Yellow scorpion (Buthus sinidicus) venom peptides induce mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis in cervical, prostate and brain tumor cell lines

Scorpion venoms are known to contain over 100,000 biologically active constituents. However, only a few of them have been studied. The major constituents of venom are proteins and peptides, which exhibit various biological and pharmacological properties, including anticancer activities. In the current study, the venom of yellow scorpions (Buthus sindicus) found in Sindh, Pakistan, was extracted and evaluated for its anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities. The crude venom showed a dose dependent inhibition of phagocyte oxidative burst from human whole blood cells (28.3% inhibition at highest tested concentration of 300 μg/mL). In-vitro cytotoxicity of crude venom was evaluated against human prostrate (PC3), cervical (HeLa) and neuroblastoma (U87-MG) cell lines, along with cytotoxicity against normal human fibroblast (BJ) cells. Crude venom was cytotoxic to all cell lines, with prominent inhibitory effect on PC3 cells. Crude venom was fractionated through RP-UPLC, resulted in fifteen fractions, followed by evaluation of their anticancer potential. Among all, the fraction I significantly (P < 0.001) reduced the cell viability of all three cancer cell lines, and exhibited insignificant cytotoxicity against normal cell line. Furthermore, the apoptotic cell death pathway was evaluated for crude venom, and fraction I, in most sensitive cell line PC3, by using flow-cytometry analysis. Both crude venom and its fraction I caused a mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis in prostate cancer cells (PC3). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the anticancer and anti-inflammatory activity of venom of Pakistani yellow scorpions. Results indicate their therapeutic potential, and a case for further purification and validation studies.

Monitoring pond water quality to improve the production of Labeo rohita (Hamilton, 1822) in Bannu Fish Hatchery of Bannu district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province; An Implications for artificial fish culture

Abstract The water quality parameters of a fish pond are essential to be managing properly under control for successful operations of fish culture. Improper management of pond water quality during the juvenile stages can create stressful conditions to produce various harmful diseases, which may decrease the fish quality and results in low profits. The present study was aimed to monitored important water quality parameters of nursery ponds of Labeo rohita culturing in Bannu fish hatchery. The study duration was 75 days extends from 10th June to 24th August 2019 for the successful culture of this specie which can play a significant role in breeding season. Furthermore, the concentration of some heavy metals like copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cadmium (Cd), and zinc (Zn) in pond water and fry stages of this species was also determined. The data obtained from all water quality parameters were analyzed expressed as range, mean and standard deviation using MS Excel 2013. The obtained results of 75 days study revealed that the water pH & temperature, electric conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), and total dissolved oxygen (DO) of pond water samples were found within a tolerable limit except salinity and dissolved ammonia concentration were not permissible for fish growth. The average concentration of heavy metals in pond water exhibited descending order Fe>Ni>Mn>Zn>Cd>Ni, which was found in acceptable ranges. Whereas, the average values of heavy metals in fry stages were in the order of Zn>Fe>Ni>Cu>Cd>Mn, and found within the recommended values of WHO/FAO. Thus, it was concluded from this study that good water quality is a precondition, maintaining balanced levels of water quality parameters is fundamental for both the health and growth of fish culture which is quite necessary for assuring increased fish productivity. It is recommended to monitor and assess water quality parameters on a routine basis for promoting healthy fish culture.

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of Centratherum anthelminticum (L.) Kuntze seed oil in diabetic nephropathy via modulation of Nrf-2/HO-1 and NF-κB pathway

Background

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) approximately constitutes 90% of the reported cases. 30-40% of diabetics eventually develop diabetic nephropathy (DN); accounting for one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality. Increased glucose autoxidation and non-enzymatic glycation of proteins in diabetic kidneys lead to the excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that results in lipid peroxidation and activation of inflammatory mediators which overwhelms the scavenging capacity of the antioxidant defense system (Nrf2/Keap1/HO-1). Centratherum anthelminticum commonly called as kali zeeri (bitter cumin) and its seeds are well known for culinary purposes in Asia (Pakistan). It has reported anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-diabetic activities. The present study has attempted to explore the in-vivo anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antihyperglycemic potential of the C. anthelminticum seed’s fixed oil (FO) and its fractions in high fat-high fructose-streptozotocin (HF-HFr-STZ) induced T2DM rat model.

Methods

The T2DM rat model was developed by giving a high-fat and high-fructose diet followed by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ 60 mg/kg) on 28th day of the trial. After 72 hours of this injection, rats showing fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels≥230 mg/dL were recruited into six groups. These groups were orally administered distilled water (1 mL/kg), Gliclazide (200 mg/kg), Centratherum anthelminticum seed (FO) and its hexane (HF), chloroform (CF) and ethanol (EF) soluble fractions (200 mg/kg each), respectively for 4 weeks (i.e. 28 days). Blood, serum, and kidney tissue samples of euthanized animals were used for biochemical, pro-inflammatory, and antioxidant markers (ELISA, qRT-PCR, and spectrophotometric assays) and histology, respectively.

Results

C. anthelminticum FO and its fractions reduced the lipid peroxidation, and improved the antioxidant parameters: enzymatic (SOD, CAT, and GPx), non-enzymatic (GSH), and mRNA expression of anti-inflammatory markers (Nrf-2, keap1, and HO-1). mRNA expression of inflammatory and apoptotic markers (TNF-α, IL-1β, COX-1, NF-κB, Bax, and Bcl-2) were attenuated along with improved kidney architecture.

Conclusion

C. anthelminticum can mitigate inflammation and oxidative stress in early DN. The anti-nephropathic effect can be attributed to its ability to down-regulate NF-κB and by bringing the Nrf-2 expression levels to near normal.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12906-022-03776-x.

Label-free quantitation of the changes in salivary proteome associated with the chronic consumption of the betel nut (Areca catechu)

Areca nut or betel nut chewing is most frequently used in Pakistan and is associated with a high risk for oral cancer. Until now, however, there has not been any research conducted on the long-term effect(s) of betel nut chewing on the saliva proteome. In the present study, initially, the changes in the saliva proteome associated with betel nut chewing were investigated. Secondly, the analysis was focused on the changes in salivary proteome with respect to prolonged usage of betel nuts. After extraction, the saliva proteins were digested into peptides and these were subsequently analyzed using mass spectrometry. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD029768. Label-free quantitation of saliva samples revealed a total of 12 proteins that were differentially expressed between betel nut addicts (BNAs), and the control group. The study groups were further divided into three subgroups, the BNA-1, BNA-2, and BNA-3 groups, with respect to the extent of consumption of betel nuts in terms of years. The data analysis revealed a more detailed profiling of proteins expressed after five, ten, and more than ten years of betel nut consumption. A total of 30, 17, and 22 proteins were found to be differentially expressed when divided into the BNA-1, BNA-2, and BNA-3 groups. The present study shows that the chronic usage of betel nuts leads to the expression of proteins, such as SPARC1, profilin, and SBSN, which are known to be involved in head and neck cancers.

Effect of APOB polymorphism rs562338 (G/A) on serum proteome of coronary artery disease patients: a "proteogenomic" approach

In the current study, APOB (rs1052031) genotype-guided proteomic analysis was performed in a cohort of Pakistani population. A total of 700 study subjects, including Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) patients (n = 480) and healthy individuals (n = 220) as a control group were included in the study. Genotyping was carried out by using tetra primer-amplification refractory mutation system-based polymerase chain reaction (T-ARMS-PCR) whereas mass spectrometry (Orbitrap MS) was used for label free quantification of serum samples. Genotypic frequency of GG genotype was found to be 90.1%, while 6.4% was for GA genotype and 3.5% was for AA genotypes in CAD patients. In the control group, 87.2% healthy subjects were found to have GG genotype, 11.8% had GA genotype, and 0.9% were with AA genotypes. Significant (p = 0.007) difference was observed between genotypic frequencies in the patients and the control group. The rare allele AA was found to be strongly associated with the CAD [OR: 4 (1.9-16.7)], as compared to the control group in recessive genetic model (p = 0.04). Using label free proteomics, altered expression of 60 significant proteins was observed. Enrichment analysis of these protein showed higher number of up-regulated pathways, including phosphatidylcholine-sterol O-acyltransferase activator activity, cholesterol transfer activity, and sterol transfer activity in AA genotype of rs562338 (G>A) as compared to the wild type GG genotype. This study provides a deeper insight into CAD pathobiology with reference to proteogenomics, and proving this approach as a good platform for identifying the novel proteins and signaling pathways in relation to cardiovascular diseases.

ROLE OF TOLL-LIKE RECEPTORS IN CORONAVIRUS INFECTION AND IMMUNE RESPONSE

The emergence of a novel coronavirus referred to as SARS-CoV-2 has become a global health apprehension due to rapid transmission tendency, severity, and wide geographical spread. This emergence was started from Wuhan, China in 2019 from the zoonotic source and spread worldwide, infecting almost half of the community on this earth. Many of the receptors are involved in proceeding with this infection in the organism's body. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play essential and protective functions from a wide range of microbial pathogens. Small setup of TLR adaptor proteins leads to activate nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) and interferon-regulatory factor (IRF). Consequently, various advanced inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and interferon reaction properties can be up-regulated. Similarly, TLR flagging works on autophagy in macrophages. Autophagy is a cell response to starvation that helps to eliminate damaged cytosol organelles and persistent proteins. It is also able to prevent the replication of intracellular pathogens. Several microbes subvert the autophagy pathways to sustain their viability. This review investigates how TLRs can modulate a macrophagic system and analyze the role of natural resistance autophagy.

AB0244 BODY MASS INDEX AND BODY COMPOSITIONS CORRELATES WITH CAROTID INTIMA MEDIA THICKNESS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Background:

Risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) had been reported in overweight obese compared with normal weight people. More, obesity is associated with high prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in RA. No previous publications have examined the detailed body composition parameters among RA, or its relation to CVD in RA.

Objectives:

This study looked at the body composition and the body mass index and correlated it with the subclinical cardiovascular disease as manifested by carotid intima media thickness (cIMT).

Methods:

During 2019, a cross-sectional study was carried out to recruit cases that met the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/EULAR criteria for diagnosis of RA. All the patients were free of cardiovascular and or cerebrovascular disease. Patients with clinical diagnosis of hypertension, diabetes, renal disease, dyslipidemia, thyroid disorder and pregnant female were excluded. None of the participants is smoker or had history of smoking.

cMIT ultrasound (US) measures were obtained using a real-time US scanner equipped with a 7.5 MHz linear probe by a single sonographer. Patients underwent a detailed body composition analysis within the same week of the cIMT measurement. The body composition analysis involved assessing the level of total body water, protein, minerals, body fat mass, intra- and extracellular water, basal metabolic rate, waist hip ratio, visceral fat level, obesity degree, bone mineral content, body cell mass, arm and arm muscle circumference, detailed muscle fat analysis, obesity analysis, segmental lean analysis, weight control parameters, and segmental fat analysis.

Results:

During 2019, 35 female RA patients were recruited that met the inclusion criteria. The mean (SD) of the age was 52 (10) with a minimum of 20 and maximum of 72 years old. The mean (SD) of cIMT was 0.59 (0.098) mm with a minimum of 0 .38 and maximum of 0.87. The mean (SD) of the BMI was 30.7 (7.0) with a minimum of 20 and maximum of 56.9 Kg/m2. Mean systolic blood pressure was 126 (19) with a minimum of 91 and maximum of 140 mmHg. Also, the mean diastolic blood pressure was mmHg 74 (11) with a minimum of 49 and maximum of 96.

The correlation of cIMT with the parameters of the body composition in a linear regression analysis showed a positive linear relationship between cIMT and each of the Body fat mass (kg): P=0.045, CI 0.000-0.004), BMI (p=0.029, CI: 0.001, 0 .009), the target weight (p=0.040, CI: 0.000- 0.001), extracellular water (P=0.033, CI: 0.002, 0.034) and bone mineral content (p=0.031, CI: 0.009, 0.192).

The Multiple linear regression analysis showed persistence of the relationship between the cIMT and the age of the participants (p=0.049, CI:0.001-0.007) and the BMI (p=0.031, CI: 0.002- 0.032), with R2of the model was 0.38.

Conclusion:

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper to examine the detailed body composition parameters among RA and found a good correlation with subclinical cardiovascular disease as manifested by cIMT. More research with larger study population is needed to look at the association between body mass index and CVD risk factor in RA.

References:

[1]Body mass index and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. Qin B, Yang M, Fu H, Ma N, Wei T, Tang Q, Hu Z, Liang Y, Yang Z, Zhong R. Arthritis Res Ther. 2015; 17(1): 86. doi: 10.1186/s13075-015-0601-x

[2]Body Mass Index and the Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Updated Dose-Response Meta-Analysis. Feng X, Xu X, Shi Y, Liu X, Liu H, Hou H, Ji L, Li Y, Wang W, Wang Y, Li D. Biomed Res Int. 2019; 2019: 3579081. doi: 10.1155/2019/3579081

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

Experimental photodynamic therapy with a copper metal vapor laser in colorectal cancer

In an attempt to define the best conditions for an adjunctive treatment of residual colonic microtumors by photodynamic therapy (PDT), an experimental model has been defined. S.c. HT29 colonic-cancer-cell tumors grown in nude mice were used and, 48 hr after i.p. administration of 30 mg/kg Photofrin (PH), laser illumination was performed with 75 or 150 Joules/cm2. The efficiencies of 2 lasers, the classically used rhodamine laser (RL) and a copper metal vapor laser (CMVL), were compared. The effects of PDT were assessed by histological and immunocytochemical (detection of a digestive enzyme, dipeptidyl-peptidase IV, as a marker of cell viability) follow-up and by the growth curve of the tumors after illumination. We conclude that, although the depth of necrosis resulting from PDT was nearly 3 mm at 75 J/cm2 and nearly 4-5 mm at 150 J/cm2 with both lasers, complete necrosis was obtained only with the CMVL at 150 J/cm2 (in 50% of the tumors). Under the other conditions, a layer of unaffected cells persisted at the pole opposite to laser illumination, resulting in growth curves lower than but parallel to those of the controls. Analysis of drug concentrations in the tumors and various organs, 48 hr after injection, i.e., at the time of laser illumination, revealed the presence of 21 micrograms/g dry weight PH in the tumors. The tumor vs. host-organ ratios were equal to or higher than 1 for the small bowel, colon, stomach, lung, skin and muscle. In contrast, the ratios were below 1 for the spleen, pancreas, kidney and liver.

[Photodynamic therapy in oncological digestive tract surgery]

Photodynamic therapy is a useful new antitumoral treatment, since it is relatively selective and noniatrogenic. The photosensitizers become preferentially localized in the tumoral tissue, where their excitation by light causes the production of free cytotoxic radicals. If haematoporphyrin derivatives are the most widely used photosensitizers, numerous molecules are being tested. Now used as a palliative photodynamic therapy could logically be used as adjuvant treatment in curative surgical excision. The practical utility of peroperative photodynamic therapy in gastroenterological surgery is being evaluated experimentally and clinically.

Comparative study of the effects of argon and neodymium YAG laser beams on the normal fundic wall in the beagle dog

A study was performed to compare the lesions induced by argon and neodymium YAG laser beams in the normal fundic wall of the same beagle dogs and to follow their healing over a 21-day period. The total energy per application was 21 joules for the argon laser and 53 joules for the neodymium YAG laser. Both laser beams were emitted from the same distance, directed at right angles to the tissue surface, and with the same flow rate of coaxial gas. Thirty-nine shots were performed with each type of laser. Differences between the two lasers were observed in the appearance of the impacts, the volume of tissue affected, and the rate of healing, but all the lesions healed without any perforation. The differences observed were probably due to differences between the two lasers in the radial distribution of luminous energy and its absorption and transformation within the tissue into heat. It was concluded, however, that under the experimental conditions chosen, both kinds of laser could be used to penetrate the mucosal and submucosal tissue without risk of damage either to the longitudinal or to the serosal layers of the fundic wall.

[Endoscopic treatment of oesophageal sténosis using Celestin prosthesis (author's transl)]

The Celestin pulsion tube introduced by endoscopy seems to constitute a satisfactory method of dealing with oesophageal strictures, both malignant and benign. The site and histology of the tumour, as well as the diameter of the remaining lumen are determined by an initial endoscopic examination. The Eder-Puestow guide wire, essential to safe dilatation and intubation, may be introduced in various ways depending upon the size, length and nature of the stenosis: it may be threaded through the lumen with a fiberoscope under radiological control, or after drilling with laser. Subsequent dilatation may be carried out with olive-shaped metal dialtors, stepped plastic dilators of laminaria, depending upon the degree of fibrosis and the risks of fissuration. A final diameter of 17 mm is advisable. The pulsion tube, with its soft anti-migration skirt, is positioned using an introducer mounted on a semi-rigid mandrin or sliding over a fiberoscope. Its position must be checked at three-monthly intervals. The authors have used this method in 115 patients, 24 of whom had benign lesions and 91 malignant lesions. Among the latter, 23 had been irradiated, 7 were post-anatomotic and 61 had never been treated. There were 5 cases of mediatinitis and one of haemorrhage. Eleven tight strictures, wich had resisted dilatation with metal olive yieled laminaria. The longest follow-ups are of 19 months for malignant stenose and 40 months for benign stenoses. The main indications are malignant stenoses, irrespective of whether they have been irradiated or not, and peptic stenoses in inopereable patients. The procedure restores normal oral feeding, thereby avoiding the need for gastrostomy or jejunostomy.