Introduction: Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In many cases, cancer is related to the elevated expression of a significant cytokine known as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Breast cancer in particular is linked to increased proliferation of tumor cells, high incidence of malignancies, more metastases, and generally poor prognosis for the patient. The research sought to assess the effect of silver nanoparticles reduced with ethyl cellulose polymer (AgNPs-EC) on TNF-α expression in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Methods: The AgNPs-EC were produced using the green synthesis reduction method, and their formation was proofed via UV-VIS spectroscopy. Furthermore, AgNPs-EC were characterized for their size, charge, morphology, Ag ion release, and stability. The MCF-7 cells were treated with AgNPs-EC. Then, the expression of TNF-α genes was determined through PCR in real time, and protein expression was studied using ELISA. Results: The AgNPs-EC were spherical with an average size of 150±5.1 nm and a zetapotential of −41.4±0.98 mV. AgNPs-EC had an inhibitory effect on cytokine mRNA and protein expression levels, which suggests that they could be used safely in the fight against cancer. AgNPs-EC cytotoxicity was also found to be non-toxic to MCF-7.
Conclusion:Our data determined AgNPs-EC as a novel inhibitor of TNF-α production. These results are promising for developing novel therapeutic approaches for the future treatment of cancer with safe materials.
Purpose
The aim of this study was to formulate a hydrogel loaded with polymeric nanoparticles (PoNPs) of simvastatin (SIM) for topical wound healing application.
Materials and methods
The SIM PoNPs were prepared by using the nanoprecipitation method to improve the drug solubility and skin permeation. Furthermore, drug content, solubility, particle size, surface charge, and transmission electron microscopy of the prepared PoNPs were evaluated. Then, the PoNPs were loaded on hydrogel, and physical characteristics, in vitro release, and ex vivo permeation of the hydrogel were evaluated. Finally, the prepared gel was applied on rat wounds, and a histopathological study was performed.
Results
The results showed that the drug content in the PoNPs was 86.4%. The PoNPs were spherical in shape with a smooth surface and a uniform size distribution. The particle size was 268.4±2.6, polydispersity index was ≤0.302, and zeta potential was −33±1.67 mV. The hydrogel loaded with SIM PoNPs was homogenous, and the pH was accepted and compatible with the skin. Moreover, the viscosity and spreadability assured its ease of application. The drug content was 97.25±0.02%. Furthermore, about 81% of SIM was released within 24 hours, while in the ex vivo permeation study 69.19% of SIM passed through the skin after 24 hours. Finally, the histopathological studies confirmed the efficacy of the SIM PoNPs-loaded hydrogel in wound healing due to the formation of the normal epithelial layer on day 11 after wound creation.
Conclusion
The hydrogel loaded with SIM PoNPs showed a good efficacy in accelerating the healing of the rat wound with complete epithelialization and minimal inflammatory cell infiltration.
Sorafenib (SFB) is an anticancer drug with sparingly water solubility and reduced bioavailability. Nanoformulation of SFB can increase its dissolution rate and solubility. The current study aimed to formulate SFB in nanoparticles to improve their solubility. The sorafenib nanoparticles (SFB-PNs) were synthesized using the solvent evaporation method, then evaluated for their particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta-potential, morphological structure, and entrapment efficiency (EE%). Further, the anticancer efficacy in A549 and Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) cancer cell lines was evaluated. The SFB-NPs were uniform in size, which have 389.7 ± 16.49 nm, PDI of 0.703 ± 0.12, and zeta-potential of −13.5 ± 12.1 mV, whereas transmission electron microscopy showed a well-identified spherical particle. The EE% was found to be 73.7 ± 0.8%. SFB-NPs inhibited the cell growth by 50% after 48 h incubation, with IC50 of 2.26 and 1.28 µg/mL in A549 and MCF-7, respectively. Additionally, SFB-NPs showed a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in p21, and stathmin-1 gene expression levels in both cell lines. Moreover, SFB-NPs showed a significant increase in DNA damage of 25.50 and 26.75% in A549 and MCF-7, respectively. The results indicate that SFB-NPs are a potential candidate with an effective anticancer agent compared with free drugs.
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