNA and compared with different concentrations of curcumin (10, 25 and 50 µM) as the positive control.

Fuzzy modeling and control of HIV infection.

The present study proposes a fuzzy mathematical model of HIV infection consisting of a linear fuzzy differential equations (FDEs) system describing the ambiguous immune cells level and the viral load which are due to the intrinsic fuzziness of the immune system's strength in HIV-infected patients. The immune cells in question are considered CD4+ T-cells and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs). The dynamic behavior of the immune cells level and the viral load within the three groups of patients with weak, moderate, and strong immune systems are analyzed and compared.