The Impact of Corrosion Inhibitors in Desalination Systems.

In this review, the importance of corrosion inhibitors in desalination plants is briefly discussed, with an emphasis on the various types for effective corrosion control techniques. The review highlighted the most significant corrosion inhibitors used in desalination plants for minimizing the corrosiveness of the source water throughout pretreatment, reverse osmosis, and post-treatment stages. Water composition, temperature and pressure, pH, dissolved oxygen, flow velocity, chloride content, fouling, and scaling are all described as factors affecting corrosion in desalinated water. The types of corrosion inhibitors used in desalination plants are summarized, including inorganic inhibitors, organic inhibitors, and eco-friendly inhibitors. Environmental issues and long-term inhibition are highlighted briefly.

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, and Antitumor Activity of Fucoidan from the Brown Alga Dictyota dichotoma.

Brown macroalgae are a rich source of fucoidans with many pharmacological uses. This research aimed to isolate and characterize fucoidan from Dictyota dichotoma var. dichotoma (Hudson) J.V. Lamouroux and evaluate in vitro its antioxidant and antitumor potential. The fucoidan yield was 0.057 g/g algal dry wt with a molecular weight of about 48.6 kDa. In terms of fucoidan composition, the sulfate, uronic acid, and protein contents were 83.3 ± 5.20 mg/g fucoidan, 22.5 ± 0.80 mg/g fucoidan, and 26.1 ± 1.70 mg/g fucoidan, respectively. Fucose was the primary sugar component, as were glucose, galactose, mannose, xylose, and glucuronic acid. Fucoidan exhibited strong antioxidant potential that increased by more than 3 times with the increase in concentration from 0.1 to 5.0 mg/mL. Moreover, different concentrations of fucoidan (0.05-1 mg/mL) showed their ability to decrease the viability of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells in a time-dependent manner. These findings provided a fast method to obtain an appreciable amount of natural fucoidan with established structural characteristics as a promising compound with pronounced antioxidant and anticancer activity.

Bioremediation of malachite green dye using sodium alginate, Sargassum latifolium extract, and their silver nanoparticles.

INTRODUCTION: The textile, paper, rubber, plastic, leather, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and food sectors extensively use malachite green (MG). In spite of this, it has mutagenic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, and, in some circumstances causes chronic respiratory disease. OBJECTIVES: In this work, we used sodium alginate, Sargassum latifolium aqueous extract, and their silver nanoparticles to test their potential as inexpensive adsorbent agents to remove malachite green dye from aqueous solutions. METHODS: The removal rate of MG was determined using a series of bioadsorption experiments. Besides, the effect of different factors on bioadsorption, such as pH, adsorbent dose, contact time (min), and different concentrations of MG dye was investigated. RESULTS: The removal efficiency of MG dye by alginate nanoparticles, alginate, Sargassum latifolium aqueous extract, and S. latifolium aqueous extract nanoparticles was 91, 82, 84, and 68 respectively. The optimal conditions for bioadsorption of malachite green dye were pH 7, a contact time of 180 min, and an adsorbent dose of 0.02 g. The adsorption isotherm was fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm. Also, UV and FT-IR before and after the bioadsorption of MG were performed to confirm the bioadsorption process. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that alginate nanoparticles were the most effective bioadsorbent agent.

Controlling the Hydrogen Generation Reaction from Waste Water in Oil Fields Using an Ionic Liquid.

Hydrogen production technologies are attracting widespread interest in energy technologies. The conventional methods for hydrogen production suffer from high cost, restricting their production everywhere. Here, we use waste formation water from a petroleum field and carbon steel materials to produce hydrogen. The most suitable conditions have been investigated to maximize the hydrogen yield. In addition, an ionic liquid (i.e., tributylmethylammonium methyl carbonate, BMAMC) has been used to control the hydrogen generation reaction. We reveal that the amount of hydrogen release rapidly increases with decreasing pH of the solution from 6.7 to 2.5. A further increase in temperature resulted in more amount of hydrogen release. Our study investigates the influence of chloride ions on hydrogen generation activity. The results revealed that ionic liquid BMAMC remarkably decreases the amount of hydrogen release with an efficiency of 92% at 5.08 × 10-4 M. The addition of ionic liquid BMAMC into waste formation water increases the activation energy of the hydrogen generation reaction. The Langmuir model is the best isotherm describing the adsorption of BMAMC on carbon steel. Finally, to confirm the adsorption of the ionic liquid BMAMC, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis were conducted.

Inhibitory Capabilities of Sweet Yellow Capsicum Extract toward the Rusting of Steel Rebars in Cement Pore Solution.

The inhibitory capabilities of the sweet yellow capsicum extract (SYCE) toward the rusting of steel rebars in cement pore solution (CPS) were tested employing the electrochemical and mass loss methods. Gallic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, luteolin, and cinnamic acid are the most important constituents in the SYCE extract. By adsorbing them on steel bars, the organic compounds in the CSA extract enable them with an effective mixed-type inhibition, suppressing both anodic and cathodic procedures. At 300 ppm, the highest performances were 95.3 and 97.5% utilizing mass loss and electrochemical approaches, respectively. The activation energy for the corrosion process is greatly increased by the addition of the SYCE extract, going from 13.2 kJ mol-1 (blank solution) to 30.0 kJ mol-1 (300 ppm SYCE extract). The physical adsorption actions of the SYCE extract are described by the Freundlich equilibrium constant's smallest value, which is 0.074 ppm-1. Many future investigators will be attracted by these discoveries to work relentlessly to uncover the anti-corrosion characteristics of novel plant extracts in the area of concrete additives.

Bioadsorption of Fe (II) ions from aqueous solution using Sargassum latifolium aqueous extract and its synthesized silver nanoparticles.

Algal extracts are used in the environmentally safe and economically advantageous biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles, which does not require the use of hazardous chemicals, high temperatures, pressures, or energies. In the current study, we created silver nanoparticles from the extract of the marine brown alga Sargassum latifolium, analyzed them with Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), FTIR, and UV-visible spectrophotometers, and used them to show how well they could remove Fe (II) ions from aqueous solutions. UV scan analyses of S. latifolium aqueous extract of silver nanoparticles showed a maximum peak at 450 nm. This peak is considered a characteristic peak for silver nanoparticles. Also, FTIR analysis of S. latifolium aqueous extract revealed various functional groups such as - OH, -NH, -CH, -COOH, CO, and C-C, which are responsible for bioadsorption of Fe (II). TEM also demonstrated that the synthesized nanoparticles were spherical, distinct, and regular, with particles size about 6.03-15.16 nm. S. latifolium aqueous extract silver nanoparticles were more effective than its aqueous extract in removing Fe (II) from an aqueous solution. The removal efficiency of Fe (II) by nanoparticles was 83%, while by the aqueous extract was 69%. The optimal conditions for bioadsorption of Fe (II) were pH 4, contact time 150, and adsorbent dose 0.01 g.

No work has been reported yet for utilization of marine brown algae Sargassum latifolium aqueous extract to synthesize silver nanoparticles and its application of Fe (II) bioadsorption from aqueous solution.

Green Synthesis of a Novel Cationic Surfactant Based on an Azo Schiff Compound for Use as a Carbon Steel Anticorrosion Agent.

The new cationic surfactant-based azo Schiff compound (azoS8) was prepared, characterized, and investigated as a corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel in 1 M HCl by means of electrochemical approaches in this study. The chemical structure of azoS8 has been verified by the FTIR and 1H NMR spectra. According to the electrochemical system, the examined surfactant is a mixed-type inhibitor. The surfactant azoS8 was an adequate corrosion inhibitor, as evidenced by the reduction in corrosion current densities and the rise in coverage of the surface identified with an evolving inhibitor amount. When the surfactant azoS8 had been added, the capacitive cycle loops on the Nyquist plots were broader, and the dimension of these loops expanded with surfactant azoS8 concentration. This implies that the amount of surfactant azoS8 led to an improvement in the impedance of the steel electrode. The surfactant azoS8 adsorption system is well suited to the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. It was discovered that azoS8 had a Gibbs free energy change value of -27.72 kJ mol-1, which is a mixed adsorption mechanism containing both physisorption and chemisorption.

Impact of the microalga Dunaliella salina (Dunal) Teodoresco culture and its ß-carotene extract on the development of salt-stressed squash (Cucurbita pepo L. cv. Mabrouka).

Salinity is a major threat to crop production and global food security. Algae and their extracts containing bioactive compounds can enhance the salt tolerance of plants, including the salt-sensitive plants. The current study evaluated the efficacy of Dunaliella salina (Dunal) Teodoresco culture and/or its ß-carotene extract in improving the salt tolerance of squash (Cucurbita pepo L. cv. Mabrouka). Amendment of C. pepo with D. salina culture and/or its ß-carotene extract was more effective in alleviating the impact of moderate salinity imposed by seawater dilution of 2.5 dS m-1 than either low (0.55 dS m-1) or high (3.5 dS m-1) salinity, with a comparable effect to that of salicylic acid (SA). Plants that received a combination of D. salina culture and its ß-carotene extract showed significantly higher growth (total biomass, fruit productivity) and physiological attributes (photosynthetic pigments, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K+) contents) than those receiving either amendment alone, reaching up to 80-90% of the SA-treated plants at moderate salinity (2.5 dS m-1). The combination could enhance the antioxidant activity of moderately salt-stressed C. pepo via increasing carotenoids and phenolics contents, suggesting that this combination could enhance the adaptation of C. pepo to the moderate salinity. The present study recommends using the blooms of D. salina and its ß-carotene that is naturally secreted in situ in natural or synthetic open systems in improving the salt tolerance of C. pepo instead of using the expensive synthetic hormones. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-022-01176-6.

Biological control of Fusarium tomato-wilt disease by cyanobacteria Nostoc spp.

This study investigated the effect of foliar application of extract and culture of Nostoc calcicola and Nostoc linckia on the Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL) that infects tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) plant in vitro and in vivo. Cyanobacterial isolates were isolated from saline soils at El-Hamoul and Seidy Salem locations Kafr Elsheikh, Egypt, and identified to be N. calcicola and N. linckia Bioactive compounds of extract were analyzed by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Dry weight, carotene, chlorophyll content, and total phenolic compounds of isolates were measured. Plant height, dry weight, fruit number, and fruit weight of tomatoes were estimated. GC/MS analysis showed 49 and 35 bioactive compounds in extracts of N. calcicola and N. linckia, respectively. N. calcicola possesses the highest values of chlorophyll a, carotenoid, and total phenol contents in dry weight compared with N. linckia. After 100 days of tomato growth, the results showed the highest yield of tomato fruits with the application of N. calcicola and N. linckia compared with the untreated plants and the plants which were infected with Fusarium, suggesting that N. calcicola and N. linckia can serve as a new bioagent for biological control of the soil fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL).

Impact of Ionic Liquid on Hydrogen Production from Waste Oilfield Water.

We present a promising method for producing pure hydrogen energy from the dissolution of zinc metal in waste oilfield water (WOW) under various conditions. This process mainly consumes zinc metal and WOW. The results show robust dependence on the temperature and solution pH of the hydrogen gas output. Low pH (2.5) and high temperature (338 K) were discovered to be the better conditions for hydrogen production. The 1-ethyl-3-methylpyridinium ethyl sulfate (EMP-ES) ionic liquid is used to regulate the rate of hydrogen generation for the first time. It has been confirmed that the rate of the dissolution of zinc increased faster and produced more hydrogen per unit of time by an increase in solution temperature and a decrease in solution pH. The adsorption of EMP-ES on the active sites of the Zn surface is unrestrained with mixing physical and chemical orientations. SEM, EDX, and FTIR spectroscopy inspections have been utilized to identify and characterize surface corrosion of zinc in WOW. Furthermore, this process is completely secure and can generate energy on demand.

Controlling Magnesium Self-Corrosion in Mg-Air Batteries with the Conductive Nanocomposite PANI@3D-FCNT.

A promising potential device for storage of large amounts of energy is Mg-air batteries. However, the corrosion of the Mg electrode inside the battery electrolyte limits the battery's capacity to store energy. We present a new strategy to protect the Mg electrode from corrosion and increase the life cycle of Mg batteries in this article. The Mg electrode is coated with a conductive nanocomposite (PANI@3D-FCNT) in this technique. To better understand the anticorrosion properties of PANI@3D-FCNTs and their effect on the battery efficiency, electrochemical and battery tests are used. We discovered that PANI@3D-FCNT plays the most promising role in reducing Mg electrode corrosion in 3.5 wt % NaCl electrolyte, with an efficiency of 93.9%. The battery with the coated Mg electrode has a longer discharge time and a slower drop in operating voltage. The PANI@3D-FCNT nanocomposite will prolong the life of the Mg-air battery and keep the Mg electrode active for a long time. This work outstandingly provides an effective strategy to address the defects in the Mg-air batteries arising from electrode corrosion successfully. The work is a great way to open up new avenues for introducing new conductive nanocomposites in metal-air battery designs without using traditional methods.

Algal amendment improved yield and grain quality of rice with alleviation of the impacts of salt stress and water stress.

The hazardous effect of abiotic stress and the beneficial effect of organic amendments on rice have been extensively studied during the vegetative stage, but little information is available regarding rice yield. Therefore, the response of rice yield to abiotic stress × organic amendment interaction needs thorough investigation. The differential potency of aqueous extract and biomass of the seaweed Dictyota dichotoma in alleviation of NaCl salinity and PEG-6000 water stress, at Ψw of -0.492 MPa in medium-textured soil, on yield of cv. Sakha 101 of Oryza sativa was investigated. Grain yield, number of spikes/plant, number of grains/spike, and seed index were lowered by 59%, 47%, 40%, and 35%, respectively under salt-stress with relatively severe reductions of 63%, 50%, 50%, and 40%, respectively under water stress. Also, the improvement in grain yield, number of spikes/plant, number of grains/spike and seed index by algal amendment was greater with algal extract (106%, 72%, 79%, and 81%, respectively) than algal powder (71%, 52%, 46%, and 65%, respectively). The improved grain yield of algal-amended plants was paralleled with the production of wider, heavier and drier grains. Both salinity stress and water stress significantly reduced grain protein but increased soluble sugars and starch contents. The grain content of protein, K+, Ca2+, P and N was improved while that of Na+ was reduced in response to algal amendment with marginal effects on soluble sugars and starch. Rice grain vigor was positively correlated to protein and mineral nutrient contents versus negative correlation with soluble sugar and starch contents. Both algal amendment and abiotic stress agreed in reducing grain As content. The benefit afforded by Dictyota dichotoma to rice yield justifies manipulation of the algal extract for alleviation of abiotic stress on rice yield and improvement of grain quality.

Assessment of Human Papillomavirus Infection and Risk Factors in Egyptian Women With Breast Cancer.

Numerous risk factors for breast cancer (BC) have been identified. High-risk human papilloma virus (HR-HPV) is the etiological agent of cervical cancer and in some cases of head and neck cancer, specifically oropharyngeal cancer, but the role of HR-HPV in evoking neoplasia in BC is still unclear. In this study, all women above the age of 18 visiting the oncology clinic at Al-Azhar university hospital and Ain Shams specialized hospital between the period of February 2017 and March 2018 were invited to participate. We determined the prevalence of HR-HPV genotypes 16, 18, and 31 in breast tissue samples from 72 women with treatment-naïve BC and 15 women with benign breast lesions (BBL) by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and primer sets targeting the E6 and E7 regions. High-risk human papilloma virus DNA was detected in 16 of 72 (22.2%) BC cases (viral load range = 0.3-237.8 copies/uL) and 0 of 15 women with BBL. High-risk human papilloma virus was detected in 14 of 16 (87.5%), 2 of 16 (12.5%), and 0 of 16 (0%) for genotypes 16, 18, and 31, respectively. Forty-three age-matched healthy Egyptian women were enrolled as controls for assessment of local risk factors that can be used to initiate a strategy of BC prevention in Egypt. Assessment of the risk factors demonstrated that low education level, passive smoking, lack of physical activity, family history of cancer, and use of oral contraception were significant risk factors for BC. In conclusion, our results lead us to postulate that HR-HPV infection may be implicated in the development of some types of BC in Egyptian women. In addition, identification of local risk factors can support practical prevention strategies for BC in Egypt.

Bio-active sesquiterpenoids and norsesquiternoids from the Red Sea octocoral Rhytisma fulvum fulvum.

Three previously undescribed nardosinane-type sesquiterpenes (1-3), together with six known compounds (4-9) were isolated from the alcyonacean soft coral Rhytisma fulvum fulvum. 2 and 3 are 13-nornardosinane, and 6,7-seco-13-nornardosinane derivatives, respectively. 2 could be an artifact due to C-6 epimerization of the known one 4. Chemical structures were elucidated based on 1 D, 2 D NMR and MS spectral data. Compounds 1-8 showed cytotoxic activity against NCI-H1299, HepG2 and MCF-7 with IC50 values between 0.0352-0.0974, 0.0717-0.3745 and 0.0341-0.1325 mM, respectively. The antibacterial activity of all isolated compounds have examined against a number of Gram-positive (Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureas) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas sp.) bacteria. Compounds 6 and 7 showed a high degree of inhibition against B. cereus, S. aureus and Pseudomonas sp. Interestingly, neolemnane (6) showed strong inhibition against two fungi, Aspergillus niger and Fusarium oxysporum; while 8 showed positive inhibition against Fusarium oxysporum at 150 µg/mL.

Coronaviruses widespread on nonliving surfaces: important questions and promising answers.

The world is facing, while writing this review, a global pandemic due to one of the types of the coronaviruses (i.e., COVID-19), which is a new virus. Among the most important reasons for the transmission of infection between humans is the presence of this virus active on the surfaces and materials. Here, we addressed important questions such as do coronaviruses remain active on the inanimate surfaces? Do the types of inanimate surfaces affect the activity of coronaviruses? What are the most suitable ingredients that used to inactivate viruses? This review article addressed many of the works that were done in the previous periods on the survival of many viruses from the coronaviruses family on various surfaces such as steel, glass, plastic, Teflon, ceramic tiles, silicon rubber and stainless steel copper alloys, Al surface, sterile sponges, surgical gloves and sterile latex. The impacts of environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity were presented and discussed. The most important active ingredients that can deactivate viruses on the surfaces were reported here. We hope that these active ingredients will have the same effect on COVID-19.

The aqueous extract and powder of the brown alga Dictyota dichotoma (Hudson) differentially alleviate the impact of abiotic stress on rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Algal supplements can improve crop productivity and afford protection against abiotic stress by virtue of their rich content of plant nutrients and bioactive compounds. The present work investigates the relative efficiency of the biomass and extract of the brown alga Dictyota dichotoma in protection of rice against salinity and water stress. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) cv. Sakha 101 was grown on a silty clay soil amended with the aqueous extract and powder of D. dichotoma under NaCl and PEG 6000 stress at water potential of - 0.492 MPa. Abiotic stress, particularly water stress, reduced rice growth and concentrations of K+ and protein but increased soluble sugars, starch, proline and Na+ concentrations of plant tissues, with counterbalancing effect of algal amendment. The benefit of algal amendment was greater for algal extract than algal powder and under water stress than salt stress. Algal amendment and abiotic stress promoted catalase and peroxidase activities in rice leaves with variable effect on polyphenol oxidase. The benefit of D. dichotoma to rice can be related to macro- and micro-nutrients, growth hormones, phenolics, flavonoids, sterols, vitamins and fucoidan. The production of toxic intermediates as a result of fermentation of the algal biomass in the paddy soil might reduce the benefit of algal amendment. Although rice is salt-sensitive, it is more resistant to salt stress than to drought stress. The ability of rice to retain Na+ in the root is pivotal for stress resistance, but the role of K+ partitioning is less evident.

Antiviral activity of five filamentous cyanobacteria against coxsackievirus B3 and rotavirus.

Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) and rotavirus (RV) are pathogens of some chronic human diseases. The aim of this study was to determine in vitro antiviral activity of some cyanobacteria against RV and CVB3 infections. Five cyanobacteria were collected from Egypt, identified, and analyzed biochemically. Then, the inhibition of the cytopathic effect of RV and CVB3 viruses by cyanobacterial extracts was examined. Methanol extract of the cyanobacterial isolates showed high antiviral activity against CVB3 with Therapeutic index (TI) of 50.0, 30.0, 27.6, 16.6, and 20.0 for Leptolyngbya boryana, Arthrospira platensis, Nostoc punctiforme, Oscillatoria sp., and Leptolyngbya sp., respectively. The extracts reduced CVB3 titers comparing to 50% tissue culture infectious doses (TCID50) with values 3.25-5.75 log10 of TCID50. Moreover, extracts of A. platensis, and Oscillatoria sp. exhibited high antiviral activity against RV with TI values of 45 and 42.5, respectively, and a reduction in virus titers by 5.75 log10 and 5.5 log10 of TCID50, respectively. Extracts of L. boryana, Leptolyngbya sp., and N. punctiforme had a moderate to low antiviral activity against RV with TI ranging between 2.8 and 7, respectively, and a reduction in virus titers between 0.5 log10 and 1.5 log10 of TCID50, respectively. This study concluded that extracts of five cyanobacterial isolates possess a potent antiviral effect against CVB3 and RV, making them promising sources of new safe antiviral drugs.

Occurrence of cyanobacteria and microcystin toxins in raw and treated waters of the Nile River, Egypt: implication for water treatment and human health.

Monitoring of cyanobacteria and their associated toxins has intensified in raw water sources of drinking water treatment plants (WTPs) in most countries of the world. However, it is not explored yet for Egyptian WTPs. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the occurrence of cyanobacteria and their microcystin (MC) toxins in the Nile River source water of Damietta WTP during warm months (April-September 2013) and to evaluate the removal efficiency of both cyanobacterial cells and MCs by conventional methods used in this plant as a representative of Egyptian drinking WTPs. The results showed that the source water at the intake of Damietta WTP contained dense cyanobacterial population (1.1-6.6 × 107 cells L(-1)) dominated by Microcystis aeruginosa. This bloom was found to produce MC-RR and MC-LR. Both cyanobacterial cell density and intracellular MCs in the intake source water increased with the increase in temperature and nutrients during the study period, with maximum values obtained in August. During treatment processes, cyanobacterial cells were incompletely removed by coagulation/flocculation/sedimentation (C/F/S; 91-96.8%) or sand filtration (93.3-98.9%). Coagulation/flocculation induced the release of MCs into the ambient water, and the toxins were not completely removed or degraded during further treatment stages (filtration and chlorination). MCs in outflow tank water were detected in high concentrations (1.1-3.6 µg L - 1), exceeding WHO provisional guideline value of 1 µg L - 1 for MC-LR in drinking water. Based on this study, regular monitoring of cyanobacteria and their cyanotoxins in the intake source water and at different stages at all WTPs is necessary to provide safe drinking water to consumers or to prevent exposure of consumers to hazardous cyanobacterial metabolites.

Rituximab increases the cytotoxicities of vincristine and hydroxyurea through caspase-dependent and caspase-independent cell death, respectively.

In the treatment of B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, rituximab is used in combination with different chemotherapeutics to improve its efficacy, but the mechanisms involved are not fully understood. The authors examined the mechanism by which rituximab combined with hydroxyurea or vincristine induces cell death in the human Burkitt's lymphoma Ramos cell line. Cell death was analyzed by phosphatidylserine exposure, caspase activation, and mitochondrial membrane changes. Their results indicate that the cell death initiated by the combination of rituximab and hydroxyurea is caspase-independent. In contrast, preincubation of the cells with the same concentrations of caspase inhibitors used with hydroxyurea eliminated the synergistic effect of the rituximab and vincristine combination. This was confirmed by the presence of the active fragment of caspase-3 in vincristine-treated cells. These preliminary results demonstrate that rituximab can activate different downstream signals to induce direct cell effects. Furthermore, the findings support the important role of mitochondria in the regulation of both pathways.

Rituximab synergizes with hydroxyurea or vincristine in the killing of Ramos Burkitt's lymphoma B cell line.

Rituximab is an effective immunotherapy for CD20-positive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. However, some patients show resistance, particularly those suffering from more aggressive lymphoma types, such as Burkitt's lymphoma. Hence, Rituximab is commonly combined with several chemotherapeutic drugs. With a view to reduce the number of such drugs, we examined the effect of combining Rituximab individually with hydroxyurea, vincristine, or etoposide on the killing of Ramos Burkitt lymphoma cell line type I. Cell death was examined by using Annexin-V/propidium iodide staining. Combining Rituximab with hydroxyurea or vincristine resulted in a synergistic effect, whereas combining it with etoposide resulted in a subadditive effect. In single treatments, the percentage of cell death ranged from 23% (Rituximab) to 36% (hydroxyurea). Combining Rituximab with hydroxyurea or vincristine resulted in a synergistic effect (83% and 74% killing, respectively). In contrast, only a subadditive effect was noticed with etoposide (36%). We conclude that the synergistic effect of Rituximab with hydroxyurea or vincristine is worthy of further study, and that further in vitro screening of chemotherapeutics might identify chemo-immunotherapeutic combinations that are effective in vivo but less toxic than currently used regimens.