Search Results (8)

Excisional wounds are considered one of the most common physical injuries. This study aims to test the effect of a nanophytosomal formulation loaded with a dried hydroalcoholic extract of S. platensis on promoting excisional wound healing. The Spirulina platensis nanophytosomal formulation (SPNP) containing 100 mg PC and 50 mg CH exhibited optimum physicochemical characteristics regarding particle size (598.40 ± 9.68 nm), zeta potential (−19.8 ± 0.49 mV), entrapment efficiency (62.76 ± 1.75%), and Q6h (74.00 ± 1.90%). It was selected to prepare an HPMC gel (SPNP-gel). Through metabolomic profiling of the algal extract, thirteen compounds were identified. Molecular docking of the identified compounds on the active site of the HMGB-1 protein revealed that 12,13-DiHome had the highest docking score of −7.130 kcal/mol. SPNP-gel showed higher wound closure potential and enhanced histopathological alterations as compared to standard (MEBO^® ointment) and S. platensis gel in wounded Sprague-Dawley rats. Collectively, NPS promoted the wound healing process by enhancing the autophagy process (LC3B/Beclin-1) and the NRF-2/HO-1antioxidant pathway and halting the inflammatory (TNF-, NF-κB, TlR-4 and VEGF), apoptotic processes (AIF, Caspase-3), and the downregulation of HGMB-1 protein expression. The present study’s findings suggest that the topical application of SPNP-gel possesses a potential therapeutic effect in excisional wound healing, chiefly by downregulating HGMB-1 protein expression. Full article

Social media platforms (SMPs) have become a key source of success for many organizations in today’s complex business environment due to advancements in information and communication technologies that have created dynamic innovations. This study aims to explore the complex relationships between SMPs’ usage and organizational performance with respect to small and medium-sized restaurants in Jordan. In addition, it investigates the impact of competition intensity as a moderating variable. The model of the study was assessed and examined by gathering data from 331 Jordanian restaurants using the partial least squares (PLS) method. The findings revealed that SMPs’ usage is positively associated with restaurant performance (financial, marketing, and operational). In addition, the results indicate a significant moderating impact of competition intensity only on the relationship between SMPs’ usage and restaurants’ marketing performance. Based on the results, several theoretical and practical implications for restaurants have been suggested, as well as further research avenues. Full article

Background and Objective: Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of death in females. Since its treatment is challenging and causes severe side effects, novel therapies are urgently needed. One of the potential enzymes implicated in the progression of cancers is Cytochrome 4Z1 (CYP4Z1). Its expression in ovarian cancer remains unknown. Therefore, the current study aims to assess CYP4Z1 expression in different subtypes of ovarian cancers. Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to characterize CYP4Z1 expression in 192 cases of ovarian cancers along with eight normal ovarian tissues. The enzyme’s association with various clinicopathological characteristics and survival was determined. Results: CYP4Z1 was strongly expressed in 79% of ovarian cancers, compared to negative expression in normal ovarian samples. Importantly, significantly high CYP4Z1 expres-sion was determined in patients with advanced-stage cancer and a high depth of invasion (p < 0.05). Surprisingly, CYP4Z1 expression was significantly associated with a low patient survival rate. Univariate analysis revealed that patient survival was strongly associated with CYP4Z1 expression, tumor stage, depth of invasion, and lymph node metastasis (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that only CYP4Z1 expression was significantly associated with patient survival (p < 0.05). Conclusions: CYP4Z1 expression is correlated with shorter patient survival and has been identified as an independent indicator of a poor prognosis for ovarian cancer patients. Full article

Background: Saudi Arabia expedited the approval of some COVID-19 vaccines and launched mass vaccination campaigns. The aim of this study was to describe the demographics of vaccinated COVID-19 cases and compare the mortality rates of COVID-19 cases who were infected post-vaccination in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study. We retrieved data for COVID-19 cases who were infected pre- or post-vaccination and had received at least one injection of the Oxford–AstraZeneca or Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine from 4 December 2020 to 15 October 2021. Results: The number of patients who were infected and had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine was 281,744. Approximately 45% of subjects were infected post-vaccination, and 75% of subjects had received the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. Only 0.342% of the patients who were infected post-vaccination died, and 447 patients were admitted to ICUs. Most of the patients who were infected with COVID-19 post-vaccination and were admitted to ICUs (69.84%) had received only one dose of the vaccine (p < 0.0001). The mean time to infection for patients who had received one and two doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine were 27 and 8 days longer than their counterparts who had received one and two doses of Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine, respectively. No difference in the odds of mortality between the Pfizer–BioNTech and Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccines was found (OR = 1.121, 95% CI = [0.907–1.386], p-value = 0.291). Patients who had received two doses of the vaccine had significantly lower odds of mortality compared to those who had received one dose (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Vaccines are vital in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study show no difference between the Pfizer–BioNTech and Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccines in the rate of mortality. However, the number of vaccine doses was significantly associated with a lower risk of mortality. Future studies should examine the effectiveness of different COVID-19 vaccines using real-world data and more robust designs. Full article

Adrenaline (Adr) reacts with chlorides of Y³⁺, Ce³⁺, Nd³⁺ and Sm³⁺ in methanol at 60 °C to yield metal ion adducts of definite composition. These compounds are characterized by elemental analyses, molar conductivity, UV-Vis., ¹H–NMR, Raman laser, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and mid infrared spectral measurement investigations. The adducts are found to have the formulae [Y₂(Adr)₂(H₂O)₈]Cl₃.8H₂O, [Ce(Adr)₂(H₂O)₂]Cl₃.10H₂O, [Nd(Adr)₂(H₂O)₂]Cl₃.6H₂O, and [Sm(Adr)₂(H₂O)₂]Cl₃.12H₂O, respectively. The two phenolic groups of the catechol moiety are linked to central metal ions based on the infrared and Raman laser spectra. The new compounds were tested against five gram-positive and two-gram negative bacteria, in addition to two Aspergillus strains. Metal adducts were shown to have stronger antibacterial and antifungal properties than free adrenaline compounds. Full article

The abundant use of lead (Pb; toxic heavy metal) worldwide has increased occupational and ecosystem exposure, with subsequent negative health effects. The flavonoid luteolin (LUT) found in many natural foodstuffs possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Herein, we hypothesized that LUT could mitigate liver damage induced by exposure to lead acetate (PbAc). Male Wistar rats were allocated to four groups: control group received normal saline, LUT-treated group (50 mg/kg, oral, daily), PbAc-treated group (20 mg/kg, i.p., daily), and LUT+PbAc-treated group (received the aforementioned doses via the respective routes of administration); the rats were treated for 7 days. The results revealed that PbAc exposure significantly increased hepatic Pb residue and serum activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and total bilirubin value. Oxidative reactions were observed in the liver tissue following PbAc intoxication, characterized by the depletion and downregulation of antioxidant proteins (glutathione, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, and heme oxygenase-1), and an increase in oxidants (malondialdehyde and nitric oxide). Additionally, PbAc increased the release and expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1 beta), inducible nitric oxide synthase, and nuclear factor kappa B. Moreover, PbAc enhanced hepatocyte loss by increasing the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins (Bax and caspase-3) and downregulating the anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2). The changes in the aforementioned parameters were further confirmed by noticeable histopathological lesions. LUT supplementation significantly reversed all of the tested parameters in comparison with the PbAc-exposed group. In conclusion, our findings describe the potential mechanisms involved in the alleviation of PbAc-induced liver injury by luteolin via its potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-apoptotic properties. Full article

Heavy metal exposure, in lead (Pb) particularly, is associated with severe neuronal impairment though oxidative stress mediated by reactive oxygen species, and antioxidants may be used to abolish these adverse effects. This study investigated the potential neuroprotective role of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ₁₀) against lead acetate (PbAc)-induced neurotoxicity. Twenty-eight male Wistar albino rats were divided into four equal groups (n = 7) and treated as follows: the control group was injected with physiological saline (0.9% NaCl); the CoQ₁₀ group was injected with CoQ₁₀ (10 mg/kg); PbAc group was injected with PbAc (20 mg/kg); PbAc + CoQ₁₀ group was injected first with PbAc, and after 1 h with CoQ₁₀. All groups were injected intraperitoneally for seven days. PbAc significantly increased cortical lipid peroxidation, nitrate/nitrite levels, and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression, and decreased glutathione content, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase activity and mRNA expression, as well as nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2) and homoxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression. PbAc also promoted the secretion of interleukin-1ß and tumor necrosis factor-α, inhibited interleukin-10 production, triggered the activation of pro-apoptotic proteins, and suppressed anti-apoptotic proteins. Additionally, PbAc increased the cortical levels of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, GABA, and glutamate, and decreased the level of ATP. However, treatment with CoQ₁₀ rescued cortical neurons from PbAc-induced neurotoxicity by restoring the balance between oxidants and antioxidants, activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, suppressing inflammation, inhibiting the apoptotic cascade, and modulating cortical neurotransmission and energy metabolism. Altogether, our findings indicate that CoQ₁₀ has beneficial effects against PbAc-induced neuronal damage through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and neuromodulatory activities. Full article

This three-arm, randomized, controlled study aimed to determine the differences in the effects of general advice (GA) on lifestyle change, intensive lifestyle modification programme (ILMP) and GA + metformin (GA + Met) in reducing the prevalence of full metabolic syndrome (MetS) in subjects with prediabetes; 294 Saudis with prediabetes (fasting glucose 5.6–6.9 mmol/L) were initially randomized, 263 completed 6 months and 237 completed 12 months. They were allocated into three groups: GA group which received a standard lifestyle change education; ILMP which followed a rigorous lifestyle modification support on diet and physical activity; and a GA + Met group. Anthropometric and biochemical estimations were measured. Full MetS (primary endpoint) and its components (secondary endpoint) were screened at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Full MetS in the ILMP group decreased by 26% (p < 0.001); in GA + Met group by 22.4% (p = 0.01) and in GA group by 8.2% (p = 0.28). The number of MetS components decreased significantly in the ILMP and GA + Met groups (mean change 0.81, p < 0.001 and 0.35, p = 0.05, respectively). Between-group comparison revealed a clinically significant decrease in MetS components in favor of the ILMP group (−0.58 (−0.88–0.28), p < 0.001). This study highlights the clinical potency of ILMP versus other diabetes prevention options in reducing MetS in Saudi adults with elevated fasting glucose. Full article