Background Doxorubicin (DOX) is a potent antineoplastic agent used in treating various adult and pediatric cancers, but it tends to provoke dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. Ezetimibe (EZE), a cholesterol-lowering drug, has been reported to possess defensive actions against oxidative stress and inflammation, which are two of the main proposed mechanisms underlying the development of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC), hence, we aimed to inspect the possible protective effect of EZE against DIC in rats. Methods 24 adult male Wistar rats were allocated into four groups of six: control, DOX, 10 mg/kg EZE plus DOX and 20 mg/kg EZE plus DOX. At the end of the study, the experimental rats were anesthetized and blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis, after which the hearts were excised and heart tissue samples were obtained for biochemical and gene expression analyses. Results Pretreatment with EZE at a dose of 10 or 20 mg/kg alleviated cardiac damage induced by DOX, as EZE blunted the rise in serum levels of cardiac injury biomarkers, including cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Additionally, pretreating rats with EZE at either dose mitigated DOX-induced oxidative stress by elevating the levels of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), with consequent reduction in the lipid peroxidation biomarker malondialdehyde (MDA) in cardiac tissues. Furthermore, pretreatment with either dose of EZE hindered DOX-mediated inflammation, where EZE suppressed cardiac nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling and negatively regulated the gene expression of its downstream proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) with either dose and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) with the higher one. Conclusions Our findings indicate that EZE exhibited cardioprotection against DIC in rats, which makes EZE an interesting area for further investigations, animal- and human-wise, that can pave the way for a potential clinical application in preventing DIC in the future.
The effects of nutrients and physical conditions on phytase production were investigated with a recently isolated strain of Aspergillus tubingensis SKA under solid state fermentation on wheat bran. The nutrient factors investigated included carbon source, nitrogen source, phosphate source and concentration, metal ions (salts) and the physical parameters investigated included inoculum size, pH, temperature and fermentation duration. Our investigations revealed that optimal productivity of phytase was achieved using wheat bran supplemented with: 1.5% glucose. 0.5% (NH4)2SO4, 0.1% sodium phytate. Additionally, optimal physical conditions were 1 × 105 spore/g substrate, initial pH of 5.0, temperature of fermentation 30˚C and fermentation dura
... Show MoreAbstract: Background: Staphylococcus aureus is Gram-positive bacteria that lives as a normal flora in living organisms but can be pathogenic to humans. Although a relatively unspectacular, nonmotile coccoid bacterium, S. aureus is a dangerous human pathogen in both community-acquired and nosocomial infections. Due to the increasing emergence of new strains of this antibiotic-resistant bacteria, it has become essential to approach different methods to control this pathogen. One of these methods is the antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation process using a low-level laser, in this paper, the Photodynamic effects of Rose Bengal and LLLL on the virulence factors of S.aureus were evaluated.
Abstract
The purpose of our study was to develop Dabigatran Etexilate loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (DE-NLCs) using Glyceryl monostearate and Oleic acid as lipid matrix, and to estimate the potential of the developed delivery system to improve oral absorption of low bioavailability drug, different Oleic acid ratios effect on particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency and loading capacity were studied, the optimized DE-NLCs shows a particle size within the nanorange, the zeta potential (ZP) was 33.81±0.73mV with drug entrapment efficiency (EE%) of 92.42±2.31% and a loading capacity (DL%) of 7.69±0.17%. about 92% of drug was released in 24hr in a controlled manner, the ex-vivo intestinal p
... Show MoreThis study reports on natural convection heat transfer in a square enclosure of length (L=20 cm) with a saturated porous medium (solid glass beads) having same fluid (air) at lower horizontal layer and free air fill in the rest of the cavity's space. The experimental work has been performed under the effects of heating from bottom by constant heat flux q=150,300,450,600 W/m2 for four porous layers thickness Hp (2.5,5,7.5,1) cm and three heaters length δ(20,14,7) cm. The top enclosure wall was good insulated and the two side walls were symmetrically cooled at constant temperature. Four layers of porous media with small porosity, Rayleigh number range (60.354 - 241.41) and (Da) 3.025x10-8 has been investigated. The obtained data of temperatu
... Show MoreIn this study, NAC-capped CdTe/CdS/ZnS core/double shell QDs were synthesized in an aqueous medium to investigate their utility in distinguishing normal DNA from mutated DNA extracted from biological samples. Following the interaction between the synthesized QDs with DNA extracted from leukemia cases (represents damaged DNA) and that of healthy donors (represents undamaged DNA), differential fluorescent emission maxima and intensities were observed. It was found that damaged DNA from leukemic cells DNA-QDs conjugates at 585 nm while intact DNA (from healthy subjects) DNA–QDs conjugates at 574 nm. The obtained results from the optical analyses indicate that the prepared QDs could be utilized as probe for detecting disrupted DNA th
... Show MoreThis study analyses six political cartoons selected based on their relevance to current Iraqi political issues, specifically the period between 2005 and 2015, from American online newspapers (calgecartooms.com). The selection criteria included the cartoons' satirical elements, visual rhetoric, and their ability to engage with themes such as power dynamics, social issues, and public opinion. It sheds light on how these cartoons can function as mediators of meanings between the cartoonists and the readers. The data is examined using multimodal discourse analysis (MDA), which combines language study with the analysis of other visual elements, like colors, gestures, and images, to understand meaning (O’Halloran et al., 2011). The Visual Socia
... Show MoreAromatic Schiff-bases are known to have antibacterial activity, but most of these compounds are sparingly soluble in water. The present work describes the synthesis of new Schiff-bases derived from branched aminosugars. Treatment of 3-Amino-3-Cyano-3-Deoxy-1,2:5,6-Di-O-Isopropylene-α-D-Allofuranose (1) with the aldehydes (2) under reflux in methanol afforded the Schiff-bases (3) in good yields. The new Schiff-bases were in accord with their NMR, IR spectral data and elemental analysis.