Effect of ethanol extract of Punica granatum L against Freund’s complete adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats

Purpose: To investigate the protective effect of ethanol extract of P. granatum against arthritis in rat model. Methods: Twenty-six adult male Wistar rats (120 - 150 g) were separated into four groups (n = 6): normal control, arthritic control and two treatment groups. With the exception of normal control group, arthritis was induced by intraplantar administration of Freund’s complete adjuvant (FCA) on the 1st day of drug administration. The arthritic control group was not treated, while the treatment groups received extract orally at 500 or 750 mg/kg for the period of 4 weeks and at the end of each week, paw volume, thermal hyperalgesia, arthritic score and mechanical nociceptive threshold were performed to assess arthritis. Biochemical indicators and inflammatory cytokines in serum were determined using standard procedures. Results: There was significant decrease in paw volume and arthritic score; paw withdrawal latency was enhanced in extract-treated groups, compared to arthritic control group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, ALT, AST and ALP levels, as well as RF and MDA activities decreased significantly with extract treatment, compared with arthritic control group (p < 0.05). Treatment with the extract attenuated the altered level of interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and TNF-α levels in arthritic rats. Histological examination showed that treatment with the extract significantly reversed histological changes induced by arthritis. Conclusion: The results reveal that the beneficial effect of ethanol extract of P. granatum against FCAinduced arthritis is due to its ability to reduce the levels of inflammatory cytokines

Benzoxime carbaldehyde prevents rheumatoid arthritis in a rat model by inhibition of oxidative damage

Purpose: To investigate the effect of benzoxime carbaldehyde (BXCD) on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a rat model.Methods: Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned randomly to 5 groups (6 rats per group): normal control, RA, and three treatment groups. Rats in the normal control and RA groups received normal saline, whereas those in the three treatment groups were given 2, 5 or 10 mg/kg of BXCD daily for 30 days by intraperitoneal injection. Pressure pain was analysed using electronic pressure pain detector, while the expressions of interleukin (IL)-6, interleukin (IL)-1β, nuclear factor (NF)-κB p65 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in serum were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits.Results: Treatment of RA rats with BXCD for 30 days led to significant (p < 0.05) recovery in pain threshold. At a dose of 10 mg/kg, BXCD decreased pain threshold value to a level comparable to that in normal control rats, and decreased arthritis score to 1, relative to arthritis score of 16 in untreated animals. Malondialdehyde (MDA) level was 4-fold higher in untreated RA rats than in normal and BXCD-treated groups. BXCD treatment increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and blocked increases in the blood levels of IL-6, IL-1β, NF-κB p65 unit, and TNF-α. Western blot assay showed that BXCD treatment prevented increase in the level of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in RA rat tissues.Conclusion: These results indicate that BXCD prevents RA in a rat model via inhibition of expressions of inflammatory cytokines and decrease in oxidative stress. Thus, BXCD has a strong potential for the management of RA.Keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis, Pain threshold, Antioxidant enzymes, Inflammation, Inflammatory cytokine

Corrosion Behavior of TiNi Alloy Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting in Simulated Saliva

In this work, TiNi samples were prepared by Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technology, and the influence of microstructure, fluoride ion, and pH value on corrosion behavior in a saline environment was investigated and compared with TiNi alloy fabricated by traditional forging technology. The results indicated that the corrosion resistance of the SLM sample was slightly superior to that of the wrought sample in a saline environment due to the uniform and dense oxide film formed on the SLM sample surface. However, in acidic Artificial Saliva Solution (ASS) containing fluoride ions, the corrosion current density of the SLM sample increased from 9.85 × 10−2 to 13.9 μA/cm2 because of the presence of F−. Fluorine ions disrupted the passive film on the surface, and the Ti-F compound formed in the film, which deteriorated the corrosion resistance of the SLM sample. The increase in fluoride concentration and the decrease in pH value could accelerate the corrosion of the SLM sample

Efficacy of the tetravalent protein COVID-19 vaccine, SCTV01E: a phase 3 double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial

Abstract Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants emphasizes the need for multivalent vaccines capable of simultaneously targeting multiple strains. SCTV01E is a tetravalent COVID-19 vaccine derived from the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 variants Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron BA.1. In this double-blinded placebo-controlled pivotal efficacy trial (NCT05308576), the primary endpoint was vaccine efficacy (VE) against COVID-19 seven days post-vaccination in individuals without recent infection. Other endpoints included evaluating safety, immunogenicity, and the VE against all SARS-CoV-2 infections in individuals meeting the study criteria. Between December 26, 2022, and January 15, 2023, 9,223 individuals were randomized at a 1:1 ratio to receive SCTV01E or a placebo. SCTV01E showed a VE of 69.4% (95% CI: 50.6, 81.0) 7 days post-vaccination, with 75 cases in the placebo group and 23 in the SCTV01E group for the primary endpoint. VEs were 79.7% (95% CI: 51.0, 91.6) and 82.4% (95% CI: 57.9, 92.6), respectively, for preventing symptomatic infection and all SARS-CoV-2 infections 14 days post-vaccination. SCTV01E elicited a 25.0-fold higher neutralizing antibody response against Omicron BA.5 28 days post-vaccination compared to placebo. Reactogenicity was generally mild and transient, with no reported vaccine-related SAE, adverse events of special interest (AESI), or deaths. The trial aligned with the shift from dominant variants BA.5 and BF.7 to XBB, suggesting SCTV01E as a potential vaccine alternative effective against present and future variants