Protective Effect of the Viola spathulata Extract on NCX3 Gene Expression in an Animal Model of Cerebral Ischemia.

Introduction: Viola plant has been used traditionally to treat neurological disorders. We aimed at determining whether pretreatment with Viola spathulata extract can alleviate the severity of ischemic-reperfusion damages and exert its protective effects through the regulation of a sodium/calcium exchanger (NCX3) gene expression in a rat brain. Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into two main groups: one main group for evaluating Neurologic Deficit Score (NDS) and Infarct Volume (IV) and the other group for the evaluation of NCX3 gene expression in the brain tissue. The latter group was subdivided into the intact, control (vehicle), sham, V5, and V10. The vehicle (control) subgroup received Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO), and V5 and V10 subgroups received V. spathulata extract at the doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg (IP), respectively, for 7 days. After pretreatment, we carried out Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion (MCAO) for 60 min. Results: In the V5 and V10 subgroups, NDS and IV significantly decreased. MCAO upregulated NCX3 gene expression in the core, penumbra, and subcortical regions compared with the intact subgroup. The V5 subgroup significantly downregulated the NCX3 gene expression level in the core compared with the control subgroup. The V10 subgroup showed downregulation of the NCX3 gene expression level in the core, penumbra, and subcortex compared with the control subgroup. Conclusion: V. spathulata extract may have a neuroprotective role against MCAO-induced ischemic brain damage, possibly by preventing the alteration of NCX3 gene expression level. Highlights: MCAO results Infarct Volume (IV) and Neurologic Deficit Score (NDS);MCAO upregulated NCX3 gene expression in brain tissues;Viola spathulata extract pretreatment decreased IV and NDS in brain ischemia;Viola spathulata pretreatment downregulated NCX3 gene expression in brain tissues. Plain Language Summary: Stroke is the second leading cause of death and long term disability. Recently it has been reported that herbal extracts have protective role in ischemia injury. In Iranian traditional medicine Viola plant has a long history to treat disorders such as cancer. So we designed an animal study to investigate Viola plant extract in brain ischemia injury. Viola spathulata extract was administrated to rats for seven days, then animal model of brain ischemia was operated on them and some behavioral, histological and molecular factors were analyzed. Our findings showed that Viola spathulata extract improved behavioral disability, decreased infarct volume in brain tissue, and modulate Sodium/Calcium exchanger 3 gene expression. It could be concluded that Viola spathulata has the neuroprotective effect in animal stroke model and is a good candidate for nutritional supplements, although further studies are needed.

Comparison of depression and anxiety among pacemaker and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator recipients: A cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Anxiety and depression among implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) recipients can lead to physical or psychological consequences and reduce the quality of life of these patients. Few studies have compared the frequency and severity of depressive and anxiety disorders in the pacemaker (PM) and ICD recipients. The aim of the present study was to compare depression and anxiety among PM and ICD recipients. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on 296 patients referred to a specialized cardiology teaching hospital from October 1, 2019 to July 1, 2020. Patients were selected using convenience sampling method. RESULTS: Regarding anxiety, the results showed that the overall prevalence of anxiety in PM, ICD, and control groups was 23.5%, 28%, and 8%, respectively. Results showed no significant difference between PM and ICD recipients regarding the anxiety prevalence (p = .46). With regard to depression, the results showed that the overall prevalence of depression in the PM, ICD, and control groups was 7.1%, 23%, and 4.1%, respectively. The results showed a significant difference between PM and ICD recipients in terms of depression prevalence (p = .03). The results also showed that the prevalence of depression was significantly higher among PM and ICD recipients than the control group (p = .01). CONCLUSION: Considering the results of the present study and the high prevalence of anxiety and depression, it seems necessary to focus more on educating patients about the effectiveness of PM and ICD devices in reducing anxiety and depression.

Anxiety and depression and the related factors in nurses of Guilan University of Medical Sciences hospitals during COVID-19: A web-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of COVID-19 is an unprecedented challenge to the health systems in Iran. We aimed to assess the psychological impact of this outbreak on nurses in the hospitals of Guilan University of Medical Sciences that is one of the top provinces of incidence of COVID-19. METHODS: In a web-based cross-sectional study, 441 nurses working were selected from the hospitals, from 7 to 12 April 2020. Anxiety and depression were measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, respectively. Simple and multiple logistic regression models were used to identify the factors related to anxiety and depression. RESULTS: The majority were in contact with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases (93.4%) and their relatives had been infected with COVID-19 (42%). The mean of anxiety-7 and depression total scores were 8.64 ± 5.60 and 8.48 ± 6.19, respectively. Female (OR = 3.27, 95% CI = 1.01-10.64), working in COVID-19 designated hospital (OR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.13-2.93), being suspected with COVID-19 infection (OR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.25-3.26), and insufficient personal protective equipment (OR = 2.61, 95% CI = 1.68-4.06) were associated with anxiety. Depression was significantly associated with female sex (OR = 4.62, %95 CI = 1.24-17.16), having chronic disease (OR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.20-3.74), being suspected or confirmed with COVID-19 infection (OR = 3.44, 95% CI = 2.11-5.59, and OR = 2.21, 95% CI = 1.04-4.70, respectively), and insufficient personal protective equipment (OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.19-2.91). CONCLUSION: The finding declares healthcare workers are at high risk for mental illness. Continuous supervision of the psychological consequences following infectious diseases outbreaks should be a part of the preparedness efforts of health care systems.