Neurodegenerative disorders like Huntington's disease (HD) are a major threat to human health, with severe gait abnormalities and pathological changes (oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and apoptosis) playing important roles in their development. The effects of artemisinin (ART) alone and in combination with the ERK antagonist PD98059 against 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA)-induced cell death and oxidative stress in SH-SY5Y cells were determined using the MTT and DCFH-DA assays, as well as RT-qPCR assays. In vivo, possible neuroprotective effects of ART (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF"Path to a good mood lies through the gut." This statement seems to imply that it has long been believed that the gut is connected with the brain. Research has shown that eating food activates the reward system and releases dopamine (DA), establishing a link between the peripheral and central nervous system.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Pharmacol
September 2024
Neurodegenerative disorders are diseases characterized by progressive degeneration of neurons and associated structures and are a major global issue growing more widespread as the global population's average age increases. Despite several investigations on their etiology, the specific cause of these disorders remains unknown. However, there are few symptomatic therapies to treat these disorders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHuntington's disease (HD) is an inherited, autosomal, neurodegenerative ailment that affects the striatum of the brain. Despite its debilitating effect on its patients, there is no proven cure for HD management as of yet. Neuroinflammation, excitotoxicity, and environmental factors have been reported to influence the regulation of gene expression by modifying epigenetic mechanisms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExpert Opin Ther Targets
December 2023
Introduction: Recent neuroscience breakthroughs have shed light on the sophisticated relationship between calcium channelopathies and movement disorders, exposing a previously undiscovered tale focusing on the Ryanodine Receptor (RyR) and the Sarco/Endoplasmic Reticulum Calcium ATPase (SERCA). Calcium signaling mainly orchestrates neural communication, which regulates synaptic transmission and total network activity. It has been determined that RyR play a significant role in managing neuronal functions, most notably in releasing intracellular calcium from the endoplasmic reticulum.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA mutation in the Huntingtin gene causes 'Huntington's disease, which presents as a motor and behavioral impairment. Due to the limited drug therapy for this disease, scientists are constantly searching for newer and alternative drugs that may either retard or prevent the progress of the disease. This study aims to explore the neuroprotective potential of Bacillus Calmette Gaurine (BCG) vaccine against quinolinic acid-induced (QA) neurotoxicity in rats.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBenzoxazepines constitute a significant class of organic compounds extensively described in the literature. Several derivatives with pharmacological properties have been produced due to the semi-rigid azepine scaffold, which allows for the addition of other heteroatoms. This study investigated the possible antifungal effect and antioxidant activity of 2,3-dihydro-1,5-benzoxazepines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNaunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol
April 2023
Artemisinin and its derivatives, since their discovery by professor Tu Youyou in the early 1970s, have been the bedrock for the management of malaria globally. Recent works have implied that they could be used to manage other diseases including neurodegenerative disorders. Neurodegenerative disorders mainly occur in the adult population resulting from a progressive deterioration of neuronal structures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMonkeypox is a zoonotic illness caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV) that has a similar etiology to smallpox. The first case of monkeypox was reported in Western and Central Africa in 1971, and in 2003, there was an outbreak of monkeypox viruses outside Africa. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), monkeypox is transmitted through direct contact with infected animals or persons exposed to infectious sores, scabs, or body fluids.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe rapid emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance has become a global public health concern that threatens the effective treatment of infectious diseases. One major approach adopted to overcome antimicrobial resistance is the use of plant extracts individually and/or with combination of antibiotics with plant extracts, which may lead to new ways of treating infectious diseases and essentially representing a potential area for further future investigations. In this study, the antifungal activities of leaf and flower extracts against fluconazole-resistant strains (isolated from pregnant women with vulvovaginal candidiasis) and anti-methicillin-resistant (MRSA) were evaluated by agar well diffusion, microdilution, and biofilm inhibition assays.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvid Based Complement Alternat Med
December 2020
Introduction: In the management of hypertension (a cardiovascular disease and the leading metabolic risk factor in noncommunicable diseases) with herbal medicines, efficacy and safety are of uttermost concern. This study sought to establish hypotensive, antihypertensive, drug interaction, and safety for use of the aqueous leaf extracts of (AME), (PAE), or their combination products (CAPE). .
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