Publications by authors named "Lizard Gerard"

Arginase plays a crucial role in the urea cycle; it also has immunosuppressive and pro-tumor effects. The present study aimed to assess the effects of arginase inhibition by thymoquinone (2-Isopropyl-5-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone), an active compound of Nigella sativa, on cell death in the MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast tumor cell line. Cell viability assays, Western blot analysis, and flow cytometry analysis were used to characterize oxidative stress and cell death.

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Phytosterols are plant sterols that are important secondary plant metabolites with significant pharmacological properties. Their presence in the plant kingdom concerns many unrelated botanical families such as oleageneous plants and cereals. The structures of phytosterols evoke those of cholesterol.

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Astrocytes specifically synthesize and release endozepines, a family of regulatory peptides including octadecaneuropeptide (ODN). We have previously reported that ODN rescues neurons and astrocytes from 6-OHDA-induced oxidative stress and cell death. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential implication of miR-34b, miR-29a, and miR-21 in the protective activity of ODN on 6-OHDA-induced oxidative stress and cell death in cultured rat astrocytes.

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  • Milk thistle seed oil, derived from Silybum marianum and the lesser-known Silybum eburneum, is being investigated for its health benefits, particularly in antioxidant properties.
  • This study compares the lipid and phenolic profiles of the seed oils from both species and highlights their high content of unsaturated fatty acids and beneficial phytosterols.
  • The oils demonstrated strong antioxidant activities, protecting THP-1 cells from oxidative stress linked to age-related diseases, suggesting they may be valuable for nutrition and disease prevention.
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  • - Neuroinflammation is linked to serious central nervous system disorders and is often caused by oxidative stress, which leads to cell death, making it a vital target for treatment.
  • - Apigenin, a nutraceutical found in various fruits, vegetables, and herbs, has potential anti-inflammatory properties that could help in managing conditions like multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and other health issues.
  • - The review highlights significant studies on apigenin's effects on neuroinflammation and advocates for more research into its potential clinical uses.
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  • The study analyzes the phytochemical composition of wild edible Mediterranean plants, focusing on their mineral, sugar, organic acid, polyphenolic contents, and antioxidant potential.
  • It finds that both species have varying levels of essential minerals and sugars across different organs, with seeds showing higher antioxidant activity.
  • The research highlights the nutritional value of these plants, suggesting their potential use in functional food development due to their rich nutrient profile and antioxidant properties.
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Carbendazim (CBZ) is a benzimidazole fungicide widely used worldwide in industrial, agricultural, and veterinary practices. Although, CBZ was found in all brain tissues causing serious neurotoxicity, its impact on brain immune cells remain scarcely understood. Our study investigated the in vitro effects of CBZ on activated microglial BV-2 cells.

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Rutin, a phenolic compound, exhibits a diverse range of biological properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential of rutin, a naturally occurring plant bioactive molecule, to mitigate the neurotoxic effects induced by aluminum chloride (AlCl). Over a period of 6 weeks, rats were intraperitoneally injected with AlCl at a weekly dose of 60 mg/kg, while rutin treatment was administered orally via gavage at a daily dose of 30 mg/kg.

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On murine N2a cells, 7-ketocholesterol induced an oxiapotophagic mode of cell death characterized by oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species overproduction on whole cells and at the mitochondrial level; lipid peroxidation), apoptosis induction (caspase-9, -3 and -7 cleavage, PARP degradation) and autophagy (increased ratio LC3-II / LC3-I). Oxidative stress was strongly attenuated by diphenyleneiodonium chloride which inhibits NAD(P)H oxidase. Mitochondrial and peroxisomal morphological and functional changes were also observed.

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7-Ketocholesterol and 7β-hydroxycholesterol are most often derived from the autoxidation of cholesterol. Their quantities are often increased in the body fluids and/or diseased organs of patients with age-related diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer's disease, age-related macular degeneration, and sarcopenia which are frequently associated with a rupture of RedOx homeostasis leading to a high oxidative stress contributing to cell and tissue damages. On murine cells from the central nervous system (158N oligodendrocytes, microglial BV-2 cells, and neuronal N2a cells) as well as on C2C12 murine myoblasts, these two oxysterols can induce a mode of cell death which is associated with qualitative, quantitative, and functional modifications of the peroxisome.

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Oxysterols, resulting from the oxidation of cholesterol, are formed either by autoxidation, enzymatically, or by both processes. These molecules, which are provided in more or less important quantities depending on the type of diet, are also formed in the body and their presence is associated with a normal physiological activity. Their increase and decrease at the cellular level and in biological fluids can have significant consequences on health due or not to the interaction of some of these molecules with different types of receptors but also because oxysterols are involved in the regulation of RedOx balance, cytokinic and non-cytokinic inflammation, lipid metabolism, and induction of cell death.

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Oxysterols or cholesterol oxidation products are a class of molecules with the sterol moiety, derived from oxidative reaction of cholesterol through enzymatic and non-enzymatic processes. They are widely reported in animal-origin foods and prove significant involvement in the regulation of cholesterol homeostasis, lipid transport, cellular signaling, and other physiological processes. Reports of oxysterol-mediated cytotoxicity are in abundance and thus consequently implicated in several age-related and lifestyle disorders such as cardiovascular diseases, bone disorders, pancreatic disorders, age-related macular degeneration, cataract, neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, and some types of cancers.

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Phytosterols, which are produced in plants, are structurally similar to cholesterol. Their basic structures consist of a cyclo pentano-perhydrophenanthrene nucleus composed of 3 hexane rings and of a pentane ring with an alkyl side chain. There are around more than 250 phytosterols and related compounds that have been identified in natural resources.

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(Lamiaceae) is a plant endemic to the Mediterranean basin that is found in significant quantities in the arid regions of Morocco. is used in traditional medicine to treat infectious and non-infectious diseases. It is also used for the isolation of essential oils and for the seasoning of many dishes in the Mediterranean diet.

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Aging contributes to the progressive loss of cellular biological functions and increases the risk of age-related diseases. Cardiovascular diseases, some neurological disorders and cancers are generally classified as age-related diseases that affect the lifespan of individuals. These diseases result from the accumulation of cellular damage and reduced activity of protective stress response pathways, which can lead to inflammation and oxidative stress, which play a key role in the aging process.

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Aging is a complex biological process which can be associated with skeletal muscle degradation leading to sarcopenia. The aim of this study consisted i) to determine the oxidative and inflammatory status of sarcopenic patients and ii) to clarify the impact of oxidative stress on myoblasts and myotubes. To this end, various biomarkers of inflammation (C-reactive protein (CRP), TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, leukotriene B4 (LTB4)) and oxidative stress (malondialdehyde, conjugated dienes, carbonylated proteins and antioxidant enzymes: catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase) as well as oxidized derivatives of cholesterol formed by cholesterol autoxidation (7-ketocholesterol, 7β-hydroxycholesterol), were analyzed.

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It is known that the activities of Na/K- and Ca-ATPases in the plasma membrane with an excess of cholesterol are compromised. Our main goal was to find out whether quercetin, resveratrol, or caffeic acid, in the nano- and low micromolar concentration ranges, can improve the ATPase activity in human erythrocyte membranes with excess cholesterol. These molecules belong to different chemical classes of polyphenols and are widely present in plant foods.

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  • Resveratrol (RSV), a polyphenol with anti-tumor properties, is quickly metabolized, limiting its therapeutic use, prompting the development of several RSV analogues called aza-stilbenes (AZA-ST 1a-g).
  • In toxicity tests on murine neuronal cells, AZA-STs showed varying inhibitory concentrations (IC50) similar to RSV, but RSV uniquely induced significant apoptotic cell death and cell cycle changes.
  • Both RSV and AZA-STs increased plasma membrane permeability and mitochondrial depolarization, but only RSV significantly increased the proportion of apoptotic cells, indicating different modes of cell death.
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Oxysterols, derived from cholesterol oxidation, are formed either by autoxidation, via enzymes, or by both processes [...

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Oxidative stress and inflammation are the key players in neuroinflammation, in which microglia dysfunction plays a central role. Previous studies suggest that argan oil attenuates oxidative stress, inflammation, and peroxisome dysfunction in mouse brains. In this study, we explored the effects of two major argan oil (AO) phytosterols, Schottenol (Schot) and Spinasterol (Spina), on oxidative stress, inflammation, and peroxisomal dysfunction in two murine microglial BV-2 cell lines, () and ()-deficient cells challenged with LPS treatment.

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Due to the increase in life span and life expectancy, which can, however, be more or less pronounced depending on the economic, social and cultural context [...

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  • Digital technologies and open innovation have led to the creation of virtual organizations, exemplified by the International Natural Product Sciences Taskforce (INPST), established in 2018 for collaboration in natural product research.
  • The INPST utilized Twitter for a week-long networking event in June 2021, using the hashtag #INPST to facilitate interactions among participants.
  • Analysis of the event revealed 6,036 tweets from 686 users, resulting in over 65 million impressions, highlighting Twitter's effectiveness for hosting international biomedical research discussions.
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Exposure to endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides, LPS) may lead to a potent inflammatory cytokine response and a severe impairment of metabolism, causing tissue injury. The protective effect provided by cactus seed oil (CSO), from , was evaluated against LPS-induced inflammation, dysregulation of peroxisomal antioxidant, and β-oxidation activities in the brain and the liver. In both tissues, a short-term LPS exposure increased the proinflammatory interleukine-1 (), inducible Nitroxide synthase (, and Interleukine-6 ().

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