Evaluation of the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and isolation and characterization of a new bioactive compound, 3,4,9-trimethyl-7-propyldecanoic acid from Vitex negundo.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Herbal medicines derived from plant extraction are affordable, more therapeutically effective, and have fewer side effects than contemporary medications. Vitex negundo L. (V.

Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, and Osteoarthritis-An Updated Review.

Purpose Of Review: Metabolic syndrome (MetS), also called the 'deadly quartet' comprising obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension, has been ascertained to have a causal role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). This review is aimed at discussing the current knowledge on the contribution of metabolic syndrome and its various components to OA pathogenesis and progression.

Recent Findings: Lately, an increased association identified between the various components of metabolic syndrome (obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension) with OA has led to the identification of the 'metabolic phenotype' of OA.

Phytochemical analysis, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant activity of Calotropis gigantea and its therapeutic applications.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Herbal remedies can be used to treat a variety of chronic inflammatory illnesses, like rheumatoid arthritis and leprosy. The plant Calotropis gigantea (C. gigantea) belongs to the family Apocynaceae.

Placental mesenchymal stem cells restore glucose and energy homeostasis in obesogenic adipocytes.

Obesity (Ob) depicts a state of energy imbalance(s) being characterized by the accumulation of excessive fat and which predisposes to several metabolic diseases. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent a promising option for addressing obesity and its associated metabolic co-morbidities. The present study aims at assessing the beneficial effects of human placental MSCs (P-MSCs) in mitigating Ob-associated insulin resistance (IR) and mitochondrial dysfunction both in vivo and in vitro.

Safety and Performance of Continuous Glucose Monitoring: An Overview.

Diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2) is the most burdensome condition for the healthcare systems worldwide. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is a powerful tool in the management of diabetes that has helped patients with diabetes to achieve better glycemic control as compared to traditional systems. It helps reduce the frequency as well as the severity of hypoglycemia.

Human placental mesenchymal stromal cell therapy restores the cytokine efflux and insulin signaling in the skeletal muscle of obesity-induced type 2 diabetes rat model.

Obesity poses a significant risk factor for the onset of metabolic syndrome with allied complications, wherein mesenchymal stem cell therapy is seen as a promising treatment for obesity-induced metabolic syndrome. In the present study, we aim to explore the beneficial effects of the human placental mesenchymal stromal cells (P-MSCs) on obesity-associated insulin resistance (IR) including inflammation. To understand this, we have analyzed the peripheral blood glucose, serum insulin levels by ELISA, and the glucose uptake capacity of skeletal muscle by a 2-NBDG assay using flow cytometry in WNIN/GR-Ob rats treated with and without P-MSCs.

Beneficial effects of secretome derived from mesenchymal stem cells with stigmasterol to negate IL-1β-induced inflammation in-vitro using rat chondrocytes-OA management.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent joint disease predominantly characterized by inflammation which drives cartilage destruction. Mesenchymal stem cells-condition medium (MSC-CM) or the secretome is enriched with bioactive factors and possesses anti-inflammatory and regenerative effects. The present study aimed at evaluating the effects of combining MSC-conditioned medium with stigmasterol compared with the individual treatments in alleviating interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β)-induced inflammation in rat chondrocytes.

The promise(s) of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in averting preclinical diabetes: lessons from in vivo and in vitro model systems.

Obesity (Ob) poses a significant risk factor for the onset of metabolic syndrome with associated complications, wherein the Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC) therapy shows pre-clinical success. Here, we explore the therapeutic applications of human Placental MSCs (P-MSCs) to address Ob-associated Insulin Resistance (IR) and its complications. In the present study, we show that intramuscular injection of P-MSCs homed more towards the visceral site, restored HOMA-IR and glucose homeostasis in the WNIN/GR-Ob (Ob-T2D) rats.

A novel therapeutic combination of mesenchymal stem cells and stigmasterol to attenuate osteoarthritis in rodent model system-a proof of concept study.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have gained wide therapeutic acceptance in regenerative medicine due to their potential in repair process in restoring the damaged tissues and controlling inflammation. In the present study, we report for the first time the beneficial effects of combining placental-derived MSCs (hPMSCs) with stigmasterol-a plant-derived sterol to accelerate cartilage repair and regeneration in a monosodium-iodoacetate (MIA) induced osteoarthritis (OA) rat model. Control animals (Group I) received no treatment.

Metabolic Syndrome Predisposes to Osteoarthritis: Lessons from Model System.

Objective: The present study aims to assess for temporal changes in tibial subchondral bone and cartilage in WNIN/Gr-Ob rats (portraying obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, impaired glucose tolerance, hypertension) in comparison with Wistar controls (WNIN) using anthropometry, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), histopathology, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and immunofluorescence.

Design: Body weight, abdominal circumference, body mass index (BMI), lean/fat mass, serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels were measured (ELISA), followed by ultrastructural analysis of tibial subchondral bone (micro-CT) and cartilage architecture (histopathology and SEM) in WNIN/Gr-Ob and WNIN rats with age (3, 6 and 9 months). Additionally, primary cultures of articular chondrocytes isolated from 6-month-old WNIN/Gr-Ob and WNIN rats were assessed for matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13 and Collagen type II (COL2A1) by immunofluorescence.

Conventional polymerase chain reaction and amplification refractory mutation system-multi-gene/ multi-primer PCR in the diagnosis of female genital tuberculosis.

This review mainly summarizes disease, immune-pathology and the clinical usefulness, advances, potential applications and limitations of new, cutting-edge technology (MG/MP-PCR and/or ARMS-MG/MP-PCR) in the detection of female genital tuberculosis (FGTB) disease and gene polymorphism among infertile patients. The investigation was set in the Department of Zoology, Osmania University and National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India. Desired articles were critically reviewed and analysed.

Emerging Therapeutic Targets for Metabolic Syndrome: Lessons from Animal Models.

Background: Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of medical conditions that synergistically increase the risk of heart diseases and diabetes. The current treatment strategy for metabolic syndrome focuses on treating its individual components. A highly effective agent for metabolic syndrome has yet to be developed.

Treatment of 'Diabesity': Beyond Pharmacotherapy.

Obesity is a prominent risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Management of type 2 diabetes requires weight management in addition to glycemic parameters. For obese type 2 diabetes patients, metformin, Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors or Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists should be prescribed as the first priority for controlling both hyperglycemia and body weight or fat distribution.

Understanding pluripotency under folic acid deficiency using embryonic stem cells as an in vitro model.

Innumerable studies have been carried out by people to trace out those elements, find out the mechanisms that are vital to the maintenance of stemness. Amongst them, the one which is gaining importance in the recent past is the metabolism of stem cells, especially One carbon metabolism. Being associated directly or indirectly, with DNA and Histone methylation, One carbon metabolism has an important role to play as far as epigenetic regulation of stemness is concerned.

Novel dihydropyrimidine derivatives as potential HDAC inhibitors: in silico study.

Dihydropyrimidine derivatives possess many biological activities due to presence of pyrimidine ring structure in various nucleic acids, vitamins, coenzymes, uric acid and their derivatives. They have possessed broad spectrum actions like antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anticancer and antihypertensive etc. Before synthesis of compounds, it is good to predict biological activity using in silico methods.

Beta-cell Management in Type 2 Diabetes: Beneficial Role of Nutraceuticals.

Inadequate functional beta cell mass seems to be the primary cause of type 2 diabetes. Increased oxidative stress and inflammation are the leading causes of betacell death. Preservation of functional beta-cell mass in type 2 diabetes is a critical target for type 2 diabetes management.

EXPERIMENTALLY-INDUCED ANIMAL MODELS OF PREDIABETES AND INSULIN RESISTANCE: A REVIEW.

Animal models are very common in diabetes research when rodents are mostly used in this regard. Although a number of animal models of type 1 and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are developed in last few decades, the numbers of animal models of prediabetes and insulin resistance are very scanty. Due to the rapidly changing pathogenesis of the disease and preventive study, the popularity of the prediabetic and insulin resistance models are largely increased in the recent years.

Progenitor cells may aid successful islet compensation in metabolically healthy obese individuals.

Obesity is associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Fortunately most obese, insulin-resistant individuals do not develop type 2 diabetes as they can overcome reduced efficiency of insulin action by increasing the functional β-cell mass. Compelling evidences suggest β-cells neogenesis through progenitor/stem cells residing in pancreatic ductal cells and islets, but the role of β-cell regeneration in obesity/insulin resistance from progenitor/stem cells is not clear.

Independent amino acid residues in the S2 pocket of falcipain-3 determine its specificity for P2 residues in substrates.

Falcipain-3 (FP3) is an essential and drug target cysteine protease of the most lethal human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. FP3 and its majority of homologs in malaria parasites prefer Leu at the P2 position in substrates and inhibitors, whereas its major host homolog cathepsin L prefers Phe. However, FP3 is much less active on peptide substrates and has negligible activity against a P2 Arg-containing substrate (Z-RR-AMC) compared to its paralog falcipain-2A (FP2A).

Islet adaptation to obesity and insulin resistance in WNIN/GR-Ob rats.

WNIN/GR-Ob mutant rat is a novel animal model to study metabolic syndrome (obesity, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, impaired glucose tolerance and cardiovascular diseases). We have investigated the islet characteristics of obese mutants at different age groups (1, 6 and 12 months) to assess the islet changes in response to early and chronic metabolic stress. Our data demonstrates altered islet cell morphology and function (hypertrophy, fibrotic lesions, vacuolation, decreased stimulation index, increased TNFα, ROS and TBARS levels) in mutants as compared to controls.

Promise(s) of using mesenchymal stem cells in reproductive disorders.

In recent times, infertility among both man and woman has become a major concern affecting about 20 per cent of the population worldwide and has been attributed in part to several aetiological factors such as changes in lifestyle, which includes sedentary life, dietary habits, sleep anomalies, environmental pollution, etc. Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have come to the rescue of many such couples, but presence of metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes with insulin resistance (IR) and its secondary complications (micro- and macro-vascular complications), become confounders to the outcome of ART. Cell therapies are arising as a new hope in the management of reproductive disorders and currently, the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) harvested from the adult sources finds wide application in the management of diseases like stroke, neuropathy, nephropathy, myopathy, wounds in diabetes, etc.

Human mesenchymal stem cells as a novel platform for simultaneous evaluation of cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of pharmaceuticals.

The in vitro micronucleus test is a well-known test for the screening of genotoxic compounds. However until now, most studies have been performed on either human peripheral lymphocytes or established cancer cell lines. This study provides human mesenchymal stem cells as an alternative to the conventional micronucleus test.

Proliferation and TH1/TH2 cytokine production in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells after treatment with cypermethrin and mancozeb in vitro.

In recent times, human cell-based assays are gaining attention in assessments of immunomodulatory effects of chemicals. In the study here, the possible effects of cypermethrin and mancozeb on lymphocyte proliferation and proinflammatory (tumor necrosis factor (TNF-) α) and immunoregulatory cytokine (interferon- (IFN-) γ, interleukins (IL) 2, 4, 6, and 10) formation in vitro were investigated. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated and exposed for 6 hr to noncytotoxic doses (0.

Obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome: a study in WNIN/Ob rats from a pancreatic perspective.

Alterations in pancreatic milieu to adapt to physiological shifts occurring in conditions of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MS) have been documented, though mechanisms leading to such a state have remained elusive so far. The data presented here tries to look at the gravity of metabolic insult during the early and prolonged phases of obesity/insulin resistance (IR) depicted in WNIN/Ob strain of rats-an obese euglycemic mutant rat model developed indigenously at our institute which is highly vulnerable for a variety of degenerative diseases. The present results in situ show the participation of several confounding factors in the pancreatic milieu that collectively coprecipitates for a state of profound inflammation in the pancreas (among Mutant compared to Lean/Control) which gets worsened with age.