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Introduction: Adipokines have an important role in development and progression of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its complications such as nephropathy. Asprosin is a recently discovered adipokine that involve in glucose metabolism and in ammation process. The present study sought to evaluate asprosin levels in patients with T2DM and T2DM + nephropathy (NP) compared to controls and its relation with markers of insulin resistance, in ammation and renal function. MethodsSerum levels of asprosin, adiponectin, IL-6 and TNF-α were measured in 55 control, 54 T2DM and 55 T2DM + NP patients using ELISA kits. ResultsAsprosin was found to be higher in T2DM (6.73 ± 1.67) and T2DM + NP (7.11 ± 1.54) compared to controls (4.81 ± 1.09) (p < 0.001), while adiponectin indicated a lower concentration in both patient groups compared with controls. Moreover, IL-6 and TNF-α indicated higher levels in both patients group compared with controls. Asprosin indicated a positive correlation with HbA1c, FBG, TC, LDL-C, IL-6 and TNF-α in T2DM group. In the patients with T2DM + NP asprosin positively correlated with BMI, HbA1c, insulin, HOMA-IR, Cr, UAE, IL-6 and TNF-α and inversely correlated with eGFR. ConclusionHigher concentration of asprosin in T2DM and T2DM + NP and its relation with glucose and lipid metabolism, and markers of renal function and in ammation suggested a possible role for this adipokine in the pathogenesis of T2DM and nephropathy.

Objective: Mental health, sleep quality, and dietary intake are interlinked. Impairment of mental health and low sleep quality may contribute to obesity through the consumption of diets high in energy density. Nevertheless, it is not clear whether dietary energy density (DED) influences mental health. This study aimed to examine the association of DED with mental health indices, including depression, anxiety, stress, and sleep quality in women with overweight/ obesity. Results: There was a decreasing trajectory in serum triglyceride across quartiles of DED (from Q1 to Q4) in the crude analysis and also after adjustment for age, BMI, and physical activity After adjustment for age, BMI, and physical activity, subjects in the highest quartile of DED had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure. DED was significantly associated with increased odds of stress in the crude (OR = 2.15, 95% CI 1.01-4.56, p = 0.04) and adjusted model for age, BMI, and physical activity (OR = 2.56, 95% CI 1.13-5.79, p = 0.02). No significant relationship was observed between DED and depression, anxiety and sleep quality. In conclusion, current study shows preliminary evidence of an association between DED and stress.

Background: The favorable influences of saffron supplementation on metabolic diseases have previously been shown. We aimed to assess the effects of saffron supplementation on blood pressure in adults. Methods: A systematic search was performed in Scopus, Embase, and the Cochrane library databases to find randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to the effect of saffron supplementation on blood pressure in adults up to March 2021. The primary search yielded 182 publications, of which eight RCTs were eligible. Results: Our results showed that saffron supplementation resulted in a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure (weighted mean difference (WMD): −0.65 mmHg; 95% CI: −1.12 to −0.18, p = 0.006) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (WMD: −1.23 mmHg; 95% CI: −1.64 to −0.81, p < 0.001). Moreover, saffron supplementation reduced DBP in a non-linear fashion, based on duration (r = −2.45, p-nonlinearity = 0.008). Conclusions: Saffron supplementation may significantly improve both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in adults. It should be noted that the hypotensive effects of saffron supplementation were small and may not reach clinical importance.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) are two major forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which is an inflammatory disease.Studies have shown that adipose tissue and inflammation play important roles in the pathogenesis of IBD. C1q/TNF-related protein-3 (CTRP3) is a newly discovered adipokine playing a substantial role during inflammatory process, and for the first time in the present study, serum levels of this adipokine were measured in the UC and CD patients. This casecontrol study included 70 control, 50 UC, and 50 CD patients who were diagnosed by standard criteria. Serum levels of adiponectin, IL-6, TNF-α, TGF-β, and CTRP3 were evaluated using ELISA kits.