Introduction: Although ash has been used for treatment and cleaning among the people since Avicenna, its use for therapeutic purposes is not common in modern medicine. The main ingredient of ash is potassium hydroxide (KOH).Methods: In this paper, the antiviral properties of KOH were studied in vivo and in vitro conditions in mucolytic, alkaline and enveloped viruses that cause respiratory tract disease. For this purpose, a 6-stage study was planned. The physicochemical properties of the highest dose of KOH, whose caustic properties are well known, that can be used orally in humans, and the changes in the structure of mucus were investigated. Then, interactions of KOH with the membrane phospholipid bilayer complex, mucin 5AC, corona viruses spike glycoprotein, TMPRSS2 and human ACE2 (hACE2) receptors, and neuraminidase active site in influenza virus were investigated in silico, and the toxicity and beneficial properties of KOH in cells, both in vitro and in vivo, were evaluated.Results: It has been shown that at the applied doses, KOH has a mucolytic effect and increases the pH of the environment in mucus. It has been shown to prolong life span in cell culture and have no toxicity, and in the in silico study it binds to the hydrophilic part of the cell membrane, corona virus spike glycoprotein, TMPRSS2 hACE2 receptor and neuraminidase active site in influenza virus. Oral use of KOH in the form of a spray in mice had no toxic effects on the mucosa and the inhaler application has a mucolytic effect by decreasing the viscosity of mucus in the respiratory tract.Conclusion: In light of these findings, KOH can be mucolytic, alkaline, and antiviral for enveloped viruses in the respiratory tract.
Ultrasound is used in many analysis studies, including liquid mixtures. Many mixtures are analyzed to understand their contents or properties in different situations. One of these mixtures is the ethanol-water combination. In this study, the amount of ethanol in the liquid mixture was determined noninvasively by the ultrasonic method using a microcontroller-based system. The results show that the measurements obtained were within the p<0.05 confidence interval. The characteristics evaluation of the system shows that the system can detect ethanol concentration as low as 0.552 g/L, thus the system has a broad and linear determination range for ethanol. Although the system is calibrated and tested with ethanol-water mixture, it can be used for any mixture that changes density related to the substance concentration, including different alcohols which are soluble in water (glycols, glycoethers, etc.) or any other material (solid or liquid) which is soluble in alcohol or different liquid solvent. The system has so many advantages that make it possible to use comfortably in many areas where the amount of ethanol contained in the mixture is essential. These advantages are the high accuracy and sensitivity, being noninvasive, portable, and not having a destructive effect on the substance. Resumen. El ultrasonido es utilizado en muchos estudios incluyendo las mezclas liquidas. Se analizan varias mezclas para entender sus contenidos y propiedades en diferentes situaciones. Una de estas mezclas es la combinación de etanol-agua. En este estudio, la cantidad de etanol en la mezcla líquida fue determinada de manera no invasiva con el método ultrasonico utilizando un sistema basado en microcontrolador. Los resultados muestran que las mediciones obtenidas se encontraban dentro de un intervalo de confianza de p<0.05. Las características de evaluación del sistema muestran que se puede detectar etanol a una concentración tan baja como 0.552 g/L, por lo tanto, el sistema tiene un rango de determinación linear amplio para etanol. Aunque el sistema se calibra y prueba con mezcla de etanol-agua, puede ser utilizado para cualquier mezcla que cambia de densidad en relación con la concentración de la substancia, incluyendo diferentes alcoholes que son solubles en agua (glicoles, glicoeteres, etc) o cualquier otro material (sólido o líquido) que sea soluble en alcohol o en algún solvente líquido diferente. El sistema tiene muchas ventajas que hacen posible su utilización en muchas áreas donde la cantidad de etanol contenida en la mezcla es esencial. Estas ventajas son de alta precisión y sensiblididad al ser no invasivo, portátil y al no tener un efecto destructivo sobre la sustancia.
Introduction. Rare-earth orthovanadate nanoparticles (ReVO4:Eu3+, Re = Gd, Y or La) are promising agents for photodynamic therapy of cancer due to their modifiable redox properties. However, their toxicity limits their application. Objective. The aim of this research was to elucidate pro-eryptotic effects of GdVO4:Eu3+ and LaVO4:Eu3+ nanoparticles with identification of underlying mechanisms of eryptosis induction and to determine their pharmacological potential in eryptosis-related diseases. Methods. Blood samples (n=9) were incubated for 24 h with 0-10-20-40-80 mg/L GdVO4:Eu3+ or LaVO4:Eu3+ nanoparticles, washed and used to prepare erythrocyte suspensions to analyze the cell membrane scrambling (annexin-V-FITC staining), cell shrinkage (forward scatter signaling), reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation through 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (H2DCFDA) staining and intracellular Ca2+ levels via FLUO4 AM staining by flow cytometry. Internalization of europium-enabled luminescent GdVO4:Eu3+ and LaVO4:Eu3+ nanoparticles was assessed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Results. Both nanoparticles triggered eryptosis at concentrations of 80 mg/L. ROS-mediated mechanisms were not involved in rare-earth orthovanadate nanoparticles-induced eryptosis. Elevated cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations were revealed even at subtoxic concentrations of nanoparticles. LaVO4:Eu3+ nanoparticles increased intracellular calcium levels in a more pronounced way compared with GdVO4:Eu3+ nanoparticles. Our data disclose that the small-sized (15 nm) GdVO4:Eu3+ nanoparticles were internalized after a 24 h incubation, while the large-sized (~30 nm) LaVO4:Eu3+ nanoparticles were localized preferentially around erythrocytes. Conclusions. Both internalized GdVO4:Eu3+ and non-internalized LaVO4:Eu3+ nanoparticles (80 mg / L) promote eryptosis of erythrocytes after a 24 h exposure in vitro via Ca2+ signaling without involvement of oxidative stress. Eryptosis is a promising model for assessing nanotoxicity.
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