The effects of pomegranate peel extract on the gene expressions of antioxidant enzymes in a rat model of alloxan-induced diabetes.

This study was conducted to evaluate the anti-diabetic and antioxidant effects of hydroalcoholic pomegranate peel extract (APE) in alloxan-induced diabetes rat models. We divided 60 rats into the following six equal groups (n = 10): Healthy control; diabetic control (100 mg/kg alloxan); sham + glibenclamide (10 mg/kg); diabetic + glibenclamide (10 mg/kg); sham + APE (200 mg/kg) and diabetic + APE (200 mg/kg). After 8 weeks, kidneys were taken out for biochemical and molecular studies. Following APE treatment, biochemical parameters including malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) significantly induced in the treated group as compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Also, gene expression of GPx (3-fold), CAT (2.6-fold), and SOD (1.5-fold) were increased as compared to controls (p < 0.05). Overall, our results indicated that pomegranate can be used as an antioxidant agent to reduce complications from diseases associated with oxidative stress.

Microsurgical Repair of Inferior Alveolar Nerve Injuries Associated With Endodontic Treatment: Results on Sensory Function and Relief of Pain.

PURPOSE: An uncommon, but serious complication of endodontic treatment is inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) injury warranting operative intervention for exploration, debridement, and repair. The purpose of the study was to evaluate outcomes of microneurosurgical intervention for endotontic-related IAN injuries in terms of achievement of functional sensory recovery (FSR) and pain relief and to identify factors affecting outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of patients who had microsurgical exploration and repair of IAN injuries sustained during endodontic therapy was performed. The primary predictor variable is time to surgery and the primary outcome variables were time to FSR, whether or not the patient regained FSR, and postoperative pain level at 12 months (1-10 on a visual analog scale). Secondary variables include intraoperative findings, surgical treatment rendered, sensory recovery, and preoperative pain level. Analyses include Kaplan-Meier estimation, Fisher exact test, 1-way and mixed-design analysis of variance, and paired t-test. RESULTS: The sample included 23 patients with a mean age of 48.6 years with a female:male ratio of 20:3. Painful sensation was present in 17 (73.9%) of 23 patients at initial consultation. Mean time to surgery was 10.9 months (median 4.8 months, standard deviation = ±16.9). FSR was achieved in 10 of 21 patients at 1 year. Pain level at 1 year following surgical intervention improved from 4.86 to 2.76 (P = .001) with no effect from other variables. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical exploration and repair of endodontic-related IAN injuries is shown to improve neuropathic pain levels, while only delivering a modest recovery of sensory function. These injuries can be severe and debilitating and present with a variety of diagnoses and surgical findings. While this study fails to identify any particular factors affecting outcome, the data presented can help with clinician recommendations for treatment in patient-centered care.

Management of the Cephalic Positioning of the Lower Lateral Cartilage in Modern Rhinoplasty: An Algorithmic Approach.

Cephalic positioning of lateral cruras literally means that the cartilage does not support the nasal rim. Cephalic positioning is a relatively common anatomic variant of lower lateral cartilages that shows an extremely vulnerable rhinoplasty patient. In these patients, any reductive technique, such as cephalic trimming without compensation, worsens the situation and may lead to esthetic failures and airway compromise. True cephalic malpositioning needs to be diagnosed from pseudomalpositions preoperatively. The presence of the pseudomalposition does not mean that it can be ignored. Either malposition or pseudomalposition is best diagnosed and considered in the treatment plan.

New Concepts in Dorsal Nasal Augmentation.

Dorsal augmentation is commonly indicated in many primary and secondary aesthetic nose surgeries. Throughout the history, various synthetic and autogenous materials have been used for dorsal augmentation. In this article, we give an overview of basic concepts of cartilage grafting, review new concepts of dorsal augmentation, and discuss some emerging engineering modalities.

Incidence of Pre-Existing Lingual Cortex Perforation Before Removal of Mandibular Third Molars.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between the mandibular third molar tooth (Md3) and the adjacent lingual cortical bone and determine the incidence of lingual cortex perforation by Md3s. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was designed and implemented from 100 cone-beam computed tomographic scans (CBCTs) of patients with age ranging from 18 to 65 years old. The primary outcome was to assess the incidence of mandibular third molars (Md3s) with existing lingual cortex perforation by their roots. Perforation was assessed at the level of root apex and the most lingual portion on the apical half of the root. Other outcome variables included average thickness of covering lingual bone in the nonperforation group, lingual cortex morphology, impaction, and demographics. Descriptive statistics were computed. RESULTS: More than half the radiographs showed lingual cortex perforation at the level of root apex and most lingual portion on the apical one half of the root (51.2% and 52.8%, respectively). The average thickness of the covering lingual bone was 1.25 mm around the root apex and 0.93 mm around the most lingual portion on the apical half of the root. The most common lingual cortex morphology was the undercut shape. There was statistically significant association between the presence of Md3 impaction and perforation at both root levels [(P value < .001, Effect size = 0.378) and (P value < .001, Effect size = 0.445)]. CONCLUSIONS: Perforation of the lingual cortex by Md3s, whether erupted or impacted, was found in >50% of patients as determined by a preoperative CBCT scan. Therefore, the finding of lingual cortex perforation after removal of Md3s is likely to be evidence of a pre-existing condition rather than a result of surgery.

Effects of Pistacia atlantica on Oxidative Stress Markers and Antioxidant Enzymes Expression in Diabetic Rats.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes mellitus (DM) affects many patients all over the world. It involves different parts of the body, such as brain, eyes, kidneys, vessels, and so on. The lack of balance between free radicals and antioxidants is a possible mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes. Antioxidant treatment, especially natural forms, can be a beneficial solution. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of Pistacia atlantica oleoresin (PAO) on oxidative stress markers and antioxidant enzymes expression in diabetic rats. METHOD: Fifty adult male Wistar rats were allotted randomly into five groups as follow: control group, diabetic control group, glibenclamide control group, diabetic glibenclamide group, diabetic treated group with 200 mg/kg PAO. Then PAO was prepared and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS). LD50 was also estimated for essential oil. Oxidative stress markers and antioxidant enzyme including malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were also measured. The expression of GPx, CAT, and SOD genes was investigated using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: The main constituents of essential oil gum were beta-pinene (29.38%), followed by alpha-pinene (18.15%), myrcene (7.36%), trans-pinocarveol (7.15%), and camphene (4.12%). Diabetes induced an increased level of MDA (69.92 ± 3.92 vs. 43.76 ± 3.73) and decreased levels of GSH (2.57 ± 0.40 vs. 7.05 ± 1.59), GPx (11.66 ± 2.2 vs. 16.38 ± 2.1), CAT (12.17 ± 3.38 vs. 18.7 ± 2.66), and SOD (0.78 ± 0.67 vs. 2.41 ± 0.46). In contrast, PAO treatment significantly decreased MDA (54.59 ± 12.54 vs. 69.92 ± 3.92) and increased GSH (4.5 ± 0.89 vs. 2.57 ± 0.40), GPx (25.86 ± 5.37 vs. 11.66 ± 2.2), CAT (22.69 ± 0.36 vs. 12.17 ± 3.38), and SOD (3.65 ± 1.08 vs. 0.78 ± 0.67) (p < 0.05). Moreover, our results indicated that both GPx and CAT mRNA levels significantly increased approximately 4.46 and 6.23 times in rats fed with 200 mg/kg of PAO, more than that of the healthy control group, respectively (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). Also, the average expression level of SOD was also significantly 1.57 higher in rats fed with 200 mg/kg of PAO in comparison to the diabetic control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results indicated that PAO could be propose as an agent that protects the body against diseases that are associated with oxidative stress.

The effects of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids on miR-126 promoter DNA methylation status and VEGF protein expression in the colorectal cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence indicating an aberrant expression of miRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC) development. Growing evidence has suggested that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) could modulate the remodeling of the epigenome. No study has yet been published to examine the direct effect of PUFA on the promoter methylation of miRNAs. This study aimed to examine the potential clinical application of PUFA on the promoter DNA methylation of miR-126 and its angiogenic target molecule (VEGF) in the CRC cells. METHODS: We investigated the direct effect of 100 µM EPA, DHA, and LA for 24 h on promoter methylation status of miR-126 in a panel of five CRC cell lines (HCT116, HT29/219, Caco2, SW742, and LS180) by methylation-specific PCR (MSP). We also quantified the miR-126 and VEGF transcript expression levels in five CRC cell lines affected by PUFA by real-time PCR. Moreover, we analyzed the protein expression level of VEGF, as a target of miR-126, by western blotting assay. RESULTS: MSP analysis showed extensive DNA methylation of the miR-126 promoter in all five CRC cell lines, and among all three PUFAs, only DHA completely demethylated the promoter of miR-126 in HCT116 and Caco2 cell lines. We found that only DHA significantly induces the expression level of miR-126 in HCT116 and Caco2 cell lines, respectively, by 20.1-fold and 1.68-fold (p < 0.05). Our finding indicates that the downregulation of VEGF protein level is also effectively observed only in DHA-treated HCT116 and Caco2 cells compared to control cells (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide evidence that n-3 PUFAs are able to modulate cellular miR-126 DNA methylation and inhibit VEGF expression level in a cell-type specific manner in colorectal cancer cells. DHA always showed higher efficacy than EPA and LA in our experiment. Overall, our results suggest a potential clinical application of n-3 PUFAs as anti-angiogenic agents in CRC therapy.

Protective effects of oleuropein against renal injury oxidative damage in alloxan-induced diabetic rats; a histological and biochemical study.

BACKGROUND: Oleuropein is a potent antioxidant and free-radical scavenger with antiinflammatory properties. OBJECTIVES: In the present study, we evaluated the protective effects of oleuropein on myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, nitrite, urea, creatinine and glomerulosclerosis in alloxan-induced type 1 diabetic rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: group 1 as control; group 2 as untreated diabetic; and group 3 as treated with oleuropein 15 mg/kg i.p daily. Diabetes was induced in the second and third groups by subcutaneous alloxan injection. After 48 days, the animals were anaesthetized and then the livers and kidneys were removed immediately and used fresh or kept frozen until MPO activity analysis. Blood samples were also collected before sacrificing to measure nitrite, urea, and creatinine. Kidney paraffin sections were prepared to estimate glomerular volume, leukocyte infiltration, and glomerulosclerosis. RESULTS: Oleuropein significantly decreased leukocyte infiltration and glomerulosclerosis in the treated group compared with the diabetic untreated group. Oleuropein significantly decreased the levels of urea, nitrite, and creatinine in the treated group compared with the diabetic untreated group. Moreover, oleuropein significantly decreased MPO activity in the treated group compared with the diabetic untreated group. CONCLUSIONS: Oleuropein has antioxidative and antiatherogenic activities and exerts beneficial effects on inflammation and kidney function test and decreases diabetic complication in diabetic rats.

Biochemical effects of oleuropein in gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

BACKGROUND: Oleuropein is a natural antioxidant and scavenging free radicals. In the present study, we examined effect of oleuropein on the paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity, lipid peroxidation, lipid profile, atherogenic indexes, and relationship of PON1 activity by high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and atherogenic indices in gentamicin (GM)-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. METHODS: This is a lab trial study in Khorramabad, Lorestan province of Iran (2013). 30 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups to receive saline; GM, 100 mg/kg/day; and GM plus oleuropein by 15 mg/kg intraperitoneal daily, respectively. After 12 days, animals were anesthetized, blood samples were also collected before killing to measure the levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and very LDL (VLDL), HDL-C, atherogenic index, lipid peroxidation, and the activities of PON1 of all groups were analyzed. Data were analyzed, and P < 0.050 was considered significant. RESULTS: Oleuropein significantly decreased lipid peroxidation, TG, TC, LDL, VLDL, atherogenic index, atherogenic coefficient (AC), and cardiac risk ratio (CRR). HDL-C level was significantly increased when treated with oleuropein. The activity of PON1 in treated animals was (62.64 ± 8.68) that it was significantly higher than untreated animals (47.06 ± 4.10) (P = 0.047). The activity of PON1 in the untreated nephrotoxic rats was significantly lower than that of control animals (77.84 ± 9.43) (P = 0.030). Furthermore, the activity of PON1 correlated positively with HDL-C and negatively with AC, CRR 1, and CRR 2 in the treated group with oleuropein. CONCLUSION: This study showed that oleuropein improves PON1 activity, lipid profile, and atherogenic index and can probably decrease the risk of cardiovascular death in nephrotoxic patients.

Immediate effects of different steps of rhinoplasty on nasolabial angle and tip projection.

Nasolabial angle (NLA) and nasal tip projection (NTP) play an important role in aesthetic nose surgery. Little deviations can determine success and failure. The goal of this study was to analyze the immediate effect of different steps of open rhinoplasty on NLA and NTP. In this prospective single-blind study, 50 consecutive rhinoplasty cases were considered. The study consisted of 38 women and 12 men. The mean age was 28 years, ranging from 17 to 37 years. A standard life-size photograph was taken in each step of a classic open rhinoplasty during surgery. Nasolabial angle and NTP were measured and analyzed. Nasolabial angle: average increase after skeletonization (2.26 degrees), strut insertion (4 degrees), and tip spanning (0.17 degrees), whereas cephalic resection caused a decrease (1.9 degrees). Nasal tip projection: average increase after skeletonization (0.1 mm), strut insertion (0.31 mm), and tip spanning (0.84 mm), whereas cephalic resection caused a decrease (0.53 mm). Whereas strut insertion caused the highest mean increase in NLA, tip spanning was the most effective regarding change of NTP. Expectably cephalic resection was associated with decrease in NLA and NTP.