Acaricidal activity of Egyptian crude plant extracts against Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks.

Haemaphysalis longicornis is a common Ixodida tick species found in temperate areas of Asian countries. An anti-tick assay was conducted on adult female H. longicornis ticks.

Cognitive Functions, Neurotransmitter Alterations, and Hippocampal Microstructural Changes in Mice Caused by Feeding on Western Diet.

Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) is the most common chronic liver disease in Western countries. It is becoming increasingly evident that peripheral organ-centered inflammatory diseases, including liver diseases, are linked with brain dysfunctions. Therefore, this study aims to unravel the effect of MASLD on brain histology, cognitive functions, and neurotransmitters.

Inhibition of cytochrome P450 enhances the nephro- and hepatotoxicity of ochratoxin A.

The mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA) is a contaminant in food that causes nephrotoxicity and to a minor degree hepatotoxicity. Recently, we observed that OTA induces liver damage preferentially to the cytochrome P450 (CYP)-expressing pericentral lobular zone, similar to hepatotoxic substances known to be metabolically toxified by CYP, such as acetaminophen or carbon tetrachloride. To investigate whether CYP influences OTA toxicity, we used a single dose of OTA (7.

Colchicine overdose impairs the capacity of Kupffer cells to clear foreign particles and endotoxins.

Colchicine is an anti-inflammatory drug with a narrow therapeutic index. Its binding to tubulin prevents microtubule polymerization; however, little is known about how depolymerization of microtubules interferes with the phagocytosis function of Kupffer cells (KC). Here, we applied functional intravital imaging techniques to investigate the influence of microtubule disruption by colchicine on KC morphology, as well as its capacity to clear foreign particles and bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in anesthetized mice.

Hypoalbuminemia affects the spatio-temporal tissue distribution of ochratoxin A in liver and kidneys: consequences for organ toxicity.

Hypoalbuminemia (HA) is frequently observed in systemic inflammatory diseases and in liver disease. However, the influence of HA on the pharmacokinetics and toxicity of compounds with high plasma albumin binding remained insufficiently studied. The 'lack-of-delivery-concept' postulates that HA leads to less carrier mediated uptake of albumin bound substances into hepatocytes and to less glomerular filtration; in contrast, the 'concept-of-higher-free-fraction' argues that increased concentrations of non-albumin bound compounds facilitate hepatocellular uptake and enhance glomerular filtration.

Extracts of wild Egyptian plants from the desert inhibit the growth of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in vitro.

Wild medicinal plants have been traditionally used as antimicrobial agents. Here, we evaluated the in vitro activity of extracts from wild Egyptian desert plants against Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum. From 12 plant extracts tested, the methanolic extracts from Artemisia judaica, Cleome droserifolia, Trichodesma africanum, and Vachellia tortilis demonstrated potent activity against the growth of T.

Wild Egyptian medicinal plants show in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity and antimalarial activities.

Background: Medicinal plants have been successfully used as an alternative source of drugs for the treatment of microbial diseases. Finding a novel treatment for malaria is still challenging, and various extracts from different wild desert plants have been reported to have multiple medicinal uses for human public health, this study evaluated the antimalarial efficacy of several Egyptian plant extracts.

Methods: We assessed the cytotoxic potential of 13 plant extracts and their abilities to inhibit the in vitro growth of Plasmodium falciparum (3D7), and to treat infection with non-lethal Plasmodium yoelii 17XNL in an in vivo malaria model in BALB/c mice.

Interruption of bile acid uptake by hepatocytes after acetaminophen overdose ameliorates hepatotoxicity.

Background & Aims: Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose remains a frequent cause of acute liver failure, which is generally accompanied by increased levels of serum bile acids (BAs). However, the pathophysiological role of BAs remains elusive. Herein, we investigated the role of BAs in APAP-induced hepatotoxicity.

Spatio-Temporal Multiscale Analysis of Western Diet-Fed Mice Reveals a Translationally Relevant Sequence of Events during NAFLD Progression.

Mouse models of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are required to define therapeutic targets, but detailed time-resolved studies to establish a sequence of events are lacking. Here, we fed male C57Bl/6N mice a Western or standard diet over 48 weeks. Multiscale time-resolved characterization was performed using RNA-seq, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, intravital imaging, and blood chemistry; the results were compared to human disease.

Transcriptomic Cross-Species Analysis of Chronic Liver Disease Reveals Consistent Regulation Between Humans and Mice.

Mouse models are frequently used to study chronic liver diseases (CLDs). To assess their translational relevance, we quantified the similarity of commonly used mouse models to human CLDs based on transcriptome data. Gene-expression data from 372 patients were compared with data from acute and chronic mouse models consisting of 227 mice, and additionally to nine published gene sets of chronic mouse models.

Vinpocetine-based therapy is an attractive strategy against oxidative stress-induced hepatotoxicity in vitro by targeting Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

Vinpocetine (Vin), a synthetic-derivative of Vincamine, monoterpenoid indole alkaloid, has been reported to have various medicinal benefits. The purpose of our study was to investigate the pivotal role of "nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor-2" (Nrf2)-mediated antioxidant protection of Vin against HO and paracetamol (APAP)-induced liver toxicity. For this purpose, a normal human hepatic cell line (L02 cells) was incubated with cytotoxic concentrations of HO or APAP in the presence or absence of Vin.

Subcellular spatio-temporal intravital kinetics of aflatoxin B and ochratoxin A in liver and kidney.

Local accumulation of xenobiotics in human and animal tissues may cause adverse effects. Large differences in their concentrations may exist between individual cell types, often due to the expression of specific uptake and export carriers. Here we established a two-photon microscopy-based technique for spatio-temporal detection of the distribution of mycotoxins in intact kidneys and livers of anesthetized mice with subcellular resolution.