Background: Novel pharmacological approaches are needed to improve the outcomes of patients with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension. Fatty acid synthase (FASN) inhibitors have shown beneficial effects in preclinical models of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), because of their role in the regulation of pulmonary artery vasoconstrictor tone and remodeling. Objective: We compared a Triclosan (FASN inhibitor), for the first time with the dual endothelin receptor antagonist, macitentan, in a monocrotaline-induced rat pulmonary hypertension model Methods: Different methods (hemodynamics, histology of right ventricle and pulmonary vessels, and circulating biomarkers) showed consistently that 30 mg/kg daily of Triclosan (FASN inhibitor) and 10 mg/kg daily of macitentan slowed the progression of PAH both at the functional and structural levels. Results: Treatments started on day 14 after monocrotaline injection and lasted 14 days. The findings of all experimental methods show that the FASN inhibitor has more similar effects as compared to macitentan. Conclusion: Our study reveals that inhibition of FAS decreases RV hypertrophy and improves cardiac function associated with PAH with the regulation of metabolic functions and governs further studies to establish “FASN inhibitor as a potential therapeutic approach” for the management of PAH.

In left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), the combined external administration of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to reverse LVH by activating the endothelial nitric oxide synthase pathway (eNOS/NO), independent of the cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE/H₂S) pathway. Individually, both H₂S and NO have also been reported to significantly improve RCBP, restore renal excretory performance, and enhance α-adrenergic receptor responsiveness in rats. The induction of LVH was performed over a period of two weeks using drinking water with caffeine and isoprenaline. Five weeks later, the rats were fed with L-arginine (1.25 g/L) as a nitrogen oxide donor. Vascular reactions to methoxamine, phenylephrine, and noradrenaline were assessed in presences and absence of 5-methylurapidil (5-MeU), BMY7378, and chloroethylclonidine (CeC) and α1-adrenoceptor antagonists. In both the Control WKY and LVH-WKY groups, combined H₂S+NO therapy significantly (p < 0.05) upregulated the renal mRNA of CSE and eNOS when compared with untreated LVH rats. The treatment also markedly increased RCBP in LVH-H₂S+NO rats relative to LVH controls. Furthermore, H₂S+NO administration enhanced the activity of α_1A, α_1B, and α_1D adrenergic receptors in mediating renal vasoconstriction. Even under receptor blockade with high doses (HDs) of 5-MeU, CeC, and BMY 7378, renal vasoconstriction responses to adrenergic agonists like NA, PE, and ME in the LVH-H₂S+NO group remained comparable to those observed in the counterpart Control-H₂S+NO group. The findings of current study suggest that simultaneous exogenous administration of H₂S and NO donors improve renal cortical blood flow, support renal function, and augment α_1A, α_1B, and α_1D adrenergic receptor responsiveness to adrenergic agonists like NA, PE, and ME in LVH rats. This effect appears to rely primarily on the eNOS/NO pathway, with partial contribution from the CSE/H₂S pathway.

Background/Objectives: Artemisia annua essential oil (EO) possesses diverse biological activities; however, its practical application is limited by volatility, instability, and poor bioavailability. This study aimed to develop chitosan-coated nanostructured lipid carriers (CH-NLCs) for efficient encapsulation and delivery of A. annua EO and to evaluate their physicochemical characteristics and biological performance. Methods: The nanoformulation exhibited favorable physicochemical properties, including a high encapsulation efficiency (85.97 ± 1.30%) and a strongly positive surface charge (approximately +45 mV), indicating good colloidal stability. Structural analyses by SEM, FTIR, and XRD confirmed successful encapsulation of the EO within the nanocarrier matrix. Results: The CH-NLC formulation significantly enhanced larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti larvae, reducing the LC₅₀ value from 213 ppm for the free EO to 142 ppm. Enhanced antifungal activity was also observed, with 47–56% greater inhibition against Malassezia furfur, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Candida albicans compared with the free EO. Furthermore, CH-NLC demonstrated improved cytotoxic activity against skin cancer cell lines, achieving IC₅₀ values of 21.4 ± 1.7 µg/mL and 30.1 ± 1.6 µg/mL against A431 and A375 cells, respectively, while maintaining lower toxicity toward normal HaCaT keratinocytes. Mechanistic investigations revealed enhanced apoptosis and an approximately 3-fold increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in treated cancer cells. Conclusions: Collectively, these findings indicate that chitosan-coated nanostructured lipid carriers effectively improve the stability and biological efficacy of A. annua essential oil and represent a promising platform for future biomedical and biocidal applications.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most aggressive and fatal brain tumors in adults, marked by high recurrence rates, poor prognosis, and a median survival of less than 5 %. Its treatment remains a major challenge due to resistance to conventional therapies and the difficulty of crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Despite advancements in surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, GBM’s prognosis remains dismal. This study highlights the emerging potential of metal complexes as therapeutic agents against GBM. Compounds based on metals like ruthenium (Ru), copper (Cu), gold (Au), and platinum (Pt) have shown the ability to induce cytotoxicity through DNA interaction, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. Notably, in U-251 cells, compounds C45 (0.51 µM), C46 (0.49 µM), C47 (0.29 µM), and C52 (0.25 µM) demonstrated strong potency. In U-87 MG cells, C53 (15.72 nM) and C54 (8.48 nM) were particularly effective. Meanwhile, LN229 cells responded moderately to C77 (1.80 µM), C79 (0.88 µM), and C80 (0.96 µM). These findings suggest that U-251 and U-87 MG cells are more responsive to these metal complexes. Overall, the study underscores the promise of metal-based therapeutics in overcoming the BBB and drug resistance, offering a pathway toward safer, more effective, and environmentally conscious GBM treatments.