Betula pendula Leaf Extract Targets the Interplay between Brain Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and NFkB Pathways in Amyloid Aß1-42-Treated Rats.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is known as the primary and most common cause of dementia in the middle-aged and elderly population worldwide. Chemical analyses of B. pendula leaf extract (BPE), performed using spectrophotometric and chromatographic methods (LC/MS), revealed high amounts of polyphenol carboxylic acids (gallic, chlorogenic, caffeic, trans-p-coumaric, ferulic, and salicylic acids), as well as flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, naringenin, hyperoside, quercetin, and quercitrin). Four groups of Wistar rats were used in this experiment (n = 7/group): control (untreated), Aß1-42 (2 µg/rat intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.), Aß1-42 + BPE (200 mg/Kg b.w.), and DMSO (10 µL/rat). On the first day, one dose of Aß1-42 was intracerebroventricularly administered to animals in groups 2 and 3. Subsequently, BPE was orally administered for the next 15 days to group 3. On the 16th day, behavioral tests were performed. Biomarkers of brain oxidative stress Malondialdehyde (MDA), (Peroxidase (PRx), Catalase (CAT), and Superoxid dismutase (SOD) and inflammation (cytokines: tumor necrosis factor -α (TNF-α), Interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX 2)) in plasma and hippocampus homogenates were assessed. Various protein expressions (Phospho-Tau (Ser404) (pTau Ser 404), Phospho-Tau (Ser396) (pTau Ser 396), synaptophysin, and the Nuclear factor kappa B (NFkB) signaling pathway) were analyzed using Western blot and immunohistochemistry in the hippocampus. The results show that BPE diminished lipid peroxidation and neuroinflammation, modulated specific protein expression, enhanced the antioxidant capacity, and improved spontaneous alternation behavior, suggesting that it has beneficial effects in AD.

The Utility of Noninvasive Urinary Biomarkers for the Evaluation of Vesicoureteral Reflux in Children.

Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is one of the most important disorders encountered in pediatric nephrology due to its frequency and potential evolution to chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of our study was to identify noninvasive and easy-to-determine urinary markers to facilitate the diagnosis and staging of VUR. We performed a cross-section study including 39 patients with VUR followed over three years (August 2021-September 2023) and 39 children without urinary disorder (the control group). We measured the urinary concentration of interleukin-6 (IL-6), cathelicidin (LL-37), and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in VUR and healthy controls. Moreover, we analyzed the correlation between these biomarkers and the presence of renal scars (RS), reflux nephropathy (RN), and CKD. The NGAL concentrations were significantly higher in patients with VUR than in the controls (p = 0.02). Regarding the severity of the reflux, NGAL/creatinine and LL-37/creatinine were positively correlated with severe reflux (p = 0.04, respectively, p = 0.02). In patients with VUR and RS, LL-37/creatinine was significantly lower (p = 0.01). LL-37/creatinine with an AUC of 0.71 and NGAL/creatinine with an AUC of 0.72 could be acceptable diagnostic tests for severe VUR. In conclusion, urinary IL-6, NGAL, and LL-37 could serve as valuable markers for diagnosing and predicting outcomes in patients with VUR and RN.

The effect of curcumin on reserpine-induced depression-like behaviour in rats.

The aim of this study was to construct an animal model of depression that reproduces the human clinical manifestation, to evaluate the possible benefits of curcumin (CUR) in the treatment of depression and to compare its effect with the effect of a classic antidepressant, escitalopram (ESC). The behavior of depressive-like animals induced by administration of 1.5 mg/kg i. p. reserpine (R), during 10 days (n = 24) was evaluated via the open field test (OFT) and elevated plus maze (EPM) compared to control animals (n = 24) treated with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) used as a vehicle. On the 11th day, each group was divided into 3 subgroups (n = 8): control (CMC), CMC+CUR, CMC+ESC for group without depression and CMC+R, CMC+R+CUR, CMC+R+ESC for group with depression. CUR (150 mg/kg i.p.) and ESC (20 mg/kg i.p.) were intraperitoneally administrated for 21 days. The improvement in depressive behaviour was assessed by OFT, EPM and biochemical analysis on the 32nd day. The results demonstrated that R induced hypomotility and increased oxidative stress in the brain, but also in the serum of rats. CUR had an antioxidant effect in the brain without significant effect on depressive-like behaviour while ESC improved the hypomotility of the depressive rats.

Exosomes in Colorectal Cancer: From Physiology to Clinical Applications.

Exosomes are nanosized vesicles that have been found to be involved in many diseases. Exosomes can mediate communication between cells in a variety of ways. Certain types of mediators derived from cancer cells can play a crucial role in the development of this pathology, promoting tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, and immunomodulation. Exosomes in the bloodstream show promise as a future tool for detecting cancer at an early stage. The sensitivity and specificity of clinical exosome biomarkers need to be enhanced. Knowledge of exosomes is not only important for understanding the significance of cancer progression but also for providing clinicians with useful information for the diagnosis, treatment, and discovery of methods to prevent cancer from recurring. The widespread adoption of diagnostic tools based on exosomes may revolutionize cancer diagnosis and treatment. Tumor metastasis, chemoresistance, and immunity are all aided by exosomes. A potential new approach to cancer therapy involves preventing metastasis by inhibiting miRNA intracellular signaling and blocking the formation of pre-metastatic niches. For colorectal patients, exosomes represent a promising area of investigation for improving the diagnosis, treatment, and management. Reported data demonstrate that the serum expression level of certain exosomal miRNA is significantly higher in primary colorectal cancer patients. The present review discusses mechanisms and clinical implications of exosomes in colorectal cancer.

Celecoxib as a Valuable Adjuvant in Cutaneous Melanoma Treated with Trametinib.

BACKGROUND: Melanoma patients stop responding to targeted therapies mainly due to mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway re-activation, phosphoinositide 3 kinase/the mechanistic target of rapamycin (PI3K/mTOR) pathway activation or stromal cell influence. The future of melanoma treatment lies in combinational approaches. To address this, our in vitro study evaluated if lower concentrations of Celecoxib (IC50 in nM range) could still preserve the chemopreventive effect on melanoma cells treated with trametinib. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All experiments were conducted on SK-MEL-28 human melanoma cells and BJ human fibroblasts, used as co-culture. Co-culture cells were subjected to a celecoxib and trametinib drug combination for 72 h. We focused on the evaluation of cell death mechanisms, melanogenesis, angiogenesis, inflammation and resistance pathways. RESULTS: Low-dose celecoxib significantly enhanced the melanoma response to trametinib. The therapeutic combination reduced nuclear transcription factor (NF)-kB (p < 0.0001) and caspase-8/caspase-3 activation (p < 0.0001), inhibited microphthalmia transcription factor (MITF) and tyrosinase (p < 0.05) expression and strongly down-regulated the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway more significantly than the control or trametinib group (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Low concentrations of celecoxib (IC50 in nM range) sufficed to exert antineoplastic capabilities and enhanced the therapeutic response of metastatic melanoma treated with trametinib.