Hepatitis C virus as possible etiologic factor in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome among Egyptian patients

Hepatitis C virus (HCY) infection is associated with a variety of extrahepatic disorders. including cryoglobulinaernia and glomerulonephritis. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) glornerulopathy may be present as a primary glomerular disease. Our study included 50 adult Egyptian patients who were diagnosed as idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (NS). We described the clinical, pathological and immunological features of these patients. There was a high prevalence (50%) of HCV infection among these patients. The studied risk factors included history of; blood transfusion (16%) operation (24%) or antibilharzial drugs (76%). Hepatomegaly was observed in 24% of cases.Mernbranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) was the commonest pathological  type associated with HCV (48%). Other patterns included focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in 32%, membranous in 8% and minimal change glomerulonephritis in 12%. Cryoglobulins were detected in 5.6% of 18 patients with HCV and idiopathic NS.Patients having HCV infection and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis had hypocomplementemia and antinuclear antibodies were detected in 41.6%.Realising that HCV infection may be linked to different glomerulopathies, thus routine screening for HCV should be considered in serologic work-up of patients with glomerulopathy. Nevertheless, seroepiderniological studies including larger number of patients with glornerulopathy are therefore necessary to specify its relation with HCV infection

Foliar applied proline and acetic acid improves growth and yield of wheat under salinity stress by improving photosynthetic pigments, physiological traits, antioxidant activities and nutrient uptake

Salinity stress (SS) is serious abiotic stress and a major limiting factor for crop productivity and global food security. In this context, the application of osmolytes is considered as an environmental friend approach to improve plant growth under SS. Thus, the present study was conducted to determine the impact of foliar applied proline (Pro) and acetic acid (AA) on growth, yield, physiological traits, photosynthetic pigments, ionic homeostasis and antioxidant activities of wheat under SS. The study contained SS levels 0, 6 and 12 dS m-1 and foliar spray of Pro and AA; water spray, Pro (75 mM), AA (15 mM) and AA (30 mM). The study was conducted in a completely randomized design with the factorial arrangement. Salinity stress significantly reduced wheat growth and yield, by decreasing relative water contents (-49.07%), photosynthetic pigments, free amino acids (FAA: -44.79%), total soluble proteins (TSP: -15.94%) and increasing the electrolyte leakage (EL: +27.28%), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2: +51.86%), and malondialdehyde (MDA: +36.91%) accumulation. The foliar spray of Pro and AA markedly improved the wheat growth and productivity through enhanced photosynthetic pigments, RWC, FAA, TSP, antioxidant activities (catalase: CAT, ascorbate peroxide: APX: peroxidase: POD), K+ and Ca2+ uptake and decreasing EL, MDA and H2O2 accumulation and restricted entry of toxic ions (Na+ and Cl-1).  Therefore, foliar application of AA and Pro effectively improves the growth and yield of wheat under SS by strengthening the antioxidant defense system, and maintaining ionic homeostasis and physiological performance

Panax ginseng leaf aqueous extract mediated green synthesis of AgNPs under ultrasound condition and investigation of its anti-lung adenocarcinoma effects

Panax ginseng has many therapeutic uses in medicine. In the recent research, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were formulated by the Panax ginseng aqueous extract. The synthesized AgNPs’ characterization was analyzed using UV-Vis spectrophotometry, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and elemental mapping. The AgNPs were analyzed for their surface morphology by SEM. The successful synthesis of AgNPs was evident with TEM images. The AgNPs had a uniform distribution and homogenous spherical shaped morphology with mean diameter in the range of 20–30 nm. The cytotoxic and anti-lung adenocarcinoma ‎potentials of biologically formulated AgNPs‎ against NCI-H1563‎, NCI-H1437‎, NCI-H1299‎, and NCI-H2126 cells were determined. The anti-lung adenocarcinoma ‎ properties of the AgNPs ‎ removed NCI-H1563‎, NCI-H1437‎, NCI-H1299‎, and NCI-H2126 cells. The AgNPs’ IC50‎ were 193, 156, 250, and 278 µg/mL against NCI-H1563‎, NCI-H1437‎, NCI-H1299‎, and NCI-H2126 cells, respectively. Also, AgNPs presented high antioxidant potential

Treatment of gastric cancer by green mediated silver nanoparticles using Pistacia atlantica bark aqueous extract

We herein demonstrate a novel green mediated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Pistacia atlantica bark aqueous extract for the treatment of gastric cancer under in vitro conditions. Physicochemical and structural features of the nanocomposite biomaterial were assessed by several techniques like UV-Vis spectrum, transmission electron spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. The Ag NPs showed high antioxidant activities against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The IC50 of Ag NPs and Butylated hydroxytoluene against DPPH were 132 and 77 µg/mL, respectively. In the oncological part of this research, the status of normal and gastric cancer AGS and KATO III cell lines was determined. The IC50 of AgNPs was 193 and 250 µg/mL against AGS and KATO III. It seems that the prepared NP have stopped the growth of gastric cancer cells and the recent cancer cells have been removed with high concentration of NPs

Bio-inspired deposition of gold nanoparticles onto the surface of kaolin for in vitro management of human ovarian cancer and modulation of the inflammatory response in adenomyosis-induced mice in vivo via the MAPK signaling pathway

A mild and eco-friendly protocol has been developed for the preparation of kaolin-decorated Au nanoparticles mediated by Ephedra root extract as a green reducing and stabilizing agents without any toxic substrates. Structural features of the prepared Au NPs/Kaolin were assessed through FE-SEM, TEM, and XRD techniques. TEM images show the good deposition of Au NPs over the surface of extract-modified kaolin without aggregation. Towards the medicinal application, its antioxidant efficacy was assessed by the DPPH method, and the corresponding IC50 value was obtained as 104 μg/mL. Cytotoxicity of the nanoformulated bio-composite was ascertained through MTT analysis against human ovarian carcinoma cells, i.e., PA-1 and SK-OV-3. The IC50 in those studies was 250 and 119 μg/mL against PA-1and SK-OV-3 cells, respectively. In the in vivo design, tamoxifen was used to induce the experimental adenomyosis model in mice. After treatment, the thymus, spleen, uterine, and body weights of all animals were measured. Then, inflammatory factor expression and myometrial infiltration were determined by qRT-PCR, ELISA, and histology examination in the uterus. Western blotting, qRT-PCR, and immune histochemical (IHC) staining were applied to analyze the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway protein expression. Au NPs/Kaolin bio-nanocomposite ameliorated the adenomyosis symptoms by raising the thymus and spleen index and decreasing the myometrial infiltration. The raised levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in adenomyosis model mice uterus and serum were also reduced after Au NPs/Kaolin bio-nanocomposite treatment. The adenomyosis amelioration of Au NPs/Kaolin bio-nanocomposite was gained by preventing the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway, including decreasing the expressions of protein and mRNA of p-p38/p38, p-JNK/JNK, and p-ERK/ERK

Mucosal Genes Expression in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: New Insights

Individual differences in IBD illness severity, behavior, progression, and therapy response are evident. Since a break in the intestinal epithelial barrier causes IBD to begin, mucosal gene expression in IBD is crucial. Due to its high sensitivity and dynamic nature, molecular analysis of biomarkers in intestinal biopsies is feasible and provides a reliable means of evaluating localized inflammation. The goal of this investigation was to discover alterations in gene expression in the inflamed mucosa of IBD patients undergoing treatment with 5-amino salicylic acid (5ASA) (N = 39) or anti-TNF drugs (N = 22). The mucosal expression of numerous IBD-related genes was evaluated using qPCR. We discovered that the levels of the proteins Lipocalin-2 (LCN2), Nitric Oxide Synthase 2 (NOS2), Mucin 2 (MUC2), Mucin 5AC (MUC5AC), and Trefoil factor 1 (TFF1), which are overexpressed in untreated IBD patients compared to non-IBD subjects, are decreased by both therapy regimens. On the other hand, anti-TNF medicine helped the levels of ABCB1 and E-cadherin return to normal in IBD patients who were not receiving treatment

Characterization and cytotoxicity and antihuman renal cell carcinoma potentials of starch capped-copper oxide nanoparticles synthesized by ultrasonic irradiation: Introducing a novel chemotherapeutic drug

In this research article we have demonstrated the sustainable green synthesis of a novel starch templated CuO NP following a clean and non-hazardous pathway. Ultrasonic irradiation was used to promote the reaction in alkaline medium. The numerous hydroxyl groups present in starch was exploited in the green reduction of immobilized copper ions in situ. They also helped to stabilize the as synthesized Cu NPs by encapsulation or capping. The morphology and physicochemical characteristics were ascertained over an array of analytical techniques like Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Elemental Mapping, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES). Biologically, the nanocomposite exhibited excellent cytotoxicity against human renal cell carcinoma (RCC-GH, CaKi-2 and HEK293) cell lines without affecting the normal (HUVEC) cell line. IC50 values of the nanocomposite were found at 139, 208and 125 against RCC-GH, CaKi-2 and HEK293 cell lines respectively and accordingly, HEK293 afforded the best adenocarcinoma activity

Metabolic Profiling of <i>Jasminum grandiflorum</i> L. Flowers and Protective Role against Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity: Network Pharmacology and In Vivo Validation

Cisplatin (CP) is a powerful chemotherapeutic agent; however, its therapeutic use is restricted due to its nephrotoxicity. In this work, we profiled the phytoconstituents of Jasminum grandiflorum flower extract (JGF) using LC-MS/MS and explored the possible molecular mechanisms against acute renal failure through pharmacological network analysis. Furthermore, the possible molecular mechanisms of JGF against acute renal failure were verified in an in vivo nephrotoxicity model caused by cisplatin. LC-MS analysis furnished 26 secondary metabolites. Altogether, there were 112 total hit targets for the identified metabolites, among which 55 were potential consensus targets related to nephrotoxicity based on the network pharmacology approach. Upon narrowing the scope to acute renal failure, using the DisGeNET database, only 30 potential targets were determined. The computational pathway analysis illustrated that JGF might inhibit renal failure through PI3K-Akt, MAPK signaling pathway, and EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance. This study was confirmed by in vivo experiment in which kidneys were collected for histopathology and gene expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase 4 (MKK4), MKK7, I-CAM 1, IL-6, and TNF receptor-associated factor 2 (TRAF2). The animal-administered cisplatin exhibited a substantial rise in the expression levels of the MMK4, MKK7, I CAM 1, and TRFA2 genes compared to the control group. To summarize, J. grandiflorum could be a potential source for new reno-protective agents. Further experiments are needed to confirm the obtained activities and determine the therapeutic dose and time