Antioxidant activities of α-lipoic acid free and nano-capsule inhibit the growth of Ehrlich carcinoma

Efficacy of iron-silver bimetallic nanoparticles to enhance radiotherapy

Radiotherapy (RT) is one of the primary cancer treatment methods. Radiosensitizers are used to enhance RT and protect healthy tissue. Heavy metals have been studied as radiosensitizers. Thus, iron oxide and iron oxide/silver nanoparticles have been the main subjects of this investigation. A simple honey-based synthesis of iron (IONPs) and iron-silver bimetallic nanoparticles (IO@AgNPs) were prepared followed by characterization with transmission electron microscope (TEM), absorption spectra, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Additionally, Ehrlich carcinoma was induced in 30 adult BALB/c mice and divided into 6 groups. Mice of group G1 were not treated with nanoparticles or exposed to irradiation (control group), and group G2 and G3 were treated with IONPs and IO@AgNPs respectively. Mice of group G4 were exposed to a high dose of gamma radiation (HRD) (12 Gy). Groups G5 and G6 were treated with IONPs and IO@AgNPs followed by exposure to a low dose of gamma radiation (LRD) (6 Gy) respectively. The impact of NP on the treatment protocol was evaluated by checking tumor growth, DNA damage, and level of oxidative stress in addition to investigating tumor histopathology. Additional research on the toxicity of this protocol was also evaluated by looking at the liver's cytotoxicity. When compared to HRD therapy, combination therapy (bimetallic NPs and LRD) significantly increased DNA damage by about 75% while having a stronger efficacy in slowing Ehrlich tumor growth (at the end of treatment protocol) by about 45%. Regarding the biosafety concern, mice treated with combination therapy showed lower alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in their liver tissues by about half the value of HRD. IO@AgNPs enhanced the therapeutic effect of low-dose radiation and increased the efficacy of treating Ehrlich tumors with the least amount of harm to normal tissues as compared to high radiation dosage therapy.

Physico-chemical properties of curcumin nanoparticles and its efficacy against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma

Curcumin is a bioactive component with anticancer characteristics; nevertheless, it has poor solubility and fast metabolism, resulting in low bioavailability and so restricting its application. Curcumin loaded in nano emulsions (Cur-NE) was developed to improve water solubility and eliminate all the limitations of curcumin. Size distribution, zeta potential, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements, UV-Visible spectra, IR spectra and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), were used to characterize the prepared Cur-NE. Cancer therapeutic efficacy was assessed by oxidative stress (superoxide dismutase (SOD), Glutathione-S-Transferase (GST), malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO), DNA damage, apoptotic proteins (caspase-3 and 9), besides investigating tumor histology and monitoring tumor growth. Additionally, the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of the liver, kidney, heart, and spleen tissues were examined to gauge the adverse effects of the treatment method's toxicity. The results showed that Cur-NE is more effective than free curcumin at slowing the growth of Ehrlich tumors while significantly increasing the levels of apoptotic proteins. On the other hand, Cur-NE-treated mice showed some damage in other organs when compared to mice treated with free curcumin. Cur-NE has a higher efficacy in treating Ehrlich tumor.

Chitosan and solid lipid nanoparticles enhance the efficiency of alpha-lipoic acid against experimental neurotoxicity

Alpha-lipoic acid (α-LA) is characterized by its unpleasant odor, poor bioavailability and stability. Nanotechnology was applied to overcome this limitation. So we aimed in this study to formulate α-LA in two different forms of chitosan nanoparticles (CsNPs) and solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNPs) and characterize them in terms of physical properties and biological activities against aluminum chloride (AlCl₃)-induced neurotoxicity in rats. The vivo study was processed on 50 rats divided into 5 groups as follow: control, neurotoxic, treated α-LA, treated α-lipoic acid-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (α-LA-CsNPs) and treated α-lipoic acid-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (α-LA-SLNPs) groups. The result was depicted by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that α-LA-SLNPs had a regular spherical shape while α-LA-CsNPs showed an irregular spherical form. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis showed that the average particle size for α-LA-SLNPs was about 71 nm and for α-LA-CsNPs was about 126 nm. After the experimental period, we observed that AlCl₃ administration significantly increased oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and apoptosis and decreased brain fatty acid contentsand brain-derived neurotrophic factor,while α-LA, α-LA-CsNPs and α-LA-SLNPs were able to ameliorate these negative changes in the neurotoxic rats. However, the effect of the α-LA-loaded NPs was more prominent than that of pristine α-LA but the α-LA-SLNPs group was almost close to the control group. Conclusion: α-LA can attenuate neurotoxicity induced by AlCl3, attributed to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic activities in addition to the effectiveness of the encapsulation technique that can increase the efficiency and stability of α-LA. Moreover, α-LA-SLNPs are more efficient than α-LA-CsNPs.

Genome-Protecting Compounds as Potential Geroprotectors

Throughout life, organisms are exposed to various exogenous and endogenous factors that cause DNA damages and somatic mutations provoking genomic instability. At a young age, compensatory mechanisms of genome protection are activated to prevent phenotypic and functional changes. However, the increasing stress and age-related deterioration in the functioning of these mechanisms result in damage accumulation, overcoming the functional threshold. This leads to aging and the development of age-related diseases. There are several ways to counteract these changes: 1) prevention of DNA damage through stimulation of antioxidant and detoxification systems, as well as transition metal chelation; 2) regulation of DNA methylation, chromatin structure, non-coding RNA activity and prevention of nuclear architecture alterations; 3) improving DNA damage response and repair; 4) selective removal of damaged non-functional and senescent cells. In the article, we have reviewed data about the effects of various trace elements, vitamins, polyphenols, terpenes, and other phytochemicals, as well as a number of synthetic pharmacological substances in these ways. Most of the compounds demonstrate the geroprotective potential and increase the lifespan in model organisms. However, their genome-protecting effects are non-selective and often are conditioned by hormesis. Consequently, the development of selective drugs targeting genome protection is an advanced direction.

Magnetic fields enhance the anti-tumor efficacy of low dose cisplatin and reduce the nephrotoxicity

The present work was to examine a combination of therapy for a low dose of cisplatin and a magnetic field (MF) on Ehrlich carcinoma-bearing mice. In this study, a total of 50 BALB/C female mice were equally distributed into five groups. Mice from the control group did not receive MF or cisplatin. The low and high dose cisplatin groups were injected intraperitoneal (i.p.) with 3 and 6 mg/kg cisplatin, respectively, on the experimental days (1, 4, and 8). Mice group of cisplatin + MF was injected with a low dose of cisplatin followed by MF exposure (50 Hz, 50 mT), and the MF group was exposed to MF only. The impact of MF and cisplatin on the tumor and kidney were evaluated by measuring superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels, DNA injury (comet assay), histopathological investigation of tissues, and tumor progress. The results suggested that the combination of a low dose of cisplatin with MF was significantly elevated in MDA levels, reduced SOD activity, and GSH levels. Furthermore, it caused a rise in comet parameters and inhibition in tumor growth. These results showed that MF enhances the therapeutic efficacy of low cisplatin doses and reduces nephrotoxicity.