Effect of montelukast on platelet activating factor- and tachykinin induced mucus secretion in the rat

Effectiveness of montelukast for uremic pruritus in hemodialysis patients: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Uremic pruritus (UP) is a common and tormenting symptom in end-stage renal disease patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. An increasing number of studies have been published in recent years to support the effectiveness of montelukast for UP. We will conduct a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate effectiveness of montelukast for UP in hemodialysis patients.

METHODS

The following electronic databases were searched: Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and China Science and Technology Journal Database. The range of publication time was from the inception of the database to December 2020. Two reviewers will independently conduct article selection, data collection, and assessment of risk of bias. Any disagreement will be resolved by discussion with the third reviewer. Meta-analysis will be performed by Review Manager 5.3. The Cochrane Collaboration tool will be used to assess the risk of bias.

RESULTS

This study will provide a systematic synthesis of current published data to explore the effectiveness of montelukast for UP in hemodialysis patients.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review and meta-analysis will provide clinical evidence for the effectiveness of montelukast for UP in hemodialysis patients and inform our understanding of the value of montelukast in improving pruritus symptoms. This study will help clinicians, patients, and policy makers to make better decisions regarding the appropriate role of montelukast as a part of patient management routines.

STUDY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY2020100043.

Recombinant Multivalent EMMPRIN Extracellular Domain Induces U937 Human Leukemia Cell Apoptosis by Downregulation of Monocarboxylate Transporter 1 and Activation of Procaspase-9

This study was carried out to understand the effect of the recombinant multivalent extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) extracellular domain, designated as rmEMMPRINex, on the apoptotic cell death of human leukemia U937 cells. Expression of monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) and caspase-9 in U937 treated with rmEMMPRINex was investigated in this study. Levels of membrane MCT1 and intracellular procaspase-9 were decreased in rmEMMPRINex-treated cells in comparison to controls. However, the expression of activated caspase-9 was undetectable. rmEMMPRINex also induced DNA fragmentation and apoptosis in U937 cells. Taken together, we concluded that interaction of rmEMMPRINex with U937 cells leads to inhibition of MCT1 membrane expression, intracellular activation of procaspase-9, followed by DNA fragmentation and apoptosis. This may contribute to the conceptual development of novel cancer drugs in the future.