Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease associated with persistent inflammation, oxidative stress, and epithelial apoptosis. Nicardipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, exhibits anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties, but its therapeutic potential in UC remains unclear. This study evaluated the effects of nicardipine on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice, focusing on inflammatory, oxidative, and apoptotic pathways. Fifty BALB/c mice were assigned to five groups (n = 10): control, DSS, nicardipine 12 mg/kg, nicardipine 24 mg/kg, and 5-aminosalicylate (ASA) 75 mg/kg. Treatments were administered for 3 days before and 10 days during DSS exposure. Disease severity was assessed by body weight, disease activity index (DAI), and colon length. Colonic mRNA levels of Nlrp3, TNF-α, IL-17, and TNFSF10 were quantified by RT-PCR; protein expression of caspase-3, caspase-8, BAX, and BCL-2 was analyzed by Western blot. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO), glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX-1), occludin, and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE-2) were measured by ELISA. Histological scoring assessed epithelial integrity and inflammation. Nicardipine dose-dependently reduced DSS-induced weight loss, DAI, and colon shortening. Both doses significantly downregulated Nlrp3, TNF-α, IL-17, and TNFSF10 (p < 0.05), decreased caspase-3 and BAX, and increased BCL-2. Nicardipine restored GPX-1, lowered MDA and MPO, preserved occludin, and reduced PGE-2. Histology confirmed reduced mucosal injury and preserved epithelial architecture. Nicardipine attenuates DSS-induced colitis by suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines, reducing oxidative stress, and inhibiting apoptosis, supporting its potential as a therapeutic candidate for UC. Further studies are warranted to clarify its molecular mechanisms and clinical relevance.
Cancer disease has a complicated pathophysiology and is one of the major causes of death and morbidity. Classical cancer therapies include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy. A typical treatment is chemotherapy, which delivers cytotoxic medications to patients to suppress the uncontrolled growth of cancerous cells. Conventional oral medication has a number of drawbacks, including a lack of selectivity, cytotoxicity, and multi-drug resistance, all of which offer significant obstacles to effective cancer treatment. Multidrug resistance (MDR) remains a major challenge for effective cancer chemotherapeutic interventions. The advent of nanotechnology approach has developed the field of tumor diagnosis and treatment. Cancer nanote
... Show MoreIn this work, porous silicon gas sensor hs been fabricated on n-type crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafers of (100) orientation denoted by n-PS using electrochemical etching (ECE) process at etching time 10 min and etching current density 40 mA/cm2. Deposition of the catalyst (Cu) is done by immersing porous silicon (PS) layer in solution consists of 3ml from (Cu) chloride with 4ml (HF) and 12ml (ethanol) and 1 ml (H2O2). The structural, morphological and gas sensing behavior of porous silicon has been studied. The formation of nanostructured silicon is confirmed by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement as well as it shows the formation of an oxide silicon layer due to chemical reaction. Atomic force microscope for PS illustrates that the p
... Show MoreThe objective of this research work is to evaluate the quality of central concrete plant of Al-Rasheed Company by using Six Sigma approach which is a measure of quality that strives for near elimination of defects using the statistical methods to improve outputs that are critical to customers. The fundamental objective of Six Sigma methodology is the implementation of a measurement-based strategy that focuses on process improvement and variation reduction to reach delighting customers, and then suggesting an improvement system to improve the production of concrete in Al-Rasheed State Contracting Construction Company.
A field survey includes two parts (open and close questionnaire) that aimed to get the data and information required f
The effluent quality improvement being discharged from wastewater treatment plants is essential to maintain an environment and healthy water resources. This study was carried out to evaluate the possibility of intermittent slow sand filtration as a promising tertiary treatment method for the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) effluent. Laboratory scale slow sand filter (SSF) of 1.5 UC and 0.1 m/h filtration rate, was used to study the process performance. It was found that SSF IS very efficient in oxidizing organic matter with COD removal efficiency up to 95%, also it is capable of removing considerable amounts of phosphate with 76% and turbidity with 87% removal efficiencies. Slow sand filter efficiently reduced the mass of suspended
... Show MoreThis work deals with thermal cracking of three samples of extract lubricating oil produced as a by-product from furfural extraction process of lubricating oil base stock in AL-Dura refinery. The thermal cracking processes were carried out at a temperature range of 325-400 ºC and atmospheric pressure by batch laboratory reactor. The distillation of cracking liquid products was achieved by general ASTM distillation (ASTM D -86) for separation of gasoline fraction up to 220 ºC from light cycle oil fraction above 220 ºC. The comparison between the conversions at different operating conditions of thermal cracking processes indicates that a high conversion was obtained at 375°C, according to gasoline production. According to gasoline produ
... Show MoreIn this study, a new class of polymeric nanocomposites was synthesized and characterized. One mole of dimethyl adipate and two moles of thiosemicarbazide in ethanol first reacted to form the compound [C1]. Compound [C1] then reacted with sodium hydroxide to produce compounds [C2]. Hydrazine hydrate reacted with compound [C2] to generate compound [C3]. Compound [C4] was synthesized from compound [C3] and maleic anhydride. A polymer [C5] is formed by the reaction of the compound [C4] with ammonium persulfate as an initiator. This polymer was then combined with nano: ZnNPs, AgNPs, SiNPs, or IONPs using a hotplate stirrer for 3 hours to produce nanocomposites [C6-C9]. FTIR, 1H-NMR, and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) were
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