scholarly journals Nanomelanin Potentially Protects the Spleen from Radiotherapy-Associated Damage and Enhances Immunoactivity in Tumor-Bearing Mice

Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nguyen Thi Le Na ◽  
Sai Duc Loc ◽  
Nguyen Le Minh Tri ◽  
Nguyen Thi Bich Loan ◽  
Ho Anh Son ◽  
...  

Radiotherapy side-effects present serious problems in cancer treatment. Melanin, a natural polymer with low toxicity, is considered as a potential radio-protector; however, its application as an agent against irradiation during cancer treatment has still received little attention. In this study, nanomelanin particles were prepared, characterized and applied in protecting the spleens of tumor-bearing mice irradiated with X-rays. These nanoparticles had sizes varying in the range of 80–200 nm and contained several important functional groups such as carboxyl (-COO), carbonyl (-C=O) and hydroxyl (-OH) groups on the surfaces. Tumor-bearing mice were treated with nanomelanin at a concentration of 40 mg/kg before irradiating with a single dose of 6.0 Gray of X-ray at a high dose rate (1.0 Gray/min). Impressively, X-ray caused mild splenic fibrosis in 40% of nanomelanin-protected mice, whereas severe fibrosis was observed in 100% of mice treated with X-ray alone. Treatment with nanomelanin also partly rescued the volume and weight of mouse spleens from irradiation through promoting the transcription levels of splenic Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-α). More interestingly, splenic T cell and dendritic cell populations were 1.91 and 1.64-fold higher in nanomelanin-treated mice than those in mice which received X-ray alone. Consistently, the percentage of lymphocytes was also significantly greater in blood from nanomelanin-treated mice. In addition, nanomelanin might indirectly induce apoptosis in tumor tissues via activation of TNF-α, Bax, and Caspase-3 genes. In summary, our results demonstrate that nanomelanin protects spleens from X-ray irradiation and consequently enhances immunoactivity in tumor-bearing mice; therefore, we present nanomelanin as a potential protector against damage from radiotherapy in cancer treatment.

1955 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 515-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Lawrence

Five radiation sources were used to induce mutations in barley. All treatments were given at a dosage of 10,000 r. equivalent. The radiation sources with their respective dose-rates in the region of the irradiated seeds were: a betatron (181.8 r./min.), an X-ray machine (201 r./min.), radium-beryllium (5.3 r./min.), and two Co60 sources (4.5 r./min. and 75.75 r./min.). None of the radiation sources used was more effective than the X-ray treatment in producing mutations. The betatron and the high dose-rate treatments from Co60 appear to be somewhat less effective than X-rays. Over 30 different mutant types were produced, including a number of vital mutants, such as stiff-strawed and early-maturing types. These appear promising as new varieties, but require further agronomic evaluation. It is concluded that mutation induction will become a useful new approach for plant breeders.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (0) ◽  
pp. 39-42
Author(s):  
Emi Tomita ◽  
Hiroaki Hayashi ◽  
Takashi Asahara ◽  
Kanako Sakuragawa ◽  
Yasufumi Shitakubo ◽  
...  

Medicines ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanjun Deng ◽  
Kairui Tang ◽  
Runsen Chen ◽  
Yajie Liu ◽  
Huan Nie ◽  
...  

Background: In traditional Chinese medicine, the Shugan-Jianpi recipe is often used in the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aimed to explore the mechanism of the Shugan-Jianpi recipe in relation to rats with NAFLD induced by a high-fat diet. Methods: Rats were randomly divided into eight groups: normal group (NG), model group (MG), low-dose Chaihu–Shugan–San group (L-CG), high-dose Chaihu–Shugan–San group (H-CG), low-dose Shenling–Baizhu–San group (L-SG), high-dose Shenling–Baizhu–San group (H-SG), low dose of integrated-recipes group (L-IG), and high dose of integrated-recipes group (H-IG). After 26 weeks, a lipid profile, aspartate, and alanine aminotransferases in serum were detected. The serum levels of inflammatory factors including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were analyzed using the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Hepatic pathological changes were observed with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and oil red O staining. The expression of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway was detected by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting. Results: A pathological section revealed that NAFLD rats have been successfully reproduced. Compared with the model group, each treatment group had different degrees of improvement. The Shugan-Jianpi recipe can inhibit the serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in NAFLD rats. The expression of mRNA and a protein related to the p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway were markedly decreased as a result of the Shugan-Jianpi recipe. Conclusions: The Shugan-Jianpi recipe could attenuate NAFLD progression, and its mechanism may be related to the suppression of the p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway in hepatocytes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-187
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Konat-Bąska ◽  
Adam Chicheł ◽  
Urszula Staszek-Szewczyk ◽  
Adam Maciejczyk ◽  
Rafał Matkowski

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 204512532093792 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas Primo de Carvalho Alves ◽  
Neusa Sica da Rocha

Background Six melancholic features (MFs) of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D6) represent the construct of melancholia along a continuum of severity (from least to most severe: depressed mood, work and activities, somatic symptoms, psychic anxiety, guilty feelings, psychomotor retardation). We aimed to evaluate the association between these MFs and inflammatory cytokines (IC) in the blood. Methods Each IC [interferon gamma (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17] was associated with the HAM-D6 MFs of 139 severely depressed inpatients, using multiple linear regressions adjusted for covariates. Levels were compared with those of 100 healthy controls. Results Depressed mood was associated with higher levels of IL-4 ( β = 0.167; p = 0.041). Psychic anxiety: lower IL-17 levels ( β = –0.173; p = 0.039). Guilt feelings: lower IL-2 levels ( β = −0.168; p = 0.041) Psychomotor retardation: higher IL-6 levels ( β = 0.195; p = 0.017). Depressed patients’ TNF-α, INF-γ, and IL-4 levels were not significantly different from controls. Depressed patients’ IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17 levels were higher than those of controls ( p <0.001). Conclusion Less severe MFs (depressed mood, psychic anxiety, and guilt feelings) were associated with an anti-inflammatory pattern (higher IL-4, lower IL-17 and lower IL-2, respectively). The presence of the most severe MF, psychomotor retardation, was associated with a higher pro-inflammatory response (higher IL-6).


2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (12) ◽  
pp. 875-879 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noa Ophir ◽  
Amir Bar Shai ◽  
Rafi Korenstein ◽  
Mordechai R Kramer ◽  
Elizabeth Fireman

ObjectiveArtificial stone dust (ASD) contains high levels of ultrafine particles (UFP <1 µm) which penetrate deeply into the lungs. This study aimed to demonstrate the direct effect of UFP in the lungs of ASD-exposed workers on functional inflammatory and imaging parameters.Methods68 workers with up to 20 years of ASD exposure at the workplace were recruited from small enterprises throughout the country and compared with 48 non-exposed individuals. Pulmonary function test (PFT), CT, induced sputum (IS) and cytokine analyses were performed by conventional methods. The CT scans were evaluated for features indicative of silicosis in three zones of each lung. UFP were quantitated by the NanoSight LM20 system (NanoSight, Salisbury) using the Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis. Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels were measured by Luminex (R&D Systems).ResultsThirty-four patients had CT scores between 0 and 42, and 29 of them were diagnosed with silicosis. Content of the UFP retrieved from IS supernatants correlated negatively with the PFT results (total lung capacity r=−0.347, p=0.011; forced expiratory volume in 1 s r=−0.299, p=0.046; diffusion lung carbon monoxide in a single breath r=−0.425, p=0.004) and with the CT score (r=0.378, p=0.023), and with the inflammatory cytokines IL-8 (r=0.336, p=0.024), IL-6 (r=0.294, p=0.065) and TNF-α (r=0.409, p=0.007). Raw material of ASD was left to sedimentate in water for <15 min, and 50% of the floating particles were UFP. A cut-off of 8×106 UFP/mL in IS samples had a sensitivity of 77% to predict pulmonary disease.ConclusionsThis is the first demonstration of an association between UFP-related decreased PFT results, worsening of CT findings and elevation of inflammatory cytokines, which may be attributed to high-dose inhalation of UFP of ASD at the workplace.


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