Paclitaxel: Application in Modern Oncology and Nanomedicine-Based Cancer Therapy.

Paclitaxel is a broad-spectrum anticancer compound, which was derived mainly from a medicinal plant, in particular, from the bark of the yew tree Taxus brevifolia Nutt. It is a representative of a class of diterpene taxanes, which are nowadays used as the most common chemotherapeutic agent against many forms of cancer. It possesses scientifically proven anticancer activity against, e.g., ovarian, lung, and breast cancers. The application of this compound is difficult because of limited solubility, recrystalization upon dilution, and cosolvent-induced toxicity. In these cases, nanotechnology and nanoparticles provide certain advantages such as increased drug half-life, lowered toxicity, and specific and selective delivery over free drugs. Nanodrugs possess the capability to buildup in the tissue which might be linked to enhanced permeability and retention as well as enhanced antitumour influence possessing minimal toxicity in normal tissues. This article presents information about paclitaxel, its chemical structure, formulations, mechanism of action, and toxicity. Attention is drawn on nanotechnology, the usefulness of nanoparticles containing paclitaxel, its opportunities, and also future perspective. This review article is aimed at summarizing the current state of continuous pharmaceutical development and employment of nanotechnology in the enhancement of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic features of paclitaxel as a chemotherapeutic agent.

Sodium acetate ameliorated systemic and renal oxidative stress in high-fructose insulin-resistant pregnant Wistar rats.

Pregnancy is an insulin-resistant condition especially at near term predisposing maternal kidneys to hyperinsulinemia-induced oxidative stress. The impact of fructose on renal metabolic dysregulation and oxidative stress in pregnancy requires elucidation. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are known for protective roles in oxidative stress conditions. Therefore, the study aimed at investigating fructose-induced glucose dysregulation and renal oxidative stress in pregnant and non-pregnant rats and the possible preventive role of SCFA, acetate. Thirty female Wistar rats were grouped (n = 5/group). Three groups were made pregnant (P); the other three remained non-pregnant (NP). Both pregnant and non-pregnant rats received drinking water (control), 10% fructose (w/v) (NP+F or P+F), and 10% (w/v) fructose plus sodium acetate (200 mg/kg) (NP+F+A or P+F+A) for 3 weeks. Renal and plasma glutathione antioxidant index (GSH/GSSG), G6PDH, and adenosine were significantly lower in NP+F and P+F groups compared with control while renal and plasma adenosine deaminase (ADA), xanthine oxidase (XO), uric acid (UA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and malonaldehyde (MDA) were significantly elevated in NP+F and P+F groups compared with controls. HOMA-IR showed marked impairment in both NP+F and P+F groups. The P+F group revealed greater suppression in plasma and renal G6PDH-dependent antioxidant index, adenosine, and aggravation of LDH, MDA compared with the NP+F group (p < 0.05). Sodium acetate reduces plasma and renal surrogate oxidative stress markers, improved G6PD-dependent antioxidant index, and HOMA-IR in NP+F and P+F groups. Pregnancy exacerbates fructose-induced insulin resistance and renal oxidative stress whereas acetate ameliorated fructose-induced redox and glucose dysregulation in pregnant and non-pregnant rats.

Frequent exposure to varied home cage sizes alters pain sensitivity and some key inflammation-related biomarkers.

BACKGROUND: Nature and size of rodent cages vary from one laboratory or country to another. Little is however known about the physiological implications of exposure to diverse cage sizes in animal-based experiments. METHOD: Here, two groups of male Swiss mice (Control group - Cage stationed, and Test group - Cage migrated) were used for this study. The cage-migrated mice were exposed daily to various cage sizes used across laboratories in Nigeria while the cage-stationed mice exposed daily to different but the same cage size and shape. At the end of the 30 days exposure, top-rated paradigms were used to profile changes in physiological behaviours, and this was followed by evaluation of histological and biochemical metrics. RESULTS: The study showed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in blood glucose levels (at 60 and 120 min of oral glucose tolerance test) in the cage-migrated mice compared to cage-stationed mice. Strikingly, peripheral oxidative stress (plasma malondialdehyde) and pain sensitivity (formalin test, hot-and-cold plate test, and von Frey test) decreased significantly in cage-migrated mice compared to cage-stationed animals. Also, the pro-inflammation mediators (IL-6 and NF-κB) increased significantly in cage-migrated mice compared to cage-stationed mice. However, emotion-linked behaviours, neurotransmitters (serotonin, noradrenaline and GABA), brain and plasma electrolytes were not significantly difference in cage-migrated animals compared to cage-stationed mice. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results suggest that varied size cage-to-cage exposure of experimental mice could affect targeted behavioural and biomolecular parameters of pain and inflammation, thus diminishing research reproducibility, precipitating false negative/positive results and leading to poor translational outcomes.

Sodium acetate improves disrupted glucoregulation and hepatic triglyceride content in insulin-resistant female rats: involvement of adenosine deaminase and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 activities.

Combined oral contraceptive (COC) treatment has been shown to be associated with glucose deregulation and increased triglyceride levels, but the mechanisms are elusive. Soluble dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (sDPP-4) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) are involved in the initiation and/or progression of cardiometabolic disorders. We therefore, hypothesized that increased DPP-4 and ADA activities are involved in glucose deregulation and hepatic triglyceride accumulation induced by COC treatment. This study also investigated whether short-chain fatty acid, acetate, would protect against COC-induced dysmetabolic effects. Female Wistar rats received (p.o.) vehicle and COC (1.0 µg ethinylestradiol plus 5.0 µg levonorgestrel) with or without sodium acetate (ACE; 200 mg) for 8 weeks. Treatment with COC led to increased plasma triglyceride-glucose index, 1-h postload glucose response, insulin, free fatty acid, insulin resistance, and impaired glucose tolerance. COC treatment also resulted in increased plasma and hepatic triglycerides (TG), TG/HDL-cholesterol ratio, malondialdehyde, uric acid, lactate dehydrogenase, DPP-4, ADA, and xanthine oxidase (XO) activities. On the other hand, COC led to reduction in nitric oxide level. However, ACE significantly ameliorated the alterations induced by COC treatment, but XO activity remains elevated during COC treatment. This result also demonstrates that increased DPP-4 and ADA activities are at least in part involved in glucose deregulation and hepatic TG accumulation induced by COC treatment. Therefore, sodium acetate would impact positively on cardiometabolic disorders, at least in part, by inhibition of DPP-4 and ADA activities.

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibition protects the liver of insulin-resistant female rats against triglyceride accumulation by suppressing uric acid.

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibition has been shown to exert beneficial effects against insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes. Combined oral contraceptive (COC) treatment is associated with impaired glucose and lipid metabolism but the mechanisms are elusive. We therefore, hypothesized that DPP-4 inhibition ameliorates COC-induced glucose dysregulation and hepatic triglyceride (TG) accumulation through adenosine deaminase (ADA) /xanthine oxidase (XO) /uric acid-dependent pathway. Female Wistar rats received (po) vehicle and COC (1.0 µg ethinylestradiol plus 5.0 µg levonorgestrel; po) with or without DPP-4 inhibitor (sitagliptin; 100 mg/kg; po) for 8 weeks (n = 6/group). Glucose dysmetabolism was assessed by elevated fasting blood glucose, impaired oral glucose tolerance test and homeostatic model assessment of IR. Treatment with COC led to increased plasma fasting glucose, triglyceride-glucose index, 1-h postload glucose response, insulin, free fatty acid, IR and impaired glucose tolerance. COC treatment also resulted in increased plasma and hepatic TG, TG/HDL-cholesterol ratio, malondialdehyde, uric acid (plasma; 25.2 ± 0.6 mg/dl; hepatic 128.9 ± 8.0 mg/100 mg tissue), lactate dehydrogenase, DPP-4, ADA and XO (plasma;10.5 ± 1.1 U/L; hepatic 21.2 ± 1.4 U/g protein) activities. Likewise, COC led to reduction in nitric oxide level. However, DPP-4 inhibition significantly ameliorated these alterations induced by COC treatment through suppression of uric acid (plasma; 15.1 ± 1.0 mg/dl, hepatic; 75.6 ± 5.0 mg/100 mg tissue), XO (plasma; 4.1 ± 0.9 U/L, hepatic; 8.7 ± 0.4 U/g protein), ADA and DPP-4 activities suggesting their involvement in glucose dysregulation and hepatic TG accumulation induced by COC treatment. Therefore, DPP-4 inhibition would impact positively on cardiometabolic disorders, at least in part, through XO, ADA and uric acid suppression.

Inhibition of adenosine deaminase and xanthine oxidase by valproic acid abates hepatic triglyceride accumulation independent of corticosteroids in female rats treated with estrogen-progestin.

Elevated circulating uric acid has been postulated to play an important pathophysiological role in estrogen-progestin combined oral contraceptive (COC)-induced hypertension and endothelial dysfunction. We hypothesized that disruption of glucoregulation and liver triglyceride (TG) accumulation induced by COC use would be abated by valproic acid (VPA) treatment through suppression of adenosine deaminase (ADA) and xanthine oxidase (XO) activities. Female Wistar rats aged 9-10 weeks were treated with a combination of estrogen-progestin COC steroids (1.0 µg ethinylestradiol and 5.0 µg levonorgestrel; p.o.) with or without VPA (100.0 mg/kg; p.o.) daily for 6 weeks. The result shows that the disrupted glucoregulation and associated elevated hepatic ADA activity, plasma and hepatic XO activity, uric acid (UA), TG/HDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, and malondialdehyde induced by COC treatment were attenuated by VPA treatment. However, VPA did not have any effect on plasma aldosterone, corticosterone, ADA, circulating and hepatic free fatty acid. Our results demonstrate that suppression of plasma and hepatic XO activities, along with hepatic ADA activity and UA by VPA treatment, protects against disrupted glucoregulation and increased liver TG by COC independent of elevated corticosteroids. The findings imply that VPA would provide protection against the development of cardiometabolic disorder via inhibition of the ADA/XO/UA-mediated pathway.

Anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic effects of nicotine exposure in oral contraceptive-induced insulin resistance are glucocorticoid-independent.

BACKGROUND: Reports showed that estrogen-progestin oral contraceptive (COC) or tobacco smoking causes increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in premenopausal women. Studies also suggest that nicotine, a major tobacco alkaloid, may worsen or improve atherothrombotic CVD. Altered hemorheology, prothrombotic and pro-inflammatory biomarkers, have been implicated in the development of atherothrombotic CVD events. However, the effect of non-smoking nicotine exposure on these biomarkers during COC treatment is not yet established. We therefore sought to determine the effects of nicotine exposure during COC treatment on these biomarkers, and also tested the hypothesis that the nicotine effects would be glucocorticoid-dependent. METHODS: Female Sprague-Dawley rats aged 10 weeks were given (po) vehicle, low-dose nicotine (0.1mg/kg) or high-dose nicotine (1.0mg/kg) with or without COC steroids (5.0µg/kg ethinylestradiol and 25.0µg/kg levonorgestrel) daily for 6 weeks. RESULTS: COC treatment or nicotine exposure led to increased insulin resistance (IR), hemorheological (blood viscosity, hematocrit and plasma viscosity), prothrombotic (plasminogen activator inhibitor-1), pro-inflammatory (uric acid, C-reactive protein, neutrophil/lymphocyte and platelet/lymphocyte ratios) biomarkers and corticosterone. However, these effects except that on corticosterone were abrogated by nicotine exposure during COC treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that nicotine- or COC-induced IR may be mediated via inflammatory/thrombotic pathway. The results imply that nicotine exposure could impact negatively on atherothrombotic biomarkers in COC non-users, whereas the impact in COC users could be positive. The results also suggest that the anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic and blood viscosity-lowering effects of nicotine exposure during COC use is circulating glucocorticoid-independent.