Mutant PRPF8 Causes Widespread Splicing Changes in Spliceosome Components in Retinitis Pigmentosa Patient iPSC-Derived RPE Cells.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a rare, progressive disease that affects photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells with blindness as a final outcome. Despite high medical and social impact, there is currently no therapeutic options to slow down the progression of or cure the disease. The development of effective therapies was largely hindered by high genetic heterogeneity, inaccessible disease tissue, and unfaithful model organisms.

Natural photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy: In vitro activity against monolayers and spheroids of human colorectal adenocarcinoma SW480 cells.

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT), is a treatment option for cancer.It involves the photochemical interaction of light, photosensitizer (PS) and molecular oxygen to produce radical species as well as singlet oxygen which induce cell death. Anthraquinones (AQs) have been extensively studied with respect to their UV/Vis absorption characteristics and their photosensitizing properties in photodynamic reactions.

Cellular and Molecular Biomarkers Indicate Premature Aging in Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum Patients.

The molecular processes of aging are very heterogenic and not fully understood. Studies on rare progeria syndromes, which display an accelerated progression of physiological aging, can help to get a better understanding. Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) caused by mutations in the () gene shares some molecular characteristics with such premature aging diseases.

Melanogenic inhibitory effects of Triangularin in B16F0 melanoma cells, in vitro and molecular docking studies.

The lack of secure therapies for hyperpigmentation disorders, without serious adverse effects, and the latest reports relating melanogenic disorders with development of neurodegenerative diseases, encourage the continuing search for new drugs for the treatment of such disorders. In this sense, the plant kingdom is an important source of bioactive natural products with great potential for the research and development of new therapeutics. The present study evaluated the anti-melanogenic activity of the natural methoxylated chalcone, 2',6'-dihydroxy-4'-methoxy-3'-methylchalcone (Triangularin, T), on diphenolase activity from mushroom tyrosinase and on murine B16F0 melanoma cell model.

Natural anthraquinones as novel photosentizers for antiparasitic photodynamic inactivation.

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a vector-borne disease caused by obligate protist parasites from the genus Leishmania. The potential toxicity as well as the increased resistance of standard treatments has encouraged the development of new therapeutical strategies. Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) combines the use of a photosensitizer and light to generate reactive oxygen species and kill cells, including microorganisms.

Experimental poisoning by Heterophyllaea pustulata Hook. f. (Rubiaceae) in goats. Clinical, biochemical and toxicological aspects.

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical, biochemical and toxicological findings of the experimentally poisoning induced by Heterophyllaea pustulata in goats. Ten healthy adult female Saanen breed goats were used in the experiment. The goats were randomly assigned to two groups of five individuals: control and experimental group (CG and EG).

Flavonoids as protective agents against oxidative stress induced by gentamicin in systemic circulation. Potent protective activity and microbial synergism of luteolin.

The flavonoids effect on gentamicin (GEN)-induced oxidative stress (OS) in systemic circulation was evaluated in terms of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, enzymatic antioxidant defenses superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and lipid peroxidation (LP) in vitro on human leukocytes and in vivo on rat whole blood. The inhibitory activity of ROS was ATS < QTS < isovitexin < vitexin < luteolin. Luteolin, the most active, showed more inhibition in ROS production than vitamin C (reference inhibitor) in mononuclear cells and a slightly lower protective behavior compared to this inhibitor in polymorphonuclear cells.

The antioxidant activity of a prenyl flavonoid alters its antifungal toxicity on Candida albicans biofilms.

The antioxidant effect of 8PP, a prenylflavonoid from Dalea elegans on Candida albicans biofilms, was investigated. We previously reported that sensitive (SCa) and resistant C. albicans (RCa) biofilms were strongly inhibited by this compound, in a dose-depending manner (50 μM-100 μM), with a prooxidant effect leading to accumulation of endogenous oxidative metabolites and increased antioxidant defenses.

Histological Examination in Obtaining a Diagnosis in Patients with Lymphadenopathy in Lima, Peru.

The differential diagnosis for lymphadenopathy is wide and clinical presentations overlap, making obtaining an accurate diagnosis challenging. We sought to characterize the clinical and radiological characteristics, histological findings, and diagnoses for a cohort of patients with lymphadenopathy of unknown etiology. 121 Peruvian adults with lymphadenopathy underwent lymph node biopsy for microbiological and histopathological evaluation.

Interactions of a prenylated flavonoid from Dalea elegans with fluconazole against azole- resistant Candida albicans.

Background: The prenylated flavonoid 2', 4'-dihydroxy-5'-(1'″, 1'″-dimethylallyl)-8-prenylpinocembrin (8PP, formerly 6PP) shows antifungal activity, inhibits rhodamine 6G efflux and reverses fluconazole (FCZ) resistance in azole-resistant Candida albicans overexpressing cdr1, cdr2 and mdr1 transporters.

Purpose And Design: In this paper, we tried to characterize 8PP in vitro interactions on the cell growth and lethality of C. albicans.

Chemical and bioactivity of flavanones obtained from roots of Dalea pazensis Rusby.

Two new prenylated flavanones, pazentin A (3',4'-dihydroxy-6,2'-diprenylpinocembrin, 1) and pazentin B [4'-hydroxy-2'-methoxy-5'-(1‴, 1‴-dimethylallyl)-6-prenylpinocembrin, 2] together with two known ones (3 and 4) previously isolated from other Dalea species were obtained from the benzene extract of Dalea pazensis Rusby roots. The compounds were evaluated in vitro for their inhibition on mushroom tyrosinase enzyme and in relation to their effect on melanogenesis in B16 murine melanoma cells, by using a spectrophotometric method. The information obtained could be relevant to the knowledge of the structure-activity relationship for these flavonoids with the aim to explore the rational design for skin-whitening agents.

Protective effect of quercetin in gentamicin-induced oxidative stress in vitro and in vivo in blood cells. Effect on gentamicin antimicrobial activity.

We have evaluated the effect of gentamicin and gentamicin plus quercetin on ROS production, endogenous antioxidant defenses (SOD and CAT) and lipid peroxidation in vitro on human leukocytes and in vivo on whole rat blood. Gentamicin generated ROS production in human leukocytes, produced a dual effect on both enzymes dosage-dependent and generated an increase in lipid peroxidation. Quercetin, in leukocytes stimulated by gentamicin, showed more inhibitory capacity in ROS production than the reference inhibitor (vitaminC) in mononuclear cells and a similar protective behavior at this inhibitor in polymorphonuclear cells.

The anthraquinones rubiadin and its 1-methyl ether isolated from Heterophyllaea pustulata reduces Candida tropicalis biofilms formation.

Background: Candida tropicalis is increasingly becoming among the most commonly isolated pathogens causing fungal infections with an important biofilm-forming capacity.

Purpose: This study addresses the antifungal effect of rubiadin (AQ1) and rubiadin 1-methyl ether (AQ2), two photosensitizing anthraquinones (AQs) isolated from Heterophyllaea pustulata, against C. tropicalis biofilms, by studying the cellular stress and antioxidant response in two experimental conditions: darkness and irradiation.

Usnic Acid Activity on Oxidative and Nitrosative Stress of Azole-Resistant Candida albicans Biofilm.

Several studies report that (+)-usnic acid, a lichen secondary metabolite, inhibits growth of different bacteria and fungi; however, the mechanism of its antimicrobial activity remains unknown. In this study, we explored the ability of usnic acid, obtained from , as an antibiofilm agent against azole-resistant and azole-sensitive Candida albicans strains by studying the cellular stress and antioxidant response in biofilms. The biofilm inhibitory concentration of usnic acid (4 µg/mL) exhibited a significant biofilm inhibition, 71.

Protocol for studying cough frequency in people with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Introduction: Cough is a key symptom of tuberculosis (TB) as well as the main cause of transmission. However, a recent literature review found that cough frequency (number of coughs per hour) in patients with TB has only been studied once, in 1969. The main aim of this study is to describe cough frequency patterns before and after the start of TB treatment and to determine baseline factors that affect cough frequency in these patients.

Microscopic Observation Drug Susceptibility Assay for Rapid Diagnosis of Lymph Node Tuberculosis and Detection of Drug Resistance.

In this study, 132 patients with lymphadenopathy were investigated. Fifty-two (39.4%) were diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB).

Antifungal activity of a prenylated flavonoid from Dalea elegans against Candida albicans biofilms.

Background: The continuing emergence of infections with antifungal resistant Candida strains requires a constant search for new antifungal drugs, with the plant kingdom being an important source of chemical structures.

Purpose: The present study investigated the antifungal effect of 2',4'-dihydroxy-5'-(1''',1'''-dimethylallyl)-8-prenylpinocembrin (8PP, formerly 6PP), a natural prenylflavonoid, on Candida albicans biofilms, and compared this with an azole antifungal (fluconazole) by studying the cellular stress and antioxidant response.

Study Design/methods: The fluconazole sensitive (SCa) and azole-resistant (RCa) C.

Photochemotherapy using natural anthraquinones: Rubiadin and Soranjidiol sensitize human cancer cell to die by apoptosis.

Over the past decade the science has studied synthetic photosensitizers used in photodynamic therapy (PDT) or photochemotherapy as anticancer candidates. In this context, compounds extracted from vegetable species present interesting potential in the cancer field. In our laboratory, we studied Heterophyllaea pustulata a phototoxic shrub that habit the northwest of Argentina.

Amino acid content and acetylcholinesterase inhibition of Huperzia saururus infusion and decoction.

Unlabelled: CONTEXT. Huperzia saururus (Lam.) Trevis.

Study of the interaction of Huperzia saururus Lycopodium alkaloids with the acetylcholinesterase enzyme.

In the present study, we describe and compare the binding modes of three Lycopodium alkaloids (sauroine, 6-hydroxylycopodine and sauroxine; isolated from Huperzia saururus) and huperzine A with the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. Refinement and rescoring of the docking poses (obtained with different programs) with an all atom force field helped to improve the quality of the protein-ligand complexes. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the complexes and the alkaloid's binding modes.

Involvement of the L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway in the antinociception caused by fruits of Prosopis strombulifera (Lam.) Benth.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Prosopis strombulifera (Lam.) Benth. is a rhizomatous shrub that grows in the north and central zone of Argentina.

Alkaloid profiling and anticholinesterase activity of South American Lycopodiaceae species.

The alkaloid extracts of four Huperzia and one Lycopodiella species, from Brazilian habitats, were tested for their in vitro anticholinesterase activities. IC(50) values showed a potent acetylcholinesterase inhibition for H. reflexa (0.

Predicted impact of the invasive lionfish Pterois volitans on the food web of a Caribbean coral reef.

The invasion of lionfish in the Caribbean is causing grave concern because of its deleterious impacts on coral reef food-webs. We have used an Ecopath-with-Ecosim model to predict the impacts of lionfish invasion on a coral reef community based on pre-invasion fish community data. Forty-six groups were defined, and an initial Ecopath model was balanced with a near-zero biomass of lionfish.

Prenylated flavanones with anti-tyrosinase activity from Dalea boliviana.

Three new prenylated flavanones, (2S)-5,7,2'-trihydroxy-5'-(1''',1'''-dimethylallyl)-8-prenylflavanone (1), (2S)-5,7,2'-trihydroxy-8,3'-diprenylflavanone (2), and (2S)-5,2'-dihydroxy-6'',6''-dimethylchromeno-(7,8:2'',3'')-3'-prenylflavanone (3), and a known chromeno (dimethylpyrano) flavanone, obovatin (4), were isolated from the n-hexane extract of Dalea boliviana roots. The compounds were evaluated in vitro in relation to their inhibitory effect on the tyrosinase activity by using a spectrophotometric method.

Two new alkamides from roots of Acmella decumbens.

From the roots of Acmella decumbens (Sm) R.K. Jansen three compounds belonging to the alkamide family were isolated: (2E, 4E)-N-hydroxiphenylethyl-2,4-decadien-9-inamide (1); (4E, 6E)-N-isobutyl-4,6-undecen-10-inamide; (2) and (2Z)-N-phenylethyl-2-nonane-6,8-diinamide (3).