Expression, Functional Polymorphism, and Diagnostic Values of MIAT rs2331291 and H19 rs217727 Long Non-Coding RNAs in Cerebral Ischemic Stroke Egyptian Patients.

Cerebral ischemic stroke (CIS) is a severe cerebral vascular event. This research aimed to evaluate the role of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the lncRNAs MIAT rs2331291 and H19 rs217727 and epigenetic methylation in the expression patterns of serum lncRNA H19 in CIS Egyptian patients. It included 80 CIS cases and 40 healthy subjects.

Mechanistic insights into the protective role of eugenol against stress-induced reproductive dysfunction in female rat model.

The challenging and highly demanding life rhythm nowadays subjects people to unavoidable chronic stress. Chronic stress is associated with a wide array of serious health complications including neuroendocrine dysregulations. Women are more prone to chronic stress-related hormonal disturbances and their physical and psychological consequences, especially reproductive impairment.

Fenofibrate mitigates testosterone induced benign prostatic hyperplasia via regulation of Akt/FOXO3a pathway and modulation of apoptosis and proliferation in rats.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most age-related health problems that commonly affect men. Regrettably, many individuals may not respond to current medical therapies or develop resistance to them. Accordingly, this study aimed to uncover how potentially fenofibrate, a lipid lowering agent, can ameliorate the induced BPH in rats.

rs62139665 Polymorphism in the Promoter Region of EpCAM Is Associated With Hepatitis C Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk in Egyptians.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a universal health problem that is particularly alarming in Egypt. The major risk factor for HCC is hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection which is a main burden in Egypt. The epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a stem cell marker involved in the tumorigenesis and progression of many malignancies, including HCC.

Serum Long Non-Coding RNAs PVT1, HOTAIR, and NEAT1 as Potential Biomarkers in Egyptian Women with Breast Cancer.

Long non-coding RNAs play an important role in tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis in several types of cancer. However, the clinical significance of using lncRNAs as biomarkers for breast cancer diagnosis and prognosis is still poorly investigated. In this study, we analyzed the serum expression levels of lncRNAs PVT1, HOTAIR, NEAT1, and MALAT1, and their associated proteins, PAI-1, and OPN, in breast cancer patients compared to fibroadenoma patients and healthy subjects.

Esculetin and idebenone ameliorate galactose-induced cataract in a rat model.

Cataract is the principal cause of blindness. The enzyme, aldose reductase (AR) is a key player in polyol pathway. Buildup of polyols and oxidative stress are the main causes of cataractogenesis.

rs2267531, a promoter SNP within glypican-3 gene in the X chromosome, is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma in Egyptians.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major health concern in Egypt owing to the high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. HCC incidence is characterized by obvious male predominance, yet the molecular mechanisms behind this gender bias are still unidentified. Functional variations in X-linked genes have more impact on males than females.

Resveratrol and dimethyl fumarate ameliorate testicular dysfunction caused by chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced depression in rats.

Chronic stress is a major factor contributing to male infertility. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that resveratrol or dimethyl fumarate (DMF) has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions. Our study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of resveratrol or DMF against testicular dysfunction associated with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depression in rats.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in SMAD7 and CHI3L1 and Colorectal Cancer Risk.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading cancers throughout the world. It represents the third most common cancer and the fourth in mortality. Most of CRC are sporadic, arise with no known high-penetrant genetic variation and with no previous family history.

Resveratrol and dimethyl fumarate ameliorate depression-like behaviour in a rat model of chronic unpredictable mild stress.

Chronic stress occurs in everyday life and induces depression. Emerging evidence shows that oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis are main contributing pathophysiologic mechanisms of depression. Resveratrol and dimethyl fumarate (DMF) are natural antioxidants that have diverse biological activities.

Association of genetic variants of hemostatic genes with myocardial infarction in Egyptian patients.

Hemostatic genes polymorphisms are well known to be associated with venous thrombosis, but their association with arterial thrombosis especially myocardial infarction (MI) remains to be clarified. We investigated the role of three hemostatic gene polymorphisms, prothrombin G20210A, factor XIII (FXIII) Val34Leu (G/T), and fibrinogen-β-455G/A and their coexistence in Egyptian patients with MI. The possible correlation of these polymorphisms with plasma fibrinogen level was also evaluated.

Local renin-angiotensin system regulates the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into insulin-producing cells through angiotensin type 2 receptor.

Differentiation of stem cells into insulin-producing cells (IPCs) suitable for therapeutic transplantation offers a desperately needed approach for the diabetic patients. Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms during the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into IPCs assists the successful production of IPCs and provides an important insight into the improvement of the role of MSCs as a therapeutic tool for diabetes mellitus (DM). The present study aimed to investigate the role of local renin-angiotensin system (RAS) on MSCs differentiation into IPCs by measuring the expression of local RAS in MSCs during the differentiation into IPCs and assessing the effect of angiotensin type 1 receptor (ATR) blocker and angiotensin type 2 receptor (ATR) blocker on the differentiation process.

Study of microRNAs-21/221 as potential breast cancer biomarkers in Egyptian women.

microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in cancer prognosis. They are small molecules, approximately 17-25 nucleotides in length, and their high stability in human serum supports their use as novel diagnostic biomarkers of cancer and other pathological conditions. In this study, we analyzed the expression patterns of miR-21 and miR-221 in the serum from a total of 100 Egyptian female subjects with breast cancer, fibroadenoma, and healthy control subjects.

Are SMAD7 rs4939827 and CHI3L1 rs4950928 polymorphisms associated with colorectal cancer in Egyptian patients?

A wide variety of genes have been associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) development and progression. The SMAD7 gene encodes an intracellular protein, which inhibits the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling pathway, thereby having a key role in the control of neoplastic processes in various organs. The CHI3L1 gene encodes glycoprotein YKL-40, which plays a role in cell proliferation, anti-apoptosis, and angiogenesis.

Resveratrol and curcumin ameliorate di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate induced testicular injury in rats.

The present study aimed to evaluate the protective role of resveratrol and curcumin on oxidative testicular damage induced by di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Male Wistar rats were divided into six groups; three groups received oral daily doses of DEHP (2g/kgBW) for 45days to induce testicular injury. Two of these groups received either resveratrol (80mg/kgBW) or curcumin (200mg/kgBW) orally for 30days before and 45days after DEHP administration.

Single-nucleotide polymorphism of Toll-like receptor 4 and interleukin-10 in response to interferon-based therapy in Egyptian chronic hepatitis C patients.

Egypt has the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the world. It has been suggested that not only the virus but also the interaction between the virus and the host immune system is important in determining the course of the infection and the response to interferon (IFN)-based therapy. While the adaptive immune system plays a critical role in HCV infection, the innate immune system has only been recognized recently.

Chronic effects of clozapine administration on insulin resistance in rats: evidence for adverse metabolic effects.

Chronic treatment with the atypical antipsychotics clozapine has been associated with an increased risk for deterioration of glucose homeostasis, leading to hyperglycemia and insulin resistance diabetes. The present study mainly aimed to investigate possible mechanisms underlying clozapine-induced hyperglycemia. Male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into two groups (each consists of 12 rats).

Inhibitory effect of a standardized pomegranate fruit extract on Wnt signalling in 1, 2-dimethylhydrazine induced rat colon carcinogenesis.

Background: De-regulation of Wnt signalling is increasingly being implicated in both experimental and human carcinogenesis including colon cancer.

Aims: Our goal was to identify possible dietary agents that block Wnt signalling as a step toward investigating new strategies for suppression of colon cancer. Pomegranate extract has emerged as an intriguing candidate due to its polyphenolic content.

Differential microRNAs expression in serum of patients with lung cancer, pulmonary tuberculosis, and pneumonia.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play critical regulatory roles in the physiological and pathological processes. The high stability of miRNAs in human serum represents attractive novel diagnostic biomarkers of clinical conditions. Several studies have shown that aberrant expression of miRNAs in human cancer including lung cancer, but little is known about their effects on some infectious lung diseases such as pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and pneumonia.

Impact of single nucleotide polymorphism in tumor necrosis factor-α gene 308G/A in Egyptian asthmatic children and wheezing infants.

Bronchial asthma is a common disease with multiple determinants that include genetic variation. Although tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) is a major pro-inflammatory cytokine, the functions of genetic polymorphisms in this cytokine has not been thoroughly examined in the context of asthma pathology. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in TNF-α is associated with asthma and wheezing and whether the association is related to the severity of the disease and other epidemiological factors.

Vaspin gene in rat adipose tissue: relation to obesity-induced insulin resistance.

Visceral adipose fat has been claimed to be the link between obesity and insulin resistance through the released adipokines. This study aimed to assess the expression of vaspin as one of the recent adipokines in rats abdominal subcutaneous and visceral fat in diet-induced obese (DIO) and in DIO performing 3 weeks swimming exercise (DIO + EXE) compared to control and control + exercise (C + EXE) groups. Vaspin mRNA and protein expression assessed using RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis revealed vaspin expression in DIO and DIO + EXE but not in controls groups.