Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by a chronic and relapsing inflammatory response in the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in severe symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody stools, and weight loss. Currently, there is no cure, and the pharmacological treatment includes drugs that induce and keep the patient in remission, not reversing the underlying pathogenic mechanism. These therapies, in the long term, may cause various side effects and complications, which has increased the need to investigate new, more effective, and safer pharmacological approaches. In preclinical studies, topiramate has demonstrated a potential anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the production of several pro-inflammatory cytokines. This study aimed to investigate the effect of topiramate in a chronic TNBS-induced colitis model in rodents. Experimental colitis was induced by four intrarectal administrations of 1% TNBS in female CD-1 mice. Topiramate 10 and 20 mg were administered intraperitoneally for 14 days. Several parameters were evaluated, such as bodyweight, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), fecal hemoglobin, fecal calprotectin, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-10. Topiramate reduces TNBS-induced colonic damage in a model of chronic experimental colitis and normalizes the stool consistency and anus appearance. Additionally, topiramate significantly reduced the concentration of ALP, fecal hemoglobin, fecal calprotectin, TNF-α, and IL-10, demonstrating it to be a promising pharmacological approach for the treatment of IBD in the future.

Background: Hemin is clinically used in acute attacks of porphyria; however, recent evidence has also highlighted its capability to stimulate the heme oxygenase enzyme, being associated with cytoprotective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. Indeed, current preclinical evidence emphasizes the potential anti-inflammatory role of hemin through its use in animal models of disease. Nevertheless, there is no consensus about the underlying mechanism(s) and the most optimal therapeutic regimens. Therefore, this review aims to summarize, analyze, and discuss the current preclinical evidence concerning the pharmacological effect of hemin. Methods: Following the application of the search expression and the retrieval of the articles, only nonclinical studies in vivo written in English were considered, where the potential anti-inflammatory effect of hemin was evaluated. Results: Forty-nine articles were included according to the eligibility criteria established. The results obtained show the preference of using 30 to 50 mg/kg of hemin, administered intraperitoneally, in both acute and chronic contexts. This drug demonstrates significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities considering its capacity for reducing the expression of proinflammatory and oxidative markers. Conclusions: This review highlighted the significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of hemin, providing a clearer vision for the medical community about the use of this drug in several human diseases.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is recognized as the leading cause of vision loss in older people. Considering the phenomenon of aging societies worldwide, the prevalence of AMD is expected to increase gradually in the future. AMD can be divided into early, intermediate, and late stages, with the early and intermediate stages being mainly asymptomatic, and the late stage being classified as geographic atrophy, neovascular AMD, or both. Current pharmacological treatments for neovascular AMD include anti–vascular endothelial growth factor agents, such as ranibizumab, pegaptanib, and aflibercept. Additionally, it has been reported that the off-label use of intravitreally administered bevacizumab is effective. It is also lower cost than other agents, which makes it an interesting pharmacological approach. Objective: This review aims to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and efficiency of bevacizumab for the treatment of neovascular AMD. Methods: This review will only consider randomized controlled clinical trials that compare the use of bevacizumab with another pharmacological agent or a placebo in patients aged 50 years and older who are diagnosed with vascular AMD. It will exclude studies that include participants diagnosed with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy or retinal angiomatous proliferation. To identify and select relevant articles, we will develop a highly sensitive search strategy and apply it in MEDLINE via the PubMed platform. Upon selection of the studies and analysis of the titles, abstracts, and full texts, the results will be presented according to the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The analysis and extraction of the data will be performed by 2 independent reviewers. Risk of bias will be evaluated with the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist. Finally, the same reviewers will also perform a quality assessment of the included studies with the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) tool. Results: The search strategy, after the application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, identified 15 randomized clinical trials, which are currently being analyzed. This project has no funding and it has been developed by a multidisciplinary research team of pharmacologists and orthoptists. The study was initiated in May 2021 and it is expected to conclude by the end of 2023. Conclusions: This review will provide a synthesis of current information and underlying evidence about the off-label use of bevacizumab in neovascular AMD. It will provide a clearer vision of a possible new pharmacological approach, as well as the most suitable treatment designs, for the treatment of neovascular AMD. Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD42021244931; https://tinyurl.com/p6m5ycpk International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/38658

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in elderly people. Current pharmacological treatment in vascular AMD includes anti-VEGF agents, such as ranibizumab and aflibercept. Additionally, the off-label use of bevacizumab has been shown to be effective and has a lower cost, making it an interesting pharmacological approach; however, there is no consensus about its use. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and efficiency of bevacizumab in AMD patients. Methods: This review only focused on randomized controlled clinical trials published in 2010 in the MEDLINE database that compared the effect of bevacizumab with ranibizumab. The risk of bias in each included study was assessed using the CASP Randomised Clinical Trials checklist. Results: Twelve studies were included for qualitative synthesis, and nine of them were considered for meta-analysis. Bevacizumab-treated patients showed a significantly reduced neovascularization in a longer spectrum of time; however, they had a higher incidence of endophthalmitis than those treated with ranibizumab. Regarding efficiency, the mean number of administrations was reduced in the treatment with bevacizumab in comparison to ranibizumab. Conclusions: Clinical evidence demonstrates that bevacizumab has efficacy and safety profiles comparable with ranibizumab; however, it is relatively more efficient.

Background: Ischemic stroke remains a leading cause of mortality and disability worldwide. Despite extensive preclinical research, most neuroprotective strategies have failed to translate into clinical benefit, partly due to methodological variability. The transient intraluminal filament middle cerebral artery occlusion (tifMCAO) model is widely used, yet its implementation lacks consistency. This review aimed to characterize tifMCAO methodologies in adult rats and examine how experimental variability relates to reported outcomes. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Studies using tifMCAO in adult rats were included. MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, and Scopus were searched up to March 2025. Risk of bias was assessed using the SYRCLE tool and reporting quality using the ARRIVE checklist. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251140869). Results were synthesized narratively. Results: A total of 125 studies were included. A commonly used framework involved male Sprague–Dawley rats (6–12 weeks), silicone-coated monofilaments, occlusion durations of 60–120 min (most frequently 90 min), and isoflurane anesthesia, although this reflects methodological convergence rather than true standardization. Substantial variability was observed across methodological parameters. Variations in ischemia duration, filament properties, and anesthesia were associated with differences in infarct size, blood–brain barrier disruption, and functional outcomes. Conclusions: The tifMCAO model shows partial methodological convergence alongside significant variability influencing outcomes. Improved standardization and reporting are essential to enhance reproducibility and translational relevance.