Search

The highly conductive property of Titanium Carbide MXene (Ti3C2Tx) MXenes has made them an area of research in the electrochemical field. However, their properties are subjected to their correct synthesis. Various synthesis methods have been reported; however, those methods employ high energy consumption. To reduce the cost, researchers have tried to synthesize using inexpensive precursors; however, fewer have resorted to the use of an alternative technique. This study employed the use of the tungsten inert gas welding process to synthesize the Ti3AlC2 MAX phase, which was later etched using the in situ hydrogen fluoride acid technique. Alternatively, another MAX phase was prepared using an atmosphere furnace under the purging of argon gas. However, impurities were detected in the MAX phase and later detected in titanium powder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the frequency of protein energy wasting among end stage renal disease patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Study Design: Cross-sectional analytical study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Nephrology, Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from May 2019 to Mar 2020. Methodology: Two hundered patients diagnosed with end-stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis were included in the study. Protein-energy wasting was assessed using the Malnutrition inflammatory score comprising four x components: medical history, physical examination, laboratory parameters and body mass index. Malnutrition inflammatory score was used to categorize protein-energy wasting. Results: Out of 200 patients with ESRD on maintenance hemodialysis, 73(36.5%) patients had mild, 120(60.0 %) patients had moderate, and 7(3.5%) patients had severe protein-energy wasting. The advanced age group, multiple comorbid (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ischemic heart disease), and duration of hemodialysis (> 2 years) had a statistically significant association with the protein energy wasting (p-value < 0.05). Protein-energy wasting was also more prevalent in patients with low monthly income (p-value 0.04). Conclusion: Protein-energy wasting is common among patients with end stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis. Old age group, multiple comorbid, and duration of hemodialysis are important risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current investigation was carried out to analyze the correlation of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and pre-mRNA processing factor 4B (PRP4) in inducing inflammatory response and cell actin cytoskeleton rearrangement in macrophages (Raw 264.7) and colorectal (HCT116) as well as skin cancer (B16-F10) cells. Cell lines were stimulated with LPS, and the expression of PRP4 as well as pro-inflammatory cytokines and proteins like IL-6, IL-1β, TLR4, and NF-κB were assayed. The results demonstrated that LPS markedly increased the expression of PRP4, IL-6, IL-1β, TLR4, and NF-κB in the cells. LPS and PRP4 concomitantly altered the morphology of cells from an aggregated, flattened shape to a round shape. Decursin, a pyranocoumarin from Angelica gigas, inhibited the LPS and PRP4-induced inflammatory response, and reversed the induction of morphological changes. Finally, we established a possible link of LPS with TLR4 and JNK signaling, through which it activated PRP4. Our study provides molecular insights for LPS and PRP4-related pathogenesis and a basis for developing new strategies against metastasis in colorectal cancer and skin melanoma. Our study emphasizes that decursin may be an effective treatment strategy for various cancers in which LPS and PRP4 perform a critical role in inducing inflammatory response and morphological changes leading to cell survival and protection against anti-cancer drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artemia salina, crustaceans of class Branchiopoda and order Anostraca, are living and reproducing only in highly saline natural lakes and in other reservoirs where sea water is evaporated to produce salt. Artemia salina eggs can be purchased from pet stores, where they are sold as tropical fish food and a ready source for hatching shrimp. In the current study, methanolic crude extracts and various fractions of Artemia salina eggs extracted in other solvents were tested for effects on cell viability of human colorectal cancer cells (HCT116) and melanoma cells (B16F10) using an MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. A methanolic crude extract of eggs was obtained by cold maceration, followed by fractionation to obtain hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and aqueous fractions. The methanolic crude extract decreased cell viability of HCT-116 and B16F10 cell lines at higher concentrations. The other fractions were evaluated using a cell viability assay, and chloroform and hexane showed the highest activity at significantly lower concentrations than did the methanolic fraction. Full scan profiles of the methanolic crude extract and the chloroform and hexane fractions were obtained by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and the resultant compounds were identified by comparing their spectral data to those available in spectral matching libraries. ROS generation assay, flow cytometry, and western blot analysis provided supporting evidence that the hexane and chloroform fractions induced cell death in HCT116 and B16-F10 cell lines. All fractions were further tested for antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, among which the hexane fraction showed the highest zone of inhibition on LB nutrient agar plates. This study demonstrated promising anticancer and antibacterial effects of Artemia salina egg extracts. Our results suggest that pure bioactive compounds obtained from Artemia salina eggs can provide new insights into the mechanisms of colon and skin cancer, as well as Pseudomonas aeruginosa inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the frequency of protein energy wasting among end stage renal disease patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Study Design: Cross-sectional analytical study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Nephrology, Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from May 2019 to Mar 2020. Methodology: Two hundered patients diagnosed with end-stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis were included in the study. Protein-energy wasting was assessed using the Malnutrition inflammatory score comprising four x components: medical history, physical examination, laboratory parameters and body mass index. Malnutrition inflammatory score was used to categorize protein-energy wasting. Results: Out of 200 patients with ESRD on maintenance hemodialysis, 73(36.5%) patients had mild, 120(60.0%) patients had moderate, and 7(3.5%) patients had severe protein-energy wasting. The advanced age group, multiple comorbid (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ischemic heart disease), and duration of hemodialysis (> 2 years) had a statistically significant association with the protein energy wasting (p-value < 0.05). Protein-energy wasting was also more prevalent in patients with low monthly income (p-value 0.04). Conclusion: Protein-energy wasting is common among patients with end stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis. Old age group, multiple comorbid, and duration of hemodialysis are important risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cell cycle has the capacity to safeguard the cell's DNA from damage. Thus, cell cycle arrest can allow tumor cells to investigate their own DNA repair processes. Cancer cells become extremely reliant on G1-phase cyclin-dependent kinases due to mutated oncogenes and deactivated tumor suppressors, producing replication stress and DNA damage during the S phase and destroying checkpoints that facilitate progression through the S/G2/M phase. DNA damage checkpoints activate DNA repair pathways to prevent cell proliferation, which occurs when the genome is damaged. However, research on how cells recommence division after a DNA lesion-induced arrest is insufficient which is merely the result of cancer cells' susceptibility to cell cycle arrest. For example, defects in the G1 arrest checkpoint may cause a cancer cell to proliferate more aggressively, and attempts to fix these complications may cause the cell to grow more slowly and eventually die. Defects in the G2-M arrest checkpoint may enable a damaged cell to enter mitosis and suffer apoptosis, and attempts to boost the effectiveness of chemotherapy may increase its cytotoxicity. Alternatively, attempts to promote G2-M arrest have also been linked to increased apoptosis in the laboratory. Furthermore, variables, such as hyperthermia, contact inhibition, nucleotide shortage, mitotic spindle damage, and resting phase effects, and DNA replication inhibitors add together to halt the cell cycle. In this review, we look at how nucleotide excision repair, MMR, and other variables, such as DNA replication inhibitors, hyperthermia, and contact inhibition, contribute to the outlined processes and functional capacities that cause cell cycle arrest., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

We have investigated the involvement of the pre-mRNA processing factor 4B (PRP4) kinase domain in mediating drug resistance. HCT116 cells were treated with curcumin, and apoptosis was assessed based on flow cytometry and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Cells were then transfected with PRP4 or pre-mRNA-processing-splicing factor 8 (PRP8), and drug resistance was analyzed both in vitro and in vivo . Furthermore, we deleted the kinase domain in PRP4 using Gateway TM technology. Curcumin induced cell death through the production of ROS and decreased the activation of survival signals, but PRP4 overexpression reversed the curcumin-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis. PRP8 failed to reverse the curcumin-induced apoptosis in the HCT116 colon cancer cell line. In xenograft mouse model experiments, curcumin effectively reduced tumour size whereas PRP4 conferred resistance to curcumin, which was evident from increasing tumour size, while PRP8 failed to regulate the curcumin action. PRP4 overexpression altered the morphology, rearranged the actin cytoskeleton, triggered epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and decreased the invasiveness of HCT116 cells. The loss of E-cadherin, a hallmark of EMT, was observed in HCT116 cells overexpressing PRP4. Moreover, we observed that the EMT-inducing potential of PRP4 was aborted after the deletion of its kinase domain. Collectively, our investigations suggest that the PRP4 kinase domain is responsible for promoting drug resistance to curcumin by inducing EMT. Further evaluation of PRP4-induced inhibition of cell death and PRP4 kinase domain interactions with various other proteins might lead to the development of novel approaches for overcoming drug resistance in patients with colon cancer.

Background: Conventional practices of synthesis, manufacturing, and processing have led to severe adverse consequences for living beings and the environment., Objectives: Although medications cannot be replaced, the methods of synthesizing, manufacturing, and processing them can be changed and/or replaced. This paper explains the significance of green chemistry practices in the pharmaceutical industry. It emphasizes that we must replace conventional drug synthesis, processing, and manufacturing techniques with greener ones that are cost-effective, sustainable, environment-friendly, and profitable., Discussion: This paper comprises five sections. Section 1 is an introduction to green chemistry and its correlation with the pharmaceutical industry. Section 2 discusses the metrics necessary to measure the greenness of a process. Section 3 is about solvents used in the pharmaceutical industry, hazards, safety status, and environmental effects, including the ozone depletion potential. Section 4 explains catalytic amidation reactions because amides are one of the most commonly occurring functional groups with pharmacological activity. Section 5 discusses successful cases of converting conventional synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients and/or their intermediates to greener, sustainable alternatives., Conclusion: A balance is necessary between profits, processes, consumers, and the environment to ensure the survival of all stakeholders and decrease the environmental burden of pharmaceuticals. Incentives such as green chemistry awards should be endorsed and encouraged, in addition to making green chemistry part of tertiary education. In addition, changes to rules and regulations for drug approval in the context of green chemistry principles are necessary in order to preserve our planet for future generations., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: The kidneys are vital organs acting as the body's filters that eliminate drugs and other waste products from the body. For effective cancer therapy, a delicate balance is required in the drug treatment and its elimination, which is critical for drug accumulation, toxicity, and kidney malfunction. However, how renal cell carcinoma (RCC) affects the kidneys in safely eliminating the byproducts of drug treatments in patients with severely dysregulated kidney functions had remained elusive. Recent advancements in dose adjustment have added to our understanding regarding how drug treatments could be effectively regulated in aberrant kidney cells, driving safe elimination and reducing drug accumulation and toxicity at the right time and space. Dose adjustment is the only standard systemic way applicable; however, it presents certain limitations. There is significant room for developing new strategies and alternatives to improve it., Objectives: Our analysis of the available treatments in literature discusses the treatment and their safe eliminations. In this study, we give an overview of the measures that could be taken to maintain the elimination gradient of anti-cancer drugs and restore normal kidney function in RCC. Differential therapeutics of RCC/mRCC in various clinical phase trials and the interaction of targeted therapeutics in response to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were also discussed., Conclusion: Such information might suggest a new direction in controlling treatment with safe elimination through dose adjustment and its associated alternatives in a judicious manner. A strategy to systematically focus on the safe elimination of anti-cancer drugs in RCC strongly needs advocating., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)