No abstract

Imiquimod-induced psoriasis is an animal model of psoriasis.  The antidiabetic metformin had anti-inflammatory, immunomodulation, antiangiogenesis and antiproliferative effect. The objective of this study was to evaluate the possible beneficial effect of metformin gel against imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like form by scoring the erythema and scaling besides measuring of tissue homogenate levels of IL17/IL23. Swiss albino mice were used in this experiment imiquimod 5% cream applied on shaved back of mice for six days, and this is an induction group and compared with a negative control group that involved mice treated with ointment base only for six days. Third group; metformin 10% gel applied on the back of mice with imiquimod for six days. The fourth group included used of metformin 15% gel with imiquimod for six days. This data was analysed for significant level when p ≥ 0.05 by using either ANOVA test for biochemical parameters levels evaluation.    Furthermore, imiquimod 5% cream of induction group caused an elevation of inflammatory parameters; IL17 and IL23 in skin tissue homogenate when being compared to   IL17   and IL23 level of the control group. Whereas, metformin 10% gels showed levels of IL17 and IL23 with significant different from induction group. In addition, metformin 15% gels exerted a significantly low level of IL17 and IL23. The possible considerable antipsoriatic activity of topical metformin gel through reducing scaling and erythema and mediated through modest anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing levels of IL17/23.

The treatment of full-thickness skin burn using nanomaterials is promising as a medical application reducing the risk of infection and severe dermal scarring. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of nanomaterials, particularly 3% silver nanoparticles containing ointment (3% SNO), on the full-thickness skin burn of laboratory mice. A total number of 36 male mice were used, equally divided into three groups: negative control (not burned and not treated); positive control (+ve) (burned and treated with castor oil and white petroleum jelly); and SNO-treated group (burned and treated with 3% SNO). The skin of the animals’ back was shaved. A 2x0.5 cm metal plate was heated on a burner to burn the skin of the animals of positive control and SNO-treated groups. Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial suspension was applied to the burnt area. The application of SNO, as well as the mixture of white petroleum jelly and castor oil, was started after 6 hours of inducing burns and continued for 14 days (three times daily) in the respected groups. The SNO-treated group showed accelerated healing within 14 days demonstrated by re-epithelialization of the epidermal layer and proliferation of the fibroblasts in the dermal layer. Less healing evidence was observed in the +ve control group in the same period. In conclusion, to our knowledge, this is the first study that uses a 3% SNO formula and has found that it has a promising impact on the treatment of infected skin burns.

A growing body of literature recognizes the role of vitamin D deficiency in various health-related problems such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and dyslipidemia. Hence, we design a small non-blinded randomized clinical study to explore some of these effects. The primary outcome was to investigate whether supplementation with vitamin D could reduce body mass index (BMI), while the secondary outcome was to see its effects on blood pressure (BP), serum total cholesterol (TC), and HDL-cholesterol over 12 weeks period in overweight otherwise healthy individuals. Twenty-two subjects were randomized into two groups, group A was given vitamin D supplementation of 200 IU/day and group B was assigned to 2000 IU/day. A baseline assessment of body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), serum total cholesterol (TC), and serum HDL-cholesterol was performed at baseline, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Repeated measure ANOVA was used to determine the effect of supplements within subjects and between the groups of our study. The study was unable to demonstrate any statistically significant effects of these supplemental doses of vitamin D on both primary and secondary outcomes over the study period. The scope of this study was limited by a small sample size and a large randomized double-blinded clinical study could provide more definitive evidence.