👤 Sarah Omran

Fentanyl is a potent, fast-acting synthetic opioid that has played a major role in the opioid overdose crisis in the United States for over five decades, with opioid-related deaths increasing sharply in recent years. This study investigates the behavioral, histological, and molecular changes in the hippocampus of rats subjected to sub-acute fentanyl exposure. Two groups of rats were studied: one group received multiple fentanyl injections over approximately one week, while the control group received no fentanyl. A battery of behavioral tests related to memory and depression-including the Y-maze, shuttle box, tail suspension test, elevated plus maze, Barnes maze, Morris water maze, and forced swimming test-was administered. Electrophysiological assessments, including field potential recording and electromyography (EMG), were conducted to evaluate neural activity. Western blot analysis was performed to quantify the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and RE1-silencing transcription factor (REST), while immunohistochemical analyses assessed hippocampal cellular alterations. Results showed that sub-acute fentanyl administration impaired behavioral performance in memory assessment tests (Y maze ( Show less

Luminal breast cancer (LBC) is the most common subtype of breast cancer affecting women worldwide. Although luminal breast cancer typically has a better prognosis, it mostly responds poorly to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Non-coding RNAs, especially long non-coding RNAs and microRNAs are crucial in regulating biological processes that contribute to breast cancer development. MALAT1, a long non-coding RNA, is pivotal in the progression of breast cancer. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is critical for cell movement during embryonic development. Clarifying this role could pave various avenues for developing innovative strategies for combating this subtype of malignancy. The present study aimed to investigate the expression profiles and clinical relevance of MALAT1 level and EMT-related miRNAs (miR-17-5p, miR-20a-5p, miR-93-5p, miR-135b-5p, and miR-146a-5p) alongside EMT markers (E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin, fibronectin, twist, SNAI1, Slug, ZEB1, and ZEB2) in LBC patients. Fresh tissues were collected from fifty patients and twenty noncancerous controls. Differential expression of the markers was evaluated using qRT-PCR assay. Spearman Rho test assessed the relationship between the expression levels. Linear regression test evaluated the correlation between the parameters and various clinico-pathological features. Our results revealed an overall upregulation of MALAT1 in breast cancer tissues although this increase did not reach statistical significance. Overexpression of miR-20a-5p, miR-135b, and ZEB2 was reported, whereas miR146a-5p, ZEB1 and Vimentin levels were suppressed. Correlation analysis demonstrated that miR-20a-5p was positively correlated with SNAI1, E-cadherin, N-cadherin and Slug also it was significantly associated with family history and tumor laterality. Our findings suggest that miR-20a-5p plays an oncogenic role in luminal breast cancer by promoting EMT, while MALAT1 may contribute to disease progression through indirect regulatory mechanisms. Finally, MALAT1 and miR-20a-5p might serve as potential therapeutic and prognostic targets in LBC. Show less

Breast cancer is considered to be the most common cancer that affects women worldwide, where it accounts for approximately 38.8% of all cancer cases among females. Luminal subtypes are the most prevalent in Egypt. Small noncoding RNAs also called microRNAs (miRNAs) influence gene expression posttranscriptionally. Since they regulate the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process, which is vital for tumor invasion and metastasis, microRNAs play a critical role in the progression of cancer. This study has investigated the expression profiles of four microRNAs (miR-101-3p, miR-106a-5p, miR-106b-5p, and miR-130b-5p) and their impacts on genes associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in luminal breast cancer. Tissue samples from 43 luminal breast cancer patients and 18 controls have been studied via real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). The association between the expression levels was evaluated using the Pearson correlation test. The correlation between the measured variables and numerous clinicopathological characteristics was assessed using the linear regression test. The results demonstrated that miR-101-3p, miR-106a-5p, and miR-106b-5p were significantly dysregulated, highlighting their possible role as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in the development of breast cancer. EMT markers, especially Twist, SNAI1, and E-cadherin, show significant alterations, indicating the activation of EMT pathways in luminal breast cancer. Correlation analysis showed interactions between miRNAs and EMT-related genes, showing a negative correlation between miR-101-3p and SNAI1, as well as a positive correlation between Twist and miR-106a-5p. Moreover, logistic regression analysis associated expression levels of those miRNAs with clinicopathological characteristics, such as body weight, age, and tumor laterality. These findings highlight the leading role of miR-101-3p and miR-106b-5p in the progression of luminal breast cancer via interacting with the EMT process and their potential as diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targets. Show less

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is considered a major global public health problem. Recently, there are great advances in HCV therapy, but there are some limitations that are creating an urgent need for assessment of some cytokines that have a potent antiviral effect in the immune system and anti-inflammatory effects to provide a potential novel immunotherapeutic target in HCV infection. This study was directed to assess the serum levels and gene expression levels of Galectin-4 (LEG4), Interleukin-27 (IL-27), and Complement-7 (C-7) and their correlation with the viral load in HCV infection. There were significant elevations in the mean levels of gene expression and serum levels of all studied parameters LEG4, IL-27, and C-7 in the HCV group compared to the control group. Significant negative correlations between the viral load and each of the serum proteins and gene expressions of both LEG4 and IL-27 in HCV patients were found. The gene expression levels of LEG4, IL-27, and C-7 were positively correlated with their corresponding serum proteins in HCV patients. LEG4 and IL-27 showed significant negative correlations with the viral load, which could be an immune response to the control of the extent of hepatic inflammation, thus creating a potential novel immunotherapeutic approach in HCV infection for further studies or therapeutic clinical trials. Show less

Heterogeneous breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related mortality. Obesity defined by BMI is a known major risk factor for breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of obesity related-polymorphisms rs9939609 Fat Mass and Obesity-associated (FTO) and rs17782313 Matched peripheral blood serum was obtained from 64 breast cancer patients and 83 normal controls. Height and weight were measured to calculate BMI. All were genotyped for the SNPs rs9939609 and rs17782313 using a Tetra-primer ARMS-PCR method. For statistical analysis, the chi-square test and SPSS software were used. In subgroup analyses defined by BMI, Based on the absence of an association between obesity-related SNPs and breast cancer in obese subjects, it is proposed that weight gain in Iranian women will help prevent breast cancer risk. The result help for preparing and designing a safe and versatile recombinant drug in future. Show less

We aimed to perform genetic testing and clinical data of patients with Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome, a rare disorder caused by mutations in genes encoding molecules expressed in the neuromuscular junction and constitutes fatigable muscle weakness. Sixteen patients were screened in Taban Clinic, Tehran, Iran from 2014 to 2015 for the hot spot mutations in known CMSs genes ( Most patients represented the criteria of Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome in view of early ptosis, motor delay, normal mental development, easy fatigability, decrement in repetitive nerve stimulation test of EMG-NCV and a negative result for antibody against of acetylcholine receptor. No variations were found in the mutational analysis of the The common founder mutations of involved genes in CMSs could be very rare among ethnic Iranian. Screening of the entire genes would be efficient to distinguish the specific mutations in specific ethnicity. Show less

Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is caused by mutations in genes encoding cardiac sarcomere proteins. Nowadays genetic testing of HCM plays an important role in clinical practice by contributing to the diagnosis, prognosis, and screening of high-risk individuals. The aim of this study was developing a reliable testing strategy for HCM based on linkage analysis and appropriate for Iranian population. Six panels of four microsatellite markers surrounding MYH7, MYBPC3, TNNT2, TNNI3, TPM1, and MYL2 genes (24 markers in total) were selected for multiplex PCR and fragment length analysis. Characteristics of markers and informativeness of the panels were evaluated in 50 unrelated Iranians. The efficacy of the strategy was verified in a family with HCM. All markers were highly polymorphic. The panels were informative in 96-100% of samples. Multipoint linkage analysis excluded the linkage between the disease and all six genes by obtaining maximum LOD score ≤-2. This study suggests a reliable genetic testing method based on linkage analysis between 6 sarcomere genes and familial HCM. It could be applied for diagnostic, predictive, or screening testing in clinical setting. Show less