Thymoquinone (TQ), the active constituent of Nigella sativa, possesses several benefits in traditional and modern medicines. This study examined the effect of a single dose of Nano-TQ on chronic lung ...injury induced by repetitive intratracheal installation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Rats received LPS twice weekly for 8 weeks via intratracheal installation and a single dose of TQ-PLGA NPs on the day after the last dose of LPS. Six rats from each group were sacrificed after 8 and 10 weeks, and samples were collected for analysis. Repetitive intratracheal installation of LPS caused histopathological alterations, including partial or complete obstruction of the alveoli, interstitial edema, mild fibroblastic proliferation, fibrous strands besides lymphocytes and plasma infiltrations, suffered fetalization, bronchiectasis, hypertrophied arterioles, and others. Investigation of the ultrastructure revealed prominent necrotic pneumocytes with destructed chromatin and remnant of necrotic debris in the narrowing alveolar lumen in LPS-induced rats. TQ-PLGA NPs effectively ameliorated LPS-induced histopathological and ultrastructural alterations in the lung of rats. In addition, TQ-PLGA NPs significantly alleviated serum levels of IL-10 and TGF-β1 in LPS-induced rats. In conclusion, TQ-PLGA NPs prevented inflammation and tissue injury in the lungs of rats challenged with repetitive intratracheal installation of LPS. Therefore, TQ-PLGA NPs represent a promising candidate for the prevention of lung injury induced by LPS, pending further studies to determine its safety and exact protective mechanism.
Cancer is the major challenge across world and the adenocarcinoma of prostate malignancy is the second most prevalent male cancer. Various medicinal plants are used for the treatment and management ...of various cancers.
L., is one of the extensively used Unani medicament for the treatment of various type of diseases. In the current study we evaluated most of the parameters prescribed for drug standardization using pharmacognostic approaches. The 2,2 Diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) method was utilized for the analysis of antioxidant activity in the flower extracts of
. Moreover, we analyzed the antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of
) through in-vitro method. DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazl-hydrate) method was utilized for the analysis of antioxidant activity in the flower extracts of
. CFU and wound healing assay were performed to determine the anti-cancer activity. The results demonstrated that various extracts of
fulfilled most of the parameters of drug standardization and contained good antioxidant and anticancer activities. The ethyl acetate showed higher anticancer activity followed by aqueous, hydroalcoholic, petroleum benzene and methanol by CFU method. Also, the wound healing assay demonstrated that ethyl acetate extract has more significant effect followed by methanol and petroleum benzene extract on prostate cancer cell line (C4-2). The current study concluded that the extract of
flowers could act as good source of natural anti-cancer compounds.
Plants continue to play a critical role in the discovery of effective compounds, especially anticancer drugs. Abutilon pannosum has been historically used as a therapeutic plant in the medicinal ...system. In this study, an ethanolic crude extract was prepared from the dried powder of A. pannosum and subsequently fractionated to produce chloroform, butanol, and water fractions. The crude extract and fractions were tested for their cytotoxic action against various cancer cells using the MTT assay. Additionally, the effect of the most promising fraction on the cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction was studied using flow cytometry and RT-PCR. Western blotting was employed to confirm the expression of apoptosis-related proteins. The chemical constituents of the most promising fraction were further analyzed by GC-MS. Among all the tested extracts, the A. pannosum chloroform fraction (APCF) exhibited the most potent activity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells, with an IC50 value of 50 µg/mL. The growth inhibition of the MCF-7 cells was found to be linked with cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase. Moreover, apoptosis was confirmed as a cell death mode using the FITC-annexin/PI assay, as well as the upregulation of proapoptotic genes, including Bax and caspase-7, and downregulation of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 gene. The most abundant phytoconstituents revealed by the GC-MS analysis were palmitic acid (50.46%), quinic acid (11.84%), alpha-d-glucopyranoside (11.15%), parthenolide (9.65%), and phytol (6.65%). Our in vitro assessment indicates that A. pannosum could be a potential source of anticancer agents.
ABSTRACT
Objective. We sought to assess the outcome of transcatheter ductus arteriosus stenting in newborns with ductal‐dependent pulmonary circulation.
Background. Better results of ductal ...stenting have been reported using stents with better scaffolding and ensuring stenting of the entire length of the ductus arteriosus.
Methods. Twenty‐one patients with ductal‐dependent pulmonary circulation were brought to the catheterization laboratory for ductal stenting. Five patients did not qualify because of a complex tortuous ductus arteriosus or branch pulmonary artery stenosis. Stent implantation was successful in 14 patients. The duct was accessed with a 0.014‐inch guidewire. A low profile premounted coronary stent was implanted in the duct without using a long delivery sheath. Attempts were made to cover the entire length of the ductus arteriosus.
Results. The mean age of the patients at the time of stent implantation was 24 ± 17.5 days. The mean body weight was 2.9 ± 0.35 kg. The ductus was mildly tortuous in four, moderately tortuous in four, conical in four, and vertical in four patients. Ductal stenting was successful in 14 patients. The mean ductal diameter was 3.9 ± 0.5 mm. The mean diameter and the length of the stent implanted were 3.9 ± 0.72 and 15.4 ± 3.16 mm, respectively. Mean fluoroscopy and procedure times were 22.16 ± 12.5 and 107.9 ± 34.5 minutes, respectively. Out of the 14 successful stent implantations, the ductus arteriosus was not completely covered with the stent in five patients at the time of primary procedure, four of them required re‐stenting for significant desaturation. One of these patients died despite successful re‐stenting. Another patient died due to aspiration pneumonia. Of the 12 survivors, five underwent Glenn shunt (two deaths related to pulmonary hypertension), two underwent biventricular repair, one patient was lost to follow‐up, and the remaining four are doing well with a mean oxygen saturation of 85% at a mean follow‐up of 13 ± 6 months.
Conclusion. Stenting of ductus arteriosus, including moderately tortuous ducts, is a safe palliation for patients with ductal‐dependent pulmonary circulation. Incomplete stenting of the duct invariably results in ductal stenosis and compromised pulmonary flow.
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