<Emphasis Type="Italic">Teucrium polium</Emphasis> Complex with Molybdate Enhance Cultured Islets Secretory Function

Islet transplantation has become a promising treatment in the therapy of type 1 diabetes. Its function improvement, after isolation and before transplantation, is crucial because of their loss both in number and function of islets after isolation procedures. Trace elements sodium orthovanadate (SOV) and sodium molybdate (SM), as well as medicinal plant Teucrium polium L. (TP), showed and possessed high beneficial antioxidative potential and even hypoglycemic properties via their effect on islets. We evaluated the effect of these components in combination on cultured islet function in order to improve pancreatic islet transplantation. Rat pancreatic islets were cultured for 24 h then incubated with different concentrations of TP (0.01 and 0.1 mg/mL) alone and in combination with SOV (1 mM) or SM (1 mM). Insulin concentration in buffer media was measured as islet secretory function. Administration of TP (0.01 mg/mL), SM, and SOV alone or in combination with each other significantly increased insulin secretion at high glucose concentration (16.7 mM); insulin secretion was significantly greater in the group containing both TP and SM than other treated groups (p < 0.05). The combination of the mentioned trace elements especially molybdate with TP could improve islet cells function before transplantation.     

Hybrid nanoreservoirs based on dextran-capped dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles for CD133-targeted drug delivery

In this study, the chemical features of dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (DMSNs) provided the opportunity to design a nanostructure with the capability to intelligently transport the payload to the tumor cells. In this regard, doxorubicin (DOX)-encapsulated DMSNs was electrostatically surface-coated with polycarboxylic acid dextran (PCAD) to provide biocompatible dextran-capped DMSNs (PCAD-DMSN@DOX) with controlled pH-dependent drug release. Moreover, a RNA aptamer against a cancer stem cell (CSC) marker, CD133 was covalently attached to the carboxyl groups of DEX to produce a CD133-PCAD-DMSN@DOX. Then, the fabricated nanosystem was utilized to efficiently deliver DOX to CD133+ colorectal cancer cells (HT29). The in vitro evaluation in terms of cellular uptake and cytotoxicity demonstrated that the CD133-PCAD-DMSN@DOX specifically targets HT29 as a CD133 overexpressed cancer cells confirmed by flow cytometry and 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide assay. The potentially promising intelligent-targeted platform suggests that targeted dextran-capped DMSNs may find impressive application in cancer therapy.     

Effect of Foliar Application of Silicon and Salicylic Acid on Regulation of Yield and Nutritional Responses of Greenhouse Cucumber Under High Temperature

Plant nutrition management is known as an efficient strategy to control environmental constraints. This experiment was conducted in a climate control greenhouse with a hydroponic system. The high temperature (36 °C?±?1) was imposed on the pots after fruit formation. The studied factors were silicon in 2 concentrations (0 and 4 parts per thousand (ppt)) and salicylic acid in 3 concentrations (0, 0.5, and 1 mM). They were sprayed on cucumber plants 3 times and under high-temperature conditions to evaluate if they can regulate and improve the yield and quality of cucumber fruit under high-temperature conditions or not. The results showed that all treatments significantly improved the nutritional status, total yield, and fruit quality (including marketable yield (i.e., fruits that can be sold due to their good shape) and nitrate content). Under high-temperature conditions, foliar application of silicon had the highest effect on the increase of total yield and marketable fruit yield (respectively, 36.14% and 40.29% increase compared to the control treatment). Micro-nutrients concentrations in the leaf were significantly increased by Si but a reverse status happened for salicylic acid. Under high temperatures, both treatments also significantly decreased the nitrate content of the fresh matter of fruit but silicon was the superior treatment. Silicon and salicylic acid, respectively, had positive effects on mitigation of adverse effects of high temperature on cucumber plants. These findings suggest the use of these treatments under high-temperature conditions in greenhouse cucumber production.

Graphical Abstract

N–No₃ content in dry matter of leaf (left) and fresh matter of fruit (right) affected by different treatments. *SaA0–SiA4: 4 ppt Si; SaA0.5–SiA0: 0.5 mM SA; SaA0.5–SiA4: 0.5 mM SA?+?4 ppt Si; SaA1–SiA0: 1 mM SA; SaA1–SiA4: 1 mM SA?+?4 ppt Si; control: without any SA and Si applications. Means in the same column followed by the same letter are not significantly different according to DMRT at (P?≤?0.05)

     

Phosphate transport by rat intestinal basolateral-membrane vesicles.

The characteristics of phosphate transport across intestinal basolateral membranes of the rat were determined by using enriched preparations in which uphill Na+-dependent D-glucose transport could not be demonstrated, but ATP-dependent Ca2+ transport was present. Phosphate transport was saturable, Na+-dependent and exhibited Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Vmax. was 51.1 +/- 4.2 pmol/10 s per mg of protein and Km was 14 +/- 3.9 microM. The transport process was electroneutral. Tracer-exchange experiments and counter-transport studies confirmed the presence of a Na+-Pi carrier at the basolateral membrane. The presence of inside-positive membrane potential did not enhance phosphate uptake, indicating that the Na+ effect is secondary to the presence of the Na+-Pi carrier rather than an induction of positive membrane potential. The stoichiometry of this carrier at pH 7.4 was 2 Na+:1 phosphate, as shown by direct studies utilizing the static-head method. These studies are the first to determine the presence of a phosphate carrier at the basolateral membrane.     

Study of quercetin and fisetin synergistic effect on breast cancer and potentially involved signaling pathways

Naturally-derived drugs have drawn much attention in recent decades. Efficiency, lower toxicity, and economic reasons are some of their advantages that justify this broad range of administration for different diseases, including cancer. If we can find a specific combination that boosts the effects of their single therapy, leading to synergism effect, increased efficiency, and decreased toxicity, they can act even better. Quercetin and fisetin, two well-known flavonoids, have been used to fight against various cancers. In this study, we investigated their possible synergism quercetin and fisetin on MCF7, MDA-MB-231, BT549, T47D, and 4T1 breast cancer cell lines. Then the optimum combined dose was used to study their impacts on wound healing abilities and clonogenic properties. The real-time qPCR was used to study the expression of their validated downstream effectors in predicted pathways. A significant synergism effect (p < .01, combination index: <1) was observed for all cell lines. Combination therapy was significantly more effective in colony formation (p < .0001) and wound healing assays (p < .001) compared to single therapies. The expression level of potential effectors was also showed a greater change. In vivo study confirmed the in vitro results and showed how significantly (p < .001) their synergism promotes their singular function in inhibiting cancer progression. The breast cancer mouse models receiving combined therapy lived longer with higher average body weight and smaller tumor sizes. These results exhibit that quercetin and fisetin inhibit cancer cell proliferation, migration and colony formation synergistically, and matrix metalloproteinase signaling and apoptotic pathways are relatively responsible for inhibitory activities.