Interferon (IFN-α) is effective therapy for polycythemia vera (PV) patients, but it is frequently interrupted because of adverse events. To permit the long-term use of IFN, we propose combining low ...doses of IFN with Nutlin-3, an antagonist of MDM2, which is also capable of promoting PV CD34+ cell apoptosis. Combination treatment with subtherapeutic doses of Peg IFN-α 2a and Nutlin-3 inhibited PV CD34+ cell proliferation by 50% while inhibiting normal CD34+ cells by 30%. Combination treatment with Nutlin-3 and Peg IFN-α 2a inhibited PV colony formation by 55%-90% while inhibiting normal colony formation by 22%-30%. The combination of these agents also decreased the proportion of JAK2V617F-positive hematopoietic progenitor cells in 6 PV patients studied. Treatment with low doses of Peg IFN-α 2a combined with Nutlin-3 increased phospho-p53 and p21 protein levels in PV CD34+ cells and increased the degree of apoptosis. These 2 reagents affect the tumor suppressor p53 through different pathways with Peg IFN-α 2a activating p38 MAP kinase and STAT1, leading to increased p53 transcription, whereas Nutlin-3 prevents the degradation of p53. These data suggest that treatment with low doses of both Nutlin-3 combined with Peg IFN-α 2a can target PV hematopoietic progenitor cells, eliminating the numbers of malignant hematopoietic progenitor cells.
Aloe vera is one of numerous feed supplements that can be used to increase productivity and disease resistance in domesticated animals. To reap these advantages, there are various indications, which ...include the proper dosage for better efficacy. As stated earlier, the rising demand for animal source protein in practice is largely met by the strengthening of the livestock sector; this demand goes along with higher demand for animal feeds and animal feed additives. For many years, livestock keepers have been using chemical derivatives and antibiotics to treat their animals against many animal diseases. But the misuse of antibiotics and poor handling of chemical derivatives in different fields has led to tremendous effects, which include adverse effects on animals, plants, the environment, and the final consumer. Herbs are plant sources of safer and inexpensive compounds, so many herbal products have been reported worldwide to enhance several actions such as anti-stress, tonic, antimicrobial, growth stimulant, and immune stimulant in livestock rearing. So many medicinal plant extracts have been tested recently for animal growth performance, immune stimulation, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and disease resistance, which have offered good results and have the potential to reduce the use of antibiotics. Aloe vera is one of the herbs that is rapidly utilized as a feed additive in the livestock sector. The physico-chemical composition of Aloe vera and its health characteristics, such as antioxidant properties, healing, immune responses, antimicrobial properties, and many more benefits in domesticated animals, are briefly well discussed in this review article.
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Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) is a perennial succulent medicinal plant. It has been used as a traditional or folk medicine for thousands of years and claimed that it possesses ...wound and burn healing activities, and anti-inflammatory as well as immunomodulatory effects. In recent years, the use of Aloe vera has been growing as a dietary supplement. The pre-clinical studies over the last couple of decades uncover the potential therapeutic activities of Aloe vera and its bioactive compounds, especially against neoplastic disease. Such investigations indicate the possible preventive as well as therapeutic effects of Aloe vera against cancer. Here, we discuss the crucial bioactive compounds of Aloe vera that have been harnessed against cancer and also address several mechanisms of action of these lead bioactive compounds compared to other standard drugs involved in cancer prevention and treatment.
A 82-years old woman was admitted with a progressive cognitive decline for further investigations and treatment.
In the computed tomography of the brain findings of subcortical artherosclerotic ...encephalopathy (SAE) were present. Laboratory findings revealed elevated hemoglobin-levels (19.9 g/dl). In further investigations we found a mutation in JAK-2 as diagnostic sign for polycythemia vera (Pv). After specific treatment of the Pv cognition improved significantly.
In this case report we were able to relate the progressive cognitive impairment in the context of newly diagnosed Pv in conjunction with pre-existing SAE. After Pv-directed therapy cognition improved. This case report underlines the importance of a good diagnostic work-up of patients with cognitive impairment to rule out secondary and possible treatable causes.
Silver nanoparticles are receiving increasing attention in the field of agriculture. This study aims at evaluating the antifungal properties of green synthesised silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from
...Aloe vera
leaf extract against two pathogenic fungus
Rhizopus
sp. and
Aspergillus
sp. Results revealed that synthesised nanoparticles showed strong absorption maximum at 400 nm corresponding to the surface plasmon resonance. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by SEM, FT-IR and UV–Vis spectroscopy. From the scanning photograph it is clear that particles are heterogeneous in shape such as rectangular, triangular and spherical with uniform distribution. FT-IR study showed sharp absorption peaks at 1,631 and 3,433 cm
−1
for amide and alcoholic hydroxide groups, respectively. On the other hand, synthesised silver nanoparticles showed highest antifungal activity against
Aspergillus
sp. than
Rhizopus
sp. by application of 100 μL of 1 M silver nanoparticles with maximum inhibition of the growth of fungal hyphae. However, microscopic observation revealed that synthesised nanoparticles caused detrimental effects on conidial germination along with other deformations such as structure of cell membrane and inhibited normal budding process of both the tested species. Therefore, it has been concluded that
Aloe vera
leaf extract origin silver nanoparticles have tremendous potentiality towards controlling pathogenic fungus. However, further research is needed to check the efficacy of size-dependent AgNPs on different species of fungus.
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Nanofibrous membranes produced by electrospinning possess a large surface area-to-volume ratio, which mimics the three-dimensional structure of the extracellular matrix. Thus, ...nanofibrous dressings are a promising alternative for chronic wound healing, since they can replace the natural ECM until it is repaired. Therefore, in this study we have developed a PLGA nanofibrous membrane that contains recombinant human Epidermal Growth Factor (rhEGF) and Aloe vera (AV) extract. Both of them promote wound healing, as EGF is a wound healing mediator and AV stimulates the proliferation and activity of fibroblast. The obtained membranes were composed of uniform and randomly oriented fibers with an average diameter of 356.03±112.05nm, they presented a porosity of 87.92±11.96% and the amount of rhEGF was 9.76±1.75μg/mg. The in vitro viability assay demonstrated that the membranes containing rhEGF and AV improved fibroblast proliferation, revealing the beneficial effect of the combination. Furthermore, these membranes accelerated significantly wound closure and reepithelisation in an in vivo full thickness wound healing assay carried out in db/db mice. Overall, these findings demonstrated the potential of PLGA nanofibers containing rhEGF and AV for the treatment of chronic wounds.
This engaging biography tells the dramatic story of a Russian noblewoman turned revolutionary terrorist. Born in 1852 in the last years of serfdom, Vera Figner came of age as Imperial Russian society ...was being rocked by the massive upheaval that culminated in the Bolshevik revolution of 1917. At first a champion of populist causes and women's higher education, Figner later became a leader of the terrorist party the People's Will and was an accomplice in the assassination of Tsar Alexander II in 1881. Drawing on extensive archival research and careful reading of Figner's copious memoirs, Lynne Ann Hartnett reveals how Figner survived the Bolshevik revolution and Stalin's Great Purges and died a lionized revolutionary legend as the Nazis bore down on Moscow in 1942.
Molecular testing for
mutations is part of the standard diagnostic workup for patients with suspected polycythemia vera. We sought to characterize evolving practice patterns in the investigation of ...erythrocytosis and the prevalence of secondary causes, including use of medications such as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, among patients who underwent molecular testing.
We reviewed charts of all consecutive patients investigated for erythrocytosis (hemoglobin > 160 g/L for women, > 165 g/L for men) with
testing between 2015 and 2021 at London Health Sciences Centre, a tertiary referral centre in Ontario, Canada, to assess changes in rates of
mutation positivity, average hemoglobin levels and the prevalence of secondary causes of erythrocytosis.
A total of 891 patients with erythrocytosis underwent
mutation testing with an increase in number of tests (particularly from 2017 to 2018), a decrease in the rate of
positivity and similar average hemoglobin levels over the study period. We observed a high proportion of patients with secondary causes of erythrocytosis, ranging from 59% to 74% over the study period, including medications associated with erythrocytosis, namely testosterone (6%-11%) and SGLT2 inhibitors (2%-19%). Stopping SGLT2 inhibitors was associated with a significant decrease in hemoglobin levels (mean -14.7 g/L, 95% confidence interval -18.9 to -10.5 g/L) compared with continuation.
Use of SGLT2 inhibitors may be a common and underrecognized secondary cause of elevated hemoglobin levels in patients investigated for erythrocytosis. Our findings underscore the importance of a detailed medical history to support judicious use of molecular testing, in adherence with the current guideline on the investigation of erythrocytosis.
► Chitosan was used as a film-forming polymer. ► Aloe vera gel was added as an additive at different proportions to the chitosan solution. ► Mechanical, physicochemical and color attributes of ...obtained films were analyzed. ► The blend film containing 20% Aloe vera gel (F20) was found to be promising.
The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of Aloe vera gel incorporation at different proportions on chitosan-based films. Consequently, the thickness of films was affected significantly by the addition of the gel and decreased from F0 (plain chitosan film) to F50 (the film containing 50% gel). The gel incorporation did not have a considerable effect on water vapor permeability (WVP); however, a significant difference was observed for F50. Addition of the gel significantly improved the water solubility (WS), wherein the F10 (the film with 10% of gel) showed the lowest. All mechanical properties increased by introducing the gel and, after reaching the peak for F20, started to reduce. Color properties were affected by the gel addition as the higher the gel, the darker the films. Overall, the results showed that incorporating the gel into film-forming solution of chitosan up to 20% (F20) was promising.
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