In vivo and in vitro sublethal exposure of abrin, glycyrrhizin (active component of Abrus precatorius seed and root), sanguinarine, protopine (Argemone mexicana seed) and oleandrin (Nerium indicum leaf) inhibited the acetylcholinesterase, lactic dehydrogenase, acid and alkaline phosphatase activity in the nervous tissue of Lymnaea acuminata. The succinic dehydrogenase activity in the nervous tissue of L. acuminata was increased in in vivo treatment of these molluscicides whereas, with in vitro exposure, these molluscicides caused no significant change in succinic dehydrogenase activity.

Background: Physalis alkekengi (PA) is used as a topical medicine in the treatment of tumors. The diuretic, laxative, and antiinflammatory properties of PA have been studied. Due to the widespread usage of PA, investigation on the plausible side effects is of great concern. Objectives: This study was done to assess the effects of aqueous extract of PA on the heart and aortic tissue of adult BALB/c mice. Methods: Fifty BALB/c mice aged 10-12 weeks, weighing 25 ,2 g, were divided into five groups of control, sham, and three experimental groups (receiving PA aqueous extract at 7, 15, and 19 g/Kg) for four weeks. lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) enzymes were measured. Moreover, histological processing and macroscopic investigation were performed. Results: Our data showed that different doses of PA aqueous extract caused a significant increase in aortic diameter compared to the control andshamgroups (P-value, 0. 05). The macroscopic heart investigation revealed that the experimental groups hadmore apparent blood vessels than the control group. In microscopic examinations, an increase was observed in the interstitial spaces and unrecognizable stepped lines. The experimental groups demonstrated a significant decrease in the levels of LDH and CPK compared to the control and sham groups (P-value, 0. 5). Therefore, PA aqueous extract has adverse impacts on the heart, aorta, and cardiac enzymes, which were more significant at high doses. Conclusions: Our finding showed that PA has destructive impacts on the heart tissue and PA use needs more investigation and attention.

Background: Several reports have determined that cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are common complications in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and lead them to poor outcomes. CVD biomarkers have, thus, great potential to be used as prognostic biomarkers. We aimed to determine the accuracy of CVD biomarkers for the prognosis of the COVID-19 patient’ s outcome via a diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) meta-analysis. Methods: Until September 30, 2020, we searched Web of Sciences, Scopus, and MEDLINE/PubMed databases to obtain related papers. The summary points and lines were calculated using bivariate/HSROC model. As outcomes, we considered critical conditions and mortality. Results: A total of 17 659 patients from 33 studies were included. Five biomarkers, namely increased levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), creatine kinase (CK), D-dimer, and thrombocytopenia, met the inclusion criteria. Our results indicated that LDH and cTnI had good accuracy for the prognosis of critical condition (AUCHSROC=0. 83 and 0. 80, respectively), while LDH, cTnI, and D-dimer had acceptable accuracy (AUCHSROC=0. 74, 0. 71, and 0. 72, respectively) for the prognosis of mortality. LDH and D-dimer had high sensitivity, whereas cTnI had high specificity. The other biomarkers did not have acceptable accuracy. Significant publication bias was found for D-dimer (P=0. 053). Conclusion: Among CVD biomarkers, LDH and cTnI had good accuracy for the prognosis of critical outcomes and acceptable accuracy for the prognosis of mortality, without publication bias. Given their different sensitivities and specificities, we recommend the use of these 2 biomarkers concomitantly.

Background and Aim: Malaria is one of the most life-threatening infectious diseases worldwide. Transmission of the parasite from human to vector mosquitoes is carried out by the gametocyte of the Plasmodium parasite, while these cells are not involved in the symptoms of the disease. The control of the human to mosquito transmission stage of the parasite life cycle by antigametocyte drugs is currently under increasing scrutiny in an effort to eradicate the disease globally. In this study the gametocytocidal activity of eosin B on asexual blood stages and gametocytes of Plasmodium falciparum has been probed. Materials and Methods: The parasite Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 was first cultured and then gametocytogenesis was induced to obtain gametocyte cells. After microscopically studying the developmental stages of the parasite during the culture of the parasite, eosin B was tested on blood and sexual parasites and the viability was assessed by lactate dehydrogenase assay and the results were compared for the two groups. Results: Mature gametocytes were produced during 12 days. The blood parasites in culture were increased until day 4 and then gradually diminished. The results of lactate dehydrogenase assay showed a stronger effect of eosin B on gametocytes (IC50 = 23 nM) than asexual blood stages (IC50 = 133 nM). Conclusion: Due to the rarity of anti-gametocyte drugs and importance of these intervention on malaria elimination, eosin B appears to be a suitable candidate for combination therapy against Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes.

Considering the impact of HMB supplement on sport performance, the tendency to consume it in order to achieve more efficiency has increased. Accordingly, the present study investigates the impact of a 6-day consumption of HMB-FA supplement on factors that influence hypertrophy and recovery in inactive men. 20 inactive men with a body mass index of 21. 5± 1 kg/m2 and age of 25. 1± 4 years were classified into the following two groups: sport with placebo and sport with supplement. The subjects started to consume HMB-FA supplement 6 days before resistance exercises. The muscle biopsy samples were taken from the subjects immediately before and 10 minutes after resistance exercise. Similarly, blood samples were taken immediately before and after as well as 48 after the exercise. The Results of ancova that there is a significant increase (p =0. 001) between serum levels of testosterone before and immediately after exercise in sport with placebo group in comparison with sport with supplement group. In addition, there is a significant increase (p =0. 001) in P70S6K values and a significant decrease (p =0. 001) in serum levels of creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) between sport with supplement group and sport with placebo. Therefore, acute consumption of HMB supplement before resistance exercise can increase P70S6K values as the index of hypertrophy. By the same token, it decreases CK and LDH as the indices of muscle damage.

Introduction: The use of antioxidants before high-intensity training, which leads to the release of free radicals and muscle injuries, can result in reduced damage during exercise. Accordingly, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of selenium supplement intake on oxidative stress, following exhaustive aerobic exercise among young physically-active females.Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 20 healthy girls (age: 23.6±1.5 years, height: 1.61±0.0126 m, and weight: 60.2±7.13 kg) were randomly divided into exercise (n=10) and supplement+exercise (n=10) groups. The participants were asked to consume selenium supplements (200μg/day) for a period of 14 days. The Bruce protocol stress test was conducted 24 h after the final intake of supplements and primary blood collection (in a fasting state). Also, immediately after performing the Bruce test, the second blood samples were drawn from the subjects. Oxidative stress markers (i.e., creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and malondialdehyde levels) were measured at each stage of blood sampling and were compared between the groups using paired t-test. Data analysis was performed by SPSS (version 18). Pvalue less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: The results indicated that exhaustive aerobic exercise could cause a significant increase in creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and malondialdehyde levels. The comparison between the control and intervention groups suggested the significant effect of selenium supplementation on declining of lactate dehydrogenase level (P<0.05).Conclusion: The results of the present study demonstrated that selenium supplements could reduce oxidative stress, induced by exhaustive physical exercise.