Association of Atrazine-Induced Overexpression of Aldo-Keto-Reductase 1C2 (AKR1C2) with Hypoandrogenism and Infertility: An Experimental Study in Male Wistar Rat.

Atrazine (ATZ, C8H14ClN5) is a widely used synthetic herbicide that contaminates drinking water. It is a known endocrine disruptor that disrupts various molecular pathways involved in hormone signaling, and DNA damage, and can cause reproductive disorders, including decreased fertility, and abnormal development of reproductive organs, as revealed in animal model studies. However, the effect of ATZ on steroidogenesis in the male reproductive system, especially reduction of ketosteroids to hydroxysteroids, remains unclear. This study investigated the toxicity of ATZ on the male reproductive system in the Wistar rat model, with an emphasis on its adverse effect on aldo-ketoreductase family 1 member C2 (AKR1C2). Male Wistar rats were administered ATZ for 56 days (duration of one spermatogenic cycle) through oral route, at 20, 40 and 60 mg/kg body weight (bw) doses. The results indicate that ATZ exposure affects the body weight, impairs sperm production, and decrease FSH, LH, and testosterone levels. Additionally, the down-regulation of key steroidogenic enzymes by ATZ disrupted the synthesis of testosterone, leading to decreased levels of this essential male hormone. On the other hand, the expression of AKR1C2 (mRNA and protein) in the testis was upregulated. The findings suggest that AKR1C2 plays a role in androgen metabolism. Furthermore, its overexpression may lead to alteration in the expression of genes in the connected pathway, causing an increase in the breakdown or inactivation of androgens, which would result in lower androgen levels and, thereby, lead to hypoandrogenism, as the combined effects of down-regulation of steroidogenic genes and up-regulation of AKR1C2. These findings reveal direct implication of disrupted AKR1C2 in male reproductive health and highlight the need for further research on the impact of environmental toxins on human fertility, ultimately providing for better patient care.

Mussel-Inspired Adhesive Hydrogels Based on Laponite-Confined Dopamine Polymerization as a Transdermal Patch.

Transdermal patch for local drug delivery has attained huge attention as an attractive alternative to existing drug delivery techniques as it is painless and user-friendly. However, most adhesive hydrogels either do not have adequate adhesion with the skin or cause discomfort while being removed from the skin surface due to excessive adhesion. To address this challenge, we developed an adhesive hydrogel based on laponite-confined dopamine polymerization as a transdermal patch. Laponite RDS nanoclay was used to control the hydrogel's viscous behavior and dopamine polymerization. The laponite polymerized polydopamine (l-PDA) was incorporated into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) to make the PVA-l-PDA hydrogel. The laponite-confined polymerization improved the hydrogels' water contact angle and adhesion strength. The adhesion strength of the PVA-l-PDA hydrogel was adequate to adhere to the evaluated goat skin, glass, and polypropylene surfaces. Notably, the PVA-l-PDA hydrogel was easy to peel off from the skin. Further, we evaluated the drug release profile in goat skin using lidocaine as a model drug. We observed the controlled release of lidocaine from the PVA-l-PDA hydrogel compared to the PVA-PDA hydrogel. In addition, the nanoclay-confined adhesive hydrogel did not show any cytotoxic effect in fibroblasts. Altogether, PVA-l-PDA hydrogels offer appropriate adhesive strength, toughness, and biocompatibility. Thus, the PVA-l-PDA hydrogel has the potential to be an efficient transdermal patch.

Novel carbon nano-onions from paraffinum liquidum for rapid and efficient removal of industrial dye from wastewater.

Carbon nano-onions (CNOs) are fascinating zero-dimensional carbon materials owning distinct multi-shell architecture. Their physicochemical properties are highly related to the parent material selected and the synthesis protocol involved. In the present work, we report for the first time novel CNO structures encompassing discrete carbon allotropes, namely, H18 carbon, Rh6 carbon, and n-diamond. These structures were cost-effectively synthesized in gram scale by facile flame pyrolysis of paraffinum liquidum, a highly refined mineral oil. The as-synthesized and chemically refashioned CNOs are quasi-spherical self-assembled mesopores, manifesting remarkable stability and hydrophilicity. The CNO structures exhibit excellent dye adsorption characteristics with high removal capacity of 1397.35 mg/g and rapid adsorption kinetics with a minimal adsorbent dosage of 10 mg/L, for a low concentration of 20 mg/L methylene blue dye. The novel CNOs assure potential implementation in the remediation of low concentration and high volume of dye-contaminated wastewater.Graphical abstract.

Silica Release from Silane Cross-Linked Gelatin Based Hybrid Scaffold Affects Cell Proliferation.

Earlier, we had reported the synthesis and characterization of star-shaped poly(d,l-lactide)-b-gelatin (ss-pLG) to improve cell adhesion and proliferation, but the stability of ss-pLG scaffolds remained a persistent issue. Here we show an increase in the stability of ss-pLG using 3-glycidoxypropyl trimethoxysilane (GPTMS) as a covalent cross-linker (h-ss-pLG). The rate of cell proliferation within Hep-G2 cultured h-ss-pLG scaffolds increased until the third day, and afterward it drastically declined. Further, we identified the release of inorganic silica from GPTMS cross-linked h-ss-pLG, which may be associated with the decrease in the rate of HepG2 cell proliferation. However, the cross-linking did not affect red blood cells (RBCs) and they were completely hemocompatible. In addition, our in vivo experiments in female rats showed that the hybrid h-ss-pLG scaffolds were not degraded completely after 4 weeks, as they were covalently cross-linked with silane. These results suggest the significance of the cross-linker selection, which is one of the other key factors, and needs to be considered while designing scaffolds.

Serous Microcystic Adenocarcinoma of Pancreas Infiltrating Into Spleen: A Case Report.

Cystic tumours of pancreas account for 5-10% of all pancreatic neoplasms and serous tumours represent 1% among those tumours. Most of the serous tumours are benign and very rarely they infiltrate adjacent organs like liver and spleen. Herewith we present a rare case report of serous cystadenocarcinoma of pancreas in a 65-year-old woman. The tumour involved the body and tail of pancreas and contiguously invaded the spleen. The histopathology of tumour was similar to serous cystadenoma with mild nuclear hyperchromasia and atypia. The spleen showed tumour infiltration as microcysts diffusely infitrating the red pulp.