Immunomodulatory effects of Calcitriol in acute spinal cord injury in rats.

Pharmacological therapy options for spinal cord injury (SCI) in acute phase have so far been limited, thus we focused on Calcitriol, FDA-approved biologically active form of vitamin D whose neuroprotective effects are increasingly recognized, to ameliorating damage following acute SCI in rats. Calcitriol (1 μg/kg) treatment for 7 consecutive days after SCI was compared SCI control and Sham control rat groups. Calcitriol-treated group had significantly improved outcome in standard functional recovery evaluation test (BBB) 12 weeks after SCI compared to SCI control, which was confirmed by increased ventral horn motor neurons in Calcitriol-treated group.

Modulation of ERK1/2 and Akt Pathways Involved in the Neurotrophic Action of Caffeic Acid Alkyl Esters.

Neurodegenerative diseases affect millions of human lives all over the world. The number of afflicted patients is rapidly growing, and disease-modifying agents are urgently needed. Caffeic acid, an important member of the hydroxycinnamic acid family of polyphenols, has considerable neurotrophic effects.

Preference of Aerosolized Pirfenidone to Oral Intake: An Experimental Model of Pulmonary Fibrosis by Paraquat.

Background: Inhalation drug delivery is a fast, effective, and safe route of delivering medication directly to the lungs. Thanks to the large surface area and highly vascularized epithelium in lung, pulmonary drug delivery has been considered as an effective route to deliver drugs to the systemic circulation. Pirfenidone (PF), an oral antifibrotic agent, has been shown to slow down the progression of the lung fibrosis.

Derivatives of caffeic acid, a natural antioxidant, as the basis for the discovery of novel nonpeptidic neurotrophic agents.

Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, threaten the lives of millions of people and the number of affected patients is constantly growing with the increase of the aging population. Small molecule neurotrophic agents represent promising therapeutics for the pharmacological management of neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, a series of caffeic acid amide analogues with variable alkyl chain lengths, including ACAF3 (C3), ACAF4 (C4), ACAF6 (C6), ACAF8 (C8) and ACAF12 (C12) were synthesized and their neurotrophic activity was examined by different methods in PC12 neuronal cells.

Discovery of neurotrophic agents based on hydroxycinnamic acid scaffold.

The number of people affected by neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease is rapidly increasing owing to the global increase in life expectancy. Small molecules with neurotrophic effects have great potential for management of these neurological disorders. In this study, different (C1-C12) alkyl ester derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs) were synthesized (a total of 30 compounds).

Altered Serum Cytokine Profiles in Relapse Phase of Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system and cytokines may play a role in the development of MS lesions.

Objective: To determine levels of different cytokines in patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RR-MS) compared to healthy controls.

Methods: Profiles of pro-inflammatory, Th1-, Th2-, and Th17-related cytokines were compared by quantitative multiplexed ELISA-based chemiluminescent assay in 44 RR-MS and 44 healthy age- and sex-matched individuals from the same ethnicity.

In vitro antibacterial effect of wasp (Vespa orientalis) venom.

Background: The emergence of antibacterial resistance against several classes of antibiotics is an inevitable consequence of drug overuse. As antimicrobial resistance spreads throughout the globe, new substances will always be necessary to fight against multidrug-resistant microorganisms. Venoms of many animals have recently gained attention in the search for new antimicrobials to treat infectious diseases.

Histological characterization of the special venom secretory cells in the stinger of rays in the northern waters of Persian Gulf and Oman Sea.

Rays are common elasmobranches in the northern waters of Persian Gulf and Oman Sea that may have one or more mineralized serrated stingers on the whip-like tail. The stingers are covered by epidermal cells among which some can produce venom. When these animals are dorsally touched, the stinger can be introduced into the aggressor by a whip reflex mechanism of the tail when the pectoral fins are touched, causing severe mechanical injuries and inoculating the venom.

CNS alpha 1 receptor in tonic pain during estrous cycle in rats.

Estrogen and progesterone are known to affect nociception. The plasma concentrations of these hormones vary during estrous cycle in rodents. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of evidence of alpha1 receptor agonist and antagonist on tonic pain in all phases of estrous cycle in female rats.

Drug binding sites on chicken albumin: a comparison to human albumin.

Mammalian albumins have two main structurally selective ligand binding sites. Site I binds drugs such as azapropazone, phenylbutazone and warfarin; whereas benzodiazepines, some dansyl amino acids, such as dansylsarcosine, and short chain fatty acids like octanoic acid interact with site II. However, it is not known if non-mammalian albumins have similar binding loci.