Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of flavocoxid in high-cholesterol-fed rabbits.

Flavocoxid is a mixed extract containing baicalin and catechin, and it acts as a dual balanced inhibitor of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and COX-2 peroxidase enzyme activities with a significant inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) enzyme activity in vitro. Flavocoxid downregulates gene or protein expression of several inflammatory markers and exerts also strong antioxidant activity in several experimental models. Inflammation and oxidative stress contribute in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.

Protective effects of methyl palmitate against silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats.

Silicosis is one of the most prevalent chronic occupational pulmonary diseases worldwide. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of methyl palmitate on silica-induced lung fibrosis in rats and explore the possible mechanisms. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups: group I served as control and group II served as positive control where rats were intranasally instilled with a single dose of silica suspension (50mg in 0.

Sensitization of TRAIL-induced apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells by phytochemicals.

Aims: The present study investigated and compared the potential chemosensitizing effect of indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on TRAIL-induced apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) HepG2 cells as well as the possible mechanisms underlying these modulatory effects, particularly their effects on TRAIL death receptors (DR), Bcl-2 and c-FLIP proteins expression.

Main Methods: HepG2 cells were treated with different concentrations of TRAIL ranging from 3 to 400ng/ml for 24h. For studying the modulatory effects of the phytochemicals on TRAIL-induced apoptosis, I3C and EGCG were used at concentrations that inhibit only 5% of the cells which were found to be 110μM and 70μg/ml, respectively.

Cardioprotective effect of grape-seed proanthocyanidins on doxorubicin-induced cardiac toxicity in rats.

Context: Doxorubicin (Dox) is an anthracycline antibiotic used as anticancer agent. However, its use is limited due to its cardiotoxicity which is mainly attributed to accumulation of reactive oxygen species.

Objective: This study was conducted to assess whether the antioxidant, proanthocyanidins (Pro) can ameliorate Dox-induced cardiotoxicity in rats.

Comparative evaluation of anti-inflammatory properties of thymoquinone and curcumin using an asthmatic murine model.

This study was designed to compare the inhibitory effects of thymoquinone (TQ) and curcumin (CMN) on the biological changes associating asthma. TQ appeared to exhibit greater inhibitory effects on the aggregation of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and in lung tissues. We also measured the effects of the two agents on serum IgE and the changes in the mRNA levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1).

Amelioration of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by deferiprone in rats.

The therapeutic usefulness of doxorubicin (Dox), an anthracycline antibiotic used as an anticancer agent, is limited by its cardiotoxicity. Dox-induced cardiotoxicity is mainly attributed to accumulation of reactive oxygen species and interaction of Dox with cellular iron metabolism. The present study investigated the effects of the iron chelator deferiprone (Def) against Dox-induced cardiotoxicity in rats.

Effect of bosentan (ETA/ETB receptor antagonist) on metabolic changes during stress and diabetes.

Elevated plasma ET-1 levels have been reported in several conditions such as stress and diabetes. ET-1 is found to cause insulin resistance and to stimulate liver glycogenolysis. The question arises whether ET-1 has a role in the metabolic changes occurring in such conditions.