Search results for "Complement"
showing 10 items of 2113 documents
Anti-arthritic activity of a lipophilic woad (Isatis tinctoria) extract
2006
A dichloromethane extract of Isatis tinctoria was tested in the adjuvant-induced arthritis model in rats. The extract (150 mg/kg p. o.) leads to a significant reduction of paw oedema. Radiographic, histological and clinical assessment confirmed reduced damage of cartilage and signs of inflammatory response in comparison to untreated control. No significant differences were observed in the tissular levels of cyclooxygenases 1 and -2, and of inducible nitric oxide synthase in Isatis treated and untreated animals. High dose treatment with Isatis extract for two weeks did not result in macroscopic lesions of the gastric mucosa.
Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Properties ofPoria cocos
2011
Poria cocos (Polyporaceae) is a saprophytic fungus that grows in diverse species of Pinus. Its sclerotium, called fu-ling or hoelen, is used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine for its diuretic, sedative, and tonic effects. Various studies of this fungus have demonstrated its marked anti-inflammatory activity in different experimental models of acute and chronic inflammation. It is widely used as a constituent of many preparations in Asian medicine, but the number of research papers on its clinical properties is insufficient for establishing its efficacy and safety from a scientific point of view. In this review, we have compiled all the published data concerning the chemistry, pha…
Anti-inflammatory and tight junction protective activity of the herbal preparation STW 5-II on mouse intestinal organoids
2021
Abstract Background Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional bowel disorder, in which recurrent abdominal pain is associated with defecation or a change in bowel habits. STW 5-II is a combination of six medicinal herbs with a clinically proven efficacy in managing IBS. Aim This study aims to establish an in vitro IBS model using mouse intestinal organoids and to explore the anti-inflammatory and tight junction protective activities of the multi-herbal preparation STW 5-II. Methods Intestinal organoids were cultured in 1:1 Matrigel™ and medium domes. Inflammation and tight junction disruption were induced by a cocktail of cytokines (TNFα, IFNγ, IL-1β, IL-6) and bacterial proteins (LPS,…
Pharmacological Properties of Shikonin – A Review of Literature since 2002
2013
The naphthoquinone shikonin is the main active principle of Zicao, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine made from the dried root of Lithospermum erythrorhizon. Studies carried out over the past 30 years have provided a scientific basis for the use of Zicao which has been long employed in folk medicine to treat a variety of inflammatory and infectious diseases. In particular, shikonin has been shown to possess many diverse properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, antimicrobial, and wound healing effects. The fact that shikonin shows so many beneficial properties has increased the interest in this molecule dramatically, especially in the past few years. The aim o…
Polycerasoidol, a Natural Prenylated Benzopyran with a Dual PPARα/PPARγ Agonist Activity and Anti-inflammatory Effect
2019
Dual peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α/γ (PPARα/γ) agonists regulate both lipid and glucose homeostasis under different metabolic conditions and can exert anti-inflammatory activity. We investigated the potential dual PPARα/γ agonism of prenylated benzopyrans polycerasoidol (1) and polycerasoidin (2) and their derivatives for novel drug development. Nine semisynthetic derivatives were prepared from the natural polycerasoidol (1) and polycerasoidin (2), which were evaluated for PPARα, -γ, -δ and retinoid X receptor-α activity in transactivation assays. Polycerasoidol (1) exhibited potent dual PPARα/γ agonism and low cytotoxicity. Structure–activity relationship studies revealed th…
Zanhasaponins A and B, Antiphospholipase A2 Saponins from an Antiinflammatory Extract of Zanha africana Root Bark
1997
A MeOH extract from Z. africana was examined for topical antiinflammatory activity and proved to be active against arachidonic acid (AA) acute edema, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-induced chronic inflammation, and oxazolone delayed-type hypersensitivity in mice. The extract also showed significant inhibitory activity of Naja naja phospholipase A2 when a polarographic method was used. Two oleanane-type triterpene saponins, zanhasaponins A (1) and B (2), and the cyclitol pinitol (4), isolated from the extract, were active as inhibitors of PLA2. A further saponin, zanhasaponin C (3) was inactive in this assay.
The Clinical Enzymology of the Complement System
1989
The complement (C) system is one of the most important humoral systems mediating many activities that contribute to inflammation and host defense, e.g. various anaphylatoxin activities, Chemotaxis and opsonization for phagocytosis. The C system is similar to other humoral systems, such as coagulation, fibrinolysis and the kinin system, a multifactoral system whose activation represents sequentially occurring multi-step activation cascades of the “classical” as well as the “alternative” pathway.
Influence of different complement sources in apoptosis of B-CLL cells with rituximab
2004
Abstract Introduction: Rituximab (Rtx) is an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody that is clinically active in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). In vitro and in vivo data indicate that Rtx mediates its biologic effect through multiple mechanisms including apoptosis, complement dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), and antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). Objetive: To study in vitro sensitivity to apoptosis by Rtx of isolated cells obtained from B-CLL patients Binet stage A, in the presence of complement from different sources and correlate with CD20 and CD59 molecules expression. Methods: PBMCs were isolated from peripheral blood samples by centrifugation on a Ficoll/Hypaque gradien…
Two-site ELISA for quantification of the terminal C5b-9 complement complex in plasma
1993
Abstract A quantitative ELISA procedure using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies against neoantigens of the terminal C5b-9 complement complex has been developed. The ELISA was demonstrated to be both sensitive and reproducible. The normal range for C5b-9 determinations, defined as 2.5–97.5% interval of the values obtained in 76 healthy blood donors, was 3.12–10.3 AU/ml. The presence of rheumatoid factor did not affect the determination of C5b-9 as demonstrated by immunoabsorption studies.
Antibody Complementarity-Determining Regions (CDRs) Can Display Differential Antimicrobial, Antiviral and Antitumor Activities
2008
9 p. Background: Complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) are immunoglobulin (Ig) hypervariable domains that determine specific antibody (Ab) binding. We have shown that synthetic CDR-related peptides and many decapeptides spanning the variable region of a recombinant yeast killer toxin-like antiidiotypic Ab are candidacidal in vitro. An alanine-substituted decapeptide from the variable region of this Ab displayed increased cytotoxicity in vitro and/or therapeutic effects in vivo against various bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses. The possibility that isolated CDRs, represented by short synthetic peptides, may display antimicrobial, antiviral and antitumor activities irrespective of Ab…