Lead Poisoning in Opium-Addicted Subjects, Its Correlation with Pyrimidine 5'-Nucleotidase Activity and Liver Function Tests.

Background: Lead may be added to the opium by drug smugglers. It can cause elevated blood lead level (BLL) in opium-addicted patients. Erythrocyte pyrimidine 5'-nucleotidase (P5N) activity is susceptible to high BLL.

Determination of Cholesterol and its Derivatives in Nanoliposomes as Drug Delivery Conveyances by HPLC-UV: A Simple, Accurate and Cost-Effective Method Development and Validation Approach.

Nanoliposomes are extensively used as ideal vehicles in drug delivery systems due to their unique biocompatibility and biodegradability properties. They can be used as sustained release and target selective conveyances to deliver the encapsulated drugs at specific cells or tissues by improving their efficacy along with reducing the side effects. As an analytical perspective, the determination of various lipid components in the final formulation is one of the practical issues while the agents are applied in an industrial-scale.

The impact of the particle size of curcumin nanocarriers and the ethanol on beta_1-integrin overexpression in fibroblasts: A regenerative pharmaceutical approach in skin repair and anti-aging formulations.

Background: Since women pay more attention to their skin's health, pharmaceutical companies invest heavily on skin care product development. Further, the success of drug nano-carriers in passing through the skin justifies the need to conduct studies at the nano-scale. β1-integrin down regulation has been proposed as a sign of skin aging.

Nano-curcumin improves glucose indices, lipids, inflammation, and Nesfatin in overweight and obese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Background: Since lifestyle changes are main therapies for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), changing dietary components (nutritional or bioactive) may play a parallel important role. Few studies have assessed the effects of curcumin on NAFLD (mainly antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects). We aimed to determine the effects of nano-curcumin (NC) on overweight/obese NAFLD patients by assessing glucose, lipids, inflammation, insulin resistance, and liver function indices, especially through nesfatin.

Contributory role of microRNAs in anti-cancer effects of small molecule inhibitor of telomerase (BIBR1532) on acute promyelocytic leukemia cell line.

Telomerase-mediated immortalization and proliferation of tumor cells is a promising anti-cancer treatment strategy and development of potent telomerase inhibitors is believed to open new window of treatments in human malignancies. In the present study, we found that BIBR1532, a small molecule inhibitor of human telomerase, exerted cytotoxic effects on a panel of human cancer cells spanning from solid tumors to hematologic malignancies; however, as compared with solid tumors, leukemic cells were more sensitive to this inhibitor. This was independent of molecular status of p53 in the leukemic cells.

Albumin binding, anticancer and antibacterial properties of synthesized zero valent iron nanoparticles.

Background: Nanoparticles (NPs) have been emerging as potential players in modern medicine with clinical applications ranging from therapeutic purposes to antimicrobial agents. However, before applications in medical agents, some in vitro studies should be done to explore their biological responses.

Aim: In this study, protein binding, anticancer and antibacterial activates of zero valent iron (ZVFe) were explored.

Composite Nanoscaffolds Modified with Bio-ceramic Nanoparticles (Zn2SiO4) Prompted Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Nanofiber scaffolds and bio-ceramic nanoparticles have been widely used in bone tissue engineering. The use of human- induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) on this scaffold can be considered as a new approach in the differentiation of bone tissue. In the present study, a polyaniline-gelatin-polycaprolactone (PANi-GEL-PCL) composite nanoscaffold was made by electrospinning and modified superficially by plasma method.

Biodistribution of Tc-99m Labeled Isoniazid Solid Lipid Nanoparticles in Wistar Rats.

In this study Isoniazid (INH) as one of the first line drugs in treatment of Tuberculosis was investigated to be loaded in Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLNs) for reducing hepatotoxicity as well as prolonging drug release. High shear homogenization method was performed to prepare INH SLNs. To compare biodistribution of INH before and after loading in SLNs, INH was labeled by Technetium 99 (Tc99) after derivatization.

Curcumin as a therapeutic candidate for multiple sclerosis: Molecular mechanisms and targets.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that has shown a considerable increase in prevalence in recent centuries. Current knowledge about its etiology is incomplete, and therefore it cannot be managed optimally utilizing targeted therapeutic regimens at each stage of the disease. MS progresses in different stages, beginning with a cascade of inflammation.

Osteogenic differentiation of preconditioned bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells with lipopolysaccharide on modified poly-l-lactic-acid nanofibers.

Tissue engineering is an interdisciplinary expertise that involves the use of nanoscaffolds for repairing, modifying, and removing tissue defects and formation of new tissues. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into a variety of cell types, and they are attractive candidates for tissue engineering. In the current study, the electrospinning process was used for nanofiber preparation, based on a poly-l-lactic-acid (PLLA) polymer.

Biophysical, bioinformatical, cellular, and molecular investigations on the effects of graphene oxide nanosheets on the hemoglobin structure and lymphocyte cell cytotoxicity.

Background: Implementations of nanoparticles have been receiving great interest in medicine and technology due to their unique characteristics. However, their toxic impacts on the biological system are not well explored.

Aim: This study aims to investigate the influence of fabricated nano graphene oxide (NGO) sheets on the secondary and quaternary structural alterations of human hemoglobin (Hb) and cytotoxicity against lymphocyte cells.

Nanotechnology in Wound Healing; Semisolid Dosage Forms Containing Curcumin-Ampicillin Solid Lipid Nanoparticles, , and Characteristics.

Wound healing is a natural biologic process, but the duration of it may take too long. Trying to shorten this process is one of the challenges for scientists. Many technologies were applied to achieve this goal as well as nanotechnology.

Silica nanoparticles induce conformational changes of tau protein and oxidative stress and apoptosis in neuroblastoma cell line.

The adverse effects of SiO NPs on the biological systems like nervous system have not been well explored. This study aimed to evaluate the toxicity of SiO NPs on the nervous system in vitro. Therefore, human tau protein and neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y) were used as targets.

Determination of synthetic pharmaceutical adulterants in herbal weight gain supplements sold in herb shops, Tehran, Iran.

Background: Nowadays with the growing popularity of herbal remedies across the world, large sections of population rely on herbal drug practitioners for their primary care. Therefore there is a need to ensure about the safety of herbal drugs and to detect adulteration with undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients. Herbal drugs are used as first-line drug therapy in some instances.

Optimization of ultrasonic assisted extraction of fatty acids from Aesculus hippocastanum fruit by response surface methodology.

The effectiveness of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of Aesculus hippocastanum fruit oil was investigated using methanol as a solvent. The study compared extraction yields using UAE and methanol with soxhlet. The effects of three extraction parameters, namely temperature, time and the ratio of solvent (volume) to plant material (weight) were optimized using both a Box-Behnken design (BBD) and response surface methodology (RSM).

Selective reduction in glutaminase activity of l‑Asparaginase by asparagine 248 to serine mutation: A combined computational and experimental effort in blood cancer treatment.

Type II l‑asparaginase (l‑ASNase) is an FDA approved enzyme drug with extensive applications for treatment of certain blood cancers. However, the therapeutic efficiency of this enzyme is hampered by its undesirable glutaminase activity. Given the pivotal role of this enzyme against cancer, designing engineered mutants with diminished glutaminase activity would be of great therapeutic interest.

Aluminium oxide nanoparticles induce structural changes in tau and cytotoxicity of the neuroblastoma cell line.

The application of nanomaterials in the healthy system may induce some neurodegenerative diseases initiated by tau folding and neuronal cell death. Herein, aluminium oxide nanoparticles (AlO NPs) were synthesized and characterized by XRD, TEM, DLS and zeta potential investigations. Afterwards, the interaction of AlO NPs with tau protein was investigated by fluorescence and CD spectroscopic methods.

Neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R) inhibition sensitizes APL cells to anti-tumor effect of arsenic trioxide via restriction of NF-κB axis: Shedding new light on resistance to Aprepitant.

While a batch of efforts are fastened on synthesizing the novel targeted anti-cancer agents, recent investigations have achieved a breakthrough in identifying a favorable anti-tumor activity for some supportive drugs, which their safety have been confirmed thus far. The results of the present study highlighted the efficacy of Aprepitant, an oral antagonist of the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R), against both APL (NB4) and pre-B ALL (Nalm-6) cell lines; however, a differential sensitivity pattern was found in these cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the molecular mechanisms of resistance to Aprepitant have been investigated and, herein, we proposed that the effectiveness of Aprepitant could be overshadowed, at least partially, through over-activated nuclear factor-κB in Nalm-6 pre-B ALL cells.

Biophysical, docking, and cellular studies on the effects of cerium oxide nanoparticles on blood components: in vitro.

Introduction: The application of nanoparticles (NPs) in medicine and biology has received great interest due to their novel features. However, their adverse effects on the biological system are not well understood.

Materials And Methods: This study aims to evaluate the effect of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) on conformational changes of human hemoglobin (HHb) and lymphocytes by different spectroscopic (intrinsic and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and far and near circular dichroism [CD] spectroscopy), docking and cellular (MTT and flow cytometry) investigations.

New insights into the selective inhibition of the β-carbonic anhydrases of pathogenic bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei and Francisella tularensis: a proteochemometrics study.

Nowadays, antibiotic resistance has turned into one of the most important worldwide health problems. Biological end point of critical enzymes induced by potent inhibitors is recently being considered as a highly effective and popular strategy to defeat antibiotic-resistant pathogens. For instance, the simple but critical β-carbonic anhydrase has recently been in the center of attention for anti-pathogen drug discoveries.

Preparation and in vitro evaluation of novel cross-linked chondroitin sulphate nanoparticles by aluminium ions for encapsulation of green tea flavonoids.

Chondroitin sulphate is a sulphated glycosaminoglycan biopolymer composed over 100 individual sugars. Chondroitin sulphate nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with catechin were prepared by an ionic gelation method using AlCl and optimised for polymer and cross-linking agent concentration, curing time and stirring speed. Zeta potential, particle size, loading efficiency, and release efficiency over 24 h (RE%) were evaluated.

Tumor-associated macrophages and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in cancer: Nanotechnology comes into view.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are an important component of the leukocytic infiltrate of the tumor microenvironment. There is persuasive preclinical and clinical evidence that TAMs induce cancer inanition and malignant progression of primary tumors toward a metastatic state through a highly conserved and fundamental process known as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Tumor cells undergoing EMT are distinguished by increased motility and invasiveness, which enable them to spread to distant sites and form metastases.

First-principles and Molecular Dynamics simulation studies of functionalization of Au golden fullerene with amino acids.

With the growing potential applications of nanoparticles in biomedicine especially the increasing concerns of nanotoxicity of gold nanoparticles, the interaction between protein and nanoparticles is proving to be of fundamental interest for bio-functionalization of materials. The interaction of glycine (Gly) amino acid with Au fullerene was first investigated with B3LYP-D3/TZVP model. Several forms of glycine were selected to better understand the trends in binding nature of glycine interacting with the nanocage.

Titanium oxide nanoparticles fabrication, hemoglobin interaction, white blood cells cytotoxicity, and antibacterial studies.

This study is focused on the fabrication and characterization of titanium oxide (TiO) NPs. Afterwards; the interaction of TiO NPs with human hemoglobin (Hb) was investigated by FTIR spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and molecular docking studies. Also, the cytotoxic effect of fabricated TiO NPs against human white blood cells (WBCs) was considered by MTT assay.

Interaction of silica nanoparticles with tau proteins and PC12 cells: Colloidal stability, thermodynamic, docking, and cellular studies.

Study on the side effects of the nanoparticles (NPs) can provide useful information regarding their biological and medical applications. Herein, the colloidal stability of the silicon dioxide NPs (SiO NPs) in the absence and presence of tau was investigated by TEM and DLS techniques. Afterwards, the thermodynamic parameters of interaction between SiO NPs and tau were determined by fluorescence spectroscopy and docking studies.