Digital health technology (DHTs), such as electronic health records (EHRs), mobile health apps, and remote monitoring systems, is revolutionizing contemporary healthcare by improving diagnosis, patient care, and operational efficiency. Notwithstanding these developments, infrastructure, technical assistance, and personnel training remain obstacles to the successful deployment of DHTs. 500 medical experts participated in a survey to evaluate the use, advantages, and challenges of DHTs. The frequency of DHT use, the perceived advantages, and the challenges-such as technical difficulties and a lack of training-were the main topics of the data gathered. The most popular technology was mobile health apps (44.4%), followed by EHR systems and diagnostic tools (33.3%). Benefits reported included decreased administrative burden (50%) and increased diagnostic accuracy (46.2%). However, there significant obstacles were found, though: 63% of respondents said they had only received limited training, and 51.9% mentioned software bugs and network problems. Despite these obstacles, 63% of those surveyed reported increases in the effectiveness of healthcare delivery. Our study finds a gap between the infrastructure needed for DHTs to be implemented successfully and their quick adoption. This study challenges the notion that adopting technology alone increases productivity by highlighting the importance of thorough technical assistance and staff training. These issues need to be resolved if DHTs are to be fully utilized for improved healthcare delivery and operational effectiveness.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a widespread androgenic illness influencing elderly men. It is distinguished by prostatic epithelial and stromal muscle cell proliferation. Inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis have all been interrelated to the development of BPH. Marjoram (Origanum majorana L.) is a herb with reported antiproliferative, proapoptotic, and antioxidative properties, which have not yet been studied in relation to BPH. Consequently, in this work, an ethanolic extract of O. majorana was prepared in two doses (250 and 500 mg/kg/day) to be injected into castrated rats after induction of a testosterone-BPH model. Testosterone propionate (TP) was subcutaneously injected (0.5 mg/kg/day) for one week after castration to induce BPH. Forty adult Wistar male rats were randomly allocated into five groups: control, BPH model, high and low O. majorana doses (250, 500 mg/kg/day), and finasteride (FN) (0.8 mg/kg/day) as a positive control. Treatment was continued with drugs/normal saline for 28 days. Rat’s body and prostate were weighed, prostate index (PI) and % of prostate growth inhibition were calculated, serum dihydrotestosterone (DHT), prostatic content of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and malondialdehyde (MDA), DN damage, histopathological changes, immune expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), caspase-3, α-SMA, and TGF-β1 were assessed. In addition, molecular quantitative PCR and ELISA analyses were performed to identify the expression of mRNAs and related proteins of both caspase-3 and TGF-β1 in prostate tissue from O. majorana-treated and untreated groups. Rats with BPH had significantly higher prostate weights and PI, higher DHT, DNA damage (8-hydroxyguanine, 8-OH-dG), and MDA levels with prominent PCNA, α-SMA, and TGF-β expression, but lower SOD, CAT, and TAC activity and caspase-3 expression. O. majorana (250 and 500 mg/kg/day)-treated groups revealed a decrease in prostate weights and PI, lower levels of DHT, suppressed oxidative stress, reduced tissue proliferation and fibrosis, and restored antioxidant and proapoptotic activity. Additionally, quantitative PCR and ELISA analysis showed that treatment with O. majorana significantly upregulated the expression of caspase-3 and downregulated the expression of TGF-β in prostate tissues of BPH rats. The data were confirmed by the immunohistological reactivity of these targeted markers in the prostate tissues. These effects were more significant with O. majorana 500 mg/mL/rat. In conclusion, the current study indicates the efficient use of O. majorana in the treatment of testosterone-induced BPH through its antiproliferative, proapoptotic, and antioxidative mechanisms.

Manganese neurotoxicity has been reported to cause a neurodegenerative disease known as parkinsonism. Previous reports have shown that the expression of the KH-type splicing regulatory protein (KHSRP), a nucleic acid-binding protein, and NLRP3 is increased upon Mn exposure. However, the relation between these two during Mn toxicity has not been fully deduced. The mouse neuroblastoma (N2a) and SD rats are treated with LPS and MnCl₂ to evaluate the expression of KHSRP and NLRP3. Further, the effect of the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 is checked on the expression of NLRP3, KHSRP and pro-inflammatory markers (TNFα, IL-18 and IL-1β) as well as the caspase-1 enzyme. Our results demonstrated an increment in NLRP3 and KHSRP expression post-MnCl₂ exposure in N2a cells and rat brain, while on the other hand with LPS exposure only NLRP3 expression levels were elevated and KHSRP was found to be unaffected. An increased expression of KHSRP, NLRP3, pro-inflammatory markers and the caspase-1 enzyme was observed to be inhibited with MCC950 treatment in MnCl₂-exposed cells and rats. Manganese exposure induces NLRP3 and KHSRP expression to induce neuroinflammation, suggesting a correlation between both which functions in toxicity-related pathways. Furthermore, MCC950 treatment reversed the role of KHSRP from anti-inflammatory to pro-inflammatory.

Monoamine oxidase (MAO, EC 1.4.3.4) is responsible for the oxidative breakdown of both endogenous and exogenous amines and exists in MAO-A and MAO-B isomers. Eighteen indole-based phenylallylidene derivatives were synthesized via nucleophilic addition reactions comprising three sub-series, IHC, IHMC, and IHNC, and were developed and examined for their ability to inhibit MAO. Among them, compound IHC3 showed a strong MAO-B inhibitory effect with an IC₅₀ (half-maximal inhibitory concentration) value of 1.672 μM, followed by IHC2 (IC₅₀ = 16.934 μM). Additionally, IHC3 showed the highest selectivity index (SI) value of >23.92. The effectiveness of IHC3 was lower than the reference pargyline (0.14 μM); however, the SI value was higher than pargyline (17.16). Structurally, the IHC (-H in the B-ring) sub-series exhibited relatively stronger MAO-B inhibition than the others. In the IHC series, IHC3 (-F in the A-ring) exhibited stronger MAO-B suppression than the other substituted derivatives in the order -F > -Br > -Cl > -OCH₃, -CH₃, and -H at the 2-position in the A-ring. In the reversibility and enzyme kinetics experiments, IHC3 was a reversible inhibitor with a K_i value of 0.51 ± 0.15 μM for MAO-B. Further, it was observed that IHC3 greatly decreased the cell death caused by rotenone in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. A molecular docking study of the lead molecule was also performed to determine hypothetical interactions in the enzyme-binding cavity. These findings suggest that IHC3 is a strong, specific, and reversible MAO-B inhibitor that can be used to treat neurological diseases.

Background: Chronic stress can hinder wound healing as it suppresses both the cellular and innate immune responses. Objectives: The study aims to assess the effectiveness of the administration of topical and oral Cucurbita pepo L. (CP) ethanolic extract in prompting excisional wound healing in rats exposed to chronic stress, and to explain how it works. Materials and methods: Fifty albino rats assigned to five groups (n = 10) were utilized in this study. The chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model was used for 4 weeks to induce depressive-like behavior in rats, and a forced swim test and corticosterone were assessed to confirm its occurrence. During the experiment, an excisional wound was induced in the rats and followed. Oxidant/antioxidants status and pro-inflammatory cytokines levels were measured in the serum and wound area. Gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines was also assessed using RT-PCR. Wound closure histopathological changes and immunohistochemical expression of CD68, CD3, and CD4 at the wound area was assessed. Results: The administration of CP, both orally and topically, significantly reduced (p < 0.001) the depressive-like behavior and corticosterone and pro-inflammatory cytokines levels, while it significantly up-regulated the antioxidant activity compared to the untreated and topically CP-treated groups. Both topically CP-treated and combined CP-treated groups showed complete re-epithelialization, reduced inflammatory cells infiltration, collagen fibers deposition, and significantly increased CD3, CD4 positive T cells count, with a superior effect in the combined CP-treated groups. Conclusion: Cucurbita pepo L., administrated both topically and orally, can enhance the wound healing process in rats with depressive-like behavior mostly through the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antidepressant activities observed in this study.