Untreated Negative Control Research Articles

The aqueous extract of Glycyrrhiza glabra effectively prevents induced gastroduodenal ulcers: experimental study on Wistar rats

The recent studies have indicated the properties of ethnomedicinal plants in the prevention, control, and treatment of gastroduodenal ulcers. Glycyrrhiza glabra has been used in Iranian traditional medicine as a therapeutic supplement. The aim of our research was to survey the preventive property of aqueous extract of G. glabra leaf on ibuprofen-induced gastroduodenal ulcers by investigating the biochemical, hematological, immunological, and microscopic approaches in rats. In this study, 60 rats were used. The animals were randomly divided into six subgroups, including negative healthy control, untreated negative control, the positive control receiving omeprazole 60 mg/kg, and three groups receiving the G. glabra aqueous extract at 20 mg/kg, 60 mg/kg, and 180 mg/kg concentrations. After 14 days, gastroduodenal ulcers were caused by ibuprofen 400 mg/kg. Four hours after oral administration of ibuprofen, the rats were sacrificed and blood, stomach, and duodenum samples of them collected for analysis of biochemical, hematological, immunological, and microscopic parameters. The data were analyzed by SPSS 21 software. All doses of G. glabra could significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduce the raised levels of ALP, AST, ALT, GGT, cholesterol, LDL, triglyceride, total and conjugated bilirubin, urea, creatinine, IL-1, IL-6, IL-12, IL-18, IFN-γ, and TNF-α and increase HDL, total protein, albumin, WBC, platelet, RBC, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-13, and IFN-α as compared to the untreated group. Also, aqueous extract of G. glabra prevented significantly (p ≤ 0.05) gastroduodenal ulcers as compared to the untreated group. In conclusion, the obtained results indicated the hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, hematoprotective, immunoprotective, and gastroduodenal protective properties of G. glabra aqueous extract.

Hepatoprotective potential of aqueous extract of Allium eriophyllum Boiss in high-fat diet-induced fatty liver diseases

In recent years, Iranian traditional medicine has been used to control, prevent, and treat various diseases such as fatty liver. One of these plants is Allium eriophyllum Boiss. In this research, we assessed the potential of aqueous extract of A. eriophyllum in the treatment of fatty liver disease in Wistar male rats. At beginning of the study, a total of 10 rats were selected as the negative control, and 50 rats were treated with a high-fat diet for 4 months. Then, the animals were randomly divided into six subgroups, including negative healthy control, untreated negative control, and four groups receiving the aqueous extract of A. eriophyllum at 25, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg concentrations. After 2 months, the rats were sacrificed, and blood and liver samples were collected. The data were analyzed by SPSS 21 software. All groups of A. eriophyllum (especially A200) could significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decrease the raised weights of body and liver and the concentrations of ALP, AST, ALT, GGT, cholesterol, LDL, triglyceride, total and conjugated bilirubin, glucose, and GR and increase the concentrations of HDL, total protein, albumin, SOD, CAT, and GPx as compared to the untreated group. Also, A. eriophyllum (especially A200) decreased the degree of hepatic steatosis as compared to the untreated group. In finally, it appears that the aqueous extract of A. eriophyllum can treat the fatty liver disease in rats.

Assessment of the anti-anemic effect of aqueous extract of Allium eriophyllum Boiss leaf in phenylhydrazine-treated Wistar male rats

There are many medicinal plants in Iranian traditional medicine which are used to treat anemia. One of these plants is Allium eriophyllum Boiss. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-anemic potential of aqueous extract of A. eriophyllum leaf. After collection of the plant, its extract was obtained using Soxhlet extractor. In this study, 60 rats were used. Induction of hemolytic anemia was done by three injections of phenylhydrazine in 50 animals. After 1 day, the rats were divided into six subgroups, including negative healthy control, untreated negative control, and four groups receiving the A. eriophyllum at 20, 40, 80, and 160 mg/kg concentrations. At the end of day 15 of treatment, the animals of all groups were sacrificed, and blood samples were drawn immediately from the animals’ hearts to analyze the biochemical and hematological parameters. The data were analyzed by SPSS-21 software. Different doses of A. eriophyllum significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced the raised levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), urea, creatinine, ferrous, ferritin, and erythropoietin and increased the levels of body weight, white blood cell (WBC), lymphocyte, neutrophils, monocytes, platelet, red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) as compared to the untreated group. Seemingly, aqueous extract of A. eriophyllum can be used for the treatment of hemolytic anemia.

Protection of phenylhydrazine-induced hematotoxicity by aqueous extract of Ocimum basilicum in Wistar male rats

In recent years, Iranian traditional medicine has been used to treat various diseases such as anemia. One of these plants is Ocimum basilicum L. In this experiment, we evaluated the anti-anemia and antioxidant properties of aqueous extract of O. basilicum in phenylhydrazine-induced anemic rats. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging test was used to examine the antioxidant property of O. basilicum aqueous extract, which indicated high antioxidant property compared to butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) as the positive control. In vivo design, after 1 day of the last injection of phenylhydrazine, the rats were divided into five subgroups, including negative healthy control, untreated negative control, and three groups receiving the O. basilicum at 20, 60, and 180 mg/kg concentrations. At the end of day 15 of treatment, the animals of all groups were euthanized and blood samples were drawn immediately from the animals’ hearts to analyze the hematological and biochemical parameters. The data were analyzed by SPSS-21 software. Several doses of O. basilicum (especially O180) significantly (p ≤ 0.05) enhanced the levels of body weight, WBC, neutrophils, monocytes, platelet, RBC, Hb, PCV, MCV, MCH, MCHC, and reduced the raised levels of ALP, AST, ALT, GGT, urea, creatinine, ferrous, ferritin, and erythropoietin as compared to the untreated group. In conclusion, the obtained results revealed the anti-anemia and antioxidant properties of aqueous extract of O. basilicum. Extraction of active molecules will be the future work to peruse.

Pharmacological evaluation of anti-anemic property of aqueous extracts of Falcaria vulgaris leaf in rats

In the last decade, traditional medicine has been used to treat several diseases such as hemolytic anemia. One of these plants is Falcaria vulgaris. This plant is expanding vastly in Iran. In this experiment, we assessed the anti-anemic property of aqueous extract of F. vulgaris leaf. After collection of the plant, its extract was obtained using Soxhlet extractor. In vivo design, after 1 day of the last injection of Phenylhydrazine, the rats were divided into six subgroups, including negative healthy control, untreated negative control, and four groups receiving the F. vulgaris at 25, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg concentrations. At the end of day 15 of treatment, the animals of all groups were euthanized and blood samples were drawn immediately from the animals’ hearts to analyze the hematological and biochemical parameters. The data were analyzed by SPSS-21 software. All doses of aqueous extract of F. vulgaris leaf (especially FV200) significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased the levels of body weight, WBC, neutrophils, platelet, RBC, Hb, PCV, MCV, MCH, MCHC, and decreased the raised levels of ALP, AST, ALT, GGT, urea, creatinine, ferrous, ferritin, and erythropoietin as compared to the untreated group. Finally, the results showed the useful anti-anemic property of F. vulgaris leaf aqueous extract.

Histopathological and biochemical effects of aqueous extract of Tragopogon graminifolius on the liver tissues of Wistar rats fed with high-fat diet

The fatty liver disease is one of the most usual metabolic diseases among people around the world. Appropriate strategies for treating this disease are prioritized by each country. The purpose of the new research was to survey the therapeutical property of aqueous extract of Tragopogon graminifolius on the high-fat diet-induced fatty liver disease in Wistar male rats. In this study, 60 rats were used. A total of ten rats were chosen as the negative control, and the rest of them were treated with a high-fat diet for 4 months. Then, the animals were randomly divided into six subgroups, including negative healthy control, untreated negative control, and four groups receiving the aqueous extract of T. graminifolius at 20, 40, 80, and 160 mg/kg concentrations. After 2 months, the rats were sacrificed, and the blood and liver samples of them were collected for biochemical and histopathological parameter analysis. All doses of T. graminifolius could significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decrease the raised levels of ALP, AST, ALT, GGT, cholesterol, LDL, triglyceride, total and conjugated bilirubin, and glucose and increased HDL, total protein, albumin, SOD, and CAT as compared to the untreated group. Also, aqueous extract of T. graminifolius decreased the degree of hepatic steatosis as compared to the untreated group. In conclusion, the obtained results demonstrated the hepatoprotective effect of T. graminifolius aqueous extract.

Effect of aqueous extract of Allium saralicum R.M. Fritsch on fatty liver induced by high-fat diet in Wistar rats

The fatty liver as a metabolic disorder has involved human beings globally and is usually followed by extreme obesity, increased blood lipid, and diabetes type II. Appropriate strategies for treating this disease are prioritized by each country. The aim of the recent research was to survey the remedial potential of aqueous extract of Allium saralicum R.M. Fritsch on the high-fat diet-induced fatty liver disease in Wistar male rats. In this study, 60 rats were used. A total of 10 rats were selected as the negative control, and the rest of them were treated with a high-fat diet for 4 months. Then, the animals were randomly divided into six subgroups, including negative healthy control, untreated negative control, and four groups receiving the aqueous extract of A. saralicum at 20, 40, 80, and 160 mg/kg concentrations. After 2 months, the rats were sacrificed and blood and liver samples of them were collected to analyze the biochemical and histopathological parameters. The data were analyzed by SPSS-21 software. All doses of A. saralicum (especially A160) could significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decrease the raised levels of ALP, AST, ALT, GGT, cholesterol, LDL, triglyceride, total and conjugated bilirubin, glucose, and GR and increased HDL, total protein, albumin, SOD, CAT, and GPx as compared to the untreated group. Also, aqueous extract of A. saralicum (especially A160) decreased the degree of hepatic steatosis as compared to the untreated group. In conclusion, the acquired results showed the hepatoprotective potential of aqueous extract of A. saralicum, so that it can use for the treatment of fatty liver disease.

Antiulcer activity of aqueous extract of leaves of Mentha piperita in Wistar rats

Because many people in the world suffer from gastroduodenal ulcers, therefore, studying the therapeutic strategies of these ulcers are research priorities in any country. The aim of the new study was to survey the preventive property of aqueous extract of Mentha piperita on ethanol-induced gastroduodenal ulcers in rats. In this study, 60 rats were used. The rodents were randomly divided into six subgroups, including negative healthy control receiving distilled water, untreated negative control receiving distilled water, positive control receiving omeprazole 60 mg/kg, and three groups receiving the aqueous extract of M. piperita at 20, 60, and 180 mg/kg concentrations. After 14 days, gastroduodenal ulcers were caused by ethanol. Four hours after oral administration of ethanol, the rats were dissected and blood, stomach, and duodenum samples of them collected for hematological, biochemical, and gross parameter analysis. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Duncan post hoc test. Different doses of M. piperita could significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decrease the raised levels of ALP, AST, ALT, GGT, cholesterol, LDL, triglyceride, total and conjugated bilirubin, urea, and creatinine, and enhance HDL, total protein, albumin, WBC, platelet, RBC, Hb, PCV, MCV, MCH, and MCHC as compared to the untreated group. Also, the extract prevented significantly (p ≤ 0.05) small, medium, and large gastroduodenal ulcers as compared to the untreated group. In conclusion, it seems that the aqueous extract of M. piperita can prevent gastroduodenal ulcers in rats without any side effect.

Perbandingan Dua Desinfektan dalam Mengeliminasi Virus Avian Influenza H5N1 pada Telur Tetas

Avian Influenza (AI) is a zoonotic viral disease in birds which demands priority on control and measures. Spread of AI virus can occur directly or indirectly. The use of disinfectant and handling of hatching egg waste into one of the actions that must be applied in hatchery to control the spread of AI virus. This research aim to compared two types of desinfectant in eliminating AI virus. The research was designed into 6 groups. Group I was SAN (Specific Antibody Negative) eggs as untreated negative control, group II was SAN egg treated by fumigation using potassium permanganate (KMnO4) and formalin in room temperature for 20 minutes, group III was SAN eggs soaked in benzalkolnium chloride (BKC) in room temperature for 30 seconds, group IV was SAN contaminated by AI H5N1 virus and fumigated by potassium permanganate and formalin in room temperature for 20 minutes, group V was SAN eggs contaminated by AI H5N1 virus and then soaked in benzalkonium chloride in room temperature for 30 second, and group VI was SAN eggs contaminated by AI H5N1 virus in room temperature for 10 minutes as positive control. AI H5N1 virus detection was done by using RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) and confirmed by isolation in Embyronated Chicken Egg. The result of this research showed that the use of potassium permanganate and formalin disinfectant gave little better performance compared to benzalkoniun chloride in eliminating AI H5N1 virus on hatching eggs.

SODIUM VALPROATE EFFECTS ON LIPID PROFILE AND GLUCOSE LEVEL IN NORMAL AND DIABETIC RABBITS

Background: Sodium valproate has turn out to be the most commonly prescribed antiepileptic drug (AED) worldwide. It is also prescribed to diabetic mellitus (DM) patient for treatment of neuropathic pain. Changes in lipid levels and lipid metabolism usually accompanied with diabetic disease leading to increases in circulating levels of free fatty acids (FFA), triglycerides and dense low-density lipoprotein together with reduced levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Objective: To investigate the effect of sodium valproate on lipid profile and glucose level and highlight these effects with and without diabetic disease. Methods: Thirty-two healthy, local domestic rabbits of both sexes were used in the present study. Animals were allocated into two main groups, group A and B. According to induction of diabetes both groups received the same food and put in the same environmental condition. blood glucose level and lipid profile has been done for all groups. Results: There was significant difference in the blood glucose level in the normoglycemic rabbits treated with sodium valproate (200 mg/kg) compared to the untreated (negative control group). The effect of valproate was also observed by the significant difference of blood glucose level in alloxan-induced diabetic rabbits treated with sodium valproate (200 mg) compared with the positive control group. Also, we have statistically observed the significant increase in total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein – cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride (TG) levels in normoglycemic rabbits treated with sodium valproate (200 mg/kg) compare to the negative control group, however, there is no significant difference regarding the high-density lipoprotein – cholesterol (HDL-C) level. As for the alloxan-induced diabetic rabbits, there was a statistically significant difference observed indicated an increase in level of TC, LDL-C, and TG and a decrease in HDL-C. Conclusion: The effect of sodium valproate on glucose level and lipid profile in diabetic rabbits could reflect a possible hypoglycemic and dyslipidemic effects which could be dangerous if the patient is on anti- diabetic drugs with or without cardiovascular accident, although it may be dose-dependent and still falls in the hypothesis field but further experimental studies on human are needed to explore this theory. Keywords: Sodium valproate, anticonvulsants, glucose, lipid Citation: Abdul Bari MA. Sodium valproate effects on lipid profile and glucose level in normal and diabetic rabbits. Iraqi JMS. 2018; 16(3): 247-257. doi: 10.22578/IJMS.16.3.4

Nano-Biphasic Calcium Phosphate Ceramic for the Repair of Bone Defects.

Calcium phosphate bioceramics has recently experienced increased interest in bone reconstruction. Mimicking of natural structure of bone, like the use of nanomaterials, is an attractive approach for generating scaffolds for bone regeneration. The aim of present study was to evaluate the effect of nanonization on the biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) ceramic in the repair of bone cavities in the canine mandible. A commercial BCP was dry-milled in a high energy planetary ball mill with zirconia balls and container. Three holes (8 mm in diameter) were outlined to the depth of cortical bone of mandibular angle of 5 dogs bilaterally. The first hole (positive control group A, n = 10) was filled in with commercial BCP material. The second hole was loaded with the nanonized BCP (experimental group C, n = 10) and the third one was left untreated (negative control group B, n = 10). The defects were allowed to regenerate for 8 weeks. New bone formation was greater in groups A and C than in B. No difference was seen between group A and group C (P = 0.676). The residual bone material in group C (19.34 ± 8.03) was as much as one-half of that in group A (38.69 ± 7.90%) (P = 0.000). The negative control group B presented the highest amount of soft tissue within the bone defects. The least percentage of marrow space was found in the positive control group (13.23 ± 13.52). Our results depicted that the rate of resorption increased significantly after nanonization even though the nano-sized BCP failed to make a superior regeneration than the ordinary BCP.

Gastroprotective Effect of Combinations of Cincau Leaves and Mangosteen Peel on Ethanol-Induced Gastric Damage

Gastric ulcer is still a health problem in Indonesia. The leaves of cincau (Cyclea barbata Miers) and mangosteen peel (Garcinia mangostana Linn) have been investigated to have gastroprotective effects. This study aims to determine the effect of gastroprotector from the combination of Cincau leaves and mangosteen peel. This study used the post test only control group design. Wistar male rats were divided into 6 groups. Group I was a healthy control group and the second group was an untreated negative control. Group III is positive group treated with Ranitidine (0.016 g / kg BW). Groups IV, V, and VI were given green leaves of cincau (13.5 g / kg BW), mangosteen peel (25 g / kg BW) and 1: 1 combination. Treatment was performed for 14 days. On day 14 1 hour after treatment, all groups (except group I) were given 96% oral ethanol induction at a dose of 5 g / kg BW. On the 15th day the animals were sacrificed by means of anesthesia using chloroform. The area of the tukak is calculated by ImageJ and then calculates the index parameters of the ulcer and the protection ratio. The stomach is made of a hitopathologic preparation with Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE) and Immunohistochemistry (IHC) preparations to observe COX-2 expression. The index data of ulcer, protection ratio, gastric mucosal damage score and number of cells expressing COX-2 were statistically analyzed by SPSS program. The results showed that the combination of green leaves and mangosteen leaf ratio of 1: 1 had a gastroprotective effect by inhibiting the gastric induced index, increasing the ratio of protection, reducing total mucosal damage and inhibiting the expression of COX-2 protein in rat stomach cells significantly (p <0 , 05). Giving combination of Cincau leaf and mangosteen peal of 1: 1 able to give gastroprotective effect.

Open-Source High-Throughput Phenomics of Bacterial Promoter-Reporter Strains.

Open-source electronics are becoming more prevalent in biological sciences, enabling novel and unique means of data acquisition. Here, we present 3D-printed, open-source tools to acquire fluorescence phenotypes with high temporal resolution. Printed fluorescence imaging boxes (PFIboxes) cost approximately 200US dollars to assemble, can be placed in incubators or hypoxic chambers, and accurately read high-density colony arrays of microorganisms. We demonstrate the utility of PFIboxes using a timecourse gene expression approach, examining globalEscherichia coli promoter activity using a fluorescent reporter library across a diverse panel of 15 antibiotics, each at several concentrations. Many secondary and indirect effects were observed when E.coli was challenged with various drugs, including increased gene expression in carbon metabolism processes. Further, kinetic data acquisition enabled non-destructive time course gene expression, clustering of which revealed patterns of co-expression. In all, PFIboxes provide an open solution to gene expression, for about 2US dollars per treatment condition, including technical replicates.

A honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony’s brood survival rate predicts its in vitro-reared brood survival rate

Rearing honey bee, Apis mellifera L., larvae in vitro is a popular risk assessment tool because many uncontrollable factors (e.g., weather conditions, food availability) that bias field studies can be eliminated in the laboratory. However, modern in vitro rearing techniques suffer variable survival rates and OECD guidelines specify a minimum of 70% survival to adult emergence in the untreated negative controls for the test to be considered valid. We hypothesized that the colony from which larvae are sourced for in vitro-rearing risk assessments may affect the survival percentage of those larvae in vitro. To test this hypothesis, we compared the survival rates of brood reared in vitro to that of brood reared by their parental colony to determine if source colony affects brood survival in vitro. Colony-reared and in vitro-reared brood survival percentages were calculated for each of the 14 colonies. There was not a statistically detectable difference in the survival percentage to adult emergence of colony-reared and in vitro-reared bees. Furthermore, the colony-reared brood survival percentage at day 11 (prepupal stage) was predictive of the survival percentage to adult emergence of in vitro-reared bees. We suggest that the 11-day brood survival percentage should be used when selecting suitable colonies for use as source colonies for in vitro-rearing risk assessments. Based on our results, colonies with brood survival percentages of ≥ 80% are suitable colonies from which to source larvae for in vitro-rearing risk assessments.

Lignan Glycosides and Flavonoid Glycosides from the Aerial Portion of Lespedeza cuneata and Their Biological Evaluations.

Lespedeza cuneata (Fabaceae), known as Chinese bushclover, has been used in traditional medicines for the treatment of diseases including diabetes, hematuria, and insomnia. As part of a continuing search for bioactive constituents from Korean medicinal plant sources, phytochemical analysis of the aerial portion of L. cuneata led to the isolation of two new lignan glycosides (1,2) along with three known lignan glycosides (3–7) and nine known flavonoid glycosides (8–14). Numerous analysis techniques, including 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, CD spectroscopy, HR-MS, and chemical reactions, were utilized for structural elucidation of the new compounds (1,2). The isolated compounds were evaluated for their applicability in medicinal use using cell-based assays. Compounds 1 and 4–6 exhibited weak cytotoxicity against four human breast cancer cell lines (Bt549, MCF7, MDA-MB-231, and HCC70) (IC50 < 30.0 μM). However, none of the isolated compounds showed significant antiviral activity against PR8, HRV1B, or CVB3. In addition, compound 10 produced fewer lipid droplets in Oil Red O staining of mouse mesenchymal stem cells compared to the untreated negative control without altering the amount of alkaline phosphatase staining.

Abstract 1974: Inhibition of the P-glycoprotein with a novel agent in overexpressing P-glycoprotein chemotherapy resistant colorectal cancer cells

Abstract Multidrug resistance (MDR) plays a key role in chemotherapy failure and poor patient outcome. One of the ways multidrug resistance occurs is through the efflux of chemotherapeutic agents using the P-glycoprotein transporter protein on the surface of the tumor cell. There are several medications that work through P-glycoprotein (Pgp), which can either induce or inhibit the activity of the transporter. The purpose of this study was to evaluate known P-glycoprotein inhibitors and their effects on chemotherapy resistance in Caco2 cells, a colorectal cancer cell line. The experiments consisted of feeding the colorectal cancer cells with commonly known drugs that are Pgp substrates such as vinblastine for 4-8 months to establish an overexpressing Pgp transporter. An untreated negative control was used to show that Pgp was not overly expressed. Once the treated cells were overexpressing Pgp, the cells were seeded into a 96 well plate with a matrix of increasing chemotherapy and bergamottin, a known P-glycoprotein inhibitor. A cell proliferation assay was performed according to manufacturer protocol, with a Presto-Blue Cell Proliferation Assay kit to assess the effects of the chemotherapy agent, vinblastine and the bergamottin. Absorbance was recorded at 595 nanometers. This assay was tested on several multidrug resistant colorectal cell with different substrates and normal P-glycoprotein expressing cancer cells. The overexpressing Pgp cell lines required higher doses of vinblastine to exhibit cell death compared to the negative cells. The positive cells treated with bergamottin only showed change in cell death with increasing bergamottin concentration. From these results, it was determined that the use of the novel P-glycoprotein inhibitor was able to reverse the chemotherapy induced multidrug resistance in the cells with high Pgp expression. Patients whose tumor cells develop MDR have a poor prognosis compared to patients whose cells are responsive to chemotherapy. Because the chemotherapy agents are ineffective in killing the all of the tumor cells including cells which have become metastatic, the overall survival rate for patients with MDR-positive tumors is markedly decreased. Identify these patients as potential candidates for the Pgp inhibitor could significant increase their chances of survival with this aggressive form of cancer. Citation Format: Christopher L. Farrell, Rebecca Mahan, Catherine Blauvelt, Taylor Kaye Servais, Jessica Lane. Inhibition of the P-glycoprotein with a novel agent in overexpressing P-glycoprotein chemotherapy resistant colorectal cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1974.

Novel plant inducers of PXR-dependent cytochrome P450 3A4 expression in HepG2 cells

The cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) is the most abundant CYP450 enzyme involved in the metabolism of endogenous products and xenobiotics, including prescription drugs and herbals. Modulation of hepatic CYP3A4 gene expression via nuclear receptors, like pregnane X receptor (PXR), is a major cause of adverse effects like drug-unresponsiveness and toxicity. In the present study, ethanol extracts of 58 medicinal plants, belonging to 27 families, were evaluated for potential activities in CYP3A4 induction in HepG2 cells by reporter gene assay. For PXR-mediated CYP3A4 induction, a 50 μg/ml concentration was used for all non-cytotoxic plants extracts. Rifampicin (10 μM) and DMSO (0.1%) were used as standard inducer and untreated (negative) control, respectively. The comparative fold-induction of CYP34A by the plant extracts in relation to the untreated control was determined. As a result, Dodonaea angustifolia (2.62 fold; P < 0.0001) was found to be the most promising inducer of CYP3A4, followed by Euphorbia tirucalli (1.95 fold; P = 0.0004), Alternanthera pungens (1.74 fold, P = 0.0035), and Ficus palmata (1.65 fold; P = 0.0097). Further phytochemical characterizations of the active plants are therefore, warranted.

Evaluation of the predatory mite Stratiolaelaps scimitus for the biological control of the honey bee ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor

To date, studies exploring effective biocontrol agents of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor have either yielded mixed results or have been totally unsuccessful. In this study, we explored the efficacy of the predatory mite Stratiolaelaps scimitus (Mesostigmata: Laelapidae) as a biological control agent against V. destructor. We tested the ability of S. scimitus to prey on varroa in vitro using glass vials with two varroa mites each that were exposed (or not) to S. scimitus for 24 h. Additionally, in field tests conducted in Fall 2014 and Spring 2015, sets of honey bee colonies were either treated sequentially with 4–5 doses of 2,500 S. scimitus mites (experimental group), treated with the acaricide Apivar® (positive control group), or left untreated (negative control group). In vials containing varroa and S. scimitus mites, 97.10% of the 69 varroa mites tested died 24 h after exposure to S. scimitus. In contrast, in vials that were not treated with S. scimitus, only 6.85% of the 73 varroa mites tested died. We did not find a significant effect of S. scimitus treatment on lowering varroa numbers in field colonies compared to the untreated control group in either trial. Our results show that S. scimitus can predate on varroa in the laboratory, but not in the field settings we tested. More experiments should be performed to determine the ideal environmental conditions and correct dosage needed in apiary settings for the potential use of S. scimitus as a biocontrol agent against the varroa mite.

The Direct Cytotoxic Effects of Different Hemostatic Agents on Human Gingival Fibroblasts.

To evaluate the cytotoxic effects of different hemostatic agents (including Expasyl) on human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) in vitro. HGFs were cultured and exposed to either no medicament treatment or 1:200 dilution of six different hemostatic agents (Hemox-A, Hemodent, Astringedent, Vicostat, Expasyl, 3M ESPE) for 2, 5, 10minutes, 1hour, and 24hours. Toxicity to HGFs was determined by lactate dehydrogenase activity (LDH) and colorimetric (WST-1) assays. Two-tailed t-test was used for statistical analyses with αlevel set at 0.05. The group-by-time interactions were significant for the LDH and WST-1 assays (p<0.001). Evaluation of the cytotoxic effect of different hemostatic agents at different incubation time intervals on the cell membrane damage revealed that Astringedent showed the highest cytotoxic effect on HGFs compared to other agents with regards to untreated negative control cells at all incubation time intervals (p<0.001). On the other hand, Expasyl showed the least cytotoxic effect with significant differences at 5minutes and 1hour (p<0.001) in comparison to other agents. LDH and WST-1 assays of hemostatic agents showed significant cytotoxic effect on HGFs at different time intervals. The data suggest that the risk for permanent tissue damage might be less significant when Expasyl is used during final impression procedure compared to when Astringedent is used.

Effect of three different rotary instrumentation systems on crack formation in root dentin: An in vitro study

Introduction: Biomechanical preparation (BMP) of root canal damages the root dentin which becomes a gateway to dentinal cracks and thereby causing failure of the treatment. Therefore, there is a need of best instruments to minimize the failure of endodontic treatment. Aims and Objective: The objective of this study is to compare the incidence of cracks observed in the root dentin after root canal preparation with three different rotary instrument systems. Material and Methods: Seventy-five freshly extracted permanent maxillary incisors were randomly selected. Teeth were divided into five groups (n = 15), Group 1 – Untreated (negative control group), Group 2 – BMP done with nickel–titanium K-files (positive control group), Group 3 – BMP done with ProTaper Universal files, Group 4 – BMP done with ProTaper Next files, and Group 5 – BMP done with HyFlex EDM files. Roots were sectioned horizontally at 2 mm, 4 mm, and 6 mm from the apex. All slices were then viewed under stereomicroscope. All findings were analyzed using Chi-square test. Observations and Results: In the apical third, Group 5 had maximum number of fracture cases while Group 4 had lesser number and Group 3 had the least. In the middle third, Group 3 had maximum number of fracture cases while Group 4 and Group 5 showed lesser number of fractures. In the cervical third, Group 3 and Group 4 showed equal and maximum number of fracture cases. Group 5 showed no fracture cases. Group 1 and Group 2 showed no fracture cases in all the root sections. Conclusion: Conventional hand instrumentation is the best as compared to rotary instrumentation. However, rotary systems render various benefits with an acceptable success in comparison to the conventional hand instrumentation. In our study, we found that HyFlex EDM rotary system was the best with least number of fracture as compared to other systems used.