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Water Sci Technol 2020 Feb;81(4):732-743

University of Coimbra, CIEPQPF, Department of Chemical Engineering, Rua Sílvio Lima - Pólo II, Pinhal de Marrocos, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal E-mail:

Wastewater treatment plants are not specially designed to remove pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs), since these substances are toxic and bio-refractory. This paper aims to investigate and optimize the performance of the Trisep TS80 nanofiltration (NF) membrane for the removal of a mixture of two of the most detected PhACs in municipal wastewaters worldwide, sulfamethoxazole and diclofenac. Several NF tests were carried out to study the rejections of these contaminants both spiked in demineralized water, filtrated water taken from Mondego River and secondary effluent coming from a municipal wastewater treatment plant. Read More

Pestic Biochem Physiol 2020 Jun 6;166:104562. Epub 2020 Mar 6.

Department of Biointeractions and Crop Protection, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK. Electronic address:

The buff-tailed bumblebee, Bombus terrestris audax is an important pollinator within both landscape ecosystems and agricultural crops. During their lifetime bumblebees are regularly challenged by various environmental stressors including insecticides. Historically the honey bee (Apis mellifera spp. Read More

Ecotoxicology 2020 May 16;29(4):398-406. Epub 2020 Apr 16.

Department of Ecology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.

Paracetamol (APAP) is a widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug and has been frequently detected in aquatic environment. However, limited information is provided about the toxic effects and detoxification mechanism of APAP in aquatic invertebrates. In the present study, the change of life traits of Daphnia magna (e. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2020 Apr 8;21(7). Epub 2020 Apr 8.

Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland.

Neuroinflammation is considered to be one of the potential causes for the development of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we evaluated the effect of four newly synthesized pyrrolo[3,4-]pyridazinone derivatives on the neuron-like PC12 cells under simulated inflammation conditions by preincubation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Our novel derivatives are selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors and have similar effects to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Read More

Saudi Pharm J 2020 Apr 20;28(4):504-508. Epub 2020 Mar 20.

Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Al-Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Background: Worldwide, the prescribing pattern of the Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) has increased. They are considered highly effective medications in controlling various conditions including inflammatory diseases. They are associated with various adverse effects including gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcer and renal toxicity though. Read More

Life Sci 2020 Jul 1;252:117612. Epub 2020 Apr 1.

Department of Pharmacy, Tongji Hospital Affiliated with Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China. Electronic address:

Aims: Intestinal mucositis is the most common side effect of 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) treatment in cancer patients. Previous research suggested that andrographolide (Andro) attenuated the intestinal injury in colitis or diarrhea in mice. The present study was aimed at investigating the protective effect of Andro against 5-Fu induced intestinal mucositis and the underlying mechanism. Read More

Life Sci 2020 Jun 31;251:117604. Epub 2020 Mar 31.

Department of Anesthesiology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510120 Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China. Electronic address:

Aims: Opioids (i.e. morphine) were found to induce triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) metastasis while nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (i. Read More

Chemosphere 2020 Jun 12;249:126341. Epub 2020 Mar 12.

State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science C/o Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China. Electronic address:

Current mechanism studies in plant heavy metal tolerance do not consider the effects of different phenolic acids on the bioavailability of heavy metals and the comparison with antioxidant enzyme system in the hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity. In present study, by a set of pot culture experiments with adding cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) to the sediments, the effects of different phenolic acids on the toxicity of Cd and Zn in Kandelia obovata and the dominant role in scavenging hydroxyl radicals were evaluated. The results showed that 100 mg kg Zn treatment promoted the growth of plant under high concentrations of Cd and Zn stress. Read More

Cancer Sci 2020 May 7;111(5):1785-1793. Epub 2020 Apr 7.

Department of Medical Oncology, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.

The NF-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway plays a pivotal role in tumor progression and chemoresistance, and its inhibition has been shown to suppress tumor growth in a variety of preclinical models. Recently, we succeeded in synthesizing a water-soluble injectable type of curcumin β-D-glucuronide (CMG), which is converted into a free-form of curcumin by β-glucuronidase in vivo. Herein, we aimed to clarify the efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetics of CMG in a xenograft mouse model. Read More

Toxicol Lett 2020 Jun 27;326:70-77. Epub 2020 Feb 27.

School of Pharmacy/Toxicology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Finland. Electronic address:

In addition to the transfer across the placenta, placenta displays hormonal and xenobiotic metabolism, as well as enzymatic defense against oxidative stress. We analyzed aromatase (CYP19A1), uridine 5'-diphospho-glucuronyltransferase (UGT), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT) activities in over 70 placentas from nonsmokers stored at -80 °C from former perfusion studies. A wide interindividual variation in all activities was found. Read More

Mol Pharmacol 2020 04 26;97(4):295-303. Epub 2020 Feb 26.

LAQV, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Químicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal (C.P.-L., S.K.J., J.P.A., C.N., S.R.); Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil (C.P.-L., I.M.C.); IBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico (A.C., M.P.) and Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências (A.C.), Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.

The main objective of this study was to clarify the topical mechanisms underlying diclofenac-induced gastric toxicity by considering for the first time both ionization states of this nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. 1,2-Dimyristoyl--glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) liposomes were the model system chosen to mimic the protective phospholipid layers of the gastric mucosa and to describe the interactions with diclofenac, considering the pH gradient found in the gastric mucosa (3 < pH < 7.4). Read More

Mutat Res 2020 01 27;849:503129. Epub 2019 Dec 27.

PMI R&D, Philip Morris Products S.A., Quai Jeanrenaud 5, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland.

In vitro genetic toxicology assays are used to assess the genotoxic potential of chemicals or mixtures. They measure chromosome damage (e.g. Read More

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2020 Apr 13;192:110311. Epub 2020 Feb 13.

Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China. Electronic address:

The uptake and accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in Salvia miltiorrhiza (Bge.) negatively affects the quality of its harvested roots, and seriously threatens human health. This study investigates the effect of a microbial inoculant (MI) and garbage enzyme (GE) on Cd uptake, the accumulation of bioactive compounds, and the community composition of microbes in the rhizosphere soil of S. Read More

Mol Immunol 2020 04 8;120:13-22. Epub 2020 Feb 8.

Surgical Intensive Care Unit, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China. Electronic address:

Objective: To investigate the impact of death-associated protein kinase 1 (Dapk1) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) via p38MAPK/NF-κB pathway.

Methods: Dapk1 and Dapk1 mice were randomized into Control, LPS, SB203580 (a p38MAPK pathway inhibitor) + LPS, and PDTC (a NF-κB pathway inhibitor) + LPS groups. Cell counts, lung wet to dry weight ratio (W/D weight ratio), as well as indicators of oxidative stress were determined followed by the detection with HE staining, ELISA, qRT-PCR, Western blotting and Immunofluorescence. Read More

Chemosphere 2020 Jun 1;248:126085. Epub 2020 Feb 1.

Silesian University of Technology, Environmental Biotechnology Department, Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Gliwice, Poland.

Hormesis is an ecotoxicological phenomenon referred to as the biphasic dose-response effect. At a low concentration of toxic substances, a hormetic stimulating effect occurs, while an inhibitory effect occurs at higher concentrations. The phenomenon of hormesis may hinder the interpretation of toxicity test results and lower the actual toxicity of test samples. Read More

Phytomedicine 2020 Mar 16;68:153149. Epub 2019 Dec 16.

Center for Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Key Laboratory for Tumor Precision Medicine of Shaanxi Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China. Electronic address:

Background: Mast cells (MCs) are crucial effectors in allergic disorders by secreting inflammatory mediators. The Mas-related G-protein-coupled receptor X2 (Mrgprx2) was shown to have a key role in IgE-independent allergic reactions. Therefore, potential drug candidates that directly target Mrgprx2 could be used to treat pseudo-allergic diseases. Read More

Int J Nanomedicine 2019 13;14:8875-8889. Epub 2019 Nov 13.

Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Digestive Disease Research Group, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which mainly consists of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic and relapsing inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. The traditional treatment strategies relied on frequent administration of high dosages of medications, including antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, biologics, and immunomodulators, with the goal of reducing inflammation. Some of these medications were effective in alleviating the early-stage inflammatory symptoms, but their long-term efficacies were compromised by the accumulation of toxicities. Read More

Chem Biol Interact 2020 Apr 29;321:108964. Epub 2020 Jan 29.

Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Farmacêuticas (PPGCF), Núcleo de Investigações Químico-Farmacêuticas (NIQFAR), Universidade Do Vale Do Itajaí (UNIVALI), Rua Uruguai, 458, Centro, 88302-202, Itajaí, SC, Brazil. Electronic address:

Lupeol (1) was isolated from hexane branch extract of Maytenus salicifolia and the Lupeol stearate (2), Lupeol palmitate (3), Lupeol myristate (4), Lupeol laurate (5) and Lupeol caprylate (6) were obtained reacting 1 with an adequate carboxylic acid. Swiss mice were treated with vehicle, carbenoxolone or Lupeol esters before administration of ethanol/HCl or indomethacin. Additionally, the involvement of nitric oxide (NO), sulfhydryl compounds (NP-SH), α-2 adrenergic receptors (α2-AR) and prostaglandins (PGE) in antiulcer effects was investigated using appropriate inhibitors or antagonist. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2020 Mar 17;707:136176. Epub 2019 Dec 17.

School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, Zhejiang Province, China; Instrumental Analysis Center of Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, Zhejiang Province, China. Electronic address:

The widespread use of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) has raised serious concerns regarding their potential ecotoxicological effects. We examined the photosynthetic toxicity of four non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), i.e. Read More

Toxicol Lett 2020 May 18;323:19-24. Epub 2020 Jan 18.

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Jamaica, NY, 11439, USA. Electronic address:

Cultured kidney cells maintained in conventional growth media with high glucose levels exhibit increased glycolytic activity compared to the cells in vivo. In contrast, renal proximal tubules utilize substrates such as ketone bodies and rely on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. LLC-PK cells maintain many features of the proximal tubule but are exposed to glucose concentrations ranging from 17 to 25 mM. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2020 Apr 7;713:136565. Epub 2020 Jan 7.

Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100081, China. Electronic address:

The stereoselective effects of chiral ibuprofen (IBU) were studied using lipidomics by exposing adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) to an environmental concentration of 5 μg/L for 28 days. After treatment with rac-/R-(-)-/S-(+)-IBU, the brain tissue of the zebrafish was harvested to analyze for lipid metabolites by using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Results showed that the six classes of lipids, namely, glycerophospholipids, sterol lipids, prenol lipids, fatty acyls, glycerolipids, and sphingolipids, including 46 biomarkers, were affected after exposure. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2020 Jan 4;21(1). Epub 2020 Jan 4.

Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine and McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada.

Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 (HSV-2) is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted viruses and is a known risk factor for HIV acquisition in the Female Genital Tract (FGT). Previously, we found that curcumin can block HSV-2 infection and abrogate the production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines by genital epithelial cells in vitro. In this study, we investigated whether curcumin, encapsulated in nanoparticles and delivered by various in vivo routes, could minimize inflammation and prevent or reduce HSV-2 infection in the FGT. Read More

Aquat Toxicol 2020 Mar 10;220:105406. Epub 2020 Jan 10.

Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 4511, Egypt. Electronic address:

Currently, feed adulteration and contamination with melamine (MEL) are considered one of the serious issues in the aquatic industry. With the limited studies of MEL exposure alone in fish, its adverse impacts on fish cannot be evaluated well. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the effects of MEL containing diets on the immune response, disease resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila, growth performance, chemical composition, immune-related genes expression, and histopathology of both spleen and head kidneys. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2020 Apr 7;712:136564. Epub 2020 Jan 7.

MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.

Pharmaceutical compounds are continuously released into the aquatic environment, resulting in their ubiquitous presence in many estuarine and coastal systems. As pharmaceuticals are designed to produce effects at very low concentrations and target specific evolutionary conserved pathways, there are growing concerns over their potential deleterious effects to the environment and specifically to aquatic organisms, namely in early life-stages. In this context, the long-term effects of exposure of juvenile meagre Argyrosomus regius to three different pharmaceuticals were investigated. Read More

PLoS One 2020 13;15(1):e0227267. Epub 2020 Jan 13.

Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.

The relevant information about the impacts caused by presence of emerging pollutants in mixtures on the ecological environment, especially on the more vulnerable compartments such as activated sludge (AS) is relatively limited. This study investigated the effect of ibuprofen (IBU) and triclosan (TCS), alone and in combination to the performance and enzymatic activity of AS bacterial community. The assays were carried out in a pilot AS reactor operating for two-weeks under continuous dosage of pollutants. Read More

Chem Biol Interact 2020 Feb 9;317:108941. Epub 2020 Jan 9.

Laboratório de Bioquímica e Neurofarmacologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Químicas, Farmacêuticas e de Alimentos, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, CEP 96010-900, RS, Brazil. Electronic address:

m-Trifluoromethyl-diphenyl diselenide [(m-CF-PhSe)] is an organoselenium molecule that displays multiple pharmacological actions, including the antinociceptive effect. The current study investigated the (m-CF-PhSe) restorative properties in models of acute and chronic inflammatory pain induced by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Male adult Swiss mice received an intraplantar injection of CFA in the hindpaw and 24 h (acute) or 14 days (subchronic) later they were treated with a single or repeated (m-CF-PhSe) schedule via intragastric route, respectively. Read More

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2020 Mar 10;104(5):1849-1857. Epub 2020 Jan 10.

Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Science, University of Silesia in Katowice, Jagiellońska 28, 40-032, Katowice, Poland.

This article summarizes the current knowledge about the presence of naproxen in the environment, its toxicity to nontarget organisms and the microbial degradation of this drug. Currently, naproxen has been detected in all types of water, including drinking water and groundwater. The concentrations that have been observed ranged from ng/L to μg/L. Read More

Aging (Albany NY) 2020 01 6;12(1):611-627. Epub 2020 Jan 6.

Institute of Cancer Stem Cells and The First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.

Cisplatin is one of the most potent chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of colon cancer. Nevertheless, the unavoidability of the notable toxicity and the development of the acquired resistance severely restricted its clinical application. Aspirin and some other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been used to prevent colon tumorigenesis as chemopreventive agents. Read More

Phytomedicine 2020 Feb 26;67:153160. Epub 2019 Dec 26.

Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China. Electronic address:

Background: Increasing evidence indicated that the cannabinoid receptors were involved in the pathogenesis of organ fibrogenesis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to discover novel cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) agonist and assess the potential of CB2 activation in treating systemic sclerosis.

Methods: A gaussia princeps luciferase-based split luciferase complementation assay (SLCA) was developed for detection of the interaction between CB2 and β-arrestin2. Read More

Phytochemistry 2020 Mar 31;171:112231. Epub 2019 Dec 31.

Key Laboratory of Computational Chemistry-Based Natural Antitumor Drug Research & Development, Liaoning Province, School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, 110016, China. Electronic address:

Daphne giraldii Nitsche., a member of the genus Daphne (Thymelaeaceae), is a deciduous shrub with mild toxicity. Its rhizome bark, generally called 'Zushima' in Chinese, has many medicinal folkloric uses and good therapeutic effects. Read More

J Toxicol Environ Health A 2019 3;82(23-24):1207-1222. Epub 2020 Jan 3.

Ecotoxicology Research Group, School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora, Australia.

Nanoparticles (NPs) transform in the environment which result in alterations to their physicochemical properties. However, the effects of aging on the toxicity of NPs to aquatic organisms remain to be determined. Further the reports that have been published present contradictory results. Read More

Molecules 2019 Dec 25;25(1). Epub 2019 Dec 25.

Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. Bl. 9, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria.

The development of ionic liquids based on active pharmaceutical ingredients (API-ILs) is a possible solution to some of the problems of solid and/or hydrophobic drugs such as low solubility and bioavailability, polymorphism and an alternative route of administration could be suggested as compared to the classical drug. Here, we report for the first time the synthesis and detailed characterization of a series of ILs containing a cation amino acid esters and anion ketoprofen (KETO-ILs). The affinity and the binding mode of the KETO-ILs to bovine serum albumin (BSA) were assessed using fluorescence spectroscopy. Read More

Chemosphere 2020 Apr 16;245:125678. Epub 2019 Dec 16.

School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China. Electronic address:

The search for a suitable heterogeneous catalyst in peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation holds tremendous promise for the degradation of organic pollutants. Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides such as WS exhibit broad applications in heterogeneous catalysis, and we first extended its application in PMS activation in this work. It was found that WS could efficiently activate PMS resulting in the degradation of diclofenac (DCF). Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2020 Feb 23;27(6):6505-6514. Epub 2019 Dec 23.

Chrono-Environnement Laboratory, UMR CNRS 6249, Bourgogne Franche-Comté University, F-25030, Besançon Cedex, France.

Fipronil (FPN), a phenylpyrazole insecticide, has been receiving increased attention owing to its toxicity, which is largely mediated through its effects on antioxidant systems. The present study was undertaken to assess the effects of resveratrol (RSV) and curcumin (CUR) on oxidative damage induced by FPN. Forty mature male Wistar rats were randomized into five groups (n = 8 per group): the first group was the control; the second was administered FPN (10 mg/kg); and the third, fourth, and fifth were co-treated with RSV (10 mg/kg), CUR (200 mg/kg), and their combination, respectively, 2 h prior to FPN administration. Read More

Environ Pollut 2020 Mar 9;258:113762. Epub 2019 Dec 9.

GreenUPorto - Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre, Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal.

One emerging problem that recently has become a vastly acknowledged topic of concern is the environmental contamination by pharmaceuticals. Diclofenac (DCF) is one of the most common pharmaceuticals found, due to its high utilization and low removal rate in wastewater treatment processes. In this work, Solanum lycopersicum L. Read More

J Environ Sci (China) 2020 Feb 28;88:177-186. Epub 2019 Aug 28.

Arbuzov Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry, FRC Kazan Scientific Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, 8 Arbuzov str., Kazan 420088, Russia.

Diclofenac sodium (DS) is a widely used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs). NSAIDs are poorly removed during standard wastewater treatment. The consequences of the presence of NSAIDs in rivers and lakes at 10-10 mol/L are not yet established; therefore, ecotoxicologists have focused their efforts on studying the effect of low-concentration NSAIDs on fish and hydrobionts, and also on predicting the potential risks to humans. Read More

Microb Cell Fact 2019 Dec 17;18(1):215. Epub 2019 Dec 17.

Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.

Background: Serratia marcescens, a Gram-negative nosocomial pathogen secretes a 50 kDa multi-domain zinc metalloprotease called serratiopeptidase. Broad substrate specificity of serratiopeptidase makes it suitable for detergent and food processing industries The protein shows potent anti-inflammatory, anti-edemic, analgesic, antibiofilm activity and sold as an individual or fixed-dose enteric-coated tablets combined with other drugs. Although controversial, serratiopeptidase as drug is used in the treatment of chronic sinusitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, sprains, torn ligaments, and postoperative inflammation. Read More

Daru 2020 Jun 16;28(1):87-96. Epub 2019 Dec 16.

Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Radiopharmacy, School of Pharmacy, and Protein Technology Research Center, Shahid Behesti University of Medical Sciences, Vali-e Asr Ave., Niayesh Junction, P.O. Box 14155-6153, Tehran, Iran.

Background: Integrins are interesting targets in oncology. RGD sequence has high affinity for αβ integrin receptors. Diagnostic/therapeutic agents can be selectively delivered into cancer cells overexpressing αβ integrin by using RGD as a carrier. Read More

Plant Physiol Biochem 2020 Feb 10;147:54-65. Epub 2019 Dec 10.

Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Centre (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark.

Oxidative stress induced by salinity is a prime cause of cell death when Na toxicity becomes unbearable. We explored the effect of rosmarinic acid (RA) on the Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Read More

Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2020 02 16;318(2):F475-F485. Epub 2019 Dec 16.

Renal Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York.

Tobacco smoking has been identified as a risk factor in the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). In previous studies, we showed that nicotine induces cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression in vivo and in vitro and that the administration of nicotine in vivo worsens the severity of renal injury in a model of subtotal renal ablation. In the present study, we tested the role of COX-2-derived prostaglandins on the deleterious effects of nicotine in CKD. Read More

Environ Pollut 2020 Mar 13;258:113613. Epub 2019 Nov 13.

School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, 200092, China. Electronic address:

The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) ibuprofen and diclofenac are highly prescribed worldwide and their presence in aquatic system may pose a potential risk to aquatic organisms. Here, we systematically assessed their cardiovascular disruptive effects in zebrafish (Danio rerio) at environmentally relevant concentrations between 0.04 and 25. Read More

Life Sci 2020 Jan 12;241:117164. Epub 2019 Dec 12.

Institute of New Drug Research and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Innovative Chemical Drug Research in Cardio-cerebrovascular Diseases, Jinan University College of Pharmacy, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address:

Aims: This study was to assess whether andrographolide derivative (AL-1) could restore mucosal homeostasis and regulate tight junctions through MLCK-dependent pathway in DSS-induced colitis mice.

Main Methods: Colitis mice model was induced by daily administration of 2.5% DSS for seven days. Read More

Toxicol Lett 2020 Mar 9;321:12-20. Epub 2019 Dec 9.

Henan Key Laboratory for Modern Research on Zhongjing's Herbal Formulae, Scientific Research and Experiment Center, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450046, PR China. Electronic address:

Liver injury is one of the main toxic effect of sulfasalazine (SASP). However, the toxicological mechanism of SASP-induced liver injury remains unclear. In the present study, the liver injury was induced by orally treatment with SASP for 4 weeks in mice. Read More

Oxid Med Cell Longev 2019 7;2019:7860650. Epub 2019 Nov 7.

Division of Life Science and Applied Life Science (BK 21), College of Natural Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea.

Curcumin is a natural polyphenolic compound widely known to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic properties. In the present study, we explored the neuroprotective effect of curcumin against lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced reactive oxygen species- (ROS-) mediated neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, and memory deficits in the adult rat hippocampus via regulation of the JNK/NF-B/Akt signaling pathway. Adult rats were treated intraperitoneally with LPS at a dose of 250 g/kg for 7 days and curcumin at a dose of 300 mg/kg for 14 days. Read More

Carbohydr Polym 2020 Feb 31;229:115473. Epub 2019 Oct 31.

The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Neihuan Xilu, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, China. Electronic address:

The development of solubilizers with high efficiency, high safety and simple technology is one of the important fields in modern pharmaceutical industry. Our previous study found that vinegar baked Radix Bupleurum polysaccharides (VBCP) was a potential candidate. This study aimed to clarify which polysaccharide in VBCP had solubility enhancement effect and its solubilizing mechanism. Read More

Lipids Health Dis 2019 Dec 10;18(1):214. Epub 2019 Dec 10.

BioScience Research Centre and Department of Medicine, Gayatri Vidya Parishad Hospital, GVP College of Engineering Campus, Visakhapatnam, 530048, India.

Objective: To study whether minimal doses of arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and lipoxin A4 (LXA4) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), when used in combination can protect RIN5F cells from chemical-induced cytotoxicity. As a corollary, to know whether plasma BDNF and LXA4 are altered in STZ-induced type 2 DM animals.

Materials And Methods: RIN5F cells, alloxan (AL), streptozotocin (STZ), doxorubicin (DB), and benzo(a)pyrene (BP) were used in this study. Read More

Int J Nanomedicine 2019 2;14:9453-9467. Epub 2019 Dec 2.

Department of Pharmacy, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, People's Republic of China.

Background: Ovarian cancer is a common malignancy in the female reproductive system with a high mortality rate. The most important reason is multidrug resistance (MDR) of cancer chemotherapy. To reduce side effects, reverse resistance and improve efficacy for the treatment of ovarian cancer, a "core-shell" polymeric nanoparticle-mediated curcumin and paclitaxel co-delivery platform was designed. Read More

Int J Nanomedicine 2019 22;14:9113-9125. Epub 2019 Nov 22.

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.

Background: Prednisolone (PD) is extremely effective for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, it distributes nonspecifically throughout the body and its use is associated with serious side effects, which promoted us to compound it into a phytomedicine for greater efficacy and safety.

Methods: We combined PD with curcumin (CU), an effective monomer from traditional Chinese medicine, and human serum albumin (HSA) in a nanoparticulate system (N-PD/CU) to compensate for the poor bioavailability of PD and CU. Read More

J Toxicol Sci 2019 ;44(12):833-843

The Laboratory of Biopharmaceutics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University.

Drug-induced liver injury is not readily detectable using conventional animal studies during pre-clinical drug development. To address this problem, other researchers have proposed the use of co-administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an endotoxin produced by gram-negative bacteria, and a drug. Using this approach, liver injury that is otherwise not detected following drug administration alone can be successfully identified. Read More

Int J Nanomedicine 2019 6;14:8305-8320. Epub 2019 Nov 6.

Department of Integrated Bioscience and Biotechnology, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea.

Background: Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and Omega-3 fatty acid (Omega-3) are promising therapeutic molecules for treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Purpose: Based on the IBD therapeutic potential of nanoparticles, we herein sought to develop Omega-3-incorporated PC nanoparticles (liposomes) as an orally administrable vehicle for treating IBD.

Methods: Liposomes prepared with or without Omega-3 incorporation were compared in terms of colloidal stability and anitiinflammatory effects. Read More