Herbal melanin modulates PGE2 and IL-6 gastroprotective markers through COX-2 and TLR4 signaling in the gastric cancer cell line AGS.

We reported a gastric anti-ulcerogenic effect of the Nigella sativa (L.)-derived herbal melanin (HM) using rat models. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this HM gastroprotective effect remain unknown.

Herbal melanin induces interleukin-1β secretion and production by human THP-1 monocytes via Toll-like receptor 2 and p38 MAPK activation.

Herbal melanin (HM), extracted from , is known for its immunogenic properties through the modulation of cytokine production via Toll-like receptor (TLR)4. TLRs play a crucial role in the host defense through the regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. However, the potential effect of HM on the production of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), the main immunoregulatory cytokine secreted by activated monocytes, has not been reported.

Distinct anti-proliferative effects of herbal melanin on human acute monocytic leukemia THP-1 cells and embryonic kidney HEK293 cells.

Background: Herbal melanin (HM) is a dark pigment extracted from the seed coat of Nigella sativa L. and known to exert biological effects via toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). Recently, TLR4 was described as involved in natural programmed cell death (apoptosis).

Herbal melanin inhibits colorectal cancer cell proliferation by altering redox balance, inducing apoptosis, and modulating MAPK signaling.

Background: Colorectal carcinoma is one of the most deadly cancers that requests effective and safe chemotherapy. Evaluation of natural product-based anticancer drugs as adjuvant treatment with fewer side effects is largely unexplored research fields. Herbal melanin (HM) is an extract of the seed coats of that modulates an inflammatory response through toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4).

Permissive underfeeding, cytokine profiles and outcomes in critically ill patients.

Background: During critical illness in humans, the effects of caloric restriction on the inflammatory response are not well understood. The aim of this study is to examine the associations of caloric restriction, inflammatory response profiles and outcomes in critically ill patients.

Methods: This is a sub-study of the PermiT trial (Permissive Underfeeding or Standard Enteral Feeding in Critically Ill Adults Trial- ISRCTN68144998).

Pharmacological Properties of Melanin and its Function in Health.

The biological pigment melanin is present in most of the biological systems. It manifests a host of biological and pharmacological properties. Its role as a molecule with special properties and functions affecting general health, including photoprotective and immunological action, are well recognized.

The role of biobanks in elucidating prevalent genetic diseases in Saudi Arabia.

Biobanking entails large-scale collection of human biological specimens that are linked to the donors' health and personal information, and has several applications in clinical research. Human biological specimens, such as blood, urine and tissue, have become immensely important to medical research: they offer a valuable source of genetic material that researchers can use to identify disease-associated genetic variation and to determine interactions between genes and environmental factors. Identification of genetic contributions to disease can lead to the development of new diagnostic tests and targeted treatments.

Altered Proteins in the Aging Brain.

We assessed the prevalence of common altered brain proteins in 296 cognitively unimpaired subjects ranging from age 50 to 102 years. The incidence and the stage of hyperphosphorylated-τ (HPτ), β-amyloid, α-synuclein (αS), and transactive response DNA (TDP) binding protein 43 (TDP43)-immunoreactivity (-IR) increased with age. HPτ-IR was observed in 98% of the subjects; the locus coeruleus was solely affected in 46%, and 79% of the subjects were in Braak stages a to II.

Correlations between mini-mental state examination score, cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, and pathology observed in brain biopsies of patients with normal-pressure hydrocephalus.

Alzheimer disease (AD)-related pathology was assessed in cortical biopsy samples of 111 patients with idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus. Alzheimer disease hallmark lesions-β-amyloid (Aβ) and hyperphosphorylated tau (HPtau)-were observed in 47% of subjects, a percentage consistent with that for whole-brain assessment reported postmortem in unselected cohorts. Higher-immunostained area fraction of AD pathology corresponded with lower preoperative mini-mental state examination scores.

Monomeric C-reactive protein and Notch-3 co-operatively increase angiogenesis through PI3K signalling pathway.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is the most acute-phase reactant serum protein of inflammation and a strong predictor of cardiovascular disease. Its expression is associated with atherosclerotic plaque instability and the formation of immature micro-vessels. We have previously shown that CRP upregulates endothelial-derived Notch-3, a key receptor involved in vascular development, remodelling and maturation.

Alzheimer's disease-related plaques in nondemented subjects.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology was assessed in 587 nondemented subjects, with age at death at or more than 50 years. In 307 subjects, amyloid-β (Aβ) immunoreactive (IR) plaques were seen; in 192 subjects, neuritic plaques (NPs) stained with modified Bielschowsky silver stain (mBky) were observed. In 20% of the whole cohort and in 62% of the 192 subjects with NPs in mBky, hyperphosphorylated tau (HPtau) IR NPs were seen.

Hyperphosphorylated tau in young and middle-aged subjects.

The brain tissue obtained from ninety-five cognitively unimpaired subjects, with ages ranging from 22 to 50 years upon death, were immunohistochemically assessed for neurodegenerative changes, i.e., hyperphosphorylated tau (HPτ) and β-amyloid (Aβ) pathology in predilection neuroanatomical areas.

Large-scale protein profiling in human cell lines using antibody-based proteomics.

Human cancer cell lines grown in vitro are frequently used to decipher basic cell biological phenomena and to also specifically study different forms of cancer. Here we present the first large-scale study of protein expression patterns in cell lines using an antibody-based proteomics approach. We analyzed the expression pattern of 5436 proteins in 45 different cell lines using hierarchical clustering, principal component analysis, and two-group comparisons for the identification of differentially expressed proteins.

Herbal melanin activates TLR4/NF-kappaB signaling pathway.

Expression of many pro-inflammatory cytokines is controlled by the NF-kappaB signaling pathway. NF-kappaB is induced by LPS through activation of TLR4. Melanins extracted from fungal, plant and human sources modulate cytokine production and activate NF-kappaB pathway.

Effect of herbal melanin on IL-8: a possible role of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4).

The production of IL-8 can be induced by LPS via TLR4 signaling pathway. In this study, we tested the effect of a herbal melanin (HM) extract, from black cumin seeds (Nigella sativa L.), on IL-8 production.

A human protein atlas for normal and cancer tissues based on antibody proteomics.

Antibody-based proteomics provides a powerful approach for the functional study of the human proteome involving the systematic generation of protein-specific affinity reagents. We used this strategy to construct a comprehensive, antibody-based protein atlas for expression and localization profiles in 48 normal human tissues and 20 different cancers. Here we report a new publicly available database containing, in the first version, approximately 400,000 high resolution images corresponding to more than 700 antibodies toward human proteins.

Immature B cell malignancies synthesize VEGF, VEGFR-1 (Flt-1) and VEGFR-2 (KDR).

Expression of VEGF and VEGFR support a role for angiogenic pathways in the pathogenesis of some hematological malignances. Our goal was to determine if expression of these angiogenic molecules also extend to childhood precursor B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pre-B ALL). We now show that transcripts of VEGF, and its receptors VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 are concomitantly expressed in both ALL cell lines and primary pre-B ALL.