β-Carotene Increases Activity of Cytochrome P450 2E1 during Ethanol Consumption

β-Carotene Supplementation Improves Pancreas Function during Moderate Ethanol Consumption: Initial Characterization from a Morphological Overview

Alcohol is believed to harm acinar cells, pancreatic ductal epithelium, and pancreatic stellate cells. After giving ethanol and/or β-carotene to C57BL/6 mice, our goal was to evaluate their biochemistry, histology, and morpho-quantitative features. There were six groups of C57BL/6 mice: 1. Group C (control), 2. Group LA (low-dose alcohol), 3. Group MA (moderate-dose alcohol), 4. Group B (β-carotene), 5. Group LA + B (low-dose alcohol combined with β-carotene), and 6. Group MA + B (moderate-dose alcohol combined with β-carotene). After the animals were euthanized on day 28, each specimen's pancreatic tissue was taken. Lipase, uric acid, and amylase were assessed using biochemical assessment. Furthermore, the examination of the pancreatic structure was conducted using Ammann's fibrosis scoring system. Finally, the morpho-quantitative characteristics of the pancreatic islets and acinar cells were determined. In the serum of the MA + B group, there were higher amounts of total amylase (825.953 ± 193.412 U/L) and lower amounts of lipase (47.139 ± 6.099 U/L) (p < 0.05). Furthermore, Ammann's fibrosis punctuation in the pancreas revealed significant variations between the groups (p < 0.001). Finally, the stereological analysis of pancreatic islets showed that the groups were different (p < 0.001). These findings suggest that antioxidant treatments might help decrease the negative effects of ethanol exposure in animal models.

Effectiveness of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Evolution Using In Vivo and In Vitro Studies: A Systematic Review

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) describes a spectrum of liver abnormalities, from benign steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Because of their antioxidant capabilities, CeNPs have sparked a lot of interest in biological applications. This review evaluated the effectiveness of CeNPs in NAFLD evolution through in vivo and in vitro studies. Databases such as MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science were looked for studies published between 2012 and June 2023. Quality was evaluated using PRISMA guidelines. We looked at a total of nine primary studies in English carried out using healthy participants or HepG2 or LX2 cells. Quantitative data such as blood chemical markers, lipid peroxidation, and oxidative status were obtained from the studies. Our findings indicate that NPs are a possible option to make medications safer and more effective. In fact, CeNPs have been demonstrated to decrease total saturated fatty acids and foam cell production (steatosis), reactive oxygen species production and TNF-α (necrosis), and vacuolization in hepatic tissue when used to treat NAFLD. Thus, CeNP treatment may be considered promising for liver illnesses. However, limitations such as the variation in durations between studies and the utilization of diverse models to elucidate the etiology of NAFLD must be considered. Future studies must include standardized NAFLD models.

In Silico and In Vitro Methods in the Characterization of Beta-Carotene as Pharmaceutical Material via Acetylcholine Esterase Inhibitory Actions

Molecular docking is widely used in the assessment of the therapeutic potential of pharmaceutical agents. The binding properties of beta-carotene (BC) to acetylcholine esterase (AChE) proteins were characterized using the molecular docking method. The mechanism of AChE inhibition was assessed by an experimental in vitro kinetic study. In addition, the role of BC action was tested by the zebrafish embryo toxicity test (ZFET). The results of the docking ability of BC to AChE showed significant ligand binding mode. The kinetic parameter, i.e., the low AICc value shown as the compound was the competitive type of inhibition of AChE. Further, BC also showed mild toxicity at a higher dose (2200 mg/L) in ZFET assessment with changes in biomarkers. The LC₅₀ value of BC is 1811.94 mg/L. Acetylcholine esterase (AChE) plays a pivotal role in the hydrolysis of acetylcholine, which leads to the development of cognitive dysfunction. BC possesses the regulation of acetylcholine esterase (AChE) and acid phosphatase (AP) activity to prevent neurovascular dysfunction. Therefore, the characterization of BC could be used as a pharmaceutical agent for the treatment of cholinergic neurotoxicity-associated neurovascular disorders such as developmental toxicity, vascular dementia, and Alzheimer's disease due to its AChE and AP inhibitory actions.

An Updated Overview of the Role of CYP450 during Xenobiotic Metabolization in Regulating the Acute Myeloid Leukemia Microenvironment

Oxidative stress is associated with several acute and chronic disorders, including hematological malignancies such as acute myeloid leukemia, the most prevalent acute leukemia in adults. Xenobiotics are usually harmless compounds that may be detrimental, such as pharmaceuticals, environmental pollutants, cosmetics, and even food additives. The storage of xenobiotics can serve as a defense mechanism or a means of bioaccumulation, leading to adverse effects. During the absorption, metabolism, and cellular excretion of xenobiotics, three steps may be distinguished: (i) inflow by transporter enzymes, (ii) phases I and II, and (iii) phase III. Phase I enzymes, such as those in the cytochrome P450 superfamily, catalyze the conversion of xenobiotics into more polar compounds, contributing to an elevated acute myeloid leukemia risk. Furthermore, genetic polymorphism influences the variability and susceptibility of related myeloid neoplasms, infant leukemias associated with mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) gene rearrangements, and a subset of de novo acute myeloid leukemia. Recent research has shown a sustained interest in determining the regulators of cytochrome P450, family 2, subfamily E, member 1 (CYP2E1) expression and activity as an emerging field that requires further investigation in acute myeloid leukemia evolution. Therefore, this review suggests that CYP2E1 and its mutations can be a therapeutic or diagnostic target in acute myeloid leukemia.

Blocking TRPV4 Ameliorates Osteoarthritis by Inhibiting M1 Macrophage Polarization via the ROS/NLRP3 Signaling Pathway

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a low-level inflammatory disease in which synovial macrophage M1 polarization exacerbates the progression of synovitis and OA. Notedly, the ROS (reactive oxygen species) level in macrophages is intimately implicated in macrophage M1 polarization. TRPV4 (transient receptor potential channel subfamily V member 4), as an ion channel, plays a pivotal role in oxidative stress and inflammation. In this study, we investigated the role of TRPV4 in OA progression and M1 macrophage polarization. Male adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats underwent a medial meniscus radial transection operation to create an OA model in vivo and RAW 264.7 cells were intervened with 100 ng/mL LPS (lipopolysaccharide) to induce M1-polarized macrophages in vitro. We demonstrated that the infiltration of M1 synovial macrophages and the expression of TRPV4 were increased significantly in OA synovium. In addition, intra-articular injection of HC067074 (a specific inhibitor of TRPV4) alleviated the progression of rat OA and significantly decreased synovial macrophage M1 polarization. Further mechanisms suggested that ROS production by M1 macrophages was decreased after TRPV4 inhibition. In addition, NLRP3 (pyrin domain containing protein 3) as a downstream effector of ROS in M1-polarized macrophage, was significantly suppressed following TRPV4 inhibition. In conclusion, this study discovered that inhibition of TRPV4 delays OA progression by inhibiting M1 synovial macrophage polarization through the ROS/NLRP3 pathway.

Emerging computational paradigms to address the complex role of gut microbial metabolism in cardiovascular diseases

The human gut microbiota and its associated perturbations are implicated in a variety of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). There is evidence that the structure and metabolic composition of the gut microbiome and some of its metabolites have mechanistic associations with several CVDs. Nevertheless, there is a need to unravel metabolic behavior and underlying mechanisms of microbiome-host interactions. This need is even more highlighted when considering that microbiome-secreted metabolites contributing to CVDs are the subject of intensive research to develop new prevention and therapeutic techniques. In addition to the application of high-throughput data used in microbiome-related studies, advanced computational tools enable us to integrate omics into different mathematical models, including constraint-based models, dynamic models, agent-based models, and machine learning tools, to build a holistic picture of metabolic pathological mechanisms. In this article, we aim to review and introduce state-of-the-art mathematical models and computational approaches addressing the link between the microbiome and CVDs.