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Saleh A, Thanassoulas A, Aliyev E, Swann K, Naija A, Yalcin HC, Lai FA, Nomikos M. Development of Recombinant PLC-Zeta Protein as a Therapeutic Intervention for the Clinical Treatment of Oocyte Activation Failure. Biomedicines 2024; 12:1183. [PMID: 38927390 PMCID: PMC11201047 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12061183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The sperm-specific phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ) protein is widely considered as the predominant physiological stimulus for initiating the Ca2+ release responsible for oocyte activation during mammalian fertilization. The increasing number of genetic and clinical reports that directly link PLCζ defects and/or deficiencies with oocyte activation failure (OAF) necessitates the use of a powerful therapeutic intervention to overcome such cases of male factor infertility. Currently, in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics treat OAF cases after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with Ca2+ ionophores. Despite their successful use, such chemical agents are unable to trigger the physiological pattern of Ca2+ oscillations. Moreover, the safety of these ionophores is not yet fully established. We have previously demonstrated that recombinant PLCζ protein can be successfully used to rescue failed oocyte activation, resulting in efficient blastocyst formation. Herein, we produced a maltose binding protein (MBP)-tagged recombinant human PLCζ protein capable of inducing Ca2+ oscillations in mouse oocytes similar to those observed at fertilization. Circular dichroism (CD) experiments revealed a stable, well-folded protein with a high helical content. Moreover, the recombinant protein could retain its enzymatic properties for at least up to 90 days after storage at -80 °C. Finally, a chick embryo model was employed and revealed that exposure of fertilized chicken eggs to MBP-PLCζ did not alter the embryonic viability when compared to the control, giving a first indication of its safety. Our data support the potential use of the MBP-PLCζ recombinant protein as an effective therapeutic tool but further studies are required prior to its use in a clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaaeldin Saleh
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
| | - Angelos Thanassoulas
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
| | - Elnur Aliyev
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Karl Swann
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Azza Naija
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar (H.C.Y.)
| | - Huseyin C. Yalcin
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar (H.C.Y.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
| | - F. Anthony Lai
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Michail Nomikos
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
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Subebe MJB, Ogaro JC, Dayon ML, Manting MME, Murashima A, Omori A, Guihawan JQ, Uy MM, Mazahery ARF, Villacorte-Tabelin M. Phytochemical evaluation, embryotoxic, and teratogenic effects of Buwakan (Decalobanthus peltatus (L.) A.R.Simões & Staples) leaf extracts on duck embryo. Environ Anal Health Toxicol 2024; 39:e2024004-0. [PMID: 38631396 PMCID: PMC11079406 DOI: 10.5620/eaht.2024004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Decalobanthus peltatus is a woody vine that is commonly utilized in traditional Southeast Asian medicinal preparations. Despite the documented therapeutic uses of D. peltatus, there is hardly any information regarding its toxic effects on its consumers. In this study, crude leaf extracts (aqueous, methanol, ethyl acetate, and hexane) from D. peltatus were prepared and evaluated for their embryotoxicity and teratogenic effects. Phytochemical screening of bioactive compounds from the plants showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, and tannins. In addition, investigations on the toxicity of the crude leaf extracts were determined using brine shrimp lethality assay, in which the LC50 was calculated. Results showed that the ethyl acetate leaf extract was the most toxic among the crude leaf extracts, with an LC50 of 14.54 ppm. Based on this result, ethyl acetate leaf extract was treated on duck embryos, and the alteration of vascular branching patterns in the chorioallantoic membrane was quantified. Gross morphological and histological analysis of the skin tissues from the treated duck embryos were also examined. We found significant reduction of primary and tertiary vessel diameters in the duck embryos treated with ethyl acetate leaf extracts in both concentrations compared to the control group. Treated duck embryos exhibited gross malformations, growth retardation, and hemorrhages on the external body surfaces at 1000 ppm. Histopathological analysis of the skin tissues from the 14-day-old treated duck embryos showed a reduced number of feather follicles compared to the control group. These results suggest that D. peltatus crude leaf extracts present risks when taken in significant dosages and comprehensive toxicity testing on therapeutic herbs should be performed to ensure their safety on the consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merrah Joy Blaya Subebe
- Department of Biological Sciences, CSM, MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, 9200 Iligan City, Philippines
- Center for Natural Products and Drug Discovery, PRISM, MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, 9200 Iligan City, Philippines
| | - Josephine C. Ogaro
- Department of Biological Sciences, CSM, MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, 9200 Iligan City, Philippines
- Center for Natural Products and Drug Discovery, PRISM, MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, 9200 Iligan City, Philippines
| | - Melanie L. Dayon
- Department of Biological Sciences, CSM, MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, 9200 Iligan City, Philippines
- Center for Natural Products and Drug Discovery, PRISM, MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, 9200 Iligan City, Philippines
| | - Muhmin Michael E. Manting
- Department of Biological Sciences, CSM, MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, 9200 Iligan City, Philippines
| | - Aki Murashima
- Laboratory Pharmacology, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Akiko Omori
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Biology, University of Padova, Italy
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Japan
| | - Jaime Q. Guihawan
- Department of Biological Sciences, CSM, MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, 9200 Iligan City, Philippines
| | - Mylene M. Uy
- Center for Natural Products and Drug Discovery, PRISM, MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, 9200 Iligan City, Philippines
- Chemistry Department, CSM, MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, Iligan City, Philippines
| | - Ahmad Reza F. Mazahery
- Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines, 1101 Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Mylah Villacorte-Tabelin
- Department of Biological Sciences, CSM, MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, 9200 Iligan City, Philippines
- Center for Natural Products and Drug Discovery, PRISM, MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, 9200 Iligan City, Philippines
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Seyedi F, Sharifi I, Khosravi A, Molaakbari E, Tavakkoli H, Salarkia E, Bahraminejad S, Bamorovat M, Dabiri S, Salari Z, Kamali A, Ren G. Comparison of cytotoxicity of Miltefosine and its niosomal form on chick embryo model. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2482. [PMID: 38291076 PMCID: PMC10827708 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52620-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Various drugs have been used for the treatment of leishmaniasis, but they often have adverse effects on the body's organs. In this study, we aimed to explore the effects of one type of drug, Miltefosine (MIL), and its analogue or modifier, liposomal Miltefosine (NMIL), on several fetal organs using both in silico analysis and practical tests on chicken embryos. Our in silico approach involved predicting the affinities of MIL and NMIL to critical proteins involved in leishmaniasis, including Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGF-A), the Kinase insert domain receptor (KDR1), and apoptotic-regulator proteins (Bcl-2-associate). We then validated and supported these predictions through in vivo investigations, analyzing gene expression and pathological changes in angiogenesis and apoptotic mediators in MIL- and NMIL-treated chicken embryos. The results showed that NMIL had a more effective action towards VEGF-A and KDR1 in leishmaniasis, making it a better candidate for potential operative treatment during pregnancy than MIL alone. In vivo, studies also showed that chicken embryos under MIL treatment displayed less vascular mass and more degenerative and apoptotic changes than those treated with NMIL. These results suggest that NMIL could be a better treatment option for leishmaniasis during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Seyedi
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Jiroft University of Medical Sciences, Jiroft, Iran
| | - Iraj Sharifi
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Science, Kerman, Iran
| | - Ahmad Khosravi
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Science, Kerman, Iran.
| | - Elaheh Molaakbari
- Department of Chemistry, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.
| | - Hadi Tavakkoli
- Department of Clinical Science, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Ehsan Salarkia
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Science, Kerman, Iran
| | - Sina Bahraminejad
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Science, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mehdi Bamorovat
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Science, Kerman, Iran
| | - Shahriar Dabiri
- Afzalipour School of Medicine and Pathology and Stem Cells Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Zohreh Salari
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Center, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Ali Kamali
- Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Jiroft University of Medical Sciences, Jiroft, Iran
| | - Guogang Ren
- School of Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, AL10 9AB, UK
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Salari Z, Khosravi A, Pourkhandani E, Molaakbari E, Salarkia E, Keyhani A, Sharifi I, Tavakkoli H, Sohbati S, Dabiri S, Ren G, Shafie’ei M. The inhibitory effect of 6-gingerol and cisplatin on ovarian cancer and antitumor activity: In silico, in vitro, and in vivo. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1098429. [PMID: 36937441 PMCID: PMC10020515 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1098429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Epithelial ovarian cancer is very common in women and causes hundreds of deaths per year worldwide. Chemotherapy drugs including cisplatin have adverse effects on patients' health. Complementary treatments and the use of herbal medicines can help improve the performance of medicine. 6-Gingerol is the major pharmacologically active component of ginger. In this study, we compared the effects of 6-gingerol, cisplatin, and their combination in apoptotic and angiogenetic activities in silico, in test tubes, and in in vivo assays against two ovarian cancer cell lines: OVCAR-3 and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Methods The drug-treated cell lines were evaluated for their cytotoxicity, cell cycle, and apoptotic and angiogenetic gene expression changes. Results The proportion of apoptosis treated by 6-gingerol coupled with cisplatin was significantly high. In the evaluation of the cell cycle, the combination therapy also showed a significant promotion of a higher extent of the S sequence. The expression of p53 level, Caspase-8, Bax, and Apaf1 genes was amplified again with combination therapy. Conversely, in both cell lines, the cumulative drug concentrations reduced the expression of VEGF, FLT1, KDR, and Bcl-2 genes. Similarly, in the control group, combination treatment significantly decreased the expression of VEGF, FLT1, KDR, and Bcl-2 genes in comparison to cisplatin alone. Conclusions The findings of the present study demonstrated that the cisplatin and 6-gingerol combination is more effective in inducing apoptosis and suppressing the angiogenesis of ovarian cancer cells than using each drug alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohreh Salari
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Center, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Ahmad Khosravi
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- *Correspondence: Ahmad Khosravi, ; Elham Pourkhandani,
| | - Elham Pourkhandani
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Center, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- *Correspondence: Ahmad Khosravi, ; Elham Pourkhandani,
| | - Elaheh Molaakbari
- Department of Chemistry, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Ehsan Salarkia
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Alireza Keyhani
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Iraj Sharifi
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Hadi Tavakkoli
- Department of Clinical Science, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Samira Sohbati
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Center, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Shahriar Dabiri
- Afzalipour School of Medicine and Pathology and Stem Cells Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Guogang Ren
- School of Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Mohammad Shafie’ei
- Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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Mosallanejad S, Mahmoodi M, Tavakkoli H, Khosravi A, Salarkia E, Keyhani A, Dabiri S, Gozashti MH, Pardakhty A, Khodabandehloo H, Pourghadamyari H. Empagliflozin induces apoptotic-signaling pathway in embryonic vasculature: In vivo and in silico approaches via chick’s yolk sac membrane model. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:970402. [PMID: 36120349 PMCID: PMC9474685 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.970402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The present investigation was conducted to evaluate the vascular-toxicity of empagliflozin (EMP) in embryonic vasculature. Firstly, the vascular-toxicity of the drug as well as its interaction with apoptotic regulator proteins was predicted via in silico approach. In the next step, the apoptotic-signaling pathway in embryonic vasculature was evaluated using a chick’s YSM model. In silico simulation confirmed vascular-toxicity of EMP. There was also an accurate affinity between EMP, Bax and Bcl-2 (−7.9 kcal/mol). Molecular dynamics assay revealed complex stability in the human body conditions. Furthermore, EMP is suggested to alter Bcl-2 more than BAX. Morphometric quantification of the vessels showed that the apoptotic activity of EMP in embryonic vasculature was related to a marked reduction in vessel area, vessel diameter and mean capillary area. Based on the qPCR and immunohistochemistry assays, enhanced expression level of BAX and reduced expression level of Bcl-2 confirmed apoptotic responses in the vessels of the YSM. We observed that induction of an apoptotic signal can cause the embryonic defect of the vascular system following EMP treatment. The acquired data also raised suspicions that alteration in apoptotic genes and proteins in the vasculature are two critical pathways in vascular-toxicity of EMP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeedeh Mosallanejad
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mehdi Mahmoodi
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- *Correspondence: Mehdi Mahmoodi, ; Hossein Pourghadamyari,
| | - Hadi Tavakkoli
- Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Ahmad Khosravi
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Ehsan Salarkia
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Alireza Keyhani
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Shahriar Dabiri
- Afzalipour School of Medicine, Pathology and Stem Cell Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Science, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Gozashti
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Abbas Pardakhty
- Pharmaceutics Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Hadi Khodabandehloo
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Hossein Pourghadamyari
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- *Correspondence: Mehdi Mahmoodi, ; Hossein Pourghadamyari,
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