Protective effect of hydroethanolic extract of cress against hepatotoxicity due to acetaminophen in rats

Background and purpose: Acetaminophen is a routine analgesic and antipyretic agent that in overdose causes liver and kidney necrosis in both humans and animals. The cress (Lepidium sativum L.) contains flavonoid, alkaloid, and antioxidant components. In this study we investigated the hepatic protection of the hydroethanolic extract of cress against hepatotoxicity due to acetaminophen. Materials and methods: Forty-two rats were randomly divided into six groups. The first (control) and second (test without treatment) groups were administered the solvent of drug in the morning (08:00) and evening (16:00) on days 1 and 2 but, the third, fourth, and fifth groups received 200, 500, and 1000 mg/kg b.w of the extract of the cress, respectively. The sixth group (positive control) received 200 mg/kg b.w silymarin. Then all groups, except the control group, received 400 mg/kg acetaminophen per os on day 2 (10:00). After 24 hr, all blood samples were collected for determination of GOT (glutamicoxaloacetic transaminase), GPT (glutamic- pyruvic transaminase), ALP (alkaline phosphatase), malondialdehyde (MDA), and serum antioxidant capacity. Also, a piece of liver was used for determining catalase activity and histopathological studies. For statistical analysis of the data, group means were analyzed with one way ANOVA followed by Tukey's test for multiple comparisons. Results: Serum GOT, GPT, ALP, and MDA reduced significantly (P< 0.001) in the treated groups with the extract of cress compared to acetaminophen group without treatment. The reduction of GPT and ALP were dose dependent. The serum antioxidant capacity and liver catalase in treated groups with the extract of the cress and silymarin treated group elevated significantly (P< 0.001) compared to the acetaminophen group without treatment. The liver histopathology in rats treated with the extract of cress showed a remarkable reduction of lymphocyte infiltration compared with rats without treatment (group two). Conclusion: These results demonstrate that the extract of the cress have protection effect against hepatotoxicity due to acetaminophen

Damage intensity of gallic acid on prostatic cancer cells lineDu145 by alkaline electrophoresis

زمینه و هدف: سرطان پروستات شایع ترین سرطان در جامعه مردان است. عوامل بسیار زیادی منجر به بروز این بیماری می شود. در عین حال فاکتورهای متعددی به منظور پیشگیری و یا درمان این بیماری شناسایی شده اند. آنتی اکسیدان ها و مخصوصاً ترکیبات پلی فنلی مانند اسید گالیک دارای ظرفیت بالقوه ای از این ویژگی هستند. در این مطالعه با استفاده از تکنیک الکتروفورز قلیایی، اثر اسید گالیک را بر لاین سلول های سرطانی Du145 پروستات مورد مطالعه قرار دادیم. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه تجربی آزمایشگاهی، میزان زیست پذیری سلول های Du145 در مجاورت غلظت های مختلف گالیک اسید، به کمک روش رنگ سنجی تترازولیوم (MTT) اندازه گیری و غلظت مهارکنندگی 50 درصد رشد سلول‌ها (IC50) محاسبه شد. سه غلظت نزدیک به IC50 از داروی اسید گالیک برای 48 ساعت بر سلول های مذکور تیمار شد. پس از انجام الکتروفورز قلیایی تصاویر کامت های ایجاد شده با استفاده از نرم افزار CASP آنالیز شدند. یافته ها: با استفاده از آزمون MTT و بر اساس مدل پروبیت میزان IC50 اسید گالیک برای سلول های Du145 برابر 35 میکرومولار بدست آمد. در آزمون الکتروفورز قلیایی، برای سه غلظت 25،30 و 35 میکرومولار اسیدگالیک، نسبت طول کامت به قطر سلول به ترتیب برابر 1/3±6/7، 2/6±13/8 و 1/2±69/4 بود. نتیجه گیری: گالیک اسید به عنوان یک آنتی اکسیدان قدرتمند در غلظت های نزدیک به IC50 اثر مهاری شدیدی بر رشد سلول های سرطان پروستات (لاین Du145) داشته و با اثر تخریبی بر ژنوم این سلول ها می تواند آپوپتوز را در آنان القاء کند

Experimental Evidence of Generation and Reception by a Transluminal Axisymmetric Shear Wave Elastography Prototype

Experimental evidence on testing a non-ultrasonic-based probe for a new approach in transluminal elastography was presented. The proposed modality generated shear waves by inducing oscillatory rotation on the lumen wall. Detection of the propagated waves was achieved at a set of receivers in mechanical contact with the lumen wall. The excitation element of the probe was an electromagnetic rotational actuator whilst the sensing element was comprised by a uniform anglewise arrangement of four piezoelectric receivers. The prototype was tested in two soft-tissue-mimicking phantoms that contained lumenlike conduits and stiffer inclusions. The shear wave speed of the different components of the phantoms was characterized using shear wave elastography. These values were used to estimate the time-of-flight of the expected reflections. Ultrafast ultrasound imaging, based on Loupas' algorithm, was used to estimate the displacement field in transversal planes to the lumenlike conduit and to compare against the readouts from the transluminal transmission-reception tests. Experimental observations between ultrafast imaging and the transluminal probe were in good agreement, and reflections due to the stiffer inclusions were detected by the transluminal probe. The obtained experimental evidence provided proof-of-concept for the transluminal elastography probe and encouraged further exploration of clinical applications

In Vitro and in Vivo Enhancement of Antitumoral Activity of Liposomal Antisense Oligonucleotides by Cineole as a Chemical Penetration Enhancer

Cellular uptake and cytoplasmic release of liposomal antisense oligonucleotides (AsODNs), which can act as rate-limiting steps, are still remained to be completely optimized. Here, the possibility of enhancing such processes at cellular and animal levels by cineole, as a penetration enhancer, was investigated. A cationic nanoliposome containing an AsODN against PKC-α and a cineole-containing nanoliposome were prepared and characterized. The effect of nanoliposomal cineole on sequence-specific cytotoxicity of nanoliposomal AsODN against A549, was studied in vitro (MTT, flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy, and real time PCR) and in vivo (xenograft lung tumor in nude mice) using different concentrations and treatment times. Results showed specific cytotoxicity of nanoliposomal AsODN was increased significantly from 11 to 25 when A549 cells were exposed to 10 μg/mL cineole for 1 or 4 hours. This inhibitory effect was further increased to about 40 when the concentration was increased to 40 μg/mL for 1 hour. In animal studies, cineole significantly decreased the tumor volume (about 75) and increased its doubling time from 13 days to 31 days. A linear relationship exists between cineole concentration and its enhancement effects. Finally it was concluded that cineole, and possibly other membrane fluidizers, can improve nanoliposomal gene therapy at cellular and animal levels. © 2015 Hamid Reza Moghimi et al

The effect of carvacrol on the growth inhibition and genomic destruction in prostatic cancer cells using comet assay technique

زمینه و هدف: امروزه، سرطان ها یکی از بزرگترین نگرانی های جوامع بشری است. ترکیبات پلی فنلی و آنتی اکسیدان ها به عنوان یک فاکتور مهم و کلیدی در پیشگیری و یا درمان انواع سرطان ها به خوبی معرفی شده اند. این تحقیق با هدف بررسی اثر کارواکرول به عنوان یک ماده آنتی اکسیدانی قوی بر مهار رشد و میزان تخریب ژنوم رده سلول سرطانی PC3 پروستات انجام شده است. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه تجربی آزمایشگاهی، سلول های سرطانی PC3 پروستات با غلظت های مختلف کارواکرول تیمار و درصد زیست پذیری سلول ها به کمک روش رنگ سنجی تترازولیوم (MTT) اندازه گیری و سپس غلظت مهارکنندگی 50 درصد رشد سلول‌ها (IC50) محاسبه شد.در قدم بعدی، الکتروفورز قلیایی با توجه به IC50 برای سه غلظت 130، 230 و 360 میکرومولار از کارواکرول انجام و 100 عدد تصویر کامت های ایجاد شده با استفاده از نرم افزار CASP آنالیز گردید. یافته ها: بر اساس مدل پروبیت میزان IC50 کارواکرول برای سلول های PC3 360 میکرومولار بدست آمد. در آزمون الکتروفورز قلیایی، نسبت طول کامت به قطر سلول در غلظت های 130، 230 و 360 میکرومولار به ترتیب برابر 2/1±15/9، 4/2±38/7 و 2/0±65/3 درصد مشاهده شد. نتیجه گیری: کارواکرول به عنوان یک ترکیب پلی فنلی موثر در درمان سرطان ها به طور بالقوه ای می تواند ژنوم سلول های PC3 مشتق از سرطان پروستات را تخریب کند. تخریب ژنوم سلول های PC3 در غلظت های نزدیک به IC50 بسیار محسوس تر است

Coupling of wideband impulses generated by granular chains into liquids for biomedical applications

An ultrasonic transducer technology to generate wideband impulses using a one-dimensional chain of spheres was previously presented. The Hertzian contact between the spheres causes the nonlinearity of the system to increase, which transforms high amplitude narrowband sinusoidal input into a train of wideband impulses. Generation of short duration ultrasonic pulses is desirable both in diagnostic and therapeutic ultrasound. Nevertheless, the biggest challenge in terms of adaptation to biomedical ultrasound is the coupling of the ultrasonic energy into biological tissue. An analytical model was created to address the coupling issue. Effect of the matching layer was modelled as a flexible thin plate clamped from the edges. Model was verified against hydrophone measurements. Different coupling materials, such as glass, aluminium, acrylic, silicon rubber, and vitreous carbon, was analysed with this model. Results showed that soft matching layers such as acrylic and rubber inhibit the generation of higher order harmonics. Between the hard matching materials, vitreous carbon achieved the best results due to its acoustic impedance

Nonlinear Generation of Harmonic Content within High Intensity Ultrasound Signals using Granular Chains

Applications such as High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) conventionally use narrowband signals of high amplitude, which are then focused to a known region within the body. It would be advantageous to be able to broaden the bandwidth, as this could lead to a more spatially-concentrated focal region. One way of increasing the bandwidth is to generate harmonics. The eventual aim of this study is to generate wideband ultrasonic signals with high amplitudes, primarily for therapeutic ultrasound and drug delivery applications. In this paper, a new ultrasonic transducer technology using a one-dimensional chain of spheres is presented to achieve this aim

Analysis of solitary wave impulses in granular chains using ultrasonic excitation

The propagation of broad bandwidth solitary wave impulses, generated within granular chains by narrow bandwidth ultrasonic excitation, is studied in detail. Theoretical predictions are compared to experimental results. It is demonstrated that the observed effects result from a sum of a solitary wave traveling out from the source with a wave that reflects from the far end of the chain. It is shown that this combination, when used with an excitation in the form of a long-duration tone burst, encourages the generation of multiple impulses with a characteristic periodicity. This study shows that the properties of the chain structure and the excitation can be adjusted so as to generate ultrasonic solitary wave impulses with a high amplitude and known frequency content, which are of interest in applications such as biomedical ultrasound