-
Toxicology Jun 2024During the manufacture and use of aluminium (aluminum), inhalation exposure may occur. We reviewed the pulmonary toxicity of this metal including its toxicokinetics. The... (Review)
Review
During the manufacture and use of aluminium (aluminum), inhalation exposure may occur. We reviewed the pulmonary toxicity of this metal including its toxicokinetics. The normal serum/plasma level based on 17 studies was 5.7 ± 7.7µg Al/L (mean ± SD). The normal urine level based on 15 studies was 7.7 ± 5.3µg/L. Bodily fluid and tissue levels during occupational exposure are also provided, and the urine level was increased in aluminium welders (43 ± 33µg/L) based on 7 studies. Some studies demonstrated that aluminium from occupational exposure can remain in the body for years. Excretion pathways include urine and faeces. Toxicity studies were mostly on aluminium flakes, aluminium oxide and aluminium chlorohydrate as well as on mixed exposure, e.g. in aluminium smelters. Endpoints affected by pulmonary aluminium exposure include body weight, lung function, lung fibrosis, pulmonary inflammation and neurotoxicity. In men exposed to aluminium oxide particles (3.2µm) for two hours, lowest observed adverse effect concentration (LOAEC) was 4mg AlO/m (= 2.1mg Al/m), based on increased neutrophils in sputum. With the note that a similar but not statistically significant increase was seen during control exposure. In animal studies LOAECs start at 0.3mg Al/m. In intratracheal instillation studies, all done with aluminium oxide and mainly nanomaterials, lowest observed adverse effect levels (LOAELs) started at 1.3mg Al/kg body weight (bw) (except one study with a LOAEL of ~0.1mg Al/kg bw). The collected data provide information regarding hazard identification and characterisation of pulmonary exposure to aluminium.
PubMed: 38955312
DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2024.153874 -
Critical Reviews in Oncology/hematology Jun 2024If Europe's health systems make a conscious decision to increase their utilization of technology and techniques that can enhance prevention and expedite early-stage... (Review)
Review
If Europe's health systems make a conscious decision to increase their utilization of technology and techniques that can enhance prevention and expedite early-stage diagnosis, they can effectively address the growing challenges of disease. By embracing these advancements, these health systems can significantly improve their response to emerging health issues.However, at present the effective integration and exploitation of these opportunities remains hesitant and suboptimal, and health and health services underperform accordingly, with patients suffering from the continuing variations in diagnosis and access to innovation. This paper presents a comprehensive study that examines the current state of various influential disciplines and factors in European countries. It specifically focuses on the adoption of Next Generation Screening technologies and the development stage of Public Health Genomics. The assessment of these areas is presented in the context of a rapidly changing policy environment, which provides an opportunity for a fundamental reconsideration of how and where new tools can be integrated into healthcare systems and routine practices. Top of Form.
PubMed: 38955310
DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2024.104433 -
Steroids Jun 2024Hydrocortisone succinate (1) is a synthetic anti-inflammatory drug and key intermediate in the synthesis of other steroidal drugs. This work is based on the fungal...
Hydrocortisone succinate (1) is a synthetic anti-inflammatory drug and key intermediate in the synthesis of other steroidal drugs. This work is based on the fungal biotransformation of 1, using Monascus purpureus and Cunninghamella echinulata strains. Comopound 1 was transformed into four metabolites, identified as hydrocortisone (2), 11β-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3,17-dione (3), Δ-cortienic acid (4), and hydrocortisone-17-succinate (5), obtained through side chain cleavage, hydrolysis, dehydrogenation, and oxidation reactions. These compounds have previously been synthesized either chemically or enzymatically from different precursors. Though this is not the first report on the biotransformation of 1, but it obviously is a first, where the biotransformed products of compound 1 have been characterized structurally with the help of modern spectroscopic techniques. It is noteworthy that these products have already shown biological potential, however a more thorough investigation of the anti-inflammatory properties of these metabolites would be of high value. These results not only emphasize upon the immense potential of biotransformation in catalysis of reactions, otherwise not-achievable chemically, but also holds promise for the development of novel anti-inflammatory compounds.
PubMed: 38955303
DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2024.109466 -
International Journal of Biological... Jun 2024Influenza viruses contribute significantly to the global health burden, necessitating the development of strategies against transmission as well as effective antiviral...
Influenza viruses contribute significantly to the global health burden, necessitating the development of strategies against transmission as well as effective antiviral treatments. The present study reports a biomimetic strategy inspired by the natural antiviral properties of mucins. A bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugate decorated with the multivalent neuraminidase inhibitor Zanamivir (ZA-BSA) was synthesized using copper-free click chemistry. This synthetic pseudo-mucin exhibited potent neuraminidase inhibitory activity against several influenza strains. Virus capture and growth inhibition assays demonstrated its effective absorption of virion particles and ability to prevent viral infection in nanomolar concentrations. Investigation of the underlying antiviral mechanism of ZA-BSA revealed a dual mode of action, involving disruption of the initial stages of host-cell binding and fusion by inducing viral aggregation, followed by blocking the release of newly assembled virions by targeting neuraminidase activity. Notably, the conjugate also exhibited potent inhibitory activity against oseltamivir-resistant neuraminidase variant comparable to the monomeric Zanamivir. These findings highlight the application of multivalent drug presentation on protein scaffold to mimic mucin adsorption of viruses, together with counteracting drug resistance. This innovative approach has potential for the creation of antiviral agents against influenza and other viral infections.
PubMed: 38955298
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133564 -
International Journal of Biological... Jun 2024The physicochemical features of starches separated from tea seeds of 25 cultivars were analyzed. The distinct characteristic of tea seed starches was that they had high...
The physicochemical features of starches separated from tea seeds of 25 cultivars were analyzed. The distinct characteristic of tea seed starches was that they had high apparent amylose content (AAC, 28.9-39.9 %) and resistant starch contents (4.6-8.2 %), suggesting that tea starch can be used for production of low glycemic index food. One variety (T12) had smallest breakdown (74.2 RVU) and highest gel hardness, indicating it performed stable during shear thing, resulting in a firm texture. Another variety (T25) had a peak viscosity of 417.6 RVU, a large breakdown and small setback, suggesting a low tendency of retrogradation. There was a range of 61.6 °C to 77.5 °C for the peak gelatinization temperature and 0.163 to 0.390 for the flow behavior index values. These parameters could serve for selecting suitable starches with minor difference in physicochemical properties for food use. Correlation analysis indicated that AAC is a key factor determining starch retrogradation properties. The broad genetic diversity in the tea starch physicochemical features provided it potentially versatile application in the food industry. The results gained from the present study contribute to a better understanding of tea seed starch quality, and encourages its application in many value-added food production.
PubMed: 38955297
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133570 -
International Journal of Biological... Jun 2024Skin could protect our body and regenerate itself to against dysfunctional and disfiguring scars when faced with external injury. As wound dressings, hydrogels are...
Skin could protect our body and regenerate itself to against dysfunctional and disfiguring scars when faced with external injury. As wound dressings, hydrogels are biocompatible, hydrophilic and have a 3D structure similar to the extracellular matrix (ECM). In particular, hydrogels with drug-releasing capabilities are in acute wound healing. In this paper, photocrosslinked hydrogels served as wound dressing based on sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) were prepared to promote wound healing. Photocrosslinked hydrogels were prepared by grafting lysine and allyl glycidyl ether (AGE) onto CMC and encapsulating curcumin (Cur). The synthesized hydrogels had the unique 3D porous structure with a swelling ratio up to 1300 % in aqueous solution. The drug release ratios of the hydrogels were 20.8 % in acid environment, and 14.4 % in alkaline environment. Notably, the hydrogels showed good biocompatibility and antibacterial properties and also exhibited the ability to accelerate the process of skin wound healing while prevent inflammation and scar formation when applied to a mouse skin wound model. As a result, the prepared hydrogels Gel-CLA@Cur showed great potential in wound healing.
PubMed: 38955296
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133558 -
International Journal of Biological... Jun 2024The global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has had profoundly detrimental effects on our society....
The global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has had profoundly detrimental effects on our society. To combat this highly pathogenic virus, we turned our attention to an abundant renewable natural aromatic polymer found in wood. Through a chemical modification of Eucalyptus and Japanese cedar wood via acidic microwave solvolysis in equivolume mixture of 2 % (w/w) aqueous HSO, ethylene glycol, and toluene at 190 °C. Subsequently, we separated the resulting solvolysis products through extractions with toluene, ethyl acetate, and ethanol. Among these products, the ethyl acetate extract from Eucalyptus wood (eEAE) demonstrated the highest inhibition effects against the novel SARS-CoV-2. We further divided eEAE into four fractions, and a hexane extract from the ethanol-soluble portion, termed eEAE3, exhibited the most substantial inhibitory rate at 93.0 % when tested at a concentration of 0.5 mg/mL. Analyzing eEAE3 using pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed that its primary components are derived from lignin. Additionally, HC edited-heteronuclear single quantum coherence nuclear magnetic resonance analysis showed that the solvolysis process cleaved major lignin interunit linkages. Considering the abundance and renewability of lignin, the lignin-derived anti-SARS-CoV-2 agent presents a promising potential for application in suppressing infections within our everyday environment.
PubMed: 38955295
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133556 -
International Journal of Biological... Jun 2024Hydrogels based on poly(vinyl alcohol), silk sericin, and gelatin containing Camellia oleifera oil (CO)-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) were fabricated. The...
Hydrogels based on poly(vinyl alcohol), silk sericin, and gelatin containing Camellia oleifera oil (CO)-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) were fabricated. The loading of CO into CSNPs was achieved by a two-step procedure, which included an oil-in-water emulsion and an ionic gelation method. SEM images of CO-loaded CSNPs illustrated the spherical shape with aggregation of the nanoparticles. The particle size and polydispersity index were 541-1089 nm and 0.39-0.65, respectively. The encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity were 3-16 % and 4-6 %, respectively. The gelatin/poly(vinyl alcohol)/sericin hydrogels were fabricated and incorporated with CO or CO-loaded CSNPs with different concentrations of CO-loaded CSNPs. All hydrogels demonstrated a porous structure. Besides, the hydrogels containing CO-loaded CSNPs showed a more controlled and sustained release profile than the hydrogels containing CO. Moreover, the hydrogels showed tyrosinase inhibition (9-13 %) and antioxidant activity (37-60 %). Finally, the hydrogels containing CO-loaded CSNPs were non-toxic to the Normal Human Dermal Fibroblasts and NCTC clone 929 cells, even at a high dosage of 50 mg/mL. As a result, these hydrogels exhibited excellent potential for use in cosmeceutical industries.
PubMed: 38955294
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133560 -
International Journal of Biological... Jun 2024This research uses a novel [email protected] composite sponge was created by encasing TiO nanoparticles in the natural polymers alginate and chitosan, resulting in a...
Synthesis and characterization of a novel TiO@chitosan/alginate nanocomposite sponge for highly efficient removal of As(V) ions from aqueous solutions: Adsorption isotherm, kinetics, experiment and adsorption mechanism optimization using Box-Behnken design.
This research uses a novel [email protected] composite sponge was created by encasing TiO nanoparticles in the natural polymers alginate and chitosan, resulting in a nanocomposite that is both ecologically friendly and biocompatible. Using the generated nanocomposite as a new environmentally friendly adsorbent, As(V) heavy metal ions were effectively removed from aqueous media. The following techniques were used to analyse the physicochemical properties of the obtained materials: pH, FTIR, XRD, BET, SEM, and XPS. Utilizing nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms, the [email protected] composite sponge's textural properties were identified. This revealed a BET surface area of 168.42 m/g and a total pore volume of 1.18 cc/g, indicating its porous nature and potential for high adsorption capacity. Examine the effects of temperature, pH, dose, and beginning concentration on adsorption. The adsorption characteristics were determined based on equilibrium and adsorption kinetics measurements. The adsorption process was both pseudo-second-order (PSOE) and Langmuir isothermally fit. Chemisorption was the adsorption method since the adsorption energy was 25.45 kJ·mol. An endothermic and spontaneous adsorption process was indicated by more metal being absorbed as the temperature increased. The optimal conditions for adsorption were optimized via Box-Behnken design software to be pH of 5 in the solution, a dosage of 0.02 g of the [email protected] composite sponge per 25 mL, and an arsenate (As(V)) solution the adsorption capacity was 202.27 mg/g are ideal for efficient adsorption. These parameters are critical in achieving the maximum adsorption capacity of the composite sponge for arsenate, which could be beneficial for water purification applications. Utilizing Design-Expert software's response surface methodology (RSM) and Box-Behnken design (BBD), the adsorption process was optimized with the fewest planned tests. After six successive cycles of adsorption and desorption, the adsorbent stability was confirmed by the adsorbent reusability test without any noticeable decrease in removal efficacy. Additionally, it displayed good efficiency, the same XRD and XPS data before and after reuse, and no change in chemical composition.
PubMed: 38955292
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133513 -
Journal of Pharmacological and... Jun 2024The traditional paradigm of non-rodent safety assessment studies, primarily reliant on non-human primates (NHPs) and dogs, is undergoing a transformation. During the...
The traditional paradigm of non-rodent safety assessment studies, primarily reliant on non-human primates (NHPs) and dogs, is undergoing a transformation. During the 2023 Safety Pharmacology Society Annual Meeting, scientists from leading nonclinical contract organizations discussed how traditional IND-enabling studies can benefit from employing underutilized alternative non-rodent models, such as the swine. Swine offer a cost-effective approach to drug development and share many anatomical and physiological similarities with humans. The inclusion of non-traditional species in safety assessments, coupled with advanced measurement techniques, aids in de-risking compounds early on and adapting projects to the evolving cost landscape.
PubMed: 38955287
DOI: 10.1016/j.vascn.2024.107538