In this research, we characterized the histopathological impact of dengue virus (serotype DENV-2) infection in livers of BALB/c mice. The mice were infected with different doses of DENV-2 via intraperitoneal injection and liver tissues were processed for histological analyses and variation was documented. In the BALB/c mouse model, typical liver tissues showed regular hepatocyte architecture, with normal endothelial cells surrounding sinusoid capillary. Based on histopathological observations, the liver sections of BALB/c mice infected by DENV-2 exhibited a loss of cell integrity, with a widening of the sinusoidal spaces. There were marked increases in the infiltration of mononuclear cells. The areas of hemorrhage and micro- and macrovesicular steatosis were noted. Necrosis and apoptosis were abundantly present. The hallmark of viral infection, i.e., cytopathic effects, included intracellular edema and vacuole formation, cumulatively led to sinusoidal and lobular collapse in the liver. The histopathological studies on autopsy specimens of fatal human DENV cases are important to shed light on tissue damage for preventive and treatment modalities, in order to manage future DENV infections. In this framework, the method present here on BALB/c mouse model may be used to study not only the effects of infections by other DENV serotypes, but also to investigate the effects of novel drugs, such as recently developed nano-formulations, and the relative recovery ability with intact immune functions of host.
Camptothecin (CPT) is an anti-cancer drug that effectively treats various cancers, including colon cancer. However, poor solubility and other drawbacks have restricted its chemotherapeutic potential. To overcome these restrictions, CPT was encapsulated in CEF (cyclodextrin-EDTA-FE3O4), a composite nanoparticle of magnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4), and β-cyclodextrin was cross-linked with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). This formulation improved CPT's solubility and bioavailability for cancer cells. The use of magnetically responsive anti-cancer formulation is highly advantageous in cancer chemotherapy. The chemical characterisation of CPT-CEF was studied here. The ability of this nano-compound to induce apoptosis in HT29 colon cancer cells and A549 lung cancer cells was evaluated. The dose-dependent cytotoxicity of CPT-CEF was shown using MTT. Propidium iodide and Annexin V staining, mitochondrial membrane depolarisation (JC-1 dye), and caspase-3 activity were assayed to detect apoptosis in CPT-CEF-treated cancer cells. Cell cycle analysis also showed G1 phase arrest, which indicated possible synergistic effects of the nano-carrier. These study results show that CPT-CEF causes a dose-dependent cell viability reduction in HT29 and A549 cells and induces apoptosis in colon cancer cells via caspase-3 activation. These data strongly suggest that CPT could be used as a major nanocarrier for CPT to effectively treat colon cancer.