Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

A major factor in the development and course of diabetes mellitus is oxidative stress. Overproduction of reactive oxygen species in the presence of concurrent deficient antioxidant mechanisms leads to enhanced oxidative stress. The objective of the current study was to assess the effect of zinc supplementation on oxidative stress and total antioxidant capacity in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.

Thirty-two male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into four equal groups: Group 1- the untreated control; group 2- the zinc-supplemented group; Group 3- the diabetic-STZ-induced group; and Group 4- the diabetic-STZ-induced group supplemented with zinc. A single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg body weight) was used to induce diabetes. All procedures and animal handling procedures were performed according to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Zinc sulfate was administered via gavage at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight for 60 days. On the last day of the experiment, the rats were sacrificed under anaesthesia. Protein carbonyl (PC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and enzyme activities such as those of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured in plasma. Comparisons between groups were performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) for normally distributed variables or Bartlett's test for inequality of population variances. Differences were considered significant at P<0.05. Zinc supplementation leads to an increase in the total serum proteins of the antioxidant defense system, and the activities of CAT, SOD and TAC increase. On the other hand, the content of TBARS decreased and the concentration of PC decreased. Zinc supplementation has been shown to have positive effects on antioxidant capacity and glycemic control in diabetic rats. In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrate the beneficial effect of zinc supplementation on oxidative stress in diabetic rats.

Wound dressing has an essential role in the wound-healing process because it can help accelerate wound healing and prevent infection. One of the wound dressings that needs to be developed is a hydrogel-based wound dressing because hydrogel can retain moisture and absorb accumulated fluid on the wound. Moreover, hydrogel can also be used as a matrix for therapeutic agent delivery. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a hydrogel film-based wound dressing using a combination of κ-carrageenan and chitosan. The optimum formula was determined based on the simplex lattice design. The parameters for optimization included swelling ratio, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), and film degradation ratio. The optimum hydrogel film formula had a concentration of 1.5% κ-carrageenan and 0.5% chitosan. It exhibited a swelling ratio of 423.68 ± 60.52%, a WVTR of 831.54 ± 63.36 mg/cm².day, a pH of 5.2 ± 0.27, a tensile strength of 0.0681 ± 0.009 mPa, and a hydrogel film degradation of 66.64 ± 20.96% after three days. These results suggest that the optimum hydrogel film-based combination of κ-carrageenan and chitosan is a promising alternative wound dressing.

The present study was designed to prepare a polyherbal facial scrub containing coffee arabica, walnut shell, turmeric, neem, honey, and a mixture of pulses. Further, the prepared scrub was optimized using two factors and three central composite experimental design levels. The phytochemical screening and standardization of scrub were accomplished. The extracts were prepared, standardized, and evaluated using smear type, homogeneity, pH, spreadability, acid value, and stability tests. The influence of the concentration of honey (%) and paraffin wax (%) on pH and spreadability was premeditated using response surface methodology. Further, the optimized batch of polyherbal scrub was compared with the marketed formulation of Everyuth scrub containing walnut as the main ingredient, which was almost equivalent in pH, spreadability, acid value, and homogeneity. The study revealed that enhancing the concentration of paraffin wax in polyherbal scrub increases the pH and spreadability. The optimal calculated parameters were the concentration of honey 2.3 (%) and the concentration of paraffin wax 2.1 (%). The optimized batch of polyherbal scrub had a pH of 6.8 and spreadability of 7.3. Thus, the prepared formulations can be effectively used for facial care.

Glucose-responsive delivery systems intelligently regulate insulin release in response to fluctuating blood glucose levels, offering a more controlled approach to diabetes management. The current study introduces a novel glucose-responsive hydrogel system for enhanced insulin delivery. The hydrogel, formulated from chitosan and Poloxamer 407, exhibits unique thermo-responsive and pH-sensitive characteristics, making it suitable for subcutaneous insulin delivery. The research encompasses comprehensive in vitro and in vivo analyses to evaluate the formulation's efficacy and responsiveness to glucose concentrations. In vitro studies demonstrated that the hydrogel's solubilization rate varies with pH and glucose levels, crucial for controlled insulin release. Notably, the hydrogel exhibited an extended and more stable control of blood glucose levels compared to conventional insulin treatments. One significant finding is the hydrogel's rapid in vivo gelation and biodegradability, indicating its safety and effectiveness in a physiological environment. In vivo experiments conducted on diabetic rats showcased the hydrogel's glucose-responsive behavior. Moreover, the hydrogel's ability to modulate insulin release in response to changing glucose levels was distinct from traditional insulin therapies, highlighting its potential to manage multiple hyperglycemic episodes after a single dose. Overall, this research marks a significant advancement in insulin delivery systems. The development of this glucose-responsive hydrogel system presents a promising approach for achieving more controlled and stable blood glucose levels in individuals with diabetes, potentially enhancing their quality of life. The findings suggest opportunities for further optimization, particularly in insulin content, to tailor the system to the specific needs of the diabetic population.

The rational use of drugs is a priority in health policy. Limited studies have been conducted about drug consumption in hospitals. Therefore, we evaluated the pattern of prescription and drug-drug interactions in cardiovascular and gastrointestinal wards. This retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary teaching hospital in Kerman. Data included demographic information and indicators such as type, category, and drug administration route. Diagnosis, outcome, and hospitalization days were other data extracted from the registered patients'‌ information. An online interaction checker of Drug.com (IBM Micromedex) was used to detect drug interactions. Analysis was computed using SPSS V22. Our findings showed that 50.7% of the patients were male in the gastroenterology ward, and 49.3% were female. Patients aged 59±0.7 years and days of hospitalization ranged between 2 to 18 days. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) as pantoprazole (28.4%), antibiotics (23.3%) as ceftriaxone, metronidazole and anticoagulant (21.7%) as heparin were the most prescribed drug categories in gastroenterology ward. In the cardiovascular ward, 41.6% of the patients were male and 58.4% female, aged 57±1 years, and days of hospitalization ranged between 3 to 12 days. Anticoagulants/antiplatelets (29.1%), PPIs (13.8%), statins (11.9%), and beta blockers (10.7%) were the most prescribed drug categories in cardiovascular wards. No major drug interaction was seen in gastroenterology inpatients, but major interactions, mainly due to clopidogrel administration, were observed in 11% of cardiovascular ward inpatients. The pattern of drug prescription was based on diagnosis. No correlation was found between drug interaction with diagnosis, outcome, and sex in any of the departments, but a significant correlation was found between drug interaction with patients’ age. In conclusion, appropriate prescribing of drugs based on diagnosis was seen in both wards. The pattern of drug use was rational and comparable to similar documents. Also, lower potential drug interactions could be considered as a notable result.

Wound healing is an important issue related to health. Due to lifestyle changes, population growth, and disease patterns, it is necessary to propose methods for efficient wound healing. In this study, a novel hydrogel dressing is offered containing Chitosan (CN) and Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymers chemically cross-linked by Genipin (GN) and using Glycerol (G) as a softener. Somatropin is used to directly affect collagen formation and the acceleration of the healing process. The morphology was evaluated using SEM, and the effect of each component on properties (e.g., softness, roughness, and crystallinity) was examined. Evaluating mechanical properties showed the effect of PVA and G on the hydrogel’s elongation, strength, and elastic modulus. The most similar sample to skin was also introduced. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was performed, and the effect of components on crystal structure and thermal properties was investigated. FTIR was conducted to identify organic compounds and their functional groups to ensure the compatibility of CN, PVA, and somatropin. In vitro, degradation tests showed the biodegradability of samples, and the most appropriate degradation rate was determined. Findings show the direct effect of PVA and G on water absorption rate. Investigating the pH changes during degradation revealed that this rate positively affects the wound-healing process. In the drug-release test, G-containing samples exhibited better performance and had a higher release rate in the first four days of healing, when the wound needed the highest growth hormone. MTT assay evaluated the cytotoxicity of samples. According to the results, cell growth and survival percentages were higher in the drug-containing samples.

This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of niosomes loaded with Sonchus maritimus extract conjugated with linoleic acid on hematological changes and cardiac dysfunction in albino Wistar rats caused by a high fructose diet. Four boxes of six male Albino Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups. The control group was fed a standard diet, the HFD+SmE-N group received Sonchus maritimus extract-loaded niosomes, and the HFD+Met group received metformin. Growth parameters, hematological profile, oxidative stress markers, and histological analysis were examined for each group. The obtained results demonstrated that HFD significantly decreased (P<0.001) final body weight, water intake, and food intake while significantly increasing (P<0.001) the relative heart weight of rats compared to control rats. According to the hematological parameters, the eurytrogram and leukogram profiles of the HFD group significantly decreased (P<0.01), whereas the blood platelet level significantly increased (P<0.001), compared to the control. Furthermore, in a significant increase (P<0.001) of heart malondialdehyde (MDA) levels while a significant decrease (P<0.01) of reduced glutathione (GSH) and total thiol (-SH) levels, in addition to a significant inhibition (P<0.05) of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities heart homogenate of HFD group. The histological examination revealed alterations of heart tissue section of HFD group. However, the treatments of Sonchus maritimus extract –loaded niosomes and metformin showed an important improvement of the mentioned markers when we compared to HFD group. Globally, the therapeutic effect of SmE-N was better than metformin treatment. Niosomes loaded Sonchus maritimus aqueous extract provided therapeutic potential for treating cardiac dysfunction and hematological changes induced by consumption of high-fructose diet through improving the antioxidant defense system, hematological profile, and even the histological profile of affected heart.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex clinical immune system disorder. The most common symptoms of MS are recurrent loss of myelin in conjunction with inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS). Chemokines, as important immune system components, play a role in immune responses. This project aimed to examine and compare the serum levels of CXCL1 and CXCL9 in patients with relapse-remitting MS (RRMS) following therapy with IFN-β formulations. Clinical specimens were collected from 50 unrelated healthy controls, as well as 40 RRMS patients treated with Cinnovex™ (CVX, Interferon beta-1a, made in Iran) and Avonex® (AVX, Interferon beta-1a, made in the USA). The fold changes in gene expression of CXCL1 and CXCL9 compared to the β-actin gene were determined using real-time PCR. The protein expression and serum levels of CXCL1 and CXCL9 were measured using the ELISA method. Data analysis was performed using the ANOVA test. The levels of CXCL1 and CXCL9 significantly increased, with greater upregulation observed with AVX and, to a lesser extent, with CVX. Our study results suggest that AVX is more effective than CVX in regulating the immune system, and the dosage of CVX may need to be increased to achieve a more pronounced therapeutic response in RRMS patients.