Given the effects of salicylic acid (SA) on enhancing the phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and especially anthocyanins at higher doses in grapes as well as some toxic effects of SA at higher doses, the use of nano-carriers and nano-forms could assist SA in enhancing the accumulation of these compounds while reducing its toxic activity. Chitosan (CTS) has gained attention as a safe transporter and control releaser for a variety of chemicals, particularly in the agriculture industry. In this regard, the nano-form combination of SA and CTS (CTS-SA NPs) could boost the effectiveness of SA, particularly at lower dosages. Therefore, in the present study, SA (10, 20 mM), CTS (0.1%), and CTS-SA NPs (10, 20 mM) were applied on grape (Vitis vinifera L.) berries cv. Red Sultana at the pre-véraison stage to evaluate their actions on phenolic compounds, particularly anthocyanins. The CTS-SA NPs treatments provided the highest results in terms of the total phenolic compounds, flavonoids (10 mM), anthocyanins (in particular oenin, the main anthocyanin of red grapes) (10 and 20 mM), and PAL enzyme activity (20 mM). In conclusion, the CTS-SA NPs could be applied as a potential effective elicitor for phenolics, particularly anthocyanin enhancement of grape berries at pre- véraison stage with synergistic effects between SA and CTS in nano-forms predominantly at lower doses.

Background: Death due to coronary artery disease (CAD) is twice higher in men than women, and older men are more susceptible to the disease. Serum testosterone levels decrease with increasing age. Objectives: In this study, we aim to study the association between serum testosterone levels and Gensini scores in men. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 60 men above 40 years who had undergone coronary angiography. Thirty of them had normal coronary vessels, and 30 had coronary artery disease. For each group, the Gensini score was calculated. Results: Serum testosterone levels in the CAD group and the control group were 4.04 ± 2.56 and 5.59 ± 2.20 ng/mL, respectively (P < 0.05), and free testosterone levels in the CAD patients and the control groups were 7.32 ± 5.24 and 12.91 ± 3.27 pg/mL respectively (P < 0.001). Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels in the CAD and the control groups were 28.88 ± 15.30 and 38.2 ± 19.9 nmol/mL, respectively (P = 0.04). Univariate analysis showed a significant association between Gensini score and total and free testosterone levels. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) showed that the cut-off point of 7.97 had a sensitivity of 73.3% and specificity of 90% in predicting a high Gensini score (AUC = 0.799, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Findings of our study demonstrated that serum free testosterone levels have a significant correlation with Gensini score and CAD severity.

Background: As a promising revascularization therapy, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is widely used in patients with coronary artery disease. No-reflow and low thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow are two adverse periprocedural events. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin in reducing the no-reflow phenomenon in patients undergoing primary PCI. Methods: Following a randomized control design, 280 eligible patients with no history of MI or ischemic heart disease (IHD) with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who were candidates for coronary angioplasty underwent angioplasty from May 2020 to December 2020. Results: Our results showed that TIMI flow III was significantly higher in the rosuvastatin group, while the no-reflow was not seen in this group (P < 0.001). Also, ST resolution after 90 minutes of PCI was significantly better in the rosuvastatin group. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that using a loading dose of rosuvastatin could reduce the no-reflow phenomenon in patients undergoing primary PCI.