Apilarnil exerts neuroprotective effects and alleviates motor dysfunction by rebalancing M1/M2 microglia polarization, regulating miR-155 and miR-124 expression in a rotenone-induced Parkinson's disease rat model.

Microglial activation contributes to the neuropathology of Parkinson's disease (PD). Inhibiting M1 while simultaneously boosting M2 microglia activation may therefore be a potential treatment for PD. Apilarnil (API) is a bee product produced from drone larvae.

The cardioprotective effects of secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (flaxseed lignan) against cafeteria diet-induced cardiac fibrosis and vascular injury in rats: an insight into apelin/AMPK/FOXO3a signaling pathways.

Fast food is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western world. Apelin, the endogenous adipokine, can protect against cardiovascular disease via activating its receptor, APJ. Concurrently, secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), a flaxseed lignan extract (FLE), showed a therapeutic impact on atherosclerosis.

Pentoxifylline Effects on Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients with Cytokine Storm Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

COVID-19 is a fatal, fast-spreading pandemic, and numerous attempts are being made around the world to understand and manage the disease. COVID-19 patients may develop a cytokine-release syndrome, which causes serious respiratory diseases and, in many cases, death. The study examined the feasibility of employing legally available anti-inflammatory pentoxifylline (PTX), a low toxicity and cost medication, to mitigate the hyper-inflammation caused by COVID-19.

Evaluation of infliximab/tocilizumab versus tocilizumab among COVID-19 patients with cytokine storm syndrome.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to spread rapidly. Monoclonal antibodies as well as anti-tumor necrosis factor are considered promising treatments for COVID-19. A prospective cohort study in which patients are divided into three groups.

Evidence for the Efficacy of a High Dose of Vitamin D on the Hyperinflammation State in Moderate-to-Severe COVID-19 Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Vitamin D supplementation plays a key effect in lowering cytokine storms among COVID-19 patients by influencing the activity of the renin-angiotensin system and the production of the angiotensin-2 converting enzyme. The study was conducted to explore the effect of high-dose intramuscular vitamin D in hospitalized adults infected with moderate-to-severe SARS-CoV-2 in comparison with the standard of care in the COVID-19 protocol. Two groups of patients were compared in this prospective randomized controlled trial as the vitamin D was administered orally to group 1 (alfacalcidol 1 mcg/day) and intramuscularly to group 2 (cholecalciferol 200,000 IU).

Effect of Clinical and Genetic Factors on the Development of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) in Egyptian Patients Receiving Beta-Blockers.

Purpose: Prophylactic beta-blockers are recommended to prevent postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Polymorphisms in the beta-1 adrenergic receptor (ADRB1) and G protein-coupled receptor kinase 5 (GRK5) genes are associated with variable responses to beta-blockers. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical and genetic factors that influence the response to beta-blockers for POAF prophylaxis after CABG.

LCZ696 (sacubitril/valsartan) protects against cyclophosphamide-induced nephrotoxicity in adult male rats: Up-regulation of Apelin-13/ACE2, miR-200, and down-regulation of TGF-β/SMAD 2/3 and miR-192.

Background: Cyclophosphamide (CP) is a widely used chemotherapeutic drug. However, the associated nephrotoxicity restricts its clinical use.

Aim: The present research was designed to study the impact of LCZ696 (LCZ); which is a combination of Sacubitril/Valsartan compared to valsartan (VAL) on CP-induced nephrotoxicity.

The Impact of Sociodemographic, Nutritional, and Health Factors on the Incidence and Complications of COVID-19 in Egypt: A Cross-Sectional Study.

This study was intended to explore sociodemographic, nutritional, and health-related factors on the incidence of COVID-19 infection within the Egyptian population by assessing the frequency and determinants of post-COVID-19 symptoms and complications. A cross-sectional study using a structured survey on 15,166 participants was adopted. The results revealed common symptoms including fever (79.

Impact of Gene Polymorphisms on Pancreatic and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer-Induced Cachexia in Adult Egyptian Patients: A Focus on Pathogenic Trajectories.

Background: Cachexia is a frequent syndrome in pancreatic and non-small cell lung (NSCL) cancer patients. The storm of cancer-induced inflammatory cytokines, in particular TNF-α, is a crucial pathogenic mechanism. Among the molecular alterations accused of cancer-induced cachexia, (rs1800629) and (rs1799964) are single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the gene encoding this pro-inflammatory cytokine.

Ameliorative effect of betanin on experimental cisplatin-induced liver injury; the novel impact of miRNA-34a on the SIRT1/PGC-1α signaling pathway.

The anticancer agent, cisplatin (CIS), is associated with hepatotoxic effects related to activation of oxidative stress and inflammation pathways. CIS-induced oxidative DNA damage reduces sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) activity, which in turn, modulates the activity of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α). Moreover, microRNA-34a (miRNA-34a) was shown to hinder both SIRT1 and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activity.

MiRNA-200c, MiRNA-139 and ln RNA H19; new predictors of treatment response in H-pylori- induced gastric ulcer or progression to gastric cancer.

Recent evidence indicates that the pathogenesis of gastric ulcer and progression to gastric cancer could be attributed to altered inflammatory/immunological response and associated differential non-coding RNAs expression signatures. However, co-expression profiling of lncRNA-miRNAs in GU/GC patients are scarcely focused on. Therefore, in the present study the expression of H19 and related miRNAs including miR-139, and miR-200 were assayed in the plasma samples of treatment responsive GU vs nonresponsive GC patients.

Implications of miRNAs on TGF-β/TAK1/mTOR pathway in mediating the renoprotective effects of pentoxifylline against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

Cisplatin (CIS)-mediated nephrotoxicity is induced via transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and TGF-β-activated kinase (TAK1). TGF-β and TAK1 are known to interact with microRNA-let-7b and microRNA-26b, respectively. Additionally, TGF-β1 is reported to down-regulate the autophagy marker microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-II (LC3-II) through upregulation of microRNA-34a.

Crocin attenuates cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity via TLR4/NF-κBp50 signaling and BAMBI modulation of TGF-β activity: Involvement of miRNA-9 and miRNA-29.

TLR4-induced mitigation of the BMP down-regulation and activin membrane bound inhibitor (BAMBI) and the consequent enhancement of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) profibrogenic signaling has not yet been studied in cisplatin (CIS)-induced hepatotoxicity. miRNA-9 and29 have been previously reported to modulate TLR4 signaling via either tempering the expression of nuclear factor kappa-B p50 (NF-κB p50) or downregulation of extracellular matrix genes respectively. Hence we aimed to investigate the involvement of TLR4-induced modulation of TGF-β receptor 1 (TGF-βR1) signaling as well as the implication of miRNA-9 and 29 in CIS-induced hepatotoxicity.

LCZ696 (sacubitril/valsartan) protects against cyclophosphamide-induced testicular toxicity in rats: Role of neprilysin inhibition and lncRNA TUG1 in ameliorating apoptosis.

Cyclophosphamide (CP) is widely used as chemotherapy in various cancers; however, testicular atrophy has been encountered as an associated adverse effect. Oxidative stress, enhanced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and subsequent apoptosis are involved in the molecular mechanisms of CP-induced testicular toxicity. In addition to the cardiovascular benefits of LCZ696 (sacubitril/valsartan (VAL)), neprilysin inhibition was shown to mediate Ca sequestration inside the ER.

Neuroprotective effect of crocin against rotenone-induced Parkinson's disease in rats: Interplay between PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and enhanced expression of miRNA-7 and miRNA-221.

The complexity of Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis is attributed to multiple pathways involved in the neurodegeneration process. Among these pathways arise the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) axis, where inhibition of this cascade has been implicated in the pathogenesis of PD. Crocin, a carotenoid found in saffron, has shown beneficial effects against neurodegenerative diseases via anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities.

Effect of Genetic and Nongenetic Factors on the Clinical Response to Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonist Therapy in Egyptians with Heart Failure.

This prospective cohort study evaluated the association between the renin angiotensin aldosterone system genotypes and response to spironolactone in 155 Egyptian patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Genotype frequencies for AGT rs699 were: CC = 16%, CT = 48%, and TT = 36%. Frequencies for CYP11B2 rs1799998 were: TT = 33%, TC = 50%, and CC = 17%.

Cultural Sensitivity and Global Pharmacy Engagement in the Arab World.

To create a resource on cultural sensitivity for schools and colleges of pharmacy that are currently engaged or considering future outreach opportunities in the Arab world. A literature review (2000-2018) of databases and Internet searches with specific keywords and terms were conducted. Authors who had experience in travelling to and hosting students and professionals from the Arab world and authors with local work experience in the Arab world were solicited.

The expression profiling of circulating miR-204, miR-182, and lncRNA H19 as novel potential biomarkers for the progression of peptic ulcer to gastric cancer.

Deregulation of noncoding RNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), are implicated in the initiation and progression of gastric cancer (GC). This study is a pilot case-control study carried out on 75 subjects, 40 of them were Helicobacter pylori-gastric ulcer patients and 35 were GC patients recruited from the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Unit in Al-Kasr Al-Aini Hospital, Cairo University in Egypt. Real-time PCR was performed to evaluate the expression level of serum miR-204, miR-182, and lncRNA H19 in patients with peptic ulcer-progressed GC vs nonprogressed peptic ulcer patients.

A pilot study on the effect of lactoferrin on Alzheimer's disease pathological sequelae: Impact of the p-Akt/PTEN pathway.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases in which the phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (PKB or Akt) pathway is deregulated in response to phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) overexpression. Lactoferrin (LF), a multifunctional iron-binding glycoprotein, is involved in AD pathology; however, direct evidence of its impact upon AD remains unclear. To elucidate LF's role in AD, the possible protective mechanism post-LF administration for 3 months was investigated in AD patients by observing changes in the p-Akt/PTEN pathway.

L-Carnosine protects against Oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy in colorectal cancer patients: A perspective on targeting Nrf-2 and NF-κB pathways.

Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is a common side effect afflicting cancer patients treated with oxalipatin based chemotherapy.

Aim: The study investigated the potential prophylactic effect of L-carnosine against acute oxaliplatin neurotoxicity in colorectal cancer patients with emphasis on the redox (Nrf-2, MDA), inflammatory (NF-κB, TNF-α), and apoptotic (caspase-3) parameters.

Methods: In this pilot study, 65 patients were recruited using a prospective randomized controlled study design and enrolled randomly into two arms; Arm A, 31 patients received FOLFOX-6 regimen (oxaliplatin, 5FU & leucovorin) and Arm B, 34 patients received FOLFOX-6 regimen and daily oral L-carnosine (500 mg) along the treatment period.

Antidiabetic efficacy of lactoferrin in type 2 diabetic pediatrics; controlling impact on PPAR-γ, SIRT-1, and TLR4 downstream signaling pathway.

The current study aims to investigate the antidiabetic efficacy of camel milk-derived lactoferrin and potential involvement of PPAR-γ and SIRT-1 via TLR-4/NFκB signaling pathway in obese diabetic pediatric population. Sixty young obese patients with type 2 diabetes were selected from the Pediatric Endocrine Metabolic Unit, Cairo University and were randomly divided among two age and sex-matched groups so as to receive either standard therapy without lactoferrin in one arm or to be treated with oral lactoferrin capsules (250 mg/day, p.o) for 3 months in the other arm.

Ameliorative effect of taurine-chloramine in azathioprine-induced testicular damage; a deeper insight into the mechanism of protection.

Background: The male reproductive system is a sensitive and intricate process that can be distressed following exposure to various toxicants. Therapeutic drugs, especially chemotherapeutics, can also adversely affect male fertility by instigating hormonal changes leading to testicular cells injury. Azathioprine (AZA) is an effective anticancer drug, but some cases of testicular toxicity have been reported.