Commelina diffusa Burm. (Family: Commelinaceae) is usually known as “climbing dayflower or spreading dayflower” in Bangladesh. The plant is used in fever, malaria, insect, bug bites, rheumatoid arthritis, gonorrhea, influenza, and bladder infection etc. The present investigation was undertaken which deals with the evaluation of central nervous system (CNS) depressant activity of methanolic extract of C. diffusa in mice models. The central nervous system (CNS) depressant activity of C. diffusa was evaluated by the classical models of depression as open field, hole cross, forced swimming, tail suspension, and thiopental sodium induced sleeping time tests in mice. The animals were divided into control, positive control, and three test groups containing five mice each. The test groups received extract at the doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight orally where as the control group received distilled water (0.1 mL/mouse, p.o.). Diazepam (1 mg/kg, i.p.) was used as standard drug. It is clear that the plant extract significantly decreased the locomotor activity of mice in open field and hole cross tests when compared to the control (p < 0.05). It is observed that the extract showed significantly (p < 0.05) increased in immobility time in forced swimming and tail suspension tests in mice. In addition, the extract produced prolongs the sleeping time with onset of action in contrast to the control group. The present work depicts the evaluation of possible CNS depressant activity of C. diffusa in mice models. The obtained results provide support for the use of this species in traditional medicine and warrants further pharmacological investigations that could lead to novel leads in future.

Stem cell therapy has prompted the expansion of veterinary medicine both experimentally and clinically, with the potential to contribute to contemporary treatment strategies for various diseases and conditions for which limited or no therapeutic options are presently available. Although the application of various types of stem cells, such as bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs), adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AT-MSCs), and umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCB-MSCs), has promising potential to improve the health of different species, it is crucial that the benefits and drawbacks are completely evaluated before use. Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a rich source of stem cells; nonetheless, isolation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from UCB presents technical challenges. Although MSCs have been isolated from UCB of diverse species such as human, equine, sheep, goat, and canine, there are inherent limitations of using UCB from these species for the expansion of MSCs. In this review, we investigated canine UCB (cUCB) and compared it with UCB from other species by reviewing recent articles published from February 2003 to June 2017 to gain an understanding of the limitations of cUCB in the acquisition of MSCs and to determine other suitable sources for the isolation of MSCs from canine. Our review indicates that cUCB is not an ideal source of MSCs because of insufficient volume and ethical issues. However, canine reproductive organs discarded during neutering may help broaden our understanding of effective isolation of MSCs. We recommend exploring canine reproductive and adipose tissue rather than UCB to fulfill the current need in veterinary medicine for the well-designed and ethically approved source of MSCs.

Background. It is necessary to store the transplantable sources for a certain period during the variety of manipulation processing steps. The method used to preserve (depending on conditions of solvent, temperature, periods, density, and physical impulse, etc.) can affect the safety and efficacy of the samples. Supercooling refers to a phenomenon of lowering the temperature below its freezing point without freezing. We investigated the possibility of supercooling for the preservation of cells and organs according to the limited conditions. Method. The viability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from the intra-abdominal fat of the New Zealand white rabbit were observed, and the neonatal rat kidneys were maintained in histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate solution and stored at various temperatures for 48 hours. The supercooling refrigerator was used for -2 degrees C and -5 degrees C in controlled preservation conditions. We observed and compared histopathological changes of samples at each temperature condition. Results. As time passed, the number of rabbit MSCs decreased in each group with storage temperature. At room temperature, the number of viable MSCs decreased rapidly, but the number of MSCs tended to decrease slowly in the cooling and supercooling groups. The rat kidneys preserved on supercooling temperature at -2 degrees C tended to have the least damage on the cortex and medulla parenchyma. Conclusions. The difference in damage of transplantable sources by storage temperature conditions is the evidence that effectiveness may depend on the storage method. It is necessary to determine further optimal supercooling temperature of the preservation methods with various cells, tissues, and organs in the future.

Fenbendazole (FZ) is a benzimidazole carbamate drug with broad-spectrum antiparasitic activity in humans and animals. The mechanism of action of FZ is associated with microtubular polymerization inhibition and glucose uptake blockade resulting in reduced glycogen stores and decreased ATP formation in the adult stages of susceptible parasites. A completely cured case of lung cancer became known globally and greatly influenced the cancer community in South Korea. Desperate Korean patients with cancer began self-administering FZ without their physician’s knowledge, which interfered with the outcome of the cancer treatment planned by their oncologists. On the basis of presented evidence, this review provides valuable information from PubMed, Naver, Google Scholar, and Social Network Services (SNS) on the effects of FZ in a broad range of preclinical studies on cancer. In addition, we suggest investigating the self-administration of products, including supplements, herbs, or bioactive compounds, by patients to circumvent waiting for long and costly FZ clinical trials.

Drug repositioning, the approach of discovering different uses for existing drugs, has gained enormous popularity in recent years in the anticancer drug discovery field due to the increasing demand for anticancer drugs. Additionally, the repurposing of veterinary antiparasitic drugs for the treatment of cancer is gaining traction, as supported by existing literature. A prominent example is the proposal to implement the use of veterinary antiparasitics such as benzimidazole carbamates and halogenated salicylanilides as novel anticancer drugs. These agents have revealed pronounced anti-tumor activities and gained special attention for “double repositioning”, as they are repurposed for different species and diseases simultaneously, acting via different mechanisms depending on their target. As anticancer agents, these compounds employ several mechanisms, including the inhibition of oncogenic signal transduction pathways of mitochondrial respiration and the inhibition of cellular stress responses. In this review, we summarize and provide valuable information about the experimental, preclinical, and clinical trials of veterinary antiparasitic drugs available for the treatment of various cancers in humans. This review suggests the possibility of new treatment options that could improve the quality of life and outcomes for cancer patients in comparison to the currently used treatments.

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have favorable characteristics that render them a potent therapeutic tool. We tested the characteristics of MSCs after temporal storage in various carrier solutions, such as 0.9% saline (saline), 5% dextrose solution (DS), heparin in saline, and Hartmann’s solution, all of which are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Phosphate-buffered saline, which does not have FDA approval, was also used as a carrier solution. We aimed to examine the effects of these solutions on the viability and characteristics of MSCs to evaluate their suitability and efficacy for the storage of canine adipose-derived MSCs (cADMSCs). Results: We stored the cADMSCs in the test carrier solutions in a time-dependent manner (1, 6, and 12 h) at 4 °C, and analyzed cell confluency, viability, proliferation, self-renewability, and chondrogenic differentiation. Cell confluency was significantly higher in 5% DS and lower in phosphate-buffered saline at 12 h compared to other solutions. cADMSCs stored in saline for 12 h showed the highest viability rate. However, at 12 h, the proliferation rate of cADMSCs was significantly higher after storage in 5% DS and significantly lower after storage in saline, compared to the other solutions. cADMSCs stored in heparin in saline showed superior chondrogenic capacities at 12 h compared to other carrier solutions. The expression levels of the stemness markers, Nanog and Sox2, as well as those of the MSC surface markers, CD90 and CD105, were also affected over time. Conclusion: Our results suggest that MSCs should be stored in saline, 5% DS, heparin in saline, or Hartmann’s solution at 4 °C, all of which have FDA approval (preferable storage conditions: less than 6 h and no longer than 12 h), rather than storing them in phosphate-buffered saline to ensure high viability and efficacy.