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This study compared the cardioprotective action of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and PUFAs in a rat model of gentamicin (GM)-induced cardiac degeneration. Male Wistar albino rats were randomized into four groups of eight rats each: group I (control group), group II (gentamicin-treated rats receiving gentamicin intraperitoneally (IP) at dose of 100 mg/kg/day for 10 consecutive days), group III (gentamicin and PUFA group receiving gentamicin IP at dose of 100 mg/kg/day for 10 consecutive days followed by PUFAs at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks), and group IV (gentamicin and MSC group receiving gentamicin IP at dose of 100 mg/kg/day followed by a single dose of MSCs (1 × 106)/rat IP). Cardiac histopathology was evaluated via light and electron microscopy. Immunohistochemical detection of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), caspase-3 (apoptosis), Bcl2, and Bax expression was performed. Moreover, cardiac malonaldehyde (MDA) content, catalase activity, and oxidative stress parameters were biochemically evaluated. Light and electron microscopy showed that both MSCs and PUFAs had ameliorative effects. Their actions were mediated by upregulating PCNA expression, downregulating caspase-3 expression, mitigating cardiac MDA content, catalase activity, and oxidative stress parameters. MSCs and PUFAs had ameliorative effects against gentamicin-induced cardiac degeneration, with MSCs showing higher efficacy compared to PUFAs.

Objective: This is a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial that aimed to assess subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by measuring carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) and correlating it with disease activity and inflammatory markers (including levels of matrix metalloproteinase-3(MMP-3) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9)) and to detect the effectiveness of agents that inhibit matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) as doxycycline in RA therapy. Methods: One hundred and sixty RA patients were assigned in a randomized clinical trial (clinicaltrial.gov NCT03194204). Disease activity score 28(DAS28), laboratory markers including erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), MMP-3, and MMP-9 were done and mean CIMT was measured. Subjects were allocated randomly into one of two treatment arms either methotrexate (MTX) only or MTX with doxycycline 200mg per day orally. Follow up ESR, CRP, DAS28, MMP-3, and MMP-9 levels were re-evaluated after 3 months. Results: There were positive significant correlations between CIMT and disease duration (r = 0.461, p = 0.001), age (r=0.459, p= 0.001), DAS28 score (r= 0.547, p = 0.001), ESR (r =0.413, p = 0.001), CRP (r= 0.281, p = 0.001), MMP-3(r = 0.476, p =0.001), and MMP-9 (r= 0.593, p =0.001). Patients treated with MTX and doxycycline showed lower levels of DAS28, ESR, CRP, MMP-3 and MMP-9 and this was statistically significant. Conclusion: CIMT seems to be the ultimate method to screen for subclinical atherosclerosis in RA patients. MMP-3 and 9 play a key role in both RA synovitis and cardiovascular changes making them important therapeutic targets especially with safe and cost-effective agents like doxycycline.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory illness of the pancreatic exocrine parenchyma. It varies in severity from a mild self-limiting type of acute interstitial pancreatitis to a more serious and rapidly lethal form of acute necrotizing pancreatitis. It may extend to the peripancreatic tissues and is usually associated with a systemic inflammatory response that could result in multi-organ failure if not treated properly. 1 The most common reasons for AP are biliary and alcoholic. Biliary etiology is diagnosed by jaundice, elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) more than three times the upper limit of normal or a dilated common bile duct (CBD). 2 Hypertriglyceridemia is considered the etiology if serum triglyceride level was more than 1000 mg/dL. In medication-induced pancreatitis, the most well-recognized drugs are 6-mercaptopurine or azathioprine, isoniazid, loop diuretics and didanosine. Pancreatic tumors or cystic

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