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Background & objectives: Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are one of the most important agents in cartilage damage in rheumatoid arthritis. Increase of these enzymes can change sensitivity to insulin. Therefore, in this study, the MMPs level, insulin sensitivity index and effective factor related to rheumatoid arthritis were evaluated in obese female with rheumatoid arthritis.
Methods: In the present study, 50 obese women with rheumatoid arthritis who were referred to the Sheikh Al-Reis clinic and Sina hospital in Tabriz and 50 healthy obese individuals were considered as case group and control group respectively. After determining the body weight, the levels of MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-13, insulin, leptin, visfatin, resistin and glucose were measured using ELISA and Pars -Azmoon kits. One-way ANOVA method was used for statistical analysis of data. Pearson correlation test was used to evaluate the correlation between variables (p<0.05).
 
Results: in the present study, the mean level of MMP-1 (p=0.008), MMP-3 (p=0.015) and MMP-13 (p=0.001) in the case group was significantly higher than the control group. Also, Insulin- sensitivity index analysis didn’t show significant difference between the case group and the control group (p=0.21). In the case group, the level of leptin (p=0.000), resistin (p=0.000) and visfatin (p=0.024) was significantly increased compared to control group while insulin (p=0.231) and glucose (p=0.430) levels didn’t show significant increase.
Correlation results showed that there was a negative correlation between insulin and MMPs and a positive correlation with other parameters affecting insulin sensitivity.
Conclusion: our results showed, the matrix metalloproteinase level and the level of some factors affecting insulin sensitivity have increased in rheumatoid arthritis disease. Also, there was a significant positive correlation between the matrix metalloproteinase and some parameters affecting insulin sensitivity, including resistin and visfatin.
 

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Background & objectives: One of the most important diabetes complications is chronic renal failure. This disorder is one of the most important progressive renal problems that is closely associated with high mortality rate in diabetic patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of conjugated blackcurrant extract and  zinc oxide nanoparticles on histopathologic damages of kidney tissue in diabetic rats.
Methods: A total of thirty adult Wistar rats were used and they were randomly divided into the following six groups (n=5): control group; diabetic group (170 mg/kg alloxan); diabetic group treated with insulin (170 mg/kg alloxan & 10 U/kg insulin); diabetic group treated with ZnO nanoparticle (170 mg/kg alloxan & 8 mg/kg ZnO nanoparticle); diabetic group treated with extract (170 mg/kg alloxan & 150 mg/kg blackcurrant extract) and diabetic group treated with extract conjugated with ZnO nanoparticles (170 mg/kg alloxan & 8 mg/kg blackcurrant extract conjugated with ZnO nanoparticle). Diabetes mellitus was induced by intraperitoneal injection of alloxan monohydrate. Conjugated blackcurrant extract and ZnO nanoparticles were produced using green synthesis method. The tissues were stained with hematoxylin and eosin stain. Image J software was used for evaluation of histopathological changes.
Results: The comparison between groups treated with blackcurrant extract, ZnO nanoparticles and blackcurrant extract conjugated with ZnO nanoparticle showed that these compounds somewhat protect kidney tissue from diabetes damage . The highest protective effect was observed in diabetic group treated with ZnO nanoparticles conjugated with blackcurrant extract.
Conclusion: Our study, for the first time, showed that the conjugation of blackcurrant extract to ZnO nanoparticles can be effective in preventing renal- tissue damage in diabetic patient.

 
 

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Background & objectives: Considering the importance of liver toxicity due to drugs and toxins as a major cause of liver damage, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the combination of cinnamon and ginger extracts on serum biochemical parameters in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)- intoxicated rats.
 Methods: In this experimental study, forty-two male Wistar rats were divided into 7 groups (n=6). Three control groups including normal control, combined extract control and damaged control were designated that received distilled water, a mixture of cinnamon and ginger extracts and distilled water respectively for 14 days.
 Other 4 groups were pre-treatment  groups which were treated with cinnamon (50 mg/kg/d), ginger (250 mg/kg/d), cinnamon + ginger (25+125 mg/kg/d) and silymarin (100 mg/kg/d) respectively for 14 days before being damaged by intraperitoneal injection of CCl₄ (1 ml/kg, 1:1 in olive oil). Fifty - two hours after CCl4 injection, blood sampling was performed and biochemical parameters were measured in serum of rats.
Results: The results of this study showed that the injection of CCl₄ significantly increased the ALT and AST enzymes activity ,cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL levels and decreased the blood albumin and HDL levels in damaged rats compared to the normal control group (p<0.001). However, pre-treatment with the cinnamon and ginger extracts, especially combination of extracts significantly improved these values ​​compared to the CCl₄ damage group (p<0.001).
Conclusion: The results suggest that simultaneous use of cinnamon and ginger extracts has more significant protective effects against CCl₄-induced hepatotoxicity.
 

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Before describing the structure and mechanism of action of a protein, it must first be subject to purification procedure. Protein purification is a set of processes in which one or a small number of proteins are purified from a complex compound that may be a complete cell, tissue, or organism. Understanding the functions, structural properties, and interactions of the protein are directly related to the degree of purity of the protein of interest. In the purification process, the protein and non-protein parts are separated. The biggest challenge is when the protein must be separated from other proteins. The purification procedure of an unknown protein is usually depends on the size, physicochemical properties, binding affinity, and biological activity. The end product of the purification process is called protein isolate. The protein purification process usually involves filtration and one or more chromatographic steps. Chromatography is a useful method for acquiring very pure protein for using in very accurate experiments. Therefore, by purifying the desired molecule, it can be used in various industries, such as medicine.

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Background & objectives: The liver is one of the most important organs in the body and plays an essential role in the metabolism of drugs and toxins. Therefore, any damage to the liver can disrupt its function and cause various diseases. On the other hand, due to the increasing use of the medicinal herbs, in this study, the effects of hepatic protection of aqueous extracts of Humulus lupulus on liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats were investigated.
Methods: In this experimental study, 36 male Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups (n=6). Group 1 (normal control) and Group 2 (control CCl₄): administered with distilled water orally for 14 days. Groups 3, 4, and 5 received 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg of Humulus lupulus extract for 14 days respectively. Group 6: administered with silymarin (as standard drug) 100 mg/kg orally for 14 days. All of the groups except group 1 received 1 ml CCl₄ (1:1 v/v dissolved in olive oil) on 14^th day. All animals were sacrificed and blood samples were collected to determine the biochemical parameters.
Results: Pretreatment with a Humulus lupulus extract significantly reduced the serum levels of ALT, AST, ALP, TG, and increased the serum HDL levels, but did not have a significant effect on GGT and LDL levels.
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the Humulus lupulus extract can protect the liver from damage caused by carbon tetrachloride and have beneficial effects on lipid profile.

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Background & objectives: Diabetes is a disease that requires continuous monitoring of blood glucose levels to control its complications. At present, blood glucose is measured using portable devices; most of the electrodes of these devices work using the enzyme glucose oxidase. Due to the high cost of the enzyme and its instability, non-enzymatic electrochemical sensors can significantly contribute to the emergence of new generation devices.
Methods: In this study, keywords of glucose measurement, non-enzymatic electrochemical sensors in the period 1962 -2020, were searched and studied from Elsevier, Scopus, Science Direct and PubMed databases. In this review, first, the different generations of glucose sensors and how they are made are mentioned, and the types of materials used in the preparation of enzyme-based sensors are discussed. The progress made in non-enzymatic sensors is mentioned in the following, and the advantages and challenges of these types of glucose sensors are discussed.
Results: Materials used to prepare non-enzymatic glucose electrochemical sensors are platinum, copper, platinum alloys, gold and platinum nanomaterials, and molecular mold polymers. The main problem of these compounds is the lack of selectivity of these compounds and their weak signal due to the intervention of disturbing species. However, using molecular mold polymers seems an excellent option to solve this problem.
Conclusions: Non-enzymatic glucose electrochemical sensors have the advantage of high stability and low cost, and measuring the amount of glucose in biological fluids can be helpful in controlling diabetes. Advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology and molecularly formulated polymers have made it possible to produce new nanomaterials to create enzyme-free systems for glucose detection, but several studies are needed to bring these sensors to market.

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Background & objectives: Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK-2) is a serine/threonine protein kinase with regulatory activity in the cell cycle. Inhibitors of this protein are the treatment of choice for a variety of cancers by stopping the cell cycle. In this in silico study, the effects of docking and molecular dynamics of Abemaciclib, Hymenialdisine, and Indirubin on the inhibition of CDK-2 as one of the most important factors in the cell cycle have been investigated.
Methods: PDB file of CDK-2 protein as well as three-dimensional structures of Abemaciclib, Hymenialdisine, and Indirubin were obtained from the protein database (http://www.rcsb.org) and pubchem server, respectively. After simulating CDK-2 in Gromacs software, molecular docking of compounds on CDK-2 was performed by AutoDock 4.2 software. Finally, the most important molecular dynamics factors such as RMSD,the radius of gyration and total energy in the pre-docking state were analyzed and compared to these factors in the post-docking stage.
Results: Abemaciclib has the highest affinity for binding to amino acids at the CDK-2 binding site by releasing binding energy equivalent to 8.23 kJ/mol. The binding of Abemaciclib, Hymenialdisine, and Indirubin to CDK-2, resulted in significant reductions in some molecular dynamics factors such as mean total energy, the radius of gyration, RMSD, and changes in CDK-2 secondary structure.
Conclusion: Abemaciclib, Hymenialdisine, and Indirubin have a high tendency to interact with CDK-2, and this binding can induce significant dynamic molecular changes in the structure of CDK-2 molecule.  Based on the results of molecular dynamics simulation, the secondary structure of CDK-2 changes after each ligand binds to it and makes the complex of ligand and protein more stable. 

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Background & objectives: Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is one of the most ancient and well-known medicinal plants, and its useful role has been well - established in treating of many diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Fenugreek on spermatogenesis, total antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde (MDA) level in male diabetic rats.
Methods: In this experimental study, 24 male Wistar rats weighing approximately 200±20 gram were used. The rats were randomly divided into 4 groups of six. group1: control group, Group2: diabetic, Group3: diabetic+Fenugreek (8gram /kg diet), group4: diabetic+Fenugreek (2gram /kg diet). This treatment continued for 4 weeks. Blood glucose, total antioxidant capacity, malondialdehyde, and sperm profiles were determined.
Results: Blood glucose in diabetic rats which received Fenugreek significantly reduced compared with diabetic animals. Fenugreek also reduced body weight and MDA level of semen (p<0.05).On the other hand, Fenugreek increased the total antioxidant capacity of semen (p<0.05) and normalized sperm profiles (p<0.05).
Conclusion: According to the present results, it can be concluded that consumption of Fenugreek extract probably reduced MDA level, body weight, and normalized sperm profile thus, Fenugreek extract can be used to treat sexual dysfunction in males.
 

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Background & objectives: Zinc sulfate binds to the R group of some amino acids, such as histidine and cysteine, resulting in protein precipitation. In an ELISA and colorimetric experiments, we determined the optimal concentration of zinc sulfate to precipitate hemoglobin, which in turn affects the level and activity of Caspase 3 in red blood cells.             
Methods: Osmotic stress was induced on red blood cells under hypertonic and hypotonic conditions. An isotonic condition was used as a control without osmotic stress. The cells were incubated at 37^oC for 15 min and 24 hrs. Different concentrations of zinc sulfate were set up experimentally, stepwise after the lysis of RBC samples with ultrasound waves and removal of cell membranes by centrifugation. Zinc sulfate was allowed to bind to hemoglobin at different time intervals at room temperature. Afterward, hemoglobin was precipitated at various time intervals through centrifugation. The supernatants were then measured by ELISA and colorimetric methods for Caspase 3 level and activity.
Results: The optimal conditions were found to be 6 mM zinc sulfate, 10 min incubation at room temperature to bind zinc sulfate to hemoglobin, and 30 min centrifugation at 3000 rpm to precipitate hemoglobin.                                                       
Conclusion: This study showed that zinc sulfate with a concentration of 6 mM precipitates and removes hemoglobin without affecting the level or activity of Caspase 3. 
 

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