Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major health problem in patients with cancer. Cancer augments thrombosis and causes cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) and vice versa thrombosis amplifies cancer progression, termed thrombosis-associated cancer (TAC). Risk factors that lead to CAT and TAC include cancer type, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy, anti-angiogenesis therapy, surgery, or supportive therapy with hematopoietic growth factors. There are some other factors that have an effect on CAT and TAC such as tissue factor, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) released in response to cancer, cancer procoagulant, and cytokines. Oncogenes, estrogen hormone, and thyroid hormone with its integrin αvβ3 receptor promote angiogenesis. Lastly, patient-related factors can play a role in development of thrombosis in cancer. Low-molecular-weight heparin and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are used in VTE prophylaxis and treatment rather than vitamin K antagonist. Now, there are new directions for potential management of VTE in patients with cancer such as euthyroid, blockade of thyroid hormone receptor on integrin αvβ3, sulfated non-anticoagulant heparin, inhibition of NETs and stratifying low and high-risk patients with significant bleeding problems with DOACs.
Leaves from Eugenia uniflora, the red Brazilian cherry, have a high content of flavonoids that possess several biological effects such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antidiabetic activities. However, their influence on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced acute liver injury in rats has not been investigated. In the current study, a bioguided fractionation assay revealed that the ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) of Eugenia uniflora is the safest and most active fraction. LC-MS analysis of the ethyl acetate fraction revealed 22 secondary metabolites, mainly myricetin and quercetin derivatives. EAF did not show toxicity up to 2000 mg/kg, and exhibited antioxidant activities in vitro in DPPH assay with IC50 of 3.35 µg/mL. Additionally, EAF exhibited substantial antioxidant activities in vivo by counteracting the oxidative damage of the prooxidant juglone [80 µM] in Caenorhabditis elegans model organism and increased its survival rate in a dose-dependent fashion through the DAF-16/Foxo pathway. Furthermore, the hepatoprotective activity of EAF (200 mg/kg against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) intoxicated male Wistar rats was assessed. EAF significantly inhibited CCl4-induced elevation of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), total bilirubin (TB), total cholesterol (TC), and triglycerides (TG), in the blood serum and prevented lipid peroxidation and restored superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione (GSH) content in liver tissues. The observed hepatoprotective effects of EAF, which were supported by histopathological observations as pretreatment with EAF, effectively attenuated the CCl4-induced histopathological changes. In conclusion, EAF of Eugenia uniflora leaves has substantial hepatoprotective activities against CCl4 induced acute liver injury in rats due to its antioxidant activity.
28 September 2020 in Journal of Molecular Neuroscience
Ulipristal acetate (UPA) is effective in the treatment of uterine fibroids. However, its clinical use is hampered by the development of pathologic progesterone receptor modulator-associated endometrial changes (PAECs). The current study was designed to test the hypothesis that UPA-induced PAECs are associated with deranged expression of some metabolic genes. In addition, metformin can mitigate UPA-induced PAECs through modulating the expression of these genes. In the present study, twenty-eight female non-pregnant, nulligravid Wistar rats were treated with UPA (0.1 mg/kg/day, intragastric) and/or metformin (50 mg/kg/day, intragastric) for 8 weeks. Our results demonstrated that co-treatment with metformin significantly reduced UPA-induced PAECs. In addition, co-treatment with metformin and UPA was associated with significant increase in the Bax and significant reduction in Bcl-2, PCNA, Cyclin-D1and ER-α as compared to treatment with UPA alone. Furthermore, treatment with UPA alone was associated with deranged expression of 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (3-PHGDH), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), transketolase (TKT), fatty acid synthase (FAS) and CD36. Most importantly, co-treatment with metformin markedly reduced UPA-induced altered expression of these metabolic genes in endometrial tissues. In conclusion, UPA-induced PAECs are associated with altered expression of genes involved in cell proliferation, apoptosis, estrogen receptor, glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism. Co-treatment with metformin abrogated UPA-induced PAECs most likely through the modulation of the expression of these genes.