Jorjani Biomedicine Journal

Standardizing cell culture methods is critical for reliable and reproducible exosome isolation

Ayyoob Khosravi

Increasing evidence has shown that extracellular vesicles (EVs), such as exosomes (EXOs), have attracted considerable interest due to their unique biological functions as drug delivery vehicles, non-invasive tools for disease diagnosis, and their clinical potential, most prominently in the fields of oncology and cell-based therapy. Although significant advancements have been made in EXO isolation techniques, standardizing cell culture methods remains an important challenge that must be overcome to ensure specific, pure, and effective EXOs for diverse life science and clinical applications.

Examination of ATG5, ATG7, and Beclin1 gene expression in the soleus muscle of animal model Parkinson following eight weeks of endurance training with branched-chain amino acids supplementation

Mojdeh Khajehlandi

Background: Autophagy is associated with the degradation of intracellular organelles and, as a regulator of cellular homeostasis, can affect muscle atrophy. Therefore, this study aimed to examine ATG5, ATG7, and Beclin1 gene expression in the soleus muscle of an animal model of Parkinson following eight weeks of endurance training with branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) supplementation.
Methods: In this study, 25 male Wistar rats (weight = 180-200 g and age = 12 weeks) were used. First, the rats were divided into five groups (n = 5): healthy control, Parkinson control, Parkinson + training, Parkinson + BCAA, and Parkinson + training + BCAA. Eight weeks of moderate-intensity endurance training were performed. After anesthetizing the rats, the soleus muscles were isolated; then, RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, and real-time PCR were used for gene expression analysis. One-way analysis of variance with Tukey's post-hoc test was used to analyze the data (P ≤ 0.05).
Results: ATG5, ATG7, and Beclin1 gene expression in the soleus muscle of rats significantly increased after Parkinson's induction (P-Value = 0.001). After both interventions, there was a significant decrease in the gene expression of ATG5, ATG7, and Beclin1 (P-Value = 0.001), observed only in the endurance training with BCAA supplementation group.
Conclusion: Although endurance training and BCAA supplementation alone did not significantly affect ATG5, ATG7, and Beclin1 gene expression, combining both interventions caused a significant decrease, indicating the significant effect of using endurance training with BCAA supplementation for Parkinson's disease in rats.

The effect of dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH diet) on overweight or obese patients with hypertension: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis with GRADE-assessed approach

Motahareh Hasani

Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effects of the DASH diet on blood pressure in overweight or obese adults with hypertension.
Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in online databases, including SCOPUS, Medline, and Web of Science, up to 1 February 2024.
Results: This meta-analysis incorporated a comprehensive collection of 21 studies. The findings indicated that the DASH diet had a notable impact on decreasing systolic blood pressure (SBP), as demonstrated by a weighted mean difference (WMD) of -4.75 mmHg (95% confidence interval (CI): -6.23, -3.28; P < 0.001). Additionally, the DASH diet was found to have a significant influence on reducing diastolic blood pressure (DBP) [WMD of -4.17 mmHg (95% CI: -4.34, -4.00; P < 0.001)]. Subgroup analysis revealed that the results remained significant when age was ≥50 years, in females, among ethnic groups from Europe, Asia, and America, as well as in groups classified as obese individuals.
Conclusion: The DASH diet has conclusive effects on blood pressure, especially in obese individuals. The DASH diet could be considered an important dietary strategy for the management of hypertension in obese and overweight adults.

Digit ratio in autism spectrum disorder versus down syndrome: An anthropometric study in special needs schools of port Harcourt, Nigeria

Gwunireama Israel Ukie

Background: The second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D), obtained by dividing the length of the index finger by that of the ring finger, varies significantly by sex, race, and ethnicity. This ratio has previously been associated with both autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome. The current study, therefore, examined the 2D:4D digit ratio in individuals with these two neurodevelopmental conditions recruited from special needs schools in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study involved 200 participants: 100 with Down syndrome and 100 with autism. Participants met specific inclusion criteria, including the absence of hand deformities and a confirmed diagnosis. The lengths of the 2nd and 4th digits were measured with a digital vernier calliper. SPSS software, version 19, was used for data analysis.
Results: Male autistic subjects showed a normal right-hand digit ratio (0.98 ± 0.12) but an elevated left-hand ratio (1.00 ± 0.01), whereas female autistic subjects displayed normal ratios bilaterally (1.00 ± 0.01 left; 1.00 ± 0.00 right). Males with Down syndrome exhibited higher-than-normal ratios on both hands (Left: 1.02 ± 0.03; right: 1.01 ± 0.01), and females showed ratios of 1.01 ± 0.01 (Left) and 1.00 ± 0.00 (Right). Mean comparisons revealed significant differences (P-Value < 0.05) between autistic and Down syndrome subjects of both sexes, with individuals with Down syndrome consistently demonstrating higher digit ratios than autistic individuals.
Conclusion: Subjects with Down syndrome had significantly higher digit ratios than autistic subjects. This finding confirms that digit ratios are sexually dimorphic and suggests hypermasculinity in autistic males because of their lower digit ratios.

Association between periodontal indices and rheumatoid arthritis based on the status of disease control: A cross-sectional pilot study

Fatemeh Owlia

Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is the most common chronic inflammatory joint disease. Previous studies have shown that periodontitis and RA have a probable bilateral relationship. This study aimed to investigate the association between periodontal indices and RA activity levels in RA activity levels and to compare these indices by disease status.
Methods: In this cross-sectional pilot study, 50 patients referred to the public rheumatology clinic who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. They were allocated into three groups based on disease activity: inactive, active, and recurrent active rheumatoid arthritis. Periodontal indices, including bleeding on probing (BOP), clinical attachment loss (CAL), pocket depth (PD), tooth loss (TL), and rheumatologic indices, such as hemoglobin level, were recorded and compared between groups. Significance was set at a P-Value <0.05.
Results: No significant differences in demographic data, periodontal status, or laboratory parameters were found among the RA groups (p>0.05)., with the sole exception of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), which showed a significant difference (p=0.016).
Conclusion: Unlike ESR, periodontal indices showed no significant differences across RA activity states. These findings are hypothesis-generating rather than definitive evidence of causality. Therefore, clinical recommendations linking periodontal status to RA activity should be made cautiously pending further longitudinal studies.

Concurrent training in women: Hormonal responses, adaptation interference, and health-based optimization strategies

Mehran Ghahramani

Background: Concurrent training, defined as the combination of endurance and resistance exercises within a short time frame, has recently gained significant attention in women due to its relevance for performance, health, and body composition. However, the unique hormonal characteristics of women may influence physiological adaptive responses and potentially modulate the degree of interference between strength and endurance adaptations.
Methods: This paper presents a narrative review with a systematic approach, conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was performed from each database’s inception until January 2025. English-language studies were included if they investigated concurrent resistance and endurance training in women, including randomized controlled trials, interventional studies, and observational studies reporting outcomes related to strength, endurance, hormonal responses, or interference effects. Studies focusing exclusively on hydration, nutrient timing, or unrelated performance modifiers were excluded. A total of 55 studies met the inclusion criteria. Due to methodological heterogeneity, meta-analysis was not feasible; therefore, findings were synthesized narratively across three predefined domains. Certainty of evidence was assessed using the GRADE framework.
Results: Across the included studies (n = 55), evidence of moderate certainty suggests that estrogen may attenuate muscle damage and modulate interference effects on strength adaptations, particularly in the follicular phase. However, evidence regarding luteal-phase recovery and progesterone-mediated effects remains limited and of low certainty. Endurance-dominant sequencing appears to increase AMPK activation, potentially inhibiting mTOR signaling, although findings are inconsistent. Overall, hormonal fluctuations may partially explain sex-specific responses to concurrent training.
Conclusion: Due to sex-specific physiological and hormonal characteristics, women exhibit distinct responses to concurrent training. Targeted manipulation of training variables according to menstrual cycle phase and the reduction of conflicting molecular signaling can mitigate interference effects and enhance performance.

Cytotoxic effects of I3C and TCDD on macrophages: Role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor target genes

Yaghoub Yazdani

Background: Macrophages are central effectors of innate immunity and exhibit remarkable functional plasticity in response to environmental stimuli. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that plays a critical role in regulating macrophage function, immune homeostasis, and xenobiotic metabolism. Two well-characterized AhR ligands, indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a dietary phytochemical derived from cruciferous vegetables, and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), a persistent environmental pollutant, exert divergent biological effects despite engaging the same receptor. However, their differential cytotoxic impact on macrophages and the extent to which they activate downstream AhR target genes remain poorly characterized. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the cytotoxic effects of I3C and TCDD on THP-1-derived macrophages and to assess the consequent transcriptional regulation of three canonical AhR target genes: CYP1A1, CYP1B1, and AhRR.
Methods: THP-1 human monocytic cells were differentiated into macrophages using phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME). Differentiated macrophages were treated with I3C (10 ng/µL) or TCDD (100 nM), each dissolved separately in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), for 24 and 48 hours. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 100 ng/mL) was used as a positive control. Cell viability was assessed using the MTT colorimetric assay. Gene expression of CYP1A1, CYP1B1, and AhRR was quantified by real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) using SYBR Green chemistry, with GAPDH as the reference gene. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post-hoc test; significance was set at P-Value < 0.05.
Results: TCDD demonstrated pronounced cytotoxicity, reducing cell viability by 25% at 24 hours (P-Value < 0.05) and by 40% at 48 hours (P-Value < 0.01) compared to untreated controls. I3C induced significantly milder cytotoxicity, with viability reductions of 10% and 15% at 24 and 48 hours, respectively (P-Value < 0.05). DMSO vehicle control did not significantly affect cell viability. Real-time qRT-PCR analysis revealed that both ligands significantly upregulated CYP1A1, CYP1B1, and AhRR. TCDD induced greater upregulation of CYP1A1 (5.5-fold at 48 h) and CYP1B1 (4.8-fold at 48 h) compared to I3C (3.2-fold and 2.7-fold, respectively; P-Value < 0.05 for all between-group comparisons). AhRR was upregulated to a similar extent by both ligands (~2.1-fold).
Conclusion: TCDD exhibited markedly higher cytotoxicity than I3C in THP-1-derived macrophages, consistent with potent and sustained AhR activation. I3C induced comparatively milder cytotoxic and transcriptional responses, suggesting more controlled AhR engagement. These results provide mechanistic insights into ligand-dependent AhR signaling in macrophages and underscore the immunotoxicological risks of TCDD exposure, while highlighting I3C as a candidate for future anti-inflammatory research.

Diagnostic accuracy of cardiac CT attenuation for anemia detection and severity grading

Mitra Omrani

Background: Anemia is a prevalent hematological disorder associated with substantial morbidity among hospitalized patients. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of non-contrast cardiac computed tomography (CT) attenuation measurements obtained from different cardiac regions for detecting anemia and grading its severity.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 336 patients who underwent non-contrast thoracic CT imaging. Attenuation values were measured in the left ventricle, right ventricle, interventricular septum, and aortic arch and were compared with hemoglobin levels obtained from complete blood count tests. ROC curve analysis, independent-samples t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, one-way ANOVA, and correlation analyses were performed to evaluate diagnostic performance and subgroup differences. Significance was set at P-Value < 0.05.
Results: Aortic arch attenuation demonstrated the highest diagnostic accuracy for overall anemia detection (Area under the curve [AUC] = 0.668; Sensitivity = 71.3%; Specificity = 55.9%), followed by left ventricular attenuation (AUC = 0.635; Sensitivity = 44.0%; Specificity = 76.5%). Diagnostic performance improved for moderate to severe anemia (AUCs ranging from 0.690 to 0.757), whereas discrimination of mild anemia remained limited (AUCs ≤ 0.589). Attenuation values in the left ventricle, right ventricle, and aortic arch showed significant inverse correlations with hemoglobin levels (Spearman’s rho = -0.275 to -0.297; P-Value < 0.001), while no significant association was observed in the septum. Gender-stratified analyses showed consistent reductions in attenuation among anemic patients of both genders.
Conclusion: Non-contrast cardiac CT attenuation measurements showed statistically significant associations with hemoglobin levels but demonstrated limited discriminatory performance for anemia detection, particularly in mild cases. Attenuation values obtained during routine thoracic imaging may provide complementary opportunistic information; however, further validation studies are required before clinical implementation.