Pharmacokinetics, metabolism and excretion of celecoxib, a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, in horses

Celecoxib, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, is frequently used to treat arthritis in humans with minimal gastrointestinal side effect compared to traditional NSAIDs. The primary aim of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetic profile of celecoxib—a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor in horses. Six horses were administered a single oral dose of celecoxib at 2 mg/kg (body weight). After oral dosing, the drug reached a maximum concentration (mean ± SD) in blood of 1,088 ± 324 ng/ml in 4.58 hr. The elimination half-life was 13.60 ± 3.18 hr, and the area under the curve was 24,142 ± 1,096 ng hr ml−1. The metabolism of celecoxib in horses was via a single oxidative pathway in which the methyl group of celecoxib is oxidized to a hydroxymethyl metabolite and is further oxidized to form a carboxylic acid metabolite. Celecoxib is eliminated mainly through faeces as unchanged drug and as metabolites in urine. Therefore, instructions for a detection time following therapeutic dosing of celecoxib can be set by the racing practitioner and veterinarians to control illegal use in horse racing based on the results of this study

Clinical and histopathological responses to bee venom phonophoresis in treating venous and diabetic ulcers: a single-blind randomized controlled trial

IntroductionChronic venous and diabetic ulcers are hard to treat that cause patients long time of suffering as well as significant healthcare and financial costs.PurposeThe conducted study was to evaluate the efficacy of bee venom (BV) phonophoresis on the healing of chronic unhealed venous and/or diabetic foot ulcers Also, to compare the healing rate of diabetic and venous ulcers.MethodologyThe study included 100 patients (71 males and 29 females) with an age range of 40-60 years' old who had chronic unhealed venous leg ulcers of grade I, grade II, or diabetic foot ulcers with type II diabetes mellitus. They randomly assigned into four equal groups of 25: Group A (diabetic foot ulcer study group) and group C (venous ulcer study group) who both received conservative treatment of medical ulcer care and phonophoresis with BV gel, in addition to group B (diabetic foot ulcer control group) and group D (venous ulcer control group) who both received conservative treatment of medical ulcer care and received ultrasound sessions only without BV gel. Wound surface area (WSA) and ulcer volume measurement (UVM) were used to assess the ulcer healing pre-application (P0), post-6 weeks of treatment (P1), and after 12 weeks of treatment (P2). In addition to Ki-67 immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the cell proliferative in the granulation tissue of ulcers pre-application (P0) and after 12 weeks of treatment (P2) for all groups.ResultsThis research revealed a statistical significance improvement (p ≤ 0.0) in the WSA, and UVM with no significant difference between study groups after treatment. Regarding Ki-67 immunohistochemistry showed higher post treatment values in the venous ulcer group in comparison to the diabetic foot ulcer group.ConclusionBee venom (BV) provided by phonophoresis is effective adjuvant treatment in accelerating venous and diabetic foot ulcer healing with higher proliferative effect on venous ulcer.Clinical trial registrationwww.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT05285930

The Mycobiome: Cancer Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Therapy

Cancer is among the leading causes of death globally. Despite advances in cancer research, a full understanding of the exact cause has not been established. Recent data have shown that the microbiome has an important relationship with cancer on various levels, including cancer pathogenesis, diagnosis and prognosis, and treatment. Since most studies have focused only on the role of bacteria in this process, in this article we review the role of fungi—another important group of the microbiome, the totality of which is referred to as the “mycobiome”—in the development of cancer and how it can impact responses to anticancer medications. Furthermore, we provide recent evidence that shows how the different microbial communities interact and affect each other at gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal sites, including the skin, thereby emphasizing the importance of investigating the microbiome beyond bacteria

Effects of Liquid Yucca Supplementation on Nitrogen Excretion, Intestinal Bacteria, Biochemical and Performance Parameters in Broilers

This study was done to determine the impacts Yucca schidigera supplementation to drinking water on the excretion of nitrogen, and subsequently the level of ammonia, intestinal bacterial count, hematological and biochemical parameters, and some performance parameters. A total of 270 one-day old Cobb 500 chicks were equally divided into three groups (90 chicks/group). The first control group (G1) was fed on the basal diets without any yucca supplementation. The 2nd and 3rd groups (G2 and G3) were fed on basal diets with Yucca Plus liquid®, at an 8 h/day supplementation rate of 0.5, and 1 mL/L to drinking water, respectively. The chicks that received yucca showed significant decreases in litter nitrogen content, when compared to controls. The chicks that received liquid yucca had reduced counts of total bacteria (TBC) (p < 0.05), Escherichia coli, and a non-significant increase in the number of lactic acid producing bacteria. They also showed increased activity of antioxidant enzymes, increased levels of immunoglobulins M and G, and decreased levels of lipid peroxidation biomarkers, without a harmful effect on liver and kidney function. The chicks that received yucca showed a better feed conversion ratio. In conclusion, the use of natural additives is necessary to decrease nitrogen losses, feed cost, and environmental pollution; without adverse impacts on animal performance. Liquid supplementation of saponins is valuable for the performance, gut health, and welfare of broiler chickens

Detection of Serum Biomarkers In Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients

Scientific background: HCC has increased significantly in the last decade, as the major risk factors are chronic infections withhepatitis B and C viruses (HBV & HCV), other risk factors involve aflatoxin B1 exposure, pesticides, alcohol consumption, andgenetic defects. New serum tumor markers are required for the diagnosis of HCC instead of alpha-fetoprotein (the most widelyused marker) as it's diagnostic accuracy is poor. Aim: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of serum AFP, AFP-L3, soluble Fas (sFas) and soluble Fas Ligand (sFasL) levels as biomarkers for the diagnosis of HCC. Subjects and Methods: 100 adult patients were selected for this study. Fifty (50) healthysubjects, age and sex-matched, were considered as controls. Routine tests for liver cirrhosis & HCC were done. Serum sFas andsFasL levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Serum AFP, AFPL3, sFas, and sFasL levels were significantly elevated in HCC group when compared with other 2 groups. At a cut off level AFP ≥ 20 pg/ml, the sensitivity and specificity were 70 and 77 respectively. Serum sFas had sensitivity and specificity much better than AFPL3 in the diagnosis of HCC. Regarding serum sFasL level for diagnosis of HCC, it had 87% sensitivity, 84% specificity at a cut off level ≥ 17.5pg/ml.Conclusions: The results of this present study clearly demonstrate that serum sFas and sFasL had a better sensitivity and specificity than AFP in differentiating patients with HCC from those with cirrhosis. s FasL could be used as the best reliable biomarkers in HCC resulting from chronic hepatitis C

Ameliorative effects of vitamins-loaded flavoured nanophytosomes fortified with star anise volatile oil against CsA-Induced liver and kidney injury in rats: Application in functional ice cream

This study investigated the effect of flavoured nanophytosomes loaded with vitamins A, E, D, B complex, folic acid, and C, as well as zinc on the immunosuppressive cyclosporin A (CsA)-induced liver and kidney injury in male rats. The vitamins flavoured nanophytosomes (VFnPs) were characterized in terms of particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency. Ice cream was flavoured with star anise volatile oil to mask the VFnPs' flavour and unacceptable taste. The study found that treatment with CsA alone resulted in increased (P > 0.05) levels of creatinine, urea, and MDA, as well as the activities of AST and ALT, while the levels of SOD, CAT, GST, proteins, CD4, INF-ᵧ, IL-6, IL-1β, and TLR4 decreased (P > 0.05). However, the group that received CsA simultaneously with VFnPs showed a significant (P > 0.05) decrease in the levels of creatinine, urea, and MDA, as well as the activities of AST and ALT, and increased (P > 0.05) levels of SOD, CAT, GST, proteins, CD4, INF-ᵧ, IL-6, IL-1β, and TLR4. The increase in the ratio of VFnPs had little effect on the physiochemical and sensory evaluation of the ice cream. Finally, the study suggests that VFnPs could potentially protect against CsA-induced liver and kidney injury and serve as a promising natural therapy for treating such conditions

Identifying Individuals Who Currently Report Feelings of Anxiety Using Walking Gait and Quiet Balance: An Exploratory Study Using Machine Learning

Literature suggests that anxiety affects gait and balance among young adults. However, previous studies using machine learning (ML) have only used gait to identify individuals who report feeling anxious. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify individuals who report feeling anxious at that time using a combination of gait and quiet balance ML. Using a cross-sectional design, participants (n = 88) completed the Profile of Mood Survey-Short Form (POMS-SF) to measure current feelings of anxiety and were then asked to complete a modified Clinical Test for Sensory Interaction in Balance (mCTSIB) and a two-minute walk around a 6 m track while wearing nine APDM mobility sensors. Results from our study finds that Random Forest classifiers had the highest median accuracy rate (75%) and the five top features for identifying anxious individuals were all gait parameters (turn angles, variance in neck, lumbar rotation, lumbar movement in the sagittal plane, and arm movement). Post-hoc analyses suggest that individuals who reported feeling anxious also walked using gait patterns most similar to older individuals who are fearful of falling. Additionally, we find that individuals who are anxious also had less postural stability when they had visual input; however, these individuals had less movement during postural sway when visual input was removed

Association between Pediatric Adenovirus Infection and Type 1 Diabetes

Background: Viruses are among the inducers of type 1 diabetes (T1D) as they are implicated in the initiation of β-cell destruction. This study aimed to explore the link between adenoviruses’ infection, inflammatory biomarkers, and the development of T1D. Methods: The study population included 80 children with T1D and 40 healthy controls (2–16 years old). The T1D group was further clustered into two groups according to time of T1D diagnosis: a group of children who were diagnosed during the first year of life and a second group who were diagnosed after the first year of life. Adenovirus DNA, anti-adenovirus IgG, cytokines, and lipid profiles were screened in the different groups. The results were statistically assessed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and LSD t-test. Results: Positive adenovirus PCR was detected in 2.5% and 20% of normal and T1D children, respectively. Moreover, the positive PCR results for adenovirus were found significantly higher in the T1D group, who were diagnosed during the first year of life (33.4%), in comparison to those diagnosed after the first year of life (12%). Anti-adenoviruses IgG was found in 12.5% and 40% of healthy controls and diabetic children, respectively. Seropositive results were found to be higher in newly diagnosed children (46.7%) in comparison to those previously diagnosed with T1D (36%). Body mass index (BMI), IFN-γ, IL-15, adiponectin, lipid profile, and microalbuminuria were significantly increased in T1D adenoviruses-positive children compared to children who were negative for adenoviruses. Conclusions: Adenovirus infection could be among the contributing risk factors and may play a role in the induction of T1D in children