BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the utility of the visceral adiposity index (VAI) and the hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTGW) phenotype as possible hypertension (HTN) predictors in a high-risk population without diabetes and HTN. METHODS: Incident HTN over a 7-year follow-up was assessed among 1,375 first-degree non-diabetic and non-hypertensive relatives of consecutive patients with type 2 diabetes who were 30 to 70 years of age. HTN was defined as a blood pressure reading ≥140/90 mm Hg or the use of antihypertensive medications. We examined the incidence of HTN across VAI quintiles and four groups defined according to baseline fasting serum triglyceride (TG) levels and waist circumference (WC). RESULTS: The VAI and the HTGW phenotype at baseline were related to an increased risk for HTN. In comparison with the lowest VAI quintile, the highest VAI quintile showed a significant associated with HTN in an age- and gender-adjusted model (odds ratio [OR], 1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07 to 2.55). Those with HTGW were 2.3 times (OR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.54 to 3.35) more likely to develop HTN than those with a normal WC and normal TG levels. CONCLUSION: Greater VAI values weakly predicted HTN, whereas the HTGW phenotype was a stronger predictor of incident HTN in an Iranian high-risk population.
Adiposity* ; Blood Pressure ; Fasting ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Hypertriglyceridemic Waist* ; Incidence ; Phenotype* ; Risk Factors ; Triglycerides ; Waist Circumference

This study used a biomechanical test to evaluate the effects of pentoxifylline administration on the wound healing process of an experimental pressure sore induced in rats. Under general anesthesia and sterile conditions, experimental pressure sores generated by no. 25 Halsted mosquito forceps were inflicted on 12 adult male rats. Pentoxifylline was injected intraperitoneally at a dose of 50 mg/kg daily from the day the pressure sore was generated, for a period of 20 days. At the end of 20 days, rats were sacrificed and skin samples extracted. Samples were biomechanically examined by a material testing instrument for maximum stress (N mm2), work up to maximum force (N), and elastic stiffness (N/mm). In the experimental group, maximum stress (2.05+/-0.15) and work up to maximum force (N/mm) (63.75+/-4.97) were significantly higher than the control group (1.3+/-0.27 and 43.3+/-14.96, P=0.002 and P=0.035, respectively). Pentoxifylline administration significantly accelerated the wound healing process in experimental rats with pressure sores, compared to that of the control group.
Adult ; Anesthesia, General ; Animals ; Culicidae ; Humans ; Male ; Pentoxifylline ; Pressure Ulcer ; Rats ; Skin ; Surgical Instruments ; Wound Healing

OBJECTIVETo explore demographic and metabolic factors associated with increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity in non-diabetic non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients.

METHODSOverall 372 patients who consecutively attended to Gastroenterology Clinic of Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran awere diagnosed as NAFLD entered into analysis. Exclusion criteria were having diabetes mellitus and fasting blood glucose over 126 mg/dL, active hepatitis B virus infection, having hepatitis C virus positive serology, and to be under corticosteroid therapy. ALT levels were considered pathologically high when it was over 30 IU/L for men and over 19 IU/L for women.

RESULTSBivariate analyses using t test and chi-square test showed that patients with pathologically augmented ALT levels had significantly higher NAFLD grades in their ultrasonographic evaluations (P=0.003). Moreover, these patients represented significantly higher homeostatic model assessment levels (P=0.003), levels of serum insulin (P=0.002), fasting blood glucose (P<0.001), and uric acid (P=0.02). The prevalence of insulin resistance was also higher in patients with increased serum ALT concentrations. Multifactorial logistic regression models showed that ultrasonographic grading of NAFLD (P=0.027) and insulin resistance (P=0.013) were the only variables significantly associated with abnormal ALT levels.

CONCLUSIONSThis study shows that the associations of increased ALT serum levels in NAFLD patients are different from what are supposed before. By excluding diabetic patients from our population, we find that increased ALT levels are not associated with dyslipidemias but are independently associated with insulin resistance and NAFLD grading on ultrasonographic evaluations. Further studies are needed to confirm our results.

Adult ; Alanine Transaminase ; metabolism ; Blood Glucose ; Dyslipidemias ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; pathology ; Risk Factors ; Ultrasonography

Stem cell therapy opens a new window in medicine to overcome several diseases that remain incurable. It appears such diseases as cardiovascular disorders, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, urinary system diseases, cartilage lesions and diabetes are curable with stem cell transplantation. However, some questions related to stem cell therapy have remained unanswered. Stem cell imaging allows approval of appropriated strategies such as selection of the type and dose of stem cell, and also mode of cell delivery before being tested in clinical trials. MRI as a non-invasive imaging modality provides proper conditions for this aim. So far, different contrast agents such as superparamagnetic or paramagnetic nanoparticles, ultrasmall superparamagnetic nanoparticles, fluorine, gadolinium and some types of reporter genes have been used for imaging of stem cells. The core subject of these studies is to investigate the survival and differentiation of stem cells, contrast agent's toxicity and long term following of transplanted cells. The promising results of in vivo and some clinical trial studies may raise hope for clinical stem cells imaging with MRI.
Brain Injuries ; Cartilage ; Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy ; Contrast Media ; Fluorine ; Gadolinium ; Genes, Reporter ; Hope ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Molecular Imaging* ; Multiple Sclerosis ; Nanoparticles ; Regenerative Medicine ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Stem Cells*

OBJECTIVES: The emergence of resistant bacteria is being increasingly reported around the world, potentially threatening millions of lives. Amongst resistant bacteria, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the most challenging to treat. This is due to emergent MRSA strains and less effective traditional antibiotic therapies to Staphylococcal infections. The use of bacteriophages (phages) against MRSA is a new, potential alternate therapy. In this study, morphology, genetic and protein structure of lytic phages against MRSA have been analysed. METHODS: Isolation of livestock and sewage bacteriophages were performed using 0.4 μm membrane filters. Plaque assays were used to determine phage quantification by double layer agar method. Pure plaques were then amplified for further characterization. Sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and random amplification of polymorphic DNA were run for protein evaluation, and genotyping respectively. Transmission electron microscope was also used to detect the structure and taxonomic classification of phage visually. RESULTS: Head and tail morphology of bacteriophages against MRSA were identified by transmission electron microscopy and assigned to the Siphoviridae family and the Caudovirales order. CONCLUSION: Bacteriophages are the most abundant microorganism on Earth and coexist with the bacterial population. They can destroy bacterial cells successfully and effectively. They cannot enter mammalian cells which saves the eukaryotic cells from lytic phage activity. In conclusion, phage therapy may have many potential applications in microbiology and human medicine with no side effect on eukaryotic cells.
Agar ; Bacteria ; Bacteriophages ; Caudovirales ; Classification ; DNA ; Electrophoresis ; Eukaryotic Cells ; Head ; Humans ; Livestock ; Membranes ; Methicillin Resistance ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Methods ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning Transmission ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Sewage ; Siphoviridae ; Staphylococcal Infections ; Tail