Amelioration of panadol-induced nephrotoxicity via down-regulation of Bax/Bcl2 ratio with some antioxidants

Thymoquinone: An Effective Natural Compound for Kidney Protection

Kidney disease is a common health problem worldwide. Acute or chronic injuries may interfere with kidney functions, eventually resulting in irreversible kidney damage. A number of recent studies have shown that the plant-derived natural products have an extensive potential for renal protection. Thymoquinone (TQ) is an essential compound derived from Nigella Sativa (NS), which is widely applied in the Middle East as a folk medicine. Previous experiments have demonstrated that TQ has a variety of potential pharmacological effects, including anti-oxidant, antibacterial, antitumor, immunomodulatory, and neuroprotective activities. In particular, the prominent renal protective efficacy of TQ has been demonstrated in both in vivo and in vitro experiments. TQ can prevent acute kidney injuries from various xenobiotics through anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptosis effects. In addition, TQ exhibited significant pharmacological effects on renal cell carcinoma, renal fibrosis, and urinary calculi. The essential mechanisms involve scavenging ROS and increasing anti-oxidant activity, decreasing inflammatory mediators, inducing apoptosis, and inhibiting migration and invasion. The purpose of this review is to conclude the pharmacological effects and the potential mechanisms of TQ in renal protection, shedding new light on the exploration of medicinal phyto-protective agents targeting kidneys.

The synergistic effects of betanin and radiotherapy in a prostate cancer cell line: an in vitro study

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer is among the most common cancers in men with an increasing incidence rate. Radiation therapy (RT) is a therapeutic strategy for the management of prostate cancer after surgery; nonetheless, it has different side effects on neighboring healthy cells/tissues. Moreover, radioresistance has been an increasing phenomenon in the recent years. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the introduction of a safe and effective radiosensitizing agent. Accordingly, the recent trend in the development of novel drugs is accompanied by a push toward natural compounds. Our study evaluated the effects of betanin combined with RT as a potential radiosensitizing agent in the PC-3 cell line.

METHODS AND RESULTS

MTT assay was utilized to determine the growth inhibitory impact of betanin. The possible synergistic effect was evaluated with CompuSyn software upon Trypan blue exclusion test. Apoptosis-related gene expression was evaluated via Real-time PCR and the protein expression of P21 was determined using western blotting. A synergistic anticancer effect with an optimal combination index of 0.61 was achieved by treating PC-3 cells with betanin and RT. The results pointed out that betanin synergistically triggered RT-mediated apoptosis and cell cycle arrest through modulating gene and protein expression in comparison with each of the monotherapies.

CONCLUSION

These findings shed light on the synergistic antitumor effect of betanin and RT in prostate cancer, indicating the potential use of betanin as a radiosensitizer agent.

The Potential Protective Effect of Curcumin and α-Lipoic Acid on N-(4-Hydroxyphenyl) Acetamide-induced Hepatotoxicity Through Downregulation of α-SMA and Collagen III Expression

Background and objectives

N-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acetamide (NHPA) is the most commonly used analgesic and antipyretic agent worldwide; however, it remains the leading cause of drug-induced acute liver failure. This study explored the potential impact of curcumin (Curc) and/or α-lipoic acid (Lip acid) on liver damage induced by NHPA overdose.

Materials and Methods

Male Wistar rats were intoxicated with a single oral dose of NHPA (1000 mg/kg) and treated with Curc (200 mg/kg p. o.) and/or Lip acid (100 mg/kg i. p.). These treatments were given in 2 doses at 2 hours and 10 hours post-NHPA-administration. Animals were sacrificed 24 hours post-NHPA-administration.

Results

Treatment with Curc and/or Lip acid showed effective reduction of NHPA-induced liver injury, demonstrated by reducing serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, as well as hepatic nitric oxide and malondialdehyde. Curc and/or Lip acid treatments counteracted these changes. They also ameliorated NHPA-induced centrilobular hepatocellular necrosis, evidenced by histopathological examination. Moreover, Curc and Lip acid reduced the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin and collagen III, upregulated by NHPA intoxication in response to oxidative stress and inflammation.

Discussion and Conclusion

Curc and Lip acid can be considered as promising natural therapies against liver injury, induced by NHPA, through their antioxidant and antifibrotic actions.

Rapid synthesis of a hybrid of rGO/AuNPs/MWCNTs for sensitive sensing of 4-aminophenol and acetaminophen simultaneously

In this work, a hybrid of multiwalled carbon nanotubes, nanogold, and reduced graphene (rGO/AuNPs/MWCNTs) was synthesized rapidly with an easy method, and then combined with chitosan (CS), which was fixed on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to construct a new kind of electrochemical sensor to simultaneously determine 4-aminophenol (4-AP) and acetaminophen (AC). When detecting 4-AP and AC simultaneously, the linear range is 0.12~12 μM for acetaminophen and 0.05~25 μM for 4-aminophenol; the detection limit is 42 nM for acetaminophen and 2.95 nM for 4-aminophenol. Compared with previously related reports, the proposed sensor has an excellent electrocatalytic performance for the redox of 4-AP and AC, which can effectively determine 4-AP and AC simultaneously in actual samples and has potential application prospect. Graphical abstract.

Thymoquinone protection against 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin induced nephrotoxicity in rats

We investigated the effects of thymoquinone (TQ) on kidney tissues of Wistar rats with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) induced nephrotoxicity. We used 50 rats divided into five groups; control, corn oil, TCDD, TQ, TCDD + TQ. We found that malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant status (TOS), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels in the TCDD treated group increased significantly compared to the other groups, while reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and total antioxidant status (TAS) levels decreased in the TCDD group. In the TQ treated group, we found that GSH, SOD, CAT, TAS levels increased and MDA, TOS, IL-6 and TNF-α levels decreased compared to the other groups. The effects of TCDD on oxidative stress parameters, inflammatory markers and histological changes were ameliorated by TQ treatment.

MicroRNA-181c provides neuroprotection in an intracerebral hemorrhage model

Apoptosis is an important factor during the early stage of intracerebral hemorrhage. MiR-181c plays a key regulatory role in apoptosis. However, whether miR-181c is involved in apoptosis of prophase cells after intracerebral hemorrhage remains unclear. Therefore, in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to test this hypothesis. In vivo experiments: collagenase type VII was injected into the basal ganglia of adult Sprague-Dawley rats to establish an intracerebral hemorrhage model. MiR-181c mimic or inhibitor was injected in situ 4 hours after intracerebral hemorrhage. Neurological functional defects (neurological severity scores) were assessed 1, 7, and 14 days after model establishment. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling and western blot assay were conducted 14 days after model establishment. In vitro experiments: PC12 cells were cultured under oxygen-glucose deprivation, and hemins were added to simulate intracerebral hemorrhage in vitro. MiR-181c mimic or inhibitor was added to regulate miR-181c expression. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, luciferase reporter system, and western blot assay were performed. Experimental results revealed differences in miR-181c expression in brain tissues of both patients and rats with cerebral hemorrhage. In addition, in vitro experiments found that miR-181c overexpression could upregulate the Bcl-2/Bax ratio to inhibit apoptosis, while inhibition of miR-181c expression could reduce the Bcl-2/Bax ratio and aggravate apoptosis of cells. Regulation of apoptosis occurred through the phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway by targeting of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN). Higher miR-181c overexpression correlated with lower neurological severity scores, indicating better recovery of neurological function. In conclusion, miR-181c affects the prognosis of intracerebral hemorrhage by regulating apoptosis, and these effects might be directly mediated and regulated by targeting of the PTEN\PI3K/Akt pathway and Bcl-2/Bax ratio. Furthermore, these results indicated that miR-181c played a neuroprotective role in intracerebral hemorrhage by regulating apoptosis of nerve cells, thus providing a potential target for the prevention and treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage. Testing of human serum was authorized by the Ethics Committee of China Medical University (No. 2012-38-1) on February 20, 2012. The protocol was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Registration No. ChiCTR-COC-17013559). The animal study was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of China Medical University (approval No. 2017008) on March 8, 2017.

Sika deer antler protein against acetaminophen-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in HK-2 cells via activating Nrf2/keap1/HO-1 pathway

Nf-E2-related transcription factor 2 (Nrf2) helps cells fight oxidative stress events in vivo and in vitro by promoting the expression of antioxidants and detoxification enzymes. The necessary factors regulating Nrf2 activity and stability during analgesic nephropathy are not fully understood. Our results suggest that acetaminophen produces nephrotoxicity in HK-2 cells by inhibiting keap1 degradation. APAP subsided Nrf2 nuclear accumulation by inhibition of keap1 degradation, thereby reducing the binding of Nrf2 to ARE, leading to the loss of expression of antioxidant proteins such as HO-1, inducing a series of oxidative stress and apoptosis events. Therefore, Nrf2/keap1/HO-1 signal transduction pathway has a poor prognosis during analgesic nephrotoxicity. Sika deer antler protein (SDAPR) significantly prevented APAP-induced HK-2 cell damage by constitutively stabilized Nrf2 nuclear retention. Excess APAP leads to a decrease in Nrf2 nuclear translocation, leading to severe oxidative stress, increasing the levels of GSH and MDA in HK-2 cells, and reducing the enzyme activities of SOD and CAT in HK-2 cells. Increased biomarker levels of acute kidney injury (AKI) in HK-2 cells, including kidney injury molecule-1, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and cystatin C, decrease the mitochondrial membrane potential in HK-2 cells, and cause mitochondrial dysfunction, it also reduced the ratio of mitochondria-associated apoptotic protein Bax/Bcl-2, leading to cell apoptosis. SDAPR dose dependently accorded protection against acetaminophen-induced nephrotoxicity, oxidative damage, and cell apoptosis by its molecular intervention with Nrf2/keap1/HO-1 pathway via keap1 degradation. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: In this paper, we investigated the protective effect of SDAPR on APAP-induced AKI in HK-2 cells, and briefly explained its possible mechanism of action, providing a basis for future clinical trials and the development of anti-APAP AKI drugs.

Hesperidin opposes the negative impact of cyclophosphamide on mice kidneys

The present investigation examined the prospective nephroprotective effect of hesperidin (HSN) in mice challenged with a single i.p. injection of cyclophosphamide (CPE) at a dose of 200 mg/kg. HSN (100 and 200 mg/kg/day, p.o.) was given for 10 days, starting 5 days prior to CPE administration. HSN significantly reduced the CPE-induced increments of serum creatinine and cystatin C. HSN also significantly reduced malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and caspase-3, and significantly raised total antioxidant capacity, and interleukin-10/tumor necrosis factor-α ratio in kidneys of mice received CPE. In addition, HSN significantly prevented the histopathological injury, and kidney injury molecule-1 expression in kidneys of mice given CPE. It was concluded that HSN guarded against nephrotoxic effect of CPE in mice by tackling oxidative/nitrative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis.

A New Approach to Treating Neurodegenerative Otologic Disorders

Hearing loss, the most common neurological disorder and the fourth leading cause of years lived with disability, can have profound effects on quality of life. The impact of this "invisible disability," with significant consequences, economic and personal, is most substantial in low- and middle-income countries, where >80% of affected people live. Given the importance of hearing for communication, enjoyment, and safety, with up to 500 million affected globally at a cost of nearly $800 billion/year, research on new approaches toward prevention and treatment is attracting increased attention. The consequences of noise pollution are largely preventable, but irreversible hearing loss can result from aging, disease, or drug side effects. Once damage occurs, treatment relies on hearing aids and cochlear implants. Preventing, delaying, or reducing some degree of hearing loss may be possible by avoiding excessive noise and addressing major contributory factors such as cardiovascular risk. However, given the magnitude of the problem, these interventions alone are unlikely to be sufficient. Recent advances in understanding principal mechanisms that govern hearing function, together with new drug discovery paradigms designed to identify efficacious therapies, bode well for pharmaceutical intervention. This review surveys various causes of loss of auditory function and discusses potential neurological underpinnings, including mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondria mitigate cell protection, survival, and function and may succumb to cumulative degradation of energy production and performance; the end result is cell death. Energy-demanding neurons and vestibulocochlear hair cells are vulnerable to mitochondrial dysfunction, and hearing impairment and deafness are characteristic of neurodegenerative mitochondrial disease phenotypes. Beyond acting as cellular powerhouses, mitochondria regulate immune responses to infections, and studies of this phenomenon have aided in identifying nuclear factor kappa B and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/antioxidant response element signaling as targets for discovery of otologic drugs, respectively, suppressing or upregulating these pathways. Treatment with free radical scavenging antioxidants is one therapeutic approach, with lipoic acid and corresponding carnitine esters exhibiting improved biodistribution and other features showing promise. These compounds are also histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, adding epigenetic modulation to the mechanistic milieu through which they act. These data suggest that new drugs targeting mitochondrial dysfunction and modulating epigenetic pathways via HDAC inhibition or other mechanisms hold great promise.