scholarly journals Evaluation of Hepatotoxicity with Treatment Doses of Flucytosine and Amphotericin B for Invasive Fungal Infections

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Folk ◽  
Coralia Cotoraci ◽  
Cornel Balta ◽  
Maria Suciu ◽  
Hildegard Herman ◽  
...  

Invasive fungal infection is a well-known cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. In this study we aimed to evaluate the hepatotoxicity induced by combined therapy of flucytosine and amphotericin B, at three different doses administered to mice for 14 days: 50 mg/kg flucytosine and 300 μg/kg amphotericin B; 100 mg/kg flucytosine and 600 μg/kg amphotericin B; 150 mg/kg flucytosine and 900 μg/kg amphotericin B. Liver injuries were evaluated by analysis of optic and electron microscopy samples, changes in TNF-α, IL-6, and NF-κB inflammation markers levels of expression, and evaluation of mRNA profiles. Histological and ultrastructural analysis revealed an increase in parenchymal and portal inflammation in mice and Kupffer cells activation. Combined antifungal treatment stimulated activation of an inflammatory pathway, demonstrated by a significant dose-dependent increase of TNF-αand IL-6 immunoreactivity, together with mRNA upregulation. Also, NF-κB was activated, as suggested by the high levels found in hepatic tissue and upregulation of target genes. Our results suggest that antifungal combined therapy exerts a synergistic inflammatory activation in a dose-dependent manner, through NF-κB pathway, which promotes an inflammatory cascade during inflammation. The use of combined antifungal therapy needs to be dose limiting due to the associated risk of liver injury, especially for those patients with hepatic dysfunction.

Dose-Response ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 155932581770346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Folk ◽  
Cornel Balta ◽  
Hildegard Herman ◽  
Alexandra Ivan ◽  
Oana Maria Boldura ◽  
...  

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. Antifungal coadministration triggered nuclear translocation of NF-κB and upregulated nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells subunit p65 (NF-κB p65) messenger RNA mRNA level in dose-dependent manner. The immunopositivity of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 (IL-6), together with IL-6 gene expression, increased both in tubular and glomerular cells. Amphotericin B–flucytosine cotreatment increased significantly the number of terminal deoxy-nucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling positive nuclei. Apoptotic cells in renal tubuli were confirmed by electron microscopy. Histopathological analysis revealed collagen accumulation at the glomerular level. Collagen was also evidenced in the glomeruli at the dose of 900 μg/kg AMF+150mg/kg FL by Masson-Goldner trichrome staining and electron microscopy. Moreover, antifungal cotherapy induced upregulation of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) gene expression in a dose-dependent manner. Inflammation and epithelial tubular apoptosis are associated with TGF-β1 activation and initiation of the early stage of glomerular fibrosis at higher doses, leading to tubule–interstitial fibrosis.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darío Acuña-Castroviejo ◽  
Maria T Noguiera-Navarro ◽  
Russel J Reiter ◽  
Germaine Escames

Due to the broad distribution of extrapineal melatonin in multiple organs and tissues, we analyzed the presence and subcellular distribution of the indoleamine in the heart of rats. Groups of sham-operated and pinealectomized rats were sacrificed at different times along the day, and the melatonin content in myocardial cell membranes, cytosol, nuclei and mitochondria, were measured. Other groups of control animals were treated with different doses of melatonin to monitor its intracellular distribution. The results show that melatonin levels in the cell membrane, cytosol, nucleus, and mitochondria vary along the day, without showing a circadian rhythm. Pinealectomized animals trend to show higher values than sham-operated rats. Exogenous administration of melatonin yields its accumulation in a dose-dependent manner in all subcellular compartments analyzed, with maximal concentrations found in cell membranes at doses of 200 mg/kg bw melatonin. Interestingly, at dose of 40 mg/kg b.w, maximal concentration of melatonin was reached in the nucleus and mitochondrion. The results confirm previous data in other rat tissues including liver and brain, and support that melatonin is not uniformly distributed in the cell, whereas high doses of melatonin may be required for therapeutic purposes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guili Bao ◽  
Yinglong Zhang ◽  
Xiaoguang Yang

AbstractIn this study, lemon peel flavonoids (LPF) were administered to investigate its effect on the anti-fatigue and antioxidant capacity of mice that undergo exercise until exhaustion. LPF (88.36 min in LPFH group mice) significantly increased the exhaustion swimming time compare to the untreated mice (40.36 min), increased the liver glycogen and free fatty acid content in mice and reduce lactic acid and BUN content in a dose-dependent manner. As the concentration of lemon peel flavonoids increased, the serum creatine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase levels of mice gradually decreased. LPF increases superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) levels in mice and reduces malondialdehyde levels in a dose-dependent manner. And LPF raises hepatic tissue SOD, CAT activities and reduces skeletal muscle tissue iNOS, TNF-α levels of mice compared to the control group. LPF also enhanced the expression of copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD), manganese-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), and CAT mRNA in mouse liver tissue. LPF also enhanced the expression of alanine/serine/cysteine/threonine transporter 1 (ASCT1) mRNA and attenuate the expression of syncytin-1, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in mouse skeletal muscle. According to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, it was found that LPF contains flavonoids such as rutin, astragalin, isomangiferin, naringin, and quercetin. Our experimental data show that LPF has good anti-fatigue effects and anti-oxidation ability. In summary, LPF has high prospects to be developed and added to nutritional supplements.


2003 ◽  
Vol 47 (12) ◽  
pp. 3917-3925 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas H. Groll ◽  
Diana Mickiene ◽  
Vidmantas Petraitis ◽  
Ruta Petraitiene ◽  
Raul M. Alfaro ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The comparative drug dispositions, urinary pharmacokinetics, and effects on renal function of multilamellar liposomal nystatin (LNYS; Nyotran) and amphotericin B deoxycholate (DAMB; Fungizone) were studied in rabbits. Drug concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography as total concentrations of LNYS and DAMB. In comparison to a standard dose of 1 mg of DAMB/kg of body weight, therapeutic dosages of LNYS, i.e., 2, 4, and 6 mg/kg, resulted in escalating maximum concentrations (C max) (17 to 56μ g/ml for LNYS versus 3.36 μg/ml for DAMB; P< 0.001) and values for the area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 24 h (AUC0-24) (17 to 77μ g · h/ml for LNYS versus 12μ g · h/ml for DAMB; P < 0.001) in plasma but a significantly faster total clearance from plasma (0.117 to 0.080 liter/h/kg for LNYS versus 0.055 liter/h/kg for DAMB; P = 0.013) and a ≤8-fold-smaller volume of distribution at steady state (P = 0.002). Urinary drug concentration data revealed a ≥10-fold-higher C max (16 to 10 μg/ml for LNYS versus 0.96μ g/ml for DAMB; P = 0.015) and a 4- to 7-fold-greater AUC0-24 (63 to 35μ g · h/ml for LNYS versus 8.9μ g · h/ml for DAMB; P = 0.015) following the administration of LNYS, with a dose-dependent decrease in the dose-normalized AUC0-24 in urine (P= 0.001) and a trend toward a dose-dependent decrease in renal clearance. Except for the kidneys, the mean concentrations of LNYS in liver, spleen, and lung 24 h after dosing were severalfold lower than those after administration of DAMB (P,<0.002 to <0.001). Less than 1% each of the total dose of LNYS was recovered from the kidneys, liver, spleen, and lungs; in contrast, a quarter of the total dose was recovered from the livers of DAMB-treated animals. LNYS had dose-dependent effects on glomerular filtration and distal, but not proximal, renal tubular function which did not exceed those of DAMB at the highest investigated dosage of 6 mg/kg. The results of this experimental study demonstrate fundamental differences in the dispositions of LNYS and DAMB. Based on its enhanced urinary exposure, LNYS may offer a therapeutic advantage in systemic fungal infections involving the upper and lower urinary tracts that require therapy with antifungal polyenes.


Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 723
Author(s):  
Jiang Ma ◽  
Mi Li ◽  
Na Li ◽  
Wood Yee Chan ◽  
Ge Lin

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) with 1,2-unsaturated necine base are hepatotoxic phytotoxins. Acute PA intoxication is initiated by the formation of adducts between PA-derived reactive pyrrolic metabolites with cellular proteins. The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between the formation of hepatic pyrrole–protein adducts and occurrence of PA-induced liver injury (PA-ILI), and to further explore the use of such adducts for rapidly screening the hepatotoxic potency of natural products which contain PAs. Aqueous extracts of Crotalaria sessiliflora (containing one PA: monocrotaline) and Gynura japonica (containing two PAs: senecionine and seneciphylline) were orally administered to rats at different doses for 24 h to investigate PA-ILI. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity, hepatic glutathione (GSH) level, and liver histological changes of the treated rats were evaluated to assess the severity of PA-ILI. The levels of pyrrole–protein adducts formed in the rats’ livers were determined by a well-established spectrophotometric method. The biological and histological results showed a dose-dependent hepatotoxicity with significantly different toxic severity among groups of rats treated with herbal extracts containing different PAs. Both serum ALT activity and the amount of hepatic pyrrole–protein adducts increased in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the elevation of ALT activity correlated well with the formation of hepatic pyrrole–protein adducts, regardless of the structures of different PAs. The findings revealed that the formation of hepatic pyrrole–protein adducts—which directly correlated with the elevation of serum ALT activity—was a common insult leading to PA-ILI, suggesting a potential for using pyrrole–protein adducts to screen hepatotoxicity and rank PA-containing natural products, which generally contain multiple PAs with different structures.


Author(s):  
Pooja Kamra ◽  
Mahaveer Singh ◽  
Hardarshan Singh Lamba ◽  
Birendra Srivastava

The present study aimed to evaluate the hepatoprotective potential of methanolic whole plant extract of Persicaria hydropiper in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced hepatotoxicity model. Hepatotoxicity was induced in rats by intraperitoneal administration of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) for seven days. The extract was thereafter administered at two different doses of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg body weight for next seven days. Silymarin was used as a reference standard. The extract revealed hepatoprotective activity in dose dependent manner. The dose of 400 mg/kg exhibited maximum hepatoprotective ability as apparent from several evaluation parameters including liver function profile, bilirubin, antioxidant enzymes as well as histopathological investigation which was comparable to the standard drug Silymarin respectively. These findings sustenance the use of the extract as an adjuvant with existing therapy for treatment of liver ailments.


2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (11) ◽  
pp. 1565-1581
Author(s):  
S Iqbal ◽  
F Jabeen ◽  
C Peng ◽  
MU Ijaz ◽  
AS Chaudhry

Nickel nanoparticles (Ni-NPs) have been widely used in various industries related to electronics, ceramics, textiles, and nanomedicine. Ambient and occupational exposure to Ni-NPs may bring about potential detrimental effects on animals and humans. Thus, there is a growing effort to identify compounds that can ameliorate NPs-associated pathophysiologies. The present study examined Cinnamomum cassia ( C. cassia) bark extracts (CMBE) for its ameliorative activity against Ni-NPs-induced pathophysiological and histopathological alterations in male Sprague Dawley rats. The biochemical analyses revealed that dosing rats with Ni-NPs at 10 mg/kg/body weight (b.w.) significantly altered the normal structural and biochemical adaptations in the liver and kidney. Conversely, supplementations with CMBE at different doses (225, 200, and 175 mg/kg/b.w. of rat) ameliorated the altered blood biochemistry and reduced the biomarkers of liver and kidney function considerably ( p < 0.05) in a dose-dependent manner. However, the best results were at 225 mg/kg/b.w. of rat. The study provided preliminary information about the protective effect of C. cassia against Ni-NPs indicated liver and kidney damages. Future investigations are needed to explore C. cassia mechanism of action and isolation of single constituents of C. cassia to assess their pharmaceutical importance accordingly.


2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 3508-3508
Author(s):  
F. A. Eskens ◽  
F. J. Ramos ◽  
H. Burger ◽  
M. J. de Jonge ◽  
J. Wanders ◽  
...  

3508 Background: E7107 is a potent first-in-class inhibitor of the spliceosome, most likely by interacting with spliceosome-associated protein-130 (SAP 130). Splicing removes intron sequences from pre-mRNA and exons are fused resulting in the formation of mature mRNA. Alternative splicing frequently encodes oncoproteins. E7107 interferes the maturation process of pre-mRNA to mRNA, with consequent changes in protein expression profiles. Methods: Objectives of this study were to explore (1) tolerability and safety profile, (2) PK, (3) PD effects on pre-mRNA splicing, and (4) anti tumor activity of E7107 administered as bolus infusion on days 1, 8, 15 of a 28-day schedule Results: 36 patients (21M/15F, median age 61yrs (45–79)) received E7107 doses of 0.6 mg/m2 (n=4), 0.9 mg/m2 (n=3), 1.3 mg/m2 (n=3), 2.0 mg/m2 (n=3), 3.0 mg/m2 (n=4), 4.5 mg/m2 (n=3) and 4.0 mg/m2 (n=16). At 4.5 mg/m2 two episodes of DLT (grade 3 and 4 diarrhea) and at 4.0 mg/m2 one episode of DLT (a combination of grade 3 nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps) were observed. Other frequently occurring side effects were mainly gastrointestinal. The maximum tolerable dose (MTD) is 4.0 mg/m2. No complete or partial responses were observed. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed large volume of distribution (Vss: 279 to 1369 L), high systemic clearance (CL: 111 to 253 L/hr), and moderate elimination half-life (t1/2: 5.3 to 15.1 hr). Systemic exposure on Days 1 and 15 (Cmax, AUC0-∞) increased in a dose-dependent manner. At the MTD, mRNA levels of selected target genes (TRAPPC4, SLC25A19, GTF2H1), monitored in PBMC's, showed a 15–25-fold decrease, whereas unspliced pre-mRNA levels of DNAJB1 and EIF4A1 showed a 10–25-fold increase. Notably, at days 1 and 15, modulations generally peaked at 2–6 hr after end of the infusion and almost completely recovered to base-line levels at 24–48 hr. Conclusions: The MTD for E7107 using this schedule is 4.0 mg/m2. PK is dose-dependent and reproducible within subjects. PD analysis revealed dose-dependent reversible inhibition of pre-mRNA processing of target genes, confirming proof-of-principle activity of E7107. [Table: see text]


1981 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna C. Tate ◽  
A. D. Swift

Abstract. Extract of hypothalami was prepared which contained peptidase capable of degrading LRH. The degradation of LRH by this extract either alone or under the influence of oestrogens, androgens and cholesterol, when added to the extract was measured. Oestrone, oestradiol and oestriol (1 pg to 100 pg) stimulated mean peptidase activity significantly (P< 0.001) in a dose-dependent manner. Testosterone (0.1 ng to 10 ng) also caused a dose-dependent increase in degradation of LRH, the two highest doses used significantly increasing the mean activity (P < 0.001). Only the highest dose of androstenedione (10 ng) or dehydroepiandrosterone (10 ng) caused a significant increase of the mean LRH degradation (P < 0.05). Neither cholesterol nor dihydrotestosterone increased peptidase activity when added to the extract. It is suggested that it is possible that these peptidase enzymes could occupy a role in the negative feedback of steroids on the hypothalamus.


2015 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 301-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Koch ◽  
Matthias Wolff ◽  
Michael Henrich ◽  
Markus A. Weigand ◽  
Christoph Lichtenstern ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTEchinocandins are known as effective and safe agents for the prophylaxis and treatment of different cohorts of patients with fungal infections. Recent studies revealed that certain pharmacokinetics of echinocandin antifungals might impact clinical efficacy and safety in special patient populations. The aim of our study was to evaluate echinocandin-induced aggravation of cardiac impairment in septic shock. Using anin vivoendotoxemic shock model in rats, we assessed hemodynamic parameters and time to hemodynamic failure (THF) after additional central-venous application of anidulafungin (2.5 mg/kg of body weight [BW]), caspofungin (0.875 mg/kg BW), micafungin (3 mg/kg BW), and control (0.9% sodium chloride). In addition, echinocandin-induced cytotoxicity was evaluated in isolated rat cardiac myocytes. THF of the animals in the caspofungin group (n= 7) was significantly reduced compared to that in the control (n= 6) (136 min versus 180 min;P= 0.0209). The anidulafungin group (n= 7) also showed a trend of reduced THF (136 min versus 180 min; log-rank testP= 0.0578). Animals in the micafungin group (n= 7) did not show significant differences in THF compared to those in the control. Control group animals and also micafungin group animals did not show altered cardiac output (CO) during our experiments. In contrast, administration of anidulafungin or caspofungin induced a decrease in CO. We also revealed a dose-dependent increase of cytotoxicity in anidulafungin- and caspofungin-treated cardiac myocytes. Treatment with micafungin did not cause significantly increased cytotoxicity. Further studies are needed to explore the underlying mechanism.


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