The practice of plants for the deterrence and management of innumerable physiological states and diseases dates back to the history of humankind.Although many of today's medicinal yields are achieved synthetically, they are often modelled on the chemical composition of medicinal plants.In this accordance, Acanthus genus (Family Acanthaceae) has acknowledged considerable attention due to its wide range of secondary metabolites and its customary usage in Indian and Chinese system of medicine.It is worth to mention that A. ilicifolius is enormously medicinal among all the species of Acanthus genus.This plant is considered to be rich sources of steroids, triterpenoids, saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and tannins.Traditionally, the plant has been used for asthma, diabetes, dyspepsia, hepatitis, leprosy, neuralgia, paralysis, ringworm, skin disease, snake bite, leukemia.Toxicological investigation in mice model has showed that, the ethanolic extract of the leaves of this plant have no toxic effect up to dose of 1000 mg/kg BW, 2000 mg/kg BW dose have mild toxicity and 5000 mg/kg BW dose have caused toxic effect in some organ system like liver, heart, pancreas, lung and kidney.Different extract of this plant also exhibited Anti-inflammatory, anti-leishmanial, osteoblastic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and anticancer activities.This review article is an endeavor to cover current expansion in phytochemical and pharmacological potential of this plant species which will be a good reference tool for investigators who wish to work on natural products.
For men with severe oligozoospermia, sperm cryopreservation can preserve surgically obtained sperm. How to cryopreserve single sperm in men is still a hot topic in assisted reproduction technology. Aim to analyze the laboratory and pregnancy outcomes of single sperm cryopreservation group, we retrospectively selected 38 cycles underwent single sperm cryopreservation and thawing as the study group and 618 cycles underwent conventional sperm cryopreservation and thawing as the control group, which were performed in the reproductive medicine center of the Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yatsen University, from April 2014 to October 2023. All the sperm came from microdissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE), and performed intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for fertilization. Zygotes were cultured to Day 3 embryo, which were freshly transferred to female uterus. Surplus embryos were cultured to blastosphere and cryopreserved. There was no statistical difference in female/male age, female BMI, infertility duration and female basal sex hormone (FSH, LH E2, AMH), No. of oocytes retrieved per cycle, No. of ICSI oocytes per cycle and No. of embryos transferred per cycle between the two groups (P > 0.05). No significant difference was found in two-pronuclear oocyte fertilization rate (59.23% VS 58.84%), Day 3 available embryo rate (61.81% VS 63.55%), Day 3 good-quality embryo rate (45.73% VS 50.27%), blastocyst formation rate (47.83% VS 49.46%), the implantation rate (47.37% VS 52.16%), clinical pregnancy rate (36.84% VS 47.18%), miscarriage rate (14.29% VS 12.68%) and live birth rate (85.71% VS 81.70%) between two groups (P > 0.05). In conclusion, single-sperm cryopreservation was the optimal method to preserve sperm after micro-TESE. It can increase the utilization of each sperm and lead to clinical pregnancy.
Background: Bacterial vaginosis represents a public health problem due to its high frequency in our various health facilities. Vaginal douching used by women as a means to achieve hygienic measures could be potentially dangerous. The objective of the study is to aim at bringing forth epidemiological data on intra-genital hygiene practices, determine the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and the association between these vaginal practices and this genital infection. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on March 2022 on patients received in Human Biology Laboratory of Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants Studies, in Yaoundé. Data were collected by questionnaire after an oral and written consent obtained from the patients. Vaginal swabs were collected and inoculated on to Blood Agar, Chocolate with polyvitex. Identification was done using morphologically appearance, Gram staining and biochemicals tests. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 20 software. Results: A total of 120 patients were enrolled during the study. The most represented age group of participants was 25 to 35 years with 62.5%. The overall prevalence of bacterial vaginosis was 29.16%. The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis varied according to the number of lifetime male sexual partners, women who reported having only one sexual partner in their life had a prevalence rate of 23.32%. The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis was higher in patients living in urban areas (23.33%). No significant correlation was observed between bacterial vaginosis and regularly vaginal douching and practice of intimate vaginal cleansing (p = 0.980). Conclusion: Our findings indicated that sexual behaviour traits may have an impact on the relatively high prevalence of bacterial vaginosis. This suggests that comprehensive health education programmes may be necessary to lower the incidence of bacterial vaginosis, which indicate the need for comprehensive and programmed health education programs aimed at reducing the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis.
Background: Oxidative stress and inflammation are related to the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus (DM), being involved in the development of micro-and macrovascular complications. Physical activity is beneficial for DM patients, but little is known about the relationship between redox and inflammation biomarkers and the level of physical activity in these patients. Based on this, this research aims to evaluate the effects of physical activity level on redox stress parameters and inflammatory markers in T2DM patients. Methods: Eighty-four patients with T2DM were divided according to their physical activity level: group A (n = 48), sedentary; group B (n = 11) active (3 times a week, 150 min) and group C (n = 25), highly active (5 times a week, 150 - 300 mins, at least). Anthropometric and biochemical parameters, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, as well as GSH, sRAGE and ICAM-1 levels were assessed. Results: Glycated haemoglobin, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol levels were lower in the highly active group in comparison to other groups. Plasma SOD activity was higher in group C compared to Group A, while ICAM-1 levels were significantly higher in group B when compared to other groups. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the practice of physical activity is beneficial to T2DM patients, especially at high volume and frequency.
Background/Objectives: Global ageing is associated with an increase in the frequency of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), which is often complex to manage postoperatively. The aim of this study was to describe postoperative complications of Lower limb arteriopathy in geriatric units. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective, descriptive study from July 2019 to June 2022 of patients aged at least 65 years hospitalized in the geriatric unit of the FANN hospital for postoperative management of a Lower limb arteriopathy. Sociodemographic, clinical and evolutionary characteristics were collected and analyzed using Epi info version 7.2.6 software. Results: Forty patients met the criteria, representing 7.69% of hospital admissions. The average age was 77.5 years, with women in majority (75%). The mean time to geriatric admission after surgery was 9 ± 3 days. Poly pathologies (≥3 comorbidities) were present in 55% of patients. Cardiovascular risk factors were dominated by high blood pressure (85%), followed by mellitus diabetes (52.5%) and dyslipidemia (12.5%). Other associated comorbidities were dominated by heart disease (40%), followed by ischemic stroke (27.5%) and major cognitive impairment (27.5%). Excessive chronic arterial disease of the limbs was the predominant vascular diagnosis (80%) and amputation was the most common surgical procedure (62.5%), especially of the thigh (42.4%). Symptoms included refusal to eat (70%) and mental confusion (70%). The geriatric syndromes were mainly acute loss of functional independence (97.5%) and malnutrition (77.5%). The average number of acute diagnoses on admission was 4 ± 1, represented mainly by infectious diseases (31.5%), dominated by superinfection of the amputation stump (55%) and pulmonary infection (25%). Mortality rate was 22.5%. Conclusion: Post-surgical complications are frequent in the geriatric population, with a high mortality rate. Prior geriatric assessment would optimize postoperative results.
Objective: To understand the correlation between different degrees of obesity and bone mineral density (BMD). Methods: 772 cases (300 men and 472 females) of Zhuang over 40 years old were randomly selected. The BMD and T score were calculated by measuring the right heel bone using a quantitative-ultrasound densitometer. Body composition index of body weight, waist circumference (WC), waist height ratio (WtHR), body fat percentage (BFP) and visceral fat (VF) were measured using a bioelectrical impedance method. Results: The BMI, WC, and WtHR of the male osteoporosis group were lower than those of the normal bone mass (NBM) group (P < 0.05). BMI, BFP, and WC in the female osteoporosis group were lower than those in the NBM group (P < 0.05); The BMI and WC in the osteoporosis group were lower than those of the NBM group (P < 0.05). After adjusting for factors such as age, weight, height, etc., the binary multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis showed that BMI was a protective factor for bone mass loss in men and women (P < 0.01). While the level of visceral fat was a risk factor for reduced bone mass (P < 0.05). Conclusion: BMI is positively correlated with BMD in Zhuang. BFP has a greater correlation with female BMD, and a small reduction in BFP can result in a significant decrease in BMD. BMD of male was positively correlated with abdominal obesity indicators (WC, WtHR, VF). However, abdominal obesity has no obvious effect on the promotion of BMD in women, and increased WtHR can lead to a decrease in BMD. Zhuang can appropriately increase the amount of fat within the normal weight range. At the same time, reasonable exercise and balanced nutrition to avoid excessive obesity or low body weight can reduce the incidence of osteoporosis and osteoporosis fractures.
Due to the insidious clinical symptoms of early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), most of the patients diagnosed at intermediate-to-advanced stage HCC, and they lost the opportunity for curative treatment. Comprehensive interventional therapy plays an important role in prolonging the median survival of patients with intermediate-to-advanced stage HCC, among which transcatheter hepatic artery chemoembolization (TACE) is the most commonly used minimally invasive treatment. However, TACE may cause many postoperative complications such as liver function damage, biliary tract injury, upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Among them, TACE-related respiratory complications have been reported in a few articles, which are extremely rare but serious, and there are still many uncertainties about their occurrence mechanisms and risk factors. This article is aim to focus on the research progress of the respiratory complications of TACE, thus making progress on TACE-treatment aftercare.
Objective: Application analysis of cardiac rehabilitation in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Methods: A total of 102 patients with acute myocardial infarction admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to January 2022 were retrospectively selected as the observation objects. According to the nursing measures taken, they were divided into a control group and an observation group, with 51 cases in each group. A total of 51 patients in the control group received routine nursing, while 51 patients in the observation group were guided to actively participate in the cardiac rehabilitation nursing plan. The hospitalization conditions and effects of the two groups were compared. Results: The cardiac function index, bed time, hospitalization time, anxiety score and depression score of the observation group were significantly better than those of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The application of cardiac rehabilitation nursing in patients with acute myocardial infarction has a good effect. The patients’ cardiac function recovers faster, they feel more comfortable, and they also reduce the time of hospitalization and bed rest, which is conducive to improving the psychological and anxiety state of patients and improving the quality of life.
Hypertension, obesity, smoking, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are the major risk factors for developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Recent studies revealed that taxi-motorbike drivers (TMDs) in Cotonou had higher rates of CVD risk factors, but their impacts on cardiovascular events have rarely been studied. The Framingham risk score (FRS) is an algorithm that considers CVD risk factors and estimates the risk of developing CVD in the next 10 years. Our objectives were to assess the 10-year CVD risk predicted by the FRS, and to examine the relationships of 10-year CVD risk with plasma iron and potassium levels among TMDs. We included 134 TMDs (22 - 59 years old) who had no prior diagnosis of CVD or T2D, and not taking medications affecting iron and potassium homeostasis. Conventional cardiovascular risk factors were used to calculate the 10-year CVD risk, which was categorized as low (20%). FRS > 2%, which corresponded to the 75th percentile of FRS distribution in our study population, was used as a cut-off value to classify participants into two groups. Plasma iron and potassium levels were segregated into tertiles and their associations with 10-year CVD risk were quantified by multivariate-adjusted logistic regression to calculate the odd ratios (ORs) to being above the 75th percentile of 10-year CVD risk with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We found that 62.0% of participants had at least one of cardiovascular risk factors. Approximately 97.8% of TMDs had 10-year CVD risk 4.8 mmol/L led to an 83% risk reduction of having 10-year CVD risk > 2% (OR = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.04 - 0.82, P = 0.027). In conclusion, our findings showed that high plasma potassium levels associate with reduced 10-year CVD risk among TMDs. Interventions focused on monitoring of plasma potassium, particularly in those with existing cardiovascular risk factors, may help prevent CVD.
Introduction: As representatives of prokaryotic beings, bacteria were selected in nature for their very high capacity to adapt to the environment.The human body comprises a vast population of bacteria needed for health maintenance; skin lesions represent a major public health problem involving the nutritional, hospital and illness of the patient.Objective: The objective of this study was to verify the effect of the plasma jet on bacterial species and to correlate it with clinical physiotherapy.Method: This is an in vitro experimental study carried out at FSG University Center.Performed through cultures of bacteria Sthaphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae under the effect of plasma jet.Results: As observed all strains were resistant to penicillin, creating no inhibition halo in any of them.In the plates of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, in the area where the Plasma Jet was applied there was no microbial growth.In Klebsiella pneumoniae strains microbial growth was achieved in 90 and 120 seconds.Finally, Pseudomonas aeruginosa plates in the 90 seconds were microbial growth compared to the 120 and 180 seconds.Conclusion: It can be concluded that the time of application of the plasma jet has an important role in the antimicrobial action, when compared to Physiotherapy, a new method of treatment for skin lesions may be an option, with the aim of reducing infections and accelerating the process of tissue healing.
Context and Objective: Over the past few decades, terminologies developed for clinical descriptions have been increasingly used as key resources for knowledge management, data integration, and decision support to the extent that today they have become essential in the biomedical and health field. Among these clinical terminologies, some may possess the characteristics of one or several types of representation. This is the case for the Systematized Nomenclature of Human and Veterinary Medicine—Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT), which is both a clinical medical terminology and a formal ontology based on the principles of semantic web. Methods: We present and discuss, on one hand, the compliance of SNOMED CT with the requirements of a reference clinical terminology and, on the other hand, the specifications of the features and constructions of descriptive of SNOMED CT. Results: We demonstrate the consistency of the reference clinical terminology SNOMED CT with the principles stated in James J. Cimino’s desiderata and we also show that SNOMED CT contains an ontology based on the EL profile of OWL2 with some simplifications. Conclusions: The duality of SNOMED CT shown is crucial for understanding the versatility, depth, and scope in the health field.
Acute large vessel occlusion is a common cause of acute ischemic stroke (AIS), with high rates of disability and lethality. The incidence of tandem occlusion of the internal carotid artery accounts for about 20% of patients with large vessel occlusion of the anterior circulation in acute ischemic stroke. The low rate of recanalization by intravenous thrombolysis in AIS due to internal carotid artery tandem occlusion, the poor establishment of collateral circulation within a short time, and the complex pathogenesis often suggest a poor prognosis for patients. Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is beneficial for the opening of intracranial large vessel occlusion with internal carotid artery tandem occlusion, there are many problems regarding the emergency management of carotid artery occlusion or stenosis after mechanical thrombectomy, and there are currently no standardized treatment recommendations; The sequential approach to the management of carotid tandem occlusion, the timing of carotid stenting, and the use of antiplatelet agents remain controversial. The current state of research on carotid tandem occlusion is analyzed in the literature to promote clinical understanding of endovascular treatment for patients with acute ischemic stroke due to carotid tandem occlusion.
Background: Few studies have often focused on medicinal plant mixtures, yet the most used in low-and middle-income areas as alternative drug to treat diseases. Objective: To evaluate the antidiabetic effects of Emilia coccinea (Ec) (Asteraceae), Scoparia dulcis (Sd) (Plantaginaceae) and Tetracarpidium conophorum (Tc) (Euphorbiaceae) aqueous extracts mixture (EcSdTc) in rats. Methodology: Single plant aqueous extracts (Ec, Sd and Tc) and their mixtures (EcSd, EcTc, SdTc and EcSdTc) (each at the doses of 125 and 250 mg/kg body weight respectively) were evaluated in acute administration on blood glucose in normal, glucose-overloaded and diabetic rats; then EcSdTc mixture was assessed in prolonged administration (21 days) on blood glucose, body weight, serum biochemical and antioxidant parameters in diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by single intraperitoneal administration of streptozotocin (STZ; 50 mg/kg), and glibenclamide (10 mg/kg) was used as standard drug. Results: In acute administration, EcTc250, EcSdTc125, SdTc250, SdTc125, EcSd250, and EcSdTc250 extracts mixtures reduced (p < 0.05 - p < 0.01) the blood glucose of normal rats by 21.89%, 19.04%, 17.94%, 17.69%, 17.28%, and 15.07% while EcTc250, Tc125, Tc250, Ec250, EcSdTc250 and Sd250 extracts reduced (p < 0.0001 - p < 0.05) the glycemia of glucose-fed rats by 22.43%, 19.62%, 17.60%, 13.26%, 12.58%, and 11.77% respectively, compared to their respective Normal and Hyperglycemic controls. Prolonged administration of the EcSdTc mixture (125 and 250 mg/kg) in diabetic rats decreased (p < 0.05 - p < 0.001) the blood glucose, serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, atherogenic index, serum ALAT/ASAT activities and liver MDA, increasing (p < 0.05 - p < 0.001) the body weight, HDL-cholesterol, total proteinemia, and liver SOD, Catalase, NO, GSH activities or levels, comparatively to diabetic control. Conclusion: EcSdTc aqueous extracts mixture has potent hypoglycemic and antidiabetic effects, probably due to their bioactive compounds synergistic and/or additive actions, justifying its traditional use as alternative remedies.
Background: The prevalence of Parkinson’s disease (PD), a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder, is projected to increase twofold by 2030. Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) is the most commonly observed gene in both familial and sporadic PD cases. Notably, there is a substantial augmentation in motor activity during both larval and adult stages of zebrafish lacking the lrrk2 gene. Nevertheless, the precise genetic abnormalities accountable for eliciting these phenotypes in zebrafish are yet to be elucidated. Methods: Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conducted on zebrafish larvae at 6 days post fertilization (dpf) belonging to both the wild-type and lrk2(-/-) groups. Guide RNA was designed and subsequently employed in the PCR process. Electrophoresis was performed to facilitate identification. Results: The expression of CNTF mRNA was significantly diminished in lrrk2(-/-), in comparison to the wildtype zebrafish larvae. This finding implies that CNTF may have crucial implications in the regulated functioning of lrrk2, which is widely acknowledged as the predominant genetic factor contributing to hereditary PD. The primers for CNTF DNA were meticulously designed, and the electrophoresis results of the PCR product were subsequently presented. The wild type zebrafish embryos were meticulously prepared for micro-injection, and the resulting efficiency identification displayed the presence of the mutant PCR product, which exhibited the presence of several debris. Conclusions: The present study demonstrates the successful generation of CNTF mutant zebrafish using the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technique. Further investigations are necessary to deepen our understanding of the exogenous CNTF gene’s functionality.
Primary hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common and deadliest malignant tumors in the world, and most patients are diagnosed after missing the optimal treatment period. TACE (Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization) is currently the preferred treatment for advanced HCC (Hepatocellular Carcinoma), as it can induce local ischemic necrosis of the tumor while reducing the systemic side effects of drugs by embolizing the tumor-feeding arteries. Lipiodol, with its unique comprehensive properties of imaging, drug loading, and embolization, has become a key component in the process of TACE. Therefore, analyzing the deposition of lipiodol in hepatic tumor tissues after TACE can effectively evaluate the treatment efficacy. This article summarizes and analyzes the metabolism of lipiodol in tumors and the clinical application of lipiodol deposition status in predicting patient prognosis, aiming to provide clearer diagnostic and treatment strategies for clinical doctors.
