Association Between the Risk of Multiple Sclerosis and Dietary Proinflammatory/Anti-Inflammatory Food Intake and Dietary Diversity: A Case-Control Study

Alireza Hatami,Maryam Ahmadi-khorram,Fatemeh Keykhaei,Ali Jafarzadeh Esfehani,Mohsen Nematy 한국임상영양학회 2024 Clinical Nutrition Research Vol.13 No.1

A diet rich in proinflammatory components and inflammation are suggested to be significant risk factors for multiple sclerosis (MS). This study aimed to investigate the association between the risk of MS and the inflammatory potential of an individual’s diet and dietary diversity through pro-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory food intake score (PAIFIS) and dietary diversity score (DDS). In a hospital-based case–control study, 397 participants, including 197 patients with MS and 200 healthy participants aged over 18 years, were evaluated. The history of smoking, dietary intake, and anthropometric characteristics, including body mass index, waist circumference, total body fat, and fat-free mass were assessed. A validated 160- item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to calculate the PAIFIS and DDS scores. The mean age of the participants was 32.45 ± 8.66 years, and most were females (274, 79.4%). The PAIFIS score was significantly higher among MS patients than healthy participants (p = 0.001). Between PAIFIS and DDS, only PAFIS was significantly related to MS risk (odds ratio, 1.002; 95% confidence interval, 1.001–1.004; p = 0.001). PAIFIS, as an index of dietary inflammation, can predict MS. Further studies are needed to document these findings.

Protective Effects of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Extract against Diabetes-Induced Heart Abnormality in Rats

Behrouz Ilkhanizadeh,Alireza Shirpoor,Mohamad hasan Khadem Ansari,Samira Nemati,Yusef Rasmi 대한당뇨병학회 2016 Diabetes and Metabolism Journal Vol.40 No.1

Background: Diabetic cardiomyopathy is an important causal factor in morbidity and mortality among diabetic patients, and currently, no effective means are available to reverse its pathological progress. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of ginger extract on apolipoproteins (apo) A and B, hyperhomocysteinemia, cathepsin G and leptin changes, as well as cardiac fibrosis and heart muscle cell proliferation under hyperglycemic conditions in vivo. Methods: Twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided into three groups, namely: control, non-treated diabetic, and ginger extract-treated diabetic groups. The ginger extract-treated diabetic group received a 50 mg daily dose of ginger extract intragastrically for 6 weeks. Results: The results revealed concurrent significant increases in plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), homocysteine (Hcy), cathepsin G and apoB levels and decreases in apoA and leptin levels in the non-treated diabetic group compared to the control group. Moreover, heart structural changes, including fibrosis and heart muscle cell proliferation, were observed in non-treated diabetic rats compared to the control rats. Significant amelioration of changes in the heart structure together with restoration of the elevated levels of Hcy and CRP, leptin, cathepsin G, and apoA and B were found in the ginger extract-treated diabetic group compared to the non-treated diabetic group. Conclusion: The findings indicated that ginger extract significantly reduces heart structural abnormalities in diabetic rats and that these effects might be associated with improvements in serum apo, leptin, cathepsin G, and Hcy levels and with the antioxidant properties of ginger extract.

A close look at the motion of C60 on gold

Hossein Nejat Pishkenari,Alireza Nemati,Ali Meghdari,Saeed Sohrabpour 한국물리학회 2015 Current Applied Physics Vol.15 No.11

In this paper, we have studied the motion of buckminsterfullerene (C60) on a gold surface by analyzing its potential energy and using classical molecular dynamics method. The results can be employed to investigate the motion of C60-based nanocars which have been made in recent years. For this purpose, we have studied the translational and rotational motions of C60 molecule independently. First, we have calculated the potential energy of a C60 molecule on a gold surface in different orientations and positions and employed this data to predict fullerene motion by examining its potential energy. Then we have simulated the motion of C60 at different temperatures using classical molecular dynamics methods. Specifying the regime of the motion at different temperatures is one of main goals of this paper.We have found that the rotational motion of C60 molecule on the gold substrate, was easier than its sliding (translational) motion. Also, the regime of motion of fullerene depended on temperature. The results demonstrate that three different regimes of motion, dependent on temperature, could be observed: rare jumps to adjacent cells, frequent jumps, and continuous motion. Employing the results of this paper not only helps to understand the C60 motion on the gold surface but also provides an appropriate tool for realizing motion of the thermally-driven fullerene-based nanocars.

Evaluation of a Polycaprolactone/Gelatin/Lucilia sericata Larva Extract Nanofibrous Mat for Burn-Wound Healing

Seyedeh‑Sara Hashemi,Zhila Hayatdavoodi,Mehdi Kian,Nahid Hassanzadeh Nemati,Davood Mehrabani,Ali‑Akbar Mohammadi,Alireza Rafati,Mojtaba Ghaedi,Behzad Ghafari,Adnan Alizadeh Naini 한국섬유공학회 2023 Fibers and polymers Vol.24 No.11

Electrospun nanofibrous mats have shown great potential for dressing skin wounds. In this study, a nanofibrous mat composed of polycaprolactone (PCL), Gelatin (GLT), and Lucilia sericata larva extract (LSLE) was fabricated by the electrospinning method. The morphology of the fabricated nanofibrous mat and its morphological properties (fibers distribution frequency, fiber diameter, pore area, number of pores, and intersection density) were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ImageJ software. The PCL/GLT/LSLE nanofibrous mat had well-branched and porous structure with a mean diameter of 500.2 ± 20.46. The presence of functional groups of PCL and GLT polymers in the structure of the PCL/GLT/LSLE mat was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Contact angle measurement and swelling behavior assessment showed that the PCL/GLT/LSLE mat had better surface wettability (75.67 ± 2.71) and hydrophilicity (241.8 ± 27.01) properties in comparison with the PCL and PCL/GLT mats. Findings from the MTT assay indicated the biocompatibility of the PCL/GLT/LSLE mat for human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs). In addition, the anchorage and proliferation of HDFs on the PCL/GLT/LSLE mat was confirmed by SEM. Macroscopic and histopathological evaluations were performed at the end of the 3, 7, and 14 days after the conduction of experimental burn wound injury in rats. The results indicated that grafting the skin wounds with the PCL/GLT/LSLE nanofibrous mat accelerated the wound closure and improved histopathological score compared to the other animal groups dressed with the PCL and PCL/GLT mats. In conclusion, the PCL/GLT/LSLE nanofibrous mat has promising potential for dressing skin wounds.

Bioacoustics of Trogoderma granarium Everts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)

Azizi Farsani Payam,Sakenian Dehkordi Nader,Ebrahimi Rahim,Nemati Alireza,Taghizadeh Dehkordi Maryam 한국응용곤충학회 2024 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.27 No.1

Trogoderma granarium Everts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) is one of the major destructive pests of grain products in hot and dry parts of the world. No information has been made available on the bioacoustic signals (BASs) of T. granarium. In this paper, the bioacoustic features of this insect have measured from larvae and adult males and females. No anechoic chamber was used in this study. The extracted features were compared to evaluate the ability of the acoustic method to determine larva or adult as well as their sex. Adult males and females and larvae T. granarium produced BASs with a length of 2–11, 2–52, and 2–30 ms with a maximum sound pressure level of 3, 36, and 17 dB, respectively. At least 60 % of all BASs were in the ranges of 2–12 impulses in larva and adult stages. The sum of the total BASs was different in larvae and adult stages. Adult males had the least number of BASs compared to adult females and larvae. Detection of the growth stage and determination of the sex of the adult T. granarium by acoustic method in the time domain depends on the feature extracted from BASs and number of their impulses. Furthermore, in the frequency domain, the most dominant frequency bands were in the range of 1–8 kHz. In this band, the most dominant frequency band was 3.5–4.5 and 1–1.7 kHz for adult males and larvae, respectively. The most dominant bands of 1–3 and 4–5 kHz were observed for adult females.