A Survey on Saffron in Major Islamic Traditional Medicine Books.
A survey on saffron in major islamic traditional medicine books.
Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2013 Jan; 16(1): 1-11
Javadi B, Sahebkar A, Emami SA
Islamic Traditional Medicine (ITM) is a holistic system of medicine. Saffron (Crocus sativus) is one of the most famous plants cultivated in Iran and has a wide range of activities such as oxytocic, anti-carcinogenic, exhilarant, anti-depressant, and anti-asthma effects. In addition, saffron can increase the bioavailability and enhance absorption of other drugs. This study comprises a bibliographical survey of 13 major ITM books regarding different medical aspects of this species. Ferdows al-Hekmah fi’l-Tibb (The Paradise of Wisdom in Medicine), Al-Hawi fi’l-Tibb (Comprehensive Book of Medicine), Kamel al-Sanaat al-Tibbyyah (Complete Book of the Medical Art), Al-Qanun fi’l-Tibb (Canon of Medicine), Zakhireh Kharazmshahi (Treasure of Kharazmshahi), and Makhzan al-Adwiah (Drug Treasure) are some of the most important ITM books used in this survey. HubMed – drug
Tuberculosis Drug Resistance and Outcomes among Tuberculosis Inpatients in Lilongwe, Malawi.
Malawi Med J. 2012 Jun; 24(2): 21-4
Vorkas C, Kayira D, van der Horst C, Hoffman I, Hosseinipour M, Kanyemba C, Nguluwe N, Chikaonda T, Kalikhoka M, Kalaundi D, Namarika D, Gilligan P, Krysiak R
SETTINGOBJECTIVE: We evaluated clinical characteristics, yield of solid vs. liquid culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based drug-resistance profiles, and clinical outcomes of tuberculosis (TB) inpatients in Lilongwe, Malawi.We enrolled adult patients admitted to the Bwaila TB Ward from Jan-Aug/2010. Evaluations included questionnaires, clinical exam, chest radiograph, HIV status, CD4 lymphocyte count, plasma HIVRNA and sputum analysis including Auramine-O stain, Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) and Mycobacterial Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT) culture, and susceptibility testing using the HAIN GenoType® MTBDRplus.Eighty-eight patients were enrolled (88% re-treatment, 42% smear positive, 93% pulmonary TB, 74% HIV co-infected). At baseline, 44/88 (50%) MGIT and 28 (32%) LJ cultures were positive with a mean time to positivity of 12.1 (Range 1-42) and 21.5 (Range 7-58) days, respectively. Four percent (3/77) of retreatment patients or 8% of the 38 MGIT+ PCR-confirmed retreatment cases had multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB). One MDR TB patient was smear negative and only one MDR patient was identified with LJ. Lower mean hemoglobin at admission was associated with mortality (10.5 vs. 7.5; p<0.01; CI 101 9.8-11.0).The MDR TB burden among the retreatment population in Lilongwe, Malawi is similar to regional estimates by the WHO (7.7% 95% CI 0-18.1). MDR TB patients are not routinely identified with sputum smear or LJ, suggesting more efficient technology should be adopted. HubMed – drug
Inhibitory effect of bone morphogenetic protein-7 on hepatic fibrosis in rats.
Int J Clin Exp Pathol. 2013; 6(5): 897-903
Wang SL, Yang CQ, Qi XL, Yuan M, Chang YZ, Yang L, Gao HJ
Hepatic cirrhosis is a serious clinical problem caused by the accumulation of extracellular matrix, which can ultimately progress into hepatic failure. Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-?1) plays a pivotal role in extracellular matrix production. Bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7), as a member of the TGF-?1 superfamily, has been well proved to be capable of reversing renal fibrosis in mice. In this study, we aim to investigate the potential effect of BMP-7 on hepatic fibrosis in rats.Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups. In the hepatic fibrosis model group (n=8), rats was treated with porcine serum at 0.5ml each time, twice a week. In the negative control group (n=10), rats were intraperitoneally injected with equal amount and frequency saline. Rats were injected with BMP-7 (100 ?g/kg weight) before porcine serum intraperitoneal injection in the preventive group (n=9). For the early (n=10) and late (n=8) treatment group, rats were received with BMP-7 (100 ?g/kg weight) every other day since the second and fourth week respectively after porcine serum injection. After eight weeks, the degree of liver fibrosis in rats was evaluated and the expression of TGF-?1 in liver tissues was detected by Western blot and immunohistochemistry.The grade of hepatic fibrosis was significant attenuated by BMP-7 prevention and treatment compared with the rats in negative control group (P<0.05). In addition, the expression of TGF-?1 greatly decreased in the BMP-7 preventive and treatment groups detected by both Western blot and immunohistochemistry.BMP-7 can attenuate and even prevent the level of hepatic fibrosis in rats through inhibiting the expression of TGF-?1 in the liver fibrotic tissues. Therefore, it may be a potential clinical drug for the prevention and treatment of hepatic fibrosis. HubMed – drug