Anti-neuropathic effects of astaxanthin in a rat model of chronic constriction injury: passing through opioid/benzodiazepine receptors and relevance to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Introduction: Neuropathic pain is a debilitating neurological disorder and is on the rise. Since no effective treatment has been so far approved to combat the complex pathological mechanisms behind neuropathic pain, finding new therapeutic candidates is of great importance. Astaxanthin (AST) is a carotenoid with strong antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities.

Protective effects of astaxanthin solid lipid nanoparticle as a promising candidate against acute kidney injury in rats.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a sudden onset of renal injury that occurs within a few hours or days. Ischemia-reperfusion (IR) is a major cause of AKI. There are multiple dysregulated mechanisms behind the pathogenesis of AKI and IR which urges the need for finding multi-targeting therapies.

Testosterone signaling pathways for reducing neuropathic pain in a rat model of spinothalamic tract lesion.

Objectives: Most individuals who suffer from spinal cord injury (SCI) experience neuropathic pain, which currently has no effective treatment. In this study, we examined how testosterone affects neuropathic pain resulting from SCI.

Materials And Methods: We administered three different doses of testosterone (4, 8, 16 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) to male rats after an electrolytic lesion of the spinothalamic tract.

Role of l -arginine/nitric oxide/cyclic GMP/K ATP channel signaling pathway and opioid receptors in the antinociceptive effect of rutin in mice.

The l -arginine ( l -Arg)/nitric oxide/cyclic GMP/potassium channel (K ATP ) pathway and opioid receptors are known to play critical roles in pain perception and the antinociceptive effects of various compounds. While there is evidence suggesting that the analgesic effects of rutin may involve nitric oxide modulation, the direct link between rutin and the l -Arg/nitric oxide/cyclic GMP/K ATP pathway in the context of pain modulation requires further investigation. The antinociceptive effect of rutin was studied in male NMRI mice using the formalin test.

Polydatin attenuated neuropathic pain and motor dysfunction following spinal cord injury in rats by employing its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

Background: Considering the complex pathological mechanisms behind spinal cord injury (SCI) and the adverse effects of present non-approved drugs against SCI, new studies are needed to introduce novel multi-target active ingredients with higher efficacy and lower side effects. Polydatin (PLD) is a naturally occurring stilbenoid glucoside recognized for its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to assess the effects of PLD on sensory-motor function following SCI in rats.

The Role of Vitamins in Spinal Cord Injury: Mechanisms and Benefits.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a common neurological disease worldwide, often resulting in a substantial decrease in quality of life, disability, and in severe cases, even death. Unfortunately, there is currently no effective treatment for this disease. Nevertheless, current basic and clinical evidence suggests that vitamins, with their antioxidant properties and biological functions, may play a valuable role in improving the quality of life for individuals with SCI.

Intranasal CEPO-FC prevents attention deficits in streptozotocin-induced rat model of Alzheimer's disease: Focus on synaptic plasticity-related factors.

Alzheimer's disease remains an issue of great controversy due to its pathology. It is characterized by cognitive impairments and neuropsychiatric symptoms. The FDA approved medications for this disease, can only mitigate the symptoms.

Burden of Mendelian disorders in a large Middle Eastern biobank.

Background: Genome sequencing of large biobanks from under-represented ancestries provides a valuable resource for the interrogation of Mendelian disease burden at world population level, complementing small-scale familial studies.

Methods: Here, we interrogate 6045 whole genomes from Qatar-a Middle Eastern population with high consanguinity and understudied mutational burden-enrolled at the national Biobank and phenotyped for 58 clinically-relevant quantitative traits. We examine a curated set of 2648 Mendelian genes from 20 panels, annotating known and novel pathogenic variants and assessing their penetrance and impact on the measured traits.

Mitochondrial Transportation, Transplantation, and Subsequent Immune Response in Alzheimer's Disease: An Update.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease characterized by memory impairment and a progressive decline in cognitive function. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been identified as an important contributor to the development of AD, leading to oxidative stress and energy deficits within the brain. While current treatments for AD aim to alleviate symptoms, there is an urgent need to target the underlying mechanisms.

Targeting the key players of phenotypic plasticity in cancer cells by phytochemicals.

Plasticity of phenotypic traits refers to an organism's ability to change in response to environmental stimuli. As a result, the response may alter an organism's physiological state, morphology, behavior, and phenotype. Phenotypic plasticity in cancer cells describes the considerable ability of cancer cells to transform phenotypes through non-genetic molecular signaling activities that promote therapy evasion and tumor metastasis via amplifying cancer heterogeneity.

Dipeptide mimetic of BDNF ameliorates motor dysfunction and striatal apoptosis in 6-OHDA-induced Parkinson's rat model: Considering Akt and MAPKs signaling.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive and debilitating neurodegenerative disorder associated with motor and non-motor complaints. Dysregulation of neurotrophic factors and related signaling cascades have been reported to be common events in PD which is accompanied by dopaminergic (DA) neuron demise. However, the restoration of neurotrophic factors has several limitations.

Astaxanthin ameliorates spinal cord edema and astrocyte activation via suppression of HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway in a rat model of spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord edema is a quick-onset phenomenon with long-term effects. This complication is associated with inflammatory responses, as well as poor motor function. No effective treatment has been developed against spinal edema, which urges the need to provide novel therapies.

N-acetylecysteine, a powerful agent in the reinforcement of anti-oxidant profile: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials.

Background And Aim: Several studies have been conducted to evaluate the effect of N-acetylecysteine (NAC) supplementation on antioxidant status, while no dose-response meta-analysis summarized the efficacy of NAC supplementation.

Methods: The systematic search of literatures was conducted on Scopus, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science electronic databases. Controlled clinical trials investigating the effects of NAC on antioxidant biomarkers were included in the current meta-analysis.

The regulatory role of non-coding RNAs and their interactions with phytochemicals in neurodegenerative diseases: a systematic review.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are on the rise in the world. Therefore, it is a critical issue to reveal the precise pathophysiological mechanisms and novel therapeutic strategies to deal with such conditions. Passing through different mechanisms, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play a pivotal role in NDDs through various mechanisms, by changing the expression of some genes, interference with protein translation and alterations in some signaling pathways.

Astaxanthin ameliorates serum level and spinal expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor following spinal cord injury.

Astaxanthin (AST) is a lipid-soluble carotenoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Previous reports demonstrated the promising effects of AST on spinal cord injury (SCI)-induced inflammation and sensory-motor dysfunction. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), as a cytokine, plays a critical role in the inflammatory phase of SCI.

Intrathecal administration of naringenin improves motor dysfunction and neuropathic pain following compression spinal cord injury in rats: relevance to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the most debilitating disorders throughout the world, causing persistent sensory-motor dysfunction, with no effective treatment. Oxidative stress and inflammatory responses play key roles in the secondary phase of SCI. Naringenin (NAR) is a natural flavonoid with known anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties.

Astaxanthin Modulates Autophagy, Apoptosis, and Neuronal Oxidative Stress in a Rat Model of Compression Spinal Cord Injury.

The effects of astaxanthin (AST) were evaluated on oxidative mediators, neuronal apoptosis, and autophagy in functional motor recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI). Rats were divided into three groups of sham, SCI + DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide), and SCI + AST. Rats in the sham group only underwent a laminectomy at thoracic 8-9.

Qatar genome: Insights on genomics from the Middle East.

Despite recent biomedical breakthroughs and large genomic studies growing momentum, the Middle Eastern population, home to over 400 million people, is underrepresented in the human genome variation databases. Here we describe insights from Phase 1 of the Qatar Genome Program with whole genome sequenced 6047 individuals from Qatar. We identified more than 88 million variants of which 24 million are novel and 23 million are singletons.

Effects of Polyphenols on Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Interconnected Pathways during Spinal Cord Injury.

Despite the progression in targeting the complex pathophysiological mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) and spinal cord injury (SCI), there is a lack of effective treatments. Moreover, conventional therapies suffer from associated side effects and low efficacy, raising the need for finding potential alternative therapies. In this regard, a comprehensive review was done regarding revealing the main neurological dysregulated pathways and providing alternative therapeutic agents following SCI.

Association of Changed Serum Brain Biomarkers With Perihematomal Edema and Early Clinical Outcome in Primary ICH Patients.

Background: Perihematomal edema (PHE) following primary intracranial hemorrhages (ICHs) affects the patient outcome. Also, serum biomarkers such as S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) have been associated with ICHs outcome. We aimed to investigate the association between these biomarkers and PHE in ICH patients.

Astaxanthin engages the l-arginine/NO/cGMP/KATP channel signaling pathway toward antinociceptive effects.

One of the main functions of the sensory system in our body is to maintain somatosensory homeostasis. Recent reports have led to a significant advance in our understanding of pain signaling mechanisms; however, the exact mechanisms of pain transmission have remained unclear. There is an urgent need to reveal the precise signaling mediators of pain to provide alternative therapeutic agents with more efficacy and fewer side effects.

The anti-nociceptive activity of naringenin passes through L-arginine/NO/cGMP/KATP channel pathway and opioid receptors.

As a promising flavonoid, naringenin has shown potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties mainly in inflammatory pain models by oral administration. Therefore, we investigated the antinociceptive activity of this compound by intraperitoneally (i.p.