Search results for "agents"
showing 10 items of 7330 documents
Screening of herbal extracts for TLR2- and TLR4-dependent anti-inflammatory effects.
2018
Herbal extracts represent an ample source of natural compounds, with potential to be used in improving human health. There is a growing interest in using natural extracts as possible new treatment strategies for inflammatory diseases. We therefore aimed at identifying herbal extracts that affect inflammatory signaling pathways through toll-like receptors (TLRs), TLR2 and TLR4. Ninety-nine ethanolic extracts were screened in THP-1 monocytes and HeLa-TLR4 transfected reporter cells for their effects on stimulated TLR2 and TLR4 signaling pathways. The 28 identified anti-inflammatory extracts were tested in comparative assays of stimulated HEK-TLR2 and HEK-TLR4 transfected reporter cells to dif…
Clinical significance of detectable and quantifiable HCV RNA at the end of treatment with ledipasvir/sofosbuvir in GT1 patients
2018
Background & aims AASLD/IDSA treatment guidelines for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection state that testing for quantitative HCV RNA can be considered at the end of antiviral treatment (EOT) with interferon-free regimens. However, it remains unclear how to respond to a detectable or even quantifiable HCV RNA result. The aim of this study was to analyse the frequency and predictive value of detectable and quantifiable HCV RNA results at the EOT in patients with HCV genotype 1 infection treated with ledipasvir (LDV) and sofosbuvir (SOF) ± ribavirin (RBV) in a large real-world cohort. Methods A retrospective analysis of the DHC-R (Deutsches Hepatitis C-Register, German Hepatitis C-Registry) coh…
Cytotoxicity of South-African medicinal plants towards sensitive and multidrug-resistant cancer cells
2016
Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance Traditional medicine plays a major role for primary health care worldwide. Cancer belongs to the leading disease burden in industrialized and developing countries. Successful cancer therapy is hampered by the development of resistance towards established anticancer drugs. Aim In the present study, we investigated the cytotoxicity of 29 extracts from 26 medicinal plants of South-Africa against leukemia cell lines, most of which are used traditionally to treat cancer and related symptoms. Material and methods We have investigated the plant extracts for their cytotoxic activity towards drug-sensitive parental CCRF-CEM leukemia cells and their multidrug-r…
Association between Leptin and Complement in Hepatitis C Patients with Viral Clearance: Homeostasis of Metabolism and Immunity
2016
Background The association between leptin and complement in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains unknown. Methods A prospective study was conducted including 474 (250 genotype 1, 224 genotype 2) consecutive chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients who had completed an anti-HCV therapy course and undergone pre-therapy and 24-week post-therapy assessments of interferon λ3-rs12979860 and HCV RNA/genotypes, anthropometric measurements, metabolic and liver profiles, and complement component 3 (C3), C4, and leptin levels. Results Of the 474 patients, 395 had a sustained virological response (SVR). Pre-therapy leptin levels did not differ between patients with and without an SVR. Univariate and mul…
Medicinal Plants and Natural Products as Potential Sources for Antiparkinson Drugs
2016
Parkinsonʼs disease is a progressive neurodegenerative dysfunction characterized by the loss of pigmented dopaminergic neurons of the nigrostriatal system with a consequent dopamine decrease. The reduction of dopamine levels produces neuronal damage, depigmentation of the substantia nigra, and the presence of intracellular inclusions in dopaminergic neurons. Treatments for Parkinsonʼs disease aim for improving these motor symptoms by increasing the dopaminergic signal in the striatum with levodopa in combination with enzyme inhibitors or anticholinergic drugs. Nevertheless, natural products can act as neuroprotective agents by reducing the progression of the disease and the inflammatory pro…
Pyrrolo[3',2':6,7]cyclohepta[1,2-b]pyridines with potent photo-antiproliferative activity.
2017
Abstract Pyrrolo[3′,2′:6,7]cyclohepta[1,2-b]pyridines were synthesized as a new class of tricyclic system in which the pyridine ring is annelated to a cycloheptapyrrole scaffold, with the aim of obtaining new photosensitizing agents with improved antiproliferative activity and lower undesired toxic effects. A versatile synthetic pathway was approached, which allowed the isolation of derivatives of the title ring system with a good substitution pattern on the pyrrole moiety. Photobiological studies revealed that the majority of the new compounds showed a potent cytotoxic effect upon photoactivation with light of the proper wavelength, especially when decorated with a 2-ethoxycabonyl group an…
Cryptochlorogenic acid attenuates LPS-induced inflammatory response and oxidative stress via upregulation of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway in RAW 2…
2019
Phenolic acids are found in natural plants, such as caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, and chlorogenic acid. They have long been used as pharmacological actives, owing to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Cryptochlorogenic acid (CCGA) is a special isomer of chlorogenic acid; the pharmacological effects and related molecular mechanisms of CCGA have been poorly reported. In the present study, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of CCGA in RAW 264.7 macrophages and the underlying mechanisms were investigated. The results revealed that CCGA dose-dependently inhibited LPS-induced production of NO, TNF-α, and IL-6 and blocked iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, and IL-6 expressions. CCGA …
Anti-Inflammatory Activity and Cheminformatics Analysis of New Poten t 2-Substituted 1-Methyl-5-Nitroindazolinones.
2018
After the identification of the anti-inflammatory properties of VA5-13l (2-benzyl-1- methyl-5-nitroindazolinone) in previous investigations, some of its analogous compounds were designed, synthesized and evaluated in two anti-inflammatory methods: LPS-enhanced leukocyte migration assay in zebrafish; and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced mouse ear edema. The products evaluated (3, 6, 8, 9 and 10) showed the lower values of relative leukocyte migration at 30#181;M (0.14, 0.07, 0.10, 0.13 and 0.07, respectively), while in ear edema and myeloperoxidase activity methods, all the compounds reduced inflammation, only 4 and 16 yielded unsatisfactory results. The relationship linkin…
Ceftaroline modulates the innate immune and host defense responses of immunocompetent cells exposed to cigarette smoke.
2017
Abstract Background Cigarette smoke, the principal risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), negatively influences the effectiveness of the immune system’s response to a pathogen. The antibiotic ceftaroline exerts immune-modulatory effects in bronchial epithelial cells exposed to cigarette smoke. Aims and methods The present study aims to assess the effects of ceftaroline on TLR2 and TLR4 expression, LPS binding and TNF-α and human beta defensin (HBD2) release in an undifferentiated and PMA-differentiated human monocyte cell line (THP-1) exposed or not to cigarette smoke extracts (CSE). TLR2, TLR4, and LPS binding were assessed by flow cytometry, TNF-α and HBD2 release w…
Litchi chinensis as a Functional Food and a Source of Antitumor Compounds: An Overview and a Description of Biochemical Pathways.
2017
Litchi is a tasty fruit that is commercially grown for food consumption and nutritional benefits in various parts of the world. Due to its biological activities, the fruit is becoming increasingly known and deserves attention not only for its edible part, the pulp, but also for its peel and seed that contain beneficial substances with antioxidant, cancer preventive, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory functions. Although literature demonstrates the biological activity of Litchi components in reducing tumor cell viability in in vitro or in vivo models, data about the biochemical mechanisms responsible for these effects are quite fragmentary. This review specifically describes, in a comprehe…