Pharmacological updates of nifuroxazide: Promising preclinical effects and the underlying molecular mechanisms.
PMID 37192715 | DOI 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.175776 · European journal of pharmacology · 2023 · View on PubMed ↗
Nifuroxazide (NFX) is a safe nitrofuran antibacterial drug used clinically to treat acute diarrhea and infectious traveler diarrhea or colitis. Recent studies revealed that NFX displays multiple pharmacological effects, including anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. NFX has potential roles in inhibiting thyroid, breast, lung, bladder, liver, and colon cancers and osteosarcoma, melanoma, and others mediated by suppressing STAT3 as well as ALDH1, MMP2, MMP9, Bcl2 and upregulating Bax. Moreover, it has promising effects against sepsis-induced organ injury, hepatic disorders, diabetic nephropathy, ulcerative colitis, and immune disorders. These promising effects appear to be mediated by suppressing STAT3 as well as NF-κB, TLR4, and β-catenin expressions and effectively decreasing downstream cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. Our review summarizes the available studies on the molecular biological mechanisms of NFX in cancer and other diseases and it is recommended to translate the studies in experimental animals and cultured cells and repurpose NFX in various diseases for scientific evidence based on human studies.
Validated evidence
| Type | Entity | Source evidence | Confidence | Extractor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| gene | STAT3 | “NFX has potential roles in inhibiting thyroid, breast, lung, bladder, liver, and colon cancers and osteosarcoma, melanoma, and others mediated by suppressing STAT3 as well as ALDH1, MMP2, MMP9, Bcl2 and upregulating Bax.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| gene | MMP2 | “NFX has potential roles in inhibiting thyroid, breast, lung, bladder, liver, and colon cancers and osteosarcoma, melanoma, and others mediated by suppressing STAT3 as well as ALDH1, MMP2, MMP9, Bcl2 and upregulating Bax.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| gene | MMP9 | “NFX has potential roles in inhibiting thyroid, breast, lung, bladder, liver, and colon cancers and osteosarcoma, melanoma, and others mediated by suppressing STAT3 as well as ALDH1, MMP2, MMP9, Bcl2 and upregulating Bax.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| gene | TLR4 | “These promising effects appear to be mediated by suppressing STAT3 as well as NF-κB, TLR4, and β-catenin expressions and effectively decreasing downstream cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| phenotype | ulcerative colitis | “Moreover, it has promising effects against sepsis-induced organ injury, hepatic disorders, diabetic nephropathy, ulcerative colitis, and immune disorders.” | 0.98 | phenotype_alias_lexicon_v2 |