Author Correction: Assessment of the cardioprotective effect of liraglutide on methotrexate induced cardiac dysfunction through suppression of inflammation and enhancement of angiogenesis in rats.

Correction to: European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences 2021; 25 (19): 6013-6024-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202110_26879-PMID: 34661261, published online on 15 October 2021. After publication, the authors applied to add some corrections to the paper. They wanted to change the second affiliation of one co-author Dr. Eman Said. The second affiliation will be "Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia", instead of "College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia". There are amendments to this paper. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.  https://www.europeanreview.org/article/26879.

Assessment of the cardioprotective effect of liraglutide on methotrexate induced cardiac dysfunction through suppression of inflammation and enhancement of angiogenesis in rats.

OBJECTIVE: Methotrexate (MTX) is one of the most commonly used anti-cancer drugs for various types of neoplasms. It is associated with multiple cytotoxic effects including nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity and cardiotoxicity. Liraglutide (LIR) is a potent anti-diabetic drug and also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we tried to investigate the protective effect of LIR on MTX induced cardiotoxicity and to identify the molecular mechanisms for this protection. MATERIALS AND METHODS:  Rats were divided into 4 groups, including control group, LIR group, MTX group and LIR + MTX group. ECG was measured then blood samples were taken, and hearts were excised for biochemical and histological investigations. RESULTS: MTX group exhibited a mild non-significant irregular bradycardia, an increase of CK-MB besides a decrease of total antioxidant capacity. MTX administration also resulted in downregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), while caused upregulation of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1B) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in comparison to the control group. Also, MTX group showed histological abnormalities besides negative VEGF and positive iNOS as detected by immunohistochemical staining compared to the control group. LIR administration could reverse these results. CONCLUSIONS: LIR prevented MTX induced cardiotoxicity through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Vitamin D attenuates gentamicin-induced acute renal damage via prevention of oxidative stress and DNA damage.

BACKGROUND: Despite being one of the most nephrotoxic drugs, gentamicin (GM) remains a mainstay as a first-choice agent in a vast variety of clinical situations owing to its superlative efficiency as a broad-spectrum antibiotic in treating several life-threatening bacterial infections. This urgently calls for the need for in-depth analysis of the mechanisms governing GM-induced nephrotoxicity and entails the necessity of presenting novel protective agents capable of ameliorating those renal deleterious effects. The reactive oxygen species and redox-sensitive transcription factors in GM-induced nephrotoxicity have recently called attention. PURPOSE: This study has been designed to shed light on the possible mechanisms of GM-induced nephrotoxicity and to provide a consensus set of histopathological, immunohistochemical, genetic and biochemical parameters elucidating the protective role of vitamin D against this nephrotoxicity. METHODS: Twenty-four adult male albino rats were equally divided into four groups: group I (control group), group II (GM), group III (GM + vitamin D) and group IV (vitamin D only). Kidney function tests, histopathological examination, gene expression of nuclear factor 2, nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-κB) and western blot of NF-κB p65, assessment of glutathione peroxidase and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NADPH) oxidase by ELISA, as well as immunohistochemical evaluation of inducible nitric oxide, malondialdehyde, 8-hydroxy 2 deoxyguanine and vitamin D receptor, have been carried out. RESULTS: The kidney function deterioration, tissue oxidative stress development and the histopathological changes induced by GM were significantly attenuated by vitamin D administration. CONCLUSION: Vitamin D attenuates GM nephrotoxicity through its antioxidant properties and prevention of DNA damage.

Adipose mesenchymal stem cells-derived exosomes attenuate retina degeneration of streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rabbits.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-derived exosomes in retina regeneration of experimentally induced diabetes mellitus (DM) in a rabbit model. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles that contain many microRNAs (micRNAs), mRNAs, and proteins from their cells of origin. DM was induced by intravenous (IV) injection of streptozotocin in rabbits. MSCs were isolated from adipose tissue of rabbits. Exosomes were extracted from MSCs by ultracentrifugation. Exosomes were injected by different routes (IV, subconjunctival (SC), and intraocular (IO)). Evaluation of the treatment was carried out by histopathological examination of retinal tissues and assessment of micRNA-222 expression level in retinal tissue by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Histologically, by 12 weeks following SC exosomal treatment, the cellular components of the retina were organized in well-defined layers, while IO exosomal injection showed well-defined retinal layers which were obviously similar to layers of the normal retina. However, the retina appeared after IV exosomal injection as irregular ganglionic layer with increased thickness. MicRNA-222 expression level was significantly reduced in diabetic controls when compared to each of healthy controls and other diabetic groups with IV, SC, and IO routes of injected exosomes (0.06 ± 0.02 vs. 0.51 ± 0.07, 0.28 ± 0.08, 0.48 ± 0.06, and 0.42 ± 0.11, respectively). We detected a significant negative correlation between serum glucose and retinal tissue micRNA-222 expression level (r = -0.749, p = 0.001). We can associate the increased expression of micRNA-222 with regenerative changes of retina following administration of MSCs-derived exosomes. The study demonstrates the potency of rabbit adipose tissue-derived MSCs exosomes in retinal repair. So, exosomes are considered as novel therapeutic vectors in MSCs-based therapy through its role in shuttling of many factors including micRNA-222.

Comparative evaluation of the efficacy of ginger and orlistat on obesity management, pancreatic lipase and liver peroxisomal catalase enzyme in male albino rats.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a disease involving body weight gain. Several synthetic drugs of better efficacy are being introduced in the modern system of medicine. Orlistat is a pharmacological agent promoting weight loss in obese subjects via inhibiting of gastric and pancreatic lipase. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiberacae) is one of the most commonly used spices around the world; it has long been used in traditional medicine as a cure for some diseases. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of ginger and orlistat on rats fed high fat diet. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty male Albino rats were either not treated (control), or fed high fat diet, or fed high fat diet with dietary orlistat supplementation (200 mg/kg diet), or fed high fat diet supplemented with 5% ginger powder. After four weeks of treatment, final body weight and food intake were determined. Blood samples were collected, lipid parameters, total bilirubin, pancreatic lipase were determined. Liver peroxisomes were isolated from rat livers and peroxisomal catalase activity was determined. RESULTS: Treatment with both ginger and orlistat had significant effect in reducing body weight, besides, supplementing diet with orlistat increase food intake. Both ginger and orlistat had the ability to reduce lipid profile, ginger had great effect in increasing HDL-cholesterol than orlistat. When compared to the control group, ginger treatment did not alter either total bilirubin or pancreatic lipase activity while orlistat clearly reduced their concentration. Orlistat supplementation induced a significant reduction in peroxisomal catalase level, while ginger has been reported to interfere with enzyme activity increasing its level. CONCLUSIONS: Ginger has a great ability to reduce body weight without inhibiting pancreatic lipase level, or affecting bilirubin concentration, with positive effect on increasing peroxisomal catalase level and HDL-cholesterol.