Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a type of diabetes initiated during pregnancy and is characterized by maternal hyperglycemia that induces complications in mothers and children. In the current study, we used a GDM mouse model (through i.p. injection of a single dose of streptozocin, STZ, 60 mg/kg/bw) to investigate the biochemical and immunological changes in the blood and brain of diabetic mothers and their offspring relative to their appropriate controls. In addition, we estimated the expression levels of a set of microRNAs (miRNAs) to link between the dysregulation in the levels of miRNAs and the exposure to oxidative stress during embryonic development, as well as metabolic changes that occur after birth and during puberty in offspring (5-weeks-old). At the biochemical level, newborn pups appeared mostly to suffer from the same oxidative stress conditions of their mothers as shown by the significant increase in nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in blood and brain of diabetic mothers and their pups. However, the 5-week-old offspring showed a significant increase in proinflammatory cytokines, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, and based on their blood glucose levels, could be considered as prediabetic (with glucose mean value of 165 mg/dl). In the meantime, the tested miRNAs, especially miR-15b, miR-146a, and miR-138 showed mostly similar expression levels in diabetic mothers and newborn pups. In this regard, miR-15a and -15b, miR-146a, and miR-138 are downregulated in diabetic mothers and their newborn pups relative to their appropriate controls. However, in offspring of diabetic mothers at puberty age, these miRNAs …

Beta-Caryophyllene (BCP), a natural bicyclic sesquiterpenes, is an abundant biomolecule in red pepper and other plants. Recently, it was reported to reduce the growth and the proliferation as well as enhance the apoptosis in numerous cancer cells, including colorectal, ovarian, bladder cancer and lung cancer. On the other hand, the combination therapy of cisplatin (CDDP) with other phytochemical compounds has synergistically enhanced the killing effect of CDDP on several types of cancer. In the current model, we have tested the role of BCP in enhancing the anti-tumor activity of CDDP on lung cancer cell lines. The results showed that BCP is not toxic at moderate doses and it can prevent lung cancer progression in doses above 75 µM. However, when being combined with CDDP, BCP improved the former chemotherapeutic function through regulating cell cycle, apoptosis and EMT signaling molecules. Gene and protein expression analysis showed that the combined treatment of CDDP and BCP significantly upregulated the level of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, CDKN1A, and the inhibitor of the apoptosis, BCL-xl2. In addition, the combination treatment reduced the protein level of the apoptosis regulator, BCL-2. Moreover, BCP appears to prohibit the EMT process that is associated with CDDP chemotherapy since the combination treatment induced a significant increase in the level of the epithelial cell marker E-cad that was reduced in CDDP-treated cells. In agreement with that, the combined treatment managed to modulate the effect of CDDP on the mesenchymal transcription factor ZEB-2. Additionally, molecular docking has been …

Atropine (ATR) is extracted from a belladonna plant that belongs to a class of anticholinergic drugs and is therefore involved in the treatment of the overdose of cholinergic drugs or mushroom poisoning. It is a well-known blocker of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) that are expressed in various tumor cells, including breast tumors from animal and human origin, but it has yet to be recommended as an anticancer drug. Our in silico docking analysis indicates that atropine has a roust virtual binding, with a stable binding energy, to two major signaling molecules involved in EMT regulation: E-cad and ZEB-2. For both, the gene and the protein expression level results show that atropine is an effective molecule in reducing epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and colony formation induced by TGF-B or carboplatin in both the mesenchymal-like cell line MDA-MB-231 and the epithelial-like cell line T47D. We conclude that atropine as a potential suppressor of EMT could be co-administrated with other chemotherapeutic drugs to reduce stemness in drug-resistant breast tumor cells.

Two highly simple, economical, accurate and sensitive spectrophotometric methods for determination of dopamine hydrochloride (DAH) in either pure form and pharmaceutical formulations are described. The first method is based on determination of (DAH) spectrophotometrically at maximum absorbance 280 nm (method A). The second one is based on reduction of alkaline KMnO₄ by (DAH) leading to the formation of green manganate species which are measured at 610 nm (method B). Under optimized conditions, the calibration graphs were linear in the range of 3.793 – 45.513, 0.190 – 4.362 μg.mL⁻¹ of (DAH) for methods A and B respectively. The developed methods were successfully applied for the determination of dopamine hydrochloride in pharmaceutical samples.

The ecosystem is considerably affected due to the extensive use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. As an alternative strategy, this study aimed to assess the biocontrol potential of the bioagents arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth-promoting Trichoderma harzianum MZ025966 against tomato root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne javanica). T. harzianum showed a great potentiality to produce indole acetic acid (IAA) (12.11 ± 2.12 μg/mL) and exhibited a noticeable activity of ammonification. Furthermore, T. harzianum revealed protease and lipase enzymatic activity of 28.36 ± 2.82 U/mL and 12.30 ± 0.31 U/mL, respectively, which may illustrate the control mechanism of nematode eggs and juveniles. As in mycorrhizal and/or T. harzianum inoculated tomato plants, the penetration rates of nematodes, as well as the number of juveniles, females, egg mass, and galls were significantly reduced. The lowest number of juveniles was observed in the case of either single mycorrhizal inoculation (45%) or in combination with T. harzianum (55%). The enzymatic activity of glutathione peroxidase and catalase was enhanced in tomato plants inoculated with the bioagents to overcome the negative impact of nematode parasitism. Our results proved that the application of biocontrol agents not only reduced the nematode population and penetration rate but also improved the plant growth, increased the nutritional elemental content and stimulated the plant’s systematic resistance.

The new mercuric complex [Hg(HL) 2 Cl2 ] incorporating salicylaldimine ligand
(HL = 2-((pyridin-3-ylimino)methyl)phenol) was fabricated where the ligand
molecules behaved in a monodentate manner via their pyridine nitrogen
atoms. In addition to elemental characterization, X-ray crystallographic studies
of the complex revealed its packing in a monoclinic crystal system (space
group: I2/a, a = 13.4276(2) Å, b = 6.20950(10) Å, c = 27.7530 (4) Å,
α = γ = 90, and β = 98.1610(10)). Hydrothermal treatment of [Hg(HL) 2 Cl2 ]
with thioacetamide afforded HgS microparticles (HgS μPs; Brunauer–Emmett–
Teller [BET] surface area = 6.205 m 2 /g, diameter = 196.53–259.13 nm, and
average size = 213.27 nm), whereas these microparticles were transformed to
nanoscaled HgS particles (HgS NPs; BET surface area = 14.380 m 2 /g,
diameter = 58.87–90.56 nm, and average size = 72.78 nm) by the action of
ultrasonication. The as-prepared HgS, HgS NPs in particular, afforded remark-
able microbicidal activity against eight strains of filamentous and unicellular
human pathogenic fungi and yeasts in comparison with cycloheximide.
Remarkably, Aspergillus terreus grew up to 34.7 ± 1.88 mm in the absence of
any fungicide, but HgS μPs, HgS NPs, and cycloheximide limited the fungal
growth to 26 ± 0.94, 12.33 ± 1.6, and 28.3 ± 1.7 mm after incubation for 6 days.
Besides, inhibition of Rhodotorula glutinis was of 7.6 ± 0.01 × 107 CFU/ml in
control sample, but experiments included HgS μPs, HgS NPs, and cyclohexi-
mide limited the colony-forming units of R. glutinis to 4.2 ± 0.01 × 10 7 ,
3.5 ± 0.02 × 10 7 , and 5.9 ± 0.05 × 10 7 CFU/ml.

Terpenoid phytoalexins are secondary metabolites of plants act as defensive agents against plant
pathogen attack. Alternaria cerealis AUMC 14484 (MT808477) is a phytopathogen of tomato that stimulates
new types of phytoalexins especially during the biological control process. Trichoderma harzianum utilized as
controlling agent of A. cerealis using the fungal filtrates or spore suspension in infected plants. Time course
detection of terpenoid phytoalexins was 2, 24 and 48 h of infection and estimated with complete analysis of their
types and concentrations using GC-MS analysis. The plant cells behavior during the biological control process
was monitored by lipid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide, and antioxidant enzymes (catalase and peroxidase)
analyses. The results showed significant increase in total terpenoids, lipid peroxidation and hydrogen peroxide
after 24 h in all treatments; however catalase and peroxidase increased in infected tomato plants but decreased
during the biological control process which reflects decrease in the cell stress during the infection. Twelve
terpenoid phytoalexins recorded in infected tomato leaves, seven of them are newly recorded in tomato plants
including 5à-spirostan-23-ol, (22s,23r,25r); 2(1h)-naphthalenone, octahydro-1-methyl-1-(2-propenyl),
(1à,4aá,8Aà); 2,2' (1h,1'h)-spirobi-s-indacene, ethanone.; Spiro[5hbenzocycloheptene 5,1'[2,5] cyclohexadiene]
4',9diol,6,7,8,9 tetrahydro2,3,3',4,5 'pentamethoxy-7,8-dimethyl-, 9-acetate; carvacrol; maslinic acid;
Spirost8en11one,3 hydroxy, (3á,5à,14á,20á,22á,25R) and Olean-12-ene-3,15,16,21,22,28-hexol,
(3á,15à,16à,21á,22à). Rishitin derivatives (rishitinol and rishitinone) also recorded in infected tomato leaves.
The application of Trichoderma harzianum as culture filtrate or spore suspension throughout the biological
control procedure is critical for tomato plant resistance against A. cerealis leaf spot disease by enhancing redox
buffer capacity, improving plant tolerance, and activating plant defense systems.