Introduction. Modifying cardiovascular risk factors is very important for the patients after kidney transplantation. Statins are a potentially beneficial intervention for kidney transplant patients, and the effect of statins on cardiovascular outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease varies according to the stages. This systematic review summarizes the potential beneficial effects of statins on kidney allograft outcome. Materials and Methods. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted by literature search using the PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Google Scholar. Articles published after 2000 reporting hazard ratios (HRs) for the effect of statins on patient and graft survival of kidney transplant patients were included. Results. Seven articles were included in the systematic review, involving 1870 kidney transplant patients that received statins and 3339 kidney transplant patients as the control group. Statins has no protective effect on transplant rejection, graft survival or patient survival after kidney transplantation. The effect of statins on graft survival, however, was significant when adjusted for factors such as age, sex, and serum creatinine level (HR, 0. 80; 95% CI, 0. 69 to 0. 92; P =. 003). Similarly, patient survival was significantly better with statin use (adjusted HR, 0. 75; 95% CI, 0. 63 to 0. 88; P =. 003). Conclusions. The present study may provide valuable information on the potential beneficial effects of statins in kidney allograft recipients. Meta-analysis showed that the use of statins correlated independently with improved patient and graft survival after kidney transplantation.

Background: Patients with diabetes present with lipid disorders, including hypercho-lesterolemia, which can be a high-risk factor for atherosclerosis. Recently, increasing interest has been focused on anti-lipidemic function of herbal medicines, especially Zingiber officinale (known as ginger), in diabetes. However, the mechanism underly-ing the effect of ginger on some players involved in cholesterol homeostasis of Central Nervous System (CNS) among diabetic patients remains unclear. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the effect of ginger on brain regulation of Hydro-xymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase (HMG-CoA reductase) and Cholesterol 24-hydroxy-lase (CYP46A1), which provides a rational model for understanding brain dyslipidem-ia mechanisms associated with diabetes. Methods: Brains of rats were isolated from four groups: control, non-treated diabetic, and treated diabetic groups receiving 200 or 400 mg/kg of hydroalcoholic extracts of ginger for eight weeks. HMG-CoA reductase and CYP46A1 levels in brain homoge-nates were determined by western-blot technique. Results: Ginger root extract caused a significant decrease in HMG-CoA reductase and an increase in CYP46A1 levels in treated diabetic groups compared to diabetic con-trol. In comparison to diabetic group, these effects were more remarkable with 400 mg/kg concentration of ginger extract. Conclusion: The findings showed that ginger extract has a regulatory effect on pro-teins involved in cholesterol homeostasis in CNS by a significant down-and up-re-gulation of HMG-CoA reductase and CYP46A1 levels, respectively. It can be suggested that adding ginger to daily diet of diabetic patients has useful effects and may ame-liorate diabetes complications.

Objective: Regulation of cholesterol level is essential for the brain optimal function. The beneficial effect of garlic consumption on cholesterol homeostasis is well known; however, the molecular mechanism to support its properties is unclear. Here, we investigated the beneficial effect of aqueous extract of garlic and allicin on lipid profile and the main players involved in brain cholesterol homeostasis including ABCA1, HMG-CoA reductase, and CYP46A1 in both C57BL/6J mice brain and astrocytes. Materials and Methods: Thirty mice were divided into control and garlic groups. Garlic group was fed with the aqueous extract of garlic. Serum lipids were measured and brain protein levels of ABCA1, HMGCR, and CYP46A1 were determined by western blotting. Changes in these proteins expression were also studied in the presence of allicin in cultured astrocytes. Results: A moderate decrease in serum total cholesterol and a significant increase in plasma HDL-C levels (p<0. 05) were detected. A significant increase in ABCA1, HMGCR, and CYP46A1 protein levels was observed in the garlic group and in the cultured astrocytes treated with allicin by western blotting (p<0. 05). Conclusion: Our findings indicated that the main players involved in cholesterol turnover including HMGCR that is involved in cholesterol synthesis, ABCA1 that is important in cholesterol efflux, and CYP46A1 that is necessary in cholesterol degradation, were up regulated by garlic/allicin in both animal and cell culture model. We concluded that increasing cholesterol turnover is a possible mechanism for the beneficial effects of garlic in cholesterol homeostasis.

etabolic syndrome is a serious health condition, yet a common worldwide disorder. It includes several risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and high glucose levels which lead the patients to higher risks of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and stroke. Phytotherapy plays an important role in treating components of metabolic syndrome. Nettle (Urtica dioica) is considered a valuable plant due to bioactive compounds such as formic acid and rich sources of flavonoids. To acknowledge the role of nettle in metabolic syndrome, several mechanisms have been suggested such as alterations in potassium and calcium channels which improve hypertension. Antihyperlipidemic properties of nettle are mediated by inhibition of HMGCoA reductase and amelioration of lipid peroxidation via antioxidant effects. Also, one of the flavonoids in nettle, quercetin, is responsible for decreasing total cholesterol. Moreover, nettle is responsible for anti-diabetic effects through processes such as increasing insulin secretion and proliferation of pancreatic β,-cells. This review aims to gather different studies to confirm the potential efficacy of nettle in metabolic syndrome.

This study was conducted to monitor the plant responses to seed priming with electromagnetic fields (0, 4, or 6 mT) or cold plasma (0, 80, or 100 s) in Salvia nemorosa. The cold plasma or electromagnetic field treatments significantly increased shoot fresh weight (49%), root fresh weight (41%), and root length (56%). The results highlighted that seed priming with cold plasma or the electromagnetic field is an effective method to modify seedling growth. The electromagnetic field and plasma treatments upregulated the AREB1 gene (mean = 3. 9-fold). Except for the electromagnetic field of 4mT, the other treatments stimulated expressions of the WRKY1 gene by an average of 6. 7-fold relative to the control. The cold plasma or electromagnetic field also induced the expression of cinnamoyl-CoA reductases (CCR2) gene (mean = fourfold). These treatments also changed the expression of the rosmarinic acid synthase by an average of sixfold. These findings may improve our knowledge of plant reactions to cold plasma and electromagnetic field for possible functions in seed technology.

With the increased usage of nitrate fertilizers, the removal of their stable ionic and water-soluble end products is a challenge for human health. Several physicochemical methods have been examined for nitrate removal of water, but biological treatments are mostly preferred due to a higher efficiency and lower cost. To remove nitrogen from water, we investigated the potential of nitrate-reducing halophilic and halotolerant bacteria. A total of 50 strains from different saline and hypersaline environments of Iran, including the Incheboron wetland, Aran-Bidgol salt-lake, and Urmia endorheic salt-lake, were screened for nitrate reductase production. Among investigated bacteria, 60% and 19% of strains obtained from Urmia lake, and Incheboron wetland produced nitrate reductases, respectively. The nitrate reductase coding genes narG, and napA were analyzed in all strains with confirmed nitrate-reducing capacity. The napA gene was successfully amplified from a gram-negative halophilic strain, and the narG gene was detected in ten halophilic strains. Among nitrate-reducing isolates with the narG gene expression, the Kocuria rosea strain R3A34 showed the highest nitrate reductase production level. This strain was selected to optimize for its denitrifying activity. Results showed that 32° C, pH 7. 0, NaCl 8% (w/v), and mannitol (as a carbon source) provide the optimal environmental conditions for the efficient production of nitrate reductase by the Kocuria rosea strain R3A34. As these are compatible with wastewaters conditions, this bacterium can be a proper candidate for bioremediation of wastewaters from nitrate pollutants.