clay and Disease-Models--Animal

Death from acute hemorrhage is a major problem in military conflicts, traffic accidents, and surgical procedures, et al. Achieving rapid effective hemostasis for pre-hospital care is essential to save lives in massive bleeding. An ideal hemostasis material should have those features such as safe, efficient, convenient, economical, which remains challenging and most of them cannot be achieved at the same time. In this work, we report a rapid effective nanoclay-based hemostatic membranes with nanoclay particles incorporate into polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) electrospun fibers. The nanoclay electrospun membrane (NEM) with 60 wt% kaolinite (KEM1.5) shows better and faster hemostatic performance in vitro and in vivo with good biocompatibility compared with most other NEMs and clay-based hemostats, benefiting from its enriched hemostatic functional sites, robust fluffy framework, and hydrophilic surface. The robust hemostatic bandages based on nanoclay electrospun membrane is an effective candidate hemostat in practical application.

Topics: Animals; Bandages; Clay; Disease Models, Animal; Hemorrhage; Hemostasis; Hemostatics; Humans; Kaolin; Liver; Male; Nanostructures; Povidone; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Spleen; Surgical Wound

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Aflatoxin formed by <i>Aspergillus</i> sp. causes acute hepatotoxicity by DNA damage, gene expression disruption and induced liver carcinoma in humans and laboratory animals. The objectives of this research were to evaluate the protective role of both clay and nano clay as adsorbents to inhibit the side effect of Aflatoxin (AF) by measures the common biological assay of aflatoxicosis in rats along with hepatic gene expression and comet assay. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Six weeks old male albino rats were distributed into 6 groups with 10 rats per group fed on, Group 1: Basal diet, Group 2: Basal diet with clay (5 g kg¹ diet), Group 3: Basal diet with nano clay (5 g kg¹ diet), Group 4: AF-contaminated diet (1 mg kg¹ diet), Group 5: AF with clay, Group 6: AF with nano clay. <b>Results:</b> AF induced a noticeable increase in the liver function parameters, accompanied by a significant decrease in antioxidant enzyme activities and significant histological alterations in liver tissues. The obtained qPCR results showed a significant up regulation in the expression of Cyp3A6, HO-1, TNFα and NFKB genes in the liver of rats treated with aflatoxin. In contrast, there is a significant down regulation in the expression levels of the Glut2 gene in liver rats treated with aflatoxin. Also, aflatoxin induced a significant increase in DNA damage. Clay and nano clay succeeded in ameliorating the toxic effects of aflatoxin. <b>Conclusion:</b> The results indicated the effective role of clay and nano clay in alleviating aflatoxin and reduce its harmful effects.

Topics: Aflatoxins; Animals; Clay; Disease Models, Animal; Liver; Protective Factors; Rats

To study the safety and biocompatibility of Laponite clay (LAP) within an intravitreal and suprachoroidal administration in rabbit eyes.. Thirty-two New Zealand albino rabbits were divided into two experimental groups to test intravitreal (IVT group) and suprachoroidal (SCS group) administration of a 100-μl and 50-μl Laponite suspension respectively. Following injection, the eyes were monitored by ocular tonometry, slit-lamp eye examination and indirect ophthalmoscopy, at 24 h, 1, 4, 12, and 14 weeks post administration. Histological examination was also performed to determine whether any ocular pathological change had occurred. Throughout the study, LAP presence in vitreous was estimated by complexometric titration with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), taking advantage of the Laponite high content of magnesium ions.. Neither significant differences in the intraocular pressure, nor relevant ocular complications were found in the two experimental groups after LAP administration. The histology of the retina remained unchanged. LAP presence in vitreous could be indirectly confirmed by complexometric titration until 14 weeks post administration in eyes of IVT group.. Laponite could be considered as a vehicle for potential clinical use in ocular drug administration, due to its proven ocular biocompatibility and its transparency in gel state.

Topics: Aluminum Silicates; Animals; Biocompatible Materials; Clay; Disease Models, Animal; Electroretinography; Female; Intravitreal Injections; Ophthalmoscopy; Rabbits; Retina; Retinal Diseases; Silicates; Vision, Ocular

Second-degree burn injury is the most common type of burn injury, which usually takes 2-3 weeks for complete healing. However, such patients suffer with intense pain associated with development of hyperalgesia and allodynia. Here, we prepare a silver clay patch using montmorillonite clay, betaine, and silver nitrate. Later, the silver clay patches were loaded with fentanyl. Furthermore, the patches were fabricated into burn wound dressings. The dressings were first subjected to ex vivo skin penetration studies and were later evaluated for thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia using second-degree burn injury rodent model. Our results show that application of fentanyl-loaded dermal clay (FLDC) dressings for 3 h showed significant increase of paw withdrawal latency (p <0.001) against hyperalgesia starting from 30 min after removal of patch to up to 6 h. Similarly, the FLDC dressings also potentiated the paw withdrawal threshold for up to 4 h after application (p <0.001). From these studies, we can conclude that FLDC dressings are ideal topical formulations for better management of pain in second-degree burns.

Topics: Animals; Bandages; Burns; Clay; Disease Models, Animal; Fentanyl; Hyperalgesia; Male; Pain; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Skin; Wound Healing

Discoveries associated with antibacterial activity of hydrated clays necessitate assessments of in vivo efficacy, practical use and safety. Surface properties of clays can lead to variations in the composition and abundance of bound compounds or ions, thus affecting antibacterial activity. Since exchangeable metal ions released from the clay surface are responsible for in vitro antibacterial activity, we evaluated the in vivo antibacterial efficacy of four natural clays (one illite clay, two montmorillonite clays and one kaolinite clay) and three ion-exchanged, antibacterial clays against superficial, cutaneous meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in mice. Superficial, cutaneous wounds on the back of SKH1-Elite mice were generated and subsequently infected with MRSA. Following twice daily applications of a hydrated clay poultice to infected wounds for 7  days, we observed significant differences in the in vivo antibacterial efficacy between different types of clays. The natural and ion-exchanged illite clays performed best, as measured by bacterial load, inflammatory response and gross wound morphology with significant decreases in bacterial viability and dermatitis. Topical application of kaolinite clay was the least effective, resulting in the lowest decrease in bacterial load and exhibiting severe dermatitis. These data suggest that specific types of clays may offer a complementary and integrative strategy for topically treating MRSA and other cutaneous infections. However, since natural clays exhibit in vitro antibacterial variability and vary vastly in surface chemistries, adsorptive/absorptive characteristics and structural composition, the properties and characteristics of illite clays could aid in the development of standardized and customized aluminosilicates for topical infections.

Topics: Aluminum Silicates; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacterial Load; Chemical Phenomena; Clay; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Female; Inflammation; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Mice; Minerals; Skin Diseases, Bacterial; Wound Infection

Buruli ulcer, caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, is a localized skin lesion that can progress to extensive ulceration and necrosis if left untreated. Unpublished studies of hydrated clays for therapeutic, topical treatment of Buruli ulcer suggest that specific clay mineral products may have beneficial effects on wound healing. In this study, we evaluated the in vitro antibacterial activity of a panel of clay mixtures and their derivative leachates against M. ulcerans and assessed the in vivo efficacy of topically-applied, hydrated clays on Buruli ulcer progression in mice infected with M. ulcerans.. M. ulcerans 1615 was incubated with 10% suspensions of CB07, CB08, CB09, CB10, and BY07 clay mixtures, and survival was determined over 28 days. For animal experiments, we examined the effect of topical hydrated clay therapy on Buruli ulcer progression in vivo in mouse tails subcutaneously infected with M. ulcerans 1615.. The CB07, CB08, and CB09 clays exhibited bactericidal activity against M. ulcerans after 7, 14, 21, and 28 days of incubation. In contrast, clay leachates exhibited inhibitory, bacteriostatic effects on M. ulcerans growth in vitro. After establishing an ulcerative M. ulcerans infection for three months, ulcerated regions of the tails were treated once daily (five consecutive days per week) for 22 days with hydrated CB09 clay poultices. Mice in the clay treatment group exhibited healing as assessed by gross morphological changes and a reduction in M. ulcerans present in the wounds.. These data reveal that specific clays exhibit in vitro bactericidal activity against M. ulcerans and that hydrated clay poultices may offer a complementary and integrative strategy for topically treating Buruli ulcer disease.

Topics: Administration, Topical; Aluminum Silicates; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Buruli Ulcer; Clay; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Mycobacterium ulcerans

Three experiments were conducted showing rats' pica behavior (kaolin clay intake) due to running in activity wheels. The amount of kaolin consumed was a positive function of the available time of voluntary running (20, 40, or 60 min), although this relationship was blunted by a descending (i.e., 60 → 40 → 20 min) test series of execution (Experiment 1). Pica was also generated by forced running in a motorized wheel for 60 min as a positive function of the speed of wheel rotations at 98, 185, or 365 m/h, independent of the order of execution (Experiment 2). Voluntary running generated more pica than did forced running at 80 m/h, although the distance travelled in the former condition was 27% lesser than that in the latter condition (Experiment 3). Because kaolin intake is regarded as a reliable measure of nausea in rats, these results show that wheel running, either voluntary or forced, induces nausea in rats.

Topics: Aluminum Silicates; Animals; Behavior, Animal; Clay; Disease Models, Animal; Energy Intake; Feeding Behavior; Kaolin; Male; Motor Activity; Nausea; Physical Exertion; Pica; Rats, Wistar; Reproducibility of Results; Time Factors

Five million people currently live with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis, the two major forms of inflammatory bowel disease. Available treatments frequently result in side effects that compromise the immune health of the patient. Consequently, alternative therapies that cause fewer systemic effects are needed. Dioctahedral smectite clays have been utilized to treat medical conditions, including diarrheal and enteric disease. Herein, we report the ability of a refined dioctahedral smectite (NovaSil, NS) to sorb inflammatory proteins and reduce inflammation in a TNBS (2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid) mouse model of CD. We also investigated whether NS could rescue gut microbial diversity in TNBS-induced mice.. ELISA, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy were employed to characterize the NS-cytokine interaction in vitro. A TNBS mouse colitis model was utilized to study the efficacy of NS supplementation for 4 weeks. The three treatment groups included control, TNBS, and TNBS + NS. DNA was extracted from feces and sorted for bacterial phylogenetic analysis.. Results suggest that NS binds TNFα in vitro. In TNBS-treated mice, supplementation with NS significantly reduced weight loss, and serum proinflammatory cytokine levels (IL-2, IL-6, and IL-12, TNFα, IFNγ) compared with the TNBS group. TNBS-treated mice demonstrated a significant reduction in gut microbiota species richness when compared with the TNBS + NS group and control group.. NovaSil mitigated the effects of TNBS-induced colitis based on reduction in systemic markers of inflammation, significant improvement in weight gain, and intestinal microbial profile.

Topics: Aluminum Silicates; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Bacteria; Clay; Colitis; Colon; Crystallography, X-Ray; Cytokines; Disease Models, Animal; Feces; Female; Gastrointestinal Agents; Inflammation Mediators; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Powder Diffraction; Ribotyping; Silicates; Time Factors; Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid; Weight Gain

Voluntary running in an activity wheel establishes aversion to paired taste in rats. A proposed mechanism underlying this taste aversion learning is gastrointestinal discomfort caused by running. We tested this hypothesis by measuring the pica behavior (kaolin clay intake) of rats, because it is known that rats engage in pica behavior after various nausea-inducing treatments including irradiation, motion sickness, and injection of emetic drugs such as lithium chloride (LiCl). Following a demonstration of the already-known phenomenon of LiCl-based pica in Experiment 1, we successfully showed running-based pica behavior in Experiment 2 where the running treatment was compared with a non-running control treatment (i.e., confinement in a locked wheel). These results suggest that not only LiCl but also running induces nausea in rats, supporting the gastrointestinal discomfort hypothesis of running-based taste aversion learning.

Topics: Abdominal Pain; Aluminum Silicates; Animals; Avoidance Learning; Behavior, Animal; Clay; Disease Models, Animal; Dysgeusia; Emetics; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Kaolin; Lithium Chloride; Male; Models, Biological; Motor Activity; Nausea; Physical Exertion; Pica; Rats, Wistar; Stress, Physiological