Albendazole-loaded cubosomes interrupt the ERK1/2-HIF-1α-p300/CREB axis in mice intoxicated with diethylnitrosamine: A new paradigm in drug repurposing for the inhibition of hepatocellular carcinoma progression.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer related deaths worldwide. It was suggested that albendazole (ABZ) is a powerful inhibitor of several carcinoma types. However, the bioavailability of ABZ is very poor. Additionally, the mechanisms underlying the antitumor effects of ABZ may go beyond its tubulin-inhibiting activity. Therefore, we aimed to examine the effects of ABZ suspension (i.p. and p.o.) and ABZ-loaded cubosomes (LC) on the diethylnitrosamine-induced HCC in mice. ABZ-loaded nanoparticles exhibited a mean particle size of 48.17 ± 0.65 nm and entrapped 93.26 ± 2.48% of ABZ. The in vivo absorption study confirmed a two-fold improvement in the relative bioavailability compared with aqueous ABZ suspension. Furthermore, the oral administration of ABZ cubosomal dispersion demonstrated regression of tumor production rates that was comparable with ABZ (i.p.). ABZ relieved oxidative stress, improved liver function, and decreased necroinflammation score. The antiangiogenic activity was evident as ABZ effectively downregulated tissue expression of CD34, mRNA expression of CD309 and VEGF at the protein expression level. Besides, lower levels of MMP-9 and CXCR4 indicated antimetastatic activity. ABZ showed a considerable level of apoptotic activity as indicated by increased mRNA expression level of p53 and the increased Bax/BCL-2 ratio and active caspase-3. Additionally, Ki-67 expression levels were downregulated showing an antiproliferative potential. These protective effects contributed to increasing survival rate of diethylnitrosamine-treated mice. These effects found to be mediated via interrupting ERK1/2-HIF-1α-p300/CREB interactions. Therefore, our findings revealed that disrupting ERK1/2-HIF-1α-p300/CREB interplay might create a novel therapeutic target for the management of HCC.

Dapagliflozin, an SGLT2 inhibitor, ameliorates acetic acid-induced colitis in rats by targeting NFκB/AMPK/NLRP3 axis.

The development of effective treatment strategies has been hindered by the complex pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC). UC patients treated with current therapeutic approaches experienced either treatment failure or suffered excessive adverse reactions. Overactivity of NLRP3 inflammasome enhances inflammation, resulting in aggravation of colonic damage. We were interested in exploring, for the first time, the potential coloprotective effect of dapagliflozin (DPZ) on acetic acid-induced UC in rats in comparison with 5-ASA. DPZ improved histologic and macroscopic features of colon tissues and prolonged survival of UC rats. DPZ also prevented colon shortening and declined disease activity. Additionally, DPZ lessened colon tissue neutrophil content and improved antioxidant defense machinery. Further, DPZ specifically declined the colonic inflammatory marker IL-6 and upregulated the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. The pyroptosis process is constrained in consequence of the repressed caspase-1 activity and caspase-1-dependent release of the bioactive cytokines IL-1ß and IL-18. These protective effects might be attributed to that DPZ on the one hand, prevented the priming step (signal 1) of NLRP3 inflammasome activation as revealed by modulating NFκB/AMPK interplay and on the other hand, inhibited the activation step (signal 2) as indicated by interrupting NLRP3/caspase-1 signaling. Since DPZ was found to be safe and well tolerated by healthy volunteers with no evidence of hypoglycemia, it might show promise in the future management of UC. However, further investigations are warranted to confirm the reversal of injury and that the coloprotective effect is substantial.