Introducing a Novel Chemotherapeutic Drug for the Treatment of Lung Adenocarcinoma: Silver Nanoparticles Green-formulated by Cinnamomum verum.

In this study we report the green synthesis of nontoxic, stable, and small size silver nanoparticle by Cinnamomum verum with reducing/capping ability without any toxic reducing agents. The in situ prepared AgNPs were characterized by advanced physicochemical techniques like FE-SEM, TEM, and UV-Vis study. It has been established that AgNPs have a spherical shape with a mean diameter from 10 to 45 nm. In the antioxidant test, the IC50 of AgNPs and BHT against DPPH free radicals were 191 and 242 µg/mL, respectively. In the cellular and molecular part of the recent study, the treated cells with AgNPs were assessed by MTT assay for 48 h about the cytotoxicity and anti-human lung adenocarcinoma properties on normal (HUVEC) and lung adenocarcinoma cell lines i.e. PC-14, LC-2/ad, and HLC-1. The IC50 of AgNPs were 259, 291, and 395 µg/mL against PC-14, LC-2/ad, and HLC-1 cell lines, respectively. The viability of malignant lung cell line reduced dose-dependently in the presence of AgNPs.

Hyperthermia ablation combined with transarterial chemoembolization versus monotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The existing evidence has indicated that hyperthermia ablation (HA) and HA combined with transarterial chemoembolization (HATACE) are the optimal alternative to surgical resection for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the COVID-19 crisis. However, the evidence for decision-making is lacking in terms of comparison between HA and HATACE. Herein, a comprehensive evaluation was performed to compare the efficacy and safety of HATACE with monotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Worldwide studies were collected to evaluate the HATACE regimen for HCC due to the practical need for global extrapolation of applicative population. Meta-analyses were performed using the RevMan 5.3 software (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark). RESULTS: Thirty-six studies involving a large sample of 5036 patients were included finally. Compared with HA alone, HATACE produced the advantage of 5-year overall survival (OS) rate (OR:1.90; 95%CI:1.46,2.46; p < 0.05) without increasing toxicity (p ≥ 0.05). Compared with TACE alone, HATACE was associated with superior 5-year OS rate (OR:3.54; 95%CI:1.96,6.37; p < 0.05) and significantly reduced the incidences of severe liver damage (OR:0.32; 95%CI:0.11,0.96; p < 0.05) and ascites (OR:0.42; 95%CI:0.20,0.88; p < 0.05). Subgroup analysis results of small (≤3 cm) HCC revealed that there were no significant differences between the HATACE group and HA monotherapy group in regard to the OS rates (p ≥ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with TACE alone, HATACE was more effective and safe for HCC. Compared with HA alone, HATACE was more effective for non-small-sized (>3 cm) HCC with comparable safety. However, the survival benefit of adjuvant TACE in HATACE regimen was not found for the patients with small (≤3 cm) HCC.

Protective effects of Astragalus saponin I on early stage of diabetic nephropathy in rats.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) has become the leading cause of end stage failure, but no renoprotective treatment has been very available for use in DN. Astragalus saponin I (AS I), a component extracted from Astragalus membranaceus BUNGE, was studied in experimental DN induced by administration of streptozotocin in male rats. The early DN rats were treated with 3 doses of AS I for 8 weeks to analyze its efficacy with different parameters. By comparison with vehicle-treated DN rats, the renal hypertrophy, the oxidative stress intensity, and the blood glucose level of DN rats were ameliorated by AS I. Also, the microalbuminuria level, advanced glycated end-products either in serum or in kidney cortex, and the aldose reductase activity were significantly reduced. Furthermore, the expression of transforming growth factor beta1 mRNA in kidney cortex by RT-PCR analysis was markedly declined. Both the relative grade of mesangium hyperplasia by microscopical observation and the thickness of glomerular base membrane by electron microscope measurement were decreased significantly. Therefore, the results suggest that AS I has therapeutic effects on several pharmacological targets in the progress of DN and is a potential drug for prevention of early stage DN.

Clinical pathological study of treatment of chronic hepatitis with hyperbaric oxygenation.

OBJECTIVE: To detect the feasibility and theoretic basis for treatment with hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) in chronic hepatitis and to compare the changes in hepatic function, immunity, pathologic morphology, ultrastructure and HBV in hepatic tissues before and after treatment. METHODS: Sixty cases of chronic hepatitis were randomly selected and divided into two groups: the experiment (n = 30) and control groups (n = 30). Patients in the experimental group were treated with HBO for 6 courses. Patients in the control group were treated for 60 days with the usual drugs used in the clinic. The function and bloodstream graph of liver were examined and liver biopsies were made before and after treatments. Routine paraffin sections were stained with HE and observed under the light microscope. Ultra thin slides from paraformaldehyde and glutaraldehyde fixed liver tissue were stained with lead citrate and observed with the transmission electric microscope. HBsAg and HBcAg in liver of the experimental group were detected with ABC immunohistochemistry method before and after treatment. RESULTS: For the experimental group, ALT, SB, gamma-GT, AKP, IgG, and IgM in blood and the degeneration and necrosis of hepatocytes were remarkably decreased (P < 0.05 ), the mean contractive wave of bloodstream in liver and the bloodstream in right ramus of janitrix were remarkably increased (P < 0.05), and the swelling of mitochondria, increase of lysosomes, generation of Kupffer cells, infiltration of lymphocytes in portal area and capillary generation were all remarkably all eviated (P < 0.05) after treatment with HBO. There were significant differences between the experimental and control groups after treatment with different methods (P < 0.05). For patients in the experimental group, the fibrosis and fat-storing cells in the liver were not reduced (P > 0.05), and the expression of HBsAg and HBcAg in liver was not weakened (P < 0.05) after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with HBO for chronic hepatitis was effective and recommendable, but it could not reverse liver fibrosis. However, it might be able to delay or prevent the liver from fibrosis, so it might be more effective at the early and middle stages of chronic hepatitis. HBO could not inhibit the HB virus. So we consider that treatment with HBO should be simultaneous with anti HBV therapy.