Focused ultrasound (FUS) has emerged as a promising noninvasive therapeutic modality for treating atherosclerotic arterial disease. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), a noninvasive and precise modality that generates high temperatures at specific target sites within tissues, has shown promising results in reducing plaque burden and improving vascular function. While low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) operates at lower energy levels, promoting mild hyperthermia and stimulating tissue repair processes. This review article provides an overview of the current state of HIFU and LIFU in treating atherosclerosis. It focuses primarily on the therapeutic potential of HIFU due to its higher penetration and ability to achieve atheroma disruption. The review summarizes findings from animal models and human trials, covering the effects of FUS on arterial plaque and arterial wall thrombolysis in carotid, coronary and peripheral arteries. This review also highlights the potential benefits of focused ultrasound, including its noninvasiveness, precise targeting, and real-time monitoring capabilities, making it an attractive approach for the treatment of atherosclerosis and emphasizes the need for further investigations to optimize FUS parameters and advance its clinical application in managing atherosclerotic arterial disease.

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles have gained significant attention due to their wide-ranging applications. This research explores an approach to functionalize Niobium Nitrogen Titanium Dioxide nanoparticles (Nb-N-TiO₂ NPs) with Mentha arvensis ethanolic leaf extracts. This functionalization allows doped NPs to interact with the bioactive compounds in extracts, synergizing their antioxidant activity. While previous studies have investigated the antioxidant properties of TiO₂ NPs synthesized using ethanolic extracts of Mentha arvensis, limited research has focused on evaluating the antioxidant potential of doped nanoparticles functionalized with plant extracts. The characterization analyses are employed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy to evaluate these functionalized doped nanoparticles thoroughly. Subsequently, the antioxidant capabilities through the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays have been assessed. Within functionalized Nb-N-TiO₂, the FTIR has a distinctive peak at 2350, 2010, 1312, 1212, and 1010 cm⁻¹ with decreased transmittance associated with vibrations linked to the Nb-N bond. SEM revealed a triangular aggregation pattern, 500 nm to 2 µm of functionalized Nb-N-TiO₂ NPs. Functionalized doped Nb-N-TiO₂ NPs at 500 µg mL⁻¹ exhibited particularly robust antioxidant activity, achieving an impressive 79% efficacy at DPPH assessment; meanwhile, ferric reduction efficiency of functionalized doped Nb-N-TiO₂ showed maximum 72.16%. In conclusion, doped Nb-N-TiO₂ NPs exhibit significantly enhanced antioxidant properties when functionalized with Mentha arvensis ethanolic extract compared to pure Nb-N-TiO₂ manifested that doped Nb-N-TiO₂ have broad promising endeavors for various biomedicine applications.

Rubus buergeri Miq., a wild species native to Jeju Island (Republic of Korea), is a relatively understudied plant with potential as a source of bioactive phenolic compounds. This study investigated the phytochemical composition of R. buergeri extract (RBE) and evaluated its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities using a bioactivity-guided fractionation approach. Antioxidant capacity was assessed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays (FRAP), along with total phenolic content determination, while anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by measuring nitric oxide (NO) production and inflammatory gene expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. RBE exhibited high phenolic content and strong antioxidant activity; its ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions demonstrated the greatest antioxidant activities and significantly inhibited LPS-induced NO production. Furthermore, RBE suppressed LPS-induced mRNA expression of Nos2, Ptgs2, Tnfa, Il1b, and Il6, indicating coordinated inhibition of inflammatory responses. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) analysis identified ellagic acid, ethyl gallate, and epicatechin as major phenolic constituents, with ellagic acid and ethyl gallate showing stronger inhibitory effects on NO production and inflammatory gene expression than epicatechin. These findings suggest that the phenolic constituents of R. buergeri modulate NO-associated inflammatory responses and support its potential as a source of anti-inflammatory phytochemicals.

Cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent whose clinical utility is limited by nephrotoxicity, characterized by tubular injury and renal inflammation. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) contributes to cisplatin-induced kidney injury and inflammatory signaling, but the downstream inflammatory pathways involved remain incompletely defined. Here, we investigated whether PARP1 modulates the renal cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)/prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) response during cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI). Female wild-type and Parp1-knockout (KO) mice on a C57BL/6 background received a single intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin (20 mg/kg) and were evaluated at days 1 and 4, while male mice were evaluated at day 4 for renal function. Renal function, tubular injury, inflammatory gene expression, NF-κB activation, Ptgs2 mRNA and COX-2 protein expression, and kidney PGE2 levels were assessed. Cisplatin markedly increased plasma creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels and induced tubular injury in both the renal cortex and outer stripe of the outer medulla, whereas these changes were significantly attenuated in Parp1 KO mice at day 4. At day 4, cisplatin-induced renal expression of Il1b, Il6, Ccl5, Cxcl1, and Cxcl2 was also substantially reduced by Parp1 deficiency. Cisplatin increased renal NF-κB p65 activation, as assessed by the p-p65/t-p65 ratio, in wild-type mice, whereas this response was significantly attenuated in Parp1 KO mice. Consistently, cisplatin increased renal Ptgs2 mRNA expression, COX-2 protein abundance, and PGE2 levels in wild-type mice, whereas all three responses were significantly attenuated in Parp1 KO mice. In particular, the cisplatin-induced increase in renal PGE2 was nearly abolished in the absence of PARP1. These findings demonstrate that PARP1 deficiency attenuates cisplatin-induced renal dysfunction, tubular injury, and inflammatory responses and identify suppression of NF-κB activation and the COX-2/PGE2 response as features of this protective phenotype. The results support a potential PARP1–NF-κB–COX-2/PGE2 signaling axis in cisplatin nephrotoxicity.

Rubus buergeri , a winter-fruiting species native to East Asia, remains poorly characterized phytochemically. This study presents the first comprehensive phytochemical profiling of fruits and aerial parts collected from Jeju Island, Korea. A validated ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–photodiode array (UHPLC–PDA) method enabled simultaneous quantification of anthocyanins and anthocyanidins. Quantitative analysis revealed pronounced tissue-specific and inter-individual variation. Aerial tissues contained cyanidin 3- O -glucoside (C3G; 9.1–125.0 μg/g) and cyanidin 3- O -rutinoside (C3R; 7.9–51.1 μg/g), while fruits showed relatively higher C3R levels (14.5–58.2 μg/g). Following acid hydrolysis, cyanidin was generally more abundant in aerial tissue (1298–3487 µg/g), whereas fruits contained cyanidin (1035–3563 µg/g) and markedly higher pelargonidin (279.7–555.5 µg/g). LC–QToF-MS identified 137 metabolites, and chemometric analyses revealed clear metabolic clustering between tissues. This integrative approach provides a robust dataset for understanding phytochemical composition, tissue-specific metabolic specialization, and potential functional properties of R. buergeri .