Camel Milk Triggers Apoptotic Signaling Pathways in Human Hepatoma HepG2 and Breast Cancer MCF7 Cell Lines through Transcriptional Mechanism

Few published studies have reported the use of crude camel milk in the treatment of stomach infections, tuberculosis and cancer. Yet, little research was conducted on the effect of camel milk on the apoptosis and oxidative stress associated with human cancer. The present study investigated the effect and the underlying mechanisms of camel milk on the proliferation of human cancer cells using an in vitro model of human hepatoma (HepG2) and human breast (MCF7) cancer cells. Our results showed that camel milk, but not bovine milk, significantly inhibited HepG2 and MCF7 cells proliferation through the activation of caspase-3 mRNA and activity levels, and the induction of death receptors in both cell lines. In addition, Camel milk enhanced the expression of oxidative stress markers, heme oxygenase-1 and reactive oxygen species production in both cells. Mechanistically, the increase in caspase-3 mRNA levels by camel milk was completely blocked by the transcriptional inhibitor, actinomycin D; implying that camel milk increased de novo RNA synthesis. Furthermore, Inhibition of the mitogen activated protein kinases differentially modulated the camel milk-induced caspase-3 mRNA levels. Taken together, camel milk inhibited HepG2 and MCF7 cells survival and proliferation through the activation of both the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways

Insight into the physiological and pathological roles of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor pathway in glucose homeostasis, insulin resistance, and diabetes development

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcriptional factor that mediates the toxicities of several environmental pollutants. Decades of research have been carried out to understand the role of AhR as a novel mechanism for disease development. Its involvement in the pathogenesis of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus have long been known. One of the current hot research topics is investigating the role of AhR activation by environmental pollutants on glucose homeostasis and insulin secretion, and hence the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus. To date, epidemiological studies have suggested that persistent exposure to environmental contaminants such as dioxins, with subsequent AhR activation increases the risk of specific comorbidities such as obesity and diabetes. The importance of AhR signaling in various molecular pathways highlights that the role of this receptor is far beyond just xenobiotic metabolism. The present review aims at providing significant insight into the physiological and pathological role of AhR and its regulated enzymes, such as cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) and CYP1B1 in both types of diabetes. It also provides a comprehensive summary of the current findings of recent research studies investigating the role of the AhR/CYP1A1 pathway in insulin secretion and glucose hemostasis in the pancreas, liver, and adipose tissues. This review further highlights the molecular mechanisms involved, such as gluconeogenesis, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), oxidative stress, and inflammation.This publication was supported by Qatar University Internal Grant no. IRCC-2022-484, Doha, Qatar.Scopu

High-throughput sensing microtiter plate for determination of biogenic amines in seafood using fluorescence or eye-vision

A new optical sensing microplate was developed for rapid screening for the presence of biogenic amines (BAs) in seafood samples with high sensitivity. The deposition of a sensing spot (containing a chameleon dye (Py-1) in a polymeric cocktail) on the bottom of the wells of a standard microplate renders the plate a new sensing tool for a rapid and parallel detection of up to 96 (real) samples. This sensing microplate enables (1) a semi-quantitative readout of analyte concentration by eye-vision, (2) a rapid fluorescence readout of 96 samples with standard instrumentation in less than two minutes (unlike chromatographic and electrophoretic methods), (3) a statistically robust data evaluation (with 8–12 replicates) and (4) a rapid parallel sample preparation with standard 8 or 12-channel micropipettes. On reaction with biogenic amines, the dye shows a significant visible color change from blue over green to red color. The appearance of red color favorably coincides with the concentration of BAs that can induce symptoms of poisoning. The linear ranges of fluorescence calibration data for six biogenic amines cover the clinical toxicological relevant range of BAs that is too low to be detected by the human nose. The LODs range from 0.16 to 0.56 μg mL−1, with correlation coefficients (r2) between 0.985 and 0.999. Finally, the evolution of spoilage of four fish samples (monitored by determination of their BA status) and the increase of their total amine content were found to agree well with previous data on time-dependent evolution of BAs in fish

Patient Experience of Nursing Quality in a Teaching Hospital in Saudi Arabia

Background: Examining the quality of nursing care from the patient's perspective is an important element in quality evaluation. The extent to which patients' expectations are met will influence their perceptions and their satisfaction with the quality of care received.Methods: A cross- sectional survey was conducted among admitted patients at King Khalid Teaching Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected (from January 2011 to March 2011) from a convenience sample of 448 patients using a 42- items questionnaire assessing six dimensions of the nursing care provided to, during hospitalization.Results: On a four-point scale (4-higly agree,3-agree, 2-disagree, and 1-higly disagree). The individual items of nursing care showing the lowest means were the information received from the nurses about self-help (2.81), the information about the laboratory results (2.76) and the way the nurse shared the patient's feeling (2.72). A strong correlation existed between the overall perception level and the variables of gender (P=0.01), and the types of department (0.004).Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate negative experiences of patients with nursing care in dimensions of information, caring behavior, and nurse competency and technical care. Awareness of the importance of these dimensions of nursing care and ongoing support to investigate patients' perception periodically toward quality of nursing care are critical to success the philosophy of patient centered health care

Fretting wear characteristics of cold gas-dynamic sprayed aluminum alloys

Process selection for repair of mechanical components due to wear and corrosion, e.g. damage of aluminum casting housings of fuel injection systems, is based on cost and response time factors, provided that the mechanical performance is maintained within acceptable limits. One of the promising and emerging repair technologies is Cold Gas-Dynamic Spray (CGDS) coating, where a high-pressure gas propels fine powder particles to very high velocities to produce surface coating. It is essential to identify the optimum process conditions and powder composition to produce repaired surfaces with tribological properties close to those of the originally manufactured part (without coating). The objective of this work is to compare the dynamic friction and fretting wear properties of the repaired surfaces using various types of coating composition and spraying techniques. Eight types of CGDS coatings, applied to AMS 4260 aluminum specimens, were fretted against 440C stainless steel specimens at low and high nominal loads to assess their fretting wear resistance, dynamic friction properties and damping capacity. The optimum coating composition and process conditions were identified. In comparison to the uncoated specimen, this optimum coating offered tribological characteristics close to the uncoated material and even better dynamic friction properties. \ua9 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye

6-Formylindolo(3,2-b)carbazole Dampens Inflammation and Reduces Endotoxin-Induced Kidney Injury via Nrf2 Activation

Patients with sepsis are at a high risk of morbidity and mortality due to multiple organ injuries caused by pathological inflammation. Although sepsis is accompanied by multiple organ injuries, acute renal injury is a significant contributor to sepsis morbidity and mortality. Thus, dampening inflammation-induced renal injury may limit severe consequences of sepsis. As several studies have suggested that 6-formylindolo(3,2-b)carbazole (FICZ) is beneficial for treating various inflammatory diseases, we aimed to examine the potential protective effect of FICZ on the acute endotoxin-induced sepsis model of kidney injury. To test this, male C57Bl/6N mice were injected with FICZ (0.2 mg/kg) or vehicle 1 h prior to an injection of either lipopolysaccharides (LPS) (10 mg/kg), to induce sepsis, or phosphate-buffered saline for 24 h. Thereafter, gene expression of kidney injury and pro-inflammatory markers, circulating cytokines and chemokines, and kidney morphology were assessed. Our results show that FICZ reduced LPS-induced acute injury in kidneys from LPS-injected mice. Furthermore, we found that FICZ dampens both renal and systemic inflammation in our sepsis model. Mechanistically, our data indicated that FICZ significantly upregulates NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 and heme oxygenase 1 via aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in the kidneys to lessen inflammation and improve septic acute kidney injury. Overall, the data of our study show that FICZ possesses a beneficial reno-protective effect against sepsis-induced renal injury via dual activation of AhR/Nrf2.Qatar University Internal grant no. QUCG-CPH-23/24-209