Saeed Samarghandian

Mashhad University of Medical Sciences | MUMS

Neuropathic pain (NP) is a kind of chronic pain caused by direct injury to the peripheral or central nervous system (CNS). microRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that mostly interact with the 3 untranslated region of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) to regulate the expression of multiple genes. NP is characterized by changes in the expression of recepto...

The treatment of cancer patients has been prohibited by chemoresistance. Doxorubicin (DOX) is an anti-tumor compound disrupting proliferation and triggering cell cycle arrest via inhibiting activity of topoisomerase I and II. miRNAs are endogenous RNAs localized in cytoplasm to reduce gene level. Abnormal expression of miRNAs changes DOX cytotoxici...

Urological cancers, including prostate, kidney, and bladder cancer are problematic human diseases worldwide. Current strategies for the treatment of these cancers are chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, or a combination of mentioned therapies. Due to the high mortality and morbidity rate of urological cancers and possible side effects of available...

The environmentally friendly procedure was developed for the fabrication of Ag and Se dual-doped ZnO-CaO-CuO nanocomposite (Ag and Se dual-doped ZnO-CaO-CuO-NCP) using Nymphaea alba L. leaves extract as a reducing and stabilizer agent. Different techniques have been used to characterize the physicochemical properties of the nanocomposite, including...

Aims The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of CPF on cardiac tissue and evaluate the effect of curcumin (Cur) on cardiac enzymes, oxidative indices, and histopathological changes of the cardiac tissue in rat. Background Chlorpyrifos (CPF), the most used organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) has been reported to have cardiotoxic effects. Ob...

Gynecological cancers are the leading cause of malignancy-related death and disability in the world. These cancers are diagnosed at end stages, and unfortunately, the standard therapeutic strategies available for the treatment of affected women [including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery] are not safe and effective enough. Moreover, the unwan...

Background COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by SARS-CoV-2. Pharmaceutical companies aim to control virus spread through effective drugs. This study investigates chromone compound derivatives’ ability to inhibit viral entry and prevent replication. Method This study investigated the inhibitory effect of chromone-embedded peptidomimetics and...

The fourth common reason of death among patients is gastric cancer (GC) and it is a dominant tumor type in Ease Asia. One of the problems in GC therapy is chemoresistance. Cisplatin (CP) is a platinum compound that causes DNA damage in reducing tumor progression and viability of cancer cells. However, due to hyperactivation of drug efflux pumps, dy...

Breast cancer (BC) is accountable for a large number of female-related malignancies that lead to lethality worldwide. Various factors are considered in the occurrence of BC, including deregulation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Genetic factors such as microRNAs (miRs) are crucially responsible for BC progre...

In this research, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) were biosynthesized through a simple, quick, and green manner by the exertion of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) fruit extract as a stabilizer and reducing agent. TGA/DTA, UV–Vis, DRS, FTIR, XRD, BET, TEM, FESEM/EDX, and PSA analyses were used to characterize the CuO-NPs. The XRD analysis of CuO-...

The rising incidence of breast cancer has been a significant source of concern in the medical community. Regarding the adverse effects and consequences of current treatments, cancers' health, and socio-economical aspects have become more complicated, leaving research aimed at improved or new treatments on top priority. Medicinal herbs contain multi...

Background: Gouty arthritis is a complex form of inflammatory arthritis, triggered by the sedimentation of monosodium urate crystals in periarticular tissues, synovial joints, and other sites in the body. Curcumin is a natural polyphenol compound, isolated from the rhizome of the plant Curcuma longa, possessing countless physiological features, in...

Objective: Numerous evidence indicates the association between polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), an endocrine disrupter, with thyroid hormone disruption, contradictory findings also exist. Herein, we tried to address this question by performing a scoping review. Content: The search was performed on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scho...

Metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells is a strategy to meet high proliferation rates, invasion, and metastasis. Also, several researchers indicated that the cellular metabolism changed during the resistance to chemotherapy. Since glycolytic enzymes play a prominent role in these alterations, the ability to reduce resistance to chemotherapy drugs...

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the subtypes of breast cancer (BC) that is associated with poor survival rates and failure to respond to hormonal and targeted therapies. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify a specific gene at the expression level for TNBC and targeting of this type of breast cancer based on...

Resveratrol (Res), a polyphenol found in red wine, has been shown to decelerate aging, the progressive loss of physiological integrity and cellular senescence, characterized by the inability to progress through the cell cycle. No successful clinical trials have yet to be completed in humans on dose limitations. Yet, the potent anti-aging and anti-s...

Unlabelled: Aim/ Background: This study aimed to evaluate the hepatotoxicity of buprenorphine in lactating rat pups of buprenorphine-injected mothers. Buprenorphine (BUP), a semisynthetic opioid, is increasingly administrated as a first-line standard maintenance treatment for opioid dependence due to its high safety and efficacy compared to other...

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is used as one of the main protective factors against various pathological processes, as it regulates cells resistant to oxidation. Several studies have extensively explored the relationship between environmental exposure to heavy metals, particularly lead (Pb), and the development of various human...

Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) refers to a set of medical conditions including insulin resistance, central obesity, atherogenic dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Due to these dysregulations, if not treated, MetS could increase the risk of CVA, CVD, and diabetes. As described by WHO, CVD is the leading cause of mortality in the world which motivates resear...

The capacity of cancer cells for abnormal growth and metastasis has made it difficult to find a cure for tumor. Both males and females suffer from lung tumors, and physicians still deem them incurable. The initiation and development of lung tumors can be forced by genomic mutations. Wnt is a critical pathway for regulating growth, differentiation a...

The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has been considered a major threat to human health. Effective therapeutic approaches are urgently required. Spike protein and the Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors have critical roles in SARS-CoV-2 infection. As a result, these two proteins are considered potential targets for the deve...

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the possible effects of chlorpyrifos on the rat hippocampus and evaluate whether these effects can be decreased with chrysin co-administration in an animal model. Methods: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups; Control (C), Chlorpyrifos (CPF), Chlorpyrifos + Chrysin (12.5mg/kg) (CPF + CH1),...

Malaria is still one of the most destructive parasitic infections in several tropical and subtropical countries. Natural products have played a dominant role in the discovery of lead compounds for the development of drugs to treat human diseases like malaria infection. In this chapter, first, we focused on experimental assays used for detection of...

In the current study, Ag-doped ZnO–MgO–CaO nanocomposite (NCPs) was successfully manufactured using Ocimum Basilicum L seeds extract with the new green procedure. This work centralized on phytomediated synthesis and characterization of NCPs and their biological uses. Phytochemicals that exist in the plant extract are responsible for reducing the me...

BACKGROUND This study was performed to evaluate the protective effects of chrysin (CH) on metabolic impairment and pancreatic injury caused by sub-chronic chlorpyrifos (CPF) intoxication in male rats. METHODS Forty male Wistar rats were randomly allocated into five groups (n=8). Intraperitoneal injections of chrysin (12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg for 45 d...

Background Wound healing remains a challenge that has not yet been solved. Researchers are more interested in gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) than other nanoparticles because of their size-related chemical, electrical, and magnetic properties that may be useful in biological applications. Due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial qualit...

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Controlling the spread of viruses is one of the main concerns of pharmaceutical companies. Looking at the viral infection cycle can lead to the development of effective drugs. Since cell entry and repl...

Up to 18% of cancer-related deaths worldwide are attributed to lung tumor and global burden of this type of cancer is ascending. Different factors are responsible for development of lung cancer such as smoking, environmental factors and genetic mutations. EZH2 is a vital protein with catalytic activity and belongs to PCR2 family. EZH2 has been impl...

One of the most common hematological malignancies is multiple myeloma (MM) that its mortality and morbidity have increased. The incidence rate of MM is suggested to be higher in Europe and various kinds of therapeutic strategies including stem cell transplantation. However, MM treatment is still challenging and gene therapy has been shown to be pro...

Background Digoxin poisoning commonly occurs in people treated with digoxin. It has been suggested that treatment with dantrolene may be a suitable strategy for digoxin-induced cardiotoxicity. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of dantrolene on digoxin-induced cardiotoxicity in male rats. Methods This study was...

Organophosphate compounds (OPCs) are a diverse class of chemicals utilized in both industrial and agricultural settings. The exact molecular pathways that OPCs-induced toxicity is caused by are still being investigated, despite the fact that studies on this topic have been ongoing for a long time. As a result, it's important to identify innovative...

Accumulating evidence has indicated the importance of microRNAs (miRs) in the biology of human malignancies by targeting multiple signaling pathways and different Messenger RNA transcripts. Despite conflicting information and controversial roles in diverse cancers, miR-29 has been mostly characterized as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer (BC). Se...

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are one of the most common human malignancies and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. One of the most prominent hallmarks of cancer and a basic trait of almost all GI malignancies is genomic/epigenomics alterations. DNA methylation is highlighted as a fundamental mechanism underlying the inactivation...

This study investigated the effect of buprenorphine (BUP) on the livers of pups exposed to this drug during the fetal stage. BUP decreased the activities of serum liver enzymes in exposed animals versus the controls. BUP (0.5 mg/kg) decreased malondialdehyde levels and increased the glutathione levels in the liver of animals versus other groups. Th...

Obesity and dyslipidemia are common disorders universally. According to the acquired outcomes of recent studies, dietary supplementations which have great content of phenolic compounds exert protective effects against obesity and dyslipidemia. Grape (Vitis vinifera) seeds are considered attractive sources of phenolic compounds with anti-oxidative s...

Gastric cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in the world. Various therapeutic modalities have been used for its treatment, but all exhibit severe side effects, establishing the need for novel approaches. Chrysin is a phytomedicine compound belonging to the flavonoid group. It is found in honey and many plants. Its antitumor effects have bee...

Organophosphates (OPs) are an important class of toxic agents that are applied for controlling pests. Toxic effects of OPs have been found at concentrations below inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). OPs are able to cause damage in various tissues, leading to acute and chronic diseases. A limited number of OPs are able to directly bind to cho...

Recently, nucleic acid drugs have been considered as promising candidates in treatment of various diseases, especially cancer. Because of developing resistance to conventional chemotherapy, use of genetic tools in cancer therapy appears inevitable. siRNA is a RNAi tool with capacity of suppressing target gene. Owing to overexpression of oncogenic f...

Introduction: Changes in the expression of pseudogenes have been demonstrated to play a role in the pathogenesis of various malignancies in studies. The goal of this study was to find pseudogenes with significant expression alterations in gastric cancer (GC) that could be implicated in the disease's development via the competing endogenous RNAs (ce...

Background Diagnosis and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in populations under TNF-α antagonists therapy are critical strategies for preventing active tuberculosis (TB). Objective The diagnostic accuracy of IGRAs and the TST for diagnosis of LTBI in patients with IMIDs remains unclear. Methods Accuracy measures of IGRAs and TST w...

Genistein is a flavonoid, mostly found in soybean extract and is widely used for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Genistein can interact with estrogen receptors due to its structural similarities to estrogen. It also inhibits protein tyrosine kinases and affects a variety of intracellular signal transductions. Genistein attenuates...

Urological cancers have obtained much attention in recent years due to their mortality and morbidity. The most common and malignant tumor of urological cancers is prostate cancer that imposes high socioeconomic costs on public life and androgen-deprivation therapy, surgery, and combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy are employed in its treatm...

Background The effect of opioids administration during lactation on nervous system has not fully understood. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the buprenorphine (BUP) impact on oxidative stress indexes and apoptotic gene expression in the hippocampus of neonates exposed to this drug through breastfeeding. Methods Lactating female ra...

Background: Chrysin (CH) is one of the important natural flavonoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. The aim of this study was to assess the protective effects of CH on biochemical indexes and histopathological changes in the liver of male Wistar rats exposed to chlorpyrifos (CPF). Methods: We induced sub-chronic toxicity in rats...

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and around 10 million deaths in 2020 were related to cancer. There are a number of therapeutic modalities for cancer such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. However, tumor cells have capacity of developing resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Genetic mutations participate in development a...

Objective Head and neck cancer (HNSC) is the sixth most usual type of cancer in the world. The heterogeneity of this type of cancer is more elevated by the rising rate of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related (HPV+) HNSC, which defines an etiological subtype significantly different from the more common tobacco and alcohol associated HPV-negative (HPV-...

Epigenetic factors are critical regulators of biological and pathological mechanisms and they could interact with different molecular pathways. Targeting epigenetic factors has been an idea approach in disease therapy, especially cancer. Accumulating evidence has highlighted function of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as epigenetic factors in cancer...

Trace elements were suggested to have a main role in modulating cognitive function. However, there are several controversial findings regarding the association between serum trace element concentration and cognitive function in patients with cognitive disorders. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the changes in serum trace element concentrations in...

Organophosphate compounds are regarded as a class of pesticides that are used in farming. Their extensive use, especially in developing countries, is a serious public health problem. Numerous studies have shown the effects of these toxins on various parts of the human and other vertebrates’ bodies, including the cardiovascular, hepatobiliary, renal...

Bisphenols (BPs), the main endocrine-disrupting chemicals used in polycarbonate plastics, epoxy-phenol resins, and some other manufacturers, have been interestingly focused to find their toxic effects in recent years. Due to the strong relation between bisphenols and some crucial receptors such as ERs, AR, glucocorticoid receptor, THRs, ERRs, hPXR,...

Initiation and development of cancer depend on multiple factors that mutations in genes and epigenetic level can be considered as important drivers. Epigenetic factors include a large family of members and understanding their function in cancer has been a hot topic. LncRNAs are RNA molecules with no capacity in synthesis of proteins, and they have...

Background and aims This cross-sectional study aimed to determine potential factors with a strong association with metabolic syndrome (MetS) among obesity and lipid-related parameters, and liver enzymes, fasting blood glucose (FBG), and blood pressure (BP) as well as some sociodemographic factors in elderly over 60 years old from a sample of Birjan...

Gene therapy can be used as a cancer therapy by affecting signaling networks participating in the aggressive behavior of tumors. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) is a genetic tool employed for gene silencing. The siRNA molecules have a length of 21–22 nucleotides, and are synthetic, short non-coding RNAs. The siRNA molecule should be loaded into the R...

Among the different kinds of tumors threatening human life, lung cancer is one that is commonly observed in both males and females. The aggressive behavior of lung cancer and interactions occurring in tumor microenvironment enhances the malignancy of this tumor. The lung tumor cells have demonstrated capacity in developing chemo- and radio-resistan...

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) mechanism is responsible for metastasis of tumor cells and their spread to various organs and tissues of body, providing undesirable prognosis. In addition to migration, EMT increases stemness and mediates therapy resistance. Hence, pathways involved in EMT regulation should be highlighted. STAT3 is an onc...

Introduction The efficacy of oxytocin in the treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has not been fully characterized. This systematic review and meta-analysis study evaluated randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the treatment of intranasally administered oxytocin for autism. Method The study was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA state...

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) is a member of a family of secreted cytokines with vital biological functions in cells. The abnormal expression of TGF-β signaling is a common finding in pathological conditions, particularly cancer. Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the leading causes of death among men. Several genetic and epigenetic alterati...

The identification of agents that can reverse drug resistance in cancer chemotherapy, and enhance the overall efficacy is of great interest. Paclitaxel (PTX) belongs to taxane family that exerts an antitumor effect by stabilizing microtubules and inhibiting cell cycle progression. However, PTX resistance often develops in tumors due to the overexpr...

Cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) have a great burden in terms of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The vicious cycle of CMD consists of type II diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and atherosclerosis interacting and feedbacking each other. The natural flavonoid chrysin, has been shown to possess a broad spectrum of therapeutic activities...

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is deliberating an idiopathic inflammatory condition in the gastrointestinal tract. Generally, IBD contains two chief subtypes; ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. As a consequence of the drug tolerance and insufficient efficacy of available conventional therapies, applying natural products such as resveratrol a...

The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a master regulator of redox balance and it responds to various cell stresses that oxidative stress is the most well-known one. The Nrf2 should undergo nuclear translocation to exert its protective impacts and decrease ROS production. On the other hand, ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a...

The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effect of the Sophora pachycarpa (S. pachycarpa) seed extract against carbon tetrachloride-induced toxicity on body organs, blood, and biochemical factors. In this investigation, 40 male Wistar rats weighing 200–250 g were randomly divided into 5 groups: group I was used as control, gro...

We performed a systematic and meta-analysis study to find the association between cadmium (Cd) exposure and blood pressure (BP)/hypertension (HTN) in exposed general populations. We searched main databases for literature published between year 2000 and April 15, 2021. Quality assessment was performed with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical...

The study investigated the effect of buprenorphine (BUP) on oxidative indices and gene expression of apoptotic molecules in the hippocampus of neonates during the fetal stage. BUP (1 or 0.5 mg/kg) was subcutaneously administrated to pregnant rat dams. After parturition, the pups were maintained to the end of breastfeeding period, then hippocampi we...

Ischemia is a pathological process in which blood supply to a particular organ is temporarily interrupted resulting in disturbed biological function and homeostasis of local tissues. Following ischemia, reperfusion and reoxygenation may occur which further worsens oxidative stress-mediated damage in cells and tissues. The combined processes are ref...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a brain-linked pathophysiological condition with neuronal degeneration, cognition dysfunctions, and other debilitations. Due to the growing prevalence of AD, there is a highly commended tendency to accelerate and develop analytical technologies for easy, cost-effective, and sensitive detection of AD biomarkers. In the la...

Brain tumors are responsible for high mortality and morbidity worldwide. The brain tumor treatment depends on identification of molecular pathways involved in progression and malignancy. Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) has obtained much attention in recent years in field of cancer therapy due to its aberrant expression and capacity in modulating...

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered as a main challenge in both developing and developed countries, as lifestyle has changed and its management seems to be vital. Type I and type II diabetes are the main kinds and they result in hyperglycemia in patients and related complications. The gene expression alteration can lead to development of DM and re...

Regarding the epidemiological studies, neurological dysfunctions caused by cerebral ischemia or neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) have been considered a pointed matter. Mount-up shreds of evidence support that both autophagy and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in the commencement and progression of neurological diseases. Remarkably, oxid...

This study aimed to assess the effects of buprenorphine (BUP) on oxidative parameters in pups born to mothers exposed to the drug during gestation and lactation. Pregnant and lactating rats received BUP, 0.5 or 0.1 mg/kg subcutaneously for 21 and 28 days, respectively. At the end of the study, the pups were anesthetized, and the hearts were dissec...

Astaxanthin (AST) is a red pigmented carotenoid with significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, and anti-apoptotic properties. In this study, we summarize the available literature on the anti-inflammatory efficacy of AST in various chronic and acute disorders, such as neurodegenerative, renal-, hepato-, skin- and eye-related di...

Background Maintaining iodine at sufficient levels is necessary throughout the pregnancy to prevent adverse outcomes in infants. This study aimed to assess iodofolic supplementation's impact on thyroid function in women at the end of the third trimesters of gestation. Methods This case-control study was conducted on 130 pregnant women in the Birja...

Aging is the leading risk factor for several age-associated diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases. Understanding the biology of aging mechanisms is essential to the pursuit of brain health. In this regard, brain aging is defined by a gradual decrease in neurophysiological functions, impaired adaptive neuroplasticity, dysregulation of neuronal...

Cervical cancer is the fourth common gynecologic cancer and is considered as second leading cause of death among women. Various strategies are applied in treatment of cervical cancer including radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery. However, cervical cancer cells demonstrate aggressive behavior in advanced phases, requiring novel strategies in thei...