Molecular docking and dynamic studies of a potential therapeutic target inhibiting glyoxalase system: Metabolic action of the 3, 3 '- [3- (5-chloro-2-hydroxyphenyl) -3-oxopropane-1, 1-diyl] - Bis-4-hydroxycoumarin leads overexpression of the intracellular level of methylglyoxal and induction of a pro-apoptotic phenomenon in a hepatocellular carcinoma model.

Methylglyoxal is a dicarbonyl compound recruited as a potential cytotoxic marker, initially presents in cells and considered as a metabolite of the glycolytic pathway. Our aim is to demonstrate the inhibitory effect of 3, 3'-[3-(5-chloro-2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-oxopropane-1, 1-diyl] Bis (4-hydroxycoumarin) on the glyoxalase system, and indirectly its anticancer activity. The docking of OT-55 was conducted by using Flexible docking protocol, ChiFlex and libdock tools inside the active site of Glo-I indicated that both hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions contributed significantly in establishing potent binding with the active site which is selected as a strong inhibitor with high scoring values and maximum Gibbs free energy. Coumarin-liposome formulation was characterized and evaluated in vivo against chemically induced hepatocarcinoma in Wistar rats. After Diethylnitrosamine (DEN) induction, microscopic assessment was realized; precancerous lesions were developed showing an increase of both tumor-associated lymphocyte and multiple tumor acini supported by the blood investigation. Our finding also suggested a preferential uptake of liposomes respectively in liver, kidney, lung, brain and spleen in the DEN-treated animals. OT-55 has also been shown to inhibit the activity of Glo-I in vitro as well as in DEN-treated rats. An abnormal high level of MGO of up to 50% was recorded followed by a reduction in glucose consumption and lactate dehydrogenase production validated in the positive control. MGO generates apoptosis as depicted by focal hepatic lesions. Also, no deleterious effects in the control group were observed after testing our coumarin but rather a vascular reorganization leading to nodular regenerative hyperplasia. Involved in the detoxification process, liver GSH is restored in intoxicated rats, while no changes are seen between controls. At the endothelial cell, OT-55 appears to modulate the release of NO only in the DEN-treated group. OT-55 would behave both as an anticancer agent but also as an angiogenic factor regarding results obtained.

A(H9N2) influenza viruses associated with chicken mortality in outbreaks in Algeria 2017.

In late 2017, increased mortality was detected in chicken farms in Algeria undergoing A(H9N2) influenza outbreaks. Analysis of viruses isolated from affected farms showed that they were monophyletic, were of the G1 hemagglutinin (HA) lineage, and were antigenically and genetically similar to viruses detected contemporaneously in other countries in Northern Africa and the Middle East. The virus was able to spread via contact transmission between ferrets but did not cause disease in intravenously inoculated chickens.

Effect of dry tomato peel supplementation on glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, and hepatic markers in mice fed high-saturated-fat/high-cholesterol diets.

Many studies have investigated the effect of crude tomato peel in vivo, but no studies have determined the dose-effect of dry tomato peel (DTP) on glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and atherogenic dyslipidemia induced by a high-saturated-fat (HSF) diet in vivo. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different doses of DTP on the levels of oxidative stress in mice fed an HSF and cholesterol-rich diet for 12 weeks. The main outcomes are glucose and insulin tolerance, plasma lipids, and hepatic steatosis and inflammation. BALB/c male mice (n=40) (8 weeks old, weighing 22.2±1.0 g) were divided into four treatment groups (10 mice/group): (a) high-fat control diet (HF Ctrl), which contains sunflower oil as a sole source of fat; (b) HSF/high-cholesterol (HC) diet; (c) HSF/HC diet supplemented with 9% DTP and (d) HSF/HC diet supplemented with 17% DTP. The HSF/HC diet significantly increased body weight gain, adipose tissue weight, fasting plasma glucose, fasting plasma insulin and lipid peroxidation and caused the development of liver steatosis and inflammation. Supplementation with DTP increased plasma lycopene concentration and reduced the development of indicators of metabolic syndrome, with no consistent effect of the DTP dose. Hepatic steatosis and inflammation were not reversed with DTP supplementation. Among mice fed the HSF/HC diet, DTP supplementation appears to have a beneficial effect on insulin resistance, which confirms the antiatherogenic effect of DTP.