Cytoprotective effect of hydroalcoholic extract of pinus eldarica bark against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in human endothelial cells

Background: Pinus eldarica is a widely growing pine in Iran consisting of biologically active constituents with antioxidant properties. This study investigates the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of P. eldarica bark against oxidative damage induced by hydrogen peroxide [H2O2] in human umbilical vein endothelial cells [HUVECs]

Methods: The total phenolic content of p. eldarica extract was determined using Folin-Ciocalteu method. The cytotoxicity of P. eldarica extract [25-1000 microg/ml] on HUVECs was assessed using 3-[4,5- Dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide [MTT] method. Cytoprotective effect of P. eldarica extract [25-500 microg/ml] on H2O2-induced oxidative stress was also evaluated by MTT assay. The intra- and extra-cellular hydroperoxides concentration and ferric reducing antioxidant power [FRAP] were measured in pretreated cells

Results: The total phenolic content of P. eldarica extract was estimated as 37.04 +/- 1.8% gallic acid equivalent. P. eldarica extract [25-1000 microg/ml] had no cytotoxic effect on HUVECs viability. The pretreatment of HUVECs with P. eldarica extract at the concentrations of 50-500 microg/ml significantly reduced the cytotoxicity of H2O2. P. eldarica extract decreased hydroperoxides concentration and increased FRAP value in intra-cellular fluid at the concentration range of 100-500 microg/ml and in extra-cellular fluid at the concentration range of 25-500 microg/ml

Conclusions: This study revealed the antioxidant and cytoprotective effects of P. eldarica extract against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in HUVECs. Concerning the high content of phenolic compounds in P. eldarica, more research is needed to evaluate its clinical value in endothelial dysfunction and in other oxidative conditions

Pomegranate flower extract does not prevent cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in female rats

Nephrotoxicity is the major side-effect of cisplatin [CDDP], and it is reported to be gender-related. We evaluated the effects of pomegranate flower extract [PFE] as an antioxidant on CDDP-induced nephrotoxicity in female rats. Twenty-three adult female rats in four groups treated as following. Groups 1 and 2 received PFE at doses of 25 and 50 [mg/kg/day], respectively, for 9 days, and from day 3 on, they also received cisplatin [CDDP] [2.5 mg/kg] daily. Group 3 was treated as group 1 expects saline instead of PFE, and group 4 received PFE [25 mg/kg/day] alone. Cisplatin alone increased the serum levels of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and nitrite; and kidney tissue damage score and kidney weight. However, PFE not only did not ameliorate the induced nephrotoxicity, but also aggravated renal tissue damage. Pomegranate extract as an antioxidant did not ameliorate CDDP-induced nephrotoxicity in female rats

[Senior students' and dentists' knowledge, attitude and practice regarding oral cancer examination in Isfahan, Iran in 2011]

Dentists have usually a critical role in diagnosing oral cancer lesions in their early stages. In this study we aimed to assess the senior dental student' and dentists' knowledge, attitude and behaviors regarding oral cancer in Isfahan. A valid and reliable self-administered questionnaire was designed to assess the current practice, knowledge and attitude of general dentists working in Isfahan-Iran and senior dental students regarding oral cancer lesions. The questionnaire was consisted of questions to assess the knowledge and attitude regarding diagnosis, risk factors and prognosis of oropharyngeal cancerous lesions. The frequencies of answers to questions in sections of practice and attitude [just for dentists] and sum score of questions in knowledge section were calculated and compared using statistical analysis regarding age, sex, duration of experience and practice setting] p ublic/private] of participants. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, chi-square, linear regression and logistic regression. 139 questionnaires from dentists and 57 questionnaires from students were returned. The mean score of dentists' knowledge was 5.41 out of 13 [CI95%=5.03-7.79]. Significant differences were observed among dentists regarding their experience [P=0.001]. Only one fifth of the dentists in our survey reported to perform oral cancer examination for all of their patients in age of 40 and above and just about 34% of dentists gained acceptable level of knowledge. Among senior dental students, the status of knowledge was better as about 58% of them gained the level of acceptance [P=0.01]. Although dentists were willing to follow the diagnostic protocol for oral cancer, they were mostly unsatisfied with the level of their knowledge. Therefore, this study highlights the need for educational planning and training activities in general dentists with regard to the risk factors and early detection of oral cancers

Psychometric characteristics of the persian [Farsi] version of attachment style questionnaire

Attachment relationship provides a secure base for the infants from which to explore the environment and a safe haven to return to in times of danger. Attachment style shapes the behavior of individuals in adulthood. There are many different measures of attachment and a lot of controversy about what they measure and how they relate to each other. Hence, we tried to evaluate the psychometric properties of one of such questionnaires on a sample of the Iranian population. [Attachment style questionnaire] designed by Van Oudenhoven measures four dimensions: secure, preoccupied, fearful and dismissing. Psychometric properties of the questionnaire were evaluated in a cross sectional study on 730 adults in Isfahan, Iran. Statistical analysis of data was performed by the explanatory factor analysis with the principal component method, Cronbach's alpha, Pearson correlation coefficients, and the multiple analysis of variance [MANCOVA]. The Cronbach's alpha for all items was 0.704. As a whole, the internal consistency was good. There was a high inter-scale correlation between preoccupied and fearful, also the secure style correlated negatively with fearful and preoccupied. The stability coefficient of the attachment scales were 0.625, 0.685, 0.777 and 0.605 for secure, fearful, preoccupied and dismissing styles respectively [P<0.001]. Regarding construct validity, factor analysis showed that some items require iterations to fit the Iranian population. This study showed that the Persian version of ASQ has a reasonable reliability and validity in general and the questionnaire is appropriate for use among the Iranian population in future studies

effects of red clover on quality of life in post-menopausal women

Due to symptoms and its complications, menopause influences the mental, psychological and physical health, social performance and familial relationships. Because of the undesirable side effects of hormone replacement therapy, tendency and desire toward alternative treatments in relieving menopausal symptoms have increased. Among the alternative therapies are herbs and among those, herbs with phytoestrogens are more preferable. Red clover is a rich source of phytoestrogens. The present study investigated the effect of red clover on quality of life in postmenopausal women. In a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 72 menopausal women who at least obtained 15 scores in Kupperman Menopausal Index, after two weeks of monitoring, were randomly allocated to receive either placebo or 45 mg of red clover isoflavones for eight weeks. Before the treatment and at the end of the study, menopause-specific quality of life questionnaire [MENQOL] was completed in the two groups. A total of 55 women completed the study, 28 subjects in red clover and 27 in placebo group. Mean score of total quality of life [p < 0.001 in both groups], mean score of quality of life in vasomotor domain [p < 0.001 in both groups], psycho-social domain [p < 0.001 in red clover and p = 0.02 in placebo group] and physical domain [p < 0.001 red clover and p = 0.01 placebo group] significantly reduced compared to the baseline values. However, the differences between two groups were significant neither for total quality of life nor for its domains. Red clover had no side effects and all the subjects in the red clover group were satisfied with the prescribed administration. In the present study, the effect of red clover supplementation on menopausal women's quality of life showed no difference with the placebo. Further clinical trials are recommended.

Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of Satureja hortensis seed essential oil, hydroalcoholic and polyphenolic extracts in animal models

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Satureja hortensis seed extracts and to analyze their essential oil constituents. Hydroalcoholic and polyphenolic extracts and essential oil of S. hortensis seeds were prepared using standard methods. Analgesic activity was assessed in male mice [25-35 g] using standard methods [acetic acid and formalin tests]. For the evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity, the carrageenan-induced rat paw edema test was used. The mice were pretreated with 50, 100 or 200 mg/kg, i.p., hydroalcoholic or polyphenolic extracts or 100 or 200 microl/kg, p.o. Hydrodistillation of the seeds of S. hortensis afforded a pale yellowish oil in a yield of 0.05% [v/w]. Pretreatment of mice with hydroalcoholic or polyphenolic extracts or essential oil significantly [p < 0.001] reduced acetic acid-induced abdominal twitches. Hydroalcoholic extracts also significantly reduced pain responses in early and late phases of the formalin test whereas the polyphenolic extract and essential oil were only effective in the late phase of the formalin test. All three fractions were found to reduce paw edema in the carrageenan test. These results clearly demonstrate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of S. hortensis seeds and since the hydroalcoholic extract relieved pain in the first phase of the formalin test, it seems that at least part of its analgesic activity may be mediated centrally. The results of this study substantiated the traditional use of S. hortensis plant seeds in painful and inflammatory ailments

Linguistic validation of the irritable bowel syndrome-quality of life questionnaire for Iranian patients

There is a growing interest of clinical and epidemiological researches in the field of functional gastrointestinal disorders in our society. Accordingly, validated and culturally adapted instruments are required for appropriate measurement of variables specially the quality of life. The aim of our study was the linguistic validation of the Irritable Bowel Syndrome-Quality of Life questionnaire [IBS-QOL] for Iranian IBS patients with Persian language. Following the standard forward-backward translation method, the IBSQOL was translated into the Persian language and completed by 141 IBS patients. Patients also completed the IBS Symptom Severity Scale [IBS-SSS] and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]. One-week retest was performed on 30 randomly selected patients. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were assessed using Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC], respectively. To analyze the discriminant validity, the IBS-QOL scores was correlated to the IBS-SSS and HADS scores. According to the results, reliability analyses were acceptable for all of the IBS-QOL domains [Cronbach's alpha=0.68 to 0.90 and ICCs=0.77 to 0.91]. Discriminant validity was supported by the presence of correlations of the IBS-QOL scores with disease severity [r=-0.628], depression [r=-0.692], and anxiety [r=-0.711] scores; P<0.001. These results indicate that the Persian version of the IBS-QOL is a reliable instrument with sufficient psychometric requirements to assess quality of life in Iranian IBS patients with Persian language

Effect of hydroalcoholic and buthanolic extract of cucumis sativus seeds on blood glucose level of normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Seed of Cucumis sativus Linn, is one of the herbal remedies has been traditionally used for diabetes mellitus treatment. We studied the effect of hydroalcoholic and buthanolic extract obtained from C. sativus seeds in a model of streptozotocin [STZ]-induced diabetic [type I] rats. Normal and diabetic male Wistar rats [STZ, 60 mg/kg, intraperitoneal] were treated daily with vehicle [5 ml/kg], hydroalcoholic [0.2, 0.4, 0.8 g/kg] and buthanolic extract [0.2, 0.4, 0.8 g/kg] and glibenclamide [1 and 3 mg/kg] separately and treatment was continued for 9 days. Blood samples were taken at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 hr of the first day and the day 9 [216 hr] of treatments for measuring the blood glucose levels. Our findings indicated that C sativus seeds extracts were not effective on reducing blood glucose levels [BGL] in normal and diabetic rats for initial phase of treatments. However, both hydroalcoholic [22.5-33.8%] and buthanolic [26.6- 45.0%] extracts were effective on diminishing BGL and controling the loss of body weight in diabetic rats compared to controls after 9 days of continued daily therapy. Glibenclamide on the other hand, had hypoglycemic action in normal [27.8-31.0%] and diabetic rats [36.0-50.0%] after acute and prolonged treatments. It is concluded that C. sativus seeds extracts [hydroalcoholic and buthanolic] had a role in diabetes control probably through a mechanism similar to euglycemic agents. Further studies are warranted to clarify the mechanisms and the exact role of this herbal medicine in control of metabolic disorders