HCV, hepatitis C virus, is a virus that causes damage to the liver. Both chronic infection or lack of treatment increase morbidity except if it is an acute infection, as the body clears the virus ...without any intervention. Also, the virus has many genotypes, and until now, there has yet to be a single treatment capable of affecting and treating all these genotypes at once. This review will discuss the main and most used old treatments, IFN-a, PEG IFN-a, Ribavirin, Celgosvir, and sofosbuvir alone and with the combination of other drugs and their drawbacks. They should be given in combination to improve the effect on the virus compared with being administrated independently, as in the case of sofosbuvir. For these reasons, the need for new treatments and diagnostic tools arises, and the rule of nanotechnology comes here. The role of carbon nanotubes, dendrimers, and fullerenes will be discussed. CNTs, carbon nanotubes, are one-dimensional structures composed of a cylindrical sheet of graphite and are mainly used for diagnostic purposes against HCV. Dendrimers, three-dimensional highly branched structures, are macromolecules that provide better drug delivery and treatment options due to their unique structure that can be modified, producing versatile types; each has unique properties. Fullerenes which are cage like structures derived and closely related to CNTs, and composed of carbon atoms that can be substituted by other atoms which in return open unlimited usage for these carbon based materials. Fullerenes rule is unique since it has two mechanisms that prevent the virus from binding and acting on the virus-replicating enzyme. However, their charge needs to be determined; otherwise, it will lead to cytotoxicity. Lastly, no review has been done on the role of nanotechnology against HCV yet.
The number of diabetic patients has risen dramatically in recent decades, owing mostly to the rising incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Several oral antidiabetic medications are used for ...the treatment of T2DM including, α-glucosidases inhibitors, biguanides, sulfonylureas, meglitinides, GLP-1 receptor agonists, PPAR-γ agonists, DDP4 inhibitors, and SGLT2 inhibitors. In this review we focus on the possible effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on different body systems. Beyond the diabetic state, SGLT2 inhibitors have revealed a demonstrable ability to ameliorate cardiac remodeling, enhance myocardial function, and lower heart failure mortality. Additionally, SGLT2 inhibitors can modify adipocytes and their production of cytokines, such as adipokines and adiponectin, which enhances insulin sensitivity and delays diabetes onset. On the other hand, SGLT2 inhibitors have been linked to decreased total hip bone mineral deposition and increased hip bone resorption in T2DM patients. More data are needed to evaluate the role of SGLT2 inhibitors on cancer. Finally, the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on neuroprotection appear to be both direct and indirect, according to scientific investigations utilizing various experimental models. SGLT2 inhibitors improve vascular tone, elasticity, and contractility by reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, insulin signaling pathways, and endothelial cell proliferation. They also improve brain function, synaptic plasticity, acetylcholinesterase activity, and reduce amyloid plaque formation, as well as regulation of the mTOR pathway in the brain, which reduces brain damage and cognitive decline.
Background
Liver fibrosis and its outcomes of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma are major worldwide health problems and due to the complicated molecular pathogenesis, the options for effective ...systemic cure are relatively restricted. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers, having well established safety profiles and low economic costs, may provide synergistic effects to existing chemotherapies by reducing angiotensin II-mediated angiogenesis, fibrogenesis, mitogenesis, metastasis, and oxidative stress.
Conclusion
These effects suggest angiotensin II inhibitors as promising agents for further clinical trials in the management of patients with fibrotic diseases.
Diabetes is a clinical condition that is associated with insulin deficiency and hyperglycemia. Cardiomyopathy, retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy are well known complications of the elevated ...blood glucose. Diabetic cardiomyopathy is a clinical disorder that is associated with systolic and diastolic dysfunction along with cardiac fibrosis, inflammation, and elevated oxidative stress. In this study, diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) 50 mg/kg. We determined the plasma levels of cardiac troponin-T (cTnT) and creatinine kinase MB (CK-MB) by ELISA. Diabetic rats showed abnormal cardiac architecture and increased collagen production. Significant elevation in ST-segment, prolonged QRS, and QT-intervals and increased ventricular rate were detected. Additionally, diabetic rats showed a prolongation in P wave duration and atrial tachyarrhythmia was observed. Plasma levels of cTnT and CK-MB were elevated. In conclusion, these electrocardiographic changes (elevated ST-segment, prolonged QT interval, and QRS complex, and increased heart rate) along with histopathological changes and increased collagen formation could be markers for the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy in rats.
Heat-shock proteins are upregulated in cancer and protect several client proteins from degradation. Therefore, they contribute to tumorigenesis and cancer metastasis by reducing apoptosis and ...enhancing cell survival and proliferation. These client proteins include the estrogen receptor (ER), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2), and cytokine receptors. The diminution of the degradation of these client proteins activates different signaling pathways, such as the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB, Raf/MEK/ERK, and JAK/STAT3 pathways. These pathways contribute to hallmarks of cancer, such as self-sufficiency in growth signaling, an insensitivity to anti-growth signals, the evasion of apoptosis, persistent angiogenesis, tissue invasion and metastasis, and an unbounded capacity for replication. However, the inhibition of HSP90 activity by ganetespib is believed to be a promising strategy in the treatment of cancer because of its low adverse effects compared to other HSP90 inhibitors. Ganetespib is a potential cancer therapy that has shown promise in preclinical tests against various cancers, including lung cancer, prostate cancer, and leukemia. It has also shown strong activity toward breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, gastric cancer, and acute myeloid leukemia. Ganetespib has been found to cause apoptosis and growth arrest in these cancer cells, and it is being tested in phase II clinical trials as a first-line therapy for metastatic breast cancer. In this review, we will highlight the mechanism of action of ganetespib and its role in treating cancer based on recent studies.
Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic progressive disease that portends a very poor prognosis. It has been suggested that STAT3 is a potential target in PF. This study highlights the importance of ...cubosomes as a drug delivery system in enhancing the bioavailability of nifuroxazide (NXZD), a poorly soluble STAT3 inhibitor. NXZD-loaded cubosomes (NXZD-LC) were in vitro and in vivo evaluated. In vitro, cubosomes presented a poly-angular nanosized particles with a mean size and zeta potential of 223.73 ± 4.73 nm and − 20.93 ± 2.38 mV, respectively. The entrapment efficiency of nifuroxazide was 90.56 ± 4.25%. The in vivo pharmacokinetic study and the lung tissue accumulation of NXZD were performed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry after oral administration to rats. The nanoparticles exhibited a two-fold increase and 1.33 times of bioavailability and lung tissue concentration of NXZD compared to NXZD dispersion, respectively. In view of this, NXZD-LC effectively attenuated PF by targeting STAT3 and NF-κB signals. As a result, NXZD-LC showed a potential anti-inflammatory effect as revealed by the significant decrease in MCP-1, ICAM-1, IL-6, and TNF-α and suppressed fibrogenic mediators as indicated by the significant reduction in TGF-β, TIMP-1, and PDGF-BB in lung tissues. Besides, NXZD-LC improved antioxidant defense mechanisms and decreased LDH and BALF total protein. These effects contributed to decreased collagen deposition. To conclude, cubosomes represent an advantageous pharmaceutical delivery system for enhancing pulmonary delivery of poorly soluble drugs. Additionally, repurposing NXZD as an antifibrotic agent is a promising challenge and new therapeutic approach for unmet therapeutic needs.
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•Pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive disease that portends a very poor prognosis.•Nifuroxazide, an antibiotic, is a poorly soluble STAT3 inhibitor.•Nifuroxazide cubosomes exhibited advancement in bioavailability and lung delivery.•Nifuroxazide cubosomes exhibited anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic potential.•Nifuroxazide repurposing as an antifibrotic agent is a promising challenge.
One promising strategy for minimizing chemotherapeutic resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the use of effective chemosensitizers. We studied the complementary multi-targeted molecular ...mechanisms of metformin and celastrol in mice with diethylnitrosamine-induced HCC to investigate whether metformin could augment the sensitivity of HCC tissue to the effect of celastrol. Simultaneous administration of celastrol (2 mg/kg) and metformin (200 mg/kg) improved liver function, enhanced the histological picture and prolonged survival. Additionally, combination therapy exerted anti-inflammatory activity, as indicated by the decreased levels of TNF-α and IL-6. This protective role could be attributed to inhibition of inflammasome activation. Herein, our data revealed downregulated NLRP3 gene expression, suppressed caspase-1 activity and reduced levels of the active forms of IL-1β and IL-18. Under this condition, pyroptotic activity was suppressed. In contrast, in the celastrol and celastrol + metformin groups, the apoptotic potential was amplified, as revealed by the increase in the caspase-9 and caspase-3 levels and Bax:BCL-2 ratio. In addition to their repressive effect on the gene expression of NFκBp65, TNFR and TLR4, metformin and celastrol inhibited phosphorylation-induced activation of IκBκB and NFκBp65 and decreased IκBα degradation. Combination therapy with metformin and celastrol repressed markers of angiogenesis, metastasis and tumour proliferation, as revealed by the decreased hepatic levels of VEGF, MMP-2/9 and cyclin D1 mRNA, respectively. In conclusion, by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome and its prerequisite NFκB signalling, simultaneous administration of metformin and celastrol appears to have additive benefits in the treatment of HCC compared to cela monotherapy. This effect warrants further clinical investigation.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has prompted a lot of questions globally regarding the range of information about the virus's possible routes of transmission, diagnostics, and ...therapeutic tools. Worldwide studies have pointed out the importance of monitoring and early surveillance techniques based on the identification of viral RNA in wastewater. These studies indicated the presence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in human feces, which is shed
excreta including mucus, feces, saliva, and sputum. Subsequently, they get dumped into wastewater, and their presence in wastewater provides a possibility of using it as a tool to help prevent and eradicate the virus. Its monitoring is still done in many regions worldwide and serves as an early "warning signal"; however, a lot of limitations of wastewater surveillance have also been identified.
The proposed mechanism of action for sorafenib, perindopril, fosinopril and losartan in interfering with NFκB pathway. Ang, angiotensin; AT1R, angiotensin II type 1 receptor; DAG, diacyl glycerol; ...ERK, extracellular signal-regulated kinase; FO, fosinopril; IkB, inhibitory kappa B protein; IKK, IκB kinase; IP3, inositol triphosphate; LO, losartan; MEK, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase; MMP-2, matrix metalloproteinase 2; NFkB, nuclear transcription factor kappa B; PDGFRβ, platelet derived growth factor receptor beta; PE, perindopril; PLC, phospholipase C; SO, sorafenib; TGF-β, transforming growth factor beta; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor alpha; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; VEGFR, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor.
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•RAS inhibitors inhibited phosphorylation induced activation of NFкB proteins.•RAS inhibitors demonstrated anti-angiogenic and anti-proliferative properties.•RAS inhibitors resulted in improved liver function and histology in experimental HCC.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major global health problem. Therapeutic interventions of HCC are still limited because of its complicated molecular pathogenesis. Many reports showed that renin-angiotensin system (RAS) contributes to the development of different types of malignancies. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the effect of RAS inhibition using perindopril (1 mg/kg), fosinopril (2 mg/kg), or losartan (10 mg/kg) on diethylnitrosamine-induced HCC compared to sorafenib (30 mg/kg). The administration of RAS inhibitors resulted in improved liver function and histologic picture with a reduction in AFP levels. These effects found to be mediated through inactivation of NFкB pathway by the inhibition of NFĸB p65 phosphorylation at the Ser536 residue and inhibition of the phosphorylation-induced degradation of NFĸBia. Consequently, expression levels of cyclin D1 mRNA were significantly lowered. In addition, NFкB-induced TNF-α and TGF-β1 levels were reduced leading to lower levels of MMP-2 and VEGF. We concluded that RAS inhibition either through inhibiting the ACE or the blockade of AT1R has the same therapeutic benefit and that the tissue affinity of the ACEIs has no impact on its anti-tumor activity. These results suggest that ACEIs and ARBs can serve as promising candidates for further clinical trials in the management of HCC.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer related deaths worldwide. It was suggested that albendazole (ABZ) is a powerful inhibitor of several carcinoma types. However, the ...bioavailability of ABZ is very poor. Additionally, the mechanisms underlying the antitumor effects of ABZ may go beyond its tubulin-inhibiting activity. Therefore, we aimed to examine the effects of ABZ suspension (i.p. and p.o.) and ABZ-loaded cubosomes (LC) on the diethylnitrosamine-induced HCC in mice. ABZ-loaded nanoparticles exhibited a mean particle size of 48.17 ± 0.65 nm and entrapped 93.26 ± 2.48% of ABZ. The in vivo absorption study confirmed a two-fold improvement in the relative bioavailability compared with aqueous ABZ suspension. Furthermore, the oral administration of ABZ cubosomal dispersion demonstrated regression of tumor production rates that was comparable with ABZ (i.p.). ABZ relieved oxidative stress, improved liver function, and decreased necroinflammation score. The antiangiogenic activity was evident as ABZ effectively downregulated tissue expression of CD34, mRNA expression of CD309 and VEGF at the protein expression level. Besides, lower levels of MMP-9 and CXCR4 indicated antimetastatic activity. ABZ showed a considerable level of apoptotic activity as indicated by increased mRNA expression level of p53 and the increased Bax/BCL-2 ratio and active caspase-3. Additionally, Ki-67 expression levels were downregulated showing an antiproliferative potential. These protective effects contributed to increasing survival rate of diethylnitrosamine-treated mice. These effects found to be mediated via interrupting ERK1/2-HIF-1α-p300/CREB interactions. Therefore, our findings revealed that disrupting ERK1/2-HIF-1α-p300/CREB interplay might create a novel therapeutic target for the management of HCC.
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•The antitumor effects of albendazole go beyond its tubulin-inhibiting activity.•Albendazole interfered with the ERK1/2-HIF-1α-p300/CREB crosstalk.•Disruption of the ERK1/2-HIF-1α-p300/CREB interaction creates a novel HCC target.•Albendazole-loaded cubosomes exhibited superior antitumor effects against HCC.•Albendazole-loaded cubosomes prolonged survival of diethylnitrosamine-treated mice.
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