An Evaluation of the Protective Effects of Thymoquinone on Amikacin-Induced Ototoxicity in Rats

Objectives

In this study we investigated the probable protective effects of thymoquinone on amikacin-induced ototoxicity in rats.

Methods

Thirty-two healthy rats were divided into four groups (amikacin, amikacin+thymoquinone, thymoquinone, and no treatment). Thymoquinone was fed to the rats via oral gavage in a dose of 40 mg/kg/day throughout the study period of 14 days. Amikacin was given by the intramuscular route in a dose of 600 mg/kg/day. Audiological assessment was conducted by the distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) and auditory brainstem response (ABR) tests, administered to all rats at the beginning of the study, and also on days 7 and 15. Biochemical parameters were calculated at the termination of the study to evaluate the oxidative status.

Results

There were significant decreases in DPOAE values and significant increases in ABR thresholds of the amikacin group on days 7 and 15, as compared to the amikacin+thymoquinone group. While ABR thresholds of the amikacin group increased significantly on days 7 and 15 as compared to their initial values, there were no significant differences between the initial and the 7th and 15th day values of ABR thresholds in the amikacin+thymoquinone group. Total oxidant status and oxidative stress index values of the amikacin+thymoquinone group were significantly lower than those of the amikacin group. Total antioxidant status values of the amikacin+thymoquinone group were significantly higher than those of the amikacin group.

Conclusion

Our study has demonstrated that the ototoxic effect brought forth by amikacin could be overcome with the concurrent use of thymoquinone.     

百里醌抑制人胰腺癌BxPC-3细胞体外运动和侵袭的研究

背景:胰腺癌是恶性程度最高的消化道肿瘤,目前吉西他滨依赖的化疗对抑制胰腺癌转移的治疗效果欠佳。研究发现百里醌对多种肿瘤细胞具有抑制增殖、促进凋亡的作用。目的:探讨百里醌对人胰腺癌BxP C-3细胞体外运动和侵袭的影响及其作用机制。方法:常规培养人胰腺癌细胞株BxP C-3,加入不同浓度百里醌进行处理。采用Boyden小室法检测细胞体外运动、侵袭情况;蛋白质印迹法检测细胞FAK、Akt蛋白表达和Akt磷酸化水平的改变;免疫荧光技术检测细胞内FAK表达、细胞黏着斑和F-actin的变化。结果:10、25μmol/L百里醌对BxP C-3细胞体外运动的抑制率分别为43.4%、73.8%,对体外侵袭的抑制率分别为60.5%、75.6%,百里醌呈浓度依赖性地抑制胰腺癌BxP C-3细胞的体外运动、侵袭(P0.05)。百里醌能明显下调BxP C-3细胞FAK表达,并抑制细胞磷酸化Akt的激活。百里醌可诱导FAK弥散分布于胞质,明显抑制黏着斑形成和F-actin的聚合集化。结论:百里醌通过抑制FAK/PI3K/Akt通路的信号转导和激酶活性,浓度依赖性地抑制人胰腺癌BxP C-3细胞的体外运动和侵袭。     

Thymoquinone (2-Isopropyl-5-methyl-1, 4-benzoquinone) as a chemopreventive/anticancer agent: Chemistry and biological effects

Cancer remains the topmost disorder of the mankind and number of cases is unceasingly growing at unprecedented rates. Although the synthetic anti-cancer compounds still hold the largest market in the modern treatment of cancer, natural agents have always been tried and tested for potential anti-cancer properties. Thymoquinone (TQ), a monoterpene and main ingredient in the essential oil of Nigella sativa L. has got very eminent rankings in the traditional systems of medicine for its anti-cancer pharmacological properties. In this review we summarized the diverse aspects of TQ including its chemistry, biosynthesis, sources and pharmacological properties with a major concern being attributed to its anti-cancer efficacies. The role of TQ in different aspects involved in the pathogenesis of cancer like inflammation, angiogenesis, apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, proliferation, invasion and migration have been described. The mechanism of action of TQ in different cancer types has been briefly accounted. Other safety and toxicological aspects and some combination therapies involving TQ have also been touched. A detailed literature search was carried out using various online search engines like google scholar and pubmed regarding the available research and review accounts on thymoquinone upto may 2019. All the articles reporting significant addition to the activities of thymoquinone were selected. Additional information was acquired from ethno botanical literature focusing on thymoquinone. The compound has been the centre of attention for a long time period and researched regularly in quite considerable numbers for its various physicochemical, medicinal, biological and pharmacological perspectives. Thymoquinone is studied for various chemical and pharmacological activities and demonstrated promising anti-cancer potential. The reviewed reports confirmed the strong anti-cancer efficacy of thymoquinone. Further in-vitro and in-vivo research is strongly warranted regarding the complete exploration of thymoquinone in ethnopharmacological context.     

Evaluation of the effect of terpenoid quinones on Trichophyton mentagrophytes by solution and vapor contact

The antimicrobial activity against two bacterial strains and three fungi of five terpenoid quinones, three related quinones, and a quinone-containing essential oil was investigated by broth dilution and by agar vapor and box vapor assays. All the quinones, except for coenzyme Q₁₀, exhibited their highest activity against Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Thymoquinone showed the most potent activity, not only by solution contact but also by vapor contact, with menadione the next most potent. Alizarin showed high activity only by solution contact. The antibacterial activity was related to the orthoquinone structure (1,2-chloranil and 1,2-naphthoquinone) and the antifungal activity was related to the paraquinone structure (chloranil, ubiquinone 0, thymoquinone, and menadione).     

百里醌抑制大肠癌生长的实验研究

目的:探讨百里醌抑制体内外大肠癌生长的影响及机制。方法:不同浓度百里醌作用人大肠癌细胞株SW480后,CCK-8法检测细胞增殖;流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡;Western blotting检测大肠癌细胞中NF-κB、Bcl-2和Survivin的表达;建立裸鼠大肠癌皮下移植瘤模型,随机分为对照组和实验组(n=10),第3周开始分别经灌胃给予溶媒(1%乙醇)和百里醌(3 mg/只),每周3次,共两周,术后第8周处死裸鼠,测量肿瘤瘤重并计算抑瘤率;免疫组织化学法检测肿瘤组织的NF-κB、Bcl-2和Survivin的表达。结果:与对照组相比,百里醌可显著抑制大肠癌SW480细胞生长,并诱导细胞凋亡;百里醌可明显抑制NF-κB、Bcl-2和Survivin在SW480细胞中表达;与对照组相比较,实验组裸鼠皮下移植瘤生长被显著抑制,肿瘤组织中NF-κB、Bcl-2和Survivin表达下调。结论:百里醌具有抑制体内外大肠癌生长的作用,可能是通过抑制大肠癌中NF-κB及其调控蛋白Bcl-2及Survivin的表达而实现。     

百里醌对血管生成及胰腺癌生长的影响

目的: 探讨百里醌对血管生成和胰腺癌生长的影响及其机制。方法: 采用贴壁选择法培养人脐血内皮祖细胞(EPCs),细胞免疫组化检验细胞中血管内皮生长因子受体-2(VEGFR-2)、VIII因子和 CD34表达,证实细胞属性;观察不同浓度(10 nmol/L、20 nmol/L和40 nmol/L)百里醌对EPCs小管形成的影响;不同浓度(20 μmol/L、40 μmol/L和80 μmol/L)百里醌作用人胰腺癌细胞株PANC-1后,Western blotting检测胰腺癌细胞中血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)表达的变化;建立裸鼠胰腺癌原位移植瘤模型,分成对照组和百里醌组,实验结束后观察百里醌对裸鼠胰腺癌生长的抑制作用;免疫组织化学法检测裸鼠胰腺肿瘤组织中Ki-67、CD34和VEGF的阳性表达。结果: 体外成功培养出人脐血EPCs,百里醌可显著抑制体外EPCs小管形成;并抑制体外人胰腺癌PANC-1细胞中VEGF的表达;与对照组相比较,百里醌可明显抑制荷瘤裸鼠中胰腺肿瘤生长,并下调Ki-67、CD34和VEGF在胰腺肿瘤组织中的阳性表达。结论: 百里醌可抑制体内外血管生长,有望作为治疗胰腺癌的血管抑制药物。     

Gastroprotective activity of Nigella sativa L oil and its constituent, thymoquinone against acute alcohol-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats

AIM: To evaluate the role of reactive oxygen species in the pathogenesis of acute ethanol-induced gastric mucosal lesions and the effect of Nigella sativa L oil (NS) and its constituent thymoquinone (TQ) in an experimental model. METHODS: Male Wistar albino rats were assigned into 4 groups. Control group was given physiologic saline orally (10 mL/kg body weight) as the vehicle (gavage); ethanol group was administrated 1 mL (per rat) absolute alcohol by gavage; the third and fourth groups were given NS (10 ml/kg body weight) and TQ (10 mg/kg body weight p.o) respectively 1 h prior to alcohol intake. One hour after ethanol administration, stomach tissues were excised for macroscopic examination and biochemical analysis. RESULTS: NS and TQ could protect gastric mucosa against the injurious effect of absolute alcohol and promote ulcer healing as evidenced from the ulcer index (UI) values. NS prevented alcohol-induced increase in thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), an index of lipid peroxidation. NS also increased gastric glutathione content (GSH), enzymatic activities of gastric superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST). Likewise, TQ protected against the ulcerating effect of alcohol and mitigated most of the biochemical adverse effects induced by alcohol in gastric mucosa, but to a lesser extent than NS. Neither NS nor TQ affected catalase activity in gastric tissue. CONCLUSION: Both NS and TQ, particularly NS can partly protect gastric mucosa from acute alcohol-induced mucosal injury, and these gastroprotective effects might be induced, at least partly by their radical scavenging activity.     

Protective effects of thymoquinone and methotrexate on the renal injury in collagen-induced arthritis

The goal of this investigation was to study the protective effects of thymoquinone (TQ) and methotrexate (MTX) on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in rats. On day 0 under ether anesthesia, the experimental groups were immunized with 0.5 mg native chick collagen II (CII) solubilized in 0.1 M acetic acid and emulsified in Freund's incomplete adjuvant. Control rats were gavaged with vehicle, whereas CII was administered intradermally. In addition, arthritis treated with TQ group received TQ (10 mg kg(-1) bw by gavage once a week for 3 weeks starting on day 0); and arthritis treated with MTX group received MTX (MTX was suspended in corn oil and administered by gavage at 1 mg kg (-1) bw once a week for 3 weeks starting on day 0). A significant decrease in the incidence and severity of arthritis by clinical and radiographic assessments was found in recipients of therapy, compared with that of controls. The MTX treatment significantly (P<0.01) decreased the elevated serum NO, urea and creatinine in arthritic rats. Likewise, TQ treatment was also able to reduce significantly (P<0.05) serum NO, urea and creatinine levels, but to lesser extent than MTX. The histopathologic abnormalities are consistent with the hydropic epithelial cell degenerations and moderate tubular dilatation in the some proximal and distal tubules. The severity of the degenerative changes in most of the shrunken glomerules and vascular congestion were also observed in arthritic animals. Preventive treatment of TQ and especially MTX significantly inhibited kidney dysfunction and this histopathologic alterations. These studies indicate that TQ can be used similar to MTX as a safe and effective therapy for CIA and may be useful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.     

Thymoquinone inhibits cell proliferation through regulation of G1/S phase cell cycle transition in N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced experimental rat hepatocellular carcinoma

Dysregulated cell proliferation and tumorigenesis is frequently encountered in several cancers including hepatocellular carcinogenesis (HCC). Thus, agents that inhibit cell proliferation and restrain hepatic tumorigenesis through cell cycle regulation have a beneficial effect in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinogenesis. The present study was aimed to investigate the efficacy of thymoquinone (TQ), an active compound derived from the medicinal plant Nigella sativa, on N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) [0.01% in drinking water for 16 weeks]-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in experimental rats. After experimental period, the hepatic nodules, liver injury markers and tumor markers levels were substantially increased in NDEA induced liver tumors in rats. However, TQ (20 mg/kg body weight) treatment greatly reduced liver injury markers and decreased tumor markers and prevented hepatic nodule formation and reduced tumor multiplicity in NDEA induced hepatic cancer bearing rats and this was evident from argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region (AgNORs) staining. Moreover, the uncontrolled cell proliferation was assessed by specific cell proliferative markers [proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Ki67] by immunofluorescence, immunoblot and analysis of mRNA expression. Simultaneously, we assessed the activity of TQ on G1/S phase cell cycle regulation with specific cell cycle proteins (p21^WAF1/CIP1, CDK4, Cyclin D1 and Cyclin E) by immunoprecipitation in experimental rats. Treatment with TQ significantly reduced the detrimental alterations by abrogating cell proliferation, which strongly induced G1/S arrest in cell cycle transition. In conclusion, our results suggest that TQ has a potent anti proliferative activity by regulating the G1/S phase cell cycle transition and exhibit a beneficial role in the treatment of HCC.