Frontiers in bioscience (Scholar edition)最新文献

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM), a prevalent non-communicable disease, is a metabolic condition involving defective pancreatic β-cells and/or insulin resistance. Researchers are presently exploring traditional medicinal plants to identify alternatives for treating diabetes due to the various disadvantage of current anti-diabetic medicines.

Objective: The present study evaluated the anti-hyperglycaemic effects of ethanol extracts of five medicinal plants (EEMPs) (Gynura nepalensis, Glochidion thomsonii, Clerodendrum splendens, Clerodendrum infortunatum and Xanthium strumarium) which are traditionally used as an ethnomedicine to treat diabetes and numerous other health problems.

Methods: High-fat fed (HFF) obese rats were used to perform acute in vivo tests, including oral glucose tolerance, feeding test, metabolic studies, and gastrointestinal motility using BaSO4 milk solution. Priliminary phytochemical screening were performed to discover the presence or absence of alkaloids, tannins, saponins, steroids, glycosides, flavonoids, and reducing sugars in extracts.

Results: Oral administration of ethanol extracts (250 mg/kg, body weight), along with glucose (18 mmoL/kg body weight), ameliorated glucose tolerance (p < 0.05-0.01). In addition, the extracts improved gut motility (250 mg/kg; p < 0.05-0.001), as well as reduced food intake during the feeding test (250 mg/kg; p < 0.05-0.001). Phytochemical screening of these medicinal plants depicted the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, saponins, steroids and reducing sugars.

Conclusions: Phytochemicals such as flavonoids, tannins and saponins may be responsible for the glucose-lowering properties for these plants. Additional research is warranted to fully identify the bioactive phytomolecules and mechanistic pathways that might lead to the development of a viable, cost-effective type 2 diabetes therapy.

Herbal medicine was used since the old time in the treatment of different types of diseases in Sefrou province, Morocco. However, few studies have been carried out to identify local medicinal flora and to scientifically document the knowledge of the traditional use of these medicinal plants by the population. This study aims to investigate the medicinal plants in Sefrou province, record their usage in folk medicine by the population and evaluate the hypotensive effect of selected plants using in vitro vascular activity. For that, an ethnobotanical survey was conducted among the Arabs and Amazighs population of Sefrou province from January 2017 to December 2018. The survey was conducted through oral interviews with a structured questionnaire. It covered those who knew and/or used plants for medicinal purposes, retailers, and wholesalers, and also included ecological repartition as well as the mode of administration. Then we selected some plants to evaluate the antihypertensive activity based on the in vitro bioassay. A total of 134 medicinal plants belonging to 52 families were identified; 61% are wild species, 49 (36%) are cultivated and 4 (3%) are cultivated as well as spontaneous. Medicinal plants used in Sefrou folk medicine have been investigated for their antihypertensive activity. They were selected based on their usage as cardiotonic, diuretics, and other uses related to the symptoms of hypertension. Most of the plants tested in this study were found to be more sensitive to relaxing contractions induced by noradrenaline. Out of 32 species examined, 14 (44%) showed more than 50% inhibition in isolated rat aortic rings, the vasorelaxant activity of these plants used for the screening was mostly inhibited by pre-treatment with N-ω-nitro-L-arginine (L-NOArg). The plants inventoried are alleged to be active against 104 therapeutic indications. Nine common symptoms are widely treated in indigenous pharmacopeia: gastrointestinal (19 plants), renal (27 plants), broncho-pulmonary system (7 plants), skin (13 species), diabetes (12 plants), cardiovascular (13 plants), eye, ear, nose, teeth, and throat diseases (5 plants); gynecological disorders (6 plants); rheumatism and gnawing pain (11 plants). 14% (19 species) of the plant inventoried are traded on a large scale and scope and more than 90 percent of the medicinal plants purchased from Sefrou go to big cities for export. The expansion of unregulated trade and commercial use of medicinal and aromatic plants poses a major threat to biodiversity in the region. Overall, people in Sefrou hold rich knowledge of herbal medicine. The vasorelaxant activity proved for the documented plants will provide a basis for other preclinical and clinical investigations.

Background: Mandibular first molars appear to be the most commonly tooth subjected to a root canal treatment, therefore a better understanding of the anatomy critical zones for resistance of this teeth may decrease the treatment's failure rate. So, this study was conducted to evaluate the dentin thickness of the danger zone in mesial roots of mandibular first molars using cone beam computed tomography in an Iranian population.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 210 Cone Beam Computed Tomography acquisition of the mandibular first molars were collected from a radiology center in Qazvin. The dentin thickness of the mesial roots (mesiobuccal and mesiolingual canals) was measured from the furcation to 5 mm below. The relationship between the dentin thickness in the danger zone and parameters, like age, gender, placement side, root length, the curvature of the canal, canal type, presence of middle mesial canal, and distance between the orifices of the mesial canals was investigated. Frequency, mean and standard deviation for variables were calculated, and data analysis was done by SPSS using simple and multiple linear regression and Pearson correlation coefficient. Also, two-sample t-test was used to compare mesiobuccal and mesiolingual on two sides. The significant level was also considered at (p < 0.05).

Results: The average minimum thickness of danger zone dentin was found to be 0.885 ± 0.259 mm in the mesiobuccal canal and 0.906 ± 0.206 mm in the mesiolingualcanal. Also, the minimum thickness of dentin in the mesiobuccal and mesiolingual canals in the range of 0 to 1 mm from the furcation was more than in other areas. There was no significant relationship between the minimum dentin thickness of the danger zone with gender, placement side, root length, canal type, and mesial canal entrance distance. But with increasing age, the thickness of dentin in the danger zone in the mesiolingualcanal increased significantly (p = 0.008). It was also observed that with the increase in the curvature of the canal, the thickness of the dentin in the danger zone in the mesiobuccal canal decreased (moderately curved (p = 0.008), severely curved (p = 0.046)). In addition, the thickness of the dentin in the mesiobuccal and mesiolingual canal was less in the samples with the middle mesial canal (p = 0.047, 0.044).

Conclusions: Less dentin thickness in the danger zone in the mesial roots of mesiolingual mandibular first molars was seen in younger patients in mesiolingual canal, with a greater degree of canal curvature in the mesiobuccal canal and teeth with a middle mesial canal. Therefore, it is suggested that large taper instruments should be used with more precision to prevent complications.

While breast cancer is a common disease with many available treatment options, many patients still have limited responses, especially those with metastatic breast cancer. Surgery of the primary tumor or metastatic sites is often not part of the treatment regimen for patients with metastatic breast cancer. Cryoablation is a relatively non-invasive procedure that is being investigated for patients with breast cancer. Patients with metastatic breast cancer who are not surgical candidates may derive benefit from cryoablation through the abscopal effect. In this case report, we present a patient with stage IV breast cancer who was treated with cryoablation of the primary breast tumor and showed evidence of an abscopal effect in regional and distant metastases.

Traditional herbal medicine is still used for basic healthcare by a significant portion of the population in developing countries. This study aimed to explore the medicinal plant's diversity and to document related traditional knowledge in the Safi region of Morocco. We used semi-structured questionnaires to interview 222 informants living in the study area. To perform data analysis, we used quantitative indices like use value (UV), family use value (FUV), fidelity level (FL), the relative popularity level (RPL), rank of order priority (ROP), and informant consensus factor (ICF). We reported the ethnomedicinal uses of 144 medicinal plants belonging to 64 families. According to the findings, the dominating families were Lamiaceae (17 taxa), Asteraceae (15 taxa), and Apiaceae (12 taxa). The most commonly utilized plant part (48%) was leaves. The decoction was reported as the main preparation method (42%). Highly cited plant species were Marrubium vulgare (UV = 0.56), Salvia rosmarinus Spenn. (UV = 0.47), Thymus serpyllum (UV = 0.32), and Dysphania ambrosioides (UV = 0.29). Papaveraceae (FUV = 0.26), and Urticaceae (FUV= 0.23), Geraniaceae (FUV = 0.17), Oleaceae (FUV = 0.17), Lamiaceae (FUV = 0.17) had the highest family use-values. Gastrointestinal disorders (88%), respiratory diseases (85%), and anemia (66%) have the greatest ICF values. This study reveals the indigenous people's reliance on plant-derived traditional medicine to prevent, alleviate, and treat a broad range of health concerns. Our findings will provide a scientific basis for ethnomedicinal legacy conservation and further scientific investigations aimed at new natural bioactive molecules discovery.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a condition in which the electrical signals in the upper heart chambers (atria) are rapid and disorganized, producing an irregular and chaotical heartbeat. The sinus rhythm should be between 60 to 100 bpm at rest, while the heart rhythm in AF patients may be over 140 bpm. Either structural and electro-mechanical remodeling of the atrial tissue underlies the perpetuation and evolution of AF from the paroxysmal to persistent form. Unravelling the different pathological pathways involved in AF that lead to arrhythmogenesis and atrial remodeling is needed to discovery new and effective therapeutic approaches. A variety of drugs are available to convert and maintain the AF patient in a normal sinus rhythm; however, these strategies have limited chances of success or fail with the progression of AF to more persistent/permanent forms. Consequently, it is necessary to find new therapeutic targets for the relief of persistent or chronic AF forms, as well as the development of new and more effective pharmacological tools. The atrial specific two-pore domain K+ channels (K2P) constitute the background K+ current on atrial cardiomyocytes and modulate cell excitability emerging as novel targets in this disease and avoiding ventricle side effects. Moreover, several antiarrhythmic drugs used in AF treatment exert their mechanism of action in part by modulation of K2P channels. Thus far, TWIK-1, TREK-1, TASK-1, TASK-2 and TASK-3 channel have been identified as responsible for background currents IK2P current in atrial cells; however, it is not excluded that other K2PX subunits or subfamilies have physiological roles in atria. To date, a great diversity openers, activators and blockers of K2P channel have been identified, particularly those targeting TASK and TREK channels. Several studies have demonstrated that the expression of TWIK-1, TREK-1, TASK-1, TASK-2 and TASK-3 are dysregulated in AF and their pharmacology rescue could suppose a novel therapy in AF. The main objective is to examine the regulation of K2P channels and the current K2P channels pharmacological modulators for AF treatment.

Background: Energy storage, transmission and dissipation are important considerations of normal mechanical homeostasis. In this paper we present a new technique termed vibrational optical coherence tomography (VOCT) to study the anterior anatomic structures of the pig eye to better understand how energy applied to the cornea is dissipated without delamination occurring.

Methods: VOCT uses infrared light and an applied sinusoidal audible sound wave to image and measure the resonant frequency and modulus of individual macromolecular components of tissue non-invasively. We have measured the resonant frequencies and calculated the moduli of tissues in the anterior portion of the pig eye using VOCT.

Results: While both pig and human eyes have similar resonant frequencies, they do differ in the peak amplitudes near the frequencies of 80, 120, 150 and 250 Hz. It is known that the stroma of pig cornea is much thicker than that of human corneas and these differences may explain the normalized peak height differences. The similarity of the resonant frequency peaks near 80, 120, 150 and 250 Hz of cornea, sclera and limbus suggest that the anatomically described layers in these tissues are connected into a single biomechanical unit that can store external mechanical energy and then transmit it for dissipation. Since the energy stored and dissipated is proportional to the modulus and the ability of the tissue to deform under stress, energy storage in these tissues is related to the stiffness.

Conclusions: It is concluded that stored energy is transmitted to the posterior segment of the eye for dissipation through the attachment with the sclera. This mechanism of energy dissipation may protect the cornea from changes in shape, curvature, and refractive power. However, ultimately, energy dissipation through thinning of the sclera may cause globe elongation observed in subjects with myopia and glaucoma.

Fibromyalgia is a central sensitivity syndrome that presents with chronic pain, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and disordered sleep. The pathophysiology which due to multisensory hypersensitivity of the central nervous system involves neuronal excitability leading to central sensitization. Treatments of the challenges associated with the complexities of fibromyalgia involve combinations of pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapeutic approaches which often offer limited benefit. Potassium (K+) channels play a fundamental role in establishing and maintaining stability of neuronal activity. The large molecular diversity and distribution of K+ channels support involvement in a broad range of physiological functions. In nociceptive pathways, neuronal hyperexcitability leading to pain sensation has been associated with reduced function of K+ channels and loss of cellular control. This article reviews the evidence of involvement of K+ channels in fibromyalgia. A potential role both in the pathophysiological processes responsible for the symptoms of fibromyalgia and as therapeutic targets for the management of the condition is considered.

Background: Since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in new diagnoses and pediatric hospital admission for anorexia nervosa (AN) or atypical AN in adolescents have been reported, suggesting an adverse effect of COVID-19 on youth mental health. We hypothesized possible differences in prevalence of hospitalization and/or disease severity, related to socio-economic status and/or ethnicity.

Methods: Retrospectively, patients were divided into two subgroups and compared according to the date of first hospital admission: "pre SARS-COV2 era" group (n. 45, 8th March 2016-8th March 2020) and "SARS-COV2 era" group (n. 43, 9th March 2020-8th March 2022).

Results: During the two years of the SARS-COV2 era, we reported an increase in hospital admission incidence more than doubled respect to the "pre-SARS-COV2 era". The "SARS-COV2 era group" showed a more rapid weight loss (p = 0.005), a minor duration of weight loss from lifetime maximum to admission (p = 0.019) and needed most frequently treatments with intravenous fluids (p < 0.0001), oral dietetic supplements (p <0.001) and enteral nutrition by nasogastric tube (p = 0.002). The same group presented higher prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities (63% vs. 22%, p < 0.0001) and required most frequently treatments with psychotropic drugs (56% vs. 24%, p = 0.002). We found higher family socioeconomic status (SES) in our patients with AN in both the periods and we did not find a shift in social class distribution over time.

Conclusions: Our study confirms a significant increase in incidence of hospitalization and of psychiatric comorbidity in the pediatric population with AN during the second year of COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of SES or ethnic background. Further studies are needed to understand potential mechanisms that during COVID-19 pandemic trigger eating disorder symptoms.