The increasing prevalence of diabetes and its complications heralds an alarming situation worldwide. Obesity-associated changes in circulating adiponectin concentrations have the capacity to predict insulin sensitivity and are a link between obesity and a number of vascular diseases. One obvious consequence of obesity is a decrease in circulating levels of adiponectin, which are associated with cardiovascular disorders and associated vascular comorbidities. Human and animal studies have demonstrated decreased adiponectin to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, in animal studies, increased circulating adiponectin alleviates obesity-induced endothelial dysfunction and hypertension, and also prevents atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and diabetic cardiac tissue disorders. Further, metabolism of a number of foods and medications are affected by induction of adiponectin. Adiponectin has beneficial effects on cardiovascular cells via its antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiapoptotic, antiatherogenic, vasodilatory, and antithrombotic activity, and consequently has a favorable effect on cardiac and vascular health. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of adiponectin secretion and signaling is critical for designing new therapeutic strategies. This review summarizes the recent evidence for the physiological role and clinical significance of adiponectin in vascular health, identification of the receptor and post-receptor signaling events related to the protective effects of the adiponectin system on vascular compartments, and its potential use as a target for therapeutic intervention in vascular disease.

BackgroundCatSper1-4 are a unique family of sperm cation channels, which are exclusively expressed in the testis and play an important role in sperm motility and male fertility. Despite their vital role in male fertility, almost nothing is known about the factors regulating their expression. Here, we investigated the effects of selenium (Se) on the expression of CatSper genes and sperm parameters in aging versus young male mice.MethodsForty 11-13 months aging male mice and forty 2-3 months young adult male mice were used. The animals were divided in two experimental groups: first group including aging males and second group comprising of young adult males, both treated with Se. The experimental groups were injected intra-peritoneally with Se (0.2 mg/kg) daily, for up to 5 weeks. Two other groups, aging and young adult mice without Se treatment were used as controls. All the animals were rapidly sacrificed by cervical dislocation on the days 21, 28, 35 and 42 after Se treatment. Subsequently, the morphology of the collected sperms was analyzed, and one of the testes from each mouse used for semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The significancy of the data was analyzed using ANOVA.Results and DiscussionOur data revealed that there was a significant up-regulation of CatSper genes in the experimental groups compared to the control ones. Furthermore, the results of sperm analysis showed that the sperm parameters were improved in the aging as well as young adult male mice following Se treatment.ConclusionSe treatment in the aging subjects could up-regulate the expression of CatSper genes, and therefore results in elevation of sperm motility. Furthermore, Se treatment improved sperm parameters, especially morphology and viability rates.

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Background: Neonatal jaundice is the most common cause of hospitalization in the first month of life. Factors that reportedly affect the severity of neonatal jaundice include: maternal, prenatal and neonatal factors as well as environmental factors (such as zinc). Animal study demonstrated a decrease in serum bilirubin level after zinc treatment in hyperbilirubinemic rats. Objectives: The current study aimed to investigate serum zinc level in the neonates with idiopatic jaundice. Patients and Methods: A case-control study was undertaken from 2008 to 2010 on 263 neonates in a neonatal intensive care unit and obstetrics department in Ghaem hospital, Mashhad, Iran. Of the 263 infants, 114 and 149 neonates were in the control and the case groups, respectively. Infants with a gestational age of >35 weeks or with idiopathic jaundice were included in the study. Exclusion criteria were as follows: neonates with sepsis or any congenital abnormalities or with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6PD) deficiency, ABO and RH incompatibility. Serum levels of zinc and bilirubin were compared between the control (114 neonates without jaundice) and case (149 neonates with jaundice) groups using atomic absorption spectrometry. The maternal and neonatal information were recorded. Spearman correlation coefficient, chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests were employed to analyze the data by SPSS software. Results: The mean value of the zinc serum level was 1024.74 ± 245.17 μmol/L in the control group and 841.42 ± 211.99 μmol/L in the case group (P < 0.001). There was no significant correlation between zinc level and factors such as maternal age, multi parity, mode of delivery, hospitalization and gender of infants (P > 0.05). Also, no significant correlation was observed between serum levels of Na, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr), white blood cell (WBC), platelet, hematocrit (Hct) and zinc (P > 0.05). Conclusions:The level of serum zinc in the neonates with hyperbilirubinemia jaundice was lower than that of the ones without jaundice. It seems that zinc has a protective effect. However, more studies are needed for better decision making.

Parents, students and school staff should be informed about these critical issues as well as suitable controls should be implemented in buying and using the bags.

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High serum cholesterol is an important risk factor for cardiovascular events. It has been reported that regular blood donation is associated with a reduction in serum cholesterol. This study aimed to determine the effects of wet cupping on lipid profiles and anthropometric characteristics of patients with metabolic syndrome. One hundred and thirty-six patients aged 18-65 years with metabolic syndrome were recruited to participate in this trial. Ten patients were excluded due to exclusion criteria. Patients (n = 126) were randomly assigned into the control (n = 63) and experimental (n = 63) groups. Patients in the experimental group were treated with wet cupping combined with dietary advice. The controls were given dietary advice only. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were assessed at baseline and at six and 12 weeks after treatment. The significance of the data was analyzed using a repeated measure ANOVA. The lipid profile status did not differ significantly between the two groups (p > 0.05) whereas there was a significant difference between the two time points within each group (p < 0.05). In addition, several anthropometric parameters improved in both groups, but this did not differ significantly between subject groups. Wet cupping does not have a significant effect on anthropometric or biochemical indices compared to the effect of dietary advice alone.