Effect of bexarotene on differentiation of glioblastoma multiforme compared with ATRA.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive malignant brain tumor. Since differentiation can attenuate or halt the growth of tumor cells, an image-based phenotypic screening was performed to find out drugs inducing morphological differentiation of GBMs. Bexarotene, a selective retinoid X receptor agonist, showed strong inhibition of neurospheroidal colony formation and migration of cultured primary GBM cells.

Repeated intracerebroventricular infusion of nicotine prevents kainate-induced neurotoxicity by activating the alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

We examined whether (-)-nicotine infusion can affect kainic acid (KA)-induced neurotoxicity in rats. Although treatment with a single nicotine infusion (0.5 or 1.

Ethanol fraction of Aralia elata Seemann enhances antioxidant activity and lowers serum lipids in rats when administered with benzo(a)pyrene.

Aralia elata Seemann is an edible mountain vegetable in Korea containing saponin, alkaloid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, methyl eicosanoate and hexacosol, and is known to manifest an effect on cardiac infarction, gastric ulcer, colitis, and enervation. This study has examined the effects of Aralia elata Seemann ethanol extract on antioxidant enzyme systems and lipid metabolism in rats along with benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) administration. Rats were divided into four groups: control (C), an extract fed group (CE), a B(a)P fed group (CB), and a B(a)P and extract fed group (CBE).