Search results for "Complement"

Biological activities of polyphenols-enriched propolis from Argentina arid regions

2015

Background: Propolis is a bioactive natural product collected by honeybees (Apis mellifera) fromplant sources. Purpose: This studywas undertaken to determine the effect of propolis extracts from arid region of Argentina, on the activity/expression of pro-inflammatory enzymes, and as potential free radical scavenger, antifungal and anthelmintic agent as well as to get a first insight into the polyphenolic profile of the active fractions.Study design/methods: Two propolis samples were collected in different time from hives located in Tucumán, Argentina. They are representative of the collection time of the raw material for phytotherapeutical purposes. Ethanolic extracts from both propolis wer…

Bridged Epipolythiodiketopiperazines from Penicillium raciborskii, an Endophytic Fungus of Rhododendron tomentosum Harmaja

2016

Three new epithiodiketopiperazine natural products [outovirin A (1), outovirin B (2), and outovirin C (3)] resembling the antifungal natural product gliovirin have been identified in extracts of Penicillium raciborskii, an endophytic fungus isolated from Rhododendron tomentosum. The compounds are unusual for their class in that they possess sulfide bridges between α- and β-carbons rather than the typical α-α bridging. To our knowledge, outovirin A represents the first reported naturally produced epimonothiodiketopiperazine, and antifungal outovirin C is the first reported trisulfide gliovirin-like compound. This report describes the identification and structural elucidation of the compounds…

Diabetes and Metabolism Disorders Medicinal Plants: A Glance at the Past and a Look to the Future 2018

2018

The cytoprotective protein MANF promotes neuronal survival independently from its role as a GRP78 cofactor

2021

Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress-regulated protein exhibiting cytoprotective properties through a poorly understood mechanism in various in vitro and in vivo models of neuronal and non-neuronal damage. Although initially characterized as a secreted neurotrophic factor for midbrain dopamine neurons, MANF has recently gained more interest for its intracellular role in regulating the ER homeostasis, including serving as a cofactor of the chaperone glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78). We aimed for a better understanding of the neuroprotective mechanisms of MANF. Here we show for the first time that MANF promotes the survival of …

Role of pulmonary surfactant protein Sp-C dimerization on membrane fragmentation: An emergent mechanism involved in lung defense and homeostasis.

2020

Surfactant protein C (SP-C) is a protein present in the pulmonary surfactant system that is involved in the biophysical properties of this lipoprotein complex, but it also has a role in lung defense and homeostasis. In this article, we propose that the link between both functions could rely on the ability of SP-C to induce fragmentation of phospholipid membranes and generate small vesicles that serve as support to present different ligands to cells in the lungs. Our results using bimolecular fluorescence complementation and tunable resistive pulse sensing setups suggest that SP-C oligomerization could be the triggering event that causes membrane budding and nanovesiculation. As shown by flu…

Novel molecular mechanisms for the adaptogenic effects of herbal extracts on isolated brain cells using systems biology.

2018

Abstract Introduction Adaptogens are natural compounds or plant extracts that increase adaptability and survival of organisms under stress. Adaptogens stimulate cellular and organismal defense systems by activating intracellular and extracellular signaling pathways and expression of stress-activated proteins and neuropeptides. The effects adaptogens on mediators of adaptive stress response and longevity signaling pathways have been reported, but their stress-protective mechanisms are still not fully understood. Aim of the study The aim of this study was to identify key molecular mechanisms of adaptogenic plants traditionally used to treat stress and aging-related disorders, i.e., Rhodiola r…

Molecular, Biological and Structural Features of VL CDR-1 Rb44 Peptide, Which Targets the Microtubule Network in Melanoma Cells

2019

Microtubules are important drug targets in tumor cells, owing to their role in supporting and determining the cell shape, organelle movement and cell division. The complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) of immunoglobulins have been reported to be a source of anti-tumor peptide sequences, independently of the original antibody specificity for a given antigen. We found that, the anti-Lewis B mAb light-chain CDR1 synthetic peptide Rb44, interacted with microtubules and induced depolymerization, with subsequent degradation of actin filaments, leading to depolarization of mitochondrial membrane-potential, increase of ROS, cell cycle arrest at G2/M, cleavage of caspase-9, caspase-3 and PARP, …

Fatal Liver and Bone Marrow Toxicity by Combination Treatment of Dichloroacetate and Artesunate in a Glioblastoma Multiforme Patient: Case Report and…

2016

A 52-year-old male patient was treated with standard radiochemotherapy with temozolomide for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). After worsening of his clinical condition, further tumor-specific treatment was unlikely to be successful, and the patient seeked help from an alternative practitioner, who administered a combination of dichloroacetate (DCA) and artesunate (ART). A few days later, the patient showed clinical and laboratory signs of liver damage and bone marrow toxicity (leukopenia, thrombocytopenia). Despite successful restoration of laboratory parameters upon symptomatic treatment, the patient died 10 days after the infusion. DCA bears a well-documented hepatotoxic risk, while ART can…

Plastic and micro-evolutionary responses of a nematode to the host immune environment

2017

9 pages; International audience; Parasitic organisms have to cope with the defences deployed by their hosts and this can be achieved adopting immune evasion strategies or optimal life history traits according to the prevailing pattern of immune-mediated mortality. Parasites often encounter variable immune environments both within and between hosts, promoting the evolution of plastic strategies instead of fixed responses. Here, we explored the plasticity and micro-evolutionary responses of immunomodulatory mechanisms and life history traits to the immune environment provided by the host, using the parasitic nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus. To test if the parasite responds plastically to t…

Inflammatory Response Mechanisms of the Dentine–Pulp Complex and the Periapical Tissues

2021

The macroscopic and microscopic anatomy of the oral cavity is complex and unique in the human body. Soft-tissue structures are in close interaction with mineralized bone, but also dentine, cementum and enamel of our teeth. These are exposed to intense mechanical and chemical stress as well as to dense microbiologic colonization. Teeth are susceptible to damage, most commonly to caries, where microorganisms from the oral cavity degrade the mineralized tissues of enamel and dentine and invade the soft connective tissue at the core, the dental pulp. However, the pulp is well-equipped to sense and fend off bacteria and their products and mounts various and intricate defense mechanisms. The fron…