A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Statin Therapy on Heart Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Most of the mortality after Heart Transplantation (HT) is attributed to severe cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) and rejection. OBJECTIVES: This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effects of postoperative statin therapy on outcomes (mortality, rejection, and CAV in HT patients). METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed on publications between 1980 and October 2023 in Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Embase databases. Heterogeneity was assessed using Chi-square, I2, and forest plots. Publication bias was evaluated using Begg's and Egger's tests. Analyses were performed in Stata 15 with significance at p < 0.05. RESULTS: This meta-analysis included 17 studies comprising 4,627 participants and conducted between 1995 to 2021. Compared to non-users, the odds of mortality were lower among statin users (OR= 0.49, 95% CI: 0.32-0.75, p < 0.001). The odds of CAV were also reduced with statin use (OR= 0.71, 95% CI: 0.53-0.96, p = 0.027). The odds of rejection were not significantly different (OR= 0.69, 95% CI: 0.41-1.15, p = 0.152). However, rejection odds were lower with statins in RCTs (OR= 0.42, 95% CI: 0.21-0.82, p = 0.012) but not in case-control studies (OR= 0.87, 95% CI: 0.49-1.52, p = 0.615). No publication bias was observed with Begg's test, but Egger's test showed possible bias. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis found postoperative statin use associated with lower mortality and CAV, but not overall rejection, though RCT subgroup analysis showed decreased rejection with statins. Statin therapy may improve prognosis in HT patients.

Statin Use and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk: A Comprehensive Meta- Analysis and Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is a public health problem around the world. Several studies have investigated the association between statin use and the risk of HCC, however, more studies are needed in this field. OBJECTIVES: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the relationship between statin use and HCC risk. METHODS: Systematic searches of Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane, Science Direct, and Embase were conducted for studies published between 1980 and September 2023. Metaanalyses were performed using Stata 15 with a significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: The search retrieved 8,125 articles, of which 40 were included in the meta-analysis after applying eligibility criteria. The total sample was 5,732,948 participants, including 68,698 HCC cases. Statin use was associated with a 44% lower risk of HCC compared to non-use (RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.50-0.63, p < 0.001). The RR was 0.54 (0.42-0.69) in American countries, 0.52 (0.44-0.62) in Asian countries, and 0.63 (0.48-0.84) in European countries. The RR was 0.50 (0.42-0.60) in studies with a mean age <50 years and 0.61 (0.53-0.70) in studies with a mean age ≥50 years. No evidence of publication bias was found (Begg's test p = 0.718). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis found statin use is associated with a significantly lower HCC risk. Statins may be a promising preventive intervention against HCC.

Polycystic ovaries and herbal remedies: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder that affects one in every 15 women worldwide. This disorder is mainly characterized by increased levels of male hormones (androgens), acne, and hirsutism, and can lead to long-term insulin resistance, miscarriage, or even infertility in women. PCOS is a disorder that can be treated with natural and allopathic remedies that work against the PCOS mechanism. The present study reviews previous studies on the treatment of PCOS using natural drugs. METHODS: The data in this study were collected from articles published in reputable databases including ScienceDirect, PubMed, Google Scholar, and SID in the field of medicinal plants from 1990 to 2021. RESULTS: A review of the literature showed that plants such as aloe vera and chamomile improve fertility by increasing the number of ovarian follicles. Besides, Vitex agnus-castus and octane reduce hirsutism by reducing testosterone and androgen levels. It was also shown that liquorice, ginseng, cinnamon, and de chiro Inositol improve the adverse effects of diabetes caused by PCOS by lowering lipid and blood glucose levels. Moreover, Stachys lavandulifolia and fennel are effective in changing endometrial tissue parameters in PCOS by reducing estrogen and hyperplasia. CONCLUSIONS: Various studies have shown that herbal medicines can improve PCOS symptoms in women with minimal side effects but a longer treatment cycle.

The Effects of Toxic Heavy Metals Lead, Cadmium and Copper on the Epidemiology of Male and Female Infertility.

Infertility is a major problem in modern society that affects a significant number of couples around the world. Heavy metals and a number of other factors have been causally linked to infertility. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of heavy metals lead, cadmium, and copper on the epidemiology of male and female infertility. Searches for articles published from 1982 to 2020 using related keywords such as male and female infertility and heavy metals were performed in scientific databases PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and others. The results showed that, in recent years, the number of infertile individuals has increased. Various environmental, occupational, and genetic factors have been described as potential causes. Heavy metals lead, cadmium, and copper cause infertility in couples through various mechanisms, such as changes in sperm motility factors, decreased semen quality, or effects on the egg. Exposure to physical phenomena such as radiation (ionized or microwave) and heat; stress and mental disorders; chemicals from cigarettes, respiratory pollutants (lead), insecticides and pesticides; anesthetic gases; and mercury and cytotoxic drugs may also contribute to the onset of infertility.

Epidemiological Study of COVID-19 in Iran and the World: A Review Study.

COVID-19 is a new virus of the Coronaviridae family that is now spreading worldwide. Therefore, disseminating information about patients with the virus can help identify the virus, pathogenesis, and find treatments. The current study aimed to review the new coronavirus (COVID-19). To reach this aim, we searched keywords containing COVID-19, coronavirus, respiratory infection, epidemiology in Pub Med, Web of Science Direct, Scopus, Scientific Information Databases, and Google scholar. The results of our search led to the achievement of articles on the study of COVID-19. Based on the results of the study, COVID-19 is a global transmitter with rapid transmission power for which no specific drug has yet been found to treat it. The rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus, the relationship between disease severity and mortality with various factors, respiratory transmission, especially in the short distance, masks, hand washing, and physical distance observance as the most important way to prevent, diversify clinical symptoms and at the same time fever and cough as the most common clinical symptoms, treatment with non-specific antiviral drugs and treatment based on controlling clinical symptoms and strengthening immunity with known drugs, paying attention to children as asymptomatic carriers, and pretentious pregnancy in the event of COVID-19 are the most important findings of this study. The case fatality rate of COVID-19 has varied from 0.08% to 10.8% in the world, but fortunately, the number of patients who have recovered is very promising and more than 66 million people have recovered. There is still no effective drug or vaccine to prevent the disease and investigation in this field is ongoing. The only way to prevent and control the disease is adherence to the health protocols. Due to the need of the medical community to achieve the scientific results of this epidemic in Iran and other parts of the world, this article was written.

The effect of pomegranate seed oil on human health, especially epidemiology of polycystic ovary syndrome; a systematic review.

Polycystic ovary syndrome is the most common endocrine disorder in women. Today, medicinal plants have been considered by women, especially in the reproductive and pregnancy ages. Multiple drug treatments and the length of the treatment period often lead to incomplete treatment by patients. Therefore, due to the side effects of chemical drugs, this study was conducted to assess investigate the effect of pomegranate seed oil on polycystic ovary syndrome. The prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome is increasing by 15 to 20% and clinically includes oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea, hirsutism, and often infertility. Databases such as Cochran library, Medline, PubMed, SID, and Science Direct were used to access the related articles. To collect the required information, first, the articles that had one of the keywords of medicinal plants, polycystic ovary syndrome, plant, pomegranate extract, and menstrual irregularities in their text were searched in databases. All studies from 1985 to 2021 are included in the study. Conjugated linolenic acid (CLN) is a group of geometric and positional isomers of linolenic acid in which double bonds are conjugated. CLN has been reported to have a very strong cytotoxic effect on tissue tumor cells in the body, preventing cancer, reducing the accumulation of triacylglycerol in the liver, polycystic ovary syndrome, and LDL cholesterol in the blood. So far, seven CLN isomers have been identified, including ponic acid in pomegranate seed oil. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a group of situational and geometric isomers of linoleic acid in which double bonds are conjugated. The positive effects of the two main CLA isomers (cis-9, trans-11, and trans-10, cis-12) include inhibiting the growth of cancer, reducing the risk of atherosclerosis, and reducing body fat.

Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal Plants used to Treat Cardiovascular Disorders in Ghasemloo Valley of Urmia City.

AIMS: Many pharmaceutical plants belonging to this region are used as the traditional drug by traditional physicians of the Urmia city in order to treat signs of disorders and cardiovascular system diseases. BACKGROUND: The Ghasemloo valley located in Urmia city is one of the typical areas in northwestern Iran and includes many pharmaceutical and plant species. OBJECTIVE: Many pharmaceutical plants belonging to this region are used as the traditional drug by traditional physicians of the Urmia city in order to treat several symptoms of disorders and cardiovascular system diseases. METHOD: A study was performed among 35 grocers in Urmia city to identify effective and famous pharmaceutical plants in the treatment of cardiovascular and related diseases. Firstly, a complete list of Urmia grocers was prepared by the Food and Drug Administrator of the Urmia University of Medical Sciences. The direct observation and interview, alongside collecting herbarium samples of usual and effective indigenous medicinal plants, were used to identify disorders and different signs of cardiovascular diseases. Questionnaires included personal information of grocers, and completed indigenous plants list containing information, including the plant's local name, the used organ, method of use, and the traditional therapeutic effect. Herbarium samples mentioned in the questionnaire were collected from the region and sent to the Jahad-e-Keshavarzi Research Centers and the Agriculture Faculty of Urmia university to determine the genus and species. After identifying and confirming the plant species, data related to the plant and results of cardiovascular research conducted on them were collected and recorded with reference to valid scientific sites. Data were entered into the Excel 2010 program and then analyzed. RESULT: 60 medicinal plants of 26 families in Urmia were identified as effective in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases from interviews and questionnaires; some plants mentioned in this study had known traditional therapeutic effects on cardiovascular disorders in the literature and some were identified with new effects. Results showed that the most therapeutic effects in cardiovascular diseases belonged to families Rosaceae (15%), Fabaceae (13%), Asteraceae (13%), and Apiaceae (10%). The most used organs of plants were the leave (23%) and fruit (19%). Plants were used mainly as an infusion (68%) in the traditional method. Most plants of this study were used to treat the blood cholesterol (29%), hypertension (9%), blood coagulation, prevention of bleeding (9%), and decrease in abdominal fat (9%). CONCLUSION: Some herbs introduced in this study have new therapeutic effects introduced for the first time. It is necessary to study the therapeutic effects of indigenous plants presented in this research in order to prove studied and mentioned therapeutic effects and provide a study field for researchers in relation to identifying effective substances and studying claimed clinical effects of these plants on different cardiovascular diseases.

In vitro potential effect of Pipper longum methanolic extract against protoscolices of hydatid cysts.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of methanolic extract of P. longum (PLM) against protoscolices of hydatid cyst in vitro. Four different concentrations of PLM extract (25, 50, 100 and 150 mg/ml) were used for the experiments. The metabolites in the PLM extract were characterized by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed the highest lethality of PLM extract in 50 mg/ml for 60 min exposure. The IC50 value obtained about 20 mg/ml for 60 min of PLM extract exposure. In this study, valuable findings were obtained for the first time about the scolicidal activity of P. longum, which is expected to conduct further studies in this field in the future.

Phytotherapy for Wound Healing: The Most Important Herbal Plants in Wound Healing Based on Iranian Ethnobotanical Documents.

Wound healing is a process that starts with the inflammatory response after the occurrence of any damage. This process initiates by restoring the wound surface coating tissue, migrating fibroblasts to form the required collagen, forming a healing tissue and finally, leading to contortion and extraction of the wound. Today, various drugs are used to heal wounds. However, the drugs used to repair wounds have some defects and side effects. In spite of all attempts to accelerate wound healing definitely, no safe drug has been introduced for this purpose. Therefore, the necessity to identify herbal plants in ethnopharmacology and ethnobotany documents with healing effects is essential. In this article, we tried to review and present effective Iranian medicinal plants and herbal compounds used for wound healing. Searching was performed on databases, including ISI Web of Science, PubMed, PubMed Central, Scopus, ISC, SID, Magiran and some other databases. The keywords used included wound healing, skin treatment, medicinal plants, ethnobotany, and phytotherapy. In this regard, 139 medicinal plants effective on wound healing were identified based on ethnopharmacology and ethnobotanical sources of Iran. Plants such as Salvia officinalis, Echium amoenum, Verbascum spp., G1ycyrrhiza glabra, Medicago sativa, Mentha pulegium, Datura stramonium L., Alhagi spp., Aloe vera, Hypericum perforatum, Pistacia atlantica and Prosopis cineraria are the most important and useful medicinal plants used for wound healing in Iran. These native Iranian medicinal plants are rich in antioxidants and biological compounds and might be used for wound healing and preparation of new drugs.

Biocompatibility, Cytotoxicity, Antimicrobial and Epigenetic Effects of Novel Chitosan-Based Quercetin Nanohydrogel in Human Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported that quercetin (Q) has a potential antibacterial and anticancer activity. However, its application is limited by many important factors including high hydrophobicity and low absorption. METHODOLOGY: In the current study, we synthesized and characterized (Patent) a novel chitosan-based quercetin nanohydrogel (ChiNH/Q). Encapsulation efficiency was confirmed by UV/VIS spectrophotometer. Physicochemical characterization of ChiNH/Q was assessed by PDI, DLS, SEM, FTIR, and XRD. The toxicity of the ChiNH/Q against five strains of the pathogen and HepG2 cells was examined. Moreover, the quantification of ChiNH/Q on genomic global DNA methylation and expression of DNMTs (DNMT1/3A/3B) in HepG2 cancer cells were evaluated by ELISA and real-time PCR, respectively. RESULTS: Under the SEM-based images, the hydrodynamic size of the ChiNH/Q was 743.6 nm. The changes in the PDI were 0.507, and zeta potential was obtained as 12.1 mV for ChiNH/Q. The FTIR peak of ChiNH/Q showed the peak at 627 cm-1 corresponded to tensile vibrational of NH2-groups related to Q, and it is the indication of Q loading in the formulation. Moreover, XRD data have detected the encapsulation of ChiNH/Q. The ChiNH/Q showed a potent antimicrobial inhibitory effect and exerted cytotoxic effects against HepG2 cancer cells with IC50 values of 100 µg/mL. Moreover, our data have shown that ChiNH/Q effectively reduced (65%) the average expression level of all the three DNMTs (p<0.05) and significantly increased (1.01%) the 5-methylated cytosine (5-mC) levels in HepG2 cells. CONCLUSION: Our results showed for the first time the bioavailability and potentiality of ChiNH/Q as a potent antimicrobial and anticancer agent against cancer cells. Our result provided evidence that ChiNH/Q could effectively reduce cellular DNMT expression levels and increase genomic global DNA methylation in HepG2 cancer cells. Our results suggest a potential clinical application of nanoparticles as antimicrobial and anticancer agents in combination cancer therapy.

Campylobacter: A Review of New Promising Remedies with Medicinal Plants and Natural Antioxidants.

Campylobacter (curved bacteria) is considered one of the most important and common zoonotic bacteria and the three leading bacterial causes of gastroenteritis and diarrhea. Antibacterial resistance is growing and expanding. The aim of this review article is to report anti-Campylobacter medicinal plants. For this purpose, the search terms consisting of Campylobacter, medicinal plants, essential oil, extract, and traditional medicine were used to retrieve the relevant articles published in the journals indexed in Information Sciences Institute, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Scientific Information Databases. Then, the findings of eligible articles were analyzed. According to the analysis, 71 medicinal plants were found to exert anti-Campylobacter effect. The active compounds of these plants are possibly nature-based antibiotic agents that are effective on Campylobacter. If these compounds are isolated, purified, and studied in pharmaceutical investigations, they can be used to produce nature-based, anti-Campylobacter antibiotics.

Molecular Dynamics Mechanisms of the Inhibitory Effects of Abemaciclib, Hymenialdisine, and Indirubin on CDK-6.

BACKGROUND: Cyclin-Dependent Kinases-6 (CDK-6) is a serine/threonine protein kinase with regular activity in the cell cycle. Some inhibitors, such as abemaciclib, hymenialdisine, and indirubin, cause cell arrest by decreasing its activity. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Molecular Dynamic (MD) effects of abemaciclib, hymenialdisine, and indirubin on the structure of CDK-6. METHODS: The PDB file of CDK-6 was obtained from the Protein Data Bank (http://www.rcsb.org). After the simulation of CDK-6 in the Gromacs software, 200 stages of molecular docking were run on CDK-6 in the presence of the inhibitors using AutoDock 4.2. The simulation of CDK-6 in the presence of inhibitors was performed after docking. RESULTS: Abemaciclib showed the greatest tendency to bind CDK-6 via binding 16 residues in the binding site with hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic bonding. CDK-6 docked to hymenialdisine and indirubin increased the Total Energy (TE) and decreased the radius of gyration (Rg). CDK-6 docked to hymenialdisine significantly decreased the coil secondary structure. CONCLUSION: CDK-6 is inhibited via high binding affinity to abemaciclib, hymenialdisine, and indirubin inhibitors and induces variation in the secondary structure and Rg in the CDK-6 docked to the three inhibitors. It seems that developing a drug with a binding tendency to CDK6 that is similar to those of abemaciclib, indirubin, and hymenialdisine can change the secondary structure of CDK6, possibly more potently, and can be used to develop anticancer drugs. However, additional studies are needed to confirm this argument.

Cancer stem cells and nanotechnological approaches for eradication.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are currently known as the main cause of tumor recurrence. After chemotherapy is completed, CSCs proliferate and then differentiate to generate new tumor tissues. Similar to normal stem cells, this non-uniformly distributed cell population in the tumor tissue has self-renewal capacity and is responsible for survival of the tumor and difference in its genetic and metabolic characteristics. Followed by gene instability in CSCs, new phenotypic markers are aberrantly expressed in CSCs subpopulation. Hence, some of the surface markers and metabolic pathways that are upregulated in CSCs may be applied as specific targets for development of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. In this review article, the distinctive properties of CSCs including signal pathways implicated in self-renewal and surface markers were discussed. Moreover, targeting CSCs based on their specific properties using nanodrugs was reviewed.

A Review on the Most Important Medicinal Plants Effective in Cardiac Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Ischemia, referring to reduction and restriction of perfusion to myocardial tissue which involves coronary artery through the formation of misplaced clots and thrombosis, is one of the most important cardiovascular diseases. Plant-based compounds help to improve or prevent disease by affecting the factors involved in the disease. This review was conducted to report the medicinal plants and factors effective in cardiac ischemiareperfusion (I/R) injury to supplement the knowledge about this disease and its prevention and treatment using certain medicinal plants and their active compounds. For this purpose, medicinal plants and their potential antioxidant activities, effects on lipid levels and plaque formation, atherosclerosis and development of cardiovascular diseases and ischemia were reviewed. METHODS: To conduct this review, relevant articles published between 1983 and 2018 were retrieved from the Google Scholar, PubMed, Scientific Information Database, Web of Science, and Scopus using search terms antioxidant, ischemia, reperfusion, heart, infarct, inflammation, cholesterol and medicinal plants. Then, the eligible articles were reviewed. RESULTS: The active compounds of plants, including phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and antioxidant compounds, can be effective on certain pathogenic factors particularly in decreasing cholesterol and blood pressure, preventing an increase in free radicals and ultimately reducing blood clots and vascular resistance to reduce and prevent ischemic disease and its harmful effects. CONCLUSION: Medicinal plants discussed in this article seem to be able to prevent cardiac damage and the disease progression via affecting the factors that are involved in ischemia.

Analgesic Medicinal Plants in Shahrekord, Southwest of Iran: An Ethnobotanical Study.

BACKGROUND: Identification of indigenous medicinal plants, including the gathering of information regarding the uses of these plants can help find out their traditional pharmacological activities and their benefits for the community's healthcare system. In this study, an ethnobotanical investigation was conducted in Shahrekord city, southwest of Iran to indicate the ethnobotanical knowledge about analgesic medicinal plants in the region and the methods of using them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To this end, plant antioxidants and analgesic medicinal plants were identified. For this purpose, a questionnaire was used to obtain indigenous knowledge from traditional therapists in Shahrekord regarding pain relief using medicinal plants. This ethnobotanical study was conducted in 2018 with the participation of 29 traditional therapists of the region under purpose. Finally, the data drawn from the questionnaires were analyzed using the Excel software. The frequency of plants use was also calculated. RESULTS: Our study showed that in Shahrekord, 23 species of medicinal plants are used to relieve pain. The highest frequency of use was obtained for Eugenia caryophylata (44%), followed by Alhagi maurorum (31%), Tribulus terrestris (27%), and angustifolia (24%). The Laminaceae family (7 species) was the most frequently used plant family for pain relief. The most frequently used plant organ to relieve the pain was flower (25%), followed by the stem (22%) and leaves (19%). CONCLUSION: Given the high importance of medicinal plants in Shahrekord, the results of this study and additional scientific investigations can help produce more effective and less harmful drugs from medicinal plants.

Association of vitamin D level and vitamin D deficiency with risk of preeclampsia: A systematic review and updated meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Because of the immune modulatory effects of vitamin D3 in preeclampsia, we intend to have a systematic review and meta-analysis on association of both 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OHD) level (parametric approach) and 25-OHD deficiency (non-parametric approach) with preeclampsia. As well, for the parametric part, we used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used Web of Science, PubMed and Science Direct data bases through searching in titles. Google Scholar search engine was used in order to find missing papers. Finally 23 studies were imported. Both random and fixed models were reported. RESULTS: Based on the forest plot, lower levels of 25-OHD were significantly associated with risk of preeclampsia (fixed and random P < 0.001). Based on the forest plot, vitamin D deficiency (25-OHD < 20 ng/ml) was significantly associated with risk of preeclampsia (fixed P < 0.0001; random P = 0.0029; fixed OR = 1.33; random OR = 1.54). Based on ROC curve results, we found 2 cutoffs of 10.60 and 20.05 ng/ml. CONCLUSION: Women with vitamin D deficiency at cutoff 20 ng/ml are more at risk of preeclampsia. This association can be specific up to 90% at 10.60 ng/ml cutoff. Treatment of vitamin D deficiency is necessary before pregnancy.