Studies have discovered that different extracts of and its phytochemicals show a variety of biological activities associated with inflammation. Although rutaecarpine, an alkaloid isolated from the unripe fruit of , has been exposed to have anti-inflammatory properties, the mechanism of action has not been well studied. Thus, this study investigated the molecular mechanisms of rutaecarpine (RUT) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlatelets play a crucial role in the physiology of primary hemostasis and pathological processes such as arterial thrombosis; thus, developing a therapeutic target that prevents platelet activation can reduce arterial thrombosis. Pterostilbene (PTE) has remarkable pharmacological activities, including anticancer and neuroprotection. Few studies have reported the effects of pterostilbene on platelet activation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAmyloid-beta (Aβ) oligomer is known to contribute to the pathophysiology of age-related macular degeneration. Herein, we aimed to elucidate the in vivo and in vitro effects of Aβ application on retinal morphology in rats. Our in vivo studies revealed that intracerebroventricular administration of Aβ oligomer caused dysmorphological changes in both retinal ganglion cells and retinal pigment epithelium.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFollowing the publication of the above paper, the authors noted that the first author affiliation was presented incorrectly. Essentially, 'School of Medicine' had been omitted from the address. Therefore, the author and affiliation details for this paper should have been presented as follows (the changes are highlighted in bold): THANASEKARAN JAYAKUMAR1*, KAO‑CHANG LIN1,2*, WAN-JUNG LU1,3, CHIA‑YING LIN4, GERALDINE PITCHAIRAJ5, JIUN‑YI LI4,6 and JOEN‑RONG SHEU1,4.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Carbon monoxide poisoning (COP) accounts for a large number of emergency department visits worldwide and is fatal in many cases. In surviving patients, neurological sequelae (NS) attributable to cerebral hypoxia are the most devastating outcome, but reliable predictors are limited. Therefore, we conducted a study to identify predictors of NS in patients with COP and evaluate their effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEsculetin, a bioactive 6,7-dihydroxy derivative of coumarin, possesses pharmacological activities against obesity, diabetes, renal failure, and cardiovascular disorders (CVDs). Platelet activation plays a major role in CVDs. Thus, disrupting platelet activation represents an attractive therapeutic target.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: With the increasingly rapid growth of the elderly population, individuals aged 65 years and above now compose 14% of Taiwanese citizens, thereby making Taiwanese society an aged society. A leading factor that affects the elderly population is dementia. A method of precisely and efficiently examining patients with dementia through multidimensional computer adaptive testing (MCAT) to accurately determine the patients' stage of dementia needs to be developed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPregnant women are vulnerable to heat stroke reactions caused by high environmental temperatures. Heat intolerance is associated with hypothalamic impairment. Here, we aim to ascertain whether pregnancy causes heat intolerance by inducing hypothalamic impairment in mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground & Purpose: Following traumatic brain injury (TBI), primary mechanical injury to the brain may cause blood-brain-barrier damage followed by secondary injury, ultimately culminating in cell death. We aimed to test whether one injection of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) derived from the human umbilical cord can modulate brain cytokine and chemokine gene profiles and attenuate neurological injury in rats with TBI.
Methods: One-day post-TBI, the injured rats were treated with one injection of MSC (4 × 10/rat, i.
The regulation of platelet function by pharmacological agents that modulate platelet signaling has proven to be a positive approach to the prevention of thrombosis. Ruthenium complexes are fascinating for the development of new drugs, as they possess numerous chemical and biological properties. The present study aims to evaluate the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of newly synthesized ruthenium (II) complexes, TQ-1, TQ-2 and TQ-3 in agonists-induced washed human platelets.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCD34 is a transmembrane phosphoglycoprotein used to selectively enrich bone marrow in hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation. Treating rats with CD34 cells derived from human umbilical cord blood before or after heat stroke has been shown to promote survival. We investigated whether CD34 human placenta-derived stem cells (PDMSCs) could improve survival following heat stroke in rats.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHospice and palliative care has been recognized as an essential part of emergency medicine; however, there is no consensus on the optimal model for the delivery of hospice and palliative care in the emergency department (ED). Therefore, we conducted a novel implementation in a tertiary medical center in Taiwan. In the preintervention period, we recruited a specialist for hospice and palliative medicine in the ED to lead our intervention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNobiletin, a bioactive polymethoxylated flavone, has been described to possess a diversity of biological effects through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) is a common substrate for cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP-regulated protein kinases [i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNobiletin, a bioactive polymethoxylated flavone isolated from citrus fruits, has been proven to prevent cancer and inflammation. Dietary flavonoids have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and platelet activation plays a crucial role in CVDs. This study investigated the effect of nobiletin on platelet activation in vitro and in vivo.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAstaxanthin, a potent antioxidant carotenoid, plays a major role in modulating the immune response. In this study, we examined the immunomodulatory effects of astaxanthin on cytokine production in primary cultured lymphocytes both in vitro and ex vivo. Direct administration of astaxanthin (70-300 nM) did not produce cytotoxicity in lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 100 µg/ mL)- or concanavalin A (Con A, 10 µg/ mL)-activated lymphocytes, whereas astaxanthin alone at 300 nM induced proliferation of splenic lymphocytes (p < 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFβ-amyloid (Aβ)-mediated neuronal apoptosis contributes to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study aimed to investigate whether astragalosides (AST) could inhibit Aβ-induced apoptosis in vivo and in vitro and to explore the underlying mechanisms. Amyloid β-protein fragment 25-35 (Aβ) was administered to cerebral lateral ventricle of rats to make the AD models in vivo.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHeat shock protein (HSP) 72 in serum was decreased to a greater degree in patients with serious heat stroke than in those with mild heat stroke. Thus, increased levels of HSP72 appeared to correlate with a better outcome for the patient. Nevertheless, the function of HSP72 in the heat-induced hypothalamic cell death has not been assessed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Iron may contribute to vascular injury through reactive oxygen species. Hemodialysis patients frequently receive iron supply for correction of anemia and are at a high risk of cardiovascular disease. We tested the relationship between iron status and change in arterial stiffness in hemodialysis patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Heparin therapy may induce anti-platelet factor 4/heparin antibody (PF4-H Ab). Hemodialysis patients receive scheduled heparin and are at a risk of developing PF4-H Ab. Hemodialysis patients are also at a high risk of peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: To investigate the effect of metformin on silibinin-induced apoptosis in human colorectal cancer (COLO 205) cells.
Methods: MTT assays were performed to quantify cell viability. Western blot assays were applied to identify the expression of signaling proteins.