Supercritical fluid extraction of heather (Calluna vulgaris) and evaluation of anti-hepatitis C virus activity of the extracts.

Previous studies using lipid extracts of heather (Calluna vulgaris) leaves showed the presence of high concentrations of ursolic and oleanolic acid. These two compounds have been reported to present antiviral activity against hepatitis C virus (HCV). In this work, the supercritical fluid extraction of heather was studied with the aim of assessing a potential anti-HCV activity of the extracts owing to their triterpenic acid content.

Identification of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus LANA regions important for episome segregation, replication, and persistence.

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) is a 1,162-amino-acid protein that mediates the maintenance of episomal viral genomes in latently infected cells. The two central components of episome persistence are DNA replication with each cell division and the segregation of DNA to progeny nuclei. LANA self-associates to bind KSHV terminal-repeat (TR) DNA and to mediate its replication.

Isolation of essential oil from different plants and herbs by supercritical fluid extraction.

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) is an innovative, clean and environmental friendly technology with particular interest for the extraction of essential oil from plants and herbs. Supercritical CO(2) is selective, there is no associated waste treatment of a toxic solvent, and extraction times are moderate. Further, supercritical extracts were often recognized of superior quality when compared with those produced by hydro-distillation or liquid-solid extraction.

Angiotensin II-dependent induction of AT(2) receptor expression after renal ablation.

Angiotensin (ANG) II can be associated with gene expression regulation. Thus we studied the possible role of ANG II in the regulation of AT(2) mRNA and protein expression. We utilized sham-operated renal ablation rats as well as renal ablation rats pretreated during the first 7 days of the development of renal damage with either the angiotensin-converting inhibitor ramipril, the AT(1) receptor antagonist losartan, or the AT(2) receptor antagonist PD-123319.

Further characterization of the 5-HT1 receptors mediating cardiac sympatho-inhibition in pithed rats: pharmacological correlation with the 5-HT1B and 5-HT1D subtypes.

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) is capable of inhibiting the tachycardic responses elicited by sympathetic stimulation, but not by exogenous noradrenaline, in pithed rats pre-treated with desipramine. More recently, it has been shown that this cardiac sympatho-inhibitory response to 5-HT, mediated by prejunctional 5-HT1 receptors as well as putative 5-ht5A/5B receptors, is mimicked dose-dependently by the agonists CP 93,129 (r5-HT1B), sumatriptan (5-HT1B/1D) and PNU-142633 (5-HT1D). This study analysed further the pharmacological profile of the above 5-HT1 receptors.

Pharmacological profile of the 5-HT-induced inhibition of cardioaccelerator sympathetic outflow in pithed rats: correlation with 5-HT1 and putative 5-ht5A/5B receptors.

Continuous infusions of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) inhibit the tachycardiac responses to preganglionic (C7-T1) sympathetic stimulation in pithed rats pretreated with desipramine. The present study identified the pharmacological profile of this inhibitory action of 5-HT. The inhibition induced by intravenous (i.