Angiogenesis is present in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and pro-angiogenic factors are increased in multiple sclerosis lesions

Background  

Angiogenesis is a common finding in chronic inflammatory diseases; however, its role in multiple sclerosis (MS) is unclear. Central nervous system lesions from both MS and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the animal model of MS, contain T cells, macrophages and activated glia, which can produce pro-angiogenic factors. Previous EAE studies have demonstrated an increase in blood vessels, but differences between the different phases of disease have not been reported. Therefore we examined angiogenic promoting factors in MS and EAE lesions to determine if there were changes in blood vessel density at different stages of EAE.     

Mosquito larvicidal activities of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanum villosum</Emphasis> berry extract against the dengue vector <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stegomyia aegypti</Emphasis>

Background  

Vector control is facing a threat due to the emergence of resistance to synthetic insecticides. Insecticides of botanical origin may serve as suitable alternative biocontrol techniques in the future. Although several plants have been reported for mosquitocidal activity, only a few botanicals have moved from the laboratory to field use, because they are poorly characterized, in most cases active principals are not determined and most of the works are restricted to preliminary screening. Solanum villosum is a common weed distributed in many parts of India with medicinal properties, but the larvicidal activity of this plant has not been reported so far.     

Evaluation of behavioural and antioxidant activity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cytisus scoparius</Emphasis> Link in rats exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress

Background  

Various human diseases have oxidative stress as one of their component. Many herbs have been reported to exhibit properties that combat oxidative stress through their active constituents such as flavonoids, tannins, phenolic compounds etc. Cytisus scoparius (CS) Link, (Family: Leguminosae), also called Sarothamnus scoparius, has been shown in invitro experiments to be endowed with anti-diabetic, hypnotic and sedative and antioxidant activity. Therefore this study was carried out to evaluate CS for its anxiolytic, antidepressant and anti-oxidant activity in stressed rats.     

A novel deletion mutation in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">TUSC3</Emphasis> gene in a consanguineous Pakistani family with autosomal recessive nonsyndromic intellectual disability

Background  

Intellectual disability (ID) is a serious disorder of the central nervous system with a prevalence of 1-3% in a general population. In the past decades, the research focus has been predominantly on X-linked ID (68 loci and 19 genes for non syndromic X linked ID) while for autosomal recessive nonsyndromic ID (NSID) only 30 loci and 6 genes have been reported to date.     

The anatomy and variations of the internal thoracic (internal mammary) artery and implications in autologous breast reconstruction: clinical anatomical study and literature review

Background  

The internal thoracic (IT) vessels (otherwise known as the thoracica interna or internal mammary vessels) are widely used as recipient vessels in autologous breast reconstruction. Despite this, normal and pathological variations in IT artery architecture have been described, and these have the potential to complicate dissection and the selection of suitable vessels.     

Nitric oxide pathway-mediated relaxant effect of aqueous sesame leaves extract (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sesamum radiatum</Emphasis> Schum. &; Thonn.) in the guinea-pig isolated aorta smooth muscle

Background  

Sesamum radiatum Schum. & Thonn. (Pedaliaceae) is an annual herbaceous plant, which belongs to the family Pedaliaceae and genus Sesamum. Sesame is used in traditional medicine in Africa and Asia for many diseases treatment. Sesame plant especially the leaves, seed and oil are consumed locally as a staple food by subsistence farmers. The study analyses the relaxation induced by the aqueous extract of leaves from sesame (ESera), compared with those of acetylcholine (ACh) in the guinea-pig aortic preparations (GPAPs), in order to confirm the use in traditional medicine for cardiovascular diseases.     

Interleukin-6 and Cyclooxygenase-2 downregulation by fatty-acid fractions of Ranunculus constantinopolitanus

Background  

Medicinal plants represent alternative means for the treatment of several chronic diseases, including inflammation. The genus Ranunculus, a representative of the Ranunculaceae family, has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiviral, antibacterial, antiparasitic and antifungal activities, possibly due to the presence of anemonin and other. Different studies have shown the occurrence of unusual fatty acids (FAs) in Ranunculaceae; however, their therapeutic role has not been investigated. The purpose of this study is to characterize potential anti-inflammatory bioactivities in Ranunculus constantinopolitanus D'Urv., traditionally used in Eastern Mediterranean folk medicine.     

Unsatisfactory gene transfer into bone-resorbing osteoclasts with liposomal transfection systems

Background  

Bone-resorbing osteoclasts are multinucleated cells that are formed via fusion of their hematopoietic stem cells. Many of the details of osteoclast formation, activation and motility remain unsolved. Therefore, there is an interest among bone biologists to transfect the terminally differentiated osteoclasts and follow their responses to the transgenes in vitro. Severe difficulties in transfecting the large, adherent osteoclasts have been encountered, however, making the use of modern cell biology tools in osteoclast research challenging. Transfection of mature osteoclasts by non-viral gene transfer systems has not been reported.     

Association of breast milk fatty acids with allergic disease outcomes—A systematic review

Introduction

Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have immunoregulatory properties. Breast milk is rich in PUFA, and it has been hypothesized that these PUFAs may be important in the aetiology of allergic diseases. Despite a growing body of evidence, the associations between breast milk PUFA and allergic disease have not previously been systematically reviewed.

Methods

The search was performed in PubMed and EMBASE databases using breastfeeding, fatty acid and allergic disease terms. Two authors were involved in selecting papers for review according to the inclusion criteria and extracting information on study characteristics and measures of association. Only studies that reported numeric associations between concentration of breast milk fatty acids and allergic disease outcomes were included.

Results

A total of 18 papers met the inclusion criteria, reporting results from 15 study populations. The majority were cohort studies (n=11), with data from only two case‐control and two cross‐sectional studies. Sample size varied between 30 and 352 participants, and follow‐up time of the cohorts varied between 3 months and 14 years. Nine studies reported on eczema, seven reported on sensitization, and only five reported on asthma/wheeze. There was heterogeneity among studies in terms of presenting the association between PUFA and allergy; therefore, estimates could not be pooled. Only a few studies observed associations between n‐3 and n‐6 PUFAs and allergic disease, and the magnitude of this effect varied greatly.

Conclusions

There is insufficient evidence to suggest that colostrum or breast milk polyunsaturated fatty acids influence the risk of childhood allergic diseases.     

Larvicidal,antimicrobial and brine shrimp activities of extracts from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cissampelos mucronata</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tephrosia villosa</Emphasis> from coast region,Tanzania

Background  

The leaves and roots of Cissampelos mucronata A. Rich (Menispermaceae) are widely used in the tropics and subtropics to manage various ailments such as gastro-intestinal complaints, menstrual problems, venereal diseases and malaria. In the Coast region, Tanzania, roots are used to treat wounds due to extraction of jigger. Leaves of Tephrosia villosa (L) Pers (Leguminosae) are reported to be used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus in India. In this study, extracts from the roots and aerial parts of C. mucronata and extracts from leaves, fruits, twigs and roots of T. villosa were evaluated for larvicidal activity, brine shrimps toxicity and antimicrobial activity.     

Anti-oxidative effects of the biennial flower of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Panax notoginseng</Emphasis> against H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript>-induced cytotoxicity in cultured PC12 cells

Background  

Radix notoginseng is used in Chinese medicine to improve blood circulation and clotting; however, the pharmacological activities of other parts of Panax notoginseng have yet to be explored. The present study reports the anti-oxidative effects of various parts of Panax notoginseng.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Petiveria alliacea</Emphasis> extracts uses multiple mechanisms to inhibit growth of human and mouse tumoral cells

Background  

There is ethnopharmacological evidence that Petiveria alliacea can have antitumor activity; however, the mechanism of its cytotoxic activity is not well understood. We assessed multiple in vitro biological activities of an ethyl acetate soluble plant fraction over several tumor cell lines.     

Native New Zealand plants with inhibitory activity towards <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mycobacterium tuberculosis</Emphasis>

Background  

Plants have long been investigated as a source of antibiotics and other bioactives for the treatment of human disease. New Zealand contains a diverse and unique flora, however, few of its endemic plants have been used to treat tuberculosis. One plant, Laurelia novae-zelandiae, was reportedly used by indigenous Maori for the treatment of tubercular lesions.     

Immunomodulation of murine collagen-induced arthritis by N,N-dimethylglycine and a preparation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Perna canaliculus</Emphasis>

Background  

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its accepted animal model, murine collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), are classic autoimmune inflammatory diseases which require proinflammatory cytokine production for pathogenesis. We and others have previously used N, N-dimethylglycine (DMG) and extracts from the New Zealand green-lipped mussel Perna canaliculus (Perna) as potent immunomodulators to modify ongoing immune and/or inflammatory responses.     

Anticancer activity of a sub-fraction of dichloromethane extract of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Strobilanthes crispus</Emphasis> on human breast and prostate cancer cells <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>

Background  

The leaves of Strobilanthes crispus (S. crispus) which is native to the regions of Madagascar to the Malay Archipelago, are used in folk medicine for their antidiabetic, diuretic, anticancer and blood pressure lowering properties. Crude extracts of this plant have been found to be cytotoxic to human cancer cell lines and protective against chemically-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats. In this study, the cytotoxicity of various sub-fractions of dichloromethane extract isolated from the leaves of S. crispus was determined and the anticancer activity of one of the bioactive sub-fractions, SC/D-F9, was further analysed in breast and prostate cancer cell lines.     

Bioprotective properties of seaweeds: <Emphasis Type="Italic">In vitro</Emphasis> evaluation of antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity against food borne bacteria in relation to polyphenolic content

Background  

For many years chemical preservatives have been used in food, to act as either antimicrobials or antioxidants or both. In general, consumers regard additive-free foods as safer since preservatives can cause health hazards like asthma and cancer and are suspected to be mutagenic and neurotoxic. The present study was carried out to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of methanolic extracts of seaweeds, with a view to developing safer food preservatives.     

Co-evolution of cancer microenvironment reveals distinctive patterns of gastric cancer invasion: laboratory evidence and clinical significance

Background  

Cancer invasion results from constant interactions between cancer cells and their microenvironment. Major components of the cancer microenvironment are stromal cells, infiltrating inflammatory cells, collagens, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and newly formed blood vessels. This study was to determine the roles of MMP-9, MMP-2, type IV collagen, infiltrating macrophages and tumor microvessels in gastric cancer (GC) invasion and their clinico-pathological significance.     

Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy type 2A: novel mutations in the mitofusin 2 gene (MFN2)

Background  

Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathies are a group of genetically heterogeneous diseases of the peripheral nervous system. Mutations in the MFN2 gene have been reported as the primary cause of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2A.     

Optimal ex vivo expansion of neutrophils from PBSC CD34+ cells by a combination of SCF, Flt3-L and G-CSF and its inhibition by further addition of TPO

Background  

Autologous mobilised peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation is now a standard approach in the treatment of haematological diseases to reconstitute haematopoiesis following myeloablative chemotherapy. However, there remains a period of severe neutropenia and thrombocytopenia before haematopoietic reconstitution is achieved. Ex vivo expanded PBSC have been employed as an adjunct to unmanipulated HSC transplantation, but have tended to be produced using complex cytokine mixtures aimed at multilineage (neutrophil and megakaryocyte) progenitor expansion. These have been reported to reduce or abrogate neutropenia but have little major effect on thrombocytopenia. Selective megakaryocyte expansion has been to date ineffective in reducing thrombocytopenia. This study was implemented to evaluate neutrophil specific rather than multilineage ex vivo expansion of PBSC for specifically focusing on reduction or abrogation of neutropenia.     

Cerebrovascular expression of proteins related to inflammation,oxidative stress and neurotoxicity is altered with aging

Background  

Most neurodegenerative diseases are age-related disorders; however, how aging predisposes the brain to disease has not been adequately addressed. The objective of this study is to determine whether expression of proteins in the cerebromicrovasculature related to inflammation, oxidative stress and neurotoxicity is altered with aging.