Effect of repeated intratracheal instillation of incense smoke condensate in mice.

Incense smoke condensate (ISC) can have harmful mutagenic and genotoxic effects. Epidemiological and experimental studies have reported the negative effects of incense use on humans. We investigated the toxicological effects of the incense smoke condensate ISC in a 2-week repeated intratracheal instillation model in mice.

Mitochondrial Transplantation Ameliorates Pulmonary Fibrosis by Suppressing Myofibroblast Activation.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a pulmonary disease characterized by excessive extracellular matrix protein deposition in the lung interstitium, subsequently causing respiratory failure. IPF still has a high medical unmet requirement due to the lack of effective treatments to inhibit disease progression. The etiology of IPF remains unclear, but mitochondrial dysfunction is considered to be associated with IPF development.

Repeated intratracheal instillation effects of commonly used vehicles in toxicity studies with mice.

Intratracheal instillation (ITI) is considered the most pragmatic approach for investigating the potential toxicities of various respiratory exposure materials. Various respiratory exposure materials, including nanomaterials, hazardous air pollutants, fine dust, and household biocides, have raised public health concerns because of limited toxicological information and increasing consumption. Hence, toxicity studies using ITI in laboratory animals are important to accurately assess the human risks associated with these respiratory-exposed materials.

Pectolinarigenin regulates the tumor-associated proteins in AGS-xenograft BALB/c nude mice.

Background: Pectolinarigenin (PEC) is a flavone extracted from Cirsium, and because it has anti-inflammatory properties, anti-cancer research is also being conducted. The objective of this work was to find out if PEC is involved in tumor control and which pathways it regulates in vivo and in vitro.

Methods: AGS cell lines were xenografted into BALB/c nude mice to create tumors, and PEC was administered intraperitoneally to see if it was involved in tumor control.

Production of safe cyanobacterial biomass for animal feed using wastewater and drinking water treatment residuals.

The growing interest in microalgae and cyanobacteria biomass as an alternative to traditional animal feed is hindered by high production costs. Using wastewater (WW) as a cultivation medium could offer a solution, but this approach risks introducing harmful substances into the biomass, leading to significant safety concerns. In this study, we addressed these challenges by selectively extracting nitrates and phosphates from WW using drinking water treatment residuals (DWTR) and chitosan.

Diindolylmethane Inhibits Cadmium-Induced Autophagic Cell Death via Regulation of Oxidative Stress in HEL299 Human Lung Fibroblasts.

Cadmium (Cd), a harmful heavy metal, can lead to various pulmonary diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), by inducing cytotoxicity and disturbing redox homeostasis. The aim of the present study was to investigate Cd-mediated cytotoxicity using human lung fibroblasts and the therapeutic potential of 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM). Cadmium significantly reduced the cell viability of human embryonic lung (HEL299) cells accompanied by enhanced oxidative stress as evidenced by the increased expression of autophagy-related proteins such as LC3B and p62.

Subchronic Toxicity Evaluation of Aluminum Oxide Nanoparticles in Rats Following 28-Day Repeated Oral Administration.

Several studies on the potential adverse effects of aluminum oxide nanoparticles (AlONPs) have reported conflicting results. The present study investigated the potential adverse effects of AlONPs in Sprague-Dawley rats following 28-day repeated oral administration. In addition, we aimed to determine the target organ and no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of AlONPs.

Anti-obesity effect with reduced adverse effect of the co-administration of mini-tablets containing orlistat and mini-tablets containing xanthan gum: In vitro and in vivo evaluation.

The purpose of this study was to develop an oral dosage form of orlistat for the treatment of obesity with reduced adverse effects, for example, fatty and oily stool that have been reported to be associated with the mechanism of action of orlistat. Based on the in vitro results obtained in this study, xanthan gum was selected as an oil-entrapping agent. Thus, the co-administration of mini-tablets containing orlistat and mini-tablets containing xanthan gum was proposed as the optimized dosage form for orlistat.

Evaluation of 28-day repeated oral dose toxicity of aluminum chloride in rats.

The present study investigated the potential adverse effects of aluminum chloride (AlCl) following a 4-week repeated oral administration in Sprague-Dawley rats. The test article was administered once daily by gavage to male and female rats at dose levels of 0, 100, 300, and 900 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks. After administration of AlCl at 900 mg/kg/day, treatment-related systemic toxicity manifested as significant increases in salivation incidence, neutrophil percentage, reticulocytes, serum triglyceride, adrenal gland and liver weights, and single-hepatocyte necrosis, as well as significant decreases in body weight gain, food intake, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), lymphocyte percentage, serum total protein and albumin, and thymus weight in male rats; and significant increases in salivation incidence, serum triglyceride, and liver weight, as well as a significant decrease in lymphocyte percentage in female rats.

Nemopilema nomurai jellyfish venom exerts an anti-metastatic effect by inhibiting Smad- and NF-κB-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition in HepG2 cells.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key initial step in metastasis for malignant cancer cells to obtain invasive and motile properties. Inhibiting EMT has become a new strategy for cancer therapy. In our previous in vivo study, Nemopilema nomurai jellyfish venom (NnV) -treated HepG2 xenograft mice group showed that E-cadherin expression was strongly detected compared with non-treated groups.

Comparative toxicity and biodistribution assessments in rats following subchronic oral exposure to copper nanoparticles and microparticles.

Background: Copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) have great potential in electronics and biomedical fields because of their efficient thermodynamic and anti-microbial properties. However, their potential toxic effects and kinetic data following repeated exposure are still unclear.

Methods: We evaluated the physicochemical properties of Cu NPs (25 nm) and copper microparticles (Cu MPs, 14-25 μm).

Evaluation of Phototoxic and Skin Sensitization Potentials of PLA 2 -Free Bee Venom.

Bee venom (BV) from honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) has been used in oriental medicine and cosmetic ingredients because of its diverse pharmacological activities. In many studies, among BV components, phospholipase A2 (PLA2) is known as a major player in BV-induced allergic reaction.

Proteomic identification of an embryo-specific 1Cys-Prx promoter and analysis of its activity in transgenic rice.

Proteomic analysis of a rice callus led to the identification of 10 abscisic acid (ABA)-induced proteins as putative products of the embryo-specific promoter candidates. 5'-flanking sequence of 1 Cys-Prx, a highly-induced protein gene, was cloned and analyzed. The transcription initiation site of 1 Cys-Prx maps 96 nucleotides upstream of the translation initiation codon and a TATA-box and putative seed-specific cis-acting elements, RYE and ABRE, are located 26, 115 and 124 bp upstream of the transcription site, respectively.