Complementary Treatment of Breast Cancer Cells with Different Metastatic Potential with Iscador Qu in the Presence of Clinically Approved Anticancer Drugs.

European mistletoe extract (Iscador Qu) has been studied for decades, but it has not ceased to arouse scientific interest. The purpose was to investigate the impact of Iscador Qu on the antiproliferative potential of 11 standard chemotherapeutic agents on two breast cancer cell lines: MCF-7 low-metastatic and MDA-MB-231 high-metastatic and control cell lines (MCF-10A). MTT-dye reduction assay, FACS analysis, and PI staining were utilized.

Glycerophospholipid polyunsaturation modulates resveratrol action on biomimetic membranes.

The phytoalexin resveratrol has received increasing attention for its potential to prevent oxidative damages in human organism. To shed further light on molecular mechanisms of its interaction with lipid membranes we study resveratrol influence on the organisation and mechanical properties of biomimetic lipid systems composed of synthetic phosphatidylcholines with mixed aliphatic chains and different degree of unsaturation at sn-2 position (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, POPC, and 1-palmitoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, PDPC). High-sensitivity isothermal titration calorimetric measurements reveal stronger spontaneous resveratrol association to polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine bilayers compared to the monounsaturated ones resulting from hydrophobic interactions, conformational changes of the interacting species and desolvation of molecular surfaces.

Oxidative Stress and the Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 (Nrf2) Pathway in Multiple Sclerosis: Focus on Certain Exogenous and Endogenous Nrf2 Activators and Therapeutic Plasma Exchange Modulation.

The pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) suggests that, in genetically susceptible subjects, T lymphocytes undergo activation in the peripheral compartment, pass through the BBB, and cause damage in the CNS. They produce pro-inflammatory cytokines; induce cytotoxic activities in microglia and astrocytes with the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species, and other highly reactive radicals; activate B cells and macrophages and stimulate the complement system. Inflammation and neurodegeneration are involved from the very beginning of the disease.

Structural Changes Induced by Resveratrol in Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated Phosphatidylcholine-Enriched Model Membranes.

Resveratrol (Resv) is considered to exert a beneficial impact due to its radical scavenger, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties through several mechanisms that could include its interaction with the cell plasma membrane. To address this issue, we investigated the influence of Resv on membrane lipid order and organization in large unilamellar vesicles composed of different lipids and ratios. The studied lipid membrane models were composed of phosphatidylcholine (PC) species (either palmitoyl-docosahexaenoyl phosphatidylcholine (PDPC) or palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine (POPC)), sphingomyelin (SM) and cholesterol (Chol).