Protective Effects of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Rosa canina Fruit on Vancomycin-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Rats

The ameliorating effect of limosilactobacillus fermentum and its supernatant postbiotic on cisplatin-induced chronic kidney disease in an animal model

BACKGROUND

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide public health problem affecting millions of people. Probiotics and postbiotics are associated with valuable compounds with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects, preserving renal function in CKD patients. The current study is aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Limosilactobacillus fermentum (L. fermentum) and its postbiotic in an animal model of cisplatin-induced CKD.

METHODS

The animals were divided into four experimental groups (normal mice, CKD mice with no treatment, CKD mice with probiotic treatment, and CKD mice with postbiotic treatment). CKD mice were induced by a single dose of cisplatin 10 mg/kg, intraperitoneally. For 28 days, the cultured probiotic bacteria and its supernatant (postbiotic) were delivered freshly to the related groups through their daily water. Then, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) of plasma samples as well as glutathione (GSH), lipid peroxidation, reactive oxygen species, and total antioxidant capacity of kidneys were assessed in the experimental mice groups. In addition, histopathological studies were performed on the kidneys.

RESULTS

Application of L. fermentum probiotic, and especially postbiotics, significantly decreased BUN and Cr (P < 0.0001) as well as ROS formation and lipid peroxidation levels (P < 0.0001) along with increased total antioxidant capacity and GSH levels (P < 0.001). The histopathologic images also confirmed their renal protection effect. Interestingly, the postbiotic displayed more effectiveness than the probiotic in some assays. The improvement effect on renal function in the current model is mainly mediated by oxidative stress markers in the renal tissue.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, it was found that the administration of L. fermentum probiotic, and particularly its postbiotic in cisplatin-induced CKD mice, showed promising effects and could successfully improve renal function in the animal model of CKD. Therefore, probiotics and postbiotics are considered as probably promising alternative supplements to be used for CKD.

Protective effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Rosa canina L. fruit on cyclophosphamide-induced testicular toxicity in mice

Objective

Cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced testicular toxicity has been reported in recipient patients. The current study was designed to evaluate protective effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Rosa canina L. fruit (HARF) against CP-induced testicular toxicity in BALB/c mice.

Materials and Methods

Thirty-five mice were divided into five groups as follows: group I (control), group II (CP, received CP 100 mg/kg on days 1, 8, 15, and 22), group III (CP + HARF 250 mg/kg), group IV (CP + HARF 500 mg/kg), and group V (CP + HARF 750 mg/kg). In the groups III, IV, and V that received CP, the HARF was simultaneously administered via intraperitoneal injections for 28 consecutive days starting from day 1. On the 29th day, sperm parameters, stress oxidative biomarkers, and mRNA expression of nuclear factor erythroid-derived-2 (Nrf2) in testis tissue, as well as blood testosterone were evaluated.

Results

The CP exposure decreased sperm parameters, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, testosterone, and Nrf2 mRNA expression levels and increased the malondialdehyde (MDA). HARF at the dose of 500 mg/kg improved sperm count and viability and increased SOD and catalase activities, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, testosterone level, and Nrf2 expression and reduced MDA. Also, HARF at the dose of 750 mg/kg improved sperm parameters and increased SOD, catalase, and GPx activities, total testosterone level, and Nrf2 expression, and reduced MDA in comparison with the CP group.

Conclusion

According to our findings, HARF at the doses of 500 and 750 mg/kg inhibited the ruinous effects of CP on the reproductive system in mice.

Stachys pilifera Benth. Ameliorates Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Rats through the Antioxidant Pathways

Methods

In this experimental study, 35 male Wistar rats (120-180 g) were divided into five groups (n = 7) as follows: intratracheal instillation of bleomycin (BLM, 7.5 IU/kg) was administered to group II. The third and fourth groups received BLM plus Stachys pilifera hydroalcoholic extract (SPHE) (300 mg/kg/day, gavage). Vitamin E (500 mg/kg/day, gavage) was given to group V in addition to BLM. After 14 days, the animals were euthanized to assess biochemical parameters and lung histopathology. Malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), total thiol (TSH), and glutathione (GSH) levels were measured. In addition, hydroxyproline (HYP) levels along with histological changes in lung tissue were also assessed.

Results

MDA, NO, and HYP elevations induced by BLM toxicity were significantly inhibited by SPHE (300 and 600 mg/kg), and Vit E. SPHE also significantly increased GSH and TSH levels in comparison to the BLM group.HPLC analyses showed the presence of thymol (55.47 ng/mL) and carvacrol (109.91 ng/mL) in SPHE as potential bioactive phenolic compounds.

Conclusion

The results suggest that SPHE alleviates the development of BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting the proliferation of fibroblasts mediated by antioxidant pathways. Other mechanisms underlying this Effect of SPHE need to be clarified through further research.

N-acetylcysteine Ameliorates Vancomycin-induced Nephrotoxicity by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in the in vivo and in vitro Models

Background: Oxidative stress-related apoptosis is considered as the key mechanism implicated in the pathophysiology of nephrotoxicity with vancomycin (VCM) therapy. We evaluated the possible effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on VCM-induced nephrotoxicity and the underlying mechanism. Methods: VCM-induced nephrotoxicity was established using HK-2 cells and SD rats and observed by measuring cell survival, kidney histological changes, renal function and kidney injury related markers (KIM-1 and NGAL). Oxidative stress, renal cell apoptosis and the involved signaling pathways were also evaluated. Results: In model rats, NAC could protect against VCM-induced acute kidney injury with histological damage, renal dysfunction, and increased Cre and BUN levels. In HK-2 cells, VCM-induced decreased cell viability was restored by NAC. In addition, increased expression of caspase-3, KIM-1 and NGAL suffering from VCM was also reversed by NAC in vivo and in vitro. NAC inhibited ROS production, decreased cell apoptosis by decreasing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caspase-3 expression in HK-2 cells and regulated oxidative stress indicators in the kidney by decreasing GSH, SOD and CAT activity and increasing MDA levels. Furthermore, NAC could effectively reverse VCM-associated increased P38 MAPK/JNK phosphorylation. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that NAC had a protective effect against nephrotoxicity from VCM by inhibiting oxidative stress and apoptosis via P38 MAPK/JNK.

A Novel Effective Formulation of Bioactive Compounds for Wound Healing: Preparation, In Vivo Characterization, and Comparison of Various Postbiotics Cold Creams in a Rat Model

The wound is a break in the integrity of the skin produced by injury, illness, or operation. Wound healing is an essential dynamic biological/physiological process that occurs in response to tissue damage. The huge health, economic, and social effects of wounds on patients and societies necessitate the research to find novel potential therapeutic agents in order to promote wound healing. Postbiotics, the newest member of the biotics family, are valuable functional bioactive substances produced by probiotics through their metabolic activity, which have several beneficial properties, including immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and angiogenesis characteristics, resulting in acceleration of wound healing. In the current study, three topical cold cream formulations containing postbiotics obtained from Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus reuteri, or Bacillus subtilis sp. natto probiotic strains were prepared. The effectiveness and wound healing activity of the developed postbiotics cold cream formulations were investigated compared to cold cream without postbiotics and no treatment via wound closure investigation, hydroxyproline content assay, and histological assessment in 25 Sprague Dawley rats divided into five groups. Interestingly, analysis of the results revealed that all three formulations containing postbiotics significantly accelerated the wound healing process. However, in general, the Bacillus subtilis natto cold cream manifested a better wound healing property. The pleasing wound healing characteristics of the topical postbiotics cold creams through the in vivo experiment suggest that formulations containing postbiotics can be considered as a promising nominee for wound healing approaches.