Synergistic effects of sinapic acid and ellagic acid ameliorate streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy by inhibiting apoptosis, DNA damage, and structural deterioration in rats

Protective Role of Myricetin and Fisetin Against Nephrotoxicity Caused by Lead Acetate Exposure through Up-regulation of Nrf2/HO-1 Signalling Pathway

The effect of various flavonoids against oxidative stress and inflammation caused by lead exposure has been investigated. However, the protective effects of myricetin (MYC) and fisetin (FST), which are known to have potent antioxidant properties, against nephrotoxicity caused by exposure to lead acetate (LA), the water-soluble form of lead, have not been investigated. Our study investigated the protective role of these flavonoids against LA intoxication-induced nephrotoxicity. In our study, 42 male rats were used. The rats were randomly selected and divided into 6 groups. These groups were: control, LA (100 g/kg), LA + MYC (100 mg/kg), LA + MYC (200 mg/kg), LA + FST (100 mg/kg) and LA + FST (200 mg/kg). All chemicals were administered daily by gavage for 28 days. According to the experimental protocol, the animals were sacrificed and their kidney tissues were isolated. Serum biochemical parameters, histological examinations, levels of several trace elements, oxidative stress and inflammatory parameters at both biochemical and molecular levels in kidney tissues were examined. After LA administration, tissue lead levels increased and zinc levels decreased. This situation was reversed by MYC and FST treatment. Oxidative stress and inflammatory response were increased in the kidney tissue of LA-treated rats and renal function was impaired. It was observed that both doses of MYC and high dose of FST could prevent nephrotoxicity. Oral administration of both doses of MYC and high dose FST ameliorated the changes in biochemical, oxidative and inflammatory parameters. Restoration of normal renal tissue architecture was also demonstrated by histological studies. MYC and FST were found to have promising biological activity against LA-induced nephrotoxicity, acting by attenuating inflammation and oxidative stress and improving antioxidant status.

Ellagic acid as potential therapeutic compound for diabetes and its complications: a systematic review from bench to bed

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a worldwide-concerning disease with a rising prevalence. There are many ongoing studies aimed at finding new and effective treatments. Ellagic acid (EA) is a natural polyphenolic compound abundant in certain fruits and vegetables. It is the objective of this investigation to assess the effectiveness and preventive mechanisms of EA on DM and associated complications. This systematic review used PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar as search databases using a predetermined protocol from inception to June 2024. We assessed all related English studies, including in vitro, in vivo, and clinical trials. EA counteracted DM and its complications by diminishing inflammation, oxidative stress, hyperglycemia, apoptosis, insulin resistance, obesity, lipid profile, and histopathological alterations. Several mechanisms contributed to the anti-diabetic effect of EA, the most significant being the upregulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ), protein kinase B, and downregulation of nuclear factor-kappa-B (NF-κB) gene expression. EA also revealed protective effects against diabetes complications, such as diabetic-induced hepatic damage, testicular damage, endothelial dysfunction, muscle dysfunction, retinopathy, nephropathy, cardiomyopathy, neuropathy, and behavioral deficit. Administration of EA could have various protective effects in preventing, treating, and alleviating DM and its complications. Although it could be considered a cost-effective, safe, and accessible treatment, to fully establish the effectiveness of EA as a medication for DM, it is crucial to conduct further well-designed studies.

Whole-Mount Immunohistochemical and Immunofluorescence Assays in Zebrafish Embryos

Zebrafish embryos are an important organism used as an in vivo model in a wide variety of disciplines from the past to the present. Immunohistochemistry analyses are an important method used to determine the localization of specific antigens in tissue sections with labeled antibodies depending on antigen-antibody interactions in zebrafish embryos. Immunofluorescence assays are an immunohistochemistry method that uses fluorophores to determine diverse cellular antigens. Zebrafish embryos and larvae, with their small size, are the most ideal model organisms for whole-mount immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent methods today. The small size of these organisms allows simultaneous evaluation of different tissues and organs, and results are obtained in a shorter time. In this section, whole-mount immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent analysis methods in zebrafish embryos, and larvae are summarized in detail, taking into account different studies and recent advances.

The therapeutic potential of an allosteric non-competitive CXCR1/2 antagonist for diabetic nephropathy

AIMS

Diabetic nephropathy is a major consequence of inflammation developing in type 1 diabetes, with interleukin-8 (IL-8)-CXCR1/2 axis playing a key role in kidney disease progression. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of a CXCR1/2 non-competitive allosteric antagonist (Ladarixin) in preventing high glucose-mediated injury in human podocytes and epithelial cells differentiated from renal stem/progenitor cells (RSC) cultured as nephrospheres.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We used human RSCs cultured as nephrospheres through a sphere-forming functional assay to investigate hyperglycemia-mediated effects on IL-8 signalling in human podocytes and tubular epithelial cells.

RESULTS

High glucose impairs RSC self-renewal, induces an increase in IL-8 transcript expression and protein secretion and induces DNA damage in RSC-differentiated podocytes, while exerting no effect on RSC-differentiated epithelial cells. Accordingly, the supernatant from epithelial cells or podocytes cultured in high glucose was able to differentially activate leucocyte-mediated secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, suggesting that the crosstalk between immune and non-immune cells may be involved in disease progression in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment with Ladarixin during RSC differentiation prevented high glucose-mediated effects on podocytes and modulated either podocyte or epithelial cell-dependent leucocyte secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, suggesting CXCR1/2 antagonists as possible pharmacological approaches for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.

Sinapic acid alleviates 5-fluorouracil-induced nephrotoxicity in rats via Nrf2/HO-1 signalling

Fluoropyrimidine 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is a DNA analogue broadly used in chemotherapy, though treatment-associated nephrotoxicity limits its widespread clinical use. Sinapic acid (SA) has potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects, we investigated its protective effects against 5-FU-induced nephrotoxicity in a rat model. We designated four treatment groups each Group I (control) received five intraperitoneal saline injections (once daily) from days 17 to 21; Group II received five intraperitoneal injections of 5-FU (50 mg/kg/day) from days 17 to 21; Group III received an oral administration of SA (40 mg/kg) for 21 days and five intraperitoneal injections of 5-FU (50 mg/kg/day) from days 17 to 21; and Group IV received an oral administration of SA (40 mg/kg) for 21 days (n-six rats in each group). blood samples were collected on day 22 from each group. Animals were sacrificed and their kidneys removed, and instantly frozen. 5-FU caused oxidative stress, inflammation, and activation of the apoptotic pathway by upregulating Bax and Caspase-3 and downregulating Bcl-2. However, SA exposure reduced serum toxicity indicators, boosted antioxidant defences, and reduced kidney apoptosis, which was confirmed by histopathological analysis. Therefore, prophylactic administration of SA could inhibit 5-FU-induced renal injuries in rats via suppression of renal inflammation and oxidative stress, primarily through regulation of NF-κB and proinflammatory cytokines, inhibition of renal apoptosis, and restoration of tubular epithelial antioxidant activities and cytoprotective defences.

Sinapic acid alleviates cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury by mitigating oxidative stress and apoptosis

Cisplatin is an anticancer agent with many side effects such as nephrotoxicity, as well as being widely used in the treatment of many tumor types. Sinapic acid has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, and antiapoptotic effects. This study aimed to investigate the possible beneficial effects of sinapic acid against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Twenty-eight Wistar albino male rats were used. The groups are as follows: control, cisplatin, cisplatin + sinapic acid, and sinapic acid groups (n = 7). The control group received 1 ml of single-dose intraperitoneal saline on the first day of the study. The cisplatin group was given a single dose of 7 mg/kg cisplatin intraperitoneal. Animals in the cisplatin + sinapic acid group were given sinapic acid for 7 days 25 mg/kg, 3 days after oral gavage administration of 7 mg/kg cisplatin intraperitoneal. The sinapic acid group was given 25 mg/kg/day of sinapic acid by oral gavage for 7 days after the 3rd day of the study. The kidney of the rats was examined by stereological, immunohistochemical, histopathological, and biochemical methods. According to the stereological findings of the study, while the volume of the glomerulus cortex and filtration gap increased, the volume of the medulla decreased, and there was no significant difference in tubular volume in the CP group compared to the control group. The volume of the glomerulus, cortex, and filtration gap of the cisplatin + sinapic acid group was significantly reduced compared to the cisplatin group (p˂0.05). Histopathologically, it was observed the enlargement of the filtration gap, tubular dilatation, atrophy, renal fibrosis, deterioration of the microvilli, and necrosis in the tubular epithelial cells in the cisplatin group. In the cisplatin + sinapic acid group, these pathologies decreased compared to the cisplatin group. Compared to the control group, caspase-3 expression, urea, creatine, and malondialdehyde increased, while Bcl-2 and catalase decreased in the cisplatin group. However, caspase-3 expression, urea, creatine, and malondialdehyde were decreased, while Bcl-2 and catalase increased in the cisplatin + sinapic acid group compared to the cisplatin group. The results of our study showed that sinapic acid reduced the nephrotoxicity induced by cisplatin.

In vivo toxicity assessment of Remazol Gelb-GR (RG-GR) textile dye in zebrafish embryos/larvae (Danio rerio): Teratogenic effects, biochemical changes, immunohistochemical changes

Dyes, which are very important for various industries, have very adverse effects on the aquatic environment and aquatic life. However, there are limited studies on the toxic properties of dyes on living things. This research elucidated the sublethal toxicity of acute exposure of the textile dye remazol gelb-GR (RG-GR) using zebrafish embryos and larvae for 96 h. The 96 h-LC₅₀ for RG-GR in zebrafish embryos/larvae was determined to be 151.92 mg/L. Sublethal 96 hpf exposure was performed in RG-GR concentrations (0.5; 1.0; 10.0; 100.0 mg/L) to determine the development of toxicity in zebrafish embryos/larvae. RG-GR dye affected morphological development, and decreased heart rate, hatching, blood flow, and survival rates in zebrafish embryos/larvae. The immunopositivity of 8-hydroxy 2 deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in larvae exposed to RG-GR at high concentrations was found to be intense. Depending on the RG-GR dose increase, some biochemical parameters such as glutathione peroxidase (GSH) level, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, catalase (CAT) activities, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and nuclear factor erythroid 2 (Nrf-2) levels were detected to be decreased in larvae, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content, nuclear factor kappa (NF-kB), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), DNA damage (8-OHdG level), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and apoptosis (Caspase-3) levels were found to be increased. The experimental results revealed that RG-GR dye has high acute toxicity on zebrafish embryo/larvae.

Impact of chitosan administration on titanium dioxide nanoparticles induced testicular dysfunction

The potential reproductive toxic effects of oral TiO₂ NPs in adult male rats as well as the possible alleviation of chitosan administration was investigated. Animals were allocated to four groups; the first group received deionized water and was assigned as a control group. In the second group, rats received chitosan at a dose of 5 mg/kg BW/day. The third group was designed for administration of TiO₂ NPs at a dose of 150 mg/kg BW/day (1/80 LD₅₀). Rats in the fourth group received both TiO₂ NPs and chitosan. After 14 days, TiO₂ NPs induced testicular lipid peroxidation as well as oxidative stress. Nano-titanium significantly upregulated genes that encode apoptosis and inflammation in testicular tissue. Moreover, it induced histological alteration in the testicular structure with impairment in spermatogenesis via reduction of PCNA immune-staining. Chitosan administration significantly improved the activities of testicular GPx, SOD, and CAT enzymes. In addition, it significantly down-regulated the relative expressions of pro-apoptotic and pro-inflammatory testicular genes. Chitosan was able to improve the testicular architecture as well as spermatogenesis. The current study revealed the capability of chitosan to ameliorate nano-titanium induced testicular toxicity. Thus, attention should be given to the extensive consumption of nano-titanium particles.