Niosomes loading N-acetyl-L-cysteine for cancer treatment in vivo study.

Scientists are seeking to find an effective treatment for tumors that has no side effects. N-Acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) is a thiol compound extracted from garlic. Current study explores the potential of NAC-loaded niosomes (NAC-NIO) for tumor treatment in mice. NAC-loaded niosomes' efficiency, morphology, UV absorption, size distribution, zeta potential, release, and FTIR analysis were evaluated. For vivo study, 25 male BALB/c mice were divided to five groups: gp1 negative control (receive saline), gp2 positive control (tumor group), gp3 treated with NAC, gp4 treated with NAC-NIO at the same time of tumor injection, and gp5 treated with NAC-NIO after tumor growth (day 14). The impact of NAC-NIO on the tumor treatment was evaluated by measuring tumor size progress, comet assay, oxidative stress parameters (GSH, nitric oxide, MDA), western blot analysis, and histopathological investigation of tissues. NAC-NIO showed 72 ± 3% encapsulation efficiency and zeta potential - 5.95 mV with spherical shape. It was found that oral administration of NAC-NIO in a dose of 50 mg/kg provided significant protection against tumor cells. Our formulation decreases DNA injury significantly (P < 0.05). It was noticed that NAC-NIO can increase oxidative stress levels in tumor tissue. On the other hand, the caspase 3 and caspase 9 gene expression were upregulated significantly (P < 0.001) in mice administrated NAC-NIO compared with all other groups. Histological studies confirmed the protective effect of NAC-NIO against tumor especially for treatment during tumor growth protocol. The results suggested that oral delivery of NAC-NIO formulation improved antioxidant effect.

Physico-chemical properties of curcumin nanoparticles and its efficacy against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma.

Curcumin is a bioactive component with anticancer characteristics; nevertheless, it has poor solubility and fast metabolism, resulting in low bioavailability and so restricting its application. Curcumin loaded in nano emulsions (Cur-NE) was developed to improve water solubility and eliminate all the limitations of curcumin. Size distribution, zeta potential, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements, UV-Visible spectra, IR spectra and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), were used to characterize the prepared Cur-NE. Cancer therapeutic efficacy was assessed by oxidative stress (superoxide dismutase (SOD), Glutathione-S-Transferase (GST), malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO), DNA damage, apoptotic proteins (caspase-3 and 9), besides investigating tumor histology and monitoring tumor growth. Additionally, the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of the liver, kidney, heart, and spleen tissues were examined to gauge the adverse effects of the treatment method's toxicity. The results showed that Cur-NE is more effective than free curcumin at slowing the growth of Ehrlich tumors while significantly increasing the levels of apoptotic proteins. On the other hand, Cur-NE-treated mice showed some damage in other organs when compared to mice treated with free curcumin. Cur-NE has a higher efficacy in treating Ehrlich tumor.

Enhancing the antibacterial effect of iron oxide and silver nanoparticles by extremely low frequency electric fields (ELF-EF) against S. aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus is the cause of many infectious and inflammatory diseases and a lot of studies aim to discover alternative ways for infection control and treatment rather than antibiotics. This work attempts to reduce bacterial activity and growth characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus using nanoparticles (iron oxide nanoparticles and silver nanoparticles) and extremely low frequency electric fields (ELF-EF). Bacterial suspensions of Staphylococcus aureus were used to prepare the samples, which were evenly divided into groups. Control group, 10 groups were exposed to ELF-EF in the frequency range (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, and 1 Hz), iron oxide NPs treated group, iron oxide NPs exposed to 0.8 Hz treated group, silver NPs treated group and the last group was treated with silver NPs and 0.8 Hz. Antibiotic sensitivity testing, dielectric relaxation, and biofilm development for the living microbe were used to evaluate morphological and molecular alterations. Results showed that combination of nanoparticles with ELF-EF at 0.8 Hz enhanced the bacterial inhibition efficiency, which may be due to structural changes. These were supported by the dielectric measurement results which indicated the differences in the dielectric increment and electrical conductivity for the treated samples compared with control samples. This was also confirmed by biofilm formation measurements obtained. We may conclude that the exposure of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria to ELF-EF and NPs affected its cellular activity and structure. This technique is nondestructive, safe and fast and could be considered as a mean to reduce the use of antibiotics.

Chitosan-Coated Niosomes Loaded with Ellagic Acid Present Antiaging Activity in a Skin Cell Line.

The polyphenol compound ellagic acid (EA) extracted from pomegranate has potential bioactivity against different types of chronic diseases. Skin aging is a long-term physiological process caused by many environmental factors, the most important of which is exposure to sun ultraviolet (UV) radiation. UV-induced chronic photodamage of the skin results in extrinsic aging. This study aimed to evaluate the photoprotective effects of EA on the human fibroblast skin cell line HFB4 and investigate its capacity to protect collagen from UV-induced deterioration. EA was encapsulated into chitosan-coated niosomes to reduce the skin aging effect of UV radiation in vitro. The tested formulations (niosomes loaded with EA and chitosan-coated niosomes loaded with EA) were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, the in vitro release of EA was determined. The HFB4 cell line samples were split into five groups: control, UV, UV-EA, UV-NIO-EA, and UV-CS-NIO-EA. UV irradiation was applied to the cell line groups via a UV-emitting lamp for 1 h, and then cell viability was measured for each group. The expression of genes implicated in skin aging (Co1A1, TERT, Timp3, and MMP3) was also assessed to quantify the impact of the loaded EA. The findings showed that EA-loaded chitosan-coated niosomes improved cell survival, upregulated Col1A1, TERT, and Timp3 genes, and downregulated MMP3. Thus, nanoparticles encapsulating EA are potent antioxidants that can preserve collagen levels and slow down the aging process in human skin.

Aloe Vera coated Dextran Sulfate/Chitosan nanoparticles (Aloe Vera @ DS/CS) encapsulating Eucalyptus essential oil with antibacterial potent property.

The goal of this work is to encapsulate Eucalyptus staigeriana essential oil in biopolymer matrices, to optimize the biological effects and the antibacterial properties of this oil. In this study, Eucalyptus extract was encapsulated in Aloe Vera coated Dextran Sulfate/Chitosan nanoparticles to form a hydrogel with potent properties. In this study, Eucalyptus extract was loaded on to Aloe Vera coated Dextran Sulphate/Chitosan nanoparticles to obtain a nano-hydrogel with potent properties. The characterization of nanoparticles was evaluated using transmission and scanning electron microscopes, dynamic light scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and antibacterial activity. The E. staigeriana release profile from the prepared nanoparticles was studied in vitro at a pH of 7.4. The results showed that this nano-carrier controls Eucalyptus release. Aloe Vera coated Dextran Sulfate/Chitosan nanoparticles encapsulated with E. staigeriana inhibited the bacteria by 47.27%. These investigations concluded that E. staigeriana loaded Aloe Vera coated Dextran Sulfate/Chitosan hydrogel could be used as a powerful dressing material to accelerate wound healing.

Annona squamosa L. Extract-Loaded Niosome and Its Anti-Ehrlich Ascites' Carcinoma Activity.

Current research is focused on cancer treatments other than chemotherapy medications, particularly those derived from natural sources. The goal of this work was to look at the anticancer and biomarker properties of a methanolic extract of Annona squamosa leaves and their extract-loaded noisome. A. squamosa leaves extract and their leaves extract-loaded noisome were prepared. Transmission electron microscopy was used to screen the size of the niosomes loaded with the A. squamosa L. leaves extract. The tumor size, blood picture (hemoglobin, red blood cells, white blood cells), liver functions, kidney function, oxidative stress, and inflammatory markers were evaluated to assess the potential anticancer activity of the A. squamosa leaves extract and A. squamosa leaves extract-loaded noisome in Ehrlich ascites carcinoma. A. squamosa L. leaves extract was found to be an effective anticancer treatment. The protective effect of the loaded extract showed more significant results. All treated groups showed a lower tumor volume compared to the positive control. Liver and kidney functions were improved, and inflammatory markers were decreased. Oxidative stress was improved in tumor, liver, and kidney tissues. A. squamosa leaves contain major anticancer compounds that in general help most enzymes of the liver and kidney and other injured organs to return to their normal levels.

A comprehensive method for calculating total body irradiation.

PURPOSE: To provide means for calculating the dose received by various tissues of the patient, calculate lung shield, and verify received dose using a phantom as a tool for quality assurance for a planned Total Body Irradiation (TBI) procedure in radiotherapy. METHOD: Using Microsoft Visual Basic, MATLAB, and Python, a program for Total Body Irradiation Calculation in Radiotherapy (TBICR) is constructed. It uses patient translation and beam zone method for total body irradiation calculations to compute the proper dose received by the patient and determine the lung shield thickness. There are three main user-friendly interfaces in the application. The first one allows the user to upload the TBI topography and estimate the distances needed for TBI calculations. The second one enables the user to count the number of beam zones needed for each point and estimate the effective area (Aeff) for each level. The third interface estimates the velocity required to deliver the relative dose depending on patient separation, Monitor Units (MU), couch speed and travel distance. It allows the user to compute the required lung shield thickness, read any patient's CT DICOM file and acquire dose in any distinct location using machine learning model to predict the dose. RESULTS: The TBICR software has been successfully validated by reproducing all of the manual calculations in an exact and timely manner. TBICR generated more accurate results and confirmed the absorbed dose to patient through measurements on Anderson phantom. CONCLUSIONS: A computer program for the calculation of total body irradiation (TBI) is described in full. The dose received at each point on the patient, the calculation of lung shield and the determination of the velocity and time required for the couch movement are all made possible using the software. The ease of use, precision, data storage and printing are some important features of the present software.

GANE can Improve Lung Fibrosis by Reducing Inflammation via Promoting p38MAPK/TGF-ß1/NF-κB Signaling Pathway Downregulation.

There is a trend to use nanoparticles as distinct treatments for cancer treatment because they have overcome many of the limitations of traditional drug delivery systems. Gallic acid (GA) is an effective polyphenol in the treatment of tissue injuries. In this study, GA was loaded onto niosomes to produce gallic acid nanoemulsion (GANE) using a green synthesis technique. GANE's efficiency, morphology, UV absorption, release, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis were evaluated. An in vitro study was conducted on the A549 lung carcinoma cell line to determine the GANE cytotoxicity. Also, our study was extended to evaluate the protective effect of GANE against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats. GANE showed higher encapsulation efficiency and strong absorption at 280 nm. Transmission electron microscopy presented a spherical shape of the prepared nanoparticles, and FTIR demonstrated different spectra for the free gallic acid sample compared to GANE. GANE showed cytotoxicity for the A549 carcinoma lung cell line with a low IC50 value. It was found that oral administration of GANE at 32.8 and 82 mg/kg.b.w. and dexamethasone (0.5 mg/kg) provided significant protection against LPS-induced pulmonary fibrosis. GANE enhanced production of superoxide dismutase, GPx, and GSH. It simultaneously reduced the MDA level. The GANE and dexamethasone, induced the production of IL-4, but suppressed TNF-α and IL-6. On the other hand, the lung p38MAPK, TGF-ß1, and NF-κB gene expression was downregulated in rats administrated with GANE when compared with the LPS-treated rats. Histological studies confirmed the effective effect of GANE as it had a lung-protective effect against LPS-induced lung fibrosis. It was noticed that GANE can inhibit oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, and cytokines and downregulate p38MAPK, TGF-ß1, and NF-κB gene expression to suppress the proliferation and migration of lung fibrotic cells.

Evaluation of Natural Bioactive-Derived Punicalagin Niosomes in Skin-Aging Processes Accelerated by Oxidant and Ultraviolet Radiation.

INTRODUCTION: Skin aging is a normal process that might be accelerated or delayed by altering the balance between antioxidants and free radicals due to increase in the exposure to reactive oxygen species (ROS) into skin cells via UV radiation. Antioxidants can neutralize the harmful effects of ROS, and secondary plant metabolites might help protect against UV radiation. METHODS: In this study, punicalagin was extracted from pomegranate, and concentrations of total polyphenolics and flavonoids were determined, and antioxidant activities were measured. Punicalagin was loaded onto niosomes, and its morphology and release were studied. An in vitro study was performed on human fibroblast cell line HFB4 cells with aging induced by H2O2 and UV radiation. Cell cycle arrest was studied, and different genes (MMP3, Col1A1, Timp3, and TERT) involved in the skin aging process were selected to measure punicalagin's effect. RESULTS: Punicalagin succeeded in reducing the growth arrest of HFB4 cells, activated production of the Col1A1 and Timp3 genes, maintained collagen level, and lowered MMP3. Punicalagin increased human TERT concentration in skin cells. DISCUSSION: Punicalagin is promising as a natural antioxidant to protect human skin from aging.

Magnetic fields enhance the anti-tumor efficacy of low dose cisplatin and reduce the nephrotoxicity.

The present work was to examine a combination of therapy for a low dose of cisplatin and a magnetic field (MF) on Ehrlich carcinoma-bearing mice. In this study, a total of 50 BALB/C female mice were equally distributed into five groups. Mice from the control group did not receive MF or cisplatin. The low and high dose cisplatin groups were injected intraperitoneal (i.p.) with 3 and 6 mg/kg cisplatin, respectively, on the experimental days (1, 4, and 8). Mice group of cisplatin + MF was injected with a low dose of cisplatin followed by MF exposure (50 Hz, 50 mT), and the MF group was exposed to MF only. The impact of MF and cisplatin on the tumor and kidney were evaluated by measuring superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels, DNA injury (comet assay), histopathological investigation of tissues, and tumor progress. The results suggested that the combination of a low dose of cisplatin with MF was significantly elevated in MDA levels, reduced SOD activity, and GSH levels. Furthermore, it caused a rise in comet parameters and inhibition in tumor growth. These results showed that MF enhances the therapeutic efficacy of low cisplatin doses and reduces nephrotoxicity.