Malaria, one of the major global public health events, is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity among children and adults in tropical and subtropical regions(mainly in sub-Saharan Africa), threatening human health. It is well known that malaria can cause various complications including anemia, blackwater fever, cerebral malaria, and kidney damage. Conventionally, cardiac involvement has not been listed as a common reason affecting morbidity and mortality of malaria, which may be related to ignored cases or insufficient diagnosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExposure to diesel exhaust particles (DEP) increases the risk of ischemic heart disease, especially heart attacks and ischemic/thrombotic strokes. Shengmai Yin (SMY) is a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat coronary heart disease. The aim of this study was to determine the protective role of SMY and the mechanism by which SMY affects DEP-induced cardiovascular injury.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe health problems caused by air pollution (especially particulate pollution) are getting more and more attention, especially among cardiovascular disease patients, which aggravates complicated disorders and causes poor prognosis. The simple myocardial ischemia (MI) or particulate matter (PM) exposure model is unsuitable for such studies of diseases with multiple causes. Here, a method for constructing a composite model combining PM exposure, atherosclerosis, and myocardial ischemia has been described.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMalaria parasites induce morphological and biochemical changes in the membranes of parasite-infected red blood cells (iRBCs) for propagation. Artemisinin combination therapies are the first-line antiplasmodials in countries of endemicity. However, the mechanism of action of artemisinin is unclear, and drug resistance decreases long-term efficacy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCerebral malaria (CM) is caused by , resulting in severe sequelae; one of its pathogenic factors is the low bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO). Our previous study suggested that the combination of artesunate (AS) and tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) exerts an adjuvant therapeutic effect on the symptoms of experimental CM (ECM) and that NO regulation plays an important role. In the present study, we further verified the effects of AS+TMP on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and detected NO-related indicators.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUltrafine particulate matter (UFPM) induces oxidative stress (OS) and is considered to be a risk factor of myocardial ischemia (MI). Shengmai formula (SMF) is a traditional Chinese medicine with antioxidant properties and has been used to treat cardiovascular diseases for a long time. The aim of this study was to explore the protective role of SMF and the mechanism by which it prevents myocardial injury in UFPM-exposed rats with MI.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAir pollution is a growing public health burden associated with several negative health effects, especially cardiovascular disease. Shenlian extract (SL), a traditional Chinese medicine, has the effects of clearing heat-toxin and promoting blood circulation for removing blood stasis, and it has long been used to treat cardiovascular diseases and atherosclerosis. This study explored the underlying action mechanism of SL against ultrafine particle-induced myocardial ischemic injury (UFP-MI) through network pharmacology prediction and experimental verification.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCorona virus disease 2019(COVID-19) has brought untold human sufferings and economic tragedy worldwide. It causes acute myocardial injury and chronic damage of cardiovascular system, which has attracted much attention from researchers. For the immediate strategy for COVID-19, "drug repurposing" is a new opportunity for developing drugs to fight COVID-19.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntravenous artesunate is effective against cerebral malaria (CM), but high mortality and neurological sequelae in survivors are inevitable. We investigated the effect of combined artesunate and tetramethylpyrazine using mouse models of experimental cerebral malaria (ECM). Artesunate + tetramethylpyrazine reduced microvascular blockage and improved neurological function, including the rapid murine coma and behavior scale (RMCBS), leading to improved survival and reduced pathology in ECM.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlasmodium culture in vitro is often used as an antimalarial drug evaluation model, but the lifecycle of P. falciparum culture in vitro tends to be disordered, which affects the research and evaluation of antimalarial drug mechanism in vitro. By combining magnetic bead separation method with sorbitol synchronization method, a synchronization method was constructed to quickly acquire different lifecycles of P.
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