Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Although many recent studies have analyzed the validation of integrin subunit alpha 4 (ITGA4) biomarker for cancer detection in patients with various malignancies, the diagnostic value of ITGA4 methylation for malignant tumors remains uncertain. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to unravel the relationship between ITGA4 promoter methylation status and malignant tumors. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: A meta-analysis was performed using the metaphor package in R 3...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Salvia abrotanoides is considered a medicinal plant and has a broad distribution in Iran. In Iran's traditional medicine, it is also used to treat leishmaniasis, malaria, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, and as a disinfectant. This research aimed to determine the anti- Candida component from S. abratonoides and anti- Trichomonas natural compounds from the stems of this plant. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The plant shoots were collected, dried, and after removing the leaves, grounded...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Properties of Alzheimer's disease, can be caused by several reasons and there is no definite treatment for it. We aimed to study the effect of the hydroalcoholic extract, methanolic and n-hexane fractions of brown algae Sargassum angustifolium on memory impairment in mice and rats. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Hydroalcoholic extract (25, 50, 100, 200 mg/kg), methanolic (20 and 40 mg/kg) and n-hexane (40 and 60 mg/kg) fractions of S. angustifolium were administered for 21 days intraperitoneally before scopolamine injection (2 mg/kg) on day 21...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Increasing evidence indicates that oxidative stress is an important factor in the pathogenesis and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Betaine is trimethylglycine with antioxidant and neuroprotective properties. The present study aimed to evaluate the possible beneficial effects of betaine on oxidative stress and memory deficits induced by intrahippocampal injection of amyloid beta (Aß) in an AD model. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Forty adult male Wistar rats were divided into 5 equal groups: the control and Aß groups which received oral gavage of saline (1 mL daily) for 14 days...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The GC-MS analysis reported n -hexadecanoic acid or palmitic acid as a major component of the ethanolic extract of Halymenia durvillei (HDET). This compound shows cytotoxic effects against various human cancer cells. The present study investigated the effect of HDET on the viability and proliferation of MDA-MB-231, a triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Cell proliferation and cell cycle analysis were determined by flow cytometry and cell cycle regulatory protein expression levels were then determined by Western blotting...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Neonates of pregnant women with epilepsy may compromise normal neurodevelopment and hippocampal morphology. Memory and learning disorders and a decrease in verbal IQ scores are seen in these children later in life. In the previous study, we suggested that the central muscarinic cholinergic receptors had an important role in learning and memory deficits induced by prenatal pentylenetetrazol-kindling in pups born to kindled mothers. This study aimed to investigate the effects of kindling during pregnancy on long-term potentiation (LTP) induction and the role of M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the hippocampus of male offspring...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by neuronal death in the striatum. Asiatic acid is an active component of Shorea robusta (Dipterocarpaceae) plants with neuroprotective activity and is considered an acceptable therapeutic candidate for different neurodegenerative diseases. In the present study, the beneficial pharmacological action of Shorea robusta resin extract (SRRE) was assessed in 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP)-induced HD in rats...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Renal ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury is a pathologic phenomenon that caused to increase risk of mortality. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of sodium hydrogen sulfide (NaHS) on renal IR injury in male and female rats. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Fifty-eight male and female rats were randomized into 4 groups of control, sham, IR, and IR + NaHS. The IR was performed by 45 min of ischemia by vessel clamping followed by 24 h reperfusion...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a chronic kidney failure, which may lead to fatality. Mesangial cell proliferation, renal inflammation, stress oxidative, and fibrosis are involved in DN progression. Yacon leaves ( Smallanthus sonchifolius (Poepp.) H. Rob.) contains large amounts of phenolic compounds and it has the ability to inhibit oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis. Considering the potential of yacon leaves extract (YLE), it may be used for DN treatment...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Crinum asiaticum L. has long been used in Thai traditional medicine to treat osteoarthritis and inflammation by placing it on painful areas without further formulation design which is suboptimal for therapeutic use. Thus, this research aims to formulate a topical hydrogel patch containing C. asiaticum L. extracts (CAE) for anti-inflammatory effects. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The hydrogel patches are made from carrageenan, locust bean gum, with glycerin as a plasticizer and contain CAE formulated by using response surface methodology based on Box-Behnken design for design, determination of the effect of independent factors on the tensile strength, and optimization of the hydrogel patch formulation...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare the efficacy and toxicity of perioperative chemotherapy regimens including epirubicin, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil (ECF), docetaxel, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil (DCF), leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin (FOLFOX), and 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel (FLOT) to identify the most effective chemotherapy regimen with less toxicity. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: This retrospective cohort study (2014-2021) was based on 152 eligible resectable gastric cancer patients who had received one of the perioperative mentioned chemotherapy regimens and followed for at least two years...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Subcutaneous infections caused by Scedosporium apiospermum present as chronic eumycetomatous manifestations in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals. Serious adverse effects/toxicities from the long-term use of antifungal drugs and antifungal resistance have been reported in patients with S. apiospermum infections. The present study aimed to determine the anti- S. apiospermum activities of fungal quorum sensing molecule known as tryptophol (TOH) and to develop a TOH-containing emulgel for treating S...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Phytochemically, Allium species are a rich source of important secondary metabolites especially steroidal saponin and sapogenins, flavonoids, and sulfur compounds. As a member of this genus, Allium affine , which is locally known as "tareh kouhi", is an endemic plant of middle Asian countries. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Bulbs of A. affine were collected and air-dried in the shade. The chloroform-methanol (9:1) extract of the sample was subjected to purification by MPLC and HPLC...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Osthole, a plant-derived coumarin, has shown numerous pharmacological effects. However, its genoprotective effects against cadmium-induced DNA damage have not been determined yet. Therefore, this project aimed to assess the effectiveness of osthole against genotoxicity caused by cadmium. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: For this purpose, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were incubated with various concentrations of osthole (40, 60, 80, and 120 µM) 24 h before cadmium chloride (CdCl2 ) treatment (40 µM), and then DNA damage was evaluated by comet assay...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Aflatoxins are highly toxic compounds that can cause acute and chronic toxicity in humans and animals. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of BDNF and GFAP, histopathological changes, and oxidative stress factors in brain tissue exposed to aflatoxin G1 (AFG1) in male rats. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Twenty-eight male Wistar rats were used. Animals were randomly divided into 4 groups of 7 each. The control group received 0.2 mL of corn oil and the treatment groups were exposed to AFG1 (2 mg/kg) intra-peritoneally for 15, 28, and 45 days...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Plantago major has been applied as a herbal remedy for centuries. However, studies on anti-inflammatory activities and their chemical ingredients are limited. The objective of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory properties of P. major in three animal models and its phytochemical contents. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Dichloromethane extract (DCM) of P. major was fractionated with n -hexane to yield the soluble (SHF) and insoluble (IHF) fractions...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: FoxM1 and Hsp70 proteins are highly expressed in many cancers. Thus, their inhibition serves as Bonafede targets in cancer treatment. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: FDI-6, an inhibitor of FoxM1, was selected as a template, and based on its structure, a new library from the ZINC database was obtained. Virtual screening was then performed using the created pharmacophore model. The second virtual screening phase was conducted with molecular docking to get the best inhibitor for both FoxM1 and Hsp70 active sites...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Antimicrobial resistance still constitutes a major health concern to the global human population. The development of new classes of antimicrobial agents is urgently needed to thwart the continuous emergence of highly resistant microbial pathogens. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: In this study, we have rationally designed a novel conjugated ultrashort antimicrobial peptide. The peptide named naprolyginine was challenged against representative strains of wild-type and multidrug-resistant bacteria individually or in combination with individual antibiotics by employing standard antimicrobial and checkerboard assays...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Apigenin has stimulatory effects on osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) as well as anti-inflammatory properties. This study investigated the osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs in inflammatory conditions treated with apigenin focusing on nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B (NF-кB), nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor, alpha (IκBα) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammatory pathways...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Men and women show different reactions to trauma and that is believed to be the reason behind the higher prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in women. Cholinergic signaling has long been known to be involved in the processing of fear-related information and the amygdala is a critical center for fear modulation. The main goal of the current research was to find (a) whether trauma results in different learning/extinction of fear or spatial-related information among male and female rats and (b) if trauma is associated with different acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activity in the amygdala...