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Pharmaceutics Jun 2024Skin is the largest organ and a multifunctional interface between the body and its environment. It acts as a barrier against cold, heat, injuries, infections, chemicals,... (Review)
Review
Skin is the largest organ and a multifunctional interface between the body and its environment. It acts as a barrier against cold, heat, injuries, infections, chemicals, radiations or other exogeneous factors, and it is also known as the mirror of the soul. The skin is involved in body temperature regulation by the storage of fat and water. It is an interesting tissue in regard to the local and transdermal application of active ingredients for prevention or treatment of pathological conditions. Topical and transdermal delivery is an emerging route of drug and cosmetic administration. It is beneficial for avoiding side effects and rapid metabolism. Many pharmaceutical, technological and cosmetic innovations have been described and patented recently in the field. In this review, the main features of skin morphology and physiology are presented and are being followed by the description of classical and novel nanoparticulate dermal and transdermal drug formulations. The biophysical aspects of the penetration of drugs and cosmetics into or across the dermal barrier and their investigation in diffusion chambers, skin-on-a-chip devices, high-throughput measuring systems or with advanced analytical techniques are also shown. The current knowledge about mathematical modeling of skin penetration and the future perspectives are briefly discussed in the end, all also involving nanoparticulated systems.
PubMed: 38931938
DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16060817 -
Pharmaceutics Jun 2024In recent yearsjajajj, peptide-based therapeutics have attracted increasing interest as a potential approach to cancer treatment. Peptides are characterized by high...
In recent yearsjajajj, peptide-based therapeutics have attracted increasing interest as a potential approach to cancer treatment. Peptides are characterized by high specificity and low cytotoxicity, but they cannot be considered universal drugs for all types of cancer. Of the numerous anticancer-reported peptides, both natural and synthetic, only a few have reached clinical applications. However, in most cases, the mechanism behind the anticancer activity of the peptide is not fully understood. For this reason, in this work, we investigated the effect of the novel peptide ∆M4, which has documented anticancer activity, on two human skin cancer cell lines. A novel approach to studying the potential induction of apoptosis by anticancer peptides is the use of protein microarrays. The results of the apoptosis protein study demonstrated that both cell types, skin malignant melanoma (A375) and epidermoid carcinoma (A431), exhibited markers associated with apoptosis and cellular response to oxidative stress. Additionally, ∆M4 induced concentration- and time-dependent moderate ROS production, triggering a defensive response from the cells, which showed decreased activation of cytoplasmic superoxide dismutase. However, the studied cells exhibited a differential response in catalase activity, with A375 cells showing greater resistance to the peptide action, possibly mediated by the Nrf2 pathway. Nevertheless, both cell types showed moderate activity of caspases 3/7, suggesting that they may undergo partial apoptosis, although another pathway of programmed death cannot be excluded. Extended analysis of the mechanisms of action of anticancer peptides may help determine their effectiveness in overcoming chemoresistance in cancerous cells.
PubMed: 38931896
DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16060775 -
Pharmaceutics May 2024Nanoparticles conjugated with fluorescent probes have versatile applications, serving not only for targeted fluorescent imaging but also for evaluating the in vivo...
Nanoparticles conjugated with fluorescent probes have versatile applications, serving not only for targeted fluorescent imaging but also for evaluating the in vivo profiles of designed nanoparticles. However, the relationship between fluorophore density and nanoparticle behavior remains unexplored. The IR783-modified liposomes (IR783-sLip) were prepared through a modified ethanol injection and extrusion method. The cellular uptake efficiency of IR783-sLip was characterized by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscope imaging. The effects of IR783 density on liposomal in vivo behavior were investigated by pharmacokinetic studies, biodistribution studies, and in vivo imaging. The constitution of protein corona was analyzed by the Western blot assay. Dense IR783 modification improved cellular uptake of liposomes in vitro but hindered their blood retention and tumor imaging performance in vivo. We found a correlation between IR783 density and protein corona absorption, particularly IgM, which significantly impacted the liposome performance. Meanwhile, we observed that increasing IR783 density did not consistently improve the effectiveness of tumor imaging. Increasing the density of modified IR783 on liposomes is not always beneficial for tumor near-infrared (NIR) imaging yield. It is not advisable to prematurely evaluate novel nanomaterials through fluorescence dye conjugation without carefully optimizing the density of the modifications.
PubMed: 38931866
DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16060744 -
Pharmaceutics May 2024Indoxyl sulfate (IxS) and -cresyl sulfate (CS) are toxic uremic compounds with documented pathological outcomes. This review critically and comprehensively analyzes the... (Review)
Review
Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Analytical Methods for the Quantitation of -Cresol Sulfate and Indoxyl Sulfate in Human Matrices: Biological Applications and Diagnostic Potentials.
Indoxyl sulfate (IxS) and -cresyl sulfate (CS) are toxic uremic compounds with documented pathological outcomes. This review critically and comprehensively analyzes the available liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods quantifying IxS and CS in human matrices and the biological applications of these validated assays. Embase, Medline, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched until December 2023 to identify assays with complete analytical and validation data (N = 23). Subsequently, citation analysis with PubMed and Scopus was utilized to identify the biological applications for these assays (N = 45). The extraction methods, mobile phase compositions, chromatography, and ionization methods were evaluated with respect to overall assay performance (e.g., sensitivity, separation, interference). Most of the assays focused on human serum/plasma, utilizing acetonitrile or methanol (with ammonium acetate/formate or formic/acetic acid), liquid-liquid extraction, reverse phase (e.g., C18) chromatography, and gradient elution for analyte separation. Mass spectrometry conditions were also consistent in the identified papers, with negative electrospray ionization, select multiple reaction monitoring transitions and deuterated internal standards being the most common approaches. The validated biological applications indicated IxS and/or CS were correlated with renal disease progression and cardiovascular outcomes, with limited data on central nervous system disorders. Methods for reducing IxS and/or CS concentrations were also identified (e.g., drugs, natural products, diet, dialysis, transplantation) where inconsistent findings have been reported. The clinical monitoring of IxS and CS is gaining significant interest, and this review will serve as a useful compendium for scientists and clinicians.
PubMed: 38931865
DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16060743 -
Pharmaceutics May 2024The phytochemical diversity and potential health benefits of and fruits call for further scientific inquiry. Our study aimed to determine the phytochemical composition...
The phytochemical diversity and potential health benefits of and fruits call for further scientific inquiry. Our study aimed to determine the phytochemical composition of extracts from these fruits and assess their antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer properties in vitro. It was found that the ethanolic extracts of and fruits, which contained more lipophilic compounds, had 2-14 times lower antioxidant activity compared to the dry aqueous extracts of cranberry fruit, which contained more hydrophilic compounds. All tested cranberry fruit extracts (OE, OW, ME, and MW) significantly inhibited the growth of bacterial strains , , , and in vitro compared to the control. Cytotoxic activity against the human prostate carcinoma PPC-1 cell line, human renal carcinoma cell line (CaKi-1), and human foreskin fibroblasts (HF) was determined using an MTT assay. Furthermore, the effect of the cranberry fruit extract samples on cell migration activity, cancer spheroid growth, and viability was examined. The ethanolic extract from fruits (ME) showed higher selectivity in inhibiting the viability of prostate and renal cancer cell lines compared to fibroblasts. It also effectively hindered the migration of these cancer cell lines. Additionally, the fruit extract (ME) demonstrated potent cytotoxicity against PPC-1 and CaKi-1 spheroids, significantly reducing the size of PPC-1 spheroids compared to the control. These findings suggest that cranberry fruit extracts, particularly the ethanolic extract from fruits, have promising potential as natural remedies for bacterial infections and cancer therapy.
PubMed: 38931857
DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16060735 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Enhancing the management and monitoring of oil and gas processes demands the development of precise predictive analytic techniques. Over the past two years, oil and its... (Review)
Review
Enhancing the management and monitoring of oil and gas processes demands the development of precise predictive analytic techniques. Over the past two years, oil and its prediction have advanced significantly using conventional and modern machine learning techniques. Several review articles detail the developments in predictive maintenance and the technical and non-technical aspects of influencing the uptake of big data. The absence of references for machine learning techniques impacts the effective optimization of predictive analytics in the oil and gas sectors. This review paper offers readers thorough information on the latest machine learning methods utilized in this industry's predictive analytical modeling. This review covers different forms of machine learning techniques used in predictive analytical modeling from 2021 to 2023 (91 articles). It provides an overview of the details of the papers that were reviewed, describing the model's categories, the data's temporality, field, and name, the dataset's type, predictive analytics (classification, clustering, or prediction), the models' input and output parameters, the performance metrics, the optimal model, and the model's benefits and drawbacks. In addition, suggestions for future research directions to provide insights into the potential applications of the associated knowledge. This review can serve as a guide to enhance the effectiveness of predictive analytics models in the oil and gas industries.
PubMed: 38931798
DOI: 10.3390/s24124013 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024The monitoring of body temperature is a recent addition to the plethora of parameters provided by wellness and fitness wearable devices. Current wearable temperature...
The monitoring of body temperature is a recent addition to the plethora of parameters provided by wellness and fitness wearable devices. Current wearable temperature measurements are made at the skin surface, a measurement that is impacted by the ambient environment of the individual. The use of near-infrared spectroscopy provides the potential for a measurement below the epidermal layer of skin, thereby having the potential advantage of being more reflective of physiological conditions. The feasibility of noninvasive temperature measurements is demonstrated by using an in vitro model designed to mimic the near-infrared spectra of skin. A miniaturizable solid-state laser-diode-based near-infrared spectrometer was used to collect diffuse reflectance spectra for a set of seven tissue phantoms composed of different amounts of water, gelatin, and Intralipid. Temperatures were varied between 20-24 °C while collecting these spectra. Two types of partial least squares (PLS) calibration models were developed to evaluate the analytical utility of this approach. In both cases, the collected spectra were used without pre-processing and the number of latent variables was the only optimized parameter. The first approach involved splitting the whole dataset into separate calibration and prediction subsets for which a single optimized PLS model was developed. For this first case, the coefficient of determination (R) is 0.95 and the standard error of prediction (SEP) is 0.22 °C for temperature predictions. The second strategy used a leave-one-phantom-out methodology that resulted in seven PLS models, each predicting the temperatures for all spectra in the held-out phantom. For this set of phantom-specific predicted temperatures, R and SEP values range from 0.67-0.99 and 0.19-0.65 °C, respectively. The stability and reproducibility of the sample-to-spectrometer interface are identified as major sources of spectral variance within and between phantoms. Overall, results from this in vitro study justify the development of future in vivo measurement technologies for applications as wearables for continuous, real-time monitoring of body temperature for both healthy and ill individuals.
Topics: Phantoms, Imaging; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; Humans; Least-Squares Analysis; Calibration; Skin; Gelatin; Temperature; Water; Wearable Electronic Devices; Emulsions; Soybean Oil; Phospholipids
PubMed: 38931768
DOI: 10.3390/s24123985 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024A rapid and online microvolume flow-through dialysis probe designed for sample preparation in the analysis of veterinary drug residues is introduced. This study...
A rapid and online microvolume flow-through dialysis probe designed for sample preparation in the analysis of veterinary drug residues is introduced. This study addresses the need for efficient and green sample preparation methods that reduce chemical waste and reagent use. The dialysis probe integrates with liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS) systems, facilitating automated, high-throughput analysis. The dialysis method utilizes minimal reagent volumes per sample, significantly reducing the generation of solvent waste compared to traditional sample preparation techniques. Several veterinary drugs were spiked into tissue homogenates and analyzed to validate the probe's efficacy. A diagnostic sensitivity of >97% and specificity of >95% were obtained for this performance evaluation. The results demonstrated the effective removal of cellular debris and particulates, ensuring sample integrity and preventing instrument clogging. The automated dialysis probe yielded recovery rates between 27 and 77% for multiple analytes, confirming its potential to streamline veterinary drug residue analysis, while adhering to green chemistry principles. The approach highlights substantial improvements in both environmental impact and operational efficiency, presenting a viable alternative to conventional sample preparation methods in regulatory and research applications.
Topics: Veterinary Drugs; Animals; Drug Residues; Dialysis; Chromatography, Liquid; Mass Spectrometry
PubMed: 38931755
DOI: 10.3390/s24123971 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Chirality has a crucial effect on clinical, chemical and biological research since most bioactive compounds are chiral in the natural world. It is thus important to... (Review)
Review
Chirality has a crucial effect on clinical, chemical and biological research since most bioactive compounds are chiral in the natural world. It is thus important to evaluate the enantiomeric ratio (or the enantiopurity) of the selected chiral analytes. To this purpose, fluorescence and electrochemical sensors, in which a chiral modifier is present, are reported in the literature. In this review, fluorescence and electrochemical sensors for enantiorecognition, in which chiral carbon dots (CDs) are used, are reported. Chiral CDs are a novel zero-dimensional carbon-based nanomaterial with a graphitic or amorphous carbon core and a chiral surface. They are nanoparticles with a high surface-to-volume ratio and good conductivity. Moreover, they have the advantages of good biocompatibility, multi-color emission, good conductivity and easy surface functionalization. Their exploitation in enantioselective sensing is the object of this review, in which several examples of fluorescent and electrochemical sensors, containing chiral CDs, are analyzed and discussed. A brief introduction to the most common synthetic procedures of chiral CDs is also reported, evidencing strengths and weaknesses. Finally, consideration concerning the potential challenges and future opportunities for the application of chiral CDs to the enantioselective sensing world are outlined.
PubMed: 38931729
DOI: 10.3390/s24123945 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024The present pilot study aimed to propose an innovative scale-independent measure based on electroencephalographic (EEG) signals for the identification and quantification...
OBJECTIVE
The present pilot study aimed to propose an innovative scale-independent measure based on electroencephalographic (EEG) signals for the identification and quantification of the magnitude of chronic pain.
METHODS
EEG data were collected from three groups of participants at rest: seven healthy participants with pain, 15 healthy participants submitted to thermal pain, and 66 participants living with chronic pain. Every 30 s, the pain intensity score felt by the participant was also recorded. Electrodes positioned in the contralateral motor region were of interest. After EEG preprocessing, a complex analytical signal was obtained using Hilbert transform, and the upper envelope of the EEG signal was extracted. The average coefficient of variation of the upper envelope of the signal was then calculated for the beta (13-30 Hz) band and proposed as a new EEG-based indicator, namely Piq, to identify and quantify pain.
MAIN RESULTS
The main results are as follows: (1) A Piq threshold at 10%, that is, Piq ≥ 10%, indicates the presence of pain, and (2) the higher the Piq (%), the higher the extent of pain.
CONCLUSIONS
This finding indicates that Piq can objectively identify and quantify pain in a population living with chronic pain. This new EEG-based indicator can be used for objective pain assessment based on the neurophysiological body response to pain.
SIGNIFICANCE
Objective pain assessment is a valuable decision-making aid and an important contribution to pain management and monitoring.
Topics: Humans; Electroencephalography; Pilot Projects; Male; Female; Adult; Chronic Pain; Pain Measurement; Middle Aged; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; Young Adult
PubMed: 38931657
DOI: 10.3390/s24123873