Quercetin and Mesenchymal Stem Cell Metabolism: A Comparative Analysis of Young and Senescent States.

Quercetin is a natural flavonoid renowned for its potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and antibacterial properties, making it a highly promising candidate for the treatment of various medical conditions. Our current study investigates the influence of quercetin on energy metabolism, fatty acid composition, oxidative stress gene expression, and sirtuin expression in early- and late-stage passages of stem cells derived from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs). Mitochondrial respiration was analyzed by measuring oxygen consumption following a 24 h quercetin treatment, while fatty acid profiles were examined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Stem Cells Derived from Human Exfoliated Deciduous Teeth Functional Assessment: Exploring the Changes of Free Fatty Acids Composition during Cultivation.

The metabolic regulation of stemness is widely recognized as a crucial factor in determining the fate of stem cells. When transferred to a stimulating and nutrient-rich environment, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) undergo rapid proliferation, accompanied by a change in protein expression and a significant reconfiguration of central energy metabolism. This metabolic shift, from quiescence to metabolically active cells, can lead to an increase in the proportion of senescent cells and limit their regenerative potential.

Inorganic Element Determination of Romanian L. Buds Extract and In Vitro Antiproliferative and Pro-Apoptotic Evaluation on A549 Human Lung Cancer Cell Line.

L. is a plant from family, native in Europe. Many parts of this tree can be used as active ingredients, but the most valuable are the buds.

Differential methylation pattern of xenobiotic metabolizing genes and susceptibility to Balkan endemic nephropathy, in a cohort of Romanian patients.

A severe, chronic and irreversible kidney disease affecting discrete rural populations in the Balkan Peninsula countries, Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) has been a scientific puzzle for more than half a century. Many environmental and other factors have been suggested as the primary cause and recent significant findings have linked BEN to aristolochic acids, phytotoxins derived from the plant Aristolochia clematitis, found in high density in the endemic areas. However, given that the incidence of BEN is less than 10% in affected villages, and it tends to have a family aggregation, as yet unidentified genetic factors may also play a role.

Balkan endemic nephropathy and aristolochic acid I: an investigation into the role of soil and soil organic matter contamination, as a potential natural exposure pathway.

Aristolochic acids (AAs) are carcinogenic and nephrotoxic plant alkaloids present in Aristolochia species, used in traditional medicine. Recent biomolecular and environmental studies have incriminated these toxins as an etiological agent in Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN), a severe kidney disease occurring in the Balkan Peninsula. The questions on how the susceptible populations are exposed to these toxins have not yet been clearly answered.

Chitosan-Graphene Oxide 3D scaffolds as Promising Tools for Bone Regeneration in Critical-Size Mouse Calvarial Defects.

Limited self-regenerating capacity of human skeleton makes the reconstruction of critical size bone defect a significant challenge for clinical practice. Aimed for regenerating bone tissues, this study was designed to investigate osteogenic differentiation, along with bone repair capacity of 3D chitosan (CHT) scaffolds enriched with graphene oxide (GO) in critical-sized mouse calvarial defect. Histopathological/histomorphometry and scanning electron microscopy(SEM) analysis of the implants revealed larger amount of new bone in the CHT/GO-filled defects compared with CHT alone (p < 0.

Effects of ursolic and oleanolic on SK‑MEL‑2 melanoma cells: In vitro and in vivo assays.

Among the triterpenoids, oleanolic acid (OA) and its isomer, ursolic acid (UA) are promising therapeutic candidates, with potential benefits in the management of melanoma. In this study, we aimed to examine the in vitro and in vivo anti‑invasive and anti‑metastatic activity of OA and UA to determine their possible usefulness as chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic agents in melanoma. For the in vitro experiments, the anti‑proliferative activity of the triterpenic compounds on SK‑MEL‑2 melanoma cells was examined.

Selective in vitro anti-melanoma activity of ursolic and oleanolic acids.

Products of natural origin have become important agents in the treatment of cancer, and the active principles of natural sources could be used in combination with chemotherapeutic agents to increase their effects and to minimize their toxicity. Oleanolic (OA) and ursolic (UA) acids are intensely studied for their promising anticancer potential. The aim of this study was focused on the in vitro toxicological effects induced by UA and OA human mesenchymal stem cells and on melanoma, one of the most frequent cancers whose incidence is increasing every year.

Flucytosine and Amphotericin B Coadministration Induces Dose-Related Renal Injury.

Invasive fungal infections remain an important clinical problem, and despite recent approaches, they bring high morbidity and mortality. Combination therapies are the most effective; however, adverse effects need to be considered. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the nephrotoxicity induced by combined therapy of flucytosine (FL) and amphotericin B (AMF) at 3 different doses administered to mice for 14 days: 300 μg/kg AMF+50 mg/kg FL; 600 μg/kg AMF+100 mg/kg FL; 900 μg/kg AMF+150 mg/kg FL.

extract/β-cyclodextrin complex increases protection of hepatic cells via suppression of apoptosis and lipogenesis pathways.

(Bv) is well known worldwide for its healing properties. However, limited information is available concerning its mechanism of action and the increased hepatoprotective activity of formulated extracts. This study evaluated the protective effect of Bv bark extract against CCl-induced cytotoxicity in Huh7 cells, as well whether β-cyclodextrin complexation of the extract resulted in increased hepatoprotective effects.

Improvement of ursolic and oleanolic acids' antitumor activity by complexation with hydrophilic cyclodextrins.

Ursolic and oleanolic acids have been brought into the spotlight of research due to their chemopreventive, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. The most important disadvantage of ursolic and oleanolic acids is their weak water solubility which limits their bioavailability. Pentacyclic triterpenes can form inclusion complexes with different types of cyclodextrins which provide the hydrophilic matrix requested for the molecular dispersion of drugs in order to become more water soluble.

In Vivo Biological Evaluation of Polyurethane Nanostructures with Ursolic and Oleanolic Acids on Chemically-induced Skin Carcinogenesis.

Background/aim: Oleanolic and ursolic acids (OA and UA) are two pentacyclic triterpenes, ubiquitously spread in plants, previously known for their chemopreventive capacity on different types of cancer. The major pharmacological disadvantage of these phytocompounds is their poor water solubility, which often limits their applicability.

Materials And Methods: Using the interfacial polycondensation combined with spontaneous emulsification technique, polyurethane nanostructures (PU) were synthetized in order to improve this problem.

Microsatellite and Mitochondrial DNA Study of Native Eastern European Cattle Populations: The Case of the Romanian Grey.

The Eastern European Grey cattle are regarded as the direct descendants of the aurochs (Bos taurus primigenius). Nowadays in Romania, less than 100 Grey animals are being reared and included in the national gene reserve. We examined the genetic diversity among Romanian Grey, Brown, Spotted and Black and White cattle breeds, with a particular focus on Romanian Grey through the use of (i) 11 bovine specific microsatellite markers on 83 animals and (ii) 638 bp length of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop region sequence data from a total of 81 animals.