The cucurbits (prebiotics) were investigated as novel agents for radio-modification against gastrointestinal injury. The cell-cycle fractions and DNA damage were monitored in HCT-15 cells. A cucurbit extract was added to culture medium 2 h before irradiation (6 Gy) and was substituted by fresh medium at 4 h post-irradiation. The whole extract of the fruits of Lagenaria siceraria, Luffa cylindrica, or Cucurbita pepo extract enhanced G fractions (42%, 34%, and 37%, respectively) as compared with control (20%) and irradiated control (31%). With cucurbits, the comet tail length remained shorter (L. siceraria, 28 μm; L. cylindrica, 34.2 μm; C. pepo, 36.75 μm) than irradiated control (41.75 μm). For in vivo studies, L. siceraria extract (2 mg/kg body weight) was administered orally to mice at 2 h before and 4 and 24 h after whole-body irradiation (10 Gy). L. siceraria treatment restored the glutathione contents to 48.8 μmol/gm as compared with control (27.6 μmol/gm) and irradiated control (19.6 μmol/gm). Irradiation reduced the villi height from 379 to 350 μm and width from 54 to 27 μm. L. siceraria administration countered the radiation effects (length, 366 μm; width, 30 μm, respectively) and improved the villi morphology and tight junction integrity. This study reveals the therapeutic potential of cucurbits against radiation-induced gastrointestinal injury.
The objective of this work was to
evaluate grafted soy protein
isolate (SPI) for pharmaceutical applications. The present work reports
the microwave-assisted preparation of soy protein isolate\grafted[acrylic
acid-
co
-4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)butanoic acid] [SPI-
g
-(AA-
co
-HPBA)] hydrogel
via
graft copolymerization using
N
,
N
-methylene-bis-acrylamide and potassium persulphate as the cross-linker
and initiator, respectively. The chemical and physical properties
of the synthesized polymeric hydrogels were analyzed by Fourier transform
infrared spectroscopy, liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry
(LCMS), nuclear magnetic resonance
1
H-NMR, X-ray diffraction
(XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy
(SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The SEM, TEM, and XRD
analyses have confirmed the formation of hydrogel SPI-
g
-(AA-
co
-HPBA) with the network structure having
a layered and crystalline surface. The SPI-
g
-(AA-
co
-HPBA) hydrogel was investigated for the sustained and
controlled drug delivery system for the release of model drug ciprofloxacin
at basic pH for its utilization against bacterial infection in oral
cavity. The drug release profile for SPI-
g
-(AA-
co
-HPBA) hydrogels was studied using LCMS at the ppb level
at pH = 7.4. The synthesized hydrogel was found to be noncytotoxic,
polycrystalline in nature with a network structure having good porosity,
increased thermal stability, and pH-responsive behavior. The hydrogel
has potential to be used as the vehicle for controlled drug delivery
in oral cavity bacterial infections.
Natural protein-based polymers may serve as a potential source for developing advance porous organic macromolecules, possessing exquisite control over the pores, which impart exceptional properties to these materials. Here,...
Breast imaging has evolved over several decades; however, a significant leap has happened in the past couple of decades. Multiple modalities are available for the evaluation of breast diseases; Mammography, Digital Breast Tomosynthesis, Ultrasound, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and Contrast Enhanced Mammography (CEM) are a few of the frequently used ones. Image-guided interventions have further evolved, core needle biopsy, vacuum-assisted biopsy, clip placements, and wire localization to name a few. At times, it is difficult to choose between the modalities for disease evaluation and intervention. In this article, we have tried to cover in brief the evolution of breast imaging over years and have discussed the imaging approach to some frequent clinical presentations along with the approach to the evaluation of mammography.
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally and the second most common cancer in Indian women, more common in lower socioeconomic strata. Improvement in survival and decrease in morbidity reflect the earlier detection with screening and imaging, as well as multifactorial multimodality therapy integrating surgery, and concurrent chemoradiation therapy providing superior therapeutic benefits. Imaging plays a vital role in assessing the extent of disease and staging of cervical cancer. The appropriateness criteria of a modality are different from its availability based on infrastructure, medical facilities, and resource status. Although in an ideal situation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) would be of greatest value in locoregional assessment of extent of disease and fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography for distant staging; often, an ultrasonography, chest radiograph, and bone scans are utilized, with contrast-enhanced computed tomography representing a fair superior diagnostic accuracy, and can be reported as per the RECIST 1.1 criteria. MRI is also of good utility in the assessment of residual disease, predicting response and detecting small volume recurrence. MRI offers the highest diagnostic accuracy in determining parametrial invasion and hence surgical planning; so also, MRI-guided radiation planning helps in more accurate graded radiation dose planning in radiation therapy. Stage and therapy-based surveillance imaging should be encouraged and recommended.
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