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Frontiers in Chemistry 2023Carbon dots (CDs), which have particle size of less than 10 nm, are carbon-based nanomaterials that are used in a wide range of applications in the area of novel drug... (Review)
Review
Carbon dots (CDs), which have particle size of less than 10 nm, are carbon-based nanomaterials that are used in a wide range of applications in the area of novel drug delivery in cancer, ocular diseases, infectious diseases, and brain disorders. CDs are biocompatible, eco-friendly, easy to synthesize, and less toxic with excellent chemical inertness, which makes them very good nanocarrier system to deliver multi-functional drugs effectively. A huge number of researchers worldwide are working on CDs-based drug delivery systems to evaluate their versatility and efficacy in the field of pharmaceuticals. As a result, there is a tremendous increase in our understanding of the physicochemical properties, diagnostic and drug delivery aspects of CDs, which consequently has led us to design and develop CDs-based theranostic system for the treatment of multiple disorders. In this review, we aim to summarize the advances in application of CDs as nanocarrier including gene delivery, vaccine delivery and antiviral delivery, that has been carried out in the last 5 years.
PubMed: 37521012
DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2023.1227843 -
Journal of Environmental Health Science... Jun 2022Today air pollution caused by particulate matter (PM) is a global issue, especially in densely populated and high-traffic cities. The formation of reactive oxygen... (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
Today air pollution caused by particulate matter (PM) is a global issue, especially in densely populated and high-traffic cities. The formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by various toxicological studies is considered as one of the important effects caused by airborne particles that can lead to adverse effects on human health. In this study, to answer the question of whether particle size affects oxidative potential (OP), we searched the main databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science, and defined search strategy based on the MESH terms for the above-mentioned search engines. All articles published until 2021 were searched. An ANOVA was run using R software to show the correlation between the size distributions of particulate matter and oxidative potential (base on mass and volumetric units) in ambient air. As expected, the regression results showed that the relationship between particle size and OP values for the studies based on mass-logarithm has a significant difference in the different distribution size categories, which was related to the difference between the <2.5 and < 1 categories. However, ANOVA analysis did not show a significant difference in the volumetric OP logarithm in the different distribution size categories. In this study, it was found that sizes higher than 2.5 μm did not have much effect on human health, and it is recommended that future research focus on PM2.5.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40201-021-00768-w.
PubMed: 35669811
DOI: 10.1007/s40201-021-00768-w -
Clinical Radiology May 2020To explore the relationship of embolic particle size used in prostate artery embolisation (PAE) to patient outcomes. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
AIM
To explore the relationship of embolic particle size used in prostate artery embolisation (PAE) to patient outcomes.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A systematic review of PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane database was undertaken to identify all existing studies using PAE for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Inclusion criteria included prospective studies reporting baseline and 12-month International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and particle size. Exclusion criteria were overlapping studies, commentaries, abstracts, and letters. Data extraction from eligible studies included the size of embolic particle, particle material, and baseline and 12-month values for the following patient outcomes: IPSS, IPSS quality of life, urinary flow rate (Q-max), prostate volume, prostate specific antigen, and post-void residual volume. A meta-regression analysis was then undertaken to examine the relationship of particle size to patient outcome measures.
RESULTS
Six studies with a total of 687 patients were identified. Meta-regression analysis demonstrated particle size as a statistically significant (p<0.001) moderator of 12-month IPSS change following PAE. No statistically significant relationships were identified with other patient outcome measures.
CONCLUSION
Smaller embolic particle size is associated with a greater reduction in IPSS following PAE.
Topics: Acrylic Resins; Embolization, Therapeutic; Gelatin; Humans; Male; Particle Size; Polyvinyl Alcohol; Prostate; Prostatic Hyperplasia; Radiography, Interventional
PubMed: 32000985
DOI: 10.1016/j.crad.2019.12.019 -
Nanotoxicology Oct 2021Despite the widespread use of gold nanoparticles (GNPs), there is no consensus on their distribution to different tissues and organs. The present systematic review and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Despite the widespread use of gold nanoparticles (GNPs), there is no consensus on their distribution to different tissues and organs. The present systematic review and meta-analysis addresses the accumulation of GNPs in brain tissue. Extensive searches were conducted in electronic databases, Medline, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Scopus. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, primary and secondary screening was performed. The value of brain accumulation of gold nanoparticle (the percentage of the injection dose of GNPs/gram of brain tissue that applied as effect size (ES) in analysis) and the standard error of the mean were extracted from articles and analyzed by calculating the pooled ES and the pooled confidence interval (CI) using STATA software. ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Thirty-eight studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed that the amount of GNPs was 0.06% of the injection dose/gram of brain tissue (ES = 0.06, %95 CI: 0.06-0.06, < 0.0001). Considering the time between injection and tissue harvest (follow-up time), after 1 h the GNPs in brain tissue was 0.288% of the injection dose/gram of tissue (ES = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.25-0.33, < 0.0001), while after four weeks it was only 0.02% (ES = 0.02, 95% CI: 0.01-0.03, < 0.0001) of the injection dose/gram of tissue. The amount of GNPs in brain tissue was higher for PEG-coated GNPs compared to uncoated GNPs, and it was 5.6 times higher for rod-shaped GNPs compared to spherical GNPs. The mean amount of GNPs in the brain tissues of animals bearing a tumor was 5.8 times higher than in normal animals.
Topics: Animals; Brain; Gold; Metal Nanoparticles; Neoplasms; Particle Size
PubMed: 34591733
DOI: 10.1080/17435390.2021.1966116 -
Indoor Air Sep 2021Airborne microorganisms in hospitals have been associated with several hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), and various measures of indoor air quality (IAQ) parameters... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Airborne microorganisms in hospitals have been associated with several hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), and various measures of indoor air quality (IAQ) parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide (CO ), particle mass concentration, and particle size have been linked to pathogen survival or mitigation of pathogen spread. To investigate whether there are quantitative relationships between the concentration of airborne microorganisms and the IAQ in the hospital environment. Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed databases were searched for studies reporting airborne microbial levels and any IAQ parameter(s) in hospital environments, from database inception to October 2020. Pooled effect estimates were determined via random-effects models. Seventeen of 654 studies were eligible for the meta-analysis. The concentration of airborne microbial measured as aerobic colony count (ACC) was significantly correlated with temperature (r = 0.25 [95% CI = 0.06-0.42], p = 0.01), CO concentration (r = 0.53 [95% CI = 0.40-0.64], p ˂ 0.001), particle mass concentration (≤5 µg/m ; r = 0.40 [95% CI = 0.04-0.66], p = 0.03), and particle size (≤5 and ˃5 µm), (r = 0.51 [95% CI = 0.12-0.77], p = 0.01 and r = 0.55 [95% CI = 0.20-0.78], p = 0.003), respectively, while not being significantly correlated with relative humidity or particulate matter of size >5 µm. Conversely, airborne total fungi (TF) were not significantly correlated with temperature, relative humidity, or CO level. However, there was a significant weak correlation between ACC and TF (r = 0.31 [95% CI = 0.07-0.52], p = 0.013). Although significant correlations exist between ACC and IAQ parameters, the relationship is not definitive; the IAQ parameters may affect the microorganisms but are not responsible for the presence of airborne microorganisms. Environmental parameters could be related to the generating source, survival, dispersion, and deposition rate of microorganisms. Future studies should record IAQ parameters and factors such as healthcare worker presence and the activities carried out such as cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfection protocols. Foot traffic would influence both the generation of microorganisms and their deposition rate onto surfaces in the hospital environment. These data would inform models to improve the understanding of the likely concentration of airborne microorganisms and provide an alternative approach for real-time monitoring of the healthcare environment.
Topics: Air Microbiology; Air Pollutants; Air Pollution, Indoor; Carbon Dioxide; Environmental Monitoring; Fungi; Hospitals; Humans; Particulate Matter; Temperature
PubMed: 33945176
DOI: 10.1111/ina.12846 -
PloS One 2020Microplastics (MPs) are omnipresent in the environment, including the human food chain; a likely important contributor to human exposure is drinking water.
BACKGROUND
Microplastics (MPs) are omnipresent in the environment, including the human food chain; a likely important contributor to human exposure is drinking water.
OBJECTIVE
To undertake a systematic review of MP contamination of drinking water and estimate quantitative exposures.
METHODS
The protocol for the systematic review employed has been published in PROSPERO (PROSPERO 2019, Registration number: CRD42019145290). MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science were searched from launch to the 3rd of June 2020, selecting studies that used procedural blank samples and a validated method for particle composition analysis. Studies were reviewed within a narrative analysis. A bespoke risk of bias (RoB) assessment tool was used.
RESULTS
12 studies were included in the review: six of tap water (TW) and six of bottled water (BW). Meta-analysis was not appropriate due to high statistical heterogeneity (I2>95%). Seven studies were rated low RoB and all confirmed MP contamination of drinking water. The most common polymers identified in samples were polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP), Methodological variability was observed throughout the experimental protocols. For example, the minimum size of particles extracted and analysed, which varied from 1 to 100 μm, was seen to be critical in the data reported. The maximum reported MP contamination was 628 MPs/L for TW and 4889 MPs/L for BW, detected in European samples. Based on typical consumption data, this may be extrapolated to a maximum yearly human adult uptake of 458,000 MPs for TW and 3,569,000 MPs for BW.
CONCLUSIONS
This is the first systematic review that appraises the quality of existing evidence on MP contamination of drinking water and estimates human exposures. The precautionary principle should be adopted to address concerns on possible human health effects from consumption of MPs. Future research should aim to standardise experimental protocols to aid comparison and elevate quality.
Topics: Drinking Water; Environmental Monitoring; Food Chain; Microplastics; Polyethylene Terephthalates; Polypropylenes; Public Health; Water Pollutants, Chemical
PubMed: 32735575
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236838 -
ACS Nano Aug 2020Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) can reduce inflammation, promote healing, and improve organ function, thereby providing a potential...
Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) can reduce inflammation, promote healing, and improve organ function, thereby providing a potential "cell-free" therapy. Prior to clinical translation, it is critical to synthesize existing evidence on preclinical methods and efficacy. To address these issues, we used gold standard systematic review methodology to consolidate information from all published animal studies investigating MSC-EVs as an intervention. A systematic search of MEDLINE and Embase identified 206 studies. Data were extracted in duplicate for methodology, experimental design, interventional traits, modifications, and outcomes. MSC-EVs were used to treat a variety of diseases and demonstrated benefits in 97% of studies. Adverse effects were reported in only three studies, two demonstrating tumor growth. A quarter of articles modified EVs to enhance efficacy, with 72% leading to markedly improved outcomes as compared to unmodified EVs. However, several key methodological concerns were evident. Only 60% of studies used nomenclature consistent with the size definitions of EVs. Ultracentrifugation (70%) and isolation kits (23%) were the most common isolation techniques with noted differences in yield and purity. EVs were inconsistently dosed by protein (68%) or particle concentration (16%). Two-thirds of studies administered xenogeneic EVs, suggesting immunocompatibility. Less than 25% of studies assessed EV biodistribution. Approaches for determining size, protein markers, and morphology were highly heterogeneous, with only 12 and 4 studies meeting the MISEV 2014 and 2018 recommendations, respectively. Knowledge gaps identified from this systematic review highlight important opportunities to improve preclinical design and methodology in the rapidly growing field of EV therapeutics.
Topics: Animals; Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy; Extracellular Vesicles; Inflammation; Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Tissue Distribution
PubMed: 32697573
DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c01363 -
Journal of the Air & Waste Management... Sep 2022Air pollution and health consequences associated with exposure to air pollutants, such as particulate matter, are of serious concerns in societies. Over the recent... (Review)
Review
Air pollution and health consequences associated with exposure to air pollutants, such as particulate matter, are of serious concerns in societies. Over the recent years, numerous studies have investigated the relation of many diseases with air pollutants. This review used a search strategy to provide the comprehensive information on the relationship between particle matters and osteoporosis. To this end, three search databases were used to find the articles focused on particle matters and osteoporosis. After the screening process, 13 articles related to the purpose of the study were selected and the relevant data were extracted. The results indicated that osteoporosis is significantly associated with PM. However, this association with PM remains unclear. In addition, particle materials indirectly lead to the osteoporosis and bone fractures as a consequence of reduced UV-B, reduced adsorption of vitamin D. Furthermore, they can lead to other diseases by use of drugs with adverse effects on bone health, and creating conditions that may increase the risk of falling in the elderly. This review shows that although more accurate research is needed to determine the mechanism and risk of exposure to particulate matter in the air on bone health, the negative effects of this pollutant on bone mineral density (BMD) are evident.: PM is usually classified by its size or aerodynamic diameter; PM10 denotes particles < 10 µm in diameter; PM2.5 particles are <2.5 µm in diameter. Many epidemiological studies have shown that short-term exposure to PM might reduce lung function. However, short-term effects might be reversible, and the main concern is attributed to long-term exposure. A major public health concern that may be affected by numerous metabolic and even environmental risk factors is osteoporosis. The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate the role of PM in the occurrence or exacerbation of osteoporosis in citizens.
Topics: Aged; Air Pollutants; Air Pollution; Environmental Exposure; Humans; Osteoporosis; Particulate Matter
PubMed: 35653555
DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2022.2085820 -
Food Research International (Ottawa,... Jun 2020Anthocyanins, a kind of phenolic compounds are present in plant kingdom. They exhibit biological activities such as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties as well... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Anthocyanins, a kind of phenolic compounds are present in plant kingdom. They exhibit biological activities such as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties as well as imparting colors to various plants. The objective of this review is to provide a systematic evaluation of the evidence and a meta-analysis of published researches on the nano/microencapsulation of anthocyanins. A comprehensive literature search was conducted for articles published in 2016 to 2019 on PubMed, Web of Sciences and Scopus databases. Overall 45 eligible articles (51 cases; some authors studied 2 or more encapsulation methods) with appropriate data were included in the statistical analysis. In the current work, based on the technique and equipment applied for the formulation of micro/nanoencapsulation systems, the anthocyanin-loaded nano/microcarriers were classified into five main classes: (a) spray dried particles (spray-drying); (b) freeze-dried particles (freeze-drying); (c) lipid-based particles (emulsification and liposomal encapsulation); (d) electrospun fibers and electrosprayed particles (electrohydrodynamic encapsulation); and (e) nano/micro-gels (gelation). Based on the results from the meta-analysis, the studied technique for encapsulation of anthocyanins can be ordered as: spray-drying (33.33%), freeze-drying (27.08%), gelation (20.83%), lipid-based particles (14.58%) and electrohydrodynamic processes (4.17%). In addition, carbohydrates such as maltodextrin (19.56%) and gums (15.22%) have been the most frequently used biopolymers for encapsulation of anthocyanins in the selected studies.
Topics: Anthocyanins; Biological Availability; Color; Databases, Factual; Drug Compounding; Freeze Drying; Nanotechnology; Particle Size; Phenols; Polysaccharides
PubMed: 32331692
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2020.109077 -
Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive...The risk of ophthalmic and retinal artery occlusions following facial and periorbital steroid injection has not been explored. This systematic review examines the...
PURPOSE
The risk of ophthalmic and retinal artery occlusions following facial and periorbital steroid injection has not been explored. This systematic review examines the prevalence, risk factors, and treatment outcomes of steroid-induced vision losses.
METHODS
A literature search in Evidence Based Medicine Reviews, MEDLINE, Embase, Pubmed, ClinicalTrials, and WHO ICTRP was performed for vision loss following facial and periorbital corticosteroid injections through July 2020.
RESULTS
Of 35 case reports, series, and reviews, 49 patients (56 eyes) with steroid-induced vision loss were analyzed. Injection sites predominantly involved the nose (45%) and periocular regions (10%). The most common type of steroid is triamcinolone (54%). Most cases were unilateral, except 7 cases of bilateral vision losses, 4 of which resulted from unilateral steroid injection. Symptoms were reported during or immediately after injections in 49% of cases. Most occlusions occurred in the ophthalmic (53%) or central retinal artery (33%). Vision most commonly presented as no light perception (37%), and 90% were 20/200 or worse. Final visual outcomes varied from 20/200 or worse (56%), 20/40 or better (30%), to in between (13%).
CONCLUSION
Most vision losses resulted from steroid injections in the nasal and periorbital area. Triamcinolone was the most common offending agent, likely due to large particle size, low solubility, and extensive particle aggregation. Dexamethasone has the opposite pharmacologic properties and has never been reported in association with vascular occlusion related vision loss. Careful steroid selection, injection techniques, and treatment strategies should be considered to prevent and treat artery occlusion.
Topics: Face; Humans; Intravitreal Injections; Retinal Artery Occlusion; Triamcinolone; Vision Disorders
PubMed: 33481540
DOI: 10.1097/IOP.0000000000001910