Effects of metformin on fibroblast growth factor 21 in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: faraway but so close

Abstract Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance (IR) and hyperglycemia. The development of inflammatory disorders in T2DM triggers the activation of different growth factors as a compensatory mechanism to reduce IR and adipose tissue dysfunction in T2DM. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) which is involved in the regulation of glucose homeostasis is attractive to be a novel therapeutic target in the management of T2DM. FGF21 has poor pharmacokinetic profile as it rapidly degraded; therefore, FGF21 analogs which are more stable can be used in T2DM patients. However, FGF21 analogs are tested pre-clinically but not approved in clinical settings. Therefore, searching for anti-diabetic agents who enhance FGF21 expression is mandatory. It has been shown that metformin which used as a first-line in the management of T2DM can positively affect the expression of FGF21, though the underlying mechanisms for metformin-induced FGF21 expression are not fully elucidated. Therefore, this review from published studies aimed to find how metformin improves insulin sensitivity through FGF21-dependent pathway in T2DM. In conclusion, metformin improves FGF21 signaling in T2DM, and this could be a novel mechanism for metformin in the amelioration of glucose homeostasis and metabolic disorders in T2DM patients

Antibacterial Activity of Honey/Chitosan Nanofibers Loaded with Capsaicin and Gold Nanoparticles for Wound Dressing

This paper describes the preparation, characterization, and evaluation of honey/tripolyphosphate (TPP)/chitosan (HTCs) nanofibers loaded with capsaicin derived from the natural extract of hot pepper (Capsicum annuumL.) and loaded with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as biocompatible antimicrobial nanofibrous wound bandages in topical skin treatments. The capsaicin and AuNPs were packed within HTCs in HTCs-capsaicin, HTCs-AuNP, and HTCs-AuNPs/capsaicin nanofibrous mats. In vitro antibacterial testing against Pasteurella multocida, Klebsiella rhinoscleromatis,Staphylococcus pyogenes, and Vibrio vulnificus was conducted in comparison with difloxacin and chloramphenicol antibiotics. Cell viability and proliferation of the developed nanofibers were evaluated using an MTT assay. Finally, in vivo study of the wound-closure process was performed on New Zealand white rabbits. The results indicate that HTCs-capsaicin and HTCs-AuNPs are suitable in inhibiting bacterial growth compared with HTCs and HTCs-capsaicin/AuNP nanofibers and antibiotics (P < 0.01). The MTT assay demonstrates that the nanofibrous mats increased cell proliferation compared with the untreated control (P < 0.01). In vivo results show that the developed mats enhanced the wound-closure rate more effectively than the control samples. The novel nanofibrous wound dressings provide a relatively rapid and efficacious wound-healing ability, making the obtained nanofibers promising candidates for the development of improved bandage materials

Antibacterial Activity of TiO2 Nanoparticles Prepared by One-Step Laser Ablation in Liquid

Laser ablation in liquid was utilized to prepare a TiO2 NP suspension in in deionized distilled water using Q-switch Nd: YAG laser at various laser energies and ablation times. The samples were characterized using UV–visible absorption spectra obtained with a UV–visible spectrophotometer (UV-Vis,) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). While, UV-Vis spectra showed the characteristic band-to-band absorption peak of TiO2 NPs in the UV range. FTIR analysis showed the existence of O-Ti-O bond. XRD patterns indicated the presence of (101) and (112) plane crystalline phases of TiO2. TEM images showed a spherical-like structure of TiO2 NPs with various size distributions depending on the ablation period. It was also found that there is a relationship between laser ablation time and TiO2 NP size distribution, where longer ablation times led to the smaller size distribution. The antibacterial activity of TiO2 NPs was evaluated with different species of bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, and Staphylococcus aureus, using the liquid approach. The optimum activity of TiO2 NPs is found to be against E. coli at 1000 μg mL−1. Furthermore, adding, TiO2 NPs (1000 μg mL−1) in the presence of amoxicillin has a synergic effect on E. coli and S. aureus growth, as measured by the well diffusion method. However, both E. coli (11.6 ± 0.57mm) and S. aureus (13.3 ± 0.57mm) were inhibited by this process

Gold nanoparticles loaded TNF-alpha and CALNN peptide as a drug delivery system and promising therapeutic agent for breast cancer cells

We investigated the anti-cancer properties of gold nanoparticles loaded TNF- and CALNN peptides, which we proposed as a potential drug delivery system using in vitro and in vivo models. The binding of GNPs-TNF- and GNPs-TNF-CALNN was characterized using a UV, ELISA and SEM analysis. The outcomes demonstrated that a novel drug delivery system had an anti-proliferative activity against breast cancer cell lines through a mechanism of apoptosis induction. In vivo model involved studying the cytotoxic influence of a drug delivery system GNPs, GNPs-TNF-alpha and GNPs-TNF-alpha-CALNN when applied to the transplanted AN-3 cell line. tumor sections were examined using microarray. In-vivo studies demonstrated that GNPs alone had less of a growth inhibitory effect on tumors implanted in mice when compared to GNPs-TNF-CALNN combined therapy. The cytotoxic assay showed that GNPs, GNPs-TNF-alpha and GNPs-TNF-alpha-CALNN exhibit selective toxicity towards cancer cells, inducing cell apoptosis through activation of caspase-3 and 7, p53 protein

Influence of Cu2+ substitution on the structural, optical, magnetic, and antibacterial behaviour of zinc ferrite nanoparticles

Ferrite nanoparticles are an emerging material for industrial and biomedical applications. Herein, a simple non-aqueous sol–gel method is used to synthesize CuxZn(1-x)Fe2O4 (x = 0.0, 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75) nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–Vis spectroscopy, and a vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM) were utilized to investigate the structural formation and magnetic merits of the prepared ferrite nanoparticles. The Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction pattern confirmed the formation of single-phase cubic structures with Fd3¯m space groups for all samples. The increase in cu2+ concentration in zinc ferrite nanoparticles decreases the lattice parameters from 8.4418 to 8.4368. The energy gap of cu2+-doped zinc ferrite increases from 1.89 to 2.04 eV with a decrease in particle size. MH loop revealed an increase in Ms and Mr Parameters as Hc reduces with an increase in Cu2+ concentration in the zinc ferrite matrix. It was discovered that an increase in Cu2+ content improved the antibacterial activities of Cu2+-doped zinc ferrite against all bacterial species

Development of <i>Inula graveolens</i> (L.) Plant Extract Electrospun/Polycaprolactone Nanofibers: A Novel Material for Biomedical Application

Recently, there has been a growing interest in research on nanofibrous scaffolds developed by electrospinning bioactive plant extracts. In this study, the extract material obtained from the medicinal plant Inula graveolens (L.) was loaded on polycaprolactone (PCL) electrospun polymeric nanofibers. The combined mixture was prepared by 5% of I. graveolens at 8% (PCL) concentration and electrospun under optimal conditions. The chemical analysis, morphology, and crystallization of polymeric nanofibers were carried out by (FT-IR) spectrometer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and XRD diffraction. Hydrophilicity was determined by a contact angle experiment. The strength was characterized, and the toxicity of scaffolds on the cell line of fibroblasts was finally investigated. The efficiency of nanofibers to enhance the proliferation of fibroblasts was evaluated in vitro using the optimal I. graveolens/PCL solutions. The results show that I. graveolens/PCL polymeric scaffolds exhibited dispersion in homogeneous nanofibers around 72 ± 963 nm in the ratio 70/30 (V:V), with no toxicity for cells, meaning that they can be used for biomedical applications

Development of Inula graveolens (L.) Plant Extract Electrospun/Polycaprolactone Nanofibers: A Novel Material for Biomedical Application

Recently, there has been a growing interest in research on nanofibrous scaffolds developed by electrospinning bioactive plant extracts. In this study, the extract material obtained from the medicinal plant Inula graveolens (L.) was loaded on polycaprolactone (PCL) electrospun polymeric nanofibers. The combined mixture was prepared by 5% of I. graveolens at 8% (PCL) concentration and electrospun under optimal conditions. The chemical analysis, morphology, and crystallization of polymeric nanofibers were carried out by (FT-IR) spectrometer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and XRD diffraction. Hydrophilicity was determined by a contact angle experiment. The strength was characterized, and the toxicity of scaffolds on the cell line of fibroblasts was finally investigated. The efficiency of nanofibers to enhance the proliferation of fibroblasts was evaluated in vitro using the optimal I. graveolens/PCL solutions. The results show that I. graveolens/PCL polymeric scaffolds exhibited dispersion in homogeneous nanofibers around 72 &plusmn; 963 nm in the ratio 70/30 (V:V), with no toxicity for cells, meaning that they can be used for biomedical applications