Current pharmaceutical design
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High global incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) is an observable complication in critically ill patients. Long-term disease and medication complexity contribute to devastating chronic kidney disease (CKD), diminishing quality of life. ⋯ Our data demonstrated creatinine elevation by a factor > 2 in 48 h in AKI group but not CKD group, which returned close to normal levels by the EF-Up, an indication of abrupt renal injury in AKI, compared with a persistent effect in the CKD group. Both serum and urine NGAL sensitivity and specificity provided powerful discriminative tool between AKI and CKD by reduction in the AKI group and an increase in the CKD group by the EF-UP, thus, contributing in establishing the basis for AKI and CKD classification. CysC, however, displayed less sensitivity than NGAL, indicating effects by enigmatic non-specific factors.
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Evaluation of Local Injection of Bevacizumab against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Xenograft Tumors.
Bevacizumab (BVZ) is a recombinant humanized antibody that inhibits the vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and is used for the treatment of various types of cancer. BVZ is primarily given by the intravenous drip (I.V.), which often leads to low efficacy and various side effects. Therefore, the present study was to evaluate the effect of local delivery of BVZ against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) xenograft tumors. ⋯ This study provided evidence associated with local delivery of BVZ against TNBC tumors supporting the use of BVZ local injections to overcome some of the disadvantages associated with I.V. therapy with BVZ.
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High ethanol intake induces a neuroinflammatory response resulting in the subsequent maintenance of chronic alcohol consumption. The melanocortin system plays a pivotal role in the modulation of alcohol consumption. Interestingly, it has been shown that the activation of melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) in the brain decreases the neuroinflammatory response in models of brain damage other than alcohol consumption, such as LPS-induced neuroinflammation, cerebral ischemia, glutamate excitotoxicity, and spinal cord injury. ⋯ High ethanol consumption produces an increase in the expression of MC4R in the hippocampus and hypothalamus. The administration of a synthetic MC4R-agonist peptide prevents neuroinflammation induced by alcohol consumption in the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and prefrontal cortex. These results could explain the effect of α-MSH and other synthetic MC4R agonists in decreasing alcohol intake through the reduction of the ethanol-induced inflammatory response in the brain.