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Journal of Assisted Reproduction and... May 2023Estrogen is well-known for preparing uterine receptivity. However, its roles in regulating embryo development and implantation are unclear. Our objective was to...
PURPOSE
Estrogen is well-known for preparing uterine receptivity. However, its roles in regulating embryo development and implantation are unclear. Our objective was to characterize estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) in human and mouse embryos and determine the effect of estradiol (E) supplementation on pre- and peri-implantation blastocyst development.
METHODS
Mouse embryos, 8-cell through hatched blastocyst stages, and human embryonic days 5-7 blastocysts were stained for ESR1 and imaged using confocal microscopy. We then treated 8-cell mouse embryos with 8 nM E during in vitro culture (IVC) and examined embryo morphokinetics, blastocyst development, and cell allocation into the inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE). Finally, we disrupted ESR1, using ICI 182,780, and evaluated peri-implantation development.
RESULTS
ESR1 exhibits nuclear localization in early blastocysts followed by aggregation, predominantly in the TE of hatching and hatched blastocysts, in human and mouse embryos. During IVC, most E was absorbed by the mineral oil, and no effect on embryo development was found. When IVC was performed without an oil overlay, embryos treated with E exhibited increased blastocyst development and ICM:TE ratio. Additionally, embryos treated with ICI 182,780 had significantly decreased trophoblast outgrowth during extended embryo culture.
CONCLUSION
Similar ESR1 localization in mouse and human blastocysts suggests a conserved role in blastocyst development. These mechanisms may be underappreciated due to the use of mineral oil during conventional IVC. This work provides important context for how estrogenic toxicants may impact reproductive health and offers an avenue to further optimize human-assisted reproductive technology (ART) to treat infertility.
Topics: Humans; Mice; Animals; Fulvestrant; Mineral Oil; Embryonic Development; Blastocyst; Estrogens
PubMed: 37017886
DOI: 10.1007/s10815-023-02783-2 -
Journal of Oleo Science Mar 2022Transdermal administration represents a major advancement over traditional pharmaceutical dosing methods. However, a frequent issue is inadequate penetration of the...
Transdermal administration represents a major advancement over traditional pharmaceutical dosing methods. However, a frequent issue is inadequate penetration of the active medicinal component through the skin. As a result, in the current research, we assessed the utility of newly developed petrolatum-liquid crystal (LC) ointment formulations and characterized their biocompatibility and function in the transdermal drug delivery system. To begin, we made petrolatum-LC formulations using p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) as a hydrophilic model molecule. The viscosity, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), particle diameters, and z-potential were measured to assess the physicochemical properties of the formulations. A dialysis release technique was used to evaluate medication release from petrolatum-LC formulations. In vitro testing was performed to determine the potential to enhance skin penetration. The biocompatibility of the produced formulations was further tested using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and single-cell gel electrophoresis. According to the results, the novel petrolatum-LC formulations are biocompatible and effective in forming hexosomes. PABA skin penetration was significantly enhanced by the new petrolatum-LC formulations. According to this study, petroleum-LC formulations are more efficient than commercial petrolatum in terms of skin permeability improvement and PABA skin concentration.
Topics: Administration, Cutaneous; Liquid Crystals; Petrolatum; Scattering, Small Angle; Skin; Skin Absorption; X-Ray Diffraction
PubMed: 35173089
DOI: 10.5650/jos.ess21344 -
Scientific Reports Apr 2023Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor and one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in women throughout the world. This study is a parallel,... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Anti-inflammatory effect of combining fish oil and evening primrose oil supplementation on breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.
Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor and one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in women throughout the world. This study is a parallel, randomized, double-blind, controlled, 12-week supplementation trial, investigating the anti-inflammatory effects of dietary intake of fish oil and evening primrose oil (EPO), in patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. The primary outcomes were changes in the nutritional status and inflammatory cytokines of patients during the study. The secondary outcomes were changes in hematological and biochemical parameters and fatty acid profile. Of the 32 eligible patients, half of them is randomly assigned to a treatment arm with fish oil and EPO (n = 16), or a control arm (n = 16) with mineral oil as a placebo. The intervention group was taking 2 gel capsules of fish oil and 3 gel capsules of EPO (400 mg eicosapentaenoic acid, 600 mg docosahexaenoic acid, and 351 mg gamma-linolenic acid) fish oil and evening primrose oil for 12 weeks, during their chemotherapy. The control/placebo group was taking 5 gel capsules of 1g of mineral oil. One of the patients dropped out due to discontinuation of the treatment (in the placebo group) and two did not show up at the post-treatment measurements (in the intervention group), thus, 29 women completed the study. The results showed an increase in plasma levels of docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n-3), docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3), total n-3PUFA, vaccenic acid (18:1n-7), and a decrease in n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio in the intervention group. An increase in the plasma level of dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (20:3n-6) was observed in the placebo group. There was no difference in plasma levels of interleukin (IL) IL-8, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, while the level of IL-6 decreased in both groups and was significantly lower in the intervention group at the end of the study. In conclusion, this supplementation improved the PUFA status and decreased the level of IL-6 in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Consequently, this treatment may help reduce cancer complications resulting from impaired lipid metabolism and inflammation. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03516253. Date of registration 04/05/2018.
Topics: Female; Animals; Fish Oils; gamma-Linolenic Acid; Docosahexaenoic Acids; Interleukin-6; Mineral Oil; Fatty Acids, Omega-3; Dietary Supplements; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Double-Blind Method; Neoplasms
PubMed: 37081029
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28411-8 -
Toxicology Letters Oct 2017Mineral oils and waxes used in cosmetic products, also referred to as "personal care products" outside the European Union, are mixtures of predominantly saturated... (Review)
Review
Mineral oils and waxes used in cosmetic products, also referred to as "personal care products" outside the European Union, are mixtures of predominantly saturated hydrocarbons consisting of straight-chain, branched and ring structures with carbon chain lengths greater than C16. They are used in skin and lip care cosmetic products due to their excellent skin tolerance as well as their high protecting and cleansing performance and broad viscosity options. Recently, concerns have been raised regarding potential adverse health effects of mineral oils and waxes from dermal application of cosmetics. In order to be able to assess the risk for the consumer the dermal penetration potential of these ingredients has to be evaluated. The scope and objective of this review are to identify and summarize publicly available literature on the dermal penetration of mineral oils and waxes as used in cosmetic products. For this purpose, a comprehensive literature search was conducted. A total of 13 in vivo (human, animal) and in vitro studies investigating the dermal penetration of mineral oils and waxes has been identified and analysed. The majority of the substances were dermally adsorbed to the stratum corneum and only a minor fraction reached deeper skin layers. Overall, there is no evidence from the various studies that mineral oils and waxes are percutaneously absorbed and become systemically available. Thus, given the absence of dermal uptake, mineral oils and waxes as used in cosmetic products do not present a risk to the health of the consumer.
Topics: Cosmetics; Humans; Mineral Oil; Skin Absorption; Waxes
PubMed: 28789996
DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2017.07.899 -
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and... Apr 2022The study aims to summarize current knowledge on the use of oil in embryo culture systems, with a focus on proper management of different types of oil and possible... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
The study aims to summarize current knowledge on the use of oil in embryo culture systems, with a focus on proper management of different types of oil and possible impact on culture systems.
METHODS
PubMed was used to search the MEDLINE database for peer-reviewed English-language original articles and reviews concerning the use of oil in embryo culture systems. Searches were performed by adopting "embryo," "culture media," "oil," and "contaminants" as main terms. The most relevant publications were assessed and discussed critically.
RESULTS
Oils used in IVF are complex mixtures of straight-chain hydrocarbons, cyclic and aromatic hydrocarbons, and unsaturated hydrocarbons, whose precise composition influences their chemical and physical properties. Possible presence of contaminants suggests their storage at 4 °C in the dark to prevent peroxidation. Washing, generally performed by manufacturers prior to commercialization, may remove trace chemical contaminants. Oils reduce evaporation from culture media at rates depending on their chemical physical properties, culture system parameters, and incubator atmosphere. Contaminants - mainly metal ion and plastic components derived from refinement processes and storage - can pass to the aqueous phase of culture systems and affect embryo development.
CONCLUSIONS
Oils are essential components of culture systems. Their original quality and composition, storage, handling, and use can affect embryo development with significant efficiency and safety implications.
Topics: Culture Media; Embryo Culture Techniques; Fertilization in Vitro; Humans; Mineral Oil; Oils
PubMed: 35445905
DOI: 10.1007/s10815-022-02479-z -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Feb 2021Tattoos are a current trend, but their impact on skin homeostasis and epidermal barrier function is not well known. So, the aims of this study are (1) to investigate...
Tattoos are a current trend, but their impact on skin homeostasis and epidermal barrier function is not well known. So, the aims of this study are (1) to investigate epidermal barrier function and skin homeostasis in skin with permanent tattoos, adhesive temporary tattoos and non-tattooed skin, and (2) to analyze the effect of petrolatum on skin with permanent and adhesive tattoos. In total, 67 tattoos were enrolled (34 permanent tattoos and 33 adhesive tattoos). Temperature, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), stratum corneum hydration (SCH), erythema and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were measured in skin with permanent tattoos, adhesive tattoos and non-tattooed skin before and after petrolatum application. The temperature was lower (30.47 °C vs. 31.01 °C; = 0.001) on skin with permanent tattoos than non-tattooed skin, while SCH (48.24 Arbitrary Units (AU) vs. 44.15 AU; = 0.008) was higher. Skin with adhesive tattoos showed lower temperature, SCH (21.19 AU vs. 41.31 AU; < 0.001) and TAC (1.27 microcoulombs (uC) vs. 3.48 uC; < 0.001), and higher TEWL (8.65 g/h/m vs. 6.99 g/h/m; = 0.003), than non-tattooed skin. After petrolatum application, the temperature decreased on skin with permanent tattoos, and TEWL and SCH decreased on skin with adhesive tattoos. Adhesive tattoos may affect skin barrier function, while permanent tattoos may have a lower impact. Tattooed and non-tattooed skin responds in different ways to moisturizers.
PubMed: 33671713
DOI: 10.3390/jcm10040888 -
Journal of Chromatography. A Oct 2022Refined edible oils and fats are known to contain olefins resisting the typical epoxidation used for the sample preparation of mineral oil saturated and aromatic...
Automated workflow utilizing saponification and improved epoxidation for the sensitive determination of mineral oil saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons in edible oils and fats.
Refined edible oils and fats are known to contain olefins resisting the typical epoxidation used for the sample preparation of mineral oil saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons (MOSH and MOAH). These olefins can be misinterpreted as MOAH and are therefore an important reason for inconsistent results between laboratories. Collaborative trials confirm this assumption for low MOAH contents near the quantitation limits regularly. In the scope of this work, a new epoxidation approach was developed. Persistent olefins in refined oils could be successfully epoxidized with performic acid. The reaction kinetics was investigated using model substances for biogenic olefins and MOAH. It was rationalized why certain olefins resist epoxidation and which MOAH can potentially get lost. A prominent peak cluster in the MOAH fraction of refined palm oils could be identified by means of GC-MS and explained why it cannot be epoxidized. Based upon this, an automated and streamlined workflow for sample preparation and analysis was composed tackling major problems identified in previously published methods. Optimized and miniaturized saponification, extraction, epoxidation, and enrichment paired with online LC-GC-FID led to a robust method that was tested and validated for edible oils and fats (RSD < 7% for MOSH and MOAH at values of 14.9 and 2.1 mg/kg, respectively). Due to increased sample amount and minimized blank values, quantitation limits below 1 mg/kg for MOSH and MOAH were achieved. The trueness of the method was verified by analyzing collaborative trial samples.
Topics: Alkenes; Fats; Food Contamination; Hydrocarbons; Hydrocarbons, Aromatic; Mineral Oil; Plant Oils; Workflow
PubMed: 36179602
DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2022.463523 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2022Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by parasites belonging to the genus for which there is no vaccine available for human use. Thus, the aims of...
Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by parasites belonging to the genus for which there is no vaccine available for human use. Thus, the aims of this study are to evaluate the immunoprotective effect of a first-generation vaccine against and to identify its immunodominant antigens. BALB/c mice were inoculated with phosphate buffer sodium (PBS), total antigens (TLAs), or TLA with Poly (I:C) and Montanide ISA 763. The humoral and cellular immune response was evaluated before infection. IgG, IgG1, and IgG2a were measured on serum, and IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-10 cytokines as well as cell proliferation were measured on a splenocyte culture from vaccinated mice. Immunized mice were challenged with 10 infective parasites of on the footpad. After infection, the protection provided by the vaccine was analyzed by measuring lesion size, splenic index, and parasite load on the footpad and spleen. To identify immunodominant antigens, total proteins of were separated on 2D electrophoresis gel and transferred to a membrane that was incubated with serum from immunoprotected mice. The antigens recognized by the serum were analyzed through a mass spectrometric assay (LC-MS/MS-IT-TOF) to identify their protein sequence, which was subjected to bioinformatic analysis. The first-generation vaccine induced higher levels of antibodies, cytokines, and cell proliferation than the controls after the second dose. Mice vaccinated with TLA + Poly (I:C) + Montanide ISA 763 showed less footpad swelling, a lower splenic index, and a lower parasite load than the control groups (PBS and TLA). Four immunodominant proteins were identified by mass spectrometry: cytosolic tryparedoxin peroxidase, an uncharacterized protein, a kinetoplast-associated protein-like protein, and a putative heat-shock protein DNAJ. The identified proteins showed high levels of conserved sequence among species belonging to the genus and the Trypanosomatidae family. These proteins also proved to be phylogenetically divergent to human and canine proteins. TLA + Poly (I:C) + Montanide ISA 763 could be used as a first-generation vaccine against leishmaniasis. The four proteins identified from the whole-protein vaccine could be good antigen candidates to develop a new-generation vaccine against leishmaniasis.
Topics: Animals; Chromatography, Liquid; Cytokines; Dogs; Immunodominant Epitopes; Leishmania; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous; Mice; Mineral Oil; Poly I-C; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Vaccines
PubMed: 35634280
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.825007 -
Non-destructive quantitative analysis of pharmaceutical ointment by transmission Raman spectroscopy.European Journal of Pharmaceutical... Feb 2022Transmission Raman spectroscopy was used to develop a non-destructive quantitative analytical model for the assay of a crystal dispersion-type ointment containing...
Transmission Raman spectroscopy was used to develop a non-destructive quantitative analytical model for the assay of a crystal dispersion-type ointment containing acyclovir as a model drug with a concentration of 3% w/w. The obtained Raman spectra were pre-processed by applying multiplicative scatter correction, standard normal variate, and first or second derivative by the Savitzky-Golay method to optimize the partial least squares (PLS) regression model. The optimized PLS model showed good prediction performance for 85%, 100%, and 115% label claims, with average recovery values of 100.7%, 99.3%, and 99.8%, respectively. Although the material properties and manufacturing method of acyclovir and white petrolatum were expected to be different from those of the calibration set, the mean recovery value of the commercial product was 104.2%. These results indicate that transmission Raman spectroscopy is a useful process analytical technology tool for product development and quality control of a crystal dispersion-type ointment with low drug concentration.
Topics: Calibration; Least-Squares Analysis; Ointments; Quality Control; Spectrum Analysis, Raman
PubMed: 34906685
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2021.106095 -
Vaccine Jan 2022Pvs48/45 is a Plasmodium vivax gametocyte surface protein involved in the parasite fertilization process. Previous studies showed that Pvs48/45 proteins expressed in...
BACKGROUND
Pvs48/45 is a Plasmodium vivax gametocyte surface protein involved in the parasite fertilization process. Previous studies showed that Pvs48/45 proteins expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were highly immunoreactive with sera from malaria-endemic areas and highly immunogenic in animal models. Here the immunogenicity in mice of three different vaccine formulations was compared.
METHODS
Recombinant (r) Pvs48/45 proteins were expressed in E. coli and CHO, purified, formulated in Alhydrogel, GLA-SE and Montanide ISA-51 adjuvants and used to immunize BALB/c mice. Animals were immunized on days 0, 20 and 40, and serum samples were collected for serological analyses of specific antibody responses using ELISA and immunofluorescence (IFAT). Additionally, ex-vivo transmission-reducing activity (TRA) of sera on P. vivax gametocyte-infected human blood fed to Anopheles albimanus in direct membrane feeding assays (DMFA) was evaluated.
RESULTS
Most immunized animals seroconverted after the first immunization, and some developed antibody peaks of 10 with all adjuvants. However, the three adjuvant formulations induced different antibody responses and TRA efficacy. While GLA-SE formulations of both proteins induced similar antibody profiles, Montanide ISA-51 formulations resulted in higher and longer-lasting antibody titers with CHO-rPvs48/45 than with the E. coli formulation. Although the CHO protein formulated in Alhydrogel generated a high initial antibody peak, antibody responses to both proteins rapidly waned. Likewise, anti-Pvs48/45 antibodies displayed differential recognition of the parasite proteins in IFAT and ex vivo blockade of parasite transmission to mosquitoes. The CHO-rPvs48/45 formulated in Montanide ISA-51 induced the most effective ex vivo parasite blockage.
CONCLUSIONS
Three out of six vaccine formulations elicited antibodies with ex vivo TRA. The CHO-rPvs48/45 Montanide ISA-51 formulation induced the most stable antibody response, recognizing the native protein and the most robust ex vivo TRA. These results encourage further testing of the vaccine potential of this protein.
Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Antibodies, Protozoan; Antigens, Protozoan; CHO Cells; Cricetinae; Cricetulus; Escherichia coli; Malaria Vaccines; Malaria, Vivax; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mineral Oil; Plasmodium vivax; Protozoan Proteins
PubMed: 34802791
DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.11.036