Pharmazie最新文献

{"title":"Mocetinostat Ameliorates Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy via Suppression of Ferroptosis Through Nrf2 Pathway.","authors":"Jingyu Li, Hanrui Sun, Jiabin Zhou, Jiayu Shi, Peng Xu, Chen Wang, Chuchu Chen, Pengyang Gu, Xinglin Wang, Qing Gong, Anzhen Xu, Yanbo Li, Qi Lu","doi":"10.31083/Pharmazie51659","DOIUrl":"10.31083/Pharmazie51659","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) exacerbates ventricular remodeling and heart failure by promoting myocardial peroxidative damage. Thus, this study aimed to investigate whether the HDAC1 inhibitor mocetinostat alleviates pathological cardiac hypertrophy via suppressing ferroptosis and to elucidate the potential mechanisms involving the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Primary cardiomyocytes were stimulated with phenylephrine (PE) to induce hypertrophy and ferroptosis in vitro, with or without mocetinostat treatment. The Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 was used to verify pathway specificity. <i>In vivo</i>, a mouse model of pressure-overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy was established using a transverse aortic constriction (TAC)-induced approach. Mocetinostat was administered to evaluate its therapeutic effects. Ferroptosis markers including lipid peroxidation, iron accumulation, and levels of ferroptosis-related proteins, were assessed. The acetylation and nuclear translocation of Nrf2, as well as the expression of the associated downstream targets (Solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), ferroportin, ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)), were analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Mocetinostat treatment significantly ameliorated PE-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and ferroptosis <i>in vitro</i> and attenuated TAC-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis <i>in vivo</i>. Mechanistically, mocetinostat facilitated Nrf2 acetylation and promoted Nrf2 nuclear translocation, leading to the transcriptional activation of downstream antioxidant targets and subsequent inhibition of lipid peroxidation. The protective effects of mocetinostat were abrogated by the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study demonstrates that mocetinostat attenuates pathological cardiac hypertrophy by inhibiting ferroptosis through activation of the Nrf2 pathway . These findings indicate the potential of mocetinostat as a therapeutic strategy for delaying heart failure progression.</p>","PeriodicalId":20145,"journal":{"name":"Pharmazie","volume":"81 5","pages":"51659"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148056153","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Research Progress on Ferroptosis-Inducing Compounds in Tumor Cells.","authors":"Ruiyuan Zhang, Meiyun Xu, Mansa Li, Manyu Xu, Xi Han, Qiongying Hu","doi":"10.31083/Pharmazie51559","DOIUrl":"10.31083/Pharmazie51559","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ferroptosis is a regulated form of cell death characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. Intracellular iron promotes the generation of reactive oxygen species via the Fenton reaction, leading to lipid peroxide accumulation, membrane damage, and subsequent cell death. Increasing evidence indicates that ferroptosis plays a critical role in cancer progression and therapeutic response. Recent studies have identified a diverse range of ferroptosis-inducing compounds, including natural products, semi-synthetic derivatives, and synthetic small molecules, which exert antitumor effects by targeting key regulatory nodes such as iron metabolism, system Xc^-, and glutathione peroxidase 4. However, the clinical translation of ferroptosis-based strategies remains limited by insufficient tumor selectivity, systemic toxicity, the lack of reliable biomarkers, and adaptive resistance mechanisms. In this review, we summarize the molecular regulatory networks governing ferroptosis, critically evaluate representative ferroptosis-inducing compounds and the associated mechanisms of action, and discuss current translational challenges and unresolved controversies. Furthermore, an integrative framework is proposed to define ferroptosis as a context-dependent metabolic vulnerability in tumors, thereby providing a conceptual basis for the rational development of ferroptosis-based anticancer therapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":20145,"journal":{"name":"Pharmazie","volume":"81 5","pages":"51559"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148056133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative <i>In Vitro</i> Release Profiling of Brand and Generic Metoprolol Extended-Release Formulations in the Context of Product Switching.","authors":"Frank Karkossa, Sandra Klein","doi":"10.31083/Pharmazie51859","DOIUrl":"10.31083/Pharmazie51859","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Switching from branded to generic extended-release (ER) metoprolol formulations is common practice due to cost considerations. Although generics are approved as bioequivalent, subtle differences in formulation, such as coating composition, may influence drug release under real-life conditions across patients.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to evaluate potential differences in drug release between the originator product Beloc-Zok 95 mg and randomly selected generic ER metoprolol succinate formulations available on the German market.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Formulations were assessed under variable, interindividual, physiologically relevant <i>in vitro</i> conditions simulating gastrointestinal transit.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All formulations demonstrated controlled drug release; however, the release profiles were not fully overlapping. One generic formulation consistently exhibited slightly slower release across all test scenarios. These findings indicate that minor differences in release behavior can occur even among bioequivalent ER formulations. While such variations are generally clinically negligible, they may contribute to pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic differences in sensitive individuals, potentially explaining reported adverse effects such as bradycardia, hypotension, chest pain, or increased blood pressure when switching to generic products.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The results underscore the importance of considering patient-specific variability when switching from branded to generic formulations. Incorporating physiologically relevant <i>in vitro</i> studies combined with physiologically based pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling in future research may improve predictions of <i>in vivo</i> performance and support safer therapeutic decisions.</p>","PeriodicalId":20145,"journal":{"name":"Pharmazie","volume":"81 5","pages":"51859"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148056150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Role of SGLT2 Inhibitors in the Management of Diabetic Retinopathy: A Literature Review.","authors":"Siniša Babović, Nikola Denda, Nemanja Maletin, Milica Paut Kusturica, Dragan Zečević, Aleksandar Rašković","doi":"10.31083/Pharmazie51803","DOIUrl":"10.31083/Pharmazie51803","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Diabetic retinopathy (DR) remains a leading cause of blindness among individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM), with a continuously rising global prevalence. While anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy, corticosteroids, laser photocoagulation, and vitreoretinal surgery have improved outcomes, none can permanently prevent disease progression. The complex pathophysiology of DR, which includes inflammation, oxidative stress, and neurodegeneration, highlights the need for additional systemic strategies. This narrative review was informed by a structured search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science covering the period from January 2000 to September 10, 2025. Original studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses were included, whereas case reports and editorials were excluded. Findings were synthesized qualitatively. Preclinical models suggest that sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors exert neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects on the retina, preserve the blood-retinal barrier, and reduce vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression. However, whether these retinal effects are only partially independent of glycemic control remains speculative, as clinical studies have not adequately controlled for changes in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) or for differences in concomitant glucose-lowering therapies. Observational clinical studies have associated SGLT2 inhibitor use with a lower risk of DR progression, a reduced incidence of proliferative DR, and fewer vision-threatening interventions compared with some other antihyperglycemic agents. Owing to the established indications in heart failure and chronic kidney disease associated with SGLT2 inhibitors, these agents appear promising for DR prevention and risk modification. However, current clinical evidence is based mainly on observational and retrospective studies and remains vulnerable to confounding and selection bias. Prospective randomized studies with ophthalmic endpoints are needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.</p>","PeriodicalId":20145,"journal":{"name":"Pharmazie","volume":"81 5","pages":"51803"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148056206","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development and Pilot Testing of a Pharmacist-Led β-Lactam Allergy Risk Assessment Tool for Chinese Patients.","authors":"Xiunan Yue, Nan Shang, Wanying Chen, Xiaojun Zheng","doi":"10.31083/Pharmazie51744","DOIUrl":"10.31083/Pharmazie51744","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>β-lactam allergy labels (BALs) are commonly found in patient records but are often inaccurate. This can lead to suboptimal antibiotic selection, increased healthcare costs, and antimicrobial resistance. Most existing risk assessment tools were developed in Western settings and are not applicable in Chinese clinical contexts. This study developed and pilot-tested a pharmacist-led BAL risk assessment tool tailored to the Chinese healthcare environment.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study was conducted in three phases: (1) A systematic review of 90 studies to identify key β-lactam allergy risk factors; (2) Grounded theory and text co-occurrence analysis to extract high-risk features and construct the assessment framework; and (3) A pilot implementation in a tertiary hospital to evaluate the tool's feasibility, clinical impact, and patient outcomes using a quasi-experimental design.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The final tool comprised eight dimensions, 35 subdimensions, and over 1328 distinct coded nodes. Of the 289 patients involved in the pilot, 18.7% were classified as high risk. Compared with patients with BALs but without high-risk features, those at lower risk had significantly shorter hospital stays (8.5 ± 4.3 vs. 10.6 ± 5.5 days; <i>p</i> < 0.001), reduced hospitalization costs (17,800 ± 6200 vs. 21,000 ± 7500; <i>p</i> = 0.0011), and lower allergy event rates (0% vs. 6.5%; <i>p</i> = 0.002). β-lactam use increased (75.3% vs. 40.3%; <i>p</i> < 0.001), whereas second-line antibiotic use decreased (24.7% vs. 59.7%; <i>p</i> < 0.001). The tool also demonstrated high feasibility, achieving a 100% completion rate and strong adherence among pharmacists.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This pharmacist-led risk assessment tool has strong potential for accurately identifying high-risk β-lactam allergy patients and optimising antimicrobial stewardship in Chinese hospitals. Further large-scale validation is warranted.</p>","PeriodicalId":20145,"journal":{"name":"Pharmazie","volume":"81 1-4","pages":"51744"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147778553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antiemetic Efficacy of Dexamethasone Omission in Antiemetic Therapy During Highly Emetogenic Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer.","authors":"Wataru Suzuki, Kenichi Suzuki, Takashi Yokokawa, Kazuo Kobayashi, Takeshi Aoyama, Takahito Sugisaki, Naoki Shibata, Masahiro Hatori, Kazuyoshi Kawakami, Toshimi Takano, Masakazu Yamaguchi","doi":"10.31083/Pharmazie51804","DOIUrl":"10.31083/Pharmazie51804","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Dexamethasone is typically included in the anti-emetic regimens during the administration of anticancer drugs. However, the incidence and severity of nausea and vomiting in patients receiving anticancer therapy, for whom dexamethasone must be avoided to prevent the recurrence of diabetes mellitus or hepatitis, remain unknown.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective, observational study evaluated nausea and vomiting in patients with breast cancer who underwent highly emetogenic chemotherapy, including anthracycline and cyclophosphamide, for breast cancer. In all patients, dexamethasone was completely omitted from the standard antiemetic regimen for reasons such as hepatitis, and only palonosetron and aprepitant were administered.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>For the 82 evaluated cases, the incidence of nausea was 84.1%, vomiting was 14.6%, and the complete response (CR) rate was 8.5%. In addition, the incidence rate of grade 2 or higher nausea (CTCAE ver. 4) was 47.6%, and the proportion of cases in which anticancer drug doses were reduced in the subsequent course due to nausea and vomiting was 2.4%. Factor analysis showed that treatment regimens, age, drinking history, history of prior chemotherapy, and reasons for omitting dexamethasone had no significant effects on the incidence of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study confirmed that the antiemetic effect of only administering palonosetron and aprepitant is insufficient for patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy in whom dexamethasone cannot be administered. Prophylactic administration of other antiemetic drugs is necessary to effectively manage nausea and vomiting in patients receiving anticancer therapy who cannot receive dexamethasone.</p>","PeriodicalId":20145,"journal":{"name":"Pharmazie","volume":"81 1-4","pages":"51804"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147778568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Shaping Dendrimers for Active Oxygen Delivery: An Emerging Strategy for Targeting Tumor Microenvironments.","authors":"Musa Albatsh","doi":"10.31083/Pharmazie51801","DOIUrl":"10.31083/Pharmazie51801","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been identified as one of the critical factors in cancer development. ROS have been linked to cancer at all stages, and their applications in cancer treatment have gained attention due to their concentration-dependent implications: (1) low to moderate levels as fundamental signaling molecules, and (2) higher levels in cancer cells as a unique characteristic of cancer and cytotoxic agents. However, resistance and off-target effects are the main barriers that can hinder and limit the therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapies. The main reason for that is the complex tumor microenvironment such as hypoxia. Developing drug nanocarriers that can target ROS represents a potential delivery platform to overcome these barriers. For instance, doxorubicin-encapsulated ROS (nitric oxide) micelles accumulated 6.7-fold more drug in PC3-Luc cancer cells than when using this drug alone. Regrettably, the past studies have merely discussed the micelle alone as a nanocarrier for the delivery of ROS-based therapy in cancer without exploring dendrimers. Instead, this review examines the structural design of dendrimers tailored for oxygen transport, their conjugation with ROS-generating therapies, and therapeutic applications in photodynamic therapy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Besides, it also discusses the translational challenges and future perspectives for ROS-based dendrimers. For the first time, this work also critically compares various dendrimer types and generations, oxygen-delivery strategies, drug loading properties, <i>in vitro</i>/<i>in vivo</i> outcomes, and toxicity data. A dedicated section discussing biodistribution, clearance, biocompatibility, and regulatory considerations of dendrimers was also explored in this study. Finally, this review concludes that the dendrimers can be engineered to carry and deliver active oxygen by using the following delivery strategies: (1) addition of oxygen carriers, (2) enzyme functionalization, (3) the incorporation of photosensitizers and metal ions, and (4) surface alterations.</p>","PeriodicalId":20145,"journal":{"name":"Pharmazie","volume":"81 1-4","pages":"51801"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147778557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy and Safety of Prophylactic Opioid Rescue for Breakthrough Pain Due to Body Movement: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.","authors":"Ryo Taguchi, Rei Tanaka, Eiji Kose, Shiho Hirashima, Mayako Uchida, Hisamitsu Takase","doi":"10.31083/Pharmazie51655","DOIUrl":"10.31083/Pharmazie51655","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Prophylactic opioid rescue therapy is often used to manage cancer-related pain. However, the effect of prophylactic rescue therapy in suppressing increases in breakthrough pain due to body movements has not yet been investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of prophylactic rescue therapy before and after administration.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This multicenter, retrospective survey was conducted in Japan. Participants were patients with cancer who received prophylactic strong opioid rescue therapy for the first time. The primary endpoint was the suppression of an increase in pain, assessed using a Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), before and after administration of prophylactic rescue due to body movement.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall analysis (193 cases) showed that prophylactic rescue suppressed the increase in the median NRS value by 3.00 (interquartile range: 1.00-4.00, <i>p</i> < 0.001). In addition, subgroup analysis by purpose (meals/bathing/rehabilitation/radiation therapy/others) also showed a significant reduction in the increase in NRS, with all categories exhibiting a decrease of 2.00 or more.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Prophylactic opioid rescue with appropriate patient selection can effectively suppress breakthrough pain caused by body movement.</p>","PeriodicalId":20145,"journal":{"name":"Pharmazie","volume":"81 1-4","pages":"51655"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147778645","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"MC4R Antagonists: A Promising New Hope for the Treatment of Cachexia and Wasting Diseases.","authors":"Jiajia Shi, Jiaying Xiong, Chao Hao, Ling Huang, Yin Chen","doi":"10.31083/Pharmazie51802","DOIUrl":"10.31083/Pharmazie51802","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) is a key receptor in the hypothalamus regulating appetite and energy metabolism. Research has indicated that MC4R agonists have demonstrated potential for weight loss; its antagonists may stimulate appetite and weight gain, showing potential therapeutic applications in patients with anorexia or cachexia or those requiring weight restoration. However, the signaling mechanism, clinical applications, and safety profile of MC4R antagonists still require in-depth investigation. The purpose of this review is to comprehensively summarize the research progress of MC4R antagonists, analyze their mechanism of action and clinical applications, evaluate their safety profile, and explore future research directions. Future studies should focus on developing safer and more effective MC4R antagonists and exploring the therapeutic potential of MC4R in other diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":20145,"journal":{"name":"Pharmazie","volume":"81 1-4","pages":"51802"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147778599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Different Effects of the Anticonvulsant Drugs Phenytoin and Phenobarbital on Forskolin-Induced BeWo Syncytialization.","authors":"Momoe Serizawa, Wakako Okuno, Kazuma Higashisaka, Mikihiro Yoshie, Kazuhiro Tamura, Yuya Haga, Yasuo Tsutsumi","doi":"10.31083/Pharmazie51799","DOIUrl":"10.31083/Pharmazie51799","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The placenta plays important roles in pregnancy maintenance and fetal development, and chemical-induced functional or structural abnormalities can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, information on the placental effects of chemicals remains limited. To help address this gap, this study aimed to investigate the effects of two model chemicals, phenytoin and phenobarbital, on syncytialization (the fusion of cytotrophoblasts into multinucleated syncytiotrophoblasts), a critical process in placental development, using the human choriocarcinoma cell line BeWo.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Phenytoin and phenobarbital, anticonvulsant drugs known to cause major congenital malformations, were each co-treated with forskolin, which promotes syncytialization in BeWo cells, for 48 h.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Evaluation of cell fusion showed that phenytoin significantly suppressed forskolin-induced luciferase activity, whereas phenobarbital did not. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that the concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin beta (hCGβ) in the cell culture supernatant was decreased in phenytoin-treated syncytialized BeWo cells but increased in phenobarbital-treated cells. Western blotting also showed a similar pattern in the hCG protein expression level.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Collectively, these results indicate that phenytoin suppresses the process of syncytialization, whereas phenobarbital does not affect cell fusion and instead enhances hCG production.</p>","PeriodicalId":20145,"journal":{"name":"Pharmazie","volume":"81 1-4","pages":"51799"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147778608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}