Nephrotoxicity Evaluation of Indium Phosphide Quantum Dots with Different Surface Modifications in BALB/c Mice

InP QDs have shown a great potential as cadmium-free QDs alternatives in biomedical applications. It is essential to understand the biological fate and toxicity of InP QDs. In this study, we investigated the in vivo renal toxicity of InP/ZnS QDs terminated with different functional groups—hydroxyl (hQDs), amino (aQDs) and carboxyl (cQDs). After a single intravenous injection into BALB/c mice, blood biochemistry, QDs distribution, histopathology, inflammatory response, oxidative stress and apoptosis genes were evaluated at different predetermined times. The results showed fluorescent signals from QDs could be detected in kidneys during the observation period. No obvious changes were observed in histopathological detection or biochemistry parameters. Inflammatory response and oxidative stress were found in the renal tissues of mice exposed to the three kinds of QDs. A significant increase of KIM-1 expression was observed in hQDs and aQDs groups, suggesting hQDs and aQDs could cause renal involvement. Apoptosis-related genes (Bax, Caspase 3, 7 and 9) were up-regulated in hQDs and aQDs groups. The above results suggested InP/ZnS QDs with different surface chemical properties would cause different biological behaviors and molecular actions in vivo. The surface chemical properties of QDs should be fully considered in the design of InP/ZnS QDs for biomedical applications.

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Prophylactic Treatment of Probiotic and Metformin Mitigates Ethanol-Induced Intestinal Barrier Injury: In Vitro, In Vivo, and In Silico Approaches

Mediators of Inflammation ◽

10.1155/2021/5245197 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-32

Author(s):

Farhin Patel ◽

Kirti Parwani ◽

Priyashi Rao ◽

Dhara Patel ◽

Rakesh Rawal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Inflammatory Response ◽

In Silico ◽

Combined Treatment ◽

Intestinal Barrier ◽

Individual Treatment ◽

Barrier Dysfunction ◽

And Oxidative Stress

Ethanol depletes intestinal integrity and promotes gut dysbiosis. Studies have suggested the individual role of probiotics and metformin Met in protecting intestinal barrier function from injuries induced by ethanol. The objective of the current study is to investigate the potential mechanism by which coadministration of probiotic Visbiome® (V) and Met blocks the ethanol-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction/gut leakiness utilizing Caco-2 monolayers, a rat model with chronic ethanol injury, and in silico docking interaction models. In Caco-2 monolayers, exposure to ethanol significantly disrupted tight junction (TJ) localization, elevated monolayer permeability, and oxidative stress compared with controls. However, cotreatment with probiotic V and Met largely ameliorated the ethanol-induced mucosal barrier dysfunction, TJ disruption, and gut oxidative stress compared with ethanol-exposed monolayers and individual treatment of either agent. Rats fed with ethanol-containing Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet showed decreased expression of TJ proteins, and increased intestinal barrier injury resulting in pro-inflammatory response and oxidative stress in the colon. We found that co-administration of probiotic V and Met improved the expression of intestinal TJ proteins (ZO-1 and occludin) and upregulated the anti-inflammatory response, leading to reduced ER stress. Moreover, co-administration of probiotic V and Met inhibited the CYP2E1 and NOX gene expression, and increase the translocation of Nrf-2 as well as anti-oxidative genes (SOD, catalase, Gpx, and HO-1), leading to reduced colonic ROS content and malondialdehyde levels. The combined treatment of probiotic V and Met also improved their binding affinities towards HO-1, Nrf-2, SLC5A8, and GPR109A, which could be attributed to their synergistic effect. Our findings based on in-vitro, in-vivo, and in-silico analyses suggest that the combination of probiotic V and Met potentially acts in synergism, attributable to their property of inhibition of inflammation and oxidative stress against ethanol-induced intestinal barrier injury.

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Metformin and Probiotics Interplay in Amelioration of Ethanol-Induced Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Response in an In Vitro and In Vivo Model of Hepatic Injury

Mediators of Inflammation ◽

10.1155/2021/6636152 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-31

Author(s):

Farhin Patel ◽

Kirti Parwani ◽

Dhara Patel ◽

Palash Mandal

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Lipid Metabolism ◽

Liver Injury ◽

Inflammatory Response ◽

Er Stress ◽

Hepg2 Cells ◽

Hepatic Injury ◽

And Oxidative Stress

Alcohol-induced liver injury implicates inflammation and oxidative stress as important mediators. Despite rigorous research, there is still no Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved therapies for any stage of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Interestingly, metformin (Met) and several probiotic strains possess the potential of inhibiting alcoholic liver injury. Therefore, we investigated the effectiveness of combination therapy using a mixture of eight strains of lactic acid-producing bacteria, commercialized as Visbiome® (V) and Met in preventing the ethanol-induced hepatic injury using in vitro and in vivo models. Human HepG2 cells and male Wistar rats were exposed to ethanol and simultaneously treated with probiotic V or Met alone as well as in combination. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers, inflammatory markers, lipid metabolism, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and oxidative stress were evaluated, using qRT-PCR, Oil red O staining, fluorimetry, and HPLC. In vitro, probiotic V and Met in combination prevented ethanol-induced cellular injury, ER stress, oxidative stress, and regulated lipid metabolism as well as inflammatory response in HepG2 cells. Probiotic V and Met also promoted macrophage polarization towards the M2 phenotype in ethanol-exposed RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. In vivo, combined administration of probiotic V and Met ameliorated the histopathological changes, inflammatory response, hepatic markers (liver enzymes), and lipid metabolism induced by ethanol. It also improved the antioxidant markers (HO-1 and Nrf-2), as seen by their protein levels in both HepG2 cells as well as liver tissue using ELISA. Hence, probiotic V may act, in addition to the Met, as an effective preventive treatment against ethanol-induced hepatic injury.

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Canthin-6-one ameliorates TNBS-induced colitis in rats by modulating inflammation and oxidative stress. An in vivo and in silico approach

Biochemical Pharmacology ◽

10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114490 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 186 ◽

pp. 114490

Author(s):

Karuppusamy Arunachalam ◽

Amilcar Sabino Damazo ◽

Antonio Macho ◽

Monica Steffi Matchado ◽

Eduarda Pavan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

In Silico ◽

And Oxidative Stress

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Hexagonal boron nitride nanoparticles trigger oxidative stress by modulating thiol/disulfide homeostasis

Human & Experimental Toxicology ◽

10.1177/09603271211002892 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 096032712110028

Author(s):

F Kar ◽

İ Söğüt ◽

C Hacıoğlu ◽

Y Göncü ◽

H Şenturk ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Boron Nitride ◽

Hexagonal Boron Nitride ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Heart Tissue ◽

Albino Rats ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Tissue Samples ◽

Boron Nitride Nanoparticles

Background: Hexagonal boron nitride nanoparticles (hBN NPs) are encouraging nanomaterials with unique chemical properties in medicine and biomedical fields. Until now, the optimal hBN NP’s dosage and biochemical mechanism that can be used for in vivo systems has not been fully revealed. The main aim of this article is to reveal characteristics, serum and tissue interactions and any acute cytotoxic effect of different dose of hBN NPs for the first time. Methods: hBN NPs at concentrations varying between 50–3200 µg/kg was administered by intravenous injection to Wistar albino rats (n = 80) divided into seven dosage and control groups. Blood and tissue samples were taken after 24 hours. Results: Our findings suggested that higher doses hBN NPs caused oxidative stress on the serum of rats dose-dependently. However, hBN NPs did not affect thiol/disulfide homeostasis on kidney, liver, spleen, pancreas and heart tissue of rats. Furthermore, hBN NPs increased serum disulfide formation by disrupting the thiol/disulfide balance in rats. Also, LOOH and MPO levels increased at high doses, while CAT levels decreased statistically. Conclusion: The results revealed that hBN NPs induce oxidative stress in a dose-dependent manner by modulating thiol/disulfide homeostasis in rats at higher concentrations

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Impact of Polyphenolic-Food on Longevity: An Elixir of Life. An Overview

Antioxidants ◽

10.3390/antiox10040507 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 507

Author(s):

Rosaria Meccariello ◽

Stefania D’Angelo

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Food Sources ◽

Preventive Action ◽

Nutritional Interventions ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Age Related ◽

Macromolecular Damage ◽

And Oxidative Stress

Aging and, particularly, the onset of age-related diseases are associated with tissue dysfunction and macromolecular damage, some of which can be attributed to accumulation of oxidative damage. Recently, growing interest has emerged on the beneficial effects of plant-based diets for the prevention of chronic diseases including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Several studies collectively suggests that the intake of polyphenols and their major food sources may exert beneficial effects on improving insulin resistance and related diabetes risk factors, such as inflammation and oxidative stress. They are the most abundant antioxidants in the diet, and their intake has been associated with a reduced aging in humans. Polyphenolic intake has been shown to be effective at ameliorating several age-related phenotypes, including oxidative stress, inflammation, impaired proteostasis, and cellular senescence, both in vitro and in vivo. In this paper, effects of these phytochemicals (either pure forms or polyphenolic-food) are reviewed and summarized according to affected cellular signaling pathways. Finally, the effectiveness of the anti-aging preventive action of nutritional interventions based on diets rich in polyphenolic food, such as the diets of the Blue zones, are discussed.

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miR-124-3p targeted SIRT1 to regulate cell apoptosis, inflammatory response, and oxidative stress in acute myocardial infarction in rats via modulation of the FGF21/CREB/PGC1α pathway

Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry ◽

10.1007/s13105-021-00822-z ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yun-Jie Wei ◽

Jun-Feng Wang ◽

Fei Cheng ◽

Hai-Jun Xu ◽

Jia-Juan Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Myocardial Infarction ◽

Acute Myocardial Infarction ◽

Inflammatory Response ◽

Cell Apoptosis ◽

And Oxidative Stress

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Synthesis, Characterization and Evaluation of Peptide Nanostructures for Biomedical Applications

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules26154587 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (15) ◽

pp. 4587

Author(s):

Fanny d’Orlyé ◽

Laura Trapiella-Alfonso ◽

Camille Lescot ◽

Marie Pinvidic ◽

Bich-Thuy Doan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Biomedical Applications ◽

Chemical Reactivity ◽

Physical Stability ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Building Blocks ◽

Imaging Probes ◽

Therapeutic Molecules

There is a challenging need for the development of new alternative nanostructures that can allow the coupling and/or encapsulation of therapeutic/diagnostic molecules while reducing their toxicity and improving their circulation and in-vivo targeting. Among the new materials using natural building blocks, peptides have attracted significant interest because of their simple structure, relative chemical and physical stability, diversity of sequences and forms, their easy functionalization with (bio)molecules and the possibility of synthesizing them in large quantities. A number of them have the ability to self-assemble into nanotubes, -spheres, -vesicles or -rods under mild conditions, which opens up new applications in biology and nanomedicine due to their intrinsic biocompatibility and biodegradability as well as their surface chemical reactivity via amino- and carboxyl groups. In order to obtain nanostructures suitable for biomedical applications, the structure, size, shape and surface chemistry of these nanoplatforms must be optimized. These properties depend directly on the nature and sequence of the amino acids that constitute them. It is therefore essential to control the order in which the amino acids are introduced during the synthesis of short peptide chains and to evaluate their in-vitro and in-vivo physico-chemical properties before testing them for biomedical applications. This review therefore focuses on the synthesis, functionalization and characterization of peptide sequences that can self-assemble to form nanostructures. The synthesis in batch or with new continuous flow and microflow techniques will be described and compared in terms of amino acids sequence, purification processes, functionalization or encapsulation of targeting ligands, imaging probes as well as therapeutic molecules. Their chemical and biological characterization will be presented to evaluate their purity, toxicity, biocompatibility and biodistribution, and some therapeutic properties in vitro and in vivo. Finally, their main applications in the biomedical field will be presented so as to highlight their importance and advantages over classical nanostructures.

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