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Background: Evidence shows that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in green tea has anti-inflammatory effects. Aim: This study assessed the effect of EGCG on the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) as an inflammatory cytokine in periodontitis, which produced by human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Porphyromonas gingivalis. Materials and Methods: In this study, HGFs were cultured and subjected to LPS and EGCG. Cell viability of different concentrations of EGCG (10, 25, 50, 75, and 100 μM) and LPS (1, 10, 20, and 50 μg/mL) was assessed using methyl-thiazole-tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Then, the best concentrations of EGCG and P. gingivalis LPS were used simultaneously and separately to assess the production of TNF-α by HGFs using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Assessments were done at 1, 3, and 5 days. Data were read using the ELISA reader and analyzed by the SPSS through two-way ANOVA. Results: LPS at 1, 10, and 20 and EGCG at 10.25 and 50 μM showed the least cytotoxicity in MTT assay. ELISA showed EGCG alone decreased the production of TNF-α in all days, except 10 μM on day 1. 1, 10, and 20 μg/mL LPS increased the output of TNF-α on days 1 and 3 while reducing it on day 5. The combination of EGCG and LPS showed a decrease of TNF-α in all days except on day 5 that revealed an increase in the production of TNF-α at 25 and 50 μM EGCG. Conclusion: In the combination use of EGCG and LPS, EGCG shows anti-inflammatory effects by decreasing the production of TNF-α by HGFs stimulated with P. gingivalis.

مقدمه: اندومتریوز بیماری وابسته به استروژن است که در آن، سلول‌های اندومتر که در حالت طبیعی داخل رحم وجود دارند، در خارج از رحم دیده می‌شوند. این بیماری، با شیوع تقریبی 176 میلیون زن مبتلا در جهان و بار مالی حدود 11 میلیارد دلار در سال، از شایع‌ترین و پرهزینه‌ترین بیماری‌های زنان است. در کنار روش‌های درمانی موجود، استفاده از عوامل اپی‌ژنتیک و به ویژه بررسی تغییر بیان microRNAها جهت تشخیص و درمان بیماری مؤثر واقع شده است. هدف از انجام اين مطالعه، بررسي بيان miR-135b در بيماري اندومتریوز بود تا با شناسايي تغييرات اين microRNAها بتوان از آن‌ها در تشخيص و درمان استفاده نمود. روش‌ها: از افراد مبتلا به اندومتریوز (25 نفر) و افراد سالم (25 نفر) نمونه‌های بافت و سرم گرفته شد. ابتدا استخراج RNA total انجام شد و سپس به روش‌های PolyA reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PolyA RT-PCR) و Real time PCR بیان miR-135b مورد بررسی قرار گرفت. یافته‌ها: بیان mir-135b به میزان قابل توجهی در بافت اندومتر بیماران مبتلا به اندومتریوز در دو بافت اکتوپیک (Ectopic) و یوتوپیک (Eutopic) در مقایسه با زنان سالم، افزایش یافته بود؛ در حالی که بیان این microRNA در نمونه‌ی سرمی بیماران نسبت به گروه شاهد کاهش یافته بود. نتیجه‌گیری: با توجه به تغییرات قابل توجه بیان در افراد اندومتریوز نسبت به نمونه‌های شاهد، در نمونه‌های بافت یوتوپیک و اکتوپیک و همچنین در نمونه‌های سرمی، احتمال می‌رود بتوان miR-135b را به عنوان نشانگر زیستی تشخیصی و درمانی برای بیماری اندومتریوز به کار برد.

Background and aims: Herbal medicines are derived from natural plants with medicinal or preventive properties. Use of herbal remedies has increased despite lack of scientific evidence about their efficacy and safety during pregnancy. Methods: This is an internet-based study. In this mini review, a publication search was conducted in the Medline, Google Scholar, and EMBASE databases, using a combination of medical subject headings (MeSH) and Black cohosh, Ginseng, Red Raspberry, Aloe vera, Chamomile, Chasteberry and Garlic keywords. The MeSH terms included herbal medicine, herbal products, pregnancy, and pregnant women. Results: Herbal remedies are very common. Some information will list an herb as safe to consume during pregnancy, whereas another source may list the same herb as unsafe depending on the source. Although herbs are natural, not all herbs are safe to take during pregnancy. Conclusion: Medicinal herbs can be very useful and effective during pregnancy. Despite the beneficial effects of herbs during pregnancy, use of certain herbal and traditional medicines without prior consultation with a health care professional may be harmful for pregnant women and their babies.

Background: Although antibiotics are well-known for their anti-bacterial effects, their inaugurated immunomodulatory roles in chronic inflammatory diseases have not elucidated yet. Anecdotal reports support the beneficial effects of parenteral penicillin in arthritis suggesting an immunomodulatory other than antibacterial effects for penicillin. The present study was designed to address the possible effects of penicillin G sodium (PCN-G) on different T-helper cells differentiation. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 10 healthy donors were isolated using Ficoll density gradient. The stimulated PBMCs by anti-CD3, anti-CD28, and anti-CD69 were cultured in the presence of 120 μg/ml of PCN-G. Foxp3, T-bet, RORγT, GATA3 as well as interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin (IL)-17A mRNA in stimulated cells were measured by the real-time polymerase chain reaction. Mann–Whitney U-test was used for determining differences between the medium of gene expression levels of stimulated cell population and unstimulated cells by PCN. Correlations between the related genes were determined using the Spearman test. Results: Based on the results, T-bet gene expression levels were similar in stimulated cells by PCN G after 24 and 48 h while significant reduction was observed after 72 incubation with PCN G (difference = 3; 0.09–0.34; P = 0.031). Meanwhile, treated cells with PCN G expressed decreased levels of IFN-γ (difference = 8.0; 0.49–1.07; P = 0.001) and IL-17A (difference = 2.2; 0.05–0.75; P ≤ 0.05) genes comparing to unstimulated cell by PCN-G. GATA3 genes expression levels downregulated by PCN G after 72 h of incubation by PBMCs (difference = 1.1; 0.77–0.88; P = 0.035). Conclusion: Our results confirmed the immunomodulatory role of PCN G by affecting the expression of different cytokines genes in PBMCs.