The Healing Capability of Clove Flower Extract (CFE) in Streptozotocin-Induced (STZ-Induced) Diabetic Rat Wounds Infected with Multidrug Resistant Bacteria

Treatment of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is of great challenge as it is shown to be infected by multidrug resistant bacteria (MDR bacteria). Sixty four bacterial isolates were isolated from DFU cases; antibiotic susceptibility tests were carried out for all of them. One bacterial isolate (number 11) was shown to resist the action of 8 out of 12 antibiotics used and was identified by both a Vitek-2 system and 16S rRNA fingerprints as belonging to Proteus mirabilis, and was designated Proteus mirabilis {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"LC587231","term_id":"1917123988"}}LC587231 (P. mirabilis). Clove flower extract (CFE) inhibited distinctively the P. mirabilis bacterium obtained. GC-MS spectroscopy showed that this CFE contained nine bioactive compounds. The effect of CFE on wound healing of Type 1 diabetic albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) was studied. The results indicated that topical application of CFE hydrogel improved wound size, wound index, mRNA expression of the wound healing markers (Coli1, MMP9, Fibronectin, PCNA, and TGFβ), growth factor signaling pathways (PPAR-α, PGC1-α, GLP-1, GLPr-1, EGF-β, EGF-βr, VEGF-β, and FGF-β), inflammatory cytokine expression (IL8, TNFα, NFKβ, IL1β, and MCP1), as well as anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL4 & IL10), pro-apoptotic markers (FAS, FAS-L, BAX, BAX/BCL-2, Caspase-3, P53, P38), as well as an antiapoptotic one (BCL2). Furthermore, it improved the wound oxidative state and reduced the wound microbial load, as the cefepime therapy improved the wound healing parameters. Based on the previous notions, it could be concluded that CFE represents a valid antibiotics alternative for DFU therapy since it improves diabetic wound healing and exerts antibacterial activity either in vitro or in vivo.     

Modeling of magnetic bandages for drug targeting: Button vs. Halbach arrays

Magnetic targeting of drugs to diseased tissues, such as non-healing wounds or skin tumors, is a promising clinical use of magnetic microspheres. For successful magnetic targeting, a magnet must be placed in close proximity to the target tissue. In this work the forces exerted on magnetic microspheres by different arrangements of magnets including a simple square magnet, a number of button magnet arrays, and a Halbach array were simulated and compared. Magnetic bandages utilizing a Halbach array configuration were found to yield the best trapping characteristics (large and uniform force distributions) for magnetic targeting applications close to a surface.     

Blood Flow Analyses of Skin Tissue Under the Sacrum Using Laser Speckle Flowgraphy

A new version of the Laser Speckle Flowgraphy was developed to study the dependence of the blood flow of the skin tissue under the sacrum and the supporting pressure against the sacrum. The measuring unit consists of the laser diode, imaging system, line sensor, scanning mirror, and one-board microcomputer. The speckle signal is analyzed and sent to a personal computer, where the blood flow in a tissue area of 19 cm × 25 cm is evaluated and displayed on a 2-D color map. It was found that the blood flow in the skin tissue sharply decreased under the sacrum when it was supported by a hard surface, while the decrease became negligible when the surface was replaced by a soft airbag.     

中国八个城市居民食品摄入量与胃癌死亡率的对应分析

为探讨食品摄入量及胃癌死亡率与中国部分城市之间的关系,用对应分析方法对食品摄入量及胃癌死亡率与中国部分城市之间的关系进行分析.对应分析将8个城市16项食品摄入量及胃癌死亡率分成四个点群:点群族I城市包括上海、南京、苏州,食品包括大米、豆制品、绿色蔬菜、咸菜、猪肉、鱼虾类、绽粉类;点群族II城市包括北京、天津、西安,食品包括面粉、浅色蔬菜、水果、乳类、植物油;点群族III城市包括长春,食品包括干豆类、蛋类;点群族IV城市包括沈阳,食品包括薯类.说明中国部分城市与胃癌死亡率存在地区性差异,饮食中应减少精制米类及食盐的摄入,而增加面类和植物油的摄入.     

Natural products in treatment of ulcerative colitis and peptic ulcer

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory chronic disease that affects the mucosa and submucosa of the colon and rectum. Several types of drugs are available such as aminosalicylates. Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is a common disorder that affects millions of individuals worldwide and it can be considered one of the most important common diseases in the world. Treatment of peptic ulcers depends on using a number of synthetic drugs that reduce the rate of stomach acid secretion (Antiacids), protect the mucous tissues that line the stomach and upper portion of the small intestine (Demulcents) or to eliminate Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). In most cases, incidence of relapses and adverse reactions is seen in the following synthetic antiulcer therapy. Accordingly, the main concern of the current article is to introduce a safe drug (or more) of natural origin, to be used for the management of gastric ulcers without side effects.A widespread search has been launched to identify new anti-ulcer therapies from natural sources. Herbs, medicinal plants, spices, vegetables and crude drug substances are considered to be a potential source to control various diseases including gastric ulcer and ulcerative colitis. In the scientific literature, a large number of medicinal plants and their secondary metabolites with potential anti-ulcer (anti-peptic ulcer and antiulcerative colitis) activities have been reported. Treatment with natural products produces promising results and fewer side effects. Our goal is to collect the published data in the last 24 years and reviews the natural products reported in the treatment of these diseases and their mechanism of action.     

Secondary metabolites for antiulcer activity

Peptic ulcers are open sores or erosions in the lining of either the duodenum (duodenal ulcers) or the stomach (gastric ulcers). Peptic ulcer, which is mainly caused by bacterial attack or excess of acid secretion, can be cured effectively by these isolated plant compounds. In this present scenario, demand for herbal medicines are increasing due to easy availability in surrounding place at low cost. This review article is all about such isolated plant compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids and terpenoids. Various plants have been used as folk medicine by the people of rural area, which shows significant effect against peptic ulcer. Further study should be conducted upon these herbal plants because there is possibility for minimising the adverse effect caused by the present antiulcer drugs.     

Bioaccessibility of selected trace metals in urban PM<Subscript>2.5</Subscript> and PM<Subscript>10</Subscript> samples: a model study

Bioaccessibility of trace metals originating from urban particulate matter was assessed in a worst case scenario to evaluate the uptake and thus the hazardous potential of these metals via gastric juice. Sampling was performed over a period of about two months at the Getreidemarkt in downtown Vienna. Concentrations of the assayed trace metals (Ti, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Tl and Pb) were determined in PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ samples by ICP-MS. The metal concentrations in sampled air were in the low picogram to high nanogram per cubic metre range. The concentrations in PM_2.5 samples were generally lower than those in PM₁₀ samples. The average daily intake of these metals by inhalation for a healthy adult was estimated to be in the range of <1 ng (Tl) to >1,000 ng (Zn). To estimate the accessibility of the inhaled and subsequently ingested metals (i.e. after lung clearance had taken place) in the size range from 2.5- to 10-μm aerodynamic equivalent diameter, a batch-extraction with synthetic gastric juice was performed. The data were used to calculate the bioaccessibility of the investigated trace metals. Extractable fractions ranged from 2.10% (Ti in PM_2.5) to 91.0% (Cd in PM_2.5), thus yielding bioaccessible fractions (PM_2.5–10) from 0.16 ng (Ag) to 178 ng (Cu).     

Iridin Induces G2/M Phase Cell Cycle Arrest and Extrinsic Apoptotic Cell Death through PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway in AGS Gastric Cancer Cells

Iridin is a natural flavonoid found in Belamcanda chinensis documented for its broad spectrum of biological activities like antioxidant, antitumor, and antiproliferative effects. In the present study, we have investigated the antitumor potential of iridin in AGS gastric cancer cells. Iridin treatment decreases AGS cell growth and promotes G2/M phase cell cycle arrest by attenuating the expression of Cdc25C, CDK1, and Cyclin B1 proteins. Iridin-treatment also triggered apoptotic cell death in AGS cells, which was verified by cleaved Caspase-3 (Cl- Caspase-3) and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) protein expression. Further apoptotic cell death was confirmed by increased apoptotic cell death fraction shown in allophycocyanin (APC)/Annexin V and propidium iodide staining. Iridin also increased the expression of extrinsic apoptotic pathway proteins like Fas, FasL, and cleaved Caspase-8 in AGS cells. On the contrary, iridin-treated AGS cells did not show variations in proteins related to an intrinsic apoptotic pathway such as Bax and Bcl-xL. Besides, Iridin showed inhibition of PI3K/AKT signaling pathways by downregulation of (p-PI3K, p-AKT) proteins in AGS cells. In conclusion, these data suggest that iridin has anticancer potential by inhibiting PI3K/AKT pathway. It could be a basis for further drug design in gastric cancer treatment.     

From Chemistry to Translational Medicine: The Application of Proteomics to Cancer Biomarker Discovery and Diagnosis

The study of complex protein mixtures and their interactions in cells and tissues has been difficult due to the tedious process involved in their characterization and analysis. The recent emergence of fast‐evolving and state‐of‐the‐art proteomics methodologies has provided a rapid and scalable platform for understanding the comprehensive proteome profiles from complex whole tissues or cells of various biological sources. Therefore, proteomics has been increasingly valuable to examine real‐time changes in protein expression of various tissues or body fluids from patients with various diseases, especially cancer, resulting in the identification of clinically useful biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and disease staging. In this review, we focus on potential biomarkers for (1) Helicobacter pylori‐associated gastric cancer, (2) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and (3) renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In addition to the conventional gel‐based proteomics (1‐D or 2‐D gels), we have utilized a more advanced proteomic approach by incorporating stable isotope dimethyl labelling and shotgun proteomics strategy in combination with nanoliquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC‐MS/MS) to better characterize the biomarkers in several cancer tissues. By establishing a high‐throughput proteomics platform based on multiple reaction monitoring (MRM), we have successfully detected and analyzed potential protein markers at low concentrations in various normal and tumor tissues. This platform not only highlights the utility of proteomics for biomarker discovery but also can be uniquely applied to disease‐oriented translational medicine for diagnosis of diverse types of cancers and other diseases.