Single and repeat-dose toxicity and local tolerance assessment of newly developed oil emulsion adjuvant formulations for veterinary purposes.

Adjuvants are components of vaccines that boost the intensity, duration, and breadth of the immune response. Insight into the mechanisms responsible for the immunotoxicity of both local and systemic adverse reactions following the use of adjuvants has been gained through research over the past twenty years. In the present study, single and repeated-dose toxicity and local tolerance of newly developed Water-in-Oil (W/O) and Water-in-Oil-in-Water (W/O/W) Emulsion adjuvants (Coralvac RZ 528, Coralvac RZ 506, Coralvac AT 318, Coralvac AT 318 SIS and Coralvac 252) by Coral Biotechnology Industry and Trade Incorporated Company were demonstrated after intramuscular injection in mice. In both toxicity studies, no adverse reactions such as death, general appearance, behavior, or weight loss were observed in the mice in the experimental groups. The results indicate that clinical chemistry parameters demonstrated normal function of the major organs and no irreversible damage to the mice in all adjuvant groups compared to the control group. In histopathologic investigation of single dose toxicity study, inflammation, edema, and large amounts of lipid droplets were observed on the 7th day in all experimental groups. On the 14th day, when the control group and the experimental groups were compared, it was seen that inflammation and edema had decreased considerably. Similarly, repeated dose toxicity study showed mild inflammation and edema in the control group, while quite widespread and severe inflammation, edema, and diffuse lipid droplets of varying sizes were observed in all adjuvant groups compared to the control group. These observations would be useful for the future development of oil-based adjuvants and their use in veterinary inactive vaccines.

Prunetin inhibits nitric oxide activity and induces apoptosis in urinary bladder cancer cells via CASP3 and TNF-α genes.

BACKGROUND: Urinary bladder cancer (UBC) is considered one of the most prevalent malignant tumors worldwide. Complementary and integrative approaches for the treatment of bladder cancer, such as the intake of isoflavonoid phytoestrogens, are of increasing interest due to the risk of mortality and long-term morbidity associated with surgical procedures. The biological effects of prunetin, one of the less-studied phytoestrogens, have not yet been examined in this respect. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the efficacy of prunetin on UBC cells (RT-4). METHODS AND RESULTS: The cytotoxicity and nitric oxide synthase activities of prunetin were determined in cell cultures. The expression of apoptosis-related genes was determined with RT-PCR. Cell cycle assays were performed using a flow cytometer and cellular apoptotic rate was measured. The results suggested that prunetin has cytotoxic effects at 21.11 µg/mL on RT-4 cells. Flow cytometry analysis showed that prunetin induced apoptosis and arrested th cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase. Prunetin exposure was associated with increases in CASP3 and TNF-α gene expression in RT-4 cells at doses of 21.11 and 42.22 µg/mL, respectively. Strong nitric oxide inhibition was observed at IC50 of 5.18 µg/mL under macrophage mediated inflammatory circumstances. CONCLUSIONS: Prunetin possesses anti-cancer properties and may be a candidate compound for the prevention of UBC. This is the first study that evaluated prunetin for its in vitro antitumor activities, clarified its possible apoptotic molecular mechanism and provided novel insights into its anti-inflammatory nature and effects on the expression of related key genes.

Synthesis, characterization and toxicity assessment of a new polymeric nanoparticle, l-glutamic acid-g-p(HEMA).

The toxic effects of poly(HEMA)-based polymeric nanoparticles must be analyzed before their biomedical applications as drug delivery systems. The aim of the study was to characterize and evaluate the toxicity for its biocompatibility of a newly synthesized l-glutamic acid-g-p(HEMA) polymeric nanoparticle The nanoparticle was synthesized with surfactant-free emulsion polymerization and grafting techniques. Grafting efficiency was estimated at 58%. The nanoparticle shape was verified as nearly spherical by scanning electron microscopy. Atomic force microscopy images showed a rough surface topography. The nanoparticle had an average size of ~194.6 nm on zeta analysis, and the zeta potential value was -18 mV. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy revealed spectra from 750 to 4000 cm-1 and characteristic peaks of stretching bands. The swelling ratio was 46%. With 24-h exposure, p(HEMA) and l-glutamic acid-g-p(HEMA) did not have cytotoxic effects on a human bronchial epithelial cell line (16HBE) and human monocyte cell line by water-soluble tetrazolium salt 1 (WST-1) assay and lactate dehydrogenase assay (LDH). It did not show genotoxic potential by comet assay and did not have mutagenic effects on Salmonella typhimurium TA98, TA100, TA1535 and TA1537 strains by Ames test. The nanoparticle at 160 µg/ml showed 2% hemolytic activity on erythrocytes. On cell migration assay, the percentage closure difference between exposed and control cells was estimated at 21%. We found no irritation effect on Hen's egg test-chorioallantoic membrane test. We determined that the polymeric nanoparticle l-glutamic acid-g-p(HEMA) was biocompatible and has potential for use in a drug delivery system.

Autophagy and mTOR pathways in mouse embryonic stem cell, lung cancer and somatic fibroblast cell lines.

Embryonic developmental stages and regulations have always been one of the most intriguing aspects of science. Since the cancer stem cell discovery, striking for cancer development and recurrence, embryonic stem cells and control mechanisms, as well as cancer cells and cancer stem cell control mechanisms become important research materials. It is necessary to reveal the similarities and differences between somatic and cancer cells which are formed of embryonic stem cells divisions and determinations. For this purpose, mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), mouse skin fibroblast cells (MSFs) and mouse lung squamous cancer cells (SqLCCs) were grown in vitro and the differences between these three cell lines signalling regulations of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and autophagic pathways were demonstrated by immunofluorescence and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Expressional differences were clearly shown between embryonic, cancer and somatic cells that mESCs displayed higher expressional level of Atg10, Hdac1 and Cln3 which are related with autophagic regulation and Hsp4, Prkca, Rhoa and ribosomal S6 genes related with mTOR activity. LC3 and mTOR protein levels were lower in mESCs than MSFs. Thus, the mechanisms of embryonic stem cell regulation results in the formation of somatic tissues whereas that these cells may be the causative agents of cancer in any deterioration.

The anti-angiogenic potential of (±) gossypol in comparison to suramin.

Cotton, a staple fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plants (Gossypium), is produced throughout the world, and its by products, such as cotton fibers, cotton-seed oil, and cottonseed proteins, have a variety of applications. Cotton-seed contains gossypol, a natural phenol compound. (±)-Gossypol is a yellowish polyphenol that is derived from different parts of the cotton plant and contains potent anticancer properties. Tumor growth and metastasis are mainly related to angiogenesis; therefore, anti-angiogenic therapy targets the new blood vessels that provide oxygen and nutrients to actively proliferating tumor cells. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anti-angiogenic potential of (±)-gossypol in vitro. (±)-Gossypol has anti-proliferative effects on cancer cell lines; however, its anti-angiogenic effects on normal cells have not been studied. Anti-proliferative activities of gossypol assessed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, anti-angiogenic activities using tube formation assay, and cell migration inhibition capability using a wound-healing assay on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were revealed. (±)-Gossypol displayed the following potent anti-angiogenic activities in vitro: it inhibited the cell viability of HUVECs, it inhibited the migration of HUVECs, and disrupted endothelial tube formation in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the anti-angiogenic effects of (±)-gossypol were investigated in ovo in a model using a chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). Decreases in capillary density were assessed and scored. (±)-Gossypol showed dose-dependent anti-angiogenic effects on CAM. These findings suggest that (±)-gossypol can be used as a new anti-angiogenic agent.

Deciphering the biochemical similarities and differences among mouse embryonic stem cells, somatic and cancer cells using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy.

Cellular macromolecules play important roles in cellular behaviors and biological processes. In the current work, cancer (KLN205), normal (MSFs) and mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) are compared using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Modifications in the composition, concentration, structure and function-related changes in the cellular components were deciphered using the infrared spectra. Our results revealed that cancer and embryonic stem cells are very similar but highly different from the normal cells based on the spectral variations in the protein, lipid, carbohydrate and nucleic acid components. The longest lipid acyl chains exist in mESCs, while cancer cells harbor the lowest lipid amount, short lipid acyl chains, a high content of branched fatty acids and thin cell membranes. The highest cellular growth rate and accelerated cell divisions were observed in the cancer cells. However, the normal cells harbor low nucleic acid and glycogen amounts but have a higher lipid composition. Any defect in the signaling pathways and/or biosynthesis of these cellular parameters during the embryonic-to-somatic cell transition may lead to physiological and molecular events that promote cancer initiation, progression and drug resistance. We conclude that an improved understanding of both similarities and differences in the cellular mechanisms among the cancer, normal and mESCs is crucial to develop a potential clinical relevance, and ATR-FITR can be successfully used as a novel approach to gain new insights into the stem cell and cancer research. We suggest that targeting the cellular metabolisms (glycogen and lipid) can provide new strategies for cancer treatment.

Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of butyl cyclohexyl phthalate.

Butyl cyclohexyl phthalate (BCP) is frequently used in personal care products, medical and household applications. The aim of this study is therefore to evaluate possible cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of BCP using in vitro and in vivo assays. The in vitro cytotoxic effect of BCP was investigated on mouse fibroblastic cell line (L929 cells) by MTT assay. The result showed that BCP inhibits cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner (IC50 value = 0.29 µg/mL). For genotoxicity assessment, tested concentrations of BCP demonstrated mutagenic activity in the presence of S9 mix with the Salmonella strain TA100 in the Ames test. Results showed that BCP is a secondary mutagenic substance even in low concentrations. The data obtained from 28-days repeated toxicity tests on mice revealed that BCP caused abnormalities of chromosome number, in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, DNA damage, particularly DNA strand breaks, was assessed by Comet assay. The test result shows that BCP seemed to have genotoxic potential at a high level of exposure.

Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities with acute toxicity, cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of Cystoseira compressa (Esper) Gerloff & Nizamuddin from the coast of Urla (Izmir, Turkey).

The aim of the study was to evaluate the biological activities with toxic properties of the methanol, hexane, and chloroform extracts of Cystoseira compressa (Esper) Gerloff & Nizamuddin from the Coast of Urla in the Aegean Sea. The extracts of C. compressa were tested for their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities in this study. Cytotoxic and mutagenic potentials of the extracts were also evaluated using cell culture and mutagenicity assays. Hexane extract was found to have higher total flavonoid and phenolic contents than the other extracts and exerted higher antioxidant activity than other extracts. All extracts exhibited moderate antimicrobial activity against tested microorganisms (minimum inhibitory concentration ranges are 32-256 µg/mL). The results indicated that the extracts had no significant cytotoxic activity against human hepatocellular carcinoma Hep 3B cell line in all treated concentrations (5-50 µg/mL) and did not show mutagenicity in the Ames test. Lethality was not observed among mice treated with oral doses of the extracts. In conclusion, results of investigations indicate that brown alga C. compressa is a natural source of antioxidant. It has moderate antimicrobial activities with no toxicity.

Evaluation of skin permeation and anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of new naproxen microemulsion formulations.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential application of microemulsions as a transdermal drug delivery for naproxen (Np). The pseudo-ternary phase diagrams were developed for microemulsions composed of isopropyl myristate, Span 80, Labrafil M, Labrasol, and Cremophor EL, ethanol and isopropyl alcohol and 0.5N sodium hydroxide. The final concentration of Np in microemulsion systems was 10% (w/w). The microemulsions were characterised by conductivity, droplet size, viscosity and pH. Moreover, in vitro permeability studies were performed using diffusion cells from rat skin. The permeation rates of Np from microemulsions (M1(Np) and M2(Np)) were higher than the commercial (C) gel formulation. The paw oedema test was performed in rats to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of Np. The volume increase in paw oedema after 6hr was 0.71±0.46% with M2(Np), whereas M1(Np) and C exhibited 6.48±2.71% and 14.97±3.15% increases in oedema, respectively. Additionally, a significant analgesic effect was detected in the hot plate and tail-flick tests for all test microemulsion and C formulations when compared with the control. Histopathological examination of the treated skin was performed to investigate changes in skin morphology. In conclusion, the microemulsion formulations, especially the M2(Np) formulation, may be used as an effective alternative for the transdermal delivery of Np.

Analysis of the antinociceptive effect of systemic administration of tramadol and dexmedetomidine combination on rat models of acute and neuropathic pain.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible antinociceptive effect of systemic administration of tramadol and dexmedetomidine either alone or in combination on acute and neuropathic pain models in rats. The antinociceptive effects of intraperitoneal (i.p.) tramadol (5-20 mg/kg) and dexmedetomidine (5-20 microg/kg) and three different combinations of tramadol+dexmedetomidine (5+5, 5+10 and 10+5, mg/kg+microg/kg, respectively) were measured by tail-flick and hot-plate methods in acute pain. The effects on the sciatic nerve ligation-induced neuropathic pain was tested by i.p. administration of tramadol (5 mg/kg), dexmedetomidine (5 microg/kg) and tramadol+dexmedetomidine combination (5+5) using a thermal plantar test. Sedation/motor-incoordination was assessed on rotarod. Tramadol and dexmedetomidine produced dose-related antinociception in tail-flick and hot-plate tests. In both tests, combination of these drugs produced an antinociceptive effect that is greater than that produced by tramadol or dexmedetomidine alone at several time points. In hot-plate test, tramadol+dexmedetomidine combination (5+10) exerted the strongest antinociceptive effect, while tramadol+dexmedetomidine combination (10+5) was significantly most effective in tail-flick test. In the neuropathic pain, the antinociceptive effect exerted by tramadol+dexmedetomidine combination (5+5) was also significantly greater than their applications alone. In rotarod test, tramadol (30 and 40 mg/kg), dexmedetomidine (30 and 40 microg/kg), tramadol+dexmedetomidine combination (10+10, 20+20) produced sedation/motor-incoordination, whereas tramadol (5-20 mg/kg), dexmedetomidine (5-20 microg/kg) and tramadol+dexmedetomidine combination (5+5, 5+10 and 10+5) did not produce any effect on sedation/motor-incoordination. The combination of tramadol and dexmedetomidine was more effective in increasing the pain threshold in acute and neuropathic pain when compared with the administration of either of these drugs alone.

Antimicrobial activity of volatile components and various extracts of the red alga Jania rubens.

The methanol, dichloromethane, hexane, chloroform and volatile oil extracts of the red alga Jania rubens were tested in vitro for their antimicrobial activity (five Gram-positive, four Gram-negative bacteria and Candida albicans ATCC 10239). GC-MS analysis of the volatile components of J. rubens identified 40 compounds which constituted 77.53% of the total. The volatile components of J. rubens consisted of n-docosane (6.35%), n-eicosane (5.77%) and n-tetratriacontane (5.58%) as major components. The methanol and chloroform extracts (4 mg/disc) showed more potent antimicrobial activity than the hexane and dichloromethane extracts and the volatile oil of J. rubens.