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Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are highly potent bactericidal antibiotics with broad-spectrum activity against Gram-negative/positive bacteria. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) anticipated the presence of a long-lasting incapacity of Fluoroquinolone Associated Toxicity (FQAT), which is not officially documented yet. This review aimed to précis the existing information on FQA long-term toxicity, such as cardiotoxicity, aortic aneurysm, tendon rupture, nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, peripheral neuropathy, vagus nervous dysfunction, reactive oxygen species (ROS), phototoxicity, glucose hemostasis, and central nervous system (CNS) toxicity. We are focused on the CNS toxicity of FQs, either due to the direct action of the FQs on CNS receptors or by other drug co-administration, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory disease (NSAIDs) and theophylline. Due to the nature of the R7 side chain, FQs containing unsubstituted 7-piperazine and 7-pyrrolidine have the most significant effect. The gamma-aminobutyric acid-A (GABAA) receptor and CNS effects are inhibited through at least three possible mechanisms. Firstly, by the pharmacological action of the quinolone directly. Secondly, FQ-NSAIDs interact pharmacodynamically in which the interaction between the FQ and a receptor is significantly altered by the presence of another drug that interacts with the same receptor. An example may be the interaction between NSAIDs and some FQs. Thirdly, a pharmacokinetic drug-drug interaction leads to a higher concentration of quinolone or the other drug. An example may be the interaction between theophylline and benzodiazepines with some FQs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most COVID-19 cases are treated as outpatients, while the majority of studies on COVID-19 focus on inpatients. Little is known about the self-reporting and self-rating of the disease’s symptoms, and the associations of prophylactic use of dietary supplements with COVID-19 severity have not been addressed. The aims of this study are to evaluate COVID-19 severity and to relate them to sociodemographic characteristics and prophylactic dietary supplements. An observational patient-based study conducted through an online questionnaire on recovered COVID-19 patients. The patients were assessed for several severity parameters, sociodemographic parameters, and prophylactic dietary supplement use. A total of 428 patients were evaluated. Age and presence of comorbidities had positive associations with the severity parameters. The severe infection group had the highest proportion of patients stressed about COVID-19 (P < 0.05). Cigarette, but not hookah, smoking was significantly associated with less severe symptoms. Vitamin D negatively predicted disease severity (P < 0.05). In conclusion, stress, age, and presence of comorbidities were the most important positive predictors of COVID-19 severity, while prophylactic vitamin D use and smoking were significant negative predictors. The use of protective measures and other prophylactic dietary supplements was not significantly associated with symptom severity.

Background: Elettaria cardamomum possesses a variety of beneficial effects. Thus, we aimed to investigate cardamom essential oilloaded nanostructured lipid carrier (CEO-NLC) gastro-protective effects in an ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in a rat model. Materials and Methods: Forty male albino rats of the Wistar strain were assigned into eight groups. Pretreatment of animal groups with the low (300 mg/kg) and high (600 mg/kg) doses of CEO-NLC alleviates the pathological damage. It significantly reduces the ulcer areas induced by ethanol in rats, reducing pH, gastric-free, and total acidity measurements. Omeprazole 20 mg/kg was utilized as a reference medication to compare its effect with CEO-NLC. Results: Treatment with CEO-NLC increases total antioxidant capacity and suppresses oxidative damage of the stomach by lowering malonaldehyde (MDA) levels. Furthermore, inflammatory infiltration in groups treated with CEO-NLC is alleviated by decreasing the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6 and TNF-α and increasing anti-inflammatory IL-10. Administration of CEO-NLC, either at prophylactic or therapeutic doses, significantly reduces gastrin levels. Conclusion: CEO-NLCs demonstrated curative effects in inhibiting ethanolinduced gastric damage, which is related to suppressing gastric inflammation and oxidative stress. Thus, CEO-NLC might enhance the management of gastric ulcers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Medicinal plants have been the focus of scientific research for many decades worldwide, especially those used in traditional medicine. Objective: To perform the phytochemical analysis of extracted walnut oil (EWO) and its subchronic toxicity profile in Sprague Dawley rats. Methods: In this experimental study, the collected Kurdish walnut was authenticated by an authorized taxonomist and the core was obtained. Then, the walnut oil was extracted using the cold press method and sent for phytochemical analysis using GC-MS. Accordingly, the male Sprague Dawley rats were treated with varying doses of the EWO for four consecutive weeks, and animals were checked daily for abnormality and toxicity behaviours while they were weighed each week. At the end of the study, animals were sacrificed under deep anaesthesia, blood samples and organs were collected, and various hematological and biochemical tests were performed together with histopathological analysis. Results: GC-MS analysis showed that EWO contained 49 compounds, some critical in biomedical fields. The body weight of all treated animals was increased significantly. No significant changes were seen for hematological tests except platelets, which decreased in all treated groups (p =0.015) compared to the control group. At the same time, AST and chloride levels were decreased (p=0.002 and p=0.012, respectively), while total protein and calcium were increased (p =0.004 and p=0.033, respectively). Simultaneously, histopathological analysis showed no severe lesions in the brain, moderate lesions in the liver and mild, moderate and severe lesions in the kidneys. Conclusions: EWO is rich in various compounds that contain active medicinal components. The EWO can be used at low doses as it does not affect most hematological and biochemical tests and has no significant toxicity in the vital organs of experimental rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Mediterranean area is a diversity center for the genus Dianthus. However, species belonging to this genus, including Dianthus orientalis Adams (DOA), have not been investigated for their medicinal activities. Objectives: To investigate antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, antioxidant effects and molecular mechanism of D. orientalis Adams leaf extract (DOAE) in an animal model. Materials and methods: The plant leaves were collected from July to August 2021 from Penjween district, Sulaimaniyah, Iraq and then identified, authenticated, shadow-dried, and extracted using pure methanol. Thirty rats were divided randomly into 5 groups of 6 animals each. Group 1 was control negative (CN) and received distilled water (DW). Group 2 was diabetic control (DC) that received DW, while group 3 was control positive (CP) treated with Glibenclamide (GLB, 0.6 mg/kg body weight). Groups 4 and 5 were diabetic rats who received a low-dose (30 mg/kg) and a high-dose (90 mg/kg) of DOAE orally for 4 weeks. Then, lipid profile, total antioxidant capacity, histopathological examinations, and molecular studies were conducted. Results: DOAE was more effective than GLB in reducing blood glucose, lipid parameters, liver enzymes, and renal function. Micromorphological assay of livers, kidneys, and pancreas revealed significant restoration in diabetic groups treated with DOAE (90 mg/kg) and GLB compared to the DC group. Microribonuclic acid-21 (miR-21) was significantly expressed in DC but markedly lowered in both DOAE groups, while miR-24 and miR-126 were significantly suppressed in DC and expressed in the DOAE-treated groups. Conclusions: DOAE exerted significant antihyperglycemic, anti-dyslipidemic, antioxidant, and hepatorenal protective effects in diabetic rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]