Assessment of the In Vitro Cytotoxic Profile of Two Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics-Tetracycline and Ampicillin-On Pharyngeal Carcinoma Cells.

Background and Objectives: In spite of the fact that antibiotics are considered to be the cornerstone of modern medicine, their use in the treatment of cancer remains controversial. In the present study, the main objective was to examine the effects of two antibiotics-tetracycline and ampicillin-on the viability, morphology, migration, and organization and structure of the nuclei and the actin fiber network of pharyngeal carcinoma cells-Detroit-562. Materials and Methods: In order to determine the viability of the cells, the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method was applied after the cells were stimulated with five concentrations of tetracycline and ampicillin (10, 25, 50, 75, and 100 µM) for 72 h. A scratch assay was used to assess the migration ability of the cells. For the visualization of the nuclei and actin fibers, 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (Dapi) and Rhodamine-Phalloidin were used. Results: There are different effects of tetracycline and ampicillin. Thus, tetracycline: (i) exhibited a concentration-dependent cytotoxic effect, decreasing cell viability to approximately 46%; (ii) inhibits cellular migration up to 16% compared to 60% for control cells; and (iii) induces changes in cell morphology as well as apoptotic changes in the nucleus and F-actin fibers. In contrast, in the case of ampicillin, an increase in viability up to 113% was observed at 10 µM, while a decrease in viability up to approximately 94% was observed at the highest concentration tested (100 µM). Conclusions: The results indicated a different effect regarding the impact on pharyngeal carcinoma cells. Thus, tetracycline has a concentration-dependent cytotoxic effect, while in the case of ampicillin a slight stimulation of cell viability was observed.

Eugenol: In Vitro and In Ovo Assessment to Explore Cytotoxic Effects on Osteosarcoma and Oropharyngeal Cancer Cells.

Cancer is a significant health problem worldwide; consequently, new therapeutic alternatives are being investigated, including those found in the vegetable kingdom. Eugenol (Eug) has attracted attention for its therapeutic properties, especially in stomatology. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cytotoxicity of Eug, in vitro, on osteosarcoma (SAOS-2) and oropharyngeal squamous cancer (Detroit-562) cells, as well as its potential irritant effect in ovo at the level of the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). The data obtained following a 72 h Eug treatment highlighted the reduction in cell viability up to 41% in SAOS-2 cells and up to 37% in Detroit-562 cells, respectively. The apoptotic-like effect of Eug was indicated by the changes in cell morphology and nuclear aspect; the increase in caspase-3/7, -8 and -9 activity; the elevated expression of Bax and Bad genes; and the increase in luminescence signal (indicating phosphatidylserine externalization) that preceded the increase in fluorescence signal (indicating the compromise of membrane integrity). Regarding the vascular effects, slight signs of coagulation and vascular lysis were observed, with an irritation score of 1.69 for Eug 1 mM. Based on these results, the efficiency of Eug in cancer treatment is yet to be clarified.

Eugenol Induces Apoptosis in Tongue Squamous Carcinoma Cells by Mediating the Expression of Bcl-2 Family.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is highly aggressive type of cancer for which the available treatment often causes patients severe side effects. Eugenol (Eug) is the major active constituent of clove essential oil and is known to possess antitumor properties. The present study aimed to assess the in vitro cytotoxicity of eugenol in SCC-4, tongue squamous carcinoma cells, and also in HGF, human gingival fibroblasts. Both cell lines were treated with five concentrations of Eug (0.1-1 mM) for 72 h. Cellular viability was assessed, followed by cellular morphological evaluation and by staining of the nuclei and cytoskeleton. RT-PCR was conducted in order to find the effect eugenol had on the expression on Bad, Bax, and Bcl-2 genes. Eugenol induced a dose-dependent decrease in viability in both cell lines, with the SCC-4 cells being significantly more affected. HGF cells detached from the plate at the highest concentrations used, while SCC-4 cells changed their morphology in a dose-dependent manner, with rounding, floating cells, and confluency loss being observed. Apoptotic-like signs such as chromatin and actin filaments condensation were clearly seen in SCC-4 cells, while RT-PCR revealed a significantly increased expression of pro-apoptotic genes Bax and Bad. Therefore, eugenol exerts its cytotoxic effect in tongue squamous cell carcinoma through inducing apoptosis.

COVID-19: Main findings after a year and half of unease and the proper scientific progress (Review).

Since the emergence of the disease in late December 2019, numerous studies have been published to date regarding clinical, laboratory and treatment aspects associated with COVID-19. The present study attempts to compare and unify the clinical, para-clinical and therapeutic aspects that have come to light regarding coronavirus disease-19 (COVID 19), mainly in adults. Between April 2020 and September 2021, a comprehensive systematic literature review was performed, which we added to from our own medical experiences. The search was performed on the PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar databases, comprising studies with analyzable data that were identified alongside studies and documents containing general scientific data. All published studies were written in English, and were from different countries. A 95% confidence interval (CI95) was also calculated for almost each study using the Wilson formula. When compared with preliminary reports between December 2019 and January 2020, the most frequent symptoms were still identified as being fever (68.6%; CI95: 67.5-69.7) and cough (72.7%; CI95: 71.7-73.8). Nevertheless, asymptomatic cases also increased (by 21.4%; CI95: 16.6-27.1). Severe and critical cases accounted for 10.4% (CI95: 9.6-11.1) of all cases. The mean fatality rate was found to be 4% (CI95: 3.6-4.5). The primary co-morbidity found was hypertension (28.9%; CI95: 27-30.8), followed by other underlying cardiovascular diseases (15.4%; CI95: 13.9-16.9) and diabetes (14.5%; CI95: 13.1-16.1). The majority of studies showed lower white blood cell numbers with neutropenia and lymphopenia, and lower platelet levels. The levels of the biomarkers C-reaction protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were positive in all studied cases alongside other lab tests, such as examining the D-dimer levels and those of other hepatic, cardiac and renal injury markers. The procalcitonin level was also found to be elevated in many cases, resulting in high usage of antibiotics (83.7%; CI95: 81.2-85.9). Approximately 31.6% (CI95: 29.1-34.1) of the patients required non-invasive ventilation, whereas 9.9% (CI95: 8.1-12.1) of the patients were intubated or placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The most used antivirals were ribavirin (67.3%; CI95: 63.4-70.9), oseltamivir (52.5%; CI95: 49.4-55.5) and Arbidol™ (34.5%; CI95: 32-37.1). General admittance to the intensive care unit was ~7.2% (CI95: 6.5-7.9) of patients.