Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common age-related disease in men. Here we tested the efficacy of Rapatar, a micellar nanoformulation of rapamycin, in two rat models of BPH: testosterone-induced and sulpiride-induced hyperplasia in ventral lobes and lateral/dorsal lobes, respectively. We found that Rapatar prevented hypertrophic and hyperplastic abnormalities and degenerative alterations in both BPH models. Rapatar normalized weight of the lateral lobes in sulpiride-induced BPH, the most relevant animal model of human BPH. Unlike Finasteride, a standard therapy of BPH, Rapatar reduced inflammation caused by sulpiride. No obvious side effects of Rapatar were detected. Our data provide a rationale for clinical trials of Rapatar in patients suffering from BPH.

Noopept, a peptide analog of piracetam, enhanced phagocytic activity of mouse peritoneal macrophages, stimulated humoral and cellular immune response to various antigens, and markedly increased spontaneous proliferative activity of splenocytes. In animals with secondary immune deficiency caused by cyclophosphamide, noopept exhibited immunocorrector properties.

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Birch bark dry extract (BBDE) containing at least 70% betulin and betulin alone were compared with the reference drugs Suprastin and Claritin for their antiallergenic action. It is established that BBDE and betulin reduce by half the systemic anaphylactic reaction in guinea pigs immunized with ovalbumin from chicken egg white, their action being comparable with that of Suprastin in mild and medium anaphylactic shock. The course of BBDE administration per os or i.p. leads to a significant decrease in the content of IgE antibodies to ovalbumin in mice of various strains immunized in different regimens. The effect of BBDE on anaphylactic contraction of isolated guinea pig ileum samples was evaluated and showed no direct action upon the H1-receptors. Studies on models of pseudoallergenic reaction to concanavalin A in mice and carragenan-induced paw edema in rats showed that the anti-inflammatory action of BBDE is comparable with that of Suprastin and Claritin and is more pronounced than the effect of betulin.

Chemoprevention is considered a valid approach to reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer, one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Here, we investigated the tumor-preventive activity of curaxin CBL0137. This compound represents a new class of nonmutagenic DNAbinding small molecules that alter chromatin stability and inhibit the function of the histone chaperone FACT. Among downstream effects of CBL0137 treatment are activation of p53 and type I interferons and inhibition of NFkB, HSF1, and MYC. In addition, our data show that in both human and mouse colorectal cancer cells in vitro, CBL0137 inhibits the APC/WNT/b-catenin signaling pathway, which plays a key role in colon carcinogenesis. Using quantitative RT-PCR and microarray hybridization, we have demonstrated decreased expression of multiple components and downstream targets of the WNT pathway in colon cancer cells treated with CBL0137. At the same time, CBL0137 induced expression of WNT antagonists. Inhibition of WNT signaling activity by CBL0137 was also confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. Tumor-preventive activity of CBL0137 in vivo was tested in a murine model of colorectal carcinogenesis induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH), which is known to involve WNT pathway dysregulation. After DMH subcutaneous treatment, mice were administered CBL0137 in drinking water. Efficacy of CBL0137 in suppressing development of colorectal cancer in this model was evidenced by reduced incidence of adenocarcinomas and adenomas in both males and females and decrease in tumor multiplicity. These data support the prospective use of CBL0137 in chemoprevention of colorectal cancer as well as of other malignances associated with activated WNT signaling.