Background: The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has recently received emergency approval from the US FDA. The mRNA technology was used to manufacture the Pfizer vaccine; however, as a pioneering technology that has never been used in the manufacture of vaccines, many people have concerns about the vaccine’s side effects. Thus, the current study aimed to track the short-term side effects of the vaccine. Methods: The information in this study was gathered by a Google Form-questionnaire (online survey). The results included the responses of 455 individuals, all of whom are Saudi Arabia inhabitants. Adverse effects of the vaccine were reported after the first and the second doses. Results: The most common symptoms were injection site pain, headaches, flu-like symptoms, fever, and tiredness. Less common side effects were a fast heartbeat, whole body aches, difficulty breathing, joint pain, chills, and drowsiness. Rare side effects include Bell’s palsy and lymph nodes swelling and tenderness. Flu-like symptoms were more common among those under 60 years of age, while injection site pain was more frequent among recipients who were 60 years and older. The study revealed a significant increase in the number of females who suffered from the vaccine side effects compared to males. Difficulty of breathing was more reported among recipients who had been previously infected with the coronavirus compared to those who had not been previously infected. Conclusion: Most of the side effects reported in this study were consistent with Pfizer’s fact sheet for recipients and caregivers. Further studies are required to determine the long-term side effects.

Cellular inflammation has been recognized as the leading factor in numerous diseases, causing either cell death, organ-specific damage, or genesis of different cancers. Icariin, a flavonol glucoside, extracted from Herba Epimedii, offers various pharmacological activities, including reducing inflammation and an antioxidant effect. We aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of icariin focussing on both HO-1/Nrf2 and NF-kB pathways. Acute inflammation was induced in rats via carrageenan in this study. Icariin was injected in a dose of 50 mg/kg. Icariin significantly reduced paw swelling in carrageenan-injected animals. It also ameliorated carrageenan-induced paw histopathological alterations. Icariin significantly increased paw enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. It decreased paw lipid peroxidation. Icariin decreased paw levels of inflammatory cytokines and NF-kB. The immunohistochemical analysis showed that icariin significantly increased Nrf2 gene expression while decreasing NF-kB and COX-2 gene expression. RT-PCR analysis revealed that icariin injection significantly increased both Nrf2 and HO-1 expression of mRNA. The results of this study collectively show that icariin improved carrageenan-induced paw edema by modulating HO-1/Nrf2 and NF-ĸB signaling.

Gastric ulcers are a major problem worldwide with no effective treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of manuka honey in the treatment of acetic acid‐induced chronic gastric ulcers in rats. Different groups of rats were treated with three different concentrations of honey. Stomachs were checked macroscopically for ulcerative lesions in the glandular mucosa and microscopically for histopathological alterations. Treatment with manuka honey significantly reduced the ulcer index and maintained the glycoprotein content. It also reduced the mucosal myeloperoxidase activity, lipid peroxidation (MDA), and the inflammatory cytokines (TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6) as compared to untreated control group. In addition, honey‐treated groups showed significant increase in enzymatic (GPx and SOD) and nonenzymatic (GSH) antioxidants besides levels of the anti‐inflammatory cytokine IL‐10. Flow cytometry studies showed that treatment of animals with manuka honey has normalized cell cycle distribution and significantly lowered apoptosis in gastric mucosa. In conclusion, the results indicated that manuka honey is effective in the treatment of chronic ulcer and preservation of mucosal glycoproteins. Its effects are due to its antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties that resulted in a significant reduction of the gastric mucosal MDA, TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6 and caused an elevation in IL‐10 levels.