Publications by authors named "Zahir Shaikh"

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has re-emerged as a significant global health concern, particularly during the widespread outbreak of 2022. As an orthopoxvirus related to the eradicated smallpox virus, mpox has been primarily managed with smallpox vaccines and treatments, including the antiviral agent Tecovirimat. This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Tecovirimat in treating mpox, focusing on its use during the 2022 outbreak, especially among high-risk populations, including men who have sex with men and people living with HIV.

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Cadmium (Cd) has been linked to a variety of cancers, including breast cancer; however, the molecular mechanism of its carcinogenic activity is not fully understood. To this end, the present study investigated the roles of ferroportin (FPN), a prognostic marker of breast cancer, in Cd-induced stimulation of cell proliferation and cell migration. Triple-negative MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with 1-3 μM Cd.

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Epidemiological and experimental studies have implicated cadmium (Cd) with breast cancer. In breast epithelial MCF10A and MDA-MB-231 cells, Cd has been shown to promote cell growth. The present study examined whether Cd also promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a hallmark of cancer progression.

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Cadmium (Cd) is a carcinogenic heavy metal which is implicated in breast cancer development. While the mechanisms of Cd-induced breast cancer initiation and promotion have been studied, the molecular processes involved in breast cancer progression remain to be investigated. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the influence of Cd on metastasis-associated phenotypes, such as cell adhesion, migration, and invasion in triple-negative breast cancer cells.

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Cardiac dysfunction is correlated with detrimental prognosis of sepsis and contributes to a high risk of mortality. After an initial hyperinflammatory reaction, most patients enter a protracted state of immunosuppression (late sepsis) that alters both innate and adaptive immunity. The changes of cardiac function in late sepsis are not yet known.

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Oxidative stress and free radical generation accelerate the formation of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) which are linked to several chronic diseases. Published data suggest that phenolic-rich plant foods, show promise as natural anti-AGEs agents due to their anti-oxidation capacities. A phenolic-enriched maple syrup extract (MSX) has previously been reported to show anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects but its anti-AGE effects remain unknown.

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Published data supports the neuroprotective effects of several phenolic-containing natural products, including certain fruit, berries, spices, nuts, green tea, and olive oil. However, limited data are available for phenolic-containing plant-derived natural sweeteners including maple syrup. Herein, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of a chemically standardized phenolic-enriched maple syrup extract (MSX) using a combination of biophysical, in vitro, and in vivo studies.

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Cadmium (Cd) is a carcinogenic metal which is implicated in breast cancer by epidemiological studies. It is reported to promote breast cancer cell growth in vitro through membrane receptors. The study described here examined Cd-mediated growth of non-metastatic human breast cancer derived cells that lack receptors for estrogen, progesterone, and HER2.

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Cadmium (Cd) is a common environmental toxicant and an established carcinogen. Epidemiological studies implicate Cd with human breast cancer. Low micromolar concentrations of Cd promote proliferation of human breast cancer cells in vitro.

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Preeclampsia is a major pregnancy complication with potential short- and long-term consequences for both mother and fetus. Understanding its pathogenesis and causative biomarkers is likely to yield insights for prediction and treatment. Herein, we provide evidence that transthyretin, a transporter of thyroxine and retinol, is aggregated in preeclampsia and is present at reduced levels in sera of preeclamptic women, as detected by proteomic screen.

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Cadmium (Cd) is a nonessential metal that is dispersed throughout the environment. It is an endocrine-disrupting element which mimics estrogen, binds to estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha), and promotes cell proliferation in breast cancer cells. We have previously published that Cd promotes activation of the extracellular regulated kinases, erk-1 and -2 in both ER-positive and ER-negative human breast cancer cells, suggesting that this estrogen-like effect of Cd is not associated with the ER.

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Kidney is the primary target organ in chronic cadmium (Cd) toxicity, and oxidative stress plays an important role in this process. The nuclear transcription factor Nrf2 binds to antioxidant response elements (AREs) and regulates genes involved in protecting cells from oxidative damage. Whether kidney cells respond to Cd by activating Nrf2 is unknown.

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Cadmium (Cd), an endocrine disruptor, can induce a variety of signaling events including the activation of ERK1/2 and AKT. In this study, the involvement of estrogen receptors (ER) in these events was evaluated in three human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and SK-BR-3. The Cd-induced signal activation patterns in the three cell lines mimicked those exhibited in response to 17 beta-estradiol.

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Cadmium (Cd) has been reported to cause cell cycle arrest in various cell types by p53-dependent and -independent mechanisms. This study was designed to investigate cell cycle progression in kidney cells that are the target of chronic Cd toxicity. Rat renal proximal tubular epithelial cells, NRK-52E, were treated with up to 20 microM CdCl2 in DMEM containing 10% calf serum for up to 24 h.

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Glycine treatment is reported to protect against the nephrotoxicity of cadmium (Cd) in rats. The purpose of the present study was to explore the mechanism of this protection using a renal epithelial cell line, LLC-PK(1). The cells were incubated with 10-30 microM Cd in serum-free DMEM and cytotoxicity was evaluated by LDH leakage into the incubation medium.

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Renal epithelial cells undergo apoptosis upon exposure to cadmium (Cd). Transcription factors, such as nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB), mediate the expression of a number of genes involved in apoptosis. The present study was designed to examine the involvement of this transcription factor in Cd-induced apoptosis.

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The objectives of this study were to examine the association between urinary excretion of cadmium (U-Cd), copper (U-Cu), and zinc (U-Zn) and the severity of two different indicators of renal toxicity (urinary excretion of beta2-microglobulin [U-beta2-MG] and metallothionein [U-MT]) in Cd-exposed subjects compared to controls, and to assess the physiologic mechanisms by which the exposure to environmental Cd affects U-Cd, U-Cu, and U-Zn. The target population included 3508 Cd-exposed and 294 nonexposed participants who received a health survey conducted among the population of the Kakehashi River basin. Increases of U-Cd, U-beta2-MG, and U-MT in the Cd-exposed population were observed relative to excretion of these substances in controls.

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