Determination of the radioactive isotopes concentrations in the petroleum waste of sludge and sand is an essential issue not only to refineries, industrial processing, waste disposal and transports but also, to human health and the environment. As these radioactive isotopes are radiation risky, therefore they should be assessed and controlled. Moreover, they might contain heavy and toxic elements which cause hazardous pollution. This paper will focus on the evaluation of the concentrations of metals, heavy and toxic elements in sludge samples from different petroleum companies’ sites located in the eastern Egyptian desert. Five sludge oil samples were elementally analyzed by Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) technique. The samples were irradiate using the irradiation box inside the Egyptian second research reactor (ETRR-2) (rabbit irradiation system) for 4 hours and then counted after 14 days using HPGe detector. 18 isotopes named (Ca, Sc, Cr, Fe, Co, Zn, Br, Rb, Sr, Ag, Sb, Cs, Ba, Eu, Yb, Lu, Hf, and Ta) were detected with different concentrations in the samples under investigation. The isotopes of Ca, Fe, Sr, and Ba had high concentrations compared with other isotopes in the samples. The toxic element of barium with high concentration and other trace elements with low concentrations were detected in the samples. High concentration of Fe trace elements above the standard level was detected in all samples. The outcomes of the study imply that more monitoring is needed for the petroleum waste in these locations to minimize the environmental pollution and to minimize the radiation risk for the workers.

Determination of the radioactive isotopes concentrations in the petroleum waste of sludge and sand is an essential issue not only to refineries, industrial processing, waste disposal and transports but also, to human health and the environment. As these radioactive isotopes are radiation risky, therefore they should be assessed and controlled. Moreover, they might contain heavy and toxic elements which cause hazardous pollution. This paper will focus on the evaluation of the concentrations of metals, heavy and toxic elements in sludge samples from different petroleum companies’ sites located in the eastern Egyptian desert. Five sludge oil samples were elementally analyzed by Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) technique. The samples were irradiate using the irradiation box inside the Egyptian second research reactor (ETRR-2) (rabbit irradiation system) for 4 hours and then counted after 14 days using HPGe detector. 18 isotopes named (Ca, Sc, Cr, Fe, Co, Zn, Br, Rb, Sr, Ag, Sb, Cs, Ba, Eu, Yb, Lu, Hf, and Ta) were detected with different concentrations in the samples under investigation. The isotopes of Ca, Fe, Sr, and Ba had high concentrations compared with other isotopes in the samples. The toxic element of barium with high concentration and other trace elements with low concentrations were detected in the samples. High concentration of Fe trace elements above the standard level was detected in all samples. The outcomes of the study imply that more monitoring is needed for the petroleum waste in these locations to minimize the environmental pollution and to minimize the radiation risk for the workers.

The treatment of drug-resistant cancer is a clinical challenge, hence screening for novel anticancer drugs is critically important. In the present study we investigated the anti-tumor potential of three plant-derived flavone compounds 3-hydroxy flavone (3-HF), 6-hydroxy flavone (6-HF) and 7-hydroxy flavone (7-HF) either alone or combined with silica nanoparticles (3-HF+NP, 6-HF+NP and 7-HF+NP) on the human breast carcinoma cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7, as well as on non-tumorigenic normal breast epithelial cells (MCF-10). The IC50 values of these flavone compounds loaded with NP (flavones+NP) in these cell lines were determined to be 1.5µg/ml without affecting the viability of normal MCF-10 cells. Additionally, we found that combination of flavones with NP significantly induced apoptosis in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells using annexin-V/PI double staining followed by flow cytometry analysis. Furthermore, flavones+NP increased the expression of cytochrome C and caspase 9 mediating growth arrest of these cancer cells. Most importantly, combination of flavones with NP significantly abolished the expression of ATF-3, which in turn is responsible for the proliferation and invasion of bone metastatic breast cancer cells. Our data revealed the potential therapeutic effects of these flavones in fighting breast cancer cells and provided the first insight concerning the underlying molecular mechanisms.

The treatment of drug-resistant cancer is a clinical challenge, hence screening for novel anticancer drugs is critically important. In the present study we investigated the anti-tumor potential of three plant-derived flavone compounds 3-hydroxy flavone (3-HF), 6-hydroxy flavone (6-HF) and 7-hydroxy flavone (7-HF) either alone or combined with silica nanoparticles (3-HF+NP, 6-HF+NP and 7-HF+NP) on the human breast carcinoma cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7, as well as on non-tumorigenic normal breast epithelial cells (MCF-10). The IC50 values of these flavone compounds loaded with NP (flavones+NP) in these cell lines were determined to be 1.5µg/ml without affecting the viability of normal MCF-10 cells. Additionally, we found that combination of flavones with NP significantly induced apoptosis in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells using annexin-V/PI double staining followed by flow cytometry analysis. Furthermore, flavones+NP increased the expression of cytochrome C and caspase 9 mediating growth arrest of these cancer cells. Most importantly, combination of flavones with NP significantly abolished the expression of ATF-3, which in turn is responsible for the proliferation and invasion of bone metastatic breast cancer cells. Our data revealed the potential therapeutic effects of these flavones in fighting breast cancer cells and provided the first insight concerning the underlying molecular mechanisms.

The treatment of drug-resistant cancer is a clinical challenge, hence screening for novel anticancer drugs is critically important. In the present study we investigated the anti-tumor potential of three plant-derived flavone compounds 3-hydroxy flavone (3-HF), 6-hydroxy flavone (6-HF) and 7-hydroxy flavone (7-HF) either alone or combined with silica nanoparticles (3-HF+NP, 6-HF+NP and 7-HF+NP) on the human breast carcinoma cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7, as well as on non-tumorigenic normal breast epithelial cells (MCF-10). The IC50 values of these flavone compounds loaded with NP (flavones+NP) in these cell lines were determined to be 1.5µg/ml without affecting the viability of normal MCF-10 cells. Additionally, we found that combination of flavones with NP significantly induced apoptosis in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells using annexin-V/PI double staining followed by flow cytometry analysis. Furthermore, flavones+NP increased the expression of cytochrome C and caspase 9 mediating growth arrest of these cancer cells. Most importantly, combination of flavones with NP significantly abolished the expression of ATF-3, which in turn is responsible for the proliferation and invasion of bone metastatic breast cancer cells. Our data revealed the potential therapeutic effects of these flavones in fighting breast cancer cells and provided the first insight concerning the underlying molecular mechanisms.

The treatment of drug-resistant cancer is a clinical challenge, hence screening for novel anticancer drugs is critically important. In the present study we investigated the anti-tumor potential of three plant-derived flavone compounds 3-hydroxy flavone (3-HF), 6-hydroxy flavone (6-HF) and 7-hydroxy flavone (7-HF) either alone or combined with silica nanoparticles (3-HF+NP, 6-HF+NP and 7-HF+NP) on the human breast carcinoma cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7, as well as on non-tumorigenic normal breast epithelial cells (MCF-10). The IC50 values of these flavone compounds loaded with NP (flavones+NP) in these cell lines were determined to be 1.5µg/ml without affecting the viability of normal MCF-10 cells. Additionally, we found that combination of flavones with NP significantly induced apoptosis in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells using annexin-V/PI double staining followed by flow cytometry analysis. Furthermore, flavones+NP increased the expression of cytochrome C and caspase 9 mediating growth arrest of these cancer cells. Most importantly, combination of flavones with NP significantly abolished the expression of ATF-3, which in turn is responsible for the proliferation and invasion of bone metastatic breast cancer cells. Our data revealed the potential therapeutic effects of these flavones in fighting breast cancer cells and provided the first insight concerning the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Protein A (SpA) of Staphylococcus aureus is known to target the paratope of immunoglobulins expressing V(H)3 genes, and to delete marginal zone B cells and B-1a in vivo. We have discovered that SpA endows S. aureus with the potential to subvert B-cell trafficking in the host. We found that SpA, whose Fc-binding site has been inactivated, binds essentially to naïve B cells and induces a long-lasting decrease in CXCR4 expression and in B-cell chemotaxis to CXCL12. Competition experiments indicated that SpA does not interfere with binding of CXCR4 ligands and does not directly bind to CXCR4. This conclusion is strongly supported by the inability of SpA to modulate clathrin-mediated CXCR4 internalization, which contrasts with the potent effect of anti-immunoglobin M (IgM) antibodies. Microscopy and biochemical experiments confirmed that SpA binds to the surface IgM/IgD complex and induces its clathrin-dependent internalization. Concomitantly, the SpA-induced signaling leads to protein kinase C-dependent CXCR4 downmodulation, suggesting that SpA impairs the recycling of CXCR4, a postclathrin process that leads to either degradation into lysozomes or de novo expression at the cell surface. In addition to providing novel insight into disruption of B-cell trafficking by an infectious agent, our findings may have therapeutic implications. Because CXCR4 has been associated with cancer metastasis and with certain autoimmune diseases, SpA behaves as an evolutionary tailored highly specific, chemokine receptor inhibitor that may have value in addition to conventional cytotoxic therapy in patients with various malignancies and immune-mediated diseases.

In multiple myeloma (MM), malignant plasma cells reside in the bone marrow, where they accumulate in close contact with stromal cells. The mechanisms responsible for the chemotaxis of malignant plasma cells are still poorly understood. Thus, we investigated the mechanisms involved in the chemotaxis of MDN and XG2 MM cell lines. Both cell lines strongly expressed CCR9, CXCR3 and CXCR4 chemokine receptors but only migrated toward CXCL12. Activation of CXCR4 by CXCL12 resulted in the association of CXCR4 with CD45 and activation of PLCb3, AKT, RhoA, IkBa and ERK1/2. Using siRNA-silencing techniques, we showed CD45/CXCR4 association is essential for CXCL12-induced migration of MM cells. Thymoquinone (TQ), the major active component of the medicinal herb Nigella sativa Linn, has been described as a chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic compound. TQ treatment strongly inhibited CXCL12-mediated chemotaxis in MM cell lines as well as primary cells isolated from MM patients, but not normal PBMCs. Moreover, TQ significantly down-regulated CXCR4 expression and CXCL12-mediated CXCR4/CD45 association in MM cells. Finally, TQ also induced the relocalization of cytoplasmic Fas/CD95 to the membrane of MM cells and increased CD95-mediated apoptosis by 80%. In conclusion, we demonstrate the potent anti-myeloma activity of TQ, providing a rationale for further clinical evaluation.

In this work, a novel voltammetric sensor was fabricated by the decoration of carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNT) with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using glassy carbon paste (GCP) as a cross linker (AuNPs/f-MWCNT/GCPE) for determination of cyproterone acetate (CPA) drug. Electrochemical behavior and the surface characterization of the AuNPs/f-MWCNT/GCPE were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV). The modified electrode showed a distinctive cathodic response towards CPA using SWV in phosphate buffer medium (pH 5.0) with a considerable enhancement peak current (42 μA) compared to the bare GCPE (4 μA). Under the optimum conditions, the SWV peak current of CPA increased linearly with its concentration at the range of 9.90 × 10−8 to 1.15 × 10-5 M with a detection limit of 1.66 × 10−8 M (6.92 ng/mL) and calculated sensitivity of 92.93 μA μM–1 cm–2 . The modified electrode displayed anti-interference ability against the physiological common interferents (i.e. ascorbic acid, uric acid, alanine, cysteine, glucose, citric acid, uracil, and serine). Furthermore, the fabricated electrochemical sensor displays a high sensitivity, good reproducibility, and long-term stability and it was effectively applied for the determination of CPA in pharmaceutical products (Androcur) and in human blood serum and urine samples.

In this study, a new voltammetric nanosensor was constructed by the decoration of acetylene black (AB) with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using glassy carbon paste (GCP) as a cross linker (nano-AB-AuNPs/GCPE) for determination of anticancer topotecan (TPT) drug. Moreover, from the response characteristics of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV), it was observed that TPT could be effectively accumulated at nano-AB-AuNPs/GCPE and resulted in a sensitive anodic peak current in PBS of pH 6.0. The surface area, electrical conductivity and catalytic performance of the modified electrode improved on account of the formation of nano-AB-AuNPs materials, thereby enhancing the sensitivity of the nanosensor. Under optimal conditions, a novel electrochemical method based on the nano-AB-AuNPs/GCPE sensor with high selectivity, high sensitivity and high anti-interference ability was developed for the determination of TPT. Furthermore, the electrochemical oxidation of TPT reveals an excellent linearity in the range of 1.99 × 10−9 to 6.71 × 10−7 M of TPT with a detection limit of 1.64 × 10−11 M (6.91 × 10−3 ng/mL). The TPT as a preconcentration agent showed chemical selectivity, so, the nanosensor was successfully applied for the determination of TPT in the presence of high concentrations of uric acid. Moreover, the method was employed efficiently to detect TPT in blood serum and urine samples, with satisfactory recoveries ranging from 98.16% to 100.76%.