Bisphenol A (BPA) is a monomer that is widely used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics including storage plastics and baby bottles, and is considered one of the most widely used synthetic compounds in the manufacturing industry. Exposure to BPA mainly occurs after oral ingestion and results from leaks into food and water from plastic containers and according to epidemiological data exposure is widespread and estimated to occur in 90% of individuals. BPA exertspleiotropiceffects and demonstrates estrogen like effects, thus considered an endocrine disrupting chemical. Growing body of evidence highlight the role of BPA in modulating immune responses and signaling pathways resulting in a proinflammatory response by enhancing the differential polarization of immune cells and cytokine production profile to one that is consistent with proinflammation. Indeed, epidemiological studies have uncovered associations between several autoimmune diseases and BPA exposure. Data from animal models provided consistent evidence highlighting the role of BPA in the pathogenesis, exacerbation and perpetuation of various autoimmune phenomena including neuroinflammation in the context of multiple sclerosis, colitis in inflammatory bowel disease, nephritis in systemic lupus erythematosus, and insulitis in type 1 diabetes mellitus. Given the wide spread of BPA use and its effects in immune systemdysregulation, a call for careful assessment of patients’ risks and for public health measures are needed to limit exposure and subsequent deleterious effects. The purpose of this paper is to explore the autoimmune triggering mechanisms and present the current literature supporting the role of BPA in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases.

Low back pain (LBP) is a frequent symptom. Among the causes that can determine it, lumbar osteoarthritis plays an important role. Therapeutic exercise according to McKenzie method has been shown to be effective in the treatment of LBP. Dyngo-4a Oral supplementation with collagen peptides represents a new therapeutic possibility in osteoarthritis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the combined efficacy of therapeutic exercise and oral administered viscosupplements in the treatment of osteoarthritis-related chronic LBP.

Sixty patients were recruited and randomly divided into two groups (Group A and B). Group A performed only kinesitherapy, Group B carried out the same kinesitherapy combined with the daily administration of food supplements such as Fortigel®, Vitamin C, sodium hyaluronate, manganese and copper, during the whole treatment period. Patients were evaluated at the time of recruitment (T0), at the end of the treatment (T1 – 3 weeks after T0) and 6 weeks after T1 (T2). The outcome measures used were Visu, as it ensures pain relief and improvement in quality of life and in lumbar spine functionality. These therapeutic benefits are more evident and long-lasting compared to those obtained with rehabilitation alone.

Ce rvical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer in women, which necessitates safe and potential therapeutic agents.

This study was designed to investigate the antiproliferative effect of ethanolic extract of Cissus quadrangularis L. (CQ) against human cervical adenocarcinoma HeLa cell line and in silico analysis of selected active agents against apoptosis executioner enzyme caspase-3.

Cell viability was analyzed in HeLa cells at different concentrations (25-300 μg/ml) of CQ extract. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, cellular apoptosis, cell cycle analysis and caspases-3 activation were evaluated. In silico structure-based virtual screening analysis was carried out using AutoDock Vina and iGEMDOCK.

Cell viability of HeLa cells was reduced significantly (p ˂ 0.05) in a dose-dependent manner, however, CQ extract showed non-toxic to normal kidney epithelial NRK-52E cells. CQ extract induced the intracellular ROS level, nuclear condensation and reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) with the induction of annexin V-FITC positive cells. CQ extract arrested cells in G0/G1 and G2/M checkpoints and activated caspase-3 activity significantly in HeLa cells. The molecular docking study showed a strong binding affinity of CQ phytocomponents against the caspase-3 (PDB ID 1GFW) protein of human apoptosis. PASS analyses of selected active components using Lipinski’s Rule of five showed promising results. Further, drug-likeness and toxicity assessment using OSIRIS Data Warrior V5.2.1 software exhibited the feasibility of phytocomponents as drug candidates with no predicted toxicity.

This study suggested that active constituents in CQ extract can be considered as potential chemotherapeutic candidates in the management of cervical cancer.

This study suggested that active constituents in CQ extract can be considered as potential chemotherapeutic candidates in the management of cervical cancer.

Methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci is responsible for hospital and community-acquired infections.

This study aimed to investigate the antibiotic-resistance patterns, antibiotic-resistance genes, namely, ermA, ermB, ermC, blaZ, msrA, tetK, tetM, mup, and vanA, biofilm formation, and prevalence of different SCCmec types among the Staphylococcus cohniistrains isolated from clinical samples in Tehran, Iran.

In this study,S. cohniiisolates were screened from the clinical samples from March 2012 to February 2013 in Tehran, Iran.Antimicrobial susceptibility test and inducible clindamycin resistance were evaluated by disc diffusion method, andresistance genes were examined using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assays. Then, biofilm formation assay was analyzed by Microtiter-plate test to detect the icaA and icaDgenes. The SCCmec and the Arginine Catabolite Mobile Element (ACME) typing were performed using the PCRmethod.

FromtwentyS. cohnii, all isolates were resistant to cefoxitin. 95% of the S. cohnii was defined as multidrug resistance (MDR)strains. The ermB, ermC, and vanA genes were not detected in any isolates; however, the blaZ gene had the highest frequency.95% of the S. cohnii isolates produced biofilm. Also, 4 SCCmec types, including V, IV, III+ (C2), VIII+ (AB1), were identified. Therefore, the majority of SCCmec were untypable. Based on the ACME typing, arcA and opp3 genes were positive in 13 (65%) and 1 (5%) isolates, respectively.

Due to the high antimicrobial resistance and the spread of untypableSCCmecamong the isolates studied, the control and treatment of methicillin-resistantS. cohnii in hospitals and public health centers is a significant concern.

Due to the high antimicrobial resistance and the spread of untypableSCCmecamong the isolates studied, the control and treatment of methicillin-resistantS. cohnii in hospitals and public health centers is a significant concern.