Plant-derived medicines for treatment of endometriosis: A comprehensive review of molecular mechanisms.

Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease with inflammatory lesions at extra-uterine sites, causing pelvic pain and fertility reduction. Conventional therapies primarily focus on reducing systemic levels of estrogens; however, they do not have desirable effectiveness and possess considerable side effects. Therefore, there is a growing interest in the use of herbal medicine for the treatment of endometriosis.

A systematic review of nano formulation of natural products for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease: drug delivery and pharmacological targets.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which is classified into Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, are among chronic gastrointestinal diseases with unknown pathogenesis. Diverse strategies have been applied for the treatment of this chronic disease. However, selective and site-specific routes of drug delivery to the inflamed location of the colon remain of high importance.

Anti-Cancerous Potential of Polyphenol-Loaded Polymeric Nanotherapeutics.

Recent evidence has extensively demonstrated the anticancer potential of nutraceuticals, including plant polyphenols. Polymeric nanocarrier systems have played an important role in improving the physicochemical and pharmacological properties of polyphenols, thus ameliorating their therapeutic effectiveness. This article summarizes the benefits and shortcomings of various polymeric systems developed for the delivery of polyphenols in cancer therapy and reveals some ideas for future work.

Setting research priorities to achieve long-term health targets in Iran.

Background: In 2015, it was estimated that the burden of disease in Iran comprised of 19 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), 74% of which were due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The observed leading causes of death were cardiovascular diseases (41.9%), neoplasms (14.

Antiproliferative activity of morpholine-based compounds on MCF-7 breast cancer, colon carcinoma C26, and normal fibroblast NIH-3T3 cell lines and study of their binding affinity to calf thymus-DNA and bovine serum albumin.

This report describes the results of a study on the antiproliferative activity of the morpholine-based ligand 1,3-bis(1-morpholinothiocarbonyl)benzene () and its nickel(II) complex () against human breast cancer cells (MCF-7), colon carcinoma cells (C26), and normal fibroblast NIH-3T3 cells. showed better cytotoxicity on both cancerous cells relative to normal cells with the highest selective index of 2.22 in MCF-7 cells.

Comparison of Direct and Indirect Laser Ablation of Metallized Paper for Inexpensive Paper-Based Sensors.

In this work, we present a systematic study of laser processing of metallized papers (MPs) as a simple and scalable alternative to conventional photolithography-based processes and printing technologies. Two laser-processing methods are examined in terms of selectivity for the removal of the conductive aluminum film (25 nm) of an MP substrate; these processes, namely direct and indirect laser ablation (DLA and ILA), operate at wavelengths of 1.06 μm (neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet) and 10.

Effect of Topical Chamomile Oil on Postoperative Bowel Activity after Cesarean Section: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: Postoperative ileus (POI) is a common complication after surgery that requires a multifactorial therapeutic approach. This study aims to assess the effect of topical chamomile oil on postoperative bowel activity after cesarian section.

Methods: This randomized controlled trial was carried out in 2015 at Chamran Hospital in Iran.

Leptospirosis in pregnancy: A lesson in subtlety.

Introduction: Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by spirochaete of the genus Leptospira. Human infection occurs after exposure to water or soil contaminated by urine from an infected animal. Most patients manifest as self-limited systemic illness.

Post mortem troponin T analysis in sudden death: Is it useful?

Introduction: Cardiac-related diseases contributed approximately 50-60% of sudden natural death cases. This study aimed to describe the cardiac troponin T (cTnT) findings in post mortem subjects irrespective of the cause and manner of death, and the possible use of post mortem serum cTnT as a modality in investigating sudden natural death.

Methods: The study samples comprised 140 subjects aged 18 to 50 years old, natural and unnatural causes of sudden death brought to the Department of Forensic Medicine, Hospital Sungai Buloh (HSgB) and Hospital Sultanah Aminah Johor Bahru (HSAJB) for a period of 12 months.

Maternal voluntary exercise ameliorates learning deficit in rat pups exposed, in utero, to valproic acid; role of BDNF and VEGF and their receptors.

In utero exposure to therapeutic doses of valproic acid (VPA) during pregnancy can produce physical malformation and CNS abnormalities in the offspring. There is evidence indicating that even lower doses of VPA during pregnancy could cause cognitive impairment in offspring. It has been demonstrated that maternal exercise has positive effects on offspring's cognitive function.

Bio-guided fractionation and isolation of active component from Tragopogon graminifolius based on its wound healing property.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Tragopogon graminifolius (T. graminifolius) from Asteraceae family has been used as a remedy in Persian traditional medicine for the treatment of various disorders such as wound healing.

Aim Of The Study: The purpose of this study is to investigate the compounds of T.

Smart Bandage for Monitoring and Treatment of Chronic Wounds.

Chronic wounds are a major health concern and they affect the lives of more than 25 million people in the United States. They are susceptible to infection and are the leading cause of nontraumatic limb amputations worldwide. The wound environment is dynamic, but their healing rate can be enhanced by administration of therapies at the right time.

Specifications of Computerized Provider Order Entry and Clinical Decision Support Systems for Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy: A Systematic Review.

Objective: Chemotherapy medication errors are catastrophic. The prescription phase in the chemotherapy process plays a key role in the creation of medication errors, and therefore the use of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and clinical decision support system (CDS) systems is recommended to reduce chemotherapy medication errors. The purpose of this study was to carry out a systematic review on the specifications of the CPOE and CDS systems for chemotherapy prescription.

Curcumin in Liver Diseases: A Systematic Review of the Cellular Mechanisms of Oxidative Stress and Clinical Perspective.

Oxidative stress has been considered a key causing factor of liver damage induced by a variety of agents, including alcohol, drugs, viral infections, environmental pollutants and dietary components, which in turn results in progression of liver injury, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, non-alcoholic liver disease, liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. During the past 30 years and even after the major progress in the liver disease management, millions of people worldwide still suffer from an acute or chronic liver condition. Curcumin is one of the most commonly used indigenous molecules endowed by various shielding functionalities that protects the liver.

Laser-Enabled Processing of Stretchable Electronics on a Hydrolytically Degradable Hydrogel.

Degradable electronics represent a rapidly emerging field of science and technology with the potential to serve short-term medical implantation applications where the device disappears once its function is complete. Despite many efforts in developing new types of degradable electronics, many of such systems are nonelastic and incompatible with the dynamic motion of native soft/elastic biological tissues. Herein, a photo-crosslinkable hydrogel with integrated electronics that are highly stretchable and degradable in liquid environments is demonstrated.

Fabrication and characterization of implantable flushable electrodes for electric field-mediated drug delivery in a brain tissue-mimic agarose gel.

Every forty minutes, one person dies in the USA due to glioblastoma multiforme; a deadly form of brain cancer with an average five-year survival rate less than 3%. The current standard of care for treatment involves surgical resection of the accessible tumor followed by radiation therapy and concomitant chemotherapy. Despite their potency, delivering chemotherapeutic agents to the brain is limited by the highly selective blood-brain barrier, which prevents molecules >500 Da from reaching the brain.

The Protective Effect of L. in Visceral Hypersensitivity in Rat Using 2 Models of Acid-induced Colitis and Stress-induced Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Possible Role of Nitric Oxide Pathway.

Background/aims: The aim of present study is to estimate the effects of L. (MO) on visceral hypersensitivity (VH), defecation pattern and biochemical factors in 2 experimental models of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the possible role of nitric oxide.

Methods: Two individual models of IBS were induced in male Wistar-albino rats.

Chemokines: Critical Regulators of Memory T Cell Development, Maintenance, and Function.

Memory T cells are central to orchestrating antigen-specific recall responses in vivo. Compared to naïve T cells, memory T cells respond more quickly to cognate peptide:MHC with a shorter lag time for entering the cell cycle and exerting effector functions. However, it is now well established that this enhanced responsiveness is not the only mechanism whereby memory T cells are better equipped than naïve T cells to rapidly and robustly induce inflammation.

Aloysia citrodora Paláu (Lemon verbena): A review of phytochemistry and pharmacology.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Aloysia citrodora Paláu (Lippia citriodora Kunth), commonly known as "lemon verbena" is a medicinal plant native to South America, North Africa, and South of Europe which is used by native people for several indications such as diarrhea, flatulence, insomnia, and rheumatism.

Aim Of The Review: Despite the wide biological activities of lemon verbena, there is no current review summarizing medicinal properties of the plant; thus, this paper aims to discuss current state of the art regarding the phytochemistry, pharmacology, and therapeutic applications of A. citrodora considering in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies.

The frequency of hypothyroidism and its relationship with HCV positivity in patients with thalassemia major in southern Iran.

Introduction: Hypothyroidism is one the most complication due to iron overload in patients with β-thalassemia major (TM). On the other hand these patients are prone to Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection that can cause  thyroid dysfunction by itself or as the side effect of treatment with interferon (INF) or IFN plus ribavirin. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association of hypothyroidism with HCV positivity and serum ferritin levels in patients with TM.

The effect of CYP1A2 genotype on the ergogenic properties of caffeine during resistance exercise: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of CYP1A2 -163C>A polymorphism on the ergogenic effects of caffeine supplementation during a resistance exercise (RE) session.

Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo (PL)-controlled, crossover study, 30 resistance-trained men took part in two RE sessions (three sets to failure at 85% of one repetition maximum, 2-min rest between sets), including bench press (BP), leg press (LP), seated cable row, and shoulder press (SP) following caffeine (CAF) (6 mg kg) or PL (6 mg kg of maltodextrin) ingestion 1 h prior to the trial. The number of repetitions was recorded after each set, along with calculation of total number of repetitions for each exercise.

Dietary Plants for the Prevention and Management of Kidney Stones: Preclinical and Clinical Evidence and Molecular Mechanisms.

Kidney stones are one of the oldest known and common diseases in the urinary tract system. Various human studies have suggested that diets with a higher intake of vegetables and fruits play a role in the prevention of kidney stones. In this review, we have provided an overview of these dietary plants, their main chemical constituents, and their possible mechanisms of action.

Medicinal Plants in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Perspective of Traditional Persian Medicine.

Background: Neurodegenerative diseases are a progressive loss of structure and/or function of neurons. Weak therapeutic response and progressive nature of the diseases, as well as a wide range of side effects caused by conventional therapeutic approaches make patients seek for complementary and alternative medicine.

Objective: The aim of the present paper is to discuss the neuropharmacological basis of medicinal plants and their principle phytochemicals which have been used in traditional Persian medicine for different types of neurodegenerative diseases.

Silymarin ameliorates expression of urotensin II (U-II) and its receptor (UTR) and attenuates toxic oxidative stress in the heart of rats with type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Urotensin II ((U-II)) and its receptor (UTR) are involved in the progression of CVD through enhancement in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Since silymarin (SMN) is a natural agent with anti-diabetic effects, this study aimed to investigate the antioxidant potency of SMN on the expression of (U-II)/UTR system and oxidative stress status in the heart of type 2 diabetic rats.