Cu2+ reduces hemolytic activity of the antimicrobial peptide HMPI and enhances its trypsin resistance.

Nowadays, drug-resistant microbes are becoming a serious clinical problem threatening people's health and life. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are believed to be potential alternatives of conventional antibiotics to combat the threat of drug-resistant microbes. However, the susceptibility of AMPs toward proteases is one of the major problems limiting their clinical use.

A Study of the Relaxed Mechanisms Induced by Novokinin in the Isolated Porcine Coronary Artery Ring Segments.

Novokinin is a vasorelaxing peptide designed according to the structure of ovokinin(2-7) that is released from ovalbumin by chymotryptic digestion. It has attracted much attention due to its variety of pharmacological and biological characteristics. The purpose of this research was to judge the effect and the mechanism of novokinin on porcine coronary arteries.

Curcumin protects rat heart mitochondria against anoxia-reoxygenation induced oxidative injury.

It is an important therapeutic strategy to protect mitochondria from oxidative stress, especially during ischemia-reperfusion. Curcumin is a naturally occurring phenolic compound isolated as a yellow pigment from turmeric (Curcuma longa). This compound has received much attention due to its diversity of biological and pharmacological activities.

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester and its related compounds limit the functional alterations of the isolated mouse brain and liver mitochondria submitted to in vitro anoxia-reoxygenation: relationship to their antioxidant activities.

It is an important therapeutic strategy to protect mitochondria from oxidative stress, especially during ischemia-reperfusion. In the present study, an attempt has been made to evaluate the protective effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and its related phenolic compounds on mouse brain and liver mitochondria injury induced by in vitro anoxia-reoxygenation. Added before anoxia or reoxygenation, CAPE markedly protected coupled respiration with the decrease in state 4 and the increases in state 3, respiratory control ratio (RCR) and ADP/O ratio in a concentration-dependent manner.

The relaxant effect of curcumin on porcine coronary arterial ring segments.

Curcumin is a naturally occurring phenolic compound isolated as a yellow pigment from turmeric (curcuma longa). This compound has received much attention due to its diversity of biological and pharmacological activities. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of curcumin on porcine coronary arteries and to investigate the mechanism of its action, if any.

The relaxant effect of dobutamine on porcine coronary arterial ring segments.

The purpose of this study was to assess the direct effects of dobutamine on porcine coronary arteries and to investigate the mechanism of its action. Rings of coronary arteries from pigs were suspended in baths containing Krebs solution, and isometric tension was measured. The response to dobutamine (10(-8)-10(-3) M) was investigated in porcine coronary arterial rings contracted by KCl.

The relaxant effect of nociceptin on porcine coronary arterial ring segments.

Nociceptin (NC), alias orphanin FQ, has been identified as the endogenous ligand of the opioid receptor-like 1 receptor (ORL1). The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of nociceptin on porcine coronary arteries and to investigate the mechanism of its action, if any. Rings of coronary arteries from porcine hearts were suspended in baths containing Krebs solution, and isometric tension was measured.