Betulinic acid (BA), a natural compound with various health benefits including selective antitumor activity, has a limited applicability in vivo due to its poor water solubility and bioavailability. Thus, this study focused on obtaining a BA nano-sized formulation with improved solubility and enhanced antitumor activity using silver nanocolloids (SilCo and PEG_SilCo) as drug carriers. The synthesis was performed using a chemical method and the physicochemical characterization was achieved applying UV-Vis absorption, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman and photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS). The biological evaluation was conducted on two in vitro experimental models—hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) and lung cancer (A549) cell lines. The physicochemical characterization showed the following results: an average hydrodynamic diameter of 32 nm for SilCo_BA and 71 nm for PEG_SilCo_BA, a spherical shape, and a loading capacity of 54.1% for SilCo_BA and 61.9% for PEG_SilCo_BA, respectively. The in vitro assessment revealed a cell type- and time-dependent cytotoxic effect characterized by a decrease in cell viability as follows: (i) SilCo_BA (66.44%) < PEG_SilCo_BA (72.05%) < BA_DMSO (75.30%) in HepG2 cells, and (ii) SilCo_BA (75.28%) < PEG_SilCo_BA (86.80%) < BA_DMSO (87.99%) in A549 cells. The novel silver nanocolloids loaded with BA induced an augmented anticancer effect as compared to BA alone.
Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is responsible for the development of many skin diseases, including malignant melanoma (MM). This study assessed the phototoxic effects of UVA, and UVB radiations on healthy and pathologic skin cells by evaluating the behavior of human keratinocytes (HaCaT) and MM cells (A375) at 24 h post-irradiation. The main results showed that UVA 10 J/cm2 exerted no cytotoxicity on HaCaT and A375 cells, while UVB 0.5 J/cm2 significantly reduced cell viability and confluence, induced cell shrinkage and rounding, generated nuclear and F-actin condensation, and induced apoptosis by modulating the expressions of Bax and Bcl-2. The association of UVA 10 J/cm2 with UVB 0.5 J/cm2 (UVA/UVB) induced the highest cytotoxicity in both cell lines (viability < 40%). However, the morphological changes were different—HaCaT cells showed signs of necrosis, while in A375 nuclear polarization and expulsion from the cells were observed, features that indicate enucleation. By unraveling the impact of different UVR treatments on the behavior of normal and cancer skin cells and describing enucleation as a novel process involved in the cytotoxicity of UVA/UVB irradiation, these findings bridge the gap between the current and the future status of research in the field.
In recent years, bacterial infections in hospitals have grown particularly due to the development of antibiotic resistance. Recent research targets the discovery of new antibiotics that exhibit broad spectrum of action without adverse effects or minimizing adverse effects. In this study, the activity of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles against three bacteria commonly found in infectious diseases in the ORL sphere was evaluated. The recorded data revealed an activity comparable to that of the standard antibiotics used in these types of infections, with the observation that the activity of the nanoparticles could also be observed in the particular cases of antibiotic resistance.
There is a growing trend with respect to the use of ceramic materials in dental practice. With an increase in the number of cases of head and neck cancer, the use of dental implants in these patients is subject to controversy. Consequently, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the impact of two ceramic materials on the viability, proliferation, migration, and structure of the cytoskeleton and nuclei of pharyngeal cancer cells. Therefore, samples of the two ceramic were immersed in artificial saliva with three different pH values in order to better simulate the natural biological environment. A 21-day immersion period was followed by testing of the saliva on pharyngeal cancer cell line Detroit-562 for its viability, morphology, and migration, as well as its effects on the nucleus and cytoskeleton. The results of the study after stimulation of Detroit-562 cells for 72 h with the three types of artificial saliva in which the ceramic materials were immersed indicated the following: (i) viability of cells did not change significantly, with the percentage of viable cells not falling below 90%; (ii) no morphological changes were recorded, with the shape and number of cells being similar to that of the control cells; (iii) the scratch assay method indicated that the two types of ceramics do not stimulate cell migration; and (iv) fluorescence immunocytochemistry revealed that both the nucleus and the cytoskeleton distributions were unaltered, as they were observed in unstimulated cells. The preliminary results of the study indicate that the investigated ceramic materials did not interact unfavorably with tumor cells when immersed in artificial saliva, thereby supporting the possibility of their safe use in cancer patients.
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